Digital Commons Network^™

Functional Ecology Of Calling And Mating In The Cricket Species (Acheta Domesticus And Telogryllus Commodus), Fadeke Adeola

LSU New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

Whole organism performance traits are measures of an organism’s ability to complete dynamic functions relevant to fitness within the contexts of both sexual and natural selection. Performance capacities are subject to allocation based life history trade-offs, but are also frequently implicated in signaling via visual or auditory displays, many of which are sexually dimorphic. But although performance traits are known to influence the outcome of male combat interactions, the effect of performance on mating interactions is poorly understood. Recently, the invertebrate neurotransmitter octopamine has been shown to affect performance expression in house crickets independent of the underlying morphology, raising the …

A Cross-Disciplinary Approach To Stage Design, Kimberly (Adachi) Pimentel

LSU New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

When designing for theater, inspiration, and ideas can come from a wide array of resources and play analysis. This thesis includes the combined method of technical lighting and scenic design for the production of Is God Is, by Aleshea Harris. Presented are approaches to script and character analysis, the incorporation of a diverse range of research, the production process, and a post-production analysis. Also included in this paper are theater design theories, visual references, a light plot, a lighting map, ground plan, and insight behind the design choices.

Working Memory And Language Associations In Children With Autism Spectrum Disorder, Megan A. Goldfarb

LSU New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by impairments in social communication and interaction, with repetitive behaviors or specialized interests. A range of language abilities is seen in ASD, with some having typical abilities and others severe impairments. Working memory (WM) deficits have also been found in some children with ASD. In typically developing, as well as non-ASD children with language deficits a strong relationship has been found between WM and language abilities. Although both language and WM deficits are often seen in ASD, the relationship between these deficits has been underexplored. The objective of this study is …

Shifting Images: Film And Historical Legacy Of Malcolm X, 1959-2021, Kristina M. Smith

LSU New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

Malcolm X, born Malcolm Little and died el-Hajj Malik el-Shabazz, left an indelible mark on the American consciousness. Between 1952 and 1964, Malcolm X earned renown as a minister for the Nation of Islam under the guidance of the Honorable Elijah Muhammad. The first film appearance of Malcolm X himself was in the 1959 documentary The Hate That Hate Produced, a film that sent both Malcolm and the Nation of Islam onto the national, and eventually international, stage. The next attempt to immortalize the man in film would be after his death, in 1972’s Malcolm X, a documentary based on …

A Pelican's Journey To Flight: A Louisiana National Guardsman, The Development Of The United States Army Air Service, And The Human Cost Of Military Innovation, James H. Smith

LSU New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

George E. Dicks deployed to the Mexican Punitive Expedition and World War I with the Louisiana National Guard. He recorded his experience in writing and photography, which reside in the Jackson Barracks Military Museum in Chalmette, Louisiana. His memorabilia reflect an officer’s perspective on early military aviation and parallel to the United States military’s experimentation with aviation. Through experimentation, Dicks became an aerial observer in World War I.

This thesis explores George E. Dicks’ memorabilia and how it both represents the development of the American Air Service and the human cost of military aviation with photographic evidence. By representing aviation’s …

It Isn't Easy Fighting Crime In A Tutu, But It Helps!, Jeanne C. Mcglory

LSU New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

It Isn't Easy Fighting Crime in a Tutu, but it helps! is a description of struggles and triumphs of a woman working in a male traditional job for the New Orleans Police Department. She worked as a civilian and as a police officer and police sergeant from 1970 until 1996. Several Essays are included to provide a glimpse of the lighter side of the badge, the human beings wearing them, and an appreciation of the culture and some neighborhoods of New Orleans.

Voices In My Head: An Improvisers Approach To Becky Mode’S Fully Committed, Drew Stroud

LSU New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

The following thesis will focus on improvisational theatre and its importance in my overall process in the creation of Becky Mode’s Fully Committed. I will explain my previous knowledge and theories that I brought to the University of New Orleans and run in tandem with the techniques and discoveries I learned during the process of my Master of Fine Arts, both in the classroom and on the stage. Fully Committed was performed in the Robert E. Nims Studio Theatre September 23^rd, 24^th, 25^th, 28^th, 29^th, 30^th, and October …

An Exploration Of Emotional Intelligence And The Professional Competency Of Academic Support Student Affairs Professionals, Margaret Shannon Williamson

LSU New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

The present study investigated the relationship between the Emotional Intelligence of student affairs practitioners and their professional competency. 248 academic support professionals completed the Emotional Quotient Inventory (EQi 2.0) to measure their emotional intelligence. Using the competencies identified by the 2015 joint publication on student affairs competencies by the American College Personnel Association (ACPA) and the National Association of Student Personnel Administrators (NASPA), participants provided a self-rating of their attainment of the ten professional competencies. Demographic data, years of experience in the field, educational background, and professional development opportunities were also measured. A hierarchical multiple regression was run for each …

"The Freedom To Express Yourself": The National Park Service And The African Diasporic Roots Of Black Dance In New Orleans, Ariel D. Roy

LSU New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

In partnership with the New Orleans Jazz National Historical Park, my project entitled “African Dance in New Orleans: The Roots of Black New Orleans Dance” exhibit will focus on the African diasporic roots of Black traditional dance practices within New Orleans’ African American community. This project aims to diversify the public and political expressions of Black dance in New Orleans. It argues that the study of dance forms and practices uncovers narratives and fragments of African and African American cultural history in New Orleans that are impossible to glean from other sources. This thesis will support three modes of African …

Past And Present Patterns Of Neutral And Adaptive Genetic Diversity In Wild Mandrills (Mandrillus Sphinx), Anna Weber

LSU New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

Although primates have fascinated researchers and the public alike for generations, one species that has remained enigmatic is the mandrill (Mandrillus sphinx), a large Cercopithecine monkey endemic to Central Africa. Mandrills are currently in decline due to bushmeat hunting, urbanization, and habitat loss. Neutral and adaptive genetic diversity are important tools for understanding evolutionary history and future viability, since diversity influences a species’ ability to adapt to a changing environment. However, thus far, minimal genetic information has been available for wild mandrills. Because of the dense vegetation in their tropical forest habitat, studying wild mandrills has proven to …

What Does The Geometry Of The Hβblr Depend On?, Lizvette Villafaña, Peter R. Williams, Tommaso Treu, Brendon J. Brewer, Aaron J. Barth, Vivian U, Vardha N. Bennert, Hengxiao Guo, Misty C. Bentz, Gabriela Canalizo, Alexei V. Filippenko, Elinor Gates, Michael D. Joner, Matthew A. Malkan, Jong-Hak Woo, Bela Abolfathi, Thomas Bohn, K. Azalee Bostroem, Goni Halevi, Carol E. Hood, J. Chuck Horst, Maxime De Kouchkovsky, Benjamin Kuhn, Douglas C. Leonard, Raúl Michel, Melanie Kae B. Olaes, Daeseong Park, Jordan N. Runco, Remington O. Sexton, Isaac Shivvers, Chance L. Spencer, Benjamin E. Stahl, Samantha Stegman, Jonelle L. Walsh, Weikang Zheng

Physics

We combine our dynamical modeling black-hole mass measurements from the Lick AGN Monitoring Project 2016 sample with measured cross-correlation time lags and line widths to recover individual scale factors, f, used in traditional reverberation-mapping analyses. We extend our sample by including prior results from Code for AGN Reverberation and Modeling of Emission Lines (CARAMEL) studies that have utilized our methods. Aiming to improve the precision of black-hole mass estimates, as well as uncover any regularities in the behavior of the broad-line region (BLR), we search for correlations between f and other AGN/BLR parameters. We find (i) evidence for a …

Using Gis To Estimate The Solar Power Potential For Rooftops Within The Cleveland Park Neighborhood Of Washington, D.C., Cole Farnsworth

Departmental Honors & Graduate Capstone Projects

As urbanization and energy consumption increase, the need to transition from fossil fuels to renewable energy has become urgent. Achieving sustainable energy consumption practices through solar energy has become an increasingly viable option in the United States (US). One of the ways to facilitate this transition at the local scale is to utilize Geographic Information Systems (GIS) to estimate the solar power potential and assess the spatial distribution of electrical power generation hot spots. At an urban residential neighborhood scale, GIS can aid the planning and location of efficient rooftop solar systems that have the ability to harvest the maximum …

Hildegard Of Bingen – 12th Century Feminist Mystic, Robert F. Stamps

Say Something Theological: The Student Journal of Theological Studies

Hildegard of Bingen is one of history’s remarkable people. Born into German nobility in 1098, Hildegard began having mystical visions at an early age and saw God as light. Hildegard chose a spiritual life and entered a religious cloister at fifteen. There she was educated, studying many subjects, including Latin and music. In 1136 Hildegard became the prioress. The confines of the cloister did not stop Hildegard from becoming a major theological force. She wrote books on theology and medicine, authored plays, and composed music. Theologically, Hildegard contributed to the development of the theological construction of the concept of purgatory. …

Karl Rahner And Vatican Ii: A Sacramental Vision Of The Church, Geoffrey Watson

Say Something Theological: The Student Journal of Theological Studies

This paper is an exploration of Karl Rahner’s theology, his relationship to Vatican II, and the legacy of the council. In it, I examine not only Rahner’s role in the council but also the way in which his thinking has helped move the church from a Eurocentric, hierarchical institution, concerned mainly with its own sense of authority and holiness, to a more collegial, global church that embraced its identity as a community of sinners. First, I examine the sources behind the council texts, specifically Rahner’s transcendental Thomist background, as well as his specific understanding of grace and the role of …

The Psychometric Properties Of The Modified Fear Of Falling Avoidance Behavior Questionnaire In Parkinson’S Disease And Older Adults, Billy La, Arturo Aldaco, Ashley Haller

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Background/purpose: The Fear of Falling Avoidance Behavior Questionnaire (FFABQ), developed in 2011 to measure fear of falling avoidance behavior, has good evidence for reliability and validity. However, a recently modified version (mFFABQ) is theorized to be easier to understand for those completing the questionnaire because the Likert responses are more logical in completing the item stem. The purpose of this study was to examine the test-retest reliability and construct validity of the mFFABQ in adults with Parkinson’s Disease (PD) and older adults aged 60-90 years. Methods: Thirty-nine participants (age 72.21 ± 9.5; 29 men, 10 women) diagnosed with PD (diagnosis …

Developing A Physical Therapy Initial Evaluation Screening Tool For A Multidisciplinary Clinic For Adults With Down Syndrome, Isabella Russell, Alvin Lacap, Francis Lacap

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Purpose: Down syndrome (Ds) is a chromosomal condition that can result in intellectual disability, as well as structural or functional disorders impacting the nervous, cardiovascular, and musculoskeletal systems. As individuals with Ds age, they can have an increased number of comorbidities that impact their health. Physical therapy can play an important role in managing many of the comorbidities adults with Ds have. Therefore, there is an increased need for physical therapists to efficiently screen, evaluate and treat adults with Ds. The purpose of this work is to create an Initial Evaluation Screening Tool and Patient Intake Form for physical therapists …

Effects Of Postural Load Perturbations On The Stroke-Impaired Spinal Circuitry, Jose Galvez, Linh Thi My Nguyen, Brandon Yee

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Objective Transitioning from supported sitting position to standing activities requires coordinated interactions among postural muscles with appropriate reflexive responses to adapt to an increase in postural loading. Previous studies have found the failure to accommodate the challenge of increased postural loads in the stroke-impaired nervous system. In this study, we examined the H-reflex in response to different magnitudes of loads under static postural conditions, and compared the responses directly between individuals with a stroke-impaired nervous system and those with a non-neurologically impaired nervous system. We tested the hypothesis that the reflex amplitude would increase with increased load during standing in …

The Effects Of Exercise Training On Gait In Adults With Down Syndrome, Anna Lois Aquino, Sandra Daugherty, Alex Palko

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Purpose/Hypothesis: Down syndrome (Ds) is a genetic disorder in which the individual carries an extra copy of chromosome 21 resulting in mental and physical disabilities and risk of major health conditions. A high prevalence of gait pattern dysfunction occurs in adults with Ds due to muscle hypotonia, ligamentous laxity, joint hypermobility, and altered development of musculoskeletal structure, which often lead to increased falls and fear of falling. The purpose of this study is to investigate the differences in kinematic and spatiotemporal gait parameters between adults with Ds and age-matched controls, as well as studying the effects of a 12-week Ds-specific …

Implementation Of 2d Running Gait Analysis In Orthopedic Physical Therapy Clinics, Justin Rasavage, Tristan Trumbull, Melissa Goo-Tam, Micah Wilson

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Background: Despite 2D motion analysis being deemed valid and reliable in assessing gait deviations in runners, current use of video-based motion analysis among orthopedic physical therapists is not prevalent. Purpose/Hypothesis: To investigate clinician-perceived effectiveness, adherence, and barriers of using a 2D running gait analysis protocol for patients with running-related injuries. Study Design: Survey Methods: Thirty outpatient physical therapy clinics were contacted to assess interest in participation. The participating therapists were trained on 2D running gait analysis protocol and given a running gait checklist. We used Reach, Effectiveness, Adoption, Implementation, and Maintenance (RE-AIM) framework to assess the implementation process by collecting …

Utilization And Perception Of Peer-Support After Lower Limb Loss In The United States: Potential Benefits On Mobility Outcomes, Moriah Maluotoga, Roopkiran Thind

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Introduction: Limb loss is a life-changing event that significantly impacts patients’ functioning as well as psychosocial well-being. Psychosocial support in the form of amputee peer-support is widely recognized as beneficial to individuals after lower limb loss (LLL). However, there is currently a lack of research on the utilization of peer-support after LLL and its perceived benefits to function. The purpose of this cross-sectional study was to examine and quantify participants’ experiences with peer-support after LLL, and how peer-support experience is associated with mobility outcomes. We hypothesized that participants with LLL would express generally positive experiences with peer-support and that it …

Acute Effects Of Post-Activation Potentiation On Increasing Bat Velocity In Competitive Baseball Players: A Case Series, Phillipp Yu, John Macdonald, Katrina Myers

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Purpose/Hypothesis: Hitting a baseball is widely considered as one of the most difficult motor tasks in sports. It requires quick decision-making and coordinated activation of key muscles to produce a precise and rapid swing. Higher bat velocity has been shown to be associated with offensive performance of baseball players, as greater bat velocities permit more time to be spent analyzing a pitch and can lead to greater outcomes when a ball is hit in play. Baseball players and coaches have traditionally sought on-deck routines to temporarily enhance bat velocity before an at-bat, primarily swinging a weight bat. However, this method …

Stepping On - Virtual Fall Prevention For Older Adults, Sean Conners, Tyler Greener, Kaitlyn Johnson

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Three student learners in a doctoral physical therapy program completed a service-based learning project dedicated to reducing falls in the elderly. The program, called Stepping On, is a fall prevention initiative supported by the Wisconsin Institute for Healthy Aging (WIHA) whose goal is to identify risk factors for falls in the older population and provide exercises and recommendations to reduce falls. The eleven volunteer participants in this student learners’ Stepping On program completed online fall prevention classes and provided feedback at the completion of the program. Participants reported being more conscientious while walking and noted improved balance and flexibility.

Development Of A Post-Op Transgender Care Program For Acute Occupational Therapy Practice, Marieliz Llanos

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Transgender people have experienced adverse health outcomes and barriers to care, ranging from the inability to provide a safe environment for inclusive and equitable care, lack of social support, and limited cultural competency and healthcare provider training. Furthermore, the scarcity of research in transgender care within the field of occupational therapy contributes to the disconnect between the needs of the transgender and gender-diverse (TGD) populations and the lack of preparedness in addressing the occupational performance deficits of transgender clients and individuals undergoing the transitioning process contribute to disparities that are reflected deeply in the experiences of these individuals. In the …

The Importance Of Educating Patients And Staff About Implementing The Neurogenic Bowel Training Program (Nbtp) For Spinal Cord Injury (Sci) In The Acute Care Phase, Silvia Lobaina

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

According to Borsh et al. (2019), a spinal cord injury (SCI) is damage to a tight bundle of cells and nerves, the spinal cord, that send and receive signals from the brain to and from the rest of the body. A direct injury can cause damage to the spinal cord itself or to the tissues and bones that surround it, which can cause temporary or permanent changes in sensation, movement, strength, and body functions below the injury site (Borsh et al., 2019). Unfortunately, the extent of the disability depends on the severity and location of the SCI; an injury higher …

Anatomy Academy Service-Learning Project: Attacking The Epidemic Of Childhood Obesity, Kelsey Kjer, Rosedaveia Howell, Brennan Kitchen, Francesca Schutte

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

The World Health Organization has classified childhood obesity as one of the most serious public health concerns in the world. Obesity is known to have detrimental health consequences and be a risk for comorbidities. On top of the consequences of obesity already seen in young children at school, a lack of health education interventions in many elementary schools remains a significant health disparity. Anatomy Academy (AA) is a seven-week curriculum designed to educate children about their bodies and the importance of gaining and maintaining a healthy lifestyle. The purpose of this service-learning project was to educate elementary school students in …

Dea2uth: A Decentralized Authentication And Authorization Scheme For Secure Private Data Transfer, Phillipe Austria

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

The sharing of private information is a daunting, multifaceted, and expensive undertaking. Furthermore, identity management is an additional challenge that poses significant technological, operational, and legal obstacles. Present solutions and their accompanying infrastructures rely on centralized models that are susceptible to hacking and can hinder data control by the rightful owner. Consequently, blockchain technology has generated interest in the fields of identity and access control. This technology is viewed as a potential solution due to its ability to offer decentralization, transparency, provenance, security, and privacy benefits. Nevertheless, a completely decentralized and private solution that enables data owners to control their …

Non-Destructive Means Of Predicting Masonry Prism Strength Using Ultrasonic Pulse Velocity (Upv), Connor J. Barlow

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Current ASTM standards call for grouted masonry prisms to be tested for compressive strength at 28-days to ensure compliance with the structural design. In the event of failing tests, the subject samples may require redesign or reconstruction which can pose problems due to ongoing development around and including the prisms between the time of placement and obtaining test results. The purpose of this research is to determine if the use of ultrasonic pulse velocity (UPV) testing can be utilized to determine a correlation between prism composite strength of the masonry prism with ultrasound readings as to provide preliminary means of …

The Transaction Costs Of Federal Environmental Policy Changes: The Effects Of The Temporary Covid-19 Cwa Rollback On Local Water Systems, Jesse Lee Barnes

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

An institutional dilemma exists between the Clean Water Act (CWA) and the Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA). US surface waters are protected from point-source pollution by the CWA. Community Water Systems (CWSs) that draw from these surface waters for potable purposes are required to treat that water to a level that meets SDWA health standards. Therefore, decreases in CWA regulations could lead to surface water quality declines and, thus, higher SDWA compliance costs for CWSs. This area of inquiry has become increasingly relevant due to Trump-era executive actions to try to decrease the federal government's role in multiple environmental policies, …

Ga(Y)Zing Backward: Queer Desire In Ovid, Shakespeare, And Scaimma, Falynn Blayre Brickler

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

As Ovidian myth is a central influence on queer stories throughout time, I am interested in how the female/sapphic gaze impacts the retellings of these narratives. In this thesis, I analyze the action of the gaze as an expression of desire and discuss its multiple meanings in both text and performance. Through tracing the gaze within the queer/sapphic narratives of Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night and Sciamma’s Portrait of a Lady on Fire, I show that the gaze is an intersecting act through which non-normative desire is conveyed. In constructing the gaze as an ephemeral action of queer desire in practice, I …

Four Junes, Sara Brown

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Four Junes is a poetry collection of elegies and pastoral elegies that aims to discuss and explore the interconnectedness of the body within the frame of health and illness to the landscape of long-term and short-term dwelling and ideas of home. Through fractured frames of home oppositional in landscape and environment, the collection discusses how the body functions and exists in health and unhealth and explores the reactions and processing of half-deaths involved in cancer, and specifically, stem cell transplants as treatment for terminal illnesses. More specifically, the cancerous body and healthy body are contrasted to one another and considered …