Digital Commons Network^™

Examining The Inner Experience Of Four Individuals With Bipolar Disorder Using Descriptive Experience Sampling, Johanah Kang

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Bipolar disorder is a lifelong mood disorder with diagnostic criteria that provide a description of expected experiences of individuals diagnosed with BD (e.g., elevated mood, sadness, difficulty concentrating). Despite these criteria, the inner experience of these individuals is largely unknown. Understanding the inner experience of individuals diagnosed with BD may prove essential in understanding and treating BD. The present study examined the inner experience of four individuals diagnosed with BD using the Descriptive Experience Sampling (DES) method (Hurlburt 1990, 1993, 2011). Results revealed all our participants had clear and prevalent experiences of sensory awareness. They also had difficulties apprehending and …

Perceptions And Definition Of Infidelity: A Multimethod Study, Sarah Schonian

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Most couples in committed relationships have implicit or explicit rules regarding infidelity. However, not all partners view infidelity in the same way, and the discrepancy in opinions can lead to problems in the relationship and can complicate the healing process. The purpose of this study was to better understand how people define infidelity and the variables that influence perceptions about infidelity. A mutlimethod design was used to collect quantitative and qualitative data on participants' perceptions and definitions of infidelity. Quantitative data was collected through participants' answers to questions on a scale about perceptions of potentially unfaithful behaviors that was developed …

Sex Determination Using Discriminant Function Analysis In Hispanic Children And Adolescents: A Lateral Cephalometric Study, Alyssa E. Sprowl

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Lateral cephalometric radiographs have been used for years to help diagnose skeletal and dental patterns in Orthodontics. Within the last decade, these radiographs have caught the interest of the department of Anthropology for the identification of gender within the adult and adolescent population. Numerous publications have been made but failed to identify sexual dimorphism in the pre-adolescent population. 303 lateral cephalograms of pre and post Latino adolescence age ranging from 6.5 to 17.9 years old were obtained from University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV) digital database. 25 variables were identified and plotted with all linear and angular measurements transferred into …

The Role Of Music-Specific Representations When Processing Speech: Using A Musical Illusion To Elucidate Domain-Specific And -General Processes, Christina M. Vanden Bosch Der Nederlanden

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

When listening to music and language sounds, it is unclear whether adults recruit domain-specific or domain-general mechanisms to make sense of incoming sounds. Unique acoustic characteristics such as a greater reliance on rapid temporal transitions in speech relative to song may introduce misleading interpretations concerning shared and overlapping processes in the brain. By using a stimulus that is both ecologically valid and can be perceived as speech or song depending on context, the contribution of low- and high-level mechanisms may be teased apart. The stimuli employed in all experiments are auditory illusions from speech to song reported by Deutsch et …

Time-Dependent Random Effect Poisson Random Field Model For Polymorphism Within And Between Two Related Species, Shilei Zhou

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Molecular evolution is partially driven by mutation, selection, random genetic drift, or combination of the three factors. To quantify the magnitude of these genetic forces, a previously developed time-dependent fixed effect Poisson random field model provides powerful likelihood and Bayesian estimates of mutation rate, selection coefficient, and species divergence time. The assumption of the fixed effect model that selection intensity is constant within a genetic locus but varies across genes is obviously biologically unrealistic, but it serves the original purpose of making statistical inference about selection and divergence between two related species they are individually at mutation-selection-drift inequilibrium. By relaxing …

Ichnology And Paleoecology Of The Jurassic Aztec Sandstone, Heather Marie Stoller

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

In this study I describe and interpret tracks and trackways of the Jurassic Aztec Sandstone of southern Nevada and southern California. This study involved mapping of all known tracks and trackways, including foot length, stride length, and trackway width. Photogrammetric data, collected by Bureau of Land Management scientists, were utilized for several trackways in Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area.

More than three hundred tracks belonging to five ichnotaxa were documented within the Aztec Sandstone, including about 165 tridactylGrallator, 250 tetradactyl (four-toed)Brasilichniumtracks, and 7 arthropod trackways ofOctopodichnusandPaleohelcura. Four of the five ichnotaxa were not previously reported from the Aztec Sandstone. …

Pre-Employment Drug Screening: Cost And Benefits, Rena Sultany

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

This paper will answer the question of whether pre-employment drug testing of applicants is helpful or harmful to an organization as a whole. The following question will be explored in this paper: What are the benefits and costs associated with pre-employment drug-screening?

The target of this study will be the hospitality industry in Las Vegas. A recommendation to the industry will be made once a thorough literature review of past research on the topic is conducted. Drug testing is a common practice in hospitality companies in Las Vegas. It is costly to these companies to conduct such tests. It is …

Implementing The Universal Tier Of Schoolwide Positive Behavior Interventions And Supports, Katie Bubak

Boise State University Theses and Dissertations

Public schools are confronted with establishing productive teaching and learning environments. Not only can students’ challenging behavior soak up educators’ time and resources, but these behaviors may also rob the pupils of critical academic instructional time. Schools need the tools and skills to identify and implement effective solutions to problem behavior. Schoolwide Positive Interventions and Supports (SWPBIS) has been shown to optimize the capacity of schools to address schoolwide, classroom, and individual student problem behavior through research-validated practices.

This multiple-case study investigated the practices that have led one school to execute the SWPBIS’s critical features as they were intended to …

A Novel Role Of Oncostatin M In Invasive Breast Cancer: Induction Of Cathepsin D And Lysosomal Trafficking, Jordan Barrie Koncinsky

Boise State University Theses and Dissertations

Oncostatin M (OSM) is an interleukin-6 (IL-6) family cytokine shown to be important in inflammation, hematopoiesis, development and bone homeostasis. Despite its role as a growth suppressor for many cancers, including breast cancer, OSM is currently being studied for its ability to promote tumor invasion and metastasis. Cathepsin D (CTSD) is a lysosomal protease found to be overexpressed and hypersecreted in breast and other cancers. In this study, we found OSM to induce the expression of CTSD protein in human breast cancer cells via the STAT3 and JNK2 pathways. Next, we investigated mechanisms resulting in the increased secretion of CTSD …

The Effects Of Anthropogenic Noise On The Foraging Efficiency Of A Gleaning Bat And The Activity Levels Of A Natural Bat Assemblage, Jessie Patrice Bunkley

Boise State University Theses and Dissertations

Anthropogenic noise is prevalent across many landscapes, posing a threat of disturbance to countless human and wildlife populations. Studies have revealed that a variety of organisms are negatively affected by an increasingly loud soundscape, including auditory predators such as bats. Bats that exhibit a gleaning hunting strategy passively listen for low frequency, prey-produced sounds. Anthropogenic noise often falls within the same spectral range as important prey cues, potentially masking these signals. I investigated the effects of two sources of anthropogenic noise, traffic and gas compressor station noise, on the foraging efficiency of the North American gleaning bat Antrozous pallidus in …

An Investigation Into The Water Budget And The Management Of The Snake River System, John Whitney Hildreth

Boise State University Theses and Dissertations

Future climate change poses a major conceptual challenge to the availability of water resources due to the uncertainty involved with changes to the hydrologic cycle. Over the past decades, observed warming temperatures across the Western United Sates have shown significant impacts on river basin scale hydrology. This research uses physically based modeling tools to assess the hydrologic impacts of climate change in the Snake River Basin. Physically based hydrologic modeling studies of future climate do not typically take into account interactions between groundwater and surface water. To account for these interactions, the Variable Infiltration Capacity model is coupled with the …

Strategies To Decrease Movement Variability In The Ankle Joint In Cyclists, Claudia Guadalupe Chavez

Boise State University Theses and Dissertations

Coordination variability is thought to be indicative of a cyclist’s skill level as novices have higher levels of variability than experts (Sides & Wilson, 2012). It was hypothesized that the externally focused instructions with visual feedback group would decrease coordination variability in the ankle joint to a greater extent than those in the internally focused instructions with visual feedback group. Six cyclists (30-40 years) completed a four day acquisition period and a retention test. During this time participants cycled for 10-15 minutes at a power output equal to 2.0-2.5W/kg of body mass. Participants were provided with internally or externally focused …

Always A Bridesmaid Never A Bride: Examining The Deinstitutionalization Of Marriage And The Modern Day Spinster, Kasha Nicole Glynn

Boise State University Theses and Dissertations

This thesis explores the deinstitutionalization of marriage and the stigmatization of women who remain single past the expectant marital age. The goal of this research was to investigate the social identities of women who remain single past the age of twenty-five, and to gain an understanding of how gender-based stereotypes influence their lives by examining their personal experiences. In an effort to better understand the stigmatization of today’s single woman, a qualitative method using focus groups was adopted for this study.

Twenty-five participants were selected using a purposive, inclusion/exclusion sampling technique. Three focus groups consisting of six participants each and …

Distribution Of Chinook Salmon (Oncorhynchus Tshawytscha) In Upper-Columbia River Sub-Basins From Environmental Dna Analysis, Matthew Benjamin Laramie

Boise State University Theses and Dissertations

Determining accurate species distribution is crucial to conservation and management strategies for imperiled species, but challenging for small populations that are approaching extinction or being reestablished. We evaluated the efficacy of environmental DNA (eDNA) analysis for improving detection and thus known distribution of Chinook salmon in the Methow and Okanogan Sub-basins of the Upper-Columbia River, Washington, USA. We developed an assay to target a 90 base pair sequence of Chinook DNA and used quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) to quantify the amount of Chinook eDNA in 1-L water samples collected at 48 sites in the sub-basins. We collected samples once …

Beaver Reintroduction Correlates With Spotted Frog Population Restoration And Terrestrial Movement Patterns Of Newly Metamorphosed Columbia Spotted Frogs In The Owyhee Uplands Of Southwestern Idaho, Hallie Anne Lingo

Boise State University Theses and Dissertations

This thesis examines topics relevant to Columbia spotted frogs (Rana luteiventris) in the Owyhee Uplands of southwestern Idaho. First, I present a detailed discussion of both the ecology and conservation status of spotted frogs. Concerns about declining spotted frog numbers in the southern portions of the species’ range were first expressed in the early 1990’s. In response, several studies on the behavior and ecology of spotted frog have been conducted by Boise State University. In addition, the Idaho Department of Fish and Game monitors the status of spotted frogs in the Owyhees using an occupancy model developed and implemented in …

Children's Recognition Of Pride: An Experimental Approach, Darren Jason Garcia

Theses and Dissertations

Pride is elicited when a child takes credit for an achievement or exceeds a socially valued standard or expectation. Evidence suggests that pride has a distinct nonverbal expression that is recognized by adults across cultures (Tracy & Robins, 2004). Research examining when children recognize pride has yielded age discrepancies between studies that use forced-choice response formats and those that use spontaneous-response formats. Differences in children's ability to use and comprehend language may account for some of these differences. The purpose of this thesis was to examine the age at which children reliably recognize pride, while minimizing the need for children …

Adolescent Self-Disclosure And Father Involvement Transactions Across Early To Midadolescence, Stephanie Blickfeldt

Theses and Dissertations

This study investigates the transactional relationship between father involvement and adolescent self-disclosure from early to midadolescence. Four hundred and ninety-six adolescents reported on their general self-disclosure to fathers, and mothers reported on father involvement behaviors and maternal involvement behaviors at ages 11, 13, and 15. Results from a longitudinal cross-lagged model indicated a unidirectional relationship from father involvement to child self-disclosure in both early and midadolescence, and a transactional relationship from adolescent self-disclosure to father involvement in early adolescence. A multiple group analysis by gender revealed that both unidirectional and transactional relationships were significant for boys only. Future research efforts …

Assessing Growth Response To Climate Controls In A Great Basin Artemisia Tridentata Plant Community, Lorenzo F. Apodaca

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

An assessment of the growth response of key vegetative species to climatic variability is vital to identifying possible local impacts on ecosystems faced with imminent climate change. With current climate projections in Nevada predicting a shift to an even more arid climate with greater year-to-year variability, the imperative exists to identify the effects of specific climatic controls on plant growth and to research methods to assess large-scale vegetative changes, especially in more remote areas where readily available data sets may be lacking. This study utilized annual growth ring indices constructed from big sagebrush (Artemisia tridentatassp.tridentata) stems collected in Spring Valley, …

"What's In A Name?": Heteroglossia And History In Native Alaskan Names, Shannon Hannahs

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

This thesis examines Native Alaskan personal names and naming practices and how these names are being used to index cultural identity in Anchorage, Alaska. In order to do this, I follow Mikhail Bakhtin's theory of heteroglossia (1981), which states all words are populated with meaning from all of the contexts in which they have been used in the past. Native Alaskan personal names should be considered heteroglossic based on the Yup'ik/Cup'ik and Inupiaq beliefs that personal names are a type of soul that carries with it the characteristics of a person who uses it. When that person dies, the name-soul …

Evaluation Of The Relationship Between Nutrition Knowledge And Disordered Eating Risk In Female Collegiate Athletes, Amy L. Miracle

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Involvement in collegiate sports among female athletes is at an all-time high with approximately 198,000 currently participating, (National Collegiate Athletic Association, 2012). With this increase in female participation in collegiate sports, the pressures of sport participation and academics lead some women to engage in harmful eating behaviors. These harmful eating behaviors may lead to the development of disordered eating (C. Johnson, Powers, & Dick, 1999; Quatromoni, 2008; Reel, SooHoo, Petrie, Greenleaf, & Carter, 2010; Reinking & Alexander, 2005). Many factors have been identified as contributing to the development of disordered eating but nutrition knowledge or lack thereof, has yet to …

Abundance And Size Of Sand Crabs, Lepidopa Benedicti (Decapoda: Albuneidae), In Southern Texas, Jessica H. Murph, Zen Faulkes

School of Integrative Biological & Chemical Sciences (Formerly Dept. of Biology)

Albuneid sand crabs are found in sandy beaches around the world, but little is known about the basic biology of any species in the family. We sampled sand crabs, Lepidopa benedicti, for 2 years at South Padre Island, Texas, at two locations: one developed site near the town, where recreational use is high and one undeveloped site away from the town, where recreational use is lower. We hypothesized that sand crabs would be less abundant and smaller at the developed site than at the undeveloped one. Densities were highest in summer and lowest in winter but did not differ between …

An Integrated Multidisciplinary Nanoscience Concentration Certificate Program For Stem Education, Karen S. Martirosyan, Mikhail M. Bouniaev, Malik Rakhmanov, Ahmed Touhami, Nazmul Islam, Davood Askari, Tarek Trad, Dmitri Litvinov, Sergey E. Lyshevski

Physics & Astronomy Faculty Publications

Integration of nanoscience and nanotechnology curricula into the College of Science, Mathematics, and Technology (CSMT) at the University of Texas at Brownsville (UTB) is reported. The rationale for the established multidisciplinary Nanoscience Concentration Certificate Program (NCCP) is to: (i) develop nanotechnology-relevant courses within a comprehensive Science, Engineering and Technology curriculum, and, to offer students an opportunity to graduate with a certificate in nanoscience and nanotechnology; (ii) to contribute to students' success in achieving student outcomes across all college's majors, and, improve the breath, depth and quality of science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) graduates' education; (iii) through NCCP, recruit certificate- …

Bacterially-Mediated Formation Of Rock Coatings In Kärkevagge, Swedish Lapland: A Mineralogical And Micro-Environmental Analog For Mars, Cassandra L. Marnocha

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The search for past or present life on Mars is, for now, limited to surface environments. An often neglected surface environment that could have served as an abode for life and could presently preserve evidence of that life is that of rock coatings. Rock coatings are mineral accretions on rock surfaces. On Earth, they are widespread and occur with considerable chemical diversity. There is growing evidence for a biotic role in their formation on Earth, particularly with respect to rock varnish. As a result, rock varnish has become a target of astrobiological interest on Mars, where varnish-like coatings have been …

In Vitro Analysis Of Short Chain Fatty Acids And Human Fecal Microbiota Stimulated By Pectin Sources, Byungjick Min

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

As interest increases for colonic health, various studies have been conducted to investigate functional ingredients for host health and prevention of chronic disease in humans such as colon cancer and Type 2 diabetes. In particular dietary fiber has been reported to have beneficial effects on colonic health. More recently, dietary fiber has been categorized based on its characteristics and numerous studies have been conducted to determine correlations with chronic diseases. Pectin is a naturally occurring biopolymer that has been used in various applications for purposes of pharmaceutical and biotechnology. Pectin is a soluble dietary fiber and can be entirely fermented …

"Data, Views, Or Arguments": A Rumination, Michael Herz

Articles

No abstract provided.

Using Bio-Chars As Potential Catalysts For Upgrading Wood Pyrolysis Vapors, Wenjia Jin

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Pyrolysis is a promising thermochemical conversion method to process lignocellulosic biomass to produce bio-oil that can be further refined into chemicals and fuels compatible with current petrochemical fuels. However, bio-oils are highly reactive and unstable and therefore must be refined immediately, thereby reducing process sustainability. Catalytic modifications of pyrolysis vapors have been researched to improve bio-oil stability. However, using traditional highly active petroleum refining cracking catalysts for catalytic pyrolysis has shown some negative results, for example, increasing bio-oil moisture content and reducing its calorific value. Therefore, this project aims at understanding decomposition behavior of wood components, its chemical constituent polymers …

Mixing Biometric Data For Generating Joint Identities And Preserving Privacy, Asem A. Othman

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Biometrics is the science of automatically recognizing individuals by utilizing biological traits such as fingerprints, face, iris and voice. A classical biometric system digitizes the human body and uses this digitized identity for human recognition. In this work, we introduce the concept of mixing biometrics. Mixing biometrics refers to the process of generating a new biometric image by fusing images of different fingers, different faces, or different irises. The resultant mixed image can be used directly in the feature extraction and matching stages of an existing biometric system. In this regard, we design and systematically evaluate novel methods for generating …

The Role Of Neurokinin B In The Regulation Of The Preovulatory Lh Surge In Ewes, Katrina L. Porter

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Hypothalamic input is vital to the regulation of reproductive function. Gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) is secreted by hypothalamic GnRH neurons into the hypophysial portal circulation. When GnRH reaches the anterior pituitary, it stimulates gonadotropes to secrete luteinizing hormone (LH) into the systemic circulation, ultimately leading to ovulation. GnRH/LH secretion occurs in two different patterns: pulsatile or surge. Pulsatile GnRH release is governed by estradiol (E2) negative feedback while surge release is the result of E2 positive feedback. However, GnRH neurons lack the alpha isoform of the estrogen receptor, indicating that E2 feedback on GnRH release is indirect. Other hypothalamic neurons that …

Ucc Minutes, December 10, 2013, University Curriculum Council

UCC Agendas/Minutes

No abstract provided.

The Partial Characterization Of The 142r Protein Of Tanapox Virus, Krystal N. Seibert

Dissertations

Due to the complex nature of cancer, a variety of strategies are being employed to treat patients. Among these are oncolytic viruses that conditionally replicate in tumor cells with specific cellular landscapes. Several viruses including Herpesviruses, Adenoviruses, and Poxviruses, predominantly vaccinia virus (VV), have been explored for their oncolytic potential. Most of these viruses can productively infect a variety of cell types and it is one goal to create conditionally lethal viruses that can only replicate in tumor cells. Due to the prevalence of p53 inactivating mutations in cancers viruses that are restricted to p53 null cells are desirable and …