Digital Commons Network^™

Improving And Supporting Flight Instructor’S Decisions For First Solo, Isabella Piasecki

Theses and Dissertations

Flight instructors have the burden of determining when a student is ready for their first solo flight, and many have expressed uncertainty over their own decision-making skills during this phase of a student’s training. Prior studies have examined flight instructors’ pre-solo decisions in other countries, but no such study has been conducted with American flight instructors. For this study, current flight instructors with multiple prior endorsements for a student pilot’s first solo were interviewed to identify the more abstract concepts they use to guide their decision. Qualitative themes were identified from their experiences. Using this information, a checklist was developed …

The Role Of State Policy In Influencing Teacher Academic Expectations: A Quantitative Study, Jessica Varevice

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

Standards-based reform has shaped American education for decades, yet the mechanisms through which state policy influences what teachers expect of students and how those expectations shape student outcomes remain understudied. This quantitative study investigates the relationship between state education policy, teacher academic expectations, and student achievement in elementary and middle schools within a single charter management organization (CMO) operating in both Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and Camden, New Jersey. The study utilizes a unique natural experiment: twenty-four schools sharing a common curriculum, instructional model, salary schedule, and leadership structure, but operating under two distinct state accountability systems. This design allows state policy …

Dnp Scholarly Project For Providing An Educational Offering To The Population Affected By Environmental Allergies, Jillian Otter

Doctor of Nursing Practice Scholarly Project

Environmental allergies are a problem that many people suffer from. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (2023) has reported that 25.7% of adults have experienced seasonal allergies annually. The concern has arisen that the general public has difficulty properly identifying environmental allergies. This has become evident in recent times with COVID. The rise of COVID has made people wary when it comes to certain symptoms, such as coughing. However, between COVID, cold, allergies, and flu several symptoms are shared and can be mistakenly diagnosed (News in Health, 2022). Improper identification can lead to poor management of any illness and …

Informal Language As An Instructional Tool: Benefits, Drawbacks, And Teacher Intentions, Halle J. Connors

Electronic Theses & Dissertations

This study examines the role of informal language, including slang and popular culture references, as an instructional tool in secondary classrooms. Traditional teaching emphasizes academic language; however, research suggests that integrating informal communication can create stronger teacher-student relationships, increase student engagement, and improve learning outcomes. Using a survey of public secondary teachers in Southeast Kansas (n=47), this study investigates teacher perceptions of the benefits and drawbacks of incorporating informal language and measures their willingness to adapt when presented with evidence of best practices. This study found, through a pretest, educational intervention, and post-test design, that educators show reduced …

Turnover In Nursing, Kylie J. Farris

Doctor of Nursing Practice Scholarly Project

A major challenge currently facing the United States healthcare system is a shortage of nurses. Nurses are essential to healthcare, yet in recent years, the rate of nursing turnover has increased rapidly, exacerbating the shortage. The aim of this project is to identify the factors contributing to nurses leaving their positions and to explore potential solutions to reduce the number of nurses exiting the profession. This will be accomplished by surveying clinical nurses across the United States through a multi-part survey. The survey will identify nurses who are considering leaving their current positions and explore potential interventions that could be …

Improving The Assessment And Treatment Of People With Low Back Pain, Kayla Krueger

WUSM Theses and Dissertations – All Programs

Low back pain (LBP) is a significant and continually growing public health problem. While some people recover from an initial episode, a proportion will develop chronic or recurrent LBP that limits their ability to perform daily functional activities. The variable and often function-limiting course of LBP underscores the clear need for improved methods of assessment and treatment. One way to improve the assessment and treatment of LBP is to develop a more comprehensive understanding of factors that contribute to LBP. In this dissertation, we investigated two categories of factors that may contribute to a person’s LBP: (1) spinal movement impairments …

Shelters In Motion, Erin Nicole Vallido Trasmano

Hospitality Design Graduate Student Capstones

Shelters in Motion is a modular temporary shelter system for festival and outdoor events that replaces disposable tents with reusable, durable design. Overall reducing environmental impact while significantly improving comfort and user experience.

Artful Architecture: Making Moments Around The Las Vegas Valley, Rachel Chinen

Hospitality Design Graduate Student Capstones

Artful Architecture: Making Moments Around the Las Vegas Valley investigates the spatial and cultural disconnect between the highly thematic, immersive environments of the Las Vegas Strip and the surrounding auto-oriented, utilitarian suburban sprawl. This research explores the integration of public art with everyday civic infrastructure to cultivate a stronger sense of place and local community identity.

Queerscape: Transcending Urban Division, Alex Blake

Hospitality Design Graduate Student Capstones

The project seeks to demonstrate how infrastructure can act as a symbolic anchor, offering a framework for queer urban design that simultaneously addresses safety and cultural visibility. While site-specific, the methodology is intended to inform future interventions in districts for queer and other marginalized communities.

Climate Responsive Design For Airport Terminals In Hot Arid Climates, Zahra Salmizadeh

Hospitality Design Graduate Student Capstones

This thesis argues that the roof of an airport terminal can be transformed from a neutral cover into an operational design tool that actively shapes passenger experience in hot arid environments. Drawing from observed challenges in contemporary airport concourses, including those identified through the D Gates concourse at Harry Reid International Airport in Las Vegas as an example, the study examines roof structure, envelope, and form as distinct but interrelated design fields. It investigates how these components influence wayfinding clarity, thermal and visual comfort, acoustic performance, and spatial identity in large scale airport interiors.

After The Final Whistle: Designing The Future Of Stadiums, Alan Zabdyel Garcia

Hospitality Design Graduate Student Capstones

After the Final Whistle: Designing the Future of Stadiums explores how the lifespan of aging and abandoned stadiums can be extended through adaptive reuse and community-centered design. As billions of dollars continue to be invested into sports infrastructure, many stadiums face obsolescence after only a few decades, often leaving behind urban voids and environmental waste. This design capstone develops a framework for evaluating stadium transformation through multiple lenses including adaptability, economics, urban planning, history, environmental impact, politics, sporting needs, and community engagement. Using case studies such as Sam Boyd Stadium and Cashman Field in Las Vegas, the research explores how …

The Message Of Resilience And Harmony: From War Camps To Modern Calls For Peace, Linlin Uta

Dissertations, 2020-current

Music has a unique power to either foster harmony and peace or contribute to discord and suffering, depending on how it is used. The role of music in three different wartime camps—the Bando Prisoner-of-War Camp in Japan during World War I, Nazi concentration camps during World War II, and Japanese American internment camps during World War II—illustrates both the dangers and the transformative potential of music. While these examples highlight the misuse of music as a warning, they also reveal how music, when used in a positive way, can offer valuable lessons for promoting global peace.

Moreover, in an environment …

The High School Piccoloist: A Resource Guide, Rebecca Needham

Dissertations, 2020-current

This project aims to curate a piccolo resource guide for high school music educators and their students. Currently, there are limited pedagogical materials available for beginning piccoloists or their music educators, and these materials are primarily scattered across decades of The Instrumentalist and the now-defunct Flute Talk journals. In addition, future band directors are rarely required to study auxiliary instruments like the piccolo in their collegiate coursework. These two factors combine to create a detrimental situation: frequently, neither teacher nor student in a typical high school setting has appropriate resources to understand the instrument and its essential differences from the …

Rhythmic Complexity And Harmonic Innovation: An Analysis Of Joan Tower’S Selected Post-2000 Piano Compositions, Yun Chen

Dissertations, 2020-current

Joan Tower’s post-2000 piano compositions show her unique approach to rhythmic complexity and harmonic innovation. While existing research focuses heavily on her earlier music, her recent piano pieces require further exploration from a performer’s perspective. This dissertation analyzes four specific works: Vast Antique Cubes (2000), Throbbing Stills (2000), Ivory and Ebony (2009), and Steps (2011). It explores how Tower’s compositional choices directly affect piano performance and the listener’s experience.

The first section explores Tower’s rhythmic language in “Steps” and “Throbbing Stills.” The analysis shows how Tower uses frequent meter changes, sudden rhythmic shifts, and strong contrast between motion and stillness. …

A Descriptive Analysis Of Plant Leaf Disease Detection Using Machine Learning And Deep Learning Models: A Systematic Review, Arzoo Chamoli, Anuj Kumar

Turkish Journal of Electrical Engineering and Computer Sciences

Plant leaf disease detection (PLDD) is a growing active research area with burgeoning practical applications across various sectors such as agricultural monitoring, food security, and environmental conservation. Accurate segmentation and classification of plant leaf diseases remains a key challenge in the field of plant leaf disease prediction. The challenge demands automated methods for the plant disease identification because it needs to develop better crop management systems, which will boost agricultural production. In this article, we provide a systematic review of various machine learning (ML) and deep learning (DL) methods extensively used for PLDD. The review strategy follows a formal protocol, …

Multiobjective Optimization Framework For Renewable Energy Iot Networks Balancing Security, Energy Efficiency, And Communication Reliability, Muhammad Hjouj Btoush, Ashraf S. Mashaleh, Amjad Gawanmeh

Turkish Journal of Electrical Engineering and Computer Sciences

The deployment of Internet of things (IoT) networks powered by renewable energy sources presents unique challenges in balancing security requirements, energy efficiency, and communication reliability. This paper presents a comprehensive multiobjective optimization framework for secure renewable energy IoT nodes that addresses fundamental trade-offs between these competing objectives. We develop a mathematical model incorporating energy harvesting dynamics, security protocols, and communication performance metrics across various environmental scenarios. The proposed framework employs a modified NSGA-II algorithm to identify Pareto-optimal configurations for different deployment contexts. Through extensive simulation analysis, we demonstrate that hybrid energy sources (solar-wind combinations) with lightweight security protocols achieve optimal …

Predictive Current Control Approach For Grid-Integrated Multifunctional Converter Under Source And Load Disturbances, Ravi Kumar Majji, Tirumalasetty Chiranjeevi, Chilukoti Varaha Narasimha Raja, Nagulapati Kiran

Turkish Journal of Electrical Engineering and Computer Sciences

This paper discusses and presents a model predictive control (MPC)-based predictive current control technique for a solar photovoltaic (PV)-integrated grid system during dynamic operation. This control technique employs extension pq (EPQ) theory to estimate reference currents and utilizes an MPC framework for tracking reference currents. Various MATLAB/Simulink simulations were conducted for solar PV generation (source disturbances) and dynamic loading. The results of the OPAL-RT OP4510 real-time simulation are also presented. A multifunctional grid-integrated converter (MFGC) integrates solar active power into the utility grid while achieving unity power factor, reactive power compensation, current balancing, and harmonic suppression. EPQ optimizes mathematical calculations, …

Examining The Experiences And Career Of A Highly Effective Orchestra Teacher: A Narrative History, Charlotte A. Hebert

Masters Theses, 2020-current

Much of the available literature on the status of string education in the United States highlights the need for qualified string teachers. However, limited researchers have analyzed the reflections and perspective of retired string teachers. Retired string teachers have a unique ability to provide insight to preservice and current string teachers from a reflective lens. In this historical narrative study, I examined the 40-year career of orchestra director Laura Mulligan Thomas through her contributions and experiences. I utilized previous string education literature to define an effective string teacher. I employed semi-structured interviews, observations of a string techniques class that Thomas …

Weaving Eigengrau, Olivia Claire Luke

Masters Theses, 2020-current

Weaving Eigengrau explores weaving as both a material ritual and an inquiry about how reality is constructed and can be pulled apart. In this project, weaving becomes a method for redirecting forces into woven patterns and examining the relationship of contradiction by treating the contrasts between light and shadow, stillness and motion, and the fixed and the ephemeral as sculptural aspects. I’m driven by theories of reality: science, myth, and philosophy, and the common threads among them. Across systems of knowledge, reality is depicted in contradiction, and I seek to blur the lines between them. Within this convergence, weaving becomes …

Archdiocese Disclosure For Joint Plan

Catholic Dioceses in Bankruptcy

No abstract provided.

Off-The-Shelf Danger: The Need For Overhauling Faa Regulations To Combat The Misuse Of Commercial And Recreational Drones, Ka Ching "Cyrus" Au

Seattle Journal of Technology, Environmental, & Innovation Law

This article discusses how FAA Part 107 has not kept pace with

advances in drone technology and advocates for a tailored solution for

drones. The increasing accessibility of sophisticated drone technology

presents significant national security and public safety challenges.

Regulatory frameworks posed by the Federal Aviation Administration

(FAA) are insufficient to address these growing concerns. The drone

technology originally marketed and developed for photography,

agriculture, and package delivery is now being repurposed for military use

and illegal activities. In the Russo–Ukrainian war, drones are now used to

carry advanced reconnaissance capabilities or are equipped with remotely

detonated explosives. Along a …

Returning Home: Vocation As A Theological Lens To Foster The Ethiopian Evangelical Church Mekane Yesus’ Holistic Ministry Among Migrant Returnees In Ethiopia, Ebise Dibisa Ayana

Doctor of Philosophy Dissertation

This dissertation examines return migration in Ethiopia, focusing on Ethiopian Domestic Worker Returnees (EDWRs) and the role of the Ethiopian Evangelical Church Mekane Yesus (EECMY) in addressing their holistic needs. Using theological and institutional analysis, the study finds that, although the EECMY affirms holistic ministry as its motto, it lacks clear policies and official statements specifically addressing the spiritual and psychosocial needs of the returnees’.

The research argues that migration and return migration are theological and moral issues that require a holistic response grounded in a Lutheran Theology of Vocation. Such an approach fosters an integrated ministry that attends to …

The Origins Of Chondrite Families, Isabelle M. Perron

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Chondrites, a type of primitive asteroid, are thought to have formed from dust and gas early in the life of our Solar System. These chondrites have remained unchanged since their formation, avoiding being melted or differentiated like other rocky bodies have. Due to this unique characteristic, chondrites can give us useful insight into how asteroids, planetesimals, and even the terrestrial planets formed. In order to study chondrites and their formation, I used code developed by Li et al. (2020), which utilizes thermodynamic code GRAINS (Petaev 2009), to see what conditions the chondrites may have originated from. GRAINS uses a variety …

Mid- To Long-Term Recovery After Non-Traumatic Lower Limb Amputation: A Scoping Review Of Longitudinal Research Studies, Chloe Akiona-Bannan, Jocelyn Contreras, Kayla Cheyenne Bonsol Francisco, Kentaro Lee

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Objective

Longitudinal research studies are essential for understanding the time course of functional recovery after lower limb amputation (LLA). The purpose of this scoping review was to evaluate the existing evidence base regarding mid- to long-term outcomes following non-traumatic LLA.

Data Sources

A scoping review was conducted per Joanna Briggs Institute and Open Sciences Framework guidelines. Based on purpose, seven databases (PubMed, CINAHL, Embase, Scopus, Web of Science, SportDiscus, and Google Scholar) were searched for studies published between 2000–2024, in English, Mandarin Chinese, Tagalog, Persian, or Spanish.

Study Selection

Eligible studies must include at least 50% of participants with non-traumatic …

Golden Steps: A Dance-Based Program To Improve Balance In Older Adults — A Feasibility And Acceptability Study, Ramyr Bognot, Sophia Botelho, Nolan Caberto, Lauren Valerio, Joshua Yu, Jason Zeidman

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Background

Falls are a leading cause of injury and loss of independence among older adults. Evidence-based programs such as Otago and Tai Ji Quan reduce fall risk, yet barriers to access and adherence remain. Dance-based interventions may offer a practical, enjoyable approach to engage older adults in balance training.

Purpose

This formative pilot study aimed to develop four dance routines grounded in evidence- based balance principles and evaluate their feasibility and acceptability among older adults, including factors influencing enjoyment and willingness to continue participation, to inform future clinical and community implementation.

Methods

Four routines (Polka, Country, Rockabilly, Salsa) were developed …

Unlv Pt Admissions: The Relationship Between Mismatched Gender Or Race Of Applicants Compared To Interviewer On In-Person And Asynchronous Interview Scores, Sarah Dudley, Calvin Kwok

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Purpose/Hypothesis:

Despite a growing push for diversity in healthcare, the impact of interviewer-applicant demographic alignment on scoring remains under-researched within the specific context of physical therapy admissions, particularly across different interview platforms. A sex or race concordance bias has the potential to compromise a program’s reliability of applicant evaluations and conflicts with the ethical standards of equity and nondiscrimination that guide healthcare education and practice. In this study we aimed to determine the relationship between sex and race concordance of interviewers and applicants for both in-person and asynchronous virtual interview scores at the University of Las Vegas Physical Therapy (UNLV …

Effects Of A 12-Week Physical Therapy-Based Exercise Intervention On Gait In Adults With Down Syndrome, Samantha Betts, Stephen Kiraly, Paige Lucero, James Malabanan

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Background: Individuals with Down Syndrome (Ds) frequently have sedentary lifestyles and Ds-specific physical impairments such as ligamentous laxity and hypotonia. These impairments often contribute to gait deviations that reduce the efficiency of ambulation. Purpose: The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of a 12-week exercise program on spatiotemporal characteristics of gait and kinematic variables at the hip, knee, and ankle in adults with Down syndrome (Ds). Methods: A randomized control trial of 40 participants was conducted with two groups: one group of adults with Ds who participated in a 12-week exercise program, and a control group who …

Devuélveme A Mi Walkman: A Deep Dive Into Chicano Culture, New Wave And Punk During The 80s In Los Angeles, Michellas Baca

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Throughout this creative thesis/magazine, I explore and capture the essence of Chicano culture in the 80s and the role music played, in its simplest form. This project is heavily inspired by my dad and our shared love for music. Growing up in the 80's, pop culture was all around me, constantly; so much so, I never thought twice about it. As I got older, he told me more stories about growing up in L.A. He told me about breakdancing on Venice Beach and riding his bike under the L.A. River bridge. He would tell me stories about parties and how …

Constructing A Laser Stabilization System For Frequency Metrology, Stephanie Letourneau

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Frequency metrology and quantum control, which uses light as a tool for measurement and manipulation, relies on spectrally narrow, stable lasers. Often thought of as being perfectly monochromatic and coherent, in reality, the free-running instantaneous linewidth of lasers can be on the order of hundreds of kHz in the millisecond time-frame and drift on the order of tens of MHz over hours. To correct for these instabilities in real-time, a variety of laser stabilization methods have been implemented, including the Pound-Drever-Hall (PDH) method, saturation absorption spectroscopy (SAS), and dichroic atomic vapor laser locking (DAVLL). All of these methods rely on …

Picture Of Health: Visual And Textual Gendered Ideals And Media Framing On Men’S Health And Women’S Health Magazine Covers, Gracie Marquez

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Magazines play an influential role in shaping cultural understandings of health, fitness, and gender, yet differences emerge in how health is framed across media outlets. This study examines how Men’s Health and Women’s Health magazine covers construct and communicate gendered ideals of health through visual and textual elements. Guided by gender role theory and framing theory, this research explores how these magazines frame health in ways that reinforce expectations of masculinity and femininity. Using directed qualitative content analysis, magazine covers published between 2014 and 2024 were coded across visual and textual categories, and chi-square tests of independence were conducted to …