Digital Commons Network^™

Representations Of Masculinity And The Influence Of Bruce Lee In Film, Zhenxia Meng

All Graduate Plan B and other Reports, Spring 1920 to Spring 2023

This thesis is an annotated bibliography that lays a critical foundation for examining the performance of heroism, violence, male bonding, and masculinity in the movies of Enter the Dragon (1973) by Bruce Lee, Hard Boiled (1992) by John Woo, and Kill Bill, Vol. 1 and Vol. 2 (2003-04) and Once Upon a Time in Hollywood by Quentin Tarantino. I am interested in comparing the representations of masculinity in these films, focusing specifically on how Woo and Tarantino have been influenced by Lee’s films. Before I can begin this comparative research project, however, I need to conduct extensive research into several …

Ftc Orders Destruction Of Algorithms Created From Unlawfully Acquired Data, Randi W. Singer, Michael Goodyear

Articles & Chapters

No abstract provided.

Role Of Hsp70 And The Tlr4-Md2 Complex In The Vasculature: From Function To Dysfunction In Diabetes, Amanda Almeida De Oliveira

Theses and Dissertations

Diabetes impairs vascular functionality, which contributes to the pathophysiology of its associated complications. Recently, it was suggested that innate immune receptors assist in the development of diabetic vasculopathies, which sustains the pro-inflammatory state of the disease. Among these receptors, Toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4) is a strategic player as its activation prime the release of inflammatory mediators and reactive oxygen species (ROS), which are well-known pathological mechanisms linked to diabetic complications. The TLR4-Myeloid differentiation factor 2 (MD2) complex has gained much attention over the last decade, primarily because it interacts with self-produced molecules. In vascular tissues, the Heat-shock protein 70 (HSP70) …

Development And Optimization Of A Denitrification System To Promote Biological Nutrient Removal In A Subtropical Estuary, Abigail Gering

Theses and Dissertations

Eutrophication impacts coastal ecosystems globally and triggers phytoplankton and algal blooms, leading to an increase in oxygen demand in the water column and sediments due to various biogeochemical processes. Naturally, biological nitrification, denitrification and anammox processes help to remove nitrogen predominately by nitrifying and denitrifying bacteria in the sediments. Eutrophic systems have increased nutrient and organic matter loading and are prone to the accumulation of ‘muddy’, fine-grained, organic-rich sediments (locally termed ‘muck’) that may not be able to support high enough populations of these bacteria, and therefore, may not adequately support nitrification/denitrification processes that would otherwise remove nitrogen. To decrease …

An Assessment Of Image-Cloaking Techniques Against Automated Face Recognition For Biometric Privacy, Brandon Scott Ledford

Theses and Dissertations

Over the past two decades, Americans have aggressively increased the amount of facial data uploaded to the internet primarily via social media. This data is largely unprotected due to the dire lack of existing regulations protecting users from large scale face recognition in the United States, where the value of data trade is in the tens of billions. In its current state, facial privacy in the United States depends on American corporations opting not to collect the public data, an option rarely chosen. Much research has been done in the area of suppressing recognition abilities, giving users the ability to …

Smart Glasses Assisting Visually-Impaired People, Ali Delham Algarni

Theses and Dissertations

Smart Glasses Assisting Visually-Impaired artificial intelligence system providing speech recognition, object recognition, face recognition, and distance to all features for visually impaired people's enhanced (daily) autonomy. Smart Glasses Assisting Visually-Impaired People is a new integrative process that combines as such, the invention is both a further use of the technologies supporting the features listed above and an improvement to the overall activities carried out by visually impaired people in their daily lives activities such as: providing vocal commands, being able to read text, being able to receive spoken information about various objects in their surroundings, being aware of their location …

Unveiling Migration Patterns Using Data And Network Science, Firas Aswad

Theses and Dissertations

Many real-world phenomena have recently been witnessed, motivating scientists to provide a comprehensive understanding of worldwide networks, such as the human migration phenomenon. Human migration research is multidisciplinary and has yielded work in social sciences, physics, and the new field of smart city designing and planning based on big data analytics. The importance of the research comes from the impacts on both countries, sources, and distention. Impacts occur at several levels such as economy, city planning, politics, and law enforcement, leading to changes in demographics. Thus, studies on human migration help policymakers prepare and handle crises when they occur in …

Visual Diagnostics For Constrained Optimisation With Application To Guided Tours, H Sherry Zhang, Dianne Cook, Ursula Laa, Nicolas Langrené, Patricia Menéndez

The R Journal

A guided tour helps to visualise high-dimensional data by showing low-dimensional projections along a projection pursuit optimisation path. Projection pursuit is a generalisation of principal component analysis in the sense that different indexes are used to define the interestingness of the projected data. While much work has been done in developing new indexes in the literature, less has been done on understanding the optimisation. Index functions can be noisy, might have multiple local maxima as well as an optimal maximum, and are constrained to generate orthonormal projection frames, which complicates the optimization. In addition, projection pursuit is primarily used for …

The R Developer Community Does Have A Strong Software Engineering Culture, Maëlle Salmon, Karthik Ram

The R Journal

There is a strong software engineering culture in the R developer community. We recommend creating, updating and vetting packages as well as keeping up with community standards. We invite contributions to the rOpenSci project, where participants can gain experience that will shape their work and that of their peers.

Hybrid: The Future Of Construction Meetings In The Digital Age, Nicholas G. Orozco

Construction Management

Over the last few years, many construction companies have had to upheave traditional methods of construction meetings to adapt to rapidly changing COVID-19 safety and regulation protocols. For many, this has meant taking common in-person meetings (OAC, pre-construction, and design) and shifting them virtual. As companies continue to move forward in a post-pandemic climate, the question of whether they will continue with virtual meetings or revert to in-person meetings still lingers in the air. To get a better read on the future of construction meetings post-pandemic, a survey was sent to determine what most people prefer. A total of 21 …

The Future Is Big - And Small: Remote Sensing Enables Cross- Scale Comparisons Of Microbiome Dynamics And Ecological Consequences, Deanna S. Beatty, Lillian R. Aoki, Olivia J. Graham, Bo Yang

Faculty Research, Scholarly, and Creative Activity

Coupling remote sensing with microbial omics-based approaches provides a promising new frontier for scientists to scale microbial interactions across space and time. These data-rich, interdisciplinary methods allow us to better understand interactions between microbial communities and their environments and, in turn, their impact on ecosystem structure and function. Here, we highlight current and novel examples of applying remote sensing, machine learning, spatial statistics, and omics data approaches to marine, aquatic, and terrestrial systems. We emphasize the importance of integrating biochemical and spatiotemporal environmental data to move toward a predictive framework of microbiome interactions and their ecosystemlevel effects. Finally, we emphasize …

Punnett Squares Or Protein Production? The Expert–Novice Divide For Conceptions Of Genes And Gene Expression, Dina L. Newman, Aeowynn Coakley, Aidan Link, Korinne Mills, L. Kate Wright

Faculty Research, Scholarly, and Creative Activity

Concepts of molecular biology and genetics are difficult for many biology undergraduate students to master yet are crucial for deep understanding of how life works. By asking students to draw their ideas, we attempted to uncover the mental models about genes and gene expression held by biology students (n = 23) and experts (n = 18) using semistructured interviews. A large divide was identified between novice and expert conceptions. While experts typically drew box-and-line representations and thought about genes as regions of DNA that were used to encode products, students typically drew whole chromosomes rather than focusing on gene structure …

Robo-Ump: A Study Of The Prospective Impact Of Automated Strike Zone Use In Major League Baseball Games From The Perspective Of Broadcasters And Media, Bob Greene

College of Journalism and Mass Communications: Theses

A qualitative analysis of the Major League Baseball industry’s perspective on the use of technology within the game, specifically the incorporation of an automated strike zone in place of traditional umpires, through targeted survey results from current MLB broadcasters and journalists or media members. Evidence from the research suggests that though those who are in favor of umpires being replaced by technology within the game, at least in some fashion, there are concerns that the technology in place is currently ready to provide the type of experience desired for MLB play when it comes ruling on balls and strikes with …

Reflections On Teaching Against White Supremacy During A Time Of Social Rupture And Transformation, Erica Fonesca, Stéphanie Wahab

School of Social Work Faculty Publications and Presentations

Social Justice and Social Work is a foundational course required for all social work students in the master’s of social work program at Portland State University. Although the course has long focused on interrupting oppressions including White supremacy, teaching the course during the fall of 2020 required a nimble dance between our familiar modes of teaching and the need for spontaneous adaptation and creativity. The unique landscape for this course included teaching the course remotely (Zoom), inside a university embattled around the arming of its security force (that killed a Black man in 2018), in a city targeted by an …

Community Norms Of The Muscle Dysmorphic Disorder Inventory (Mddi) Among Gender Minority Populations, Jason M. Nagata, Emilio J. Compte, F. Hunter Mcguire, Jason M. Lavender, Tiffany A. Brown, Stuart B. Murray, Annesa Flentje, Matthew R. Capriotti, Micah E. Lubensky, Juno Obedin-Maliver, Mitchell R. Lunn

Faculty Research, Scholarly, and Creative Activity

Purpose: Representing the pathological extreme pursuit of muscularity, muscle dysmorphia (MD) is characterized by a pervasive belief or fear around insufficient muscularity and an elevated drive for muscularity. Despite evidence of heightened body image-related concerns among gender minority populations, little is known about the degree of MD symptoms among gender minorities, particularly based on Muscle Dysmorphic Disorder Inventory (MDDI) scores. The objective of this study was to assess community norms of the MDDI in gender-expansive people, transgender men, and transgender women. Method: Data from participants in The PRIDE Study, an existing study of health outcomes in sexual and gender minority …

Molecular Dynamics Study Of Atomic Diffusion In Cantor High Entropy Alloy In The Selective Laser Melting Process, Mathew Z. Farias

Theses and Dissertations

High entropy alloys (HEAs) are compositionally complex alloys that are comprised of 5 or more principle elements at near equimolar concentrations. The Selective Laser Melting (SLM) method generally melts pure elemental powders or prefabricated alloy powders, this process allows for the production of heterogeneous structures that would be difficult to create through more conventional means. In-situ alloying in SLM, or Laser Additive Alloying (LAA), using pure elemental powders is a promising means of producing what would otherwise be costly and difficult to fabricate products with less defects using prefabricated powders, therefore this new approach could enable the ability to …

Development Of A Compact Core Flooding Apparatus For Matrix Acidizing Applications, Antonio Hernandez Zuniga

Theses and Dissertations

Matrix Acidizing is defined as a well stimulation technique in which the acid is injected into the formation with the purpose of dissolving the minerals present and thus enhancing the permeability of the formation and facilitating the extraction of oil and/or gas from the formation. The primary goal of acid diversion is the creation of wormholes and ramification paths that allow the fluid to flow from the higher to the lower permeability zones of the limestones, sandstones or carbonate reservoirs. Naturally, as the injected acid will follow vugs, fractures and pores, HCl is used because of its quick reaction and …

Managing Water Resource And Land Use In Lower Rio Grande Valley Of South Texas Using A Groundwater Vulnerability Model, Leslie Soto Sanchez

Theses and Dissertations

The Lower Rio Grande Valley (LRGV) has three Metropolitan Statistical Areas. These are Brownsville-Harlingen, Laredo, and McAllen-Edinburg-Mission, the latter with a population of around 1 million people and had an estimated growth of 62% from the period of 2010-2018 (Texas State Data Center, 2020). Low precipitations, intensive agricultures as well as growth in the manufacturing and tourism industries have resulted in an increasing concern of scarce water supply especially the region relies primarily on a single water source, the Rio Grande River. These circumstances could potentially disrupt economic development, negatively affecting the local manufacturing industry, agriculture, and the community. With …

A Statistical Comparison Of Covid-19 In The United States Across Political Affiliations And Census Regions, Margarito Torres

Theses and Dissertations

In mid-January 2020, the United States reported their first cases of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) from a passenger returning from Wuhan, China. Initially, the situation wasn’t very alarming as in China and European countries, but the situation began to worsen in March 2020 when the number of cases began to multiply. Then, in a matter of a few months, the United States became the number one country in terms of total cases and total deaths from COVID-19. We have been closely observing the United States and the world since July 2020. Our study aims to compare the political affiliations and …

Morphological Characterization And Functional Assessment Of Trichomes In Solanaceae, Sakshi Watts

Theses and Dissertations

Chapter 1: This chapter provides an overview of various trichome types in plants, and also empirically examines their variation on abaxial and adaxial leaf surface of 14 Solanum species. Detailed nomenclature, density, and dimension measurements of each trichome type has been provided using scanning electron-microscopy.

Chapter 2: Scanning electron microscopy was major component of methodology used in my thesis for scanning leaf samples to estimate trichome traits. In this chapter, a more efficient and cost-effective methodology for scanning electron microscopy has been explored.

Chapter 3: This chapter examines the relationship of trichome density and herbivore feeding behavior using abaxial and …

Evaluating Disaster Evacuation Plans Of Families With Special Medical Needs (Smn) In The Rio Grande Valley: A Proposal For Providing A Special Needs Disaster Shelter, Jeannette Zallar

Theses and Dissertations

During a disaster, people have the choice of whether to evacuate or shelter in place. The problem with that is that the impact of disasters is never the same; one disaster can cause one to shelter in place, and within the same day, evacuation might be required. For those who are able-bodied, and have financial means, this is not a problem. It is a problem, however, for those who are disabled, struggling with chronic illnesses, or caring for those who have a disability or chronic illness.

This thesis studies these populations, and proposes a potential solution for disaster evacuation: a …

Modeling Watershed Sensitivity To Climate Change In Systems Affected By Discharge Of Mine Tailings, Johnette C. Shockley

Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

For more than a century, a large volume of gold-mining tailings was deposited in Whitewood Creek and the Belle Fourche River, tributaries to the Cheyenne River in western South Dakota. Much of it still remains, and field and historical evidence indicates continued remobilization of tailings-containing alluvium in these bedrock-dominated channels. Both long-term, natural fluctuations in climate and anthropogenically driven changes can impact regional precipitation, temperature, hydrologic patterns, and ecosystem functions. Such changes have the potential to affect both the transport and distribution of arsenic-laden sediments and mechanical erosion that can undermine the stability of channel-bed and overbank material.

This study …

Algorithmic Trading And Market Quality: International Evidence, Ekkehart Boehmer, Kingsley Fong, Juan (Julie) Wu

Department of Finance: Faculty Publications

We study the effect of algorithmic trading (AT) on market quality between 2001 and 2011 in 42 equity markets around the world. We use exchange co-location service that increases AT as an exogenous instrument to draw causal inferences of AT on market quality. On average, AT improves liquidity and informational efficiency but increases short-term volatility. Importantly, AT also lowers execution shortfalls for buy-side institutional investors. Our results are surprisingly consistent across markets and thus across a wide range of AT environments. We further document that the beneficial effect of AT is stronger in large stocks than in small stocks.

Trump, Bolsonaro, And The Framing Of The Covid-19 Crisis: How Political Institutions Shaped Presidential Strategies, Daniel Beland, Philip Rocco, Catarina Ianni Segatto, Alex Waddan

Political Science Faculty Research and Publications

Background and Purpose:

Asymmetry during walking may be explained by impaired interlimb coordination. We examined these associations: (1) propulsive symmetry with interlimb coordination during walking, (2) work symmetry with interlimb coordination during pedaling, and (3) work symmetry and interlimb coordination with clinical impairment.

Methods:

Nineteen individuals with chronic stroke and 15 controls performed bilateral, lower limb pedaling with a conventional device and a device with a bisected crank and upstroke assistance. Individuals with stroke walked on a split-belt treadmill. Measures of symmetry (%Propulsion_walk, %Work_ped) and interlimb phase coordination index (PCI_walk, PCI_ped) were …

Better Safe Than Sorry? Examining The Effectiveness Of Defensive Impression Management And Supplication Techniques In Attracting Minority Applicants To Public Safety Careers, Temitayo Opeyemi Lawal

Theses and Dissertations

The recent media coverage of fatal interactions between police officers and unarmed Black citizens has led to increased calls for law enforcement agencies to diversify their departments. However, many agencies struggle to attract qualified minority candidates due to the negative history between law enforcement and minority communities. This study examined whether the use targeted defensive impression management techniques, such as apologizing for past transgressions, and supplicative recruiting messages can influence attraction and job pursuit intentions for minority applicants. This study also explored whether applicant perceptions of an organization’s sincerity and value of diversity mediates the relationship between diversity recruiting messages …

Gender Norms And Their Impact, Sarah Shirdon

Honor’s College Freeman Research Journal

This study examines how gender norms/stereotypes affect people and the different ways these expectations manifest in society. This scholarship shows how media, school, careers, and other sources are indicated to greatly impact the enforcement of stereotypes. It also presents the way people’s behavior is encouraged and discouraged to conform to the norms affecting overall productivity, performance, psychological well-being, and physical well-being. Studies have also shown a correlation in the future careers that are pursued by men and women in relation to the social norms imposed throughout development. The results in this study reveal a shortage of gender diversity in career …

Mobile Sports Betting Marketing Plan, Scott Flinn

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

From day one, the hospitality industry in Las Vegas has been innovating and evolving to develop one-of-a-kind experiences for customers from all around the world. Over the decade's hospitality corporations have been shaped through mergers and acquisitions with the end goal of growing land-based assets, improving income statements and balance sheets for shareholders, and trying to own every dollar that a tourist spends while in the city (Bussman, 2021).

Customer Purchase Intention Towards The Us Airline, Ming-Chun Kuo

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

The airline industry has become the main economic resource to the United States. The airline companies have had a very mature operating base towards their marketing standing point and their target customers. Yet, customer purchase behavior has changed consistently, especially after the whole year of lockdown of COVID-19 pandemic. Customers no longer only look for the service quality when they select an airline to fly. This paper aims to explore the possible aspects that may affect customer purchase intention to a US-based airline. Many studies have indicated that service quality is no longer the only reason to attract the purchase …

International Relations And Tourism: Geopolitical Tension In China-United States Relations And Implications In Tourism Development, Le Shen

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

"Black cat or white cat, if it can catch mice, it's a good cat." As China's then Chief Secretary, and later the nation's "Paramount Leader" Deng Xiaoping made this now-famous metaphor in the 1960s for a planned economy versus that of a market economy (Zheng & Sun, 2018), little did anyone at the time anticipated the sheer level of influence this populous yet impoverished nation would have on the world's geopolitical and economic scene in the coming decades. Indeed, through a combination of economic reforms, diplomatic engagement, and political reorganization, the People's Republic of China rapidly elevated its international positioning …

Building Customer Loyalty With Millennials In The Gaming Entertainment Industry, Daysha Catchings

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

This paper discusses how to build customer loyalty between Millennials and casinos. Although research has indicated that casinos are losing the interest of the Millennial consumer, it is recommended that casinos do not give up on this demographic. The Millennial generation is massive, accounting for a fourth of the U.S. population. Entering the workforce at rapid speed, this generation has a large amount of spending power and is willing to pay more for a product that is deemed valuable. This paper intends to lay the groundwork for an exploratory research study on customer loyalty and Millennials in the gambling and …