Digital Commons Network^™

Riding The Wave Of Microplastics In Bermuda, Molly E. Riihiluoma

Pell Scholars and Senior Theses

The presence of marine debris and microplastics in the Earth’s oceans are a global environmental issue. Bermuda’s location in the middle of the North Atlantic Gyre makes it the perfect case study for this work. As the crisis unfolds, Bermuda’s environment, economy, and population are at risk of witnessing firsthand the effects of plastic pollution. This paper relies on scholarly research as well as anecdotal evidence from retail stores and locals to compile information in order to provide necessary recommendations to benefit Bermuda’s ocean health. This research evaluates the pros and cons of policies which could mitigate the problem. Analysis …

Serum Nutrient Levels And Aging Effects On Periodontitis, Jeffrey L. Ebersole, Joshua Lambert, Heather Bush, Pinar Emecen Huja, Arpita Basu

Dental Medicine Faculty Research

Periodontal disease damages tissues as a result of dysregulated host responses against the chronic bacterial biofilm insult and approximately 50% of US adults >30 years old exhibit periodontitis. The association of five blood nutrients and periodontitis were evaluated due to our previous findings regarding a potential protective effect for these nutrients in periodontal disease derived from the US population sampled as part of the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (1999–2004). Data from over 15,000 subjects was analyzed for blood levels of cis-β-carotene, β-cryptoxanthin, folate, vitamin D, and vitamin E, linked with analysis of the presence and severity of periodontitis. …

Monitoring The Impact Of Groundwater Pumping On Infrastructure Using Geographic Information System (Gis) And Persistent Scatterer Interferometry (Psi), Kirsten Deprekel, El Hachemi Bouali, Thomas Oommen

Department of Geological and Mining Engineering and Sciences Publications

Transportation infrastructure is critical for the advancement of society. Bridges are vital for an efficient transportation network. Bridges across the world undergo variable deformation/displacement due to the Earth’s dynamic processes. This displacement is caused by ground motion, which occurs from many natural and anthropogenic events. Events causing deformation include temperature fluctuation, subsidence, landslides, earthquakes, water/sea level variation, subsurface resource extraction, etc. Continual deformation may cause bridge failure, putting civilians at risk, if not managed properly. Monitoring bridge displacement, large and small, provides evidence of the state and health of the bridge. Traditionally, bridge monitoring has been executed through on-site surveys. …

Ronald Bostar Hurlock

African American Funeral Programs

No abstract provided.

Working Paper No. 10, The Epic Rise And Subtle Fall Of American Herbalism, Julia Schweid

Working Papers in Economics

This inquiry seeks to establish that we can track the development and evolution of herbalism as the initial form of medicine in American economic history. Upon colonization of North America, the indigenous people generously shared their knowledge of plant medicine with the settlers from Europe. The indigenous knowledge combined with the translation of ancient herbal texts created a synthesis of understanding and an important form of cultural exchange. People then began making attempts to standardize the medicine and its potency was compromised with the rise of the industry in patent medicine, or what I have named pseudo herbalism. It was …

Cocoa, Postprandial Lipoproteins, And Inflammation In Type 2 Diabetes: A Secondary Data Analysis, Rickelle Tallent

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Background: Type 2 Diabetes (T2D) is associated with dyslipidemia and chronic low-grade inflammation, which greatly increases the risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD) in this population. Hyperlipidemia and inflammation in the postprandial state substantially contribute to atherosclerosis development and CVD risk, and have shown to be exacerbated by high-fat meals. Dietary cocoa is a rich source of flavanols that is associated with favorable effects on cardiovascular health, such as improvements in the lipid profile and chronic inflammation, in non-diabetic adults.

Objective: To conduct a secondary data analysis using unpublished data from a previously conducted clinical study to determine whether acute cocoa …

Employee Perceptions Of Organizational Corporate Responsibility And Their Effect On Employee Organizational Commitment, Lisa R. Davis

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

The debate over whether organizations play a part in society beyond economic profit has been a major focus of research in corporate social responsibility (CSR). These debates have been mainly looked at from the macro (societal) or the meso (institutional) level. Very little research has been done on the role of the firm and looking at CSR from the micro (individual) level. Questions regarding the role of work for employees, securing economic benefits or making a difference in the world, would vary greatly depending on the individual and the importance they place on these areas in their own lives. Scholars …

Development Of The Emotional Verbal Learning Test - Spanish (Evlt-S), Davor Nicolas Zink

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Emotional disturbances are common features of clinical disorders and are often present in individuals who have neurodevelopmental or acquired brain disorders. The Hispanic population is the largest and fastest growing ethnic minority group in the United States (U.S.) and by 2050 is projected to be the largest. However, few instruments are available to evaluate emotional functioning in individuals who speak Spanish. Fewer still are available to assess cognitive disturbances resulting from brain dysfunction that impact emotion processing. Normal processing of emotion is critical for social functioning. In recent years it has become apparent that cognitive abilities specialized to process social …

Exploring Relations Between Motivation, Metacognition, And Academic Achievement Through Variable-Centered, Person-Centered And Learning Analytic Methodologies, Wonjoon Hong

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

The three studies that comprise this dissertation examine relations between student characteristics, motivations, metacognitive learning processes, and academic achievement. Methodologically, the dissertation demonstrated the potential of multiple types of approaches

and data resource types. By employing multiple approaches including variable-centered, person-centered, and learning analytics, researchers can understand learning processes from various angles. In addition, through this triangulation by multiple types of methodological approaches, educational theories could be more thoroughly verified and supported by various empirical findings. Multiple types of data resources are related to analytical methods.

The purpose of the first paper was to examine relations between achievement goals and …

Telelactation And Breastfeeding Outcomes Among Low-Income Mothers In Mississippi: A Retrospective Cohort Study, Aaron Thomas Hunt

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

New mothers are recommended to exclusively breastfeed their infants for the first six months to provide optimal health for infant and mother. However, only 13.0% of mothers in Mississippi reached this milestone among infants born in 2015, which was far below the Healthy People 2020 objective of 25.5%. One factor that impacts breastfeeding success is access to certified lactation consultants, but low-income women may lack access due to an inadequate number of providers, unreliable transportation, rural location, or cost. The use of “telelactation” programs, which provide access to lactation consultants via video conferencing on internet connected devices, has been suggested …

Corporate Social Responsibility And Consumer Purchase Behavior: The Moderating Role Of Self-Presentation, Mandy May Walsh

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

In recent years, companies have experienced increasing pressure to integrate corporate social responsibility (CSR) into their organizational structure. The relationship between a company's investment in CSR and overall revenue, however, is still under debate in the current literature as research has focused on correlations and consumer purchase intentions (e.g., Auger, Burke, Devinney, & Louviere, 2003; Dutta & Singh, 2013; Klein & Dawar, 2004; Maignan, 2001; Mohr & Webb 2005; Mohr, Webb, & Harris, 2001; Nanda, 2015; Wigley, 2008). Findings from previous studies have not yet assessed actual purchase behavior or potential moderating variables impacting this relationship. Therefore, this dissertation examined …

Healing Wounds Through Nutrition, Deanna Garza

Master's Projects and Capstones

Abstract

The role of nutrition in wound care is often overlooked. The main reasons why wounds fail to heal are malnutrition, infection, impaired organ function due to co-existing diseases such as diabetes, hypertension, renal disease, and peripheral vascular disease to name a few. These factors have contributed to poor patient outcomes and patient satisfaction, as well as an increase in hospital length of stay. To promote wound healing, fuel from macro and micronutrients are necessary to deliver oxygen and energy for cell regeneration. However, nurses must possess knowledge and understanding of these requirements and the effects of nutrition on wound …

Cassava Farming Practices And Their Agricultural And Environmental Impacts: A Systematic Map Protocol, Gorm E. Shackelford, Neal R. Haddaway, Hope O. Usieta, Pieter Pypers, Silviu O. Petrovan, William J. Sutherland

All Peer-Reviewed Publications

Background: Cassava (Manihot esculenta) is a staple crop that is important for food security in the tropics. However, cassava farming can have severe environmental impacts, such as habitat destruction and soil degradation, if it is not carefully managed. Therefore, a wide range of agricultural and environmental outcomes should be considered when cassava farming practices are recommended as "good agricultural practices". We propose a systematic map of research on cassava farming practices and their impacts on yield, quality, profitability, soil, water, wildlife, pathogens, pests, weeds, and other agricultural and environmental outcomes. This map will improve our knowledge of the multifunctionality of …

Graphene Oxides In Water: Characterization, Reactivity, And Application, Siyuan An

McKelvey School of Engineering Graduate Student Theses & Dissertations

Recently discovered, graphene and graphene oxide materials have drawn considerable research attention due to outstanding and novel properties, which underpin wide material potential for a number of advanced applications including supercapacitors, solar cells, sensors, catalysts, semiconductors, sorbents, and membranes, among others. Graphene oxides (GO), which are considered as a family of oxidized graphene materials (derivatives), is a key precursor to the synthesis of free-standing graphene via oxidation-exfoliation-reduction pathways. GO properties depend on the synthesis routes/conditions (i.e. derivatization), including partially maintaining graphene (i.e. sp2) properties. Further, oxygen-containing functionalities (epoxy, hydroxyl, carbonyl, and carboxyl groups) render GO hydrophilic – and correspondingly stability …

Towards Engineering Advanced Nanomaterials: Elucidating Fundamental Particle Behavior In Water And Critical Sorption Dynamics, Changwoo Kim

McKelvey School of Engineering Graduate Student Theses & Dissertations

As advanced nanomaterials, inorganic-organic nano composites have received great interest as potential platform (nano) structures for sensor, catalyst, sorbent, and environmental applications. Here, my Ph.D. research has focused on the design, synthesis, and characterization of advanced water-stable engineered metal-oxide nanoparticles functionalized by organic frames for environmental applications. For the environmental applications, I have evaluated particleoptimized sorption processes for the remediation and separation of arsenic, chromium, and uranium under environmentally relevant conditions. More specifically, I have explored the critical role of organic coating on sorption mechanisms and performances using engineered iron oxide -based, manganese oxide -based, and manganese ferrite -based (core) …

The Role Of Fibrillin-1 In Eye Development And Disease, Wendell Brooks Jones

Arts & Sciences Graduate Student Theses and Dissertations

The ciliary zonule of the human eye consists of a circumferential array of fibers that connect the ocular lens to the nonpigmented ciliary epithelium (NPCE) located at the inner wall of the eye. Zonular fibers consist of bundles of beaded filaments called microfibrils. Microfibrils are major structural elements of the extracellular matrix and are present in pure form in the ciliary zonule. Microfibrils are composed principally of fibrillin-1 (FBN-1); a large extracellular matrix glycoprotein. In humans, mutations in FBN1 underlie Marfan syndrome; a pleiotropic connective tissue disorder that profoundly affects the eye. Ocular manifestations include ectopia lentis (dislocated lenses), cataracts, …

Mechanistic Characterization Of Resistome And Microbiome Dynamics Across Diverse Microbial Habitats, Andrew John Gasparrini

Arts & Sciences Graduate Student Theses and Dissertations

Increasing antibiotic resistance in pathogens is a serious public health challenge, with over two million antibiotic resistant infections in the United States leading to at least 23,000 deaths and an estimated $55 billion in excess healthcare and societal costs. Antibiotic resistance has risen steadily in both pathogenic and benign bacteria since antibiotics’ introduction to agriculture and medicine 70 years ago. A dramatic reduction in the number of antibiotics approved for human use has accompanied this rise in antibiotic resistance, leading to the alarming prospect of a post-antibiotic era. Understanding the evolutionary origins, genetic contexts, and molecular mechanisms of antibiotic resistance …

A Tail Of Two Pancancer Projects: Somatic Variant Identification And Driver Gene Discovery Using Tcga, Matthew Hawkins Bailey

Arts & Sciences Graduate Student Theses and Dissertations

The implementation of next-generation genomic sequencing has exploded over the past dozen years. Large consortia, such as The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA); the International Cancer Genetics Consortium (ICGC); and the Pediatric Cancer Genome Projects (PCGP), made great strides in democratizing big data for the scientific community. These data sets provide a rich resource to build tools for somatic variant discovery and exploratory analysis. Public repositories hold the answer to many novel biological and clinical revelations i.e., the discovery of complex indels, splice creating mutations, alternative super enhancer binding sites, machine learning models to predict mutation impact, and cancer subtype classification …

Understanding Adolescent Physical Activity In The Early Nutrition Transitioning Country Of Haiti, Haley V. Becker

Arts & Sciences Graduate Student Theses and Dissertations

The nutrition transition is underway in Haiti, giving rise to the dual burden of malnutrition. Physical activity (PA) plays an important role in mitigating the negative health consequences of nutrition transition and the dual burden, but heretofore this data has been unavailable for Haiti. This dissertation undertook an exploratory needs assessment providing baseline PA data for Haitian adolescents. It evaluated two different PA data collection methodologies: a cross-sectional survey adapted from the IPAQ long-form and objectively measured PA via Actigraph GT1M accelerometers. Next, it identified initial covariates of self-reported and objectively-assessed PA behaviors; data was operationalized as meeting the World …

Examining Environmental Hazards In Rental Homes And Habitability Laws In Clark County, Nevada, Jorge Luis Bertran

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

It is well established that home conditions are linked to the health outcomes of occupants. There are over 880,000 housing units in Clark County, Nevada; nearly half of those are renter-occupied units (ROUs). Currently, there is limited research on the characteristics of environmental hazards found in Clark County ROUs and the strength of habitability statutes created to protect tenants from substandard housing. Understanding how renters in Clark County are affected by environmental hazards in ROUs and the processes by which landlords and tenants resolve grievances related to those hazards would benefit public health. It would enhance the ability to quickly …

A Qualitative Study Of School Psychologists' Perception And Interpretation Of Their Professional Identity, Elizabeth A. Sanders

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

The primary focus or aim of this qualitative multiple-case study was to increase understanding of how experienced school psychologists define themselves as professionals within the field, taking into consideration the profession’s collective or organizational identity, the parameters established by the organization, and the actual performance of the job within the educational setting. Specifically, this study examined how the individuals’ definitions had changed over time and what lived experiences led to development and change in professional identity. Six school psychologists with 10 or more years of experience from a large urban Southwestern school district’s school psychology department were invited to participate. …

Confirmatory Factor Analysis Of Oppositional Defiant Disorder Within Clinically Referred Youth, Breanna Garcia

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Each new edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5; APA, 2013) has been met with substantial criticism. Particularly, in DSM-5, two disorders were defined by very similar criteria. Oppositional defiant disorder (ODD) was defined as consisting of three dimensions - irritability, noncompliance, and spiteful/vindictive. Additionally, ODD has duration criteria that indicate its symptoms must be present for at least 6 months suggesting the presence of chronic irritability. DSM-5 also included disruptive mood dysregulation disorder (DMDD) as a disorder marked by the presence of chronic irritability in childhood and adolescence. The question of whether chronic irritability (i.e., …

Effects Of Ambient Air Pollution On Asthma-Related Emergency Department Visits Within The Las Vegas Metropolitan Area, Loiren E. Monardes

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

The objective of this research was to evaluate the risk for asthma-related Emergency Department visits and their association with ambient air pollution within the Las Vegas metropolitan area. All data were aggregated by date and ZIP Code. The association was analyzed by applying the distributed lag non-linear model in an attempt to identify elevated concentrations of specific air pollutants

as triggers and their delayed effects (lag days). Relative Risk (RR) and 95% confidence intervals were produced, while adjusting for socioeconomic status. This ecological population-based study analyzed daily asthma counts of Emergency Department visits from January 1st, 2009 to December 31st, …

Tall Tales Of Danger And Security: How A Critical Human Security Approach Can Address Major Contradictions Revealed Through A Critical Narrative Analysis Of Dominant U.S. Security Strategies, Stephen Schneider

Master's Theses

Over many generations, humans have developed many perspectives and practices regarding the best ways to recognize and address what they perceive to be dangerous. Stories are used to help shape and narrate perceptions about the world, and they serve to pass on vital information that impacts how a society responds to threats and vulnerabilities. These narratives of danger and security are subjective to the experiences and political intentions of society, and therefore in many ways are partial and biased in their assessments and policies. This results in flawed security practices that may actually exacerbate threats or create new insecurities. What …

A History Of Medicine In 50 Discoveries, Emilee Bell

Children's Book and Media Review

Beware of whiplash as you track the evolution of medicine across the globe from the ice age to 2016. Remedies are lost and rediscovered during the rise and fall of empires; unsavory research begets groundbreaking health practices; knowledge is stolen, borrowed, given, distorted, and built upon through flurries of epidemics, religious mania, and superstition. The book shows a glimpse behind the Chamberlen Family shroud of secrecy that hid nothing less than the original forceps, passed down from generation to generation of highly successful birthing doctors in the 1600s. Readers will learn of an Italian study to the coast where a …

Mindfulness And Heightened Consciousness In Phillip Zarrilli’S Psychophysical Approach To Acting, Tsu-Chung Su

CLCWeb: Comparative Literature and Culture

In his article "Mindfulness and Heightened Consciousness in Phillip Zarrilli’s Psychophysical Approach to Acting," Tsu-Chung Su intends to explore the significance of mindfulness and heightened consciousness in Zarrilli’s psychophysical approach to acting. Su first traces and discusses the Chinese and Indian sources, resources, and knowledge that have forged Zarrilli’s psychophysical acting techniques, theories, and approaches. Then, he critically examines and assesses the efficacy of Zarrilli’s approach which combines Western theatrical concepts and techniques with what he self-consciously borrows from Chinese qi and taijiquan, Indian ayurvedic medicine, Vedic philosophy, performing aesthetics, Hindu religion, kathakali, yoga, meditation, massage, and kalarippayattu …

Adopting The Unadoptable/Disabled Subject In The Posthuman Era, Fu-Jen Chen

CLCWeb: Comparative Literature and Culture

In his article “Adopting the Unadoptable/Disabled Subject in the Posthuman Era,” Fu-Jen Chen first examines three memoirs that demonstrate prevalent features of today’s narratives by parents with adopted children of special needs and next offers a theoretical and ontological investigation of disability. He suggests that we have to change the way we relate to disability: to recognize it not as an external limitation but an internal as well as pre-existent division and to re-orient ourselves to the ontological truth that we are always already “disabled/otherized” especially in the posthuman era when the body is seen to exceed existing boundaries of …

Towards Curbing Plagiarism In Higher Institutions Of Learning: The Strategic Role Of The Library, Jerome Idiegbeyan-Ose Dr, Goodluck Ifijeh Mr, Chidi Deborah Segun-Adeniran, Ugwunwa Esse, Sola Owolabi, Ayooluwa Aregbesola

Library Philosophy and Practice (e-journal)

Lack of academic integrity has frustrated the attainment of educational objectives especially in tertiary institutions in recent times. Perhaps, one of the most prevalent fraudulent practice among students, academics and researchers today is plagiarism. This paper examines the concept, nature and intricacies of plagiarism. It notes the devastating effects of plagiarism on the individual, academic institutions and the society at large. The paper argues that libraries by their assigned and inherent functions have a strategic role to play in curbing plagiarism. The roles include awareness creation, teaching of referencing and citation skills, information literacy programmes among others. The paper concludes …

Investigation Of The Effective Factors On Unwillingness Of The Adolescents And Youth From Public Libraries' Services, Mohammad Reza Farhadpoor, Khadijeh Kalhori

Library Philosophy and Practice (e-journal)

Abstract

This study Investigate of the effective factors on unwillingness of the adolescents and youth from public libraries' services. It is applied research, and done using the descriptive survey method. Using ratio sampling methods at the error level of 0.5 of 384 peopleof adolescents and the youth in Khuzestan province, who do not use public library services were selected. Data were collected by field method, using a researcher-developed questionnaire. Results showed that all internal and external factors are major barriers.Also, there is significance correlation between internal and external factors with the unwillingness of adolescents from public libraries' services (Sig.=0.05).

Screening Religiosity In Contemporary Polish Films. The Role Of Religious Motifs In Visual Communication., Mariola Marczak

Journal of Religion & Film

In the paper the Polish contemporary cinema has been explored as a vehicle through which films can reflect and communicate social issues, such as religiosity of Polish society, the character of it, the ways of expression and values promoted by it. The main components of modern Polish religiosity are shown as they are exhibited in film works perceived as part of modern visual culture. The examination also comprises most frequently and typically tools used for communicating or revealing the transcendent sphere in the contemporary Polish films, such as Christ-figures - including apocryphal ones and parables. They are considered as a …