Digital Commons Network^™

The Effects Of Activity, Age And Injury On Ciliary Neurotrophic Factor Regulation In The Rat Supraoptic Nucleus, Jason M. Askvig

Theses and Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Neuroimaging And Disorders Of Consciousness: Envisioning An Ethical Research Agenda, Emily Murphy, Joseph J. Fins, Judy Iles, James L. Bernat, Joy Hirsch, Steven Laureys

Faculty Scholarship

No abstract provided.

Proteomic Profiling Of Endorepellin Angiostatic Activity On Human Endothelial Cells., Jason J Zoeller, Renato V Iozzo

Department of Pathology, Anatomy, and Cell Biology Faculty Papers

BACKGROUND: Endorepellin, the C-terminal domain V of the heparan sulfate proteoglycan perlecan, exhibits powerful and targeted anti-angiogenic activity on endothelial cells. To identify proteins involved with endorepellin anti-angiogenic action, we performed an extensive comparative proteomic analysis between vehicle- and endorepellin-treated human endothelial cells. RESULTS: Proteomic analysis of endorepellin influence on human umbilical vein endothelial cells identified five differentially expressed proteins, three of which (beta-actin, calreticulin, and chaperonin/Hsp60) were down-regulated and two of which (vimentin and the beta subunit of prolyl 4-hydroxylase also known as protein disulfide isomerase) were up-regulated in response to endorepellin treatment-and associated with a fold change (endorepellin/control) …

Seeding Effectiveness And Natural Regeneration Of Mojave Desert Plant Communities After 2005-2006 Wildland Fires, E. Cayenne Engel, Scott R. Abella, Christina L. Lund

Fire Science Presentations

1) Assessment of BLM seeding effectiveness in mid-elevation burn where pre-burn plant communities were dominated by blackbrush, Joshua trees, and creosote.

2) Patterns driving fire recovery at the landscape scale:

• Link initial vegetation, environment, and soils
• Are there patterns that can be gleaned that can then be applied to management prescriptions?

Interagency Science And Research Strategy, Limnological Assistance For Lake Mead National Recreation Area

Limnological Studies

Helping improve operational efficiency, enhance land stewardship, resource protection, and conservation on the shared public land.

Ecological Consequences Of Invasion Of The Quagga Mussel (Dreissena Bugensis Andrusov 1897) Into Lake Mead, David Wong, Shawn Gerstenberger, Todd Tietjen, Sara Ann Mueting, Eric Michael Loomis

Limnological Studies

Consequences of Invasion of the Quagga Mussel into Lake Mead

Management Techniques For The Control Of Sahara Mustard (Brassica Tournefortii) In The Mojave Desert, Dianne N. Bangle, Scott R. Abella, Public Lands Institute,

Vegetation Monitoring Presentations

In the southwestern United States, Brassica tournefortii(Sahara mustard) is a highly invasive plant that colonizes roadsides, beaches, sand dunes, and open desert threatening native annuals. Sahara mustard is believed to contribute to fuel loads in the Mojave Desert in areas where Schismussp. and Bromussp. occur. Sahara mustard may act as ladder fuel, thereby facilitating the spread of fire throughout the landscape. Manpower limitations and insufficient funding limits the abilities of managers to effectively control Sahara mustard. We tested seed germinability in Sahara mustard after fruiting plants were treated with either 2%, 5%, or 12% triclopyr. Sahara mustard seed pods were …

Exotic Annual Plant Invasions And Their Relationships To Roads And Native Perennial Species In The Mojave Desert, Southwestern Usa, Donovan J. Craig, Jill Pacovsky Craig, Scott R. Abella

Vegetation Monitoring Presentations

For the last five years, roadside monitoring for exotic invasive species has been a common practice for documenting distributions in Clark County, Nevada (Abella et al., in press). Yet, studies have shown that weed relationships to road corridors differ depending upon the natural system (Hansen and Clevenger, 2005). In the Mojave Desert, it is unknown whether exotic species are limited to or even predominant along roadsides.

Compounding this uncertainty, fertile islands under shrubs are known to enhance conditions for many annuals (Thompson et al., 2005). Thus, a site’s shrub composition could influence exotic invasive plant distributions.

Implications For Management Prioritization Of Exotic Annual Weed Monitoring Near Roadsides In The Eastern Mojave Desert, Usa, Donovan J. Craig, Jill E. Craig, Scott R. Abella, Public Lands Institute,

Vegetation Monitoring Presentations

Invasive exotic plants provide an unnatural conduit for fires in the Mojave Desert. For the last five years, roadside monitoring for exotic invasive species has been a common practice for documenting distributions in Clark County, Nevada (Abella et al., in press). Yet, studies have shown that weed relationships to road corridors differ depending upon the natural system (Hansen and Clevenger, 2005). In the Mojave Desert, it is unknown whether exotic species are limited to or even predominant along roadsides.

Compounding this uncertainty, fertile islands under shrubs are known to enhance conditions for many annuals (Thompson et al., 2005). Thus, a …

Response Of Sahara Mustard (Brassica Tournefortii) To Water Addition And Soil Disturbance, Alexis Suazo, Jessica E. Spencer, Scott R. Abella

Vegetation Monitoring Presentations

Invasive exotic species can have a significant impact on the structure, function, and diversity of ecological communities. Sahara mustard (Brassica tournefortii) is one of the top exotic invasive species spreading through the southwestern deserts of North America. In arid environments, it is well documented that species abundance is sensitive to rainfall (Beatly 1974, Ernest et al. 2000). In the Mojave Desert, winter precipitation can trigger massive germination events (Beatly 1974). As a winter annual, Sahara mustard may have a positive response to winter precipitation by germinating, growing, and reproducing before native annuals, monopolizing soil moisture and nutrients, and potentially changing …

A Unique Old-Growth Ponderosa Pine Forest In Northern Arizona, Scott R. Abella

Public Policy and Leadership Faculty Research

Old-growth ponderosa pine (Pinus ponderosa) forests are uncommon in the Southwest, and only one oldgrowth forest (the Gus Pearson Natural Area [GPNA]) has been researched in the ponderosa pine belt surrounding the city of Flagstaff in northern Arizona. The purpose of this study was to measure soil characteristics, current and pre-Euro-American settlement (1885) tree structure, and understory plant composition in a 6-ha remnant old-growth forest on volcanic, red cinder soils. Soil bulk density was extremely low (0.21 Mg/m3) in this forest because of high volumetric contents of cinders >2 mm diameter. As a result, volumetric soil moisture, organic C, and …

Fire History And Forest Structural Change In The Spring Mountains, Scott R. Abella

Public Policy and Leadership Faculty Research

Since early 2006 we have been working to develop a partnership with the Spring Mountains District of the Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest to provide science support for understanding fire history and forest structural changes in support of ecologically based management strategies. We teamed up with the Ecological Restoration Institute (ERI) at Northern Arizona University and the University of Arizona Tree Ring Lab to deliver a workshop on March 6, 2008 at the interagency office in Las Vegas, Nevada. On September 16-18, we again teamed up with colleagues at ERI to conduct a preliminary field assessment of forest change at 10 sites …

Opportunities For New Collaborative Projects, Scott R. Abella, Jill E. Craig

Public Policy and Leadership Faculty Research

The Research Group is currently working in successful partnerships with Lake Mead National Recreation Area, BLM Las Vegas, Desert National Wildlife Refuge (U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service), Joshua Tree National Park, and in collaboration with the Ecological Restoration Institute, the U.S. Forest Service (Region 3).

Examining The Effects Of Nurse Work Hours, Inter-Shift Recovery, Fatigue, And Sleep Debt On Intent To Leave, Amy M. Manderscheid

Masters Theses

The nursing profession contains dedicated professionals who work varying shifts with assorted time frames to recover before returning to work. The purpose of this study was to examine shift work, inter-shift recovery, fatigue, sleep debt and intent to leave among full-time nurses. Data were collected through the use of electronic questionnaires from a sample of 36 registered nurses from the Sigma Theta Tau Kappa Epsilon Chapterat- Large.

Findings revealed significant differences among nurses working 10 hour shifts and their accumulation of sleep debt in comparison to nurses working 8 or 12 hour shifts. Significant differences were not found between acute …

Negotiating Divorce: Gender And The Behavioral Economics Of Divorce Bargaining, Tess Wilkinson-Ryan, Deborah Small

Minnesota Journal of Law & Inequality

No abstract provided.

A New Method Of Synthesizing Black Birnessite Nanoparticles: From Brown To Black Birnessite With Nanostructures, Shizhi Qian, Marcos A. Cheney, Pradip K. Bhowmik, Sang W. Joo, Wensheng Hou, Joseph M. Okoh

Mechanical Engineering Faculty Research

A new method for preparing black birnessite nanoparticles is introduced. The initial synthesis process resembles the classical McKenzie method of preparing brown birnessite except for slower cooling and closing the system from the ambient air. Subsequent process, including wet-aging at 7◦C for 48 hours, overnight freezing, and lyophilization, is shown to convert the brown birnessite into black birnessite with complex nanomorphology with folded sheets and spirals. Characterization of the product is performed by X-ray diffraction (XRD), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), and N2 adsorption (BET) techniques. Wet-aging and lyophilization times are shown to …

Mojave Applied Ecology Notes Winter 2008, Scott R. Abella, E. Cayenne Engel, Jill E. Craig

Mojave Applied Ecology Notes

Mojave Desert collaborative projects, fire history in Spring Mountains, Northshore Road rehabilitation, wildfires and invasive plants in American deserts conference, weed sentry surveys

The Characteristics, Knowledge, And Preparation Levels Of K--12 Online Distance Educators In The United States, Leanna Matchett Archambault

UNLV Retrospective Theses & Dissertations

With the increasing popularity and accessibility of the Internet and Internet-based technologies, along with the need for a diverse group of students to have alternative means to complete their education, there is a major push for K-12 schools to offer online courses. This is primarily occurring through offering virtual high school programs via online distance education. Virtual schools have been in existence since the proliferation of the Internet in the mid-1990s, and they continue to grow in popularity as a realistic alternative to traditional education. As the number of online distance education courses continue to proliferate throughout the nation, a …

The Effects Of Feedback Protocol And Learning Environment Perceptions On Self -Regulated Learning, Kevin David Biesinger

UNLV Retrospective Theses & Dissertations

The current research investigated the effects of differing feedback protocols in a multimedia learning environment to determine if changes would occur over time in goal orientation, self-regulation, self-efficacy or achievement. Subjects from an traditional undergraduate chemistry course were assigned to either a norm-referenced or self-referenced feedback group. Goal orientation and self-efficacy were measured via self-report surveys pre-post instruction, self-regulation was measured as the cumulative number of times each subject opened a worked example/self-explanation prompt while engaged in weekly web-based quizzes, and achievement was measured using final semester course grades. Perceptions of the learning environment were also probed as a potential …

The Effects Of Electromagnetic Fields On The Detection Of Mercury And Radionuclides, Yogendra M Panta

UNLV Retrospective Theses & Dissertations

Mercury and many radionuclides are extremely toxic, and their monitoring and detection are of importance for human health and environmental protection. This dissertation focuses on the detection of mercury (II) ions and radionuclides including uranium (234U and 238U), plutonium (239Pu), and americium (241Am) in aqueous solutions under the effects of electromagnetic fields. The stripping electrochemical method has been widely used to detect mercury (II) ions in aqueous solutions. To enhance the detection sensitivity of the conventional electrochemical method, mechanically stirring the solution is usually performed to enhance the rate of the ionic mass transport. Instead of mechanically stirring the solution; …

Development And Empirical Analysis Of A Self-Advocacy Readiness Scale With A University Sample, Katrina R Harris

UNLV Retrospective Theses & Dissertations

Counseling as a profession has been criticized for disregarding the social and political issues facing clients and students (Bemak & Chung, 2005). Many students in urban environments are faced with difficulties such as poverty, racism, and oppression that impact their emotional, social, and academic growth (Bemak & Siroskey-Sabdo, 2005). Further, students in urban schools feel they have little power in a school culture dominated by the majority group in which differences in culture, class and language are often perceived as deficits (Bryan, 2005); The No Child Left Behind Act calls for increasing achievement rates for all students and bridging the …

Preventing Campus Alcohol Abuse: A Controlled Comparison Of Two Media Programs, Jennifer Dawn Karmely

UNLV Retrospective Theses & Dissertations

Alcohol misuse on university and college campuses has contributed to a variety of problems experienced by students, including driving injuries and fatalities, alcohol poisoning, academic failure, potential long-term alcohol abuse, and risky or nonconsensual sexual activity. This investigation examined the efficacy of two prevention programs targeting campus alcohol misuse (Alcohol 101; Collegiate Guide to Responsible Drinking, CGRD). Alcohol 101 disseminates information regarding the consequences of alcohol abuse in a psycho-educational, interactive DVD format. CGRD includes some DVD-based psycho-educational material while primarily focusing on empirically derived cognitive behavioral techniques. Ninety-two participants recruited from university psychology courses were randomly assigned to receive …

Modeling Natural Resource Scarcity And Poverty Effects On Fertility In Honduras, Nepal, And Tanzania, Ayoub Shaban Ayoub

UNLV Retrospective Theses & Dissertations

This dissertation examines whether the vicious circle theory applies in three developing countries characterized by high population growth. According to the vicious circle theory, natural resource scarcity coupled with poverty leads to population growth via positive effects on fertility particularly in rural areas of developing countries. Population growth then leads to a further increase in natural resource scarcity, creating a "feedback loop." This is the first study to use micro-level data to test and control for endogeneity using a two-stage Probit model (IVPROBIT). The existing literature has largely failed to address endogeneity in the relationship between natural resource scarcity and …

The Effects Of Mushroom Body Lobe Disruption On Learning And Memory, Brian S Dunkelberger

UNLV Retrospective Theses & Dissertations

Animal models have been used for centuries to study learning and memory in simple systems with many applications to humans (Chapter 1). The fruit fly Drosophila melanogaster has added greatly to our current understanding of learning and memory and its underlying biology (Chapter 2). The research described here focuses on the relationship between learning and memory and the brain using three mutant strains of flies: mushroom body miniature B (mbmB), small mushroom bodies (smu), and mushroom bodies reduced (mbr). Mushroom bodies are paired neuronal structures found in most invertebrate brains involved in learning and memory consolidation. All three mutations studied …

Predicting Evapotranspiration From Sparse And Dense Vegetation Communities In A Semiarid Environment Using Ndvi From Satellite And Ground Measurements, Malika Baghzouz

UNLV Retrospective Theses & Dissertations

One of the most critical issues associated with using satellite data-based products to study and estimate surface energy fluxes and other ecosystem processes, has been the lack of frequent acquisition at a spatial scale equivalent to or finer than the footprint of field measurements. In this study, we incorporated continuous field measurements based on using Normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) time series analysis of individual shrub species and transect measurements within 625 m2 size plots equivalent to the Landsat-5 Thematic Mapper spatial resolution. The NDVI system was a dual channel SKR-1800 radiometer that simultaneously measured incident solar radiation and upward …

Magnetohydrodynamics In Microchannels And Adhesion Properties Of Nanoporous Alumina Films, Hussameddine Kabbani

UNLV Retrospective Theses & Dissertations

In the first part of this dissertation, RedOx-based magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) flows in three-dimensional (3D) microfluidic channels are investigated theoretically with a coupled mathematical model consisting of the Nernst-Planck equations for the concentrations of ionic species, the local electroneutrality condition of the electric potential, and the Navier-Stokes equations for the flow field. The induced currents and flow rates in 3D planar channels are compared with the experimental data obtained from the literature and those obtained from the previous two-dimensional mathematical model. Then a new approximate closed form solution for the velocity profile of steady incompressible MHD flows in a rectangular micro-channel …

An Exploratory Study Of Proximal Mentoring In Graduate Education, Susan E Gunn

UNLV Retrospective Theses & Dissertations

This dissertation explored the construct of Proximal Mentoring from the perspective of the professor, student-mentees, and Proximal Mentors. A master's course and a beginning doctorate course were selected for implementation. All participants were in agreement that the definition of the role of Proximal Mentoring is: "provider of content and feedback, model for collaboration, clarifier of course objectives, guide, and role model." None of the participants in this study perceived the role of the PM as a tutor. However, they did not see the role as an expert mentor either. This dissertation suggested that PMs were able to increase their depth …

Avoiding The Sexual: Visual Attention And Distraction In Dyspareunia, Amy D Lykins

UNLV Retrospective Theses & Dissertations

Dyspareunia, defined as genital pain associated with intercourse, holds the unenviable status of being one of the most prevalent yet understudied of the sexual dysfunctions. The coupling of sex and pain creates an interesting theoretical conundrum of clinical significance: are women with dyspareunia distracted from sexual stimuli (as the sexual dysfunction literature would suggest), or are they hypervigilant to sexual stimuli because these stimuli elicit thoughts and expectations of pain (as the pain literature would suggest)? Eye-tracking may be a uniquely relevant tool to measure potential differences in attention between women with and without dyspareunia. The current study tested distraction …

Effects Of Elevated Carbon Dioxide On Soil Microbial Communities Of The Mojave Desert, Linh M. P Nguyen

UNLV Retrospective Theses & Dissertations

The objective of this study is to determine soil microbial community structure in the framework of increased atmospheric carbon availability associated with global change. Since arid ecosystems make up a considerable fraction of our biosphere, their response to global change will be of significance. Further, implication for plant and ecosystems productivity in arid environments may be linked to changes in diversity among microbial communities, since the cycling of essential elements in the soil is often mediated by microbes. The following are three sets of experiments designed to examine the changes in microbial diversity associated with a global change factor, an …

A Systematic Approach To An Integrated Curriculum Model For Dental Education, Tanis Maria Stewart

UNLV Retrospective Theses & Dissertations

The purpose of this quantitative study was to determine the degree of curriculum integration within dental schools in North America. The intent of the study was to determine how an adaptation of the Fogarty (1991) framework of integration exhibits itself in dental education; An electronic survey conducted of the Academic Deans of dental schools in the United States and Canada resulted in a response rate of 54.09% (33/61). Frequencies, chi-square and Spearman rho (p) correlation coefficient were used for the statistical analyses of data; All survey respondents reported that their curricula include all levels of integration which comprise the adapted …