Digital Commons Network^™

The Effect Of Entry Of Generic Antibiotics On Prescriptions Of The Antibiotic: The Case Of Sulfamethoxazole-Trimethoprim, Ian James Davis

All Theses

The nonrenewable nature of antibiotic therapy has led many medical professionals, policy makers, and researchers to questions regarding the optimal use of antibiotics. To build out a more robust understanding of antibiotic usage and its contributing factors, careful attention must be paid to the study of antibiotic demand and its characteristics. The purpose of this paper is to estimate the effect of generic entry on antibiotic demand through changes in the probability of prescription using sulfamethoxazole-trimethoprim as a case study. The data used are visits where sulfamethoxazole-trimethoprim could have been prescribed pooled from the National Ambulatory Medical Care Surveys over …

Seasonality Of Prescribed Fire In The Southern Appalachians, Matthew Christopher Vaughan

All Theses

There has been growing interest in recent decades in using prescribed fire for hazardous fuels reduction and ecological restoration in the southern Appalachian Mountains. The application of prescribed fire in forests of this region has typically occurred in the dormant season, but with managers often looking for more opportunities to burn. In this study, we compared the effects of dormant season and early growing season burn treatments on fire behavior, fuel consumption, and the structure and composition of plant communities in relation to topographic and meteorological influences on fire behavior. Replicated treatments were analyzed using univariate, bivariate, and multivariate methods …

A Reconsidering Of Place And Space, Megan Ashley Waller

All Theses

A Reconsidering of Place and Space is an autobiographical body of paintings that challenges the notion that the home is a place of familiarity, peace, connection, and comfort. I unmake the predictability of the spaces through either subtle or overt alterations of these once commonplace areas. While these spaces are grounded in observable reality, they are not entirely logical and operate as psychological environments that often enter the realm of the uncanny or melancholic.

This work operates within the context of the Covid-19 pandemic of 2020. Lockdowns, health conditions, and virus spikes have pushed people to stay home more. This …

Using Environmental Dna And Macroinvertebrate Biotic Integrity To Inform Conservation Efforts For The Carolina Heelsplitter, Benjamin Schmidt

All Theses

The Carolina Heelsplitter (Lasmigona decorata) is a federally endangered freshwater mussel endemic to North and South Carolina, USA. The species has experienced dramatic range-wide declines as a result of habitat fragmentation and water quality deterioration, and the remaining populations are isolated and extremely small. Conservation efforts for the Carolina Heelsplitter have been limited by a lack of knowledge regarding distribution, life history traits, and habitat requirements. Our objectives during this project were to 1. Evaluate the efficacy of an environmental DNA (eDNA) assay to detect the Carolina Heelsplitter and a known host fish, the Bluehead Chub, from stream …

Cover Crop Performance And Potential Benefits To Wildlife In The Southern Piedmont Of South Carolina, Sean Carlisle Byrd

All Theses

The Southern Piedmont region of South Carolina has been historically a mixture of forests, grasslands, and agroecosystems. While forests and grasslands have declined due to development, agroecosystems may be able to provide habitat for summer bird species in the region. Cover cropping is a practice in conservation agriculture that can conserve and improve soil resources, yet adoption is low in the Southeast due to long cash crop growing seasons and a lack of technical knowledge on regionally appropriate cover crops. Two field experiments were conducted in 2019 on a sandy loam in Pendleton, South Carolina to determine summer cover crop …

Assessing The Markers Of Agency In Successful Recovery Journeys: A Constructionist Narrative Of Participants In An Assertive Community Engagement Modality, Sarah Elizabeth Goss

All Theses

The Faces and Voices of Recovery program in Greenville, South Carolina is part of a national recovery advocacy movement utilizing a harm-reduction framework. This study aims to identify how individual agency is accounted for in this harm reduction-based recovery group and by extension, the recovery process. Spanning a four-month discourse collection process, and incorporating partial and complete observations of participants this study identifies four tiers of participation and engagement (1) high engagement successful recovery (2) low engagement successful recovery (3) high engagement struggling recovery and (4) low engagement struggling recovery/disengaged.

Detection Of Delaminations In Carbon Fiber Reinforced Polymers Embedded With Terfenol-D Particles Using Machine Learning, Christopher Nelon

All Theses

The characterization of the damage state of a system provides insight into its performance and safety during operation. In composite materials, specifically, fiber-reinforced polymers, delaminations form from the evolution of cracks in a matrix that leads to adhesion failure between adjacent laminae. Nondestructive evaluation (NDE) seeks to characterize the state of a material or system during non-operational times. A previously proposed NDE method employs embedded magnetostrictive particles between laminae of carbon fiber reinforced polymer (CFRP) for damage sensing. The phenomenon of magnetostriction couples the mechanical state of a material with its magnetic state so that a change in the local …

An Appetite For The Tasteless: An Evaluation Of Off-Color Humor In Adult Animations And Video Games, Presented Through A Proposed Interactive Narrative Via A Procedurally Generated Material Library, Mark William Keller

All Theses

Off-color humor has propelled adult animation into its Golden Age. The success of this genre has prompted media studios to begin developing original series for subscription video-on-demand services. The technology used for these over the top (OTT) streaming services have improved to the point that providers have begun developing cloud-based gaming. These improvements, along with developments in rendering systems, have made it possible to create interactive media across both video and gaming platforms using similar assets. This document will detail the successes of adult animation and the proposal for more interactive narrative media within this category. Accompanying the text will …

Fruit Bagging: A Small-Grower And Consumer Horticultural Practice Across The Southeastern United States, Ann Katherine Kule

All Theses

Fruit bagging is a simple method used to protect fruit from pests and diseases. It is popular among backyard gardeners in Asia and there is an increasing interest in the United States, especially in regions with warm and humid climates where pests and diseases thrive (Gorsuch and Scott 2020). Two different surveys were created and conducted two consecutive years (2019 and 2020) using Survey Monkey. Separate surveys were sent out: one was for assessing consumer perception at farmer’s markets in South Carolina, Georgia and Florida, and the other was for evaluating bagging success among backyard growers across the nation. Each …

Machine Learning And Pedometers: An Integration-Based Convolutional Neural Network For Step Counting And Detection, Basil Lin

All Theses

This thesis explores a machine learning-based approach to step detection and counting for a pedometer. Our novelty is to analyze a window of time containing an arbitrary number of steps, and integrate the detected count using a sliding window technique. We compare the effectiveness of this approach against classic deterministic algorithms. While classic algorithms perform well during regular gait (e.g. walking or running), they can perform significantly worse during semi-regular and irregular gaits that still contribute to a person’s overall step count. These non-regular gaits can make up a significant portion of the daily step count for people, and an …

Blue Ridge Chateau: The Conceptual Design Evolution Of Biltmore House, R. Chad Stewart

All Theses

This thesis explores the early conceptual designs for Biltmore House in Asheville, North Carolina. Examining architect Richard Morris Hunt’s surviving floorplans, elevation drawings, and a handful of other renderings, this thesis chronicles the evolution of Biltmore House on the drafting tables of the Hunt office from a luxurious but typical colonial revival mansion into the largest house ever constructed in the United States. Additionally, the thesis explores the European precedents that inspired the design of Biltmore House by comparing its details with those of buildings frequently referenced as having inspired its design in several secondary sources. The result is a …

Decentralized Decision Making For Limited Resource Allocation Using A Private Blockchain Network In An Iot (Internet Of Things) Environment With Conflicting Agents, Vignesh Prabhu

All Theses

Blockchains have gotten popular in recent times, owing to the security, anonymity, and lack of any third-party involvement. Blockchains essentially are record keeping tools that record any transactions between involved parties. One of the key aspects of handling and navigating of any autonomous traffic on the streets, is secured and simple means of communication. This thesis explores distribution of minimum resources between multiple autonomous agents, by settling conflicts using events of random nature. The thesis focusses on two specific events, tossing of a coin and the game of rock, paper, and scissors (RPS). An improvement on the traditional game of …

Perceptions Of The Built Environment Among Older Adults Who Live In Age-Restricted Communities Compared To Those Who Do Not In Southern Nevada, Sandra Annan

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

As Americans are living longer, there has been exponential growth in the number of older adults. Growth in the aging population has created unique challenges. As seniors age, they face many changes in their health, financial stability, and lifestyle, making it challenging to remain independent. The inability to remain independent can be a stressful and depressing experience for older adults. Studies show that most seniors prefer to stay in their current living environment as they age, or age in place, rather than move into senior housing or other available housing options designed for aging. This study investigates how perceptions about …

Development And Initial Validation Of The Veterans Educational Transition Scale (Vets): A Brief Scale To Predict Successful Transition Of Student Veterans To College, Lisa Beckman

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

The aim of this dissertation was to develop and validate a scale to assess factors that interfere with veterans’ successful transition from military life to the college environment. Student veterans are a unique population in the student body and often have unique challenges assimilating to the college environment, including difficulties making social connections, multiple life responsibilities, and unique mental health presentations. Currently, there is no measure to assess and identify transition challenges that student veterans may experience, and yet significantly more veterans are enrolling in college to take advantage of their post-9/11 GI bill benefits. This dissertation includes two studies. …

The Effect Of Asynchronous Versus Synchronous Online Course Delivery On Hesi Scores And Student Engagement For Rural Pre-Licensure Nursing Students, Susan Luke Belliston

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Since nurses are the primary providers of direct patient care in the United States, a shortage in any community can impact the quality of health care available. Rural areas were among the first to be affected by the current nursing shortage. Further challenges to the rural nurse supply include a lack of access to nursing education, particularly baccalaureate education.Both distance and online education options allow for the increased reach of higher education to rural areas. Existing nursing education literature focuses on graduate nurse education and baccalaureate completion education. The pre-licensure nursing student is mostly absent from the existing literature concerning …

Validation Of Novel Obstructive Sleep Apnea Treatment With Silicone Gel Experimental Models, Dustin Walter Burd

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Predictive modeling to increase treatment success rates for surgical procedures is becoming more common in the scientific community. For obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), modeling has been predominately performed using computers as opposed to experimental models. Computer simulation saves time by eliminating the need to fabricate complex experimental models but comes at the expense of insight gained through physical observations made in real time. Experimental models for studying OSA are needed to validate computational work, provide perspective on anatomical scale and demonstrate complex deformations in real time. This work addresses prior hurdles in experimental model fabrication with a novel process using …

Exploring Mystery Shopping's Perceived Impacts On Integrated Resort Employees And Managers, Yoonju Chung

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

This study explores to identify integrated resort managers’ and employees’ perceptions about the use of the mystery shopping program as a service consistency tool and as part of the performance appraisal process. This study reviews previous literature review about the mystery shopping program and its potential psychological impacts on the employees. Such potential impacts include feelings of anxiety, induced stress, trust issues with managers, and privacy infringement. Using the thematic analysis, and Likert scale, the perceived usefulness of mystery shopping and potential psychological impacts were identified.

The study was conducted in two phases to identify both overlap and differences between …

Managing The Performing Arts Center: Best Practices For University-Based Performing Arts Centers, Lori Cobo

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

University-based performing arts centers are an asset not only for the institutions where they exist, but also the community that it serves. This thesis takes a brief look at the following topics; reporting structure, billing practices, presenting, and student tickets/fees. The University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV) Performing Arts Center has been a part of the university since 1976 and the focal point of this paper. Nineteen other similar institutions were surveyed with results from eleven others used as comparison. University-based performing arts centers can and should be seen as a strong financial partner for the institution.

The Effect Of Body Armor On Pulmonary Function And Repeated Sprint Performance, Dustin Dunnick

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Introduction: Tactical athletes face the unique task of performing physically demanding occupational duties often while wearing torso-borne loads. While pulmonary function has been shown to decrease while wearing plate-carrier style body armor, there has yet to be a study using the more accurate measurement of plethysmography to determine exactly why. Additionally, the inspiratory muscle’s pressure generation capabilities and how they respond to a repeated running sprint test while wearing body armor are unknown. Therefore, the purpose of this dissertation was to examine how body armor affects pulmonary function, inspiratory muscle strength, and athletic performance during repeated, high-intensity sprints.

Methods: Twelve …

Light Conditions During Desiccation And Rehydration Impact The Recovery Of Cultured Timmiella Crassinervis, Sotodeh Ebrahimi

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Many terrestrial mosses of xeric environments experience excess light during extended periods of desiccation. While dry or hydrated, excess light energy can lead to formation of reactive oxygen species and photoinhibition (e.g. damage to Photosystem II) which affects photosynthetic stress and efficiency. This study aimed to determine the effect of duration dry and light intensity (PAR) on cultured shoots of the chaparral moss Timmiella crassinervis, as well as to elucidate the optimal rehydration light conditions for this species. I hypothesized that 1) mosses exposed to higher light intensities during desiccation would incur more damage upon rehydration than those exposed to …

Validity And Diagnostic Accuracy Of An Adhd Symptom Rating Scale For Identifying Adults With Adhd, Stacy Jean Graves

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Specific rating scales of ADHD symptomatology are often included in neuropsychological assessments evaluating adults diagnosed with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). The Barkley Adult ADHD Rating Scale-IV (BAARS-IV) is a widely used symptom rating scale that includes four questionnaires: self-report current, self-report childhood, other-report current, and other-report childhood. In addition to ADHD symptoms, each of the forms include items that assess functional impact and developmental history of symptomatology. While similar symptom rating scales have been found to have high validity and diagnostic utility in children, it is unclear the extent to which the BAARS-IV shares substantial common variance with other …

Gardasil Vaccine Trends Within Nevada, California, And The U.S.: A Comparative Study, Karen S. Gutierrez

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Despite decreasing incidence in cervical cancer in the U.S., there continues to be an increase in public health concern for cervical cancer worldwide. Recent studies report that individuals are disproportionately affected based on region, sex, and race. Additionally, the human papillomavirus (HPV) attributable cancers may be reduced between 70% and 90% through the universal use of HPV-vaccines. In order to expand current knowledge and implement intervention programs in Nevada, it is critical to examine the associations among the Gardasil vaccine, cervical cancer screening, and adverse events following immunization as well as to understand the different socio-demographic subgroups affected. To our …

Using The Critical Mathematics Pedagogical Framework To Teach Adult Basic Education Learners: A Transformative Convergent Parallel Mixed Methods Study, Matthew D. Gromlich

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

The goal of this study was to design and implement curricula in the Adult Basic Education classroom that aligned to the Critical Mathematics Pedagogical Framework. Specifically, this study assessed if ABE students’ mathematics anxiety and mathematics self-efficacy ware affected by curricula that aligns to the Critical Mathematics Pedagogical Framework. Using a transformative convergent parallel mixed methods study, this study showed that students taught using CMPF-based lessons specifically reflected on their own attitudes towards mathematics self-efficacy, mathematics anxiety, number positioning, and the need for societal change around mathematical concepts. Both quantitative and qualitative data were analyzed to highlight student reflections and …

Association Between White Matter Hyperintensities, Cortical Thinning, And Clinical Outcomes In Mild Traumatic Brain Injury, Thomas Helmut Knoblauch

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) is a global health challenge, with over 4.6 million confirmed cases annually in North America alone. Mild traumatic brain injuries (mTBIs) are the most common and make up approximately 81% of all TBI diagnoses worldwide [1]. Studies indicate that 10–15% of patients suffer from trauma induced symptoms (i.e. headache, loss of balance, cognitive impairments, fatigue, and mental health/affective disorders) as far as 1 year post injury [2]. Prediction and management of these post-traumatic sequalae is complicated by a lack of symptom associated neuroimaging findings. In spite of a “prominent distribution” of frontotemporal WMHs in pediatric subjects …

Exploring The Airline Passengers’ Preferences Of Inflight Foods, Eun Min Hwang

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

To keep up with a rapidly expanding aviation industry, it is critical for airline marketers to incorporate most preferred service elements to enhance the passengers’ inflight experience. To attract the valued passengers, the current study focused on inflight foods and included the attributes that address the trends of healthy and environmentally sustainable foods. Usingconjoint value analysis, the study investigated the differences on participants’ preferences and importance of inflight food attributes with their demographic profiles and travel characteristics. The research found that health and taste attributes were found to be the greatest importance of inflight foods and suggested the optimal inflight …

The Relationship Among Sociocultural Assimilation, Dietary Behavior, And Physical Activity In Adult Latinxs In The U.S., Erick Lopez

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

This dissertation examines the relationship between sociocultural assimilation and health behaviors among adult Latinxs in the United States to address whether different assimilation models promote or hinder Latinx health. Existing research on assimilation and health behaviors among Latinxs relies heavily on the use of proxy measures of assimilation such as length of time in the U.S., nativity, age of arrival, and language preferences for surveys. These studies tend to show that greater assimilation to mainstream U.S. culture among Latinxs is associated with the adoption of poor health behaviors and the erosion of the immigrant health advantage. Research that uses sociocultural …

A Multi-Channel Mcp-Pmt Based Readout Integrated Circuit For Lidar Applications, Sachin Purushothaman Namboodiri

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Photon counting techniques are becoming more critical in fields such as LiDAR, high energy physics (HEP), and positron emission tomography (PET). For space-based aerosol-cloud-ocean (ACO) LiDAR, the total aggregate photon flux signal has a very high dynamic range, from a single-photon up to giga-photons per second for a single channel. This dissertation focuses on the design of a multichannel, photon counting readout circuit that can interface with MCP-PMTs for high dynamic range, space-based LiDAR applications. Chapter 2 presents the conventional current mode approach that has been employed to realize a photon counting circuit. A transimpedance amplifier, a 6-bit delay line …

How Does Stress And Coping Impact Undergraduate Students' Mental Health On A Racially Diverse Campus?, Kristina Ricker-Boles

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

The study focuses on how subjective stress and mastery skills impact physical and mental wellbeing among UNLV undergraduate college students. Bovier, Chamot, and Perneger’s (2004) study was repeated within a racially diverse campus setting. The Transactional Model of Stress and Coping provided the foundation of this study with an emphasis on primary and secondary appraisal among racial and ethnic groups. The study utilized the Pearlin Coping Questionnaire, the Short Form-12 (SF-12), the Brief Encounter Psychosocial Instrument (BEPSI), and Duke-UNC Functional Social Support Questionnaire to assess subjective stress, mastery skills, and the moderator of social support while comparing the results among …

Thinking About Thinking: Children’S Awareness And Development Of Metacognitive Emotion Regulation, Reilly Rowland

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Metacognitive emotion regulation is a complex system of our underlying thinking that contributes to the emotions that we endure. By gaining an understanding of this concept, young children can learn various strategies, e.g. cognitive reappraisal, problem solving, and delayed gratification, to help alter their thoughts and/or goals to alleviate negative emotion. Thus, they are able to increase their confidence in their own metacognitive emotion regulation abilities and awareness. This study explored the awareness of young children and their metacognitive emotion regulation abilities, the strategies that young children take part in to try and control negative emotion, and the learning strategies …

Effects Of Wildfire On Plant And Insect Pollinator Communities In The Mojave Desert, Nha Trang Vivian Sam

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

The changing fire regime of landscapes across the Mojave Desert has prompted considerable research on its effects on plant community recovery, but it has not been widely studied what effects wildfire may have on native pollinators and the vital ecosystem services they provide. Ecological changes from increased wildfire severity from invasive exotic annual grasses will likely continue influencing pollinator habitats and floral resources. Understanding the effects that wildfires have on pollinators is valuable to make decisions as to whether active management and restoration activities are required to conserve ecologically vital pollinator functions. The intention of this thesis was to examine …