Digital Commons Network^™

Supervised Lower Extremity Strengthening Program To Improve Function In Women Over Fifty With Knee Osteoarthritis: A Time Series Design, Janelle Brooke Lemons, Diane Christine Sheesley, Pamela Reagan Sutton

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Objective: Develop a simple, self-paced lower extremity strengthening program incorporating functional activities for women over the age of fifty to reduce limitations associated with knee OA.

Study Design: This was a pilot study utilizing a time series design with 8 women aged 55-65 (M + SD = 60 + 3) meeting the American College of Rheumatology's criteria for clinical diagnosis of knee OA.

Background: Lower extremity weakness in women with knee osteoarthritis is associated with pain and functional limitations.

Methods and Measures: Subjects began the 14-week program with 2 weeks of baseline treadmill walking. The following 12 weeks were divided …

Natural And Constructed Wetlands For Ecosystem And Engineering Services In The Arid And Semi-Arid Regions, Achyut Raj Adhikari

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

The Las Vegas Wash (LVW) has undergone significant wetlands degradation and soil erosion over the past thirty years due to increasing flow resulting from urbanization and large rainfall events in the Las Vegas Valley Watershed. The increased flow and associated pollution load in the LVW and its adverse impact in Lake Mead have alerted stakeholders to pay a greater attention to explore alternative measures for rehabilitation of wetland ecosystems. This dissertation, using the case of changes in LVW, analyzes and describes ecological and engineering services provided by wetlands in arid and semi-arid regions and provides a knowledge base that can …

Understanding Urban Sustainability And Quality Of Life: A System Dynamics Approach, Abby Elizabeth Beck

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

For an urban area to be sustainable, its resources cannot be depleted faster than they can replenish. If an urban area is to provide a high quality of life (QOL), it must offer and maintain an amenity package that satisfies its resident's preferences. Past studies on these topics all have a common thread: sustainability and QOL both pertain to people's relationship to capital. Capital is something that can accumulate and add value to a person or society. If sustainability and QOL are a function of people's relationship with capital, how they use it, deplete it, replenish it and transform it …

The Fluvial Muddy Creek Formation Near Overton, Nevada, Carl Taylor Swenberg

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

The Muddy Creek Formation (MCF) may represent an ancestral Colorado River deposit. To test this hypothesis, I mapped exposures of the MCF within the Virgin River Depression (VRD), a rift basin in the central Basin and Range. This is the first study to analyze fluvial MCF facies and test their viability as ancestral Colorado River deposits.

Mapping, paleocurrent analysis, conglomerate provenance, and architectural elements analysis were used in order to characterize the fluvial MCF near Overton NV. Architectural elements analysis revealed that MCF fluvial facies are most closely associated with those of a high-energy sand-bed braided river system. These results …

Chemical Weathering Of The Mafic Minerals Serpentine And Olivine In Natural Environments, Julie Lynn Baumeister

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Chemical weathering is a critical process that plays a key role in controlling the chemistry of natural waters, the cycling of atmospheric carbon dioxide, and the formation of soil. The weathering of silicate minerals is important because the Earth's crust is composed of approximately 92 weight percent silicate minerals. Despite an extensive literature on mineral dissolution and kinetics, relatively few studies have examined weathering of the mafic minerals serpentine and olivine, especially in a natural environment. The first chapter of this thesis provides an introduction to the minerals serpentine and olivine. The second chapter of this thesis examines the important …

From The Foreland To The Hinterland: Taphonomy Across The Cretaceous To Paleogene Sevier Retroarc Region Of Nevada, Joshua William Bonde

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Until 2004 very little paleobiology, let alone paleoecology, had been studied within exposures of the Sevier retro-arc foreland and hinterland, in the state of Nevada. This is due largely to poor and spotty exposure. This study focuses on taphonomic processes within three stratigraphic intervals in the foreland and hinterland of the Sevier retro-arc region, and what these taphonomic indicators reveal about the geography of the hinterland.

First, the Willow Tank Formation of southern Nevada was deposited in the foredeep of the Sevier retroarc foreland basin. This unit represents a multi-channel, aggradational, fluvial system that drained the Sevier highlands to the …

Prehistoric Foraging Strategies In The Piute Valley Of Southern Nevada, Christopher Alan Brosman

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

The Piute Valley of Southern Nevada is an incredibly diverse but arid zone in the eastern portion of the Mojave Desert. Most of this diversity can be attributed to the elevation shifts ranging from the Colorado River basin to the peaks of the surrounding mountain ranges. These peaks and valleys provide a multitude of resource zones in which prehistoric hunter-gatherers could provision themselves throughout the year. For this thesis I have used archaeological survey, paleo-climate models, life-sciences data and ethnographic research to perform an in-depth land use analysis of prehistoric forager adaptations to this challenging but life-sustaining environment.

Recent investigations …

Interactive Effects Of Working Memory Self-Regulatory Ability And Relevance Instructions On Text Processing, Nancy Jo Hamilton

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Reading is a process that requires the enactment of many cognitive processes. Each of these processes uses a certain amount of working memory resources, which are severely constrained by biology. More efficiency in the function of working memory may mediate the biological limits of same. Reading relevancy instructions may be one such method to assist readers in utilizing working memory resources more efficiently.

This study examines the relationship between perspective relevance instructions and participants' ability to regulate their working memory resources. In a 3 x 2 x 2 design the study extended the literature by utilizing a measure of fluid …

Niche Theory In New Media: Is Digital Overtaking The Print Magazine Industry?, Zeenath Haniff

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

New challengers in mass media are poised to annihilate the competition. The trials and tribulations that magazine publishers have conquered over the years is a testament to the industry's undaunted resilience and perseverance against such competition. Presently, the paper-based medium has enjoyed massive success by catering to readers' individual interests in special interest publications called niche magazines. However, the future of print magazines is unclear as recent technological innovations in digital publishing become the latest contender against print media. Analyzing the possible effects of the new digital medium upon the incumbent print magazine may help publishers prepare to face their …

Monsters In Our Midst: An Examination Of Human Monstrosity In Fiction And Film Of The United States, Michelle Kay Hansen

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

The chapters within this dissertation concentrate on textual analysis of literature and film in which monsters appear in various forms, and particularly how those monsters still coincide with Noel Carroll's definition of "art-horror" in his book Philosophy of Horror, while proving that Carroll's definition of monster - and any others who may attempt to limit the definition of monstrosity - is incomplete and much too restrictive. I will be concentrating on monstrosity as it appears in gothic and horror fiction, film, and other elements of popular culture in order to explore the concept of "the monstrous" on multiple levels.

The …

Factors Affecting Talent Development: Differences In Graduate Students Across Domains, Stephanie Hartzell

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

There is an abundance of literature on young individuals who show early signs of talent and on older individuals who have demonstrated their abilities throughout the years. This research aims to look at those individuals who are in between, that is, graduate students who have the demonstrated potential to achieve within their fields of study. This study explored backgrounds of talented individuals in their adolescent period and their current measures of cognitive abilities. A total of 38 graduate students majoring in the areas of art (n= 12), science (n= 12), and education (n= 14) were used as examples of individuals …

Exercise-Induced Neuroprotection In A Hemiparkinsonian 6-Hydroxydopamine Rat Model, Merrill Russen Landers

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Outside of finding a cure, one of the preeminent goals of research in Parkinson's disease (PD) is finding a neuroprotective treatment that when applied prior to the onset of the disease will decrease the risk and severity of the subsequent disease. One such treatment that has potential as a neuroprotective agent in PD is exercise. Several studies have found forced exercise to be protective of Parkinson's disease in adult rodent models; however, few of these studies have used a design wherein voluntary exercise was evaluated. Moreover, no study has used a true neuroprotective design in which exercise was applied prior …

The New American Conservation Movement: New Strategies, Focus And Organizations For The 21st Century, Amy Deanna Northrup

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

This dissertation provides evidence of the emergence of a new conservation movement in the United States. The strategic, tactical and organizational approaches of traditional conservation efforts, which began in the early 1900s, have shifted during the last two decades. Specifically, the new conservation movement is characterized by three distinct changes. First, many of the well-established conservation organizations, such as the Sierra Club and National Audubon Society, have largely abandoned their traditional focus on increasing the number of acres preserved; instead more defensive and fragmented forms of conservation now reign. The second change to the conservation movement involves a dramatic expansion …

Childhood Obesity: Intervening In Utero, Mary Lee Beck

Theses and Dissertations

The prevalence of childhood obesity has risen to epidemic proportions in this country. American Indian youth are disproportionately affected by this epidemic and its comorbidities, like diabetes, when compared to whites, and even other minorities. There is no single determinant of cause. Currently interventions are focused at the individual, family, community and environmental levels. Perhaps the most important component in this epidemic, however, is being overlooked: the health status of the mother during pregnancy. There is strong evidence that obesity and diabetes are perpetually cycled from mother to baby during pregnancy, and maternal obesity and diabetes play a significant role …

Hypertension: Lifestyle Modifications In The Prevention And Treatment, Natalie J. Gustafson

Theses and Dissertations

Serious health consequences related to hypertension are amenable to lifestyle modifications. Therefore, the objective of this paper is to review the literature to determine evidence-based lifestyle recommendations in the prevention and treatment of hypertension. Searches were completed through Pub Med and CINAHL. Search terms included "blood pressure," "hypertension," "behavior modifications," and "lifestyle changes." Initial searches lead to the following primary topics of research: alcohol intake, food habits, sodium reduction, weight loss, exercise and behavior therapy. The findings of this literature review indicate that in the prevention and treatment of hypertension; alcohol intake should be reduced, a DASH style dietary pattern …

U.S. Citizens As Enemy Combatants: Indication Of A Roll-Back Of Civil Liberties Or A Sign Of Our Jurisprudential Evolution?, Joseph Kubler

Journal of Civil Rights and Economic Development

No abstract provided.

Keynote Address: Terrorism And Its Impact On Insurance: Legislative Responses And Coverage Issues, Michael A.L. Balboni

Journal of Civil Rights and Economic Development

No abstract provided.

Underwriting Terrorism Risk, Richard L. Thomas

Journal of Civil Rights and Economic Development

No abstract provided.

Terrorism And Its Impact On Small Insurers, John D. Reiersen

Journal of Civil Rights and Economic Development

No abstract provided.

Symposium Remarks: Terrorism And Its Impact On Insurance: Legislative Responses And Coverage Issues, Gail P. Norstrom

Journal of Civil Rights and Economic Development

No abstract provided.

New York Public Health Law § 2500-F: The Hand That Robbed The Cradle Of Privacy, Gina A. Angelletta

Journal of Civil Rights and Economic Development

No abstract provided.

S.L.A. Marshall And The Ratio Of Fire: History, Interpretation, And The Canadian Experience, Robert Engen

Canadian Military History

The famous “ratio of fire” data proposed by S.L.A. Marshall claims that no more than 15-20 percent of soldiers fired their weapons in combat. This article examines whether or not historians can treat Marshall’s ratio of fire data as veracious, and if so what interpretations one can assign to the phenomenon of combat non-participation. The article contends that based upon the Canadian experience it is premature to universalize Marshall’s findings beyond his specific historical subjects, and that studies of human behaviour in war need to look beyond the ratio of fire data as a paradigm for understanding the conduct of …

The Success Of The Light Armoured Vehicle, Ed Storey

Canadian Military History

In order to understand the purchase of military vehicles, one must understand the vehicle and where it falls in the evolution of vehicle procurement. This article, written in response to an earlier article in response to an earlier article in Canadian Military History by Frank Maas, examines the chronology and motivations behind the Canadian acquisition of wheeled armoured fighting vehicles.

The Success Of The Light Armoured Vehicle, Frank Maas

Canadian Military History

Since the 1970s, budget constraints and debates over the tank’s relevance have prompted the Canadian Forces (CF) to pursue lighter, cheaper, and more flexible vehicles. The Light Armoured Vehicle (LAV), built in London, Ontario, has been purchased in great numbers to satisfy these demands, and it has largely succeeded. The CF has purchased the LAV as a wheeled, multi–purpose vehicle to fulfill a variety of roles (infantry carrier, medical evacuation vehicle, etc.), that is cheaper and easier to maintain than tracked alternatives. The CF has continued to purchase LAVs because they have been successful in the field, and they support …

Blended Sentencing: A Good Idea For Juvenile Sex Offenders?, Kristin L. Caballero

Journal of Civil Rights and Economic Development

No abstract provided.

Plantation Lullabies: How Fourth Amendment Policing Violates The Fourteenth Amendment Right Of African Americans To Parent, Lenese Herbert

Journal of Civil Rights and Economic Development

No abstract provided.

Mri Simulation By The Efnmr System And Matlab For Medical Imaging Teaching, Zhuang Nie

Open Access Theses

Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) is a fast growing medical imaging technique. Biomedical engineers will find more and more opportunities in this field. There is a growing demand of an effective teaching system for training engineering students to learn principle knowledge and have hands on experience for MRI. The objective of this research project is to cast a MRI teaching demonstration system in the laboratory environment and assist student to learn MRI through interactive simulations in the Internet accessible learning environment. The first part of the work is to customize the newly installed EFNMR (Earth Field Nuclear Magnetic Resonance) system in …

The Effectiveness Of Music Mentoring For At-Risk Youth In Middle School: Implementation And Assessment Of The Gogo Program., Frank Chadwyck Bernstein

Open Access Dissertations

Guitars Over Guns Organization, Inc. (GOGO) is a 501c3 not-for-profit mentoring-based music education program co-founded by prominent South Florida jazz trombonist Frank Chadwyck (Chad) Bernstein and his father, Robert (Bob) Bernstein, a Chicago businessman. GOGO uses contemporary music to entice at-risk adolescents in high-crime neighborhoods to participate in after-school bands, supplying instruments for the students and providing an alternative to the negative influences that typically dominate their environments. GOGO also mentors these kids on a one-on-one basis in order to provide the support and tools they need to stay in and succeed in school, hoping to increase the likelihood they’ll …

Development Stage-Specific Proteomic Profiling Uncovers Small, Lineage Specific Proteins Most Abundant In The Aspergillus Fumigatus Conidial Proteome, Moo-Jin Suh, Natalie D. Fedorova, Steven E. Cagas, Susan Hastings, Robert D. Fleischmann, Scott N. Peterson, David S. Perlin, William C. Nierman, Rembert Pieper, Michelle Momany

Biochemistry and Molecular Medicine Faculty Publications

Background

The pathogenic mold Aspergillus fumigatus is the most frequent infectious cause of death in severely immunocompromised individuals such as leukemia and bone marrow transplant patients. Germination of inhaled conidia (asexual spores) in the host is critical for the initiation of infection, but little is known about the underlying mechanisms of this process.

Results

To gain insights into early germination events and facilitate the identification of potential stage-specific biomarkers and vaccine candidates, we have used quantitative shotgun proteomics to elucidate patterns of protein abundance changes during early fungal development. Four different stages were examined: dormant conidia, isotropically expanding conidia, hyphae …

Spartan Daily April 30, 2012, San Jose State University, School Of Journalism And Mass Communications

Spartan Daily (School of Journalism and Mass Communications)

Volume 138, Issue 46