Digital Commons Network^™

Bio-Inspired Electroactive Polymer (Eap) Sensors For Surface And Canal Flow Sensing In Dynamic Environments, Nazanin Minaian

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Nature can often create some of the most efficient and elegant solutions to complex problems, and engineering stands to benefit greatly from these time-tested designs. One of the more sophisticated examples of this is the lateral line system in fish: a distributed network of superficial and canal neuromasts that enables aquatic species to detect fluid disturbances with remarkable precision. This dissertation leverages that biological framework to explore the potential of electroactive polymers (EAPs), aiming not just to replicate structure, but to emulate function.Two classes of EAPs form the basis of this work: electroactive plasticized polymer gels (EPPGs) and ionic polymer-metal …

Identifying Appropriate Clinical Cutoffs For Traumatic Dissociation In Maltreated Youth, Amanda L. Mraz

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Maltreated youth who experience traumatic dissociation are at an increased risk for various severe psychopathological outcomes. Much is still unknown about the risk factors for traumatic dissociation in maltreated youth. The present study aimed to identify dissociation (e.g., dissociative amnesia, absorption and imaginative involvement, passive influence, and depersonalization and derealization) risk factors, via parametric statistical methods, in association with the appropriate clinical cutoff for the total and subscale scores from the Adolescent Dissociative Experiences Scale (A-DES). Investigatory variables included demographic (e.g., age, race, and gender), cognitive (e.g., resiliency and posttraumatic cognitions), and psychological (e.g., posttraumatic stress disorder, anxiety, and depression …

Pylro: A Python Calculator For Analyzing Long-Range Structural Order, Kevin Parrish

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

We present PyLRO, an open-source Python calculator designed to detect, quantify, and display long-range order in periodic structures. The program’s design methodology, workflow, and approach to order quantification are thoroughly described and demonstrated using a simple toy model. Great care is considered in the detailing of the calculation logic, as is standard in the development of computational methods. Additionally, we apply PyLRO to a series of metastable AlPO4 structural intermediates from a prior high-pressure study, demonstrating how to compute and visualize structural order in all directions on a Miller sphere. We further highlight the program’s capabilities through a high-throughput analysis …

Tractors On The Mall: Unraveling The New Deal, Political Shifts, And The 1980s Farm Crisis, Tracy M. Neblina

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

In the 1980s, Midwestern farmers faced an economic crisis that rivaled the Great Depression. Agricultural policy in the 1970s and 1980s led to a boom and bust for many of the nation’s farmers, causing the decline in rural communities in the middle of the country. During this period, more efficient agricultural production, shifting federal policy, high inflation, and devalued farmland led farmers in the Midwest to face incredible economic hardships, loss of land, changes in their communities, and challenges to their sense of purpose and identity. The Farm Crisis of the 1980s furnishes an extraordinary opportunity to investigate a confluence …

Internalized Weight Stigma As A Mediator Between Past Weight Stigma And Current Healthcare Avoidance/Comfort In Seeking Medical Care, Shannon Joyel Sagert

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Research has found that medical providers such as physicians, nurses, and medical support staff may contribute to externalized weight stigma directed toward youth (Garcia et al., 2016; Gorlick et al., 2021). Individuals who have encountered weight stigmatization may internalize those experiences, leading to psychological, physical, and behavioral changes that reduce their quality of life (Palad et al., 2019; Romano et al., 2023; Tanas et al., 2022; Zancu & Diaconu-Gherasim, 2023). However, little is known about how historical externalized weight stigma from medical providers relates to future healthcare access behaviors. This study examined whether internalized weight stigma mediated two relationships: First, …

Nevada Hpv Vaccine Completion Time And Adherence Among 9-14-Year-Olds From 2017-2023, Emily Sandoval

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

The HPV (Human Papillomavirus) is one of the most common sexually transmitted infections, in the United States. Since its development in 1991, the HPV vaccine has been proven to be highly effective against the infection (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention [CDC], 2024). In order for an individual to receive optimal protection, the CDC has given guidelines dependent on age. It is important to understand changes in HPV vaccine completion for future public health immunization campaigns and objectives. To analyze how HPV completion and adherence has changed from 2017-2023 among the 9-14-year-old population, a retrospective cohort study was conducted utilizing …

More Than A Feeling: A Mixed-Methods Examination Of Transgender Community Connectedness And Associations With Suicidality, Erin Rook

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Transgender adults experience significantly higher rates of suicidal ideation than the general population. A sense of transgender community connectedness (STCC) may reduce this risk, but predictors of STCC and its association with suicidal ideation are understudied. This cross-sectional mixed methods study examined STCC and past-year suicidal ideation in relation to dimensions of transgender community connectedness (TCC) at each level of the Social Ecological Model using data from a U.S. survey of transgender adults (n = 126). About half (52.4%) felt connected to the transgender community, and 27.0% reported past-year suicidal ideation. Hierarchical logistic regression models for both outcomes showed good …

School Absenteeism In Children With Disabilities: An Analysis Of School Climate And Academic Mindset, Karolyne Bastos Stucki

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Students with disabilities (SWDs) are more likely to be chronically absent than general education peers (Anderson, 2021; Gee, 2018, U.S. Department of Education, 2016). Etiology for SWDs is complex with influencing factors spanning multiple ecological levels, but bolstering protective factors for SWDs may address attendance disparities. Multi-tiered systems of support (MTSS) models have the potential to address absenteeism in SWDs via school-wide preventative and/or intervention efforts (Tier 1 & 2) aimed at increasing or decreasing influencing factors in students with disabilities. School climate and academic mindset may influence students with disabilities’ attendance. The purpose of the present study was to …

Development Of An Access Charge Framework For High-Speed Rail Incorporating Rail Replacement Costs And Dynamic Train Characteristics, Nitesh Kumar Yadav

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

This thesis develops a framework to determine track access charges for shared high-speed rail corridors, with a focus on rail replacement cost driven by train-induced loads. The method explicitly accounts for both static loads, resulting from axle weights, and dynamic loads that arise from train speed and track geometry, particularly curvature. Train characteristics such as axle load, operating speed, frequency of service, and number of wheels are integrated with track parameters, including curve radius, to calculate the total vertical load. These loads are used to estimate the cumulative tonnage threshold for rail replacement and the resulting service life of the …

Quantification Of Bioactive Compounds In Coffea Arabica And Their Impact With Omega-3 Supplementation On Non-High-Density Lipoprotein Levels In Hyperlipidemia-Induced Rats, Sojoud M. Al-Zoubi, Shady H. Awwad, Reem A. Issa, Ahmad Q. Daraosheh, Talal Al-Qaisi, Husni Farah, Khaled W. Omari, Beisan A. Mohammad, Mumen Amer, Rula F. Khuzaie, Mahmoud S. Abu-Samak

Baghdad Science Journal

This study aims to evaluate the levels of coffee lipids, diterpenes, chlorogenic acid (CGA), and caffeine in coffee samples with different roasting levels. Additionally, it aims to assess the impact of coffee extracts with/without omega-3 supplementation on lipid profile parameters. Liquid-liquid and soxhlet extraction, and quantitation were performed using HPLC-DAD. Two groups of Wistar rats were used: non-hyperlipidemic and hyperlipidemic. Blood samples were collected before and after hyperlipidemia induction after six weeks. The lipid profile: total cholesterol (TC), low-density lipoprotein (LDL), high-density lipoprotein (HDL), triglyceride (TG), non-high-density lipoprotein (non-HDL), and total cholesterol-to-high-density lipoprotein ratio (TC/HDL) were determined. A positive correlation …

The Experience Of Posttraumatic Growth For Atheists, Savannah Miller

Doctoral Dissertations

Background - This study aimed to understand how atheists manage to make meaning and find growth after experiencing trauma. Posttraumatic Growth is a well documented point of research across qualitative and quantitative domains, and this project aimed to add meaningful findings to that research body. Atheists, however, are an understudied population, especially as it relates to their subjective experience of trauma and posttraumatic growth.

Methods - This study aimed to investigate the experience of posttraumatic growth for atheistindividuals. Semi-structured interviews adhering to the tenets of interpretive phenomenological analysis were conducted then transcribed, coded, and analyzed. Themes and subthemes emerged and …

Msw Portfolio, Julia Marie Sweeney

Graduate Student Portfolios, Professional Papers, and Capstone Projects

This portfolio reflects my personal and professional growth throughout the University of Montana’s MSW program. Grounded in lived experience, child advocacy work, and academic learning, it highlights my development across core competencies and advanced integrated practice.

Becoming A Social Justice Worker, Laura Curry

Graduate Student Portfolios, Professional Papers, and Capstone Projects

No abstract provided.

Msw Portfolio, Jennifer Lynn Barnhill

Graduate Student Portfolios, Professional Papers, and Capstone Projects

The Master of Social Work (MSW) Portfolio is a sample of the essays, presentations, projects, and experiences completed as part of my online MSW curriculum at the University of Montana (UM) School of Social Work (SSW) from 2022-2025. Throughout this narrative, I’ll describe the skills, values, theories, and frameworks I’ve learned during my three years working toward my master's degree in social work. Each of the appendices will demonstrate an understanding of the nine Council on Social Work Education, or CSWE, competencies (Texas College, n.d.) that all social workers are expected to meet, along with a tenth competency added by …

Msw Portfolio 2025, Lacie R. Ranieri

Graduate Student Portfolios, Professional Papers, and Capstone Projects

MSW Portfolio - 2025

Msw Portfolio, Andrea C. Lawrence

Graduate Student Portfolios, Professional Papers, and Capstone Projects

No abstract provided.

Courtroom To Clinic: Where I Found The Work I Love, Christina Fay Bucarey

Graduate Student Portfolios, Professional Papers, and Capstone Projects

This portfolio reflects my journey through the Master of Social Work program, highlighting my growth in clinical practice, policy advocacy, and cultural responsiveness. Drawing from experiences in treatment court, addiction counseling, tribal and non-tribal community contracts, and my generalist- and specialist-year practicum, it demonstrates my application of trauma-informed, evidence-based interventions, including adapted DBT groups within Indigenous communities. Through the lens of the Five Elements of Advanced Integrated Practice, I connect coursework, practicum learning, and professional development, such as my involvement with the NASW board, to show how I’ve developed the competencies required for ethical, effective, and community-centered social work practice.

Professional Portfolio, Grace E. Lowder

Graduate Student Portfolios, Professional Papers, and Capstone Projects

No abstract provided.

The Effectiveness Of Kolmogorov–Arnold Networks In The Healthcare Domain, Vishnu S. Pendyala, Nivedita Venkatachalam

Faculty Research, Scholarly, and Creative Activity

Kolmogorov–Arnold Networks (KANs) have recently emerged as a powerful alternative to traditional Artificial Neural Networks (ANNs), offering superior accuracy and interpretability, which are two critical requirements in healthcare applications. This study investigates the effectiveness of KANs across a range of clinical tasks by applying them to diverse medical datasets, including structured clinical data and time-series physiological signals. Compared with conventional ANNs, KANs demonstrate significantly improved performance, achieving higher predictive accuracy even with smaller network architectures. Beyond performance gains, KANs offer a unique advantage: the ability to extract symbolic expressions from learned functions, enabling transparent, human-interpretable models—a key factor in clinical …

Analyzing Food Access: An Investigation Of Food Insecurity Amongst Latinos In Rural Nebraska, Natalia Santos

Theses & Dissertations

Background: Food insecurity is a public health issue in the United States, with disproportionately higher rates among Latino/Hispanic households. Rural communities face unique geographical, socioeconomic, and systemic barriers that often exacerbate food access disparities. Despite the growing Latino population in rural areas, particularly in Midwestern states like Nebraska, there remains a critical gap in comprehensive research that integrates both objective and subjective understandings of their food environments. Understanding these multifaceted influences is crucial for developing effective, culturally sensitive interventions.

Problem Statement: This dissertation aims to answer the central question: How does food access and food insecurity manifest amongst Latinos in …

Diverse Cell Types Establish A Pathogenic Immune Environment In Peripheral Neuropathy, Julie Choi

Arts & Sciences Graduate Student Theses and Dissertations

Neuroinflammation plays a complex and context-dependent role in many neurodegenerative diseases. We identified a key pathogenic function of macrophages in a mouse model of a rare human congenital neuropathy in which SARM1, the central executioner of axon degeneration, is activated by hypomorphic mutations in the axon survival factor NMNAT2. Macrophage depletion blocked and reversed neuropathic phenotypes in this sarmopathy model, revealing SARM1-dependent neuroimmune mechanisms as key drivers of disease pathogenesis. In this study, we investigated the impact of chronic subacute SARM1 activation on the peripheral nerve milieu using single cell/nucleus RNA-sequencing (sc/snRNA-seq). Our analyses reveal an expansion of immune cells …

Multimodal Characterization Of Systems-Level Robustness In The Cellular Organelle Network, Aline Arra

Arts & Sciences Graduate Student Theses and Dissertations

Eukaryotic cells house mesoscopic and macroscopic complex systems that work in tandem for proper cellular function. A defining feature of eukaryotic cells is their mesoscopic network of membrane bound compartments called organelles. While each type of organelle has their own individual functions, there are vital cellular processes that come from the interactions between them, such as organelle biogenesis and metabolic regulation. A central question in cellular biophysics is to what degree is cellular function robust or fragile to breaks in the organelle network. These interactions can be explored by genetically deleting inter-organelle protein tethers called organelle contact sites. Here we …

Unveiling Mysteries Of The Universe: Axions, Sterile Neutrinos, And Curvatons, Takuya Okawa

Arts & Sciences Graduate Student Theses and Dissertations

The Standard Model of particle physics and cosmology is amazingly successful in describing our universe, from at present to even tracing back to just one second after its birth. Yet, it is known to be incomplete. For instance, (i) more than four-fifths of matter in the universe is unknown, (ii) quantum chromodynamics is unnaturally of CP-preserving nature, (iii) the universe produced baryonic particles by nearly equal but slightly larger amount compared to anti-baryonic particles, and (iv) the physics at very early times is not understood yet. This thesis first briefly summarizes the Standard Model of particle physics and cosmology, and …

Red Noise Suppression In Pulsar Timing Array Data Using Adaptive Splines, Yi-Qian Qian, Yan Wang, Soumya Mohanty

Physics & Astronomy Faculty Publications

Noise in Pulsar Timing Array (PTA) data is commonly modeled as a mixture of white and red noise components. While the former is related to the receivers, and easily characterized by three parameters (EFAC, EQUAD and ECORR), the latter arises from a mix of hard to model sources and, potentially, a stochastic gravitational wave background (GWB). Since their frequency ranges overlap, GWB search methods must model the non-GWB red noise component in PTA data explicitly, typically as a set of mutually independent Gaussian stationary processes having power-law power spectral densities. However, in searches for continuous wave (CW) signals from resolvable …

Lipidomic And Proteomic Insights From Extracellular Vesicles In The Postmortem Dorsolateral Prefrontal Cortex Reveal Substance Use Disorder-Induced Brain Changes, Chioma M Okeoma, Wasifa Naushad, Bryson C Okeoma, Carlos Gartner, Yulica Santos-Ortega, Calvin Vary, Savio Lima-Bastos, Victor Corasolla Carregari, Martin R Larsen, Alessio Noghero, Consuelo Walss-Bass, Rodrigo Grassi-Oliveira

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Substance use disorder (SUD) significantly increases the risk of neurotoxicity, inflammation, oxidative stress, and impaired neuroplasticity. The activation of inflammatory pathways by substances may lead to reactive astrogliosis and chronic neuroinflammation, potentially mediated by the release of extracellular particles (EPs), such as extracellular condensates (ECs) and extracellular vesicles (EVs). These particles, which reflect the physiological, pathophysiological, and metabolic states of their cells of origin, might carry molecular signatures indicative of SUD. In particular, our study investigated neuroinflammatory signatures in SUD patients by isolating EVs from the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (dlPFC) Brodmann's area 9 (BA9) from postmortem subjects. We isolated BA9-derived …

From Sim To 6dof: Deep Learning For Real-Time Satellite Pose Estimation From Resolved Ground-Based Imagery, Thomas W.N. Dickinson

Theses

This dissertation presents the first practical system for automated six degrees of freedom (6DOF) satellite pose estimation from resolved ground-based adaptive optics (AO) imagery. Addressing a key challenge in Space Domain Awareness (SDA), the proposed approach eliminates the need for human labeling by directly regressing satellite orientation and position from blurry, noisy, and deeply-shadowed imagery. The architecture consists of a multi-stage deep neural network pipeline that localizes the satellite, predicts pose, and optionally smooths predictions over time. Networks are trained exclusively on fully synthetic imagery generated from a 3D CAD model. Despite this, the model generalizes effectively, bridging the Sim2Real …

Normal And Reverse Flow Injection- Spectrophotometric Determination Of Doxycycline Hyclate In Bulk And Pharmaceutical Samples, Tabarak Mohammed, Hind Hadi

Baghdad Science Journal

The present paper reports the development and validation of an analytical method for doxycycline hyclate (DOX) quantification in pure and dosage forms by normal and reverse flow injection analysis (FIA) techniques. Two types of FIA approaches were employed to automate a diazotization coupling reaction of DOX with diazotized benzidine dihydrochloride. Red azo dye was formed rapidly and measured at maximum wavelength of 488 nm. Calibration curves were prepared over different DOX concentrations with linearity ranges of 10-250 and 1-180 µg/mL for normal and reverse FIA systems respectively with the limits of detection of 2.95 and 0.46 µg/mL and limits of …

Synthesis, Characterization, And Anticancer Evaluation Of Novel Nickel(Ii) And Copper(Ii) Complexes Derived From Isatin Thiosemicarbazones, Shahnaz Abdulhamid Hamad

Baghdad Science Journal

The complex of (2,2'-(7,7'-dimethyl-2,2'-dioxo-1,1',2,2'-tetrahydro-3H,3'H-5,5'-biindole-3,3'-diylidene) dihydrazinecarbo thioamide), denoted as L, was prepared by the reaction of o-tolidine with chloral hydrate and hydroxylamine hydrochloride in the presence of sodium sulfate and a co-solvent, absolute ethanol. The novel complexes of Ni(II) and Cu(II) with the ligand, L, have been synthesized from a reaction of one mole of L with two moles of NiCl₂ and CuCl₂ to produce complexes with the general formula [M₂LCl₂] [where M= Ni(II) or Cu(II)]. All three complexes are novel and have a square planar geometry. The metal ions in the two metal complexes …

Synthesis, Characterization, Biological Activity And Antioxidant Studies Of New Metal Ion Complexes Based On (E)-4-((Benzo[D]Thiazol-2-Ylimino)Methyl)-1,5-Dimethyl-2-Phenylpyrazolidin-3-One, Rafah Saad Talib, Naser Shaalan

Baghdad Science Journal

The study involved synthesis of four new complexes involving bidentate ligand [(E)-4-((benzo[d]thiazol-2-ylimino) methyl)-1,5-dimethyl-2-phenylpyrazolidin-3-one] with the general formula [M(L)₂Cl₂].xH₂O or [MLCl₂]. xH₂O, where M represents Mn²⁺, Co²⁺, Ni²⁺ and Cu²⁺. The ligand was synthesized by treating the 4-Antipyrinecarboxaldehyde and 2-aminobenzothiazoles in an alcoholic solution. The structural characteristics of ligand and complexes were characterized quantitatively and qualitatively by using various techniques including elemental analyses, magnetic susceptibility measurement, molar conductivity, infrared, ultraviolet absorption, Gc-Mass, and ¹H-NMR spectroscopy studies. The physical measurements indicated that the prepared …

Ability Of Staphylococcus Epidermidis And Escherichia Coli To Eliminate Cadmium, Lead And Copper From Tigris River In Mosul City, May A. Abdul Kader, Ghada A. Mohammad

Baghdad Science Journal

The heavy metals are non-biodegradable and could be toxic and carcinogenic, thus, their improper concentration in water could result in critical health issues for living organisms. Therefore, this study aimed to remove three heavy metals (Cadmium, lead and copper) by biological treatment especially using environmental nonpathogenic bacteria such as Staphylococcus epidermidis and Escherichia coli. Eight samples were collected from Tigris River from different regions of Mosul city. Two containers were used for each sample to measure the concentration of minerals before and after treatment by bacteria. The results showed that E. coli was more efficient in removing two heavy …