Digital Commons Network^™

Statistical Classification Using Selection And Ranking Methodologies With Statistical Learning, Jeong Jun Lee

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

The subject of Statistical Classification is concerned with identifying and allocating future observations into one of the pre-categorized classes based on the characteristics of the objects. Typically, these decisions to classify and categorize the objects have been dependent on identifying a system of classification, and from there, determining attributes for sorting.

In past decades, from discriminant analysis, various methods have been developed for classification. In particular, the rise of artificial intelligence (AI), machine learning, and statistical learning theory has made it possible to consider improving the existing methods along with new developments and more comprehensive schemes in conjunction with data-driven …

Interdisciplinary Education On Using The Combilizer For Grooming Tasks In The Intensive Care Unit, Bonnie Lei

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to provide a teaching and learning program to the interdisciplinary team on how to use the Sara Combilizer with critically ill patients to increase efficacy for early progressive mobility (EPM) by facilitating grooming tasks. Methods: A teaching and learning program on using the Sara Combilizer to facilitate grooming tasks was provided to the acute care therapy team at a hospital. The program included an evidence-based lecture, a practice case study, and a digital instructional manual. The program was evaluated through a pre- and post-survey, and a quality improvement survey. The Wilcoxon signed-rank test …

Self-Perception And Positive Stereotype Endorsement, Aileen Lovitt

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

The origin and reasoning behind the use of racial stereotypes has been a point of interest for researchers over the years. Many different theories have been proposed including those related to cognitive, evolutionary, and motivational explanations. However, most of these theories and the research backing them primarily focus on negative stereotyping. The origin of positive stereotyping, which also has negative implications associated with their use, has not been evaluated fully. Previous research has suggested that the motive to preserve self-worth and positive self-concept may play a role in stereotype endorsement. Two studies were conducted with the purpose of investigating whether …

Photoelectic Driven Decomposition Of Uracil Via Hard X-Ray Irradiation, Trimaan Malik

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Radiation damage into biological samples creates substantial challenges across a wide range of fields, from biochemistry to materials science. This comprehensive study investigates the effects of x-ray irradiation on uracil, the only nucleobase exclusive to Ribonucleic acid (RNA), to understand how doping with 10% (by mass) of specific powdered elements impacts the sustained radiation damage. The experiments were conducted at the Brockhouse Undulator Beamline of the Canadian Light Source synchrotron. Virgin and doped uracil samples were irradiated with hard x-rays, above their respective absorption edges, and studied with x-ray diffraction to compare their decomposition behaviors. The Uracil reflections on the …

Investigative Research On Design Parameters And Criticality Models For Microreactors, Cameron Jensen

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

With increased energy demand and the desire to reduce reliance on fossil fuels, nuclear power will need to play a prominent role in achieving carbon-free energy independence. Large nuclear reactors are necessary to meet this objective. However, they are expensive and take a long time to build. For remote locations (e.g., military bases) and smaller communities, large nuclear reactors would not be feasible or cost effective. Small reactors (microreactors) can fill this necessary gap. These reactors would be factory-built, delivered quickly, and operated with high intrinsic levels of safety. With microreactors still in conceptual and testing states, there is a …

Compliance And Efficacy Of Orthodontic Medicaid In Southern Nevada: A Retrospective Study, Troy Mccartney

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Objective: The study’s main objective is to evaluate efficacy and compliance in Medicaid orthodontic patients compared to private insurance and cash (self-pay) patients in Southern Nevada. In addition, the paper will study the trends in approval selection such gender, age, race/ethnicity, and case type. This information will be used to discuss the barriers that Medicaid patients face and offer solutions for the issues found in the orthodontic Medicaid system.

Introduction: Medicaid coverage was brought forward by the Federal Social Security Act in July of 1965. Since then, there have been many discussions on how orthodontic treatment should be covered under …

Symphony No. 7 “Leningrad” By Dimitri Shistakovich: A Wind Band Transcription Of The Final Movement With Historical Context And A Description Of The Transcription Process, Scott Patrick Mcglasson

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

This document includes a wind band transcription of the final movement of Dimitri Shostakovich’s “Symphony No. 7” known as the Leningrad Symphony. It contains an overview of the composer's life leading up to the creation of this work as well as a description of the historical context during which this work was composed. This document also contains a detailed description of the transcription and editing process that led to the completed work contained at the end of this document. The transcription process included examining other wind band transcriptions of Shostakovich’s music as well as other wind transcriptions of orchestral works.

Effectiveness Of A Virtual Simulation Program As A Novel Approach To Improve Clinical Judgment In Prelicensure Nursing Students, Monica Millard

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Problem: Limited clinical placement opportunities for practicing decision-making skills have widened the academic-practice gap. Research shows a disturbing decline in entry-level competency among newly graduated registered nurses. Innovative strategies like virtual patient simulation may foster decision-making skills and prepare prelicensure nursing students for practice. However, research is lacking in examining virtual patient simulation (VPS) as an effective approach for developing clinical judgment in prelicensure nursing students. The American Association for Academic Nursing has determined that clinical judgment is an essential nursing attribute. Moreover, the National Council of State Boards of Nursing developed the Next Generation National Council Licensure Exam based …

The Operatic Innovation And Musical Language Of Rodion Shchedrin's Choral Opera Boyarina Morozova, Valeria Ore

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Rodion Shchedrin is an outstanding composer who uses the deep tradition of Russian musical culture in his compositions. Shchedrin’s style is very individual and consists of the universality of world perception and originality of musical language, which encompasses a sensitive assimilation of a new, careful, and respectful approach to Russian traditions. By reasonably and fragmentarily using the elements of dodecaphony, sonorics, and aleatoric music, he developed his own musical language. Thus, the purpose of this work is to explore Shchedrin’s compositional style and to discover his innovation and individual style in the opera Boyarina Morozova. Shchedrin’s compositions are unusual: …

Tilt Instability Of Retrograde Disk Around One Component Of A Binary, Madeline Overton

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Be/X-ray binaries are systems containing a massive Be main sequence star and a compact object companion. The Be star contains a disc of material that flows from the Be star, and may interact with the companion. In this work we consider a neutron star companion. With hydrodynamic simulations, we show that a coplanar disc around one component of a binary can be unstable to global tilting when the disc orbits in a retrograde direction relative to the binary. The disc experiences the largest inclination growth relative to the binary orbit in the outermost radii of the disc, closest to the …

A Sensory Room Protocol For Snf Staff To Improve Confidence With Emotional Regulation In Adults With Cognitive Challenges: Through An Occupational Therapy Perspective, Marisa Pagan

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Adult sensory rooms are an emerging area of practice for occupational therapy, as this holistic approach uses sensory tools for input to one or more of the five senses, which promotes emotional regulation in individuals seeking calming and alerting outcomes. This sensory protocol proposal was created to assist healthcare workers within a skilled nursing facility and provide a tool that could be utilized in various settings to increase awareness of adult sensory rooms.

Methodology This quality improvement protocol project was conducted at Henderson Health and Rehabilitation to determine the need for and develop a protocol for an adult sensory room …

Increasing Swim Instructors' Perceived Knowledge Of Sensory-Based Strategies When Coaching Children Who May Have Sensory Differences, Gabrielle Palmer

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Although swim instructors are solely taught water safety regulations and correct swimming techniques, they are nonetheless viewed as mentors by the kids they work with. They are required to finish both their basic swim instructor (BSI) course and their cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) certification, which primarily covers the fundamentals (American Red Cross Training Services, 2023; Kraft & Leblanc, 2018). However, neither provides a method of teaching swimming to children who might have sensory processing differences. This lack of education may affect both the child's participation and the swim instructor's capacity to impart knowledge. Research revealed that swim instructors are not very …

Development Of A Health Management Program For International Students And Scholars Using Occupational Therapy Lens, Bo Park

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Health management (HM) is essential to staying healthy. Many parts involve internal abilities, such as the cognitive ability to detect illness internally. However, knowing external sources is equally necessary to perform HM independently, such as knowing how to use health insurance and which healthcare services to use for specific symptoms. As HM is closely related to health and independence, occupational therapy recently expanded the practice by including the occupation of health management.

The International Students and Scholars (ISS) population has been often discouraged from performing parts of HM due to many cultural barriers and differences that exist in HM across …

Dynamical Studies Of Misaligned Circumbinary Disks, Ian C. Rabago

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Binary stars are common outcomes of the star formation process, with nearly half of Sun-like stars forming as part of a binary pair. The presence of a second star adds additional complexity and dynamical effects to the planet formation process in the surrounding circumbinary disk. In this work, I investigate the behavior of a circumbinary disk using hydrodynamic modeling, specifically in the case where the disk is misaligned to the binary orbital plane. Around eccentric binaries, highly inclined disks can align themselves perpendicular to the binary orbital plane. These "polar disks'' can produce vortices and spiral arms when the disk …

Examining The Risks And Resilience Of Older Adults Living With Hiv/Aids: Qualitative Community-Based Participatory Research Studies In Southern Nevada, Brandon Ranuschio

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Since the height of the HIV pandemic in the 1980s, medical interventions have significantly increased the life expectancy of people living with HIV/AIDS (PLWH) and made HIV/AIDS a livable, chronic health condition. Because of this, PLWH have been living longer lives and thriving with the help of HIV sector healthcare and service providers. However, with their longer life expectancy, older PLWH have been experiencing other health challenges. One such challenge is the risk of developing HIV-Associated Neurocognitive Disorder (HAND), which is a condition that affects up to 50% of PLWH at some point in their lifetime, with middle-aged and older …

Tummy Time Toolkit: Incorporating Social-Emotional Strategies To Increase Caregiver Home Programming Compliance, Marsha Rattler

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Tummy time is a crucial developmental activity for infants. However, many infants are not receiving the recommended amount of time in prone positioning. This doctoral capstone project aims to address this gap through the implementation of an occupational therapy (OT) based tummy time educational resource titled Bonding Through Tummy Time: A Caregiver’s Guide. The resource, a tummy time toolkit, focuses on caregiver and infant interaction during the co- occupation of play using social-emotional developmental strategies as a driving force to complete more tummy time in the home environment. Recruitment of caregivers was done through purposive sampling and participants were surveyed …

Identifying Disease-Related Gene-Environment Interactions Based On Method Of Moments, Linchuan Shen

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Human diseases are often caused by a complex interplay of multiple factors, including genetics and environmental factors. These factors can play critical roles in the development and progression of diseases. Although genome-wide association studies (GWAS) have successfully identified many genetic variants associated with human diseases, the estimated effects of these variants are small and can explain only a relatively small portion of the heritability of the underlying diseases.

Detecting gene-environment interactions (G × E) can shed light on the biological mechanisms of diseases. However, most existing methods that investigate G × E only look at how one environmental …

The Effects Of A Low-Intensity Aerobic Exercise Program To Enhance Occupational Performance And Quality Of Life In Diabetic Patients, Asia Suriyachottakul

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Globally, diabetes mellitus (DM) is a prevalent chronic condition many people encounter. DM is one of the primary causes of mortality due to individuals struggling to manage or prevent the condition. The healthcare field is also failing to provide sufficient education on DM. Individuals with this condition may begin to experience co-morbidities and depressive symptoms, which make it difficult for them to engage in meaningful occupations, in addition to decreased quality of life (QOL). This project examines the effectiveness of a low-intensity aerobic exercise (LIAE) program to enhance occupational performance (OP) and QOL in those diagnosed with the condition or …

A Comparison Of Spinal Reflex Function And Morphological Adaptations Of The Achilles Tendon Between Individuals Chronically Post-Stroke And Healthy Controls, Migi Contreras, Mira Seekins, Johanna Mendez, Trevor Diez

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Purpose/Hypothesis: The hallmark gait deviation in individuals with post-stroke hemiparesis is slow walking speed. Reduction in gait speed after stroke is influenced by decreased propulsive forces, which may likely be related to impaired spinal circuit function and spasticity of the paretic plantarflexors. Chronic muscle tone maladaptations in paretic ankle plantarflexors can result in altered Achilles tendon (AT) morphology, therefore leading to altered mechanical properties, force transmission capabilities and subsequent insufficient propulsive forces during walking. The purpose of this study is to characterize the chronic maladaptations in both the spinal Ia afferent loop excitability and AT morphology after stroke lesions in …

The Impact Of Anatomy Academy In Underserved Las Vegas Elementary Schools, Jean Angeles, Edgar Armengual, Katrina Myers, Perceval Vollmer

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Anatomy Academy is an interactive, service-learning experience that allows doctoral physical therapy students to pose as educators for elementary-aged adolescents. Through instructional and activity-based learning, mentors formulated the program to encase anatomical, physiological, nutritional, and general health and wellness topics that translate into overall healthy behaviors. The experiment enveloped 7 major sectors of anatomy, including the musculoskeletal system, cardiovascular system, pulmonary system, oral cavity/nutrition, gastrointestinal system, sensory system, and central nervous system. Throughout the length of the program, the doctoral candidates reviewed the quality of the content delivered, the engagement of the students and staff, and the effects this had …

Modulating Cortical Excitability To Improve Functional Movements In Individuals With Patellofemoral Pain: A Randomized Controlled Trial, Jeno Aquino, Bryce Broadwell, Connan Wallace, Makenzie Whimple

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Purpose/Hypothesis: Persons with patellofemoral pain (PFP) often exhibit increased knee valgus during functional tasks that is traditionally addressed by strengthening weak hip musculature. However, research related to this topic has revealed altered cortical reorganization in individuals with PFP contributes to dysfunctional movements and underscores the critical role of central neural control in this condition. Transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) is a neuromodulatory technique that alters cortical excitability to enhance neuroplasticity. Research using tDCS priming supports its feasibility as a possible treatment for other musculoskeletal conditions. However, its application specifically targeting the corticomotor function of the gluteal musculature in individuals with …

Effects Of Chronic Diabetes And Attentional Focus On Performance And Learning Of A Novel Stabilometer Balance Task, Rebeca Carolina Armagnac Gonzalez, Yinny H. Lee, Alicia Marie Letkiewicz, Meiko Nagano Mamauag

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Background and Purpose: Chronic diabetes is a prevalent systemic disease that impairs physical functioning and often leads to increased risk of falls. Adopting an external focus of attention during motor skill practice has been shown to improve learning outcomes, however, it has not been examined in this population. We examined how attentional focus instructions (internal vs. external) affect balance performance and learning in older adults with and without diabetes.

Methods: Fifty-three older adults (27 with diabetes, 63.7±7.0 years) participated in the randomized, pre-post intervention study. The balance training involved 50 practice trials of a stabilometer task that was novel to …

Effect Of Asynchronous Virtual Interviews On Ethnic Minority Matriculation Into A Doctor Of Physical Therapy Program, Conner Clark, Nanea Lagasca, Gladys Miller, Jasmine Puspos

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Purpose/Methods: This study examines the impact of the use of asynchronous virtual interviews (AVIs) in the admissions process of the Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT) program at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV). This research aims to examine racial and ethnic subgroup differences in AVI scores, evaluate the influence of AVIs on applicant scores in the admissions process, and assess the AVI inter-rater reliability among faculty evaluators using data from the 2019-2022 admissions cycles.

Results: Significant differences were found in AVI scores among racial and ethnic groups, with Black applicants scoring highest and Asian applicants scoring lowest. Additionally, inclusion …

A Low Dose Of Electro-Psychedelic Treatment Increases Neuronal Dendritic Arborization And Filopodic Spine Density, Elaine Aquino Vasquez

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Neuropsychiatric disorders remain a formidable challenge to the global healthcare system, necessitating innovative treatments to address their complex pathophysiology. Alternative therapeutic approaches, including electroconvulsive treatment (ECT) and psychedelics, have gained attention for their capacity to relieve a broad range of symptoms. ECT is a long-standing effective therapy for patients, especially treatment-resistant ones. Psychedelics, like psilocybin, can induce profound and sustained therapeutic effects. The limited understanding of their mechanisms of action, compounded by the negative stigma surrounding ECT and psilocybin, prevents them from being used as adjunct agents. ECT and psilocybin promote synaptic plasticity and modulate neural remodeling, yet their comparative …

Mystical Life And Altered Consciousness: Comparing The Subtle Paths And Trance States Of St. Teresa And Patañjali, Dana Tarasavage

Say Something Theological: The Student Journal of Theological Studies

The study of mysticism is said to be the study of the ineffable, and thus by its nature, difficult to define. Yet the structured paths and trance states described by St. Teresa of Ávila in Interior Castle and Patañjali in the Yoga Sūtra demonstrate meticulous and thoughtful explanation of mystical practices and phenomena. This paper situates these texts, mystic guidebooks in their respective traditions, in conversation, examining and comparing the path towards, experience within, and the effect of mystical trances. It employs a balanced approach to essentialism and highlights the shared features of mystical life as a vantage point from …

Reinforcements Of A Greater Sage-Grouse Population In Utah: Applications For Range-Wide And Local Conservation Translocation Efforts, Melissa S. Chelak

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Fall 2023 to Present

In a small, isolated greater sage-grouse (Centrocercus urophasianus) population in the Sheeprock Mountain Sage-Grouse Management Area (SGMA) located in Utah's West Desert, peak male lek counts declined from 190 males in 2006 to 23 males in 2015. A collaborative effort across all federal, state, and local partners yielded 146 (40 male, 106 female) sage-grouse captured, marked with either a very-high frequency or global positioning systems (GPS) transmitter, and translocated into the Sheeprock sage-grouse management area between 2016 and 2019, complete with radiotelemetry monitoring during the spring and summers of 2016-2020 translocated individuals in addition to radiotelemetry monitoring of …

Dijkgraaf-Witten Theory For Surfaces, Austin Fender

Boise State University Theses and Dissertations

In this paper I describe Dijkgraaf-Witten theory as it applies to oriented surfaces. The first section provides physical motivation from the background of quantum field theory along with necessary definitions and ingredients of a topological quantum field theory. These include category theory, fiber bundles, covering spaces and bordisms. In the second section we make clear the connection between bordisms and principal G-bundles. We then describe the machinery of Dijkgraaf-Witten theory and explicitly construct a topological quantum field theory for the circle. This leads to a brief interlude on representation theory which we use to give constructions on elementary bordisms …

Quantifying Image Quality In Aoslo Images Of Photoreceptors, Brea D. Brennan, Heather Heitkotter, Joseph Carroll, Sergey Tarima, Robert F. Cooper

Biostatistics Faculty Publications

The use of “quality” to describe the usefulness of an image is ubiquitous but is often subject to domain specific constraints. Despite its continued use as an imaging modality, adaptive optics scanning light ophthalmoscopy (AOSLO) lacks a dedicated metric for quantifying the quality of an image of photoreceptors. Here, we present an approach to evaluating image quality that extracts an estimate of the signal to noise ratio. We evaluated its performance in 528 images of photoreceptors from two AOSLOs, two modalities, and healthy or diseased retinas. The algorithm was compared to expert graders’ ratings of the images and previously published …

Celtic Cultural Identity In The Late Iron Age: Regional Comparisons Of Pit Burials, Samantha Lynn Beier

Boise State University Theses and Dissertations

Celtic-speaking peoples were once distributed across a vast territory from Europe to southwest Asia in the Middle and Late Iron Age. For example, the movement of some of these Celtic peoples, the Galatians, from Europe to Anatolia may be responsible for the appearance of new cultural practices that have been observed at two communities in the region during the Hellenistic period/Late Iron Age (ca. 300-100 BCE). Burial practices are one cultural practice that can be observed archaeologically in order to further investigate the migration of the Galatians and other Celtic tribes. Human interments in pits are found across Europe and …

Data Analysis Of Twitter’S Nasdaq100 Sentiments And Topics As Indicators For News Articles Retrieval: Fine-Tuning Roberta And Rag, Kagan Timur

ICT

This study explores the combination of sentiment analysis with vader-lexicon and semantic analysis with latent dirichlet allocation to identify real-life events, particularly in the context of Twitter datasets. While sentiment analysis alone may not provide accurate guidance, the inclusion of semantic analysis enhances the research process by helping to identify relevant news articles and comprehend brand perception on social media. Furthermore, the study fine-tunes the RoBERTa model specifically for question-answering tasks