Leveraging Deep Learning Models To Predict The Impact Of Project Changes On Timelines, Costs, And Quality For Enhanced Project Management, Ahmed Alkhard

Journal of King Abdulaziz University: Engineering Sciences

Managing projects in the modern world seems to be growing in dimness as it incorporates risks from multiple advancements which cut across technology, interrelationships between regions and developing societal expectations. Typical project management systems do not have the necessary accuracy or flexibility to include the possible impact of change in key components, such as scope change, resource changes, and external factors changes on the end values of performance metrics such as time, cost and quality. Such constraints are overcome in this work by implementing Deep Learning models such as FNN, LSTM networks, Attention Mechanisms or Ensemble models as the predictive …

Techno-Economic Feasibility Study Of Rooftop Photovoltaic System For Soba Industrial Area, Khartoum State, Sudan, Ibrahim Ahmed Ibrahim Ali

Journal of King Abdulaziz University: Engineering Sciences

This study presents a detailed techno-economic assessment of a rooftop grid-connected photovoltaic system for Soba Industrial Area in Khartoum State, Sudan. Utilizing advanced modeling tools, namely the System Advisor Model and RETScreen Expert, critical technical parameters such as capacity factor, yield factor, and performance ratio, alongside key economic indicators including levelized cost of energy, payback period, and net present value are evaluated. The investigation also explores optimal panel orientation and conducts a sensitivity analysis of a two-axis tracking system, revealing its' potential for enhanced energy production. Findings indicate that the optimal tilt angle for the photovoltaic systems is 19 degrees, …

The Last Hero: Analyzing Kino’S Rock Album As A Representation Of Youth Sociopolitical Perspectives In The Late Soviet Period, Anna Meehan

The Crown: Syracuse Honors Research Journal

Viktor Robertovich Tsoi (1962-1990), co-founder, frontman, and lyricist of the band KINO, is per-haps the most beloved figure to have emerged from the Leningrad underground rock music scene of the late Soviet period. Known for his masterful lyricism and creative use of abstract themes, Tsoi remains a cultural icon in Russian-speaking communities around the world. However, the ambiguity of his lyrics, as well as the complex political history of his song “Khochu peremen!” (I Want Changes), has led these communities to ascribe a variety of political persuasions to Tsoi’s artistry and image posthumously. This paper seeks to further explore Tsoi’s …

Listening To Life In A Noisy World: The Pitfalls And Promise Of Urban Acoustic Ecology, Leah O'Barr

Undergraduate Honors Theses

This thesis examines the application of soundscape ecology principles to urban settings. Soundscape ecology is the study of the entire sonic makeup of a community, composed of biophony (biological sound), geophony (environmental sound), and anthrophony (human-generated sound). By examining the changes in and qualities of the soundscape, researchers can gain information about the biological makeup and ecological quality of an area, and the temporal and spatial distribution of resident species. Recent technological advances in recording equipment and machine learning methods are making soundscape ecology an increasingly relevant and practical tool.

Applying soundscape ecology methods to urban ecosystems introduces unique challenges, …

Give Unto Caesar?: The Politicization Of The Internal Revenue Service And Its Potential Impacts, Tanner Boshart

The Crown: Syracuse Honors Research Journal

This article, excerpted and adapted from an Honors thesis, explores the politicization of the In-ternal Revenue Service and its budgetary implications. It identifies instancess of politicization of the IRS at a national level throughout different election cycles in the modern era. The Inter-nal Revenue Service is tasked with collecting over $4.9 trillion in annual revenue, yet it has be-come a political lightning rod. Over the years, it has become increasingly vulnerable to partisan manipulation, budgetary constraints, and shifting public trust. This section specifically looks at the modern political manipulation of the IRS’s reputation in the post-2008 political landscape.

The Dangers Of Being "Reef Safe": How "Reef Safe" Marketing Fails Consumer Protection Laws At Federal And State Levels, Molly Thorpe

Loyola of Los Angeles Law Review

The rise of the environmentally-conscious consumer has a corresponding side effect: environmentally-friendly advertising. Because environmental marketing is largely based on science, the average consumer lacks the requisite scientific literacy to determine whether a company’s product claims are legitimate. Although there are consumer protection laws that govern environmental marketing at both the federal and state levels, some forms of advertising fail to meet these standards, including “reef safe” sunscreen claims. “Reef safe” marketing alleges that certain types of sunscreen are better for the coral reefs than others.

This Note argues that “reef safe” advertising violates national and state consumer protection laws. …

Trust And Learning In Early Childhood, Anjuii Barrett

Arts & Sciences Graduate Student Theses and Dissertations

Abstract

Compositional Verification In Tla+, John Nguyen

The Crown: Syracuse Honors Research Journal

Formal verification is a subfield of computer science concerned with verifying the correctness of systems using mathematical techniques. It is easy to see from a cursory view that a pro-gram or protocol “does something,” but it is more difficult to see if it “does what you want it to do.” Formal verification allows developers to create a specification of a system that can be automatically verified as satisfying desired properties – formulating “what you want it to do” and proving it. One effective approach of formal verification is inductive invariant inference. An inductive invariant for a property P in a …

Shedding Light On Seasonal Depression: Practical Strategies For Pediatric Care, Mike Smith, Sara R. Gould

Pediatrics in Practice: A CME Podcast

As daylight fades and winter approaches, pediatricians often see an uptick in mood-related concerns among children and adolescents. In this episode, we explore how to recognize the signs of seasonal depression, differentiate it from other mood disorders, and apply evidence-based interventions. Our expert guest shares practical screening tools, treatment options—including light therapy and behavioral strategies—and tips for partnering with families and schools to support mental health during the darker months. Whether you’re in primary care or a specialty clinic, this conversation offers actionable insights to help you guide patients through seasonal challenges.

Click here to stream the podcast episode.

Gpu-Accelerated Effective Hamiltonian Calculator, Abhishek Chakraborty, Taylor L. Patti, Brucek Khailany, Andrew N. Jordan, Anima Anandkumar

Mathematics, Physics, and Computer Science Faculty Articles and Research

Effective Hamiltonian calculations for large quantum systems can be both analytically intractable and numerically expensive using standard techniques. In this manuscript, we present numerical techniques inspired by Nonperturbative Analytical Diagonalization (NPAD) and the Magnus expansion for the efficient calculation of effective Hamiltonians. While these tools are appropriate for a wide array of applications, we here demonstrate their utility for models that can be realized in circuit-QED settings. Our numerical techniques are available as an opensource Python package, qCHeff, which is available on GitHub (https://github.com/ NVlabs/qCHeff) and PyPI (https://pypi.org/ project/qcheff/). We use the CuPy library for GPU-acceleration …

There Is No Obstruction To A Euclidean Proof For The Fourth Postulate, José Gil-Férez, Piotr Błaszczyk, M. Andrew Moshier, Alberto Naibo, Jean-Michel Salanskis

Mathematics, Physics, and Computer Science Faculty Articles and Research

In Gil-Férez et al. (2025), we presented a proof of Postulate 4 using purely Euclidean techniques, against which Blåsjö (2025) raised several objections. In this note, we offer linguistic, textual, historical, and mathematical evidence that demonstrate that all these objections are baseless.

Artificial Intelligence For Smes In The Dominican Republic: A Strategic Neutrosophic Pest-Swot Analysis To Navigate Uncertainty, Karina Pérez Teruel

Neutrosophic Sets and Systems

This study examines the adoption of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in Dominican Republic SMEs through a PESTLE-neutrosophic analysis. PESTLE stands for Political, Economic, Social, Technological, Legal and Environmental factors. Neutrosophic is the Philosophy of Indeterminacy. Therefore, we focus on the factors relative to AI adoption in the Dominican Republic—specifiers to the benefits and drawbacks, as well as, the unknowns of operating with AI—with the intention of illuminating attention. The findings support a phased approach for SMEs to view indeterminacy as an opportunity for competitive advantage through improved operational efficiencies, enhanced customer experience, and more informed decision-making. Ultimately, the results position AI …

Genomic Ascertainment Of Chek2 -Related Cancer Predisposition, Sunyoung Kim, Jung Kim, Mark Ramos, Jeremy Haley, Diane Smelser, H. Shanker Rao, Uyenlinh L. Mirshahi, Katherine L. Nathanson, Barry I. Graubard, Hormuzd A. Katki, David Carey, Douglas R. Stewart

School of Graduate Studies Faculty Publications

Importance: There is clear evidence that deleterious germline variants in CHEK2 increase risk for breast and prostate cancers; there is limited or conflicting evidence for other cancers. Objective: To quantify the prevalence of as well as cancer risk and survival associated with CHEK2 germline pathogenic and likely pathogenic variants using genomic ascertainment. Design, Setting, and Participants: This case-control study used 2 electronic health record-linked and exome-sequenced biobanks: UK Biobank (n = 469765) and Geisinger MyCode (adults only; n = 167050). Variants were classified according to American College of Medical Genetics and Genomics and the Association for Molecular Pathology criteria. Cases …

Automated Spectrum Analysis And Radionuclide Identification For Robot-Based Gamma Probes, Kennedy Ochieng Mengoh Alila

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Gamma spectroscopy is a technique used for the detection and identification of nuclear materials. Gamma-ray emission by radio nuclides is detected using scintillation detectors or semiconductor detectors such as NaI and CZT. Robot-based gamma probes enable radiation measurements in large areas and hard-to-reach cluttered hazardous environments, which significantly reduces radiation risks to personnel. The robotic probes require automated on-board gamma spectrum analysis and capabilities with platforms (unmanned aerial vehicles and unmanned ground vehicle systems) which use Robot Operating System (ROS). The aim of this thesis was to develop a method of an automated spectral analysis and isotope identification for robot-based …

Comparative Study Of Vocal Pedagogy Systems In South Korea And The United States: Developmental Strategies For Classical Voice Education In South Korea, Dongmin Byeon

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

This dissertation presents a comparative study of vocal pedagogy systems in South Korea and the United States, with the aim of identifying deficiencies in Korean higher education and proposing strategies for reform. While South Korean university voice programs are deeply rooted in the traditional master–apprentice model and rely heavily on anecdotal teaching methods, U.S. institutions have developed structured, evidence-based pedagogical frameworks informed by anatomy, physiology, acoustics, and voice science. This research explores the historical evolution of vocal pedagogy in both countries, highlighting how traditional practices in Korea, though culturally significant, have not sufficiently adapted to contemporary scientific standards.

Employing qualitative …

Examining The Complementary Nature Of Working Memory And Dual Coding Theory, Elizabeth Hofschulte Collins

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

The working memory system is responsible for maintaining, manipulating, and transferring information into long-term memory, yet it operates under strict capacity limitations. Dual coding theory proposes that information can be encoded both verbally and visually, allowing learners to distribute cognitive load across complementary representational systems. Leveraging dual coding may therefore enhance recall, particularly for noun-based stimuli, though there is little to no research exploring this possibility. In the present study, 529 adults completed a forward digit span task and pre-test and post-test free recall tasks involving concrete, abstract, and mixed nouns. Participants were assigned to one of four instruction groups …

Post-Probationary Principals’ Perceptions Of Professional Development, Matthew Jackson

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

This qualitative phenomenological study explored post-probationary principals’ perceptions of professional development, examining the relevance, adequacy, and impact of support provided after 4 years of their leadership. Although research and policy have emphasized the development of new principals, professional learning opportunities for those beyond probationary status remain inconsistent, generic, and misaligned with individual and contextual needs. Guided by adult learning theory, this study sought to understand how post-probationary principals evaluate current professional development, describe their desired opportunities, and determine their ongoing needs. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews with principals from multiple districts and analyzed using coding, memo writing, and mind …

Face Recognition Ability: The Role Of Facial Experience Across The Lifespan, Kirsty Kulhanek

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

The other-race effect is a phenomenon in which individuals are better able to recognize individuals of their own race than individuals of another race. These effects begin to develop during the first year of life and may be attenuated by intergroup contact. Limited research in the language domain has suggested that multilingualism may result in easier learning of non-native speech contrasts, so it is of interest whether early experience with racially diverse faces may result in more easily learning to recognize unfamiliar race faces. We conducted two studies to examine the effects of early diverse experience with faces on recognition …

A Case Study Of The Implementation Of Nevada’S Program To Reduce Recidivism Of The State’S Female Prison Population, Lisa C. Levine

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Success in public administration is often defined by long-term goals that demonstrate how effective a program or policy is. These long-term goals can take years to measure leading to investment doubts, shifting stakeholder goals, and the sunsetting of programs. There is a need to better understand how short-term and intermediate outcomes of a program can be used to measure success and the role goal orientation of stakeholders play in the implementation. Prison education programming exemplifies this problem as reducing recidivism, a leading goal for these types of programs, take a lifetime to prove. This study examines a female prison education …

Gaming: An Untapped Resource For Women In Computer Science Careers?, Claudia Quynh Luu

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

This research focused on women who identify as gamers (i.e., an individual who regularly plays video games) with the goal of better understanding how being a gamer might help or hinder women’s interest in computer science careers. In particular, I examined the connection between interest in computer science careers, gaming, sexual harassment experiences, coping strategies, and allyship for women in gaming using a mixed-methods approach. The sample (N = 166) included women identifying as previous or current gamers. Participants were recruited from a psychology participant pool and gaming communities on Discord. We conducted a series of analyses to examine whether …

Quantifying Biocrust Evaporation In Arid Lands By Combining Thermal Imaging And Lysimeter Measurements, Rebekah C. Magness

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Biological soil crusts (biocrusts) are miniature ecosystems of living organisms incorporated within the soil matrix and established in the topmost millimeters of the soil surface. Biocrust plays a critical role in the hydrologic processes in arid lands, yet the extent to which it increases or decreases evaporation remains unclear. To gain a better understanding of the impact of biocrust on evaporation compared to bare soil, I studied a cyanobacteria-dominated biocrust patch surrounded by bare soil atop a lysimeter in the Mojave Desert near Las Vegas, Nevada. Using high-resolution thermal imaging, and the known latent heat flux from the lysimeter, I …

Characterization Of The Electronic Structure Of Metal–Organic Framework Mil-125 And Its Derivatives Using Soft X-Ray Spectroscopies, Jennifer Alexia Napoles

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Metal–organic frameworks (MOFs) are highly porous, three-dimensional networks composed of coordinated metal clusters and organic ligand subunits. While tens of thousands of MOFs have been synthesized, the Ti(IV)-based MOF MIL-125 has garnered scientific interest due to the observed changes to its optical and photocatalytic properties upon chemical modification. For example, upon UV irradiation in the presence of an alcohol, MIL-125 undergoes a photochromic color change to a photodoped state that has been associated with the storage of charge in the form of Ti(III) sites. Another example is exemplified by the amine group functionalization of the 1,4-benzenedicarboxylate (BDC) linker of MIL-125 …

Integrating Post-Quantum Cryptography Into A Cdn-Style Pki: Tls And Quic Performance Across Pqc Suites, Katrina Mary Parsom

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Post-quantum cryptography (PQC) adds larger certificates and extra workload to the Transport Layer Security (TLS) handshake. In order to analyze the effect of that change on content delivery, a controlled testbed with conditions replicating a Content Delivery Network (CDN) is used. The system uses a standard X.509 certificate chain over TLS 1.3. It compares RSA with classical key exchange, RSA with hybrid key encapsulation mechanism (KEM), and Module Lattice-based Digital Signature Algorithm (ML-DSA) with hybrid KEM. The test harness generates and provides certificates and establishes TLS parameters. The test harness also supports mixed web workloads and records key metrics, including …

Deciphering The Crl Code: Novel Mechanisms Of Canonical And Non-Canonical Ubiquitylation, Nicholas Wayne Purser

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Protein degradation is a fundamental process required for maintaining cellular homeostasis in eukaryotic organisms. In humans, distinct cell types exhibit unique proteomic landscapes that are dynamically balanced by the continual synthesis and degradation of proteins. The timely removal of damaged, misfolded, or old proteins is essential to permit new protein synthesis and to ensure proper cellular function.

Central to this regulatory network is ubiquitylation, a highly conserved posttranslational modification system that governs protein stability and function across all eukaryotic cells. Through the covalent attachment of ubiquitin molecules to protein substrates, this system modulates a broad range of biological processes, including …

Hypervigilance In Emerging Adulthood: The Impact Of Trauma, Milestone Achievement, And Minority Identity, Alexis Rice

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Emerging adulthood is a critical developmental period marked by identity exploration, increased autonomy, and heightened vulnerability to societal pressures. This mixed methods study examined how hypervigilance: a heightened state of alertness often associated with trauma and minority stress- varies by gender, sexual identity, racial trauma exposure, and adulthood milestone achievement among emerging adults aged 18–29. A total of 369 participants completed measures assessing hypervigilance behaviors, adulthood milestone attainment, and trauma exposure. Quantitative analyses revealed that sexual and gender minority (SGM) individuals and cisgender women reported significantly higher levels of hypervigilance compared to their counterparts. Witnessing trauma inflicted on someone of …

Navigating Leadership In Bilingual Education: Exploring The Preparation, Experiences, And Adaptability Of Bilingual Education Leaders In The Southwest, Cynthia Romero

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

This study explored the experiences of school-level bilingual program leaders in the Southwestern United States, focusing on how their preparation, lived experiences, and local contexts shaped their leadership practices and decision-making. Drawing on Bourdieu’s theory of practice, the research examined how habitus and various forms of capital (cultural, social, and symbolic) influenced leaders’ approaches to developing and sustaining bilingual programs. Yosso’s theory of community cultural wealth (CCW) further expanded this lens by highlighting the aspirational, linguistic, familial, social, navigational, and resistant forms of capital.

Using a qualitative multi-case study design, the research analyzed policy documents, leadership preparation coursework, and semi-structured …

Telling Herstory: The Preparation, Perspectives, And Persistence Of Novice Black Women Principals, Dana Roseman

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Being a Black Woman public school principal is an intensified, all-encompassing yet rewarding role, marked by disparities that our white counterparts are not forced to navigate. Inspired by the daily, distressed calls from novice Black Women principals seeking support in their roles and personal experience, this qualitative study employs the Sista Circle Methodology (SCM) to explore their perceptions of principal preparation programs, professional support, and persistence strategies within the first five years of appointment in a large urban school district. Framed by Black Feminist Thought (Collins, 1990), the study examines the social, gender, cultural, and experiential contexts unique to Black …

First-Principles Insights Into Binary Oxide Systems Under Extreme Pressure, Daniel Schacher

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Pressure is powerful tool by which one can manipulate the properties of materials. In this work we utilize pressure to explore binary oxide systems and characterize their structural and electronic properties. The observation of anomalous structural and electronic behavior in the rutile to CaCl2 phase transition in SnO2 led to the prediction that such behavior is inherent to all oxides experiencing such a phase transition sequence.[1] Here, the ultra-wide band gap semiconductor GeO2 is confirmed to exhibit anomalous behavior during the rutile to CaCl2 phase transition. A phase pure rutile GeO2 sample synthesized under high-pressure, high-temperature, conditions is probed using …

A Comparison Of Airborne Tree Pollen In The Las Vegas Valley From 2017 – 2021, Asma Tahir

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Airborne pollen are a predominant cause of asthma, allergic disease, and respiratory infections. The strong allergenic potential of tree pollen is of a public health concern. Several allergenic trees grow in the Mojave Desert, but not all are native to the region. Concentrations of airborne tree pollen are affected by atmospheric, environmental, ecological, and geospatial factors. Previous research has reported high tree pollen concentrations in the Las Vegas Valley, but long-term comparison studies are lacking. This study measured and compared tree pollen concentrations from five different collection stations in Las Vegas. Pollen samples collected from January 1, 2017, to December …

Integrating Classical Singing Techniques To Aid Natives In Performing Traditional Tongan Folk Songs Of The Late Queen Sālote Tupou Iii, Pauline 'Ofa Vaitāfā Tamale

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

This document introduces a structured, classical vocal approach to equip native singers with healthier performance techniques and enable anyone in the music world to perform the art songs derived from the poetry and compositions of Queen Sālote Tupou III. The objective of this project is to provide performers, particularly those with a native proficiency, with classical techniques to perform this music with vigor while circumventing vocal fatigue caused by the linguistic, dialectal, and cultural demands inherent in the repertoire. Queen Sālote Tupou III (1900–1965) reigned for nearly 50 years – the longest of any Tongan monarch – and left an …