Digital Commons Network^™

Accelerating Initial Cardiac Arrest Response In Medical-Surgical Nurses Through Virtual Reality Training, Carissa A. Hernandez

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Background: Through their limited exposure, non-critical care nurses may feel unprepared to respond when faced with a sudden emergency such as cardiac arrest. This Quality Improvement (QI) project employed virtual reality (VR) technology to improve nurse confidence, adherence to the American Heart Association (AHA) basic life support (BLS) algorithm, and documentation accuracy among medical-surgical nurses in a Veterans Affairs hospital in Nevada. The project addressed their ability to react promptly and effectively during these high-stakes emergencies. Methods: Following a scoping literature review from the Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature (CINAHL), Medline, and PubMed databases, this Evidence Based …

Enhancing Documentation Proficiency: Feasibility Of Integrating Ehr Go & Unfolding Case Studies In Occupational Therapy Education, Jeffery D. Holland Jr.

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Objective: This capstone project evaluated the feasibility of integrating EHR Go and Unfolding Case Studies (UCS) into the first-year curriculum of the University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV) Occupational Therapy Doctorate (OTD) program. The goal was to enhance students’ SOAP (Subjective, Objective, Assessment, Plan) note documentation proficiency and critical thinking skills through simulation-based learning and increased exposure to real-world documentation expectations and examples. Feedback from 33 clinicians at Dignity Health St. Rose Dominican Hospital – Siena Campus informed the workshop design, and OTD faculty and graduate assistants at UNLV provided input on curriculum integration feasibility.Methods: A quasi-experimental, non-equivalent groups pretest-posttest …

The “Asian”-Ness Of Women Influencing The Romance Plot In Contemporary Ya Literature, Janetsa Jane Keovorabouth

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Contemporary young adult literature (YAL) is a growing genre that features a diverse range of stories, allowing young readers to see themselves reflected in realistic stories. One of its prominent subgenres, contemporary young adult romance focuses on a modern love story between two individuals. Historically, Asian American female characters were often depicted as the “model minority” stereotype or represented as exoticized figures who held traits such as mysterious, submissive, or seductive creatures. These portrayals often treated the Asian American experience as monolithic. However, the genre now explores an intersection of identity and romance, addressing themes commonly found in contemporary realism …

Clinical Benefit Analysis Of Modified Motion Management Protocols, Dyanne S. Macalinao

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Radiation therapy is crucial for treating cancer, using ionizing radiation to target and destroy cancer cells. This radiation is produced by machines like linear accelerators or through natural radioactive decay. Radiation therapy treatment planning involves prescribing doses and contouring target areas. However, managing tumors that move with breathing, such as in the lungs, remains a major challenge. Tumor motion exceeding 5 mm, as outlined in the AAPM’s Task Group 76, can compromise treatment accuracy, risking underdosing the tumor and overdosing healthy tissue. This issue is especially critical in high dose treatments like stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT). TG-76 provides different …

Rebuilding Father-Child Bonds: Group Therapeutic Writing For Fathers Transitioning From Incarceration, Lynne Truong

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

This project was a group therapeutic writing (TW) workshop that was an addition to the existing program at Hope for Prisoners (HFP) to facilitate self-awareness of father-children relationship for fathers who are previously incarcerated. This doctoral capstone project assessed the impact of a group therapeutic writing workshop led by the occupational therapist capstone student on emotional awareness, self-reflection, and communication skills among previously incarcerated fathers. The program aimed at helping fathers who were incarcerated in rebuilding relationships with their children by enhancing confidence, self-awareness, and emotional expression. The four-week therapeutic writing program provided the emotional and relational needs of participants …

Prevalence Of Cardiovascular-Kidney-Metabolic Stages In Us Adolescents And Relationship To Social Determinants Of Health, Carissa M. Baker-Smith, Abigail M. Gauen, Lucia C. Petito, Sadiya S. Khan, Norrina B. Allen

Department of Pediatrics Faculty Papers

BACKGROUND: Risk factors for atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease begin in youth. Knowledge of the prevalence of cardio-kidney-metabolic (CKM) syndrome in adolescents and its risk factors is critical to understanding the cause of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease risk burden.

METHODS: We conducted a cross-sectional analysis of the 2017 to 2020 US National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey data and determined the prevalence of each CKM stage in adolescents aged 12 to 18 years. We then assessed the relationship between the family income-to-poverty ratio, health insurance, routine health care access, food security, health behaviors, and CKM stage. We quantified associations between social factors, behaviors, …

Assessment Of The 3-30-300 Standard In New London, Connecticut: Gis Analysis And Systematic Literature Review On Urban Tree Cover, Natalie Michele Reilly

Honors Scholar Theses

Cecil Konijnendijk’s 3-30-300 standard allows cities to monitor their current urban forestry conditions and progress toward improvement. The standard is met if individuals can see three trees from their home, have 30% canopy cover in their neighborhood, and are within 300 meters of a green space. I conducted a systematic review of relevant literature and an assessment of whether New London, Connecticut meets the standard. My goal was to evaluate the benefits of urban forestry standards, the feasibility of implementation, and whether cities tested adhered. The 30-component of the standard was the most difficult part to meet due to a …

Trust But Verify … As Long As You Can: Transparency, Consent Management And Their Limits In A Big Data-Machine Learning Environment, Pablo Iannello

University of Dayton Law Review

No abstract provided.

Empowering Nurses, Enhancing Mobility: A Qi Initiative Using Plof And Clof To Promote Patient Ambulation, Kaela Nguyen

Master's Projects and Capstones

The quality improvement project involves the intervention of implemented mobility educational flyers about the mobility tools, Clinician Reported Level of Function (CLOF) and Patient Reported Level of Function (PLOF) and aims to increase patient mobility post surgery. The quality improvement project was conducted in two medical surgical units in a San Francisco hospital. To address unmet mobility goals, during change of shift, in-services on the educational flyers about the mobility tools (CLOF and PLOF), were utilized to provide education about the importance of mobility, how to utilize the mobility tools, and correctly document ambulation. More than twenty flyers were posted …

The Wright Way: Advancing Pediatric Perianesthetia Nursing Competencies, Marisela E. Acevedo-Padilla

Master's Projects and Capstones

Objective Implementing the Donna Wright Competency Model at a Bay Area Children’s Hospital in its peri-anesthesia units. Throughout available literature it was possible to observe the positive effects of implementing a competency model such as the DWCM has on the confidence of nursing staff and patient outcomes. An important point shown by literature was addressing more than technical skills and incorporating critical thinking and ethical considerations regarding patient care. Aim We aim to improve nurse competency in pediatric peri-anesthesia units at a Bay Area Children's Hospital by implementing Donna Wright’s Competency Model. Data obtained in August 2024 from a series …

Shifting Us Strategies: Preventing China’S Continued Military Aggression Through Unrestricted Warfare Tactics Targeting Supply Chains, Andrew P. Downs

Master's Projects and Capstones

Strategic competition between the United States and the People's Republic of China (PRC) has developed into a complex multi-domain struggle encompassing military, economic, and trade aspects. This research demonstrated that the current U.S. deterrence strategy is mismatched in its ability to engage with the PRC and its use of asymmetric tactics. While the US continually depends on technological advantage through expensive platforms, the PRC is developing more subtle ways in which to subvert the US' ability to respond to an expanding China. While the US response has focused on conventional means, the PRC has adopted Unrestricted Warfare as a counter …

The Hidden Logic Behind Migration And Success, Elsa Russom

Master's Projects and Capstones

This research paper explores the hidden drivers of financial success among Eritrean migrants navigating uncertainty, displacement, and limited institutional access. Drawing on original survey data collected from diaspora communities across East African host countries, I apply a mixed-methods framework combining ordinal and binary logistic regression, random forest classification, bootstrapping, and Bayesian causal mediation; to identify the structural and cultural variables most predictive of financial stability. The findings reveal that participation in Ekub, a traditional rotating savings association, and engagement in communal support systems are the strongest predictors of financial success, outperforming conventional factors such as age, education, or employment status. …

Environmental History In Western Anatolia (Turkey) Since The Last Glacial Maximum, Mustafa Dogan, Cetin Senkul, Jessie Woodbridge

School of Geography, Earth and Environmental Sciences

Mediterranean landscapes have been shaped by complex interactions between climate, land use and fire overmulti-millennial timescales. Understanding past trajectories of change provides knowledge of how modernlandscapes emerged, which can be valuable for their sustainable management. The aim of this study is toreconstruct environmental change in Western Anatolia (Turkey) through palaeoecological analysis of sedimentfrom Buldan Yayla Lake (Denizli-Buldan) from the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM) to the present, using a high-resolutionand multi-proxy dataset. To this end, fossil pollen, micro-charcoal, non-pollen palynomorphs, micro(μ)-XRF and radiocarbon analyses were applied to an ~18 m sediment core from Buldan Yayla Lake (Denizli-Buldan). According to the fossil …

Terraincraft: Automated Land-Cover–Driven Terrain Generation For Marine Robot Simulations, Xinyue Liang

Dartmouth College Master’s Theses

From self-driving cars navigating city streets to all-terrain vehicles tackling rugged landscapes, recent leaps in robotic autonomy due to fast pace development in deep learning are reshaping how machines interact with the real world. However, autonomy in the aquatic environment is still limited, due to difficulty in testing and unavailability of realistic simulation environments.

In this project, we aim to create an automated system that simplifies the processes of creating synthetic datasets for marine robots navigation training tasks. We achieved this through a land cover map controlled terrain generation. Our goal is to provide an automatic terrain generation system that …

A Bitter Brew For Cancer: Egcg’S Impact On Ewing Sarcoma Cells, Lizzeth Holguin, Mary-Esther Leblanc, Mariana Reyes, Terry Jo Shackleford

Cell and Molecular Methods

Epigallocatechin Gallate (EGCG), a powerful antioxidant found in green tea, is an abundant treatment to treat Ewing Sarcoma cells, a pediatric cancer affecting the skeletal system. Given EGCG’s known role in other cancer treatments, these tests aim to investigate its effects as a standalone natural compound on Ewing Sarcoma cells. Focusing on the PI3K/AKT pathway, if the PI3K/AKT pathway is inhibited by EGCG, then it will lead to reduced cell survival and proliferation of EW8 cells. Using cell culture techniques, IncuCyte-based IC50 analysis, caspase 3/7, RNA purification, cDNA synthesis, and qRT-PCR, EGCG’s impact was assessed on cell apoptosis and gene …

The Effect Of Epigallocatechin Gallate (Egcg) And Alpha L-Mangostin On Tp53, Bax, And Vim Gene Expression And Apoptosis In Ewing Sarcoma Cells, Victoria Valdez, Terry Jo Shackleford

Cell and Molecular Methods

Ewing Sarcoma (ES) is a malignant pediatric bone tumor driven by chromosomal translocations and fusion oncogenes with limited targeted treatment options. This study investigated the chemopreventive potential of two natural compounds, Epigallocatechin Gallate (EGCG) found in green tea, and Alpha L-Mangostin from mangosteen, on apoptosis and gene expression in ES cells. We hypothesized that EGCG and Alpha L-Mangostin treatment would induce apoptosis and downregulate cancer-promoting genes. To test this, we performed tissue culture, IC50 assays, caspase-based apoptosis detection, RNA purification, cDNA synthesis, and qRT-PCR on ES cell lines treated with a high and low concentration of the two compounds. Our …

The Sonata For Double Bass And Piano By Ruth Gipps: A New Performer's Edition With Commentary, Nicholas M. Greer-Young

Dissertations, 2020-current

The Sonata for Double Bass and Piano by Ruth Gipps (completed in 1996) presents unique challenges for performers. The piece was previously only available in a published version of the manuscript which lacks many articulation markings, dynamics, and other expressive indicators. This allows performers justification for a wide variety of interpretations but also requires a high level of analytical investment to produce a compelling performance. The new, fully edited, score makes the sonata more easily accessible while the opportunity to engage in in-depth analysis and interpretation offers tremendous pedagogical value to students who would like to start from the first …

A Mixed Methods Approach To Understanding Athletic Training Preceptorships Through Measuring Situational Leadership, Jordan R. Dawson

Dissertations, 2020-current

Athletic Training preceptorships play a crucial role in student education as they heavily influence student learning and progression in the academic program (Mazerolle et al., 2015). The problem that arises from preceptorships is the inconsistencies athletic training students experience in leadership. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to investigate athletic training student perceptions of situational leadership as it relates to student satisfaction with the development of a measurement tool. An exploratory mixed methods design composed of a qualitative phase one, pilot testing quantitative phase two, and quantitative phase three. The qualitative phase provided insightful perspectives on preceptor leadership from …

Move It! The Percussionist’S Guide To Developing Performance Skills And Emotional Connection, Shelby N. Shelton

Dissertations, 2020-current

What is this?

The primary goal of this book is to enable students to be more comfortable projecting emotionally to an audience through their body movement and touch while also providing lesson plans and support for the front ensemble instructor. We want this collection to be useful for a student alone in a practice room as well as in a large ensemble setting. There are 10+ activities with examples that encourage the student to dive deeper into the emotion of their piece. Each etude has curated exercises that develop necessary techniques used in the tune. Program/performance notes aid the student …

The Application Of Time-Frequency Analysis To Ocular Vestibular Evoked Myogenic Potentials, Hannah R. Richardson

Dissertations, 2020-current

Ocular vestibular evoked myogenic potentials (oVEMPs) are produced by highly synchronous bursts of extraocular muscle activity in response to bone or air-conducted stimuli. Surface electromyography (EMG) electrodes can be used to record these responses which reflect utricular function. The traditional analysis of oVEMPs has been limited to time-domain waveform measurements, such as amplitude and latency of response peaks.

Recently, a method grounded in synchrony-based time-frequency analysis was successfully applied to cervical vestibular evoked myogenic potentials (cVEMPs) by Clinard et al. (2022). This approach to VEMP analysis can be used as a means to differentiate synchrony from amplitude, quantifying how phase …

Exploring Trauma Education And The Intersection Of Self-Efficacy, Ashlea Yearwood

Dissertations, 2020-current

Trauma education in counselor training programs is not only required for those accredited by the Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP), but a critical component in preparing counselors-in-training to work with clients who have been directly or indirectly impacted by a traumatic event. This three-article dissertation includes a conceptual manuscript, qualitative manuscript, and a quantitative manuscript regarding trauma education for counselors. The conceptual manuscript offers an approach to mitigating compassion fatigue through the utilization of attachment-based supervision when working with counselors-in-training. The qualitative manuscript aimed to utilize an interpretative phenomenological analysis to explore and understand what …

Lgbtqia+ Competency In Counseling: Understanding Current Trends, Educational Experiences, And Counselor Identity Implications, Tyler Puryear

Dissertations, 2020-current

This dissertation presents is made up of three manuscripts. The first is a systematized review that synthesizes current literature to better understand the definition, development, and gaps in LGBTQIA+ competency. Eleven major themes were identified: competency frameworks, cultural humility over competence, competence in practice, barriers, intersectionality, subgroups, advocacy, allyship, pedagogy, language, and counselor attitudes. Findings suggest the field must move beyond static competency models toward a cultural humility framework. The qualitative study used constructivist grounded theory (CGT) to explore how recent graduates from counseling programs experienced learning about LGBTQIA+ counseling topics. Five themes emerged: faculty influence on learning, experiential learning …

Intertrial Coherence As A Measure Of Synchrony In Ocular Vestibular Evoked Myogenic Potentials And The Effect Of Gaze Angle, Sydney Brown

Dissertations, 2020-current

Ocular vestibular evoked myogenic potentials (oVEMPs) are produced by highly synchronous bursts of extraocular muscle activity in response to stimuli. These responses reflect utricular function and can be recorded using surface electromyography electrodes. Traditional analysis of oVEMPs is limited to time-domain waveform measurements, such as amplitude and latency of response peaks. Objective synchrony-based measures have not yet been applied to the analysis of oVEMPs, particularly in the comparison of synchrony across gaze angles. We followed the new time-frequency method of analysis developed by Clinard et al. (2022) that was successfully applied to cervical VEMPs to quantify response synchrony. Air-conducted oVEMPs …

Establishing The Feasibility Of Sustained Sinusoidal Cervical Vestibular Evoked Myogenic Potentials In Young Adults, Ashton Fowlkes

Dissertations, 2020-current

Cervical vestibular evoked myogenic potentials (cVEMPs) are used in clinics and research to assess the function of primarily the saccule. cVEMPs are typically stimulated with transient clicks or tone bursts through air conduction and are recorded from the sternocleidomastoid (SCM) muscle. The SCM is contracted by turning the head either left or right. In this study, we used sustained sinusoidal bone conducted stimuli. Using this new stimulus method allowed us to look at the possibility of a sustained cVEMP response, compared to the typically recorded transient response, as well as analyze the amplitude and signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) of the responses. …

Microbial Biodiversity Of The James River Rock Pool Ecosystem., Jordan C. Heydt

Masters Theses, 2020-current

Rock pools are ephemeral aquatic environments that offer a unique opportunity to study complex communities and their responses to environmental changes. The urban James River rock pool system consists of over 700 individual rock pools varying in size and depth. This unique urban freshwater ecosystem has been studied for its invertebrate, plant, and zooplankton populations but not for its microbial community composition. To fill that gap, the microbial community of this system was characterized using 16S rRNA gene sequencing, and the influence of environmental variables on the community composition was analyzed. Our findings show variation in microbial community composition across …

The Influence Of Intrinsic Foot Muscles In Modulating Foot Shape Relative To Substrate And The Efficacy Of Different Strengthening Approaches, Luke R. Lotsis

Masters Theses, 2020-current

Cross-sloped surfaces create an asymmetrical substrate for foot contact, introducing a slip force within the transverse plane and a gravitational pull within the coronal plane that increases the tendency to topple downslope. To maintain stability, the foot must make structural adjustments across the hindfoot, midfoot, forefoot, and hallux. In chapter 1, I investigated how IFMs respond to varying substrate conditions and balance demands, providing insight into their functional role in maintaining stability and adapting foot structure in static and dynamic locomotor tasks. Twenty-four healthy adults participated in a series of dynamic walking trials on flat, cross-sloped and sandy substrates and …

Assessing Examinee Effort: The Role Of Test Length In Low-Stakes Testing, Jonathan M. Henriques

Masters Theses, 2020-current

In the context of low stakes testing, where students have no benefits or consequences for their performance, test-taking effort becomes a central validity concern. Recent research has explored how shortening tests might improve effort. With modern planned missingness designs, it is possible to reduce the length of the test for the student without compromising the validity and reliability of the test. In this study, I investigated the impact of test length on effort using rapid guessing, a more contemporary technique that has not been applied to this research area. I randomly assigned students to one of three conditions: the full …

College Golf Recruiting: A Qualitative Research Proposal Of Strategies, Challenges, Future Avenues And Best Practices, Nicolas Christian Schlickenrieder

Masters Theses, 2020-current

College golf recruiting is a complex process influenced by evolving factors such as Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) policies and new alternative professional golf pathways. This qualitative study aims to fill this gap by examining the key strategies, challenges, and best practices National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I college golf coaches use in their recruitment processes. Utilizing interviews with twelve NCAA Division I golf coaches, this study explores how coaches identify potential recruits, evaluate talent, and navigate limitations such as scholarship availability and regulation compliance. Findings highlight the importance of tangible factors, such as tournament performance and statistical analysis, …

Exploring The Facets Of Responsible Ai: Interpretability, Biases, And Morality Of Large Language Models, Sean Xie

Dartmouth College Ph.D Dissertations

This thesis investigates critical aspects of responsible artificial intelligence (AI) — specifically model interpretability, bias detection and mitigation, and moral alignment in large language models (LLMs) — due to their pivotal role in the deployment of transparent, fair, and ethical AI systems. By addressing these dimensions of responsible AI, we hope to foster the increased trust and understanding necessary for wider AI adoption.

We begin by surveying the existing landscape of interpretability metrics and critically assess the effectiveness of interpretability methods designed to generate reliable explanations. Building upon this evaluation, we introduce novel model architectures and frameworks explicitly developed to …

Explorations Of Amplified Feedback In Quantum Circuits, Maxwell B. Weiner

Dartmouth College Master’s Theses

The Josephson Traveling Wave Parametric Amplifier (TWPA) has emerged as a key technology for high-fidelity qubit readout in superconducting quantum computing. By leveraging the nonlinear inductance of an array of Josephson Junctions, the TWPA enables broadband, near-quantum-limited amplification with minimal added noise, significantly improving the signal-to-noise ratio in qubit measurements. Unlike traditional resonant parametric amplifiers, which suffer from bandwidth constraints, the traveling wave design of the TWPA allows for wideband operation, making it particularly suited for multiplexed readout of both simple qubits and large-scale quantum processors.

In this thesis, we explore how the TWPA can be integrated into a feedback …