Digital Commons Network^™

A Transgenic Mouse Model Of Down Syndrome Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia Identifies Targetable Vulnerabilities, Jacob J Junco, Max Rochette, Michelle Alozie, Raushan Rashid, Maci Terrell, Barry Zorman, Pavel Sumazin, Lauren Rowland, Gino Dettorre, Reid T Powell, Clifford C Stephan, Peter J Davies, Margarita Martinez-Moczygemba, Jun J Yang, Karen R Rabin

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

No abstract provided.

Make A Wish - Wellness Initiative Supporting Health Mini-Grants In An Academic Medical Department, Joslyn W Fisher, John C Berens, Sandra B Haudek

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Background: With rising burnout among health professionals, academic medical centers are faced with the challenge of sustaining well-being.

Activity: An academic medical department established the Wellness Initiative Supporting Health (WISH) small grant program to support locally developed wellness-related activities. This assessment describes the feasibility and early outcomes of implementing the WISH projects.

Results: Between 2018 and 2022, 36 of 69 (52%) proposals received funding. Projects focused on individual wellness strategies, team-building activities, and networking events. Grant recipients reported enhanced wellness for activity participants and strong agreement that the program should continue.

Discussion: Implementing low-cost, sustainable wellness initiatives at a "local" …

Prevalence Of Psychiatric Comorbidities And Treatment Initiation In African American Pediatric Patients With Vitiligo: A Retrospective, Single-Center, Case-Control Study, Emily Strouphauer, Sana Suhail, Carly Mulinda, Promise Ufomadu, Nicole Nyamongo, Grace Lee, Soo Jung Kim

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

BACKGROUND: Vitiligo may impact psychosocial development, especially among African American pediatric patients, given heightened visibility and increasing rates of anxiety and depression in this subpopulation.

OBJECTIVE: Evaluate psychiatric comorbidities and treatment initiation in African American pediatric patients.

METHODS: A total of 327 African American pediatric patients with vitiligo were each matched to 3 patients without vitiligo by age, race, and sex in this case-control study. Prevalence of psychiatric conditions and subsequent initiation of pharmacotherapy and/or psychotherapy were analyzed.

RESULTS: Compared to controls, pediatric African American patients with vitiligo were significantly more likely to be diagnosed with depression (

LIMITATIONS: This …

Evaluation Of Stress Ulcer Prophylaxis In Pediatric General Medicine Patients After Transfer From The Intensive Care Unit And At Discharge, Lamees Loubani, Jenna W Bartlett, Brent Mothner, Rathi Asaithambi, Surin Lee

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

OBJECTIVES: The primary aim of this study was to determine continuation rates of stress ulcer prophylaxis (SUP) upon transfer from a pediatric intensive care unit (PICU) to a general medicine unit and upon hospital discharge. The secondary aim was to identify patient characteristics or concomitant medications that were associated with continuation of SUP at transfer from the PICU.

METHODS: This retrospective chart review included patients who were initiated on acid suppression for SUP in the PICU between June 2021 and May 2022 and subsequently transferred to a general medicine unit prior to discharge. Patients were excluded if they were receiving …

Cyclic Thermal Stability Of Native Oxide Solar Thermal Absorbers On Femnnialcr High Entropy Alloys For Energy Applications, Xiaoxue Gao

Dartmouth College Ph.D Dissertations

High entropy alloys (HEAs) are promising candidates for cost-effective high-temperature materials in high-efficiency power cycles. A potential application is in concentrated solar power (CSP) systems, where native oxides of cost-effective FeMnNiAlCr HEAs can also synergistically serve as a high-efficiency solar thermal absorber. However, the huge and repetitive temperature change of the CSP system in day-night cycles greatly challenges its thermal stability. In this thesis, we investigated the cyclic oxidation behavior of FeMnNiAlCr HEAs to improve the optical performance and thermal stability of their native oxides as a solar absorber for next-generation CSP systems. We found that the duplex oxide scale …

Hemodynamic And Clinical Outcomes With Balloon-Expandable Valves Versus Self-Expanding Valves In Patients With Small Aortic Annulus Undergoing Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement: A Meta-Analysis Of Randomized Controlled Trials And Propensity Score Matched Studies, Mushood Ahmed, Areeba Ahsan, Shehroze Tabassum, Irra Tariq, Eeshal Zulfiqar, Mahnoor Farooq Raja, Asma Mahmood, Raheel Ahmed, Farhan Shahid, Syed Khurram M Gardezi, Mahboob Alam, Rodrigo Bagur, Mamas A Mamas

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) is considered more effective than surgical aortic valve implantation for patients with a small aortic annulus (SAA), however, the comparative efficacy of different transcatheter heart valves (THVs) remains uncertain. A literature search was performed across databases from their inception until June 2024 to identify eligible randomized controlled trials (RCTs) and propensity-score matched (PSM) studies. Clinical outcomes were evaluated using a random-effects model to pool risk ratios (RRs) with 95 % confidence intervals (CIs). The analysis included 10 studies with 2,960 patients. BEVs were associated with a significantly smaller indexed effective orifice area (MD: -0.18, 95 …

Peer Led Learning Curriculum On Sexual Education, Hannah Harris

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Sexual education is a necessary course that teaches students about health and safety. There have been many obstacles that educators have faced in implementing into schools. This has led to a statewide division in how the topic is taught. Because of this, gaps in students' knowledge can lead to harmful practices or actions. A comprehensive sex ed, or CSE, needs to be utilized across the United States as this curriculum focuses on empirically based evidence and facts. Having an unbiased curriculum will improve student’s knowledge and help prevent parent backlash. However, sex ed needs to embrace peer-led learning as many …

Self-Regulated Learning Through Self-Concordant Goals, Social Modeling And Sustainability Focus, Oana Mandrutiu-Iancu

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Research has shown that when students spend time reflecting and autonomously selecting their college goals, they show high intrinsic motivation, low extrinsic motivation and improvement in emotional and social adjustment over the first several months of college. Despite of this, it is estimated that 77% of first- and second-year students are undecided on their major and many remain undecided as they transition into their junior and senior year. Moreover, in education settings the primary emphasis is on academic success, but focusing solely on academic goals is limiting. As learning is inherently social, academic and social domains cannot be separated, while …

The Benefits Of Telehealth Among Disadvantaged Communities, Anoosh Arshad

Honor’s College Freeman Research Journal

This study aims to understand how the widespread integration of telehealth services affects underserved communities, helping reduce health disparities in this group. Telemedicine includes various technologies and applications, supported by extensive research, public health, administrative, and patient-care benefits, to adapt to different fields. It involves clinical applications that focus on patient care, like making health decisions, and nonclinical applications like arranging board meetings. Telehealth is a health platform that uses communication technologies that allow doctors and patients to meet online through video and telephone visits, ensuring that patients receive high-quality care. It increases access to healthcare by removing geographical and …

Breaking Barriers: Bridging The Gap In Financial Literacy And Representation, Triniti Boson

Honor’s College Freeman Research Journal

This thesis explores the connection between the lack of financial literacy in Black communities, the underrepresentation of women in financial leadership, and the significance of building generational wealth. Many Black families have historically avoided financial conversations, often overshadowed by pressing economic challenges and a legacy of systemic exclusion, from redlining to discriminatory banking practices. These barriers prevented access to essential financial tools and knowledge, creating distrust in institutions and limiting opportunities for wealth accumulation across generations. Addressing these issues is essential for community empowerment. Financial literacy provides the knowledge to manage resources, build savings, and plan for the future. Generational …

Innovative Practices And Safety Culture In Modern Construction: A Case Study Of The Millstone Weber Reconstruction Project, Ariana Alexander

Honor’s College Freeman Research Journal

This thesis explores the operations of Millstone Weber, a leading construction firm formed through the merger of Millstone Bangert, Inc., and Fred Weber, Inc., with a focus on its innovative practices and safety culture. Highlighting the Runway 17L-35R reconstruction project in Denver, Colorado, the study examines the multifaceted role of a Field Engineer and Safety Intern. Responsibilities included data management, QA/QC inspections, subcontractor coordination, and the application of advanced tools like Bluebeam for project planning and execution. The internship revealed key insights into balancing safety with efficiency, managing communication gaps, and addressing task allocation disparities. Observations highlighted challenges such as …

The Effects Of Family Dynamics On Relationships, Alexus Nunley

Honor’s College Freeman Research Journal

For my Advanced Statistics class, Professor Floyd assigned us to research and collect data on a topic that we were interested in. Since my goal for my future career is to become a marriage and family therapist, I decided to research if individuals choose their significant other based on their parents. The results of my research led me to wonder about the effects of family dynamics on relationships. Understanding how family dynamics affect relationships matters because it helps explain why individuals choose the partners they do. This research can help reduce relationship departures. Critics argue that family dynamics strongly influence …

Social Patterns In Physical Infrastructure: Associations Between Socioeconomic Status And Walkability, Kaylee Coursey

Honors Theses

Studies analyzing the relationship between socioeconomic status and physical infrastructure of a city are inconsistent in findings but agree on racial and class disparities. Utilizing walkability (Walk Score) as a measurement for physical infrastructure, this thesis aims to understand the relationship between socioeconomic status and the walkability of a city. The Socio-Ecological framework suggests that environmental experiences are correlated with the social functioning of a community. Thus, socioeconomic status has a significant impact on the quality of one’s built environment.

Using housing data from the 2021 American Community Survey (ACS) and Walk Score, a series of quantitative analyses were conducted …

Division I Female Business Student-Athletes And Career Readiness During Their Academic Careers At A 4-Year Institution, Brianna Black

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this project is to explore female student-athletes within a business major and the transition from student-athlete into a professional career in a nonplaying sport capacity. This qualitative study examines eight female student-athletes who have selected a business major and their experiences with career readiness. Literature shows that student-athletes are behind in aspects of career readiness due to their focus on academic coursework and aspects of athletics with potential hopes of still becoming professional athletes. In addition, female student-athletes specifically business students are behind their counterparts due to the competitive nature of being a business student let alone …

Population Genetics Of Deer In The Northern Great Plains, Usa, Sarah Elizabeth Daman

Theses and Dissertations

Deer are currently under threat of chronic wasting disease (CWD) throughout North America. With CWD distribution increasing globally, understanding the spread of the disease is paramount for the effective management and conservation of deer populations. Conservation genomics has been shown as an effective method to study the behavior and movement of individuals on the landscape at a broad spatial scale. This approach allows for a multi-state evaluation of habitat and landscape features that may influence the dispersals and subsequent gene flow between populations. This study was designed to assess the genetic population structuring of deer within North Dakota and surrounding …

An Indigenous Approach To Professional Development Program Evaluation For Pk–12 Educators, Erica Marie Denault

Theses and Dissertations

In this study, I address the critical need for Indigenous approaches to program evaluation with an emphasis on cultural professional development (PD) programming.

I choose an Indigenous approach to program evaluation via the American Indian Higher Education Consortium (AIHEC) Indigenous Evaluation (IE) Framework that I modified to include educational and academic terminology to develop a cultural evaluation tool: the Cultural Competency Checklist. The Cultural Competency Checklist was embedded within cultural PD program design to illustrate a cultural learning process to produce IE. The Cultural Competency Checklist, utilized as a cultural evaluation tool shifts and reframes the westernized program evaluation process …

Psychology Graduate Student Experiences, Social Support, And Mental Health, Kathryn Lang

Theses and Dissertations

Graduate school is a highly stressful experience for many psychology students. Accordingly, graduate psychology programs need to identify and minimize unnecessary sources of stress on their students. Despite the importance of this topic, there is little research on factors that increase psychology graduate students’ stress. The present study determined how a student’s financial difficulties, quality of their social support, quality of their faculty support, number of adverse experiences they had in their program, the impact of a student’s negative experience in their program; and the population size of the location of their program affect a student’s mental health, perceived progress …

Endolysosomal Mechanisms Of Sars-Cov-2 Spike-Induced Inflammatory Response And Senescence In Human Astrocytes, Wendie Ann Hasler

Theses and Dissertations

The COVID-19 pandemic has led to widespread reports of prolonged neurological symptoms in individuals who have recovered from the acute phase of the infection. These persistent symptoms, collectively termed Neuro-PASC (Neurological Post-Acute Sequelae of SARS-CoV-2 infection), range from cognitive impairments to mood disturbances and other neuroinflammatory issues. Pathological features of Neuro-PASC include vascular impairment, neuroinflammation, and neurodegeneration. One leading hypothesis for the development of Neuro-PASC is the persistent of SARS-CoV-2 viral factors. Post-mortem evidence indicates that the spike protein of SARS-CoV-2 is consistently found in the brains of individuals who died with COVID-19, indicating that viral components can interact with …

Numerical Simulation And Assessment Of Underground Blue Hydrogen Storage In Depleted Gas Reservoir, Abraham Kazala

Theses and Dissertations

Nowadays, the world needs more energy than ever before. This need emphasizes that the world also requires a sustainable system that can meet these growing demands while addressing the overall impact on the environment. For this reason, the international community, including all levels of environmental policymakers, have shown a great deal of concern about the tremendous negative effects of fossil fuels on the globe. The impact of carbon dioxide as a Greenhouse Gas (GHG) from burning fossil fuels on the ozone layer and what it entails in global warming and, therefore, climate change has motivated research on finding either alternatives …

Detection Of Apiary Sites From Remote Imagery, Ning Li

Theses and Dissertations

Honey bees are essential for honey production and pollination services, but their colonies have been declining despite increasing demand. This decline may be due to various factors, including habitat loss, altered land use, climate shifts, and pesticide exposure. In order to assess the quantity and quality of habitats for honey bees and determine their availability and suitability for supporting bee colonies, it is crucial to identify the spatial location of registered apiary sites being used. However, such data is not available, which makes it a challenge for researchers in the field to further advance honey bee-related investigations. In my study, …

Personality Across Realities: Correlations Between Personality Profiles And Preferences Within Roleplaying Games, Brittany Lee Mancha

Theses and Dissertations

Clinically maladaptive behaviors and personality types have been studied within gamers, both those who play video games and those who roleplay in tabletop games. However, the connection between personality types and the preferences of the players themselves in what and how they roleplay is just barely being studied. Personality traits, such as extraversion/introversion and motivation by pain or pleasure, may be both influencing the gameplay decisions and preferences of players, and vice versa. A total of 500 respondents completed the Millon Index of Personality Styles, Revised (MIPS-R), followed by a demographics survey and finally a survey assessing Dungeons and Dragons', …

Directivity Improvement Of A Broad-Beam Patch Antenna By Means Of A Flat Metamaterial Lens, Tyler Midas

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis demonstrates the development of a flat metamaterial lens intended to enhance antenna directivity in RF applications. Development and evaluation was performed with ANSYS HFSS, where a theoretical convex lens model was developed and used as a basis for unit cell refractive indices of the metamaterial lens. The unit cell demonstrated in this study leverages the properties of a nested split-ring resonator merged with a center column. Adjusting the rings allow for refractive index optimization and effective beam focusing. The work presented also provides a 2x2 antenna array with a feed network, which enables the future work of bench …

Risk Factor Patterns For Elder Abuse Among United States Indigenous Peoples: Native Elder Maltreatment Survey Secondary Data Analysis, Maylynn Riding In

Theses and Dissertations

Elder abuse is a significant public health issue, with findings indicating that 9% to 10% of older adults in the United States experience abuse. This figure is likely mirrored among Indigenous Peoples residing within tribal boundaries, although specific data is scarce. This study aims to fill the gap in understanding the prevalence and risk factors associated with elder abuse among United States Indigenous Peoples (USIP) through a secondary data analysis of the Native Elder Maltreatment Survey (NEMS). The NEMS employs two key instruments: the Hwalek-Sengstock Elder Abuse Screening Test (HS EAST), which is validated for community use, and the Native …

Researching Chlorophyll-Α Levels In Freshwater Lakes To Understand The Environmental State Of The Turtle Mountains Using Ndci Through Remote Sensing Techniques, Elliot Quinn Peltier

Theses and Dissertations

Chlorophyll α is one of the main indicators of water quality. Increasing levels have various triggers such as agricultural runoff, wastewater from treatment plants, sewage, and humus. Addressing chlorophyll α is crucial since high concentrations are precursors to eutrophication and are hazardous to human health. The Turtle Mountains in North Dakota and Manitoba is an island forest laden with lakes and trees. However, the noticeable extent of agricultural surface on the United States side of the border has made obvious the disintegration of forested area. Also, a lack of information and studies do not allow anyone to comprehend the level …

The Fcc 5-Year Deorbit Rule’S Impact On The Space Industry Including Non-Traditional Scientific And Environmental Stakeholders, Kristin Shahady

Theses and Dissertations

In pursuit of a safer and more sustainable space environment, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) introduced the 5-year deorbit rule, a regulatory mandate aimed at mitigating space debris by requiring satellite operators to remove their spacecraft from LEO within 5 years after their mission is complete. While the intent behind this rule is admirable in the desire to remediate and limit the generation of orbital debris, it raises questions whether it was crafted with consideration of all stakeholders, whether it will truly mitigate the creation of orbital debris, and whether it exhibits characteristics of arbitrariness and capriciousness. Agencies’ actions be …

Handheld Multimodal Point Spectroscopy, Rgb Imaging, And Fusion Artificial Intelligence To Determine The Species And Freshness Of Fish Fillets, Mitchell Sueker

Theses and Dissertations

When fish species are mislabeled and the fish’s freshness is inaccurately represented, health, environmental, and economic problems can arise for both consumers and the fish industry. Fish are some of the easier foods to mislabel, as the processing of whole fish to fillets makes the visual identification of the species and freshness assessment more challenging. Due to the shortcomings of the current industry standards, confirmed by our interviews with over 20 professionals in all fish supply chain nodes, developing a system that can provide accurate and rapid on-site fraud detection is of necessity. In an attempt to meet these needs, …

Indigenous Innovation: Exploring Substance Use And Drone Applications In Indigenous Contexts Across Canada, Jacob Nelson Taylor

Theses and Dissertations

This is a dissertation in practice which addresses Indigenous health, substance use, dronetechnology, and ethical considerations of drone use. A dissertation in practice results in three products with practical application in community. Through development of a grant application, journal manuscript, and community toolkit for ethical drone use, this dissertation addresses a broader narrative about the empowerment of Indigenous communities in Canada.

In Chapter 2, a grant application has been designed for submission to Health Canada’s Substance Use and Addiction Program. The grant explores substance use among Indigenous Peoples working in the forest sector. The grant application addresses the need for …

Uniting Science And Society: The Role Of Leadership Studies, Scientific, And Political Leaders In Combating Science Polarization, Kathryn E. Reda

Interdisciplinary Journal of Leadership Studies

This commentary discusses the recent political polarization of scientific research and how this polarization threatens the neutrality of science in American society. It contends further that leadership studies, along with scientific studies, have become a contentious battleground themselves, particularly on topics like climate change, energy policy, and the COVID-19 pandemic. This is exacerbated by mass media misinformation and declining public trust. Science polarization poses a significant challenge for leadership as it erodes informed decision making, making it crucial for leaders to bridge rather than deepen ideological divides. Leadership studies as a discipline has a responsibility to explore the causes of …

Investigating The Impact Of Urban Areas On Quasi-Linear Convective Systems, Claiborne Wooton

Theses and Dissertations

Urban areas absorb and radiate energy at a higher rate compared to surrounding rural areas due to several factors, including an urban area’s tendency to have sparse vegetation and tree canopies along with high incidences of pavement. Urban areas have been shown to impact both the environment in which thunderstorms form (by altering thermodynamic, microphysical, and wind flow patterns) and the thunderstorms themselves; however, most of this previous work focused on isolated thunderstorms amid weak environmental vertical wind shear. This thesis analyzes how the structure of observed quasi-linear convective systems (QLCSs)—i.e., lines of thunderstorms—are altered as they pass over urban …

Implementation Of A Transition-Of-Care Model For Adult Ischemic Stroke Survivors, Megan Akacsos

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The lasting physical and cognitive deficits associated with the complexities of newly acquired

disabilities resulting from an acute ischemic stroke (AIS) may lead to hospital readmissions. The

participating healthcare facility on the U.S. West Coast reported a hospital readmission rate for

AIS survivors of 24.29% within 30 days of discharge. This doctoral nursing project aimed to

determine if implementing the Comprehensive Post-Acute Stroke Services (COMPASS) model

would reduce 30-day readmission rates compared to no standardized transition-of-care model in

adult AIS survivors over 30 days. Implementing the COMPASS model in this patient population

was expected to better educate and support stroke …