Digital Commons Network^™

Modeling The Mechanical Behavior And Shock Propagation Of Metallic And Nanocomposite Materials, Pouya Shojaeishahmirzadi

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Evaluating the materials properties under different loading conditions is critical in various industries. Compared to quasi-static loading, predicting the behavior of structures under dynamic loads is more challenging. In this work, we will address multiple problems with strain rates varying from quasi-static to hypervelocity conditions. Computer simulation is increasingly used in the design and evaluation phases to improve the efficiency, cost-effectiveness, and flexibility. However, verification and validation of each simulation is necessary. Experiments are performed in all topics and the computational models are validated by comparing with the experiments. One of the most common types of connections in structures is …

Monitored Compression Therapy: Using Smart Technology To Optimize The Treatment Of Lower Extremity Swelling, James Skelly

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Chronic Venous Insufficiency (CVI) and Venous Stasis Ulcers (VSUs) are symptoms which stem from diabetes – a disease effecting over 34 million people in the United States alone as of 2020. This Thesis details the design of a pressure-sensing garment used to enhance the treatment of CVI. The garment uses small force sensors (four levels: the insole of the foot, the lower leg, the lower calf, and the upper calf) to sense the pressure applied by a compression stocking. The sensed data is transmitted wirelessly via Bluetooth to a smartphone application that was developed to display the data and interface …

The Concept Album As Postmodern Literature: A Critical Examination Of Nine Inch Nails' The Downward Spiral, Kelly E. Stith

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

With the humanities becoming progressively more open to interdisciplinary studies, there exists a space for music to be part of the discourse surrounding literature. One of the most important developments for music was the rise of the concept album, a medium where the individual tracks are defined by a larger theme or a unifying narrative. The concept album first emerged in the 1960s and became a method for musicians to experiment with expanded storylines and lyrical motifs that overthrew classical models of music albums. One of the most

influential concept albums, Nine Inch Nails’ The Downward Spiral, which came out …

Ab-Initio And Empirical Simulations Of Aluminum And Copper Metal, William Wolfs

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

In this work, I perform detailed calculations on the bulk and electronic properties of aluminum and copper metal. Originally, I was motivated by experimental work on the solidsolid phase changes in pure aluminum. These phase changes were well predicted by density functional theory(DFT) but difficult or impossible to predict using embedded atom method potentials(EAM). EAM potentials are in wide use to describe many properties of bulk materials, and it seemed worrying that something so basic as a phase change could not be predicted. I began running high precision calculations with DFT and compared the results to EAM potentials which had …

International Relations And Tourism: Geopolitical Tension In China-United States Relations And Implications In Tourism Development, Le Shen

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

"Black cat or white cat, if it can catch mice, it's a good cat." As China's then Chief Secretary, and later the nation's "Paramount Leader" Deng Xiaoping made this now-famous metaphor in the 1960s for a planned economy versus that of a market economy (Zheng & Sun, 2018), little did anyone at the time anticipated the sheer level of influence this populous yet impoverished nation would have on the world's geopolitical and economic scene in the coming decades. Indeed, through a combination of economic reforms, diplomatic engagement, and political reorganization, the People's Republic of China rapidly elevated its international positioning …

Building Customer Loyalty With Millennials In The Gaming Entertainment Industry, Daysha Catchings

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

This paper discusses how to build customer loyalty between Millennials and casinos. Although research has indicated that casinos are losing the interest of the Millennial consumer, it is recommended that casinos do not give up on this demographic. The Millennial generation is massive, accounting for a fourth of the U.S. population. Entering the workforce at rapid speed, this generation has a large amount of spending power and is willing to pay more for a product that is deemed valuable. This paper intends to lay the groundwork for an exploratory research study on customer loyalty and Millennials in the gambling and …

Utilizing Gamification To Enhance Customer Engagement And Loytalty In The Hospitality Industry, Xiaoting He

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Gamification involves the engagement of game elements and designs in non-game contexts. There is a need to increase the effectiveness of the conventional loyalty program, and implementing gamification has become a popular concept. Gamified hotel loyalty programs differentiate hotels from their rivals by increasing customer engagement and, ultimately, customer loyalty. Despite prior research on the effectiveness and functions of gamification, under what conditions gamification can enhance enagement lacks further investigation. This study draws on the Self-Determination Theory (SDT) to develop a framework linking gamification elements with users' psychological needs, where customer engagement is enhanced when the game elements successfully satisfy …

Increased Mitochondrial Activity Upon Catsper Channel Activation Is Required For Mouse Sperm Capacitation, Juan J Ferreira, Adriana Cassina, Pilar Irigoyen, Mariana Ford, Santiago Pietroroia, Nikita Peramsetty, Rafael Radi, Celia M Santi, Rossana Sapiro

2020-Current year OA Pubs

To fertilize an oocyte, sperm must undergo several biochemical and functional changes known as capacitation. A key event in capacitation is calcium influx through the cation channel of sperm (CatSper). However, the molecular mechanisms of capacitation downstream of this calcium influx are not completely understood. Capacitation is also associated with an increase in mitochondrial oxygen consumption, and several lines of evidence indicate that regulated calcium entry into mitochondria increases the efficiency of oxidative respiration. Thus, we hypothesized that calcium influx through CatSper during capacitation increases mitochondrial calcium concentration and mitochondrial efficiency and thereby contributes to sperm hyperactivation and fertilization capacity. …

Investigating Acculturation, Health-Promoting Lifestyle, And Health Status Among Nigerian Immigrants In The United States, Frank Uche Akpati

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

The United States has a significant number of immigrants from Africa. More come from Nigeria than other African countries. Even though acculturation influences health behavior in other cultures, this relationship is understudied in the Nigerian immigrant community in the United States which can influence their health care. This study examined the relationship between acculturation, health-promoting lifestyle, and health status of Nigerian immigrants. Key constructs from Berry’s acculturation model guided the study. Acculturation was conceptualized as occurring through varying levels of ethnic society immersion (ESI) and dominant society immersion (DSI). The study also examined the influence of education on acculturation using …

Axon Initial Segment Morphology Across Typical Cortical Development And In Mouse Models Of Neurodevelopmental Disorders With A High Incidence Of Epilepsy, Rachel Ali Rodriguez

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Neurodevelopmental disorders (NDDs) are commonly associated with a high incidence of epileptic seizures which result from excessive firing of neurons. The axon initial segment (AIS) is a neuronal compartment essential for the control of activity patterns of neurons. The AIS undergoes important modifications during development, but the molecular mechanisms that affect the development, morphology, and protein composition of the AIS are still not well understood. We examined AIS morphology of medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) pyramidal neurons in wildtype mice across development and in two mouse models of NDDs. Results indicate restructurings at the AIS during typical development, some of which …

Rail Fixed Guideway Systems In Western U.S. Regions, Kelly A. Beavers

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

This research explores the policy factors influencing the intraregional development of rail transit. For the purpose of this research, policy factors include: institutional arrangements, factors associated with governance, and factors in the policymaking process. The research questions are studied in five case study MSAs within the Pacific West and Mountain West regions of the United States: Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ; Denver-Aurora-Lakewood, CO; Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA; Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA; and Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR. The foundational problems that frame this research are the challenges of urban planning at a regional scale, specifically for transportation. The more specific challenge of transportation planning is situated within …

The Spark That Lit The Match: The Use Of Petitions And The Emergence Of Antislavery Politicians In The Movement To Abolish Slavery In The District Of Columbia, 1816-1829, Timothy Brown

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

The United States capital, Washington, D.C., became the focus of antislavery advocates in their quest to eliminate the domestic slave trade and slavery. By the War of 1812, the domestic slave trade was thriving in the capital. However, many saw it as particularly embarrassing to a nation predicated on the concept of freedom. This embarrassment was even felt by proslavery Southerners. Beginning in 1816, an attempt to restrict the trade in the Capital occurred when Virginia Congressman John Randolph called for the destruction of the domestic slave trade there. Despite being proslavery, he argued that the federal government, as the …

Racial/Ethnic Disparities In Mental Health Diagnosis Of Maltreated Youth, Shadie Burke

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Racial/ethnic marginalized youth are more likely to receive a misdiagnosis of a mental health disorder than their White peers. Misdiagnosis contributes to existing disparities for racial/ethnic marginalized groups by leading to longer durations of untreated and worsening mental health symptoms. For maltreated youth, receiving a misdiagnosis can lead to a failure to connect with appropriate mental health services, medication regimens, therapeutic foster homes, and academic and developmental resources. To date, very few empirical studies have identified disparities in mental health diagnosis among racial/ethnic marginalized maltreated youth. The present study examined two key research questions: (1) what racial/ethnic disparities in diagnoses …

From Language Comprehension Towards General Ai, Binay Dahal

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Language comprehension or more formally, natural language understanding is one of the major undertakings in Artificial Intelligence. In this work, we explore a few of the problems in language understanding using fixed deep learning models. Specifically, first, we look into question generation. Asking questions relates to the cognitive ability of language comprehension and context understanding. For that reason, making progress in question generation is significant. We introduce a novel task called “question generation with masked target answer” and propose various models and present the baseline result for the task. Next, we extend on the question generation task and develop a …

Factors Influencing Us Residents' Willingness To Engage In Domestic Medical Tourism, Hananeh Derakhshan

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Domestic medical tourism is a niche market in the medical tourism industry. The purpose of this study was to determine the association of different attributes on U.S residents’ willingness to participate in domestic medical tourism. Based on the medical tourism index (MTI) components, a total of fourteen possible attributes that may impact US residents’ willingness to seek out-of-town care were created and participants were asked to rate the importance of each attribute on their willingness to seek out-of-town care on a 10-point Likert scale. Using principal component analysis, the attributes were grouped into three components: (1) quality-of-care, (2) destination attraction, …

Material Handling With Embodied Loco-Manipulation, Jean Chagas Vaz

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Material handling is an intrinsic component of disaster response. Typically, first responders, such as firefighters and/or paramedics, must carry, push, pull, and handle objects, facilitating the transportation of goods. For many years, researchers from around the globe have sought to enable full-sized humanoid robots to perform such essential material handling tasks. This work aims to tackle current limitations of humanoids in the realm of interaction with common objects such as carts, wheelbarrows, etc. Throughout this research, many methods will be applied to ensure a stable Zero Moment Point (ZMP) trajectory to allow a robust gait while loco-manipulating a cart. The …

Factors Associated With Medication Decision Making In African American Families Of Children With Adhd: A Mixed Methods Study, Amy Glasofer

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is the most common neurobehavioral pediatric disorder in the United States. Pharmacotherapy is a recommended component of treatment for ADHD. While medication treatment of ADHD is not optimized overall, minority groups experience medication treatment disparities. The persistently lower rates of medication treatment in minority groups may have culturally specific origins which cannot be generalized across minorities. The purpose of this dissertation was to assess and extend knowledge regarding medication decision making (MDM) in African American caregivers of children with ADHD. To assess the state of the science on ADHD disparities, a review of 41 descriptive studies exploring …

The Experience Of Self-Coherence: Self-Coherence As The Hub Of All Needs, April Ursula Fox

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Self-coherence as the hub of all needs is a novel proposition made by Carol Dweck (2017), and not yet further explored. While supporting self-coherence with a comprehensive review of its presence within behavioral sciences, Dweck does not dive deeper into it, and offers an invitation for further research of its workings. In this study I respond to that invitation. I design a continuation to her theory. I also expand her theory to include what I have found to be missing, but essential, additional components that cannot be ignored within the context of self-coherence as a master sensor of needs. Finally, …

How Can We Reduce Racism? A Mixed Method Study Of Factors That Influence Attitudes Towards Social Change, Kindy Insouvanh

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

The resurgence of social movements such as Black Lives Matter has provoked public discourse about racial inequality and efforts towards social change. The current study sought to better understand how young adults reason about racism reduction with a focus on racial allyship and collective action. The present study used mixed methods to identify strategies young adults believe different racial groups could do to reduce racism and investigate the influence that individual factors have on reasoning about social change. Here, I present emergent themes to describe racism reduction strategies from a large and racially diverse sample of undergraduate students (N= 428). …

The Role Of Working Memory In Fraction Arithmetic: Eye Movements During A Dual Task, Krystal Kamekona-Mendoza

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Fractions are first introduced at the elementary school age, yet difficulty with fraction computation (i.e., adding, subtracting, multiplying, and dividing) continues to persist throughout adulthood. Research suggests that fraction knowledge is predictive of future math achievement and success in algebra. Given the early age at which this concept is introduced and the critical role that it plays in future mathematics success, it is important to better understand the cognitive mechanisms involved in fraction computation and why students continue to struggle with this concept. The role of executive function (e.g., attention, inhibition, working memory) in fraction arithmetic is complex. While working …

Improving Pedestrian Safety With The Implementation Of The Demand-Responsive Transverse Rumble Strip As A New Traffic Safety Countermeasure, Md Shakhawat Hossen

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

The traditional TRS has been extensively used as a traffic calming device to provide cognitive alerts in the form of sound and vibration to drivers. However, TRS always remains fixed on the road and thus exerts cognitive alerts, irrespective of any potential downstream hazards. Moreover, the continuous exposure to rumble strips has been identified as a source of discomfort and annoyance for drivers, which limits its application to potentially useful scenarios. This study explores a rumble strip design with dynamic behavior named as Demand-Responsive Transverse Rumble Strip (DRTRS) in order to address the limitations of static TRS. The study incorporates …

Quaternary Ammonium Compounds As Precursors To Disinfection Byproducts, Padmanabhan Krishnaswamy

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Disinfection of drinking water is crucial for providing a safe potable water supply. Some of the most common disinfectants employed are chlorine, chloramines and ozone. While these disinfectants successfully inactivate pathogenic microorganisms, they simultaneously react with inorganic or organic precursors to form toxic byproducts, most commonly referred to as disinfection byproducts (DBPs). While there is a wide variety of organic matter and disinfection byproducts known, in this study we have looked into the potential of certain quaternary ammonium compounds (QACs) to act as precursors to form DBPs, namely trihalomethanes (THMs), haloacetonitriles (HANs) and nitrosamines.

The ubiquitous nature of QACs in …

Determination Of The Presence Of Sars-Cov-2 In Environmental Surface And Air Samples From Public Areas In Las Vegas, Kristina Mihajlovski

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Contaminated surfaces and airborne spread are found to be among the main ways of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) transmission. Studies conducted in the hospital setting have shown that SARS-CoV-2 is found on frequently touched surfaces, personal protective equipment, and in air samples of patient isolation rooms. However, few environmental sampling studies have been done in public areas. Taking in consideration that COVID-19 cases may be symptomatic, presymptomatic, and asymptomatic, environmental monitoring may be essential for prompt detection of the virus. The objective of this study was to determine whether SARS-CoV-2 can be detected on environmental surfaces and from air samples …

Exploring The Latent Space Of Image Captioning Networks, Mikian J. Musser

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

State-of-the-art image captioning models can successfully produce a diverse set of accurate captions. Previous research has focused on improving caption diversity while maintaining a high level of fidelity. We shift the focus from accuracy and diversity to controllability. We use a modified version of the traditional encoder-decoder network that allows the model to produce a meaningful and structured latent space. We then explore the latent space using several latent cartographic methods: lerp, slerp, analogy completion, attribute vector rotation, and interpolation graphs. Additionally, we discuss different categories of latent space and provide modifications for each of the cartographic methods. Finally, we …

Multiple Approaches To Auditory Rhythm: Development Of Sustained Musical Beat And The Relation To Language, Development Of Rhythmic Categories Via Iterated Production, And A Meta-Analytic Study Of Neural Entrainment To Beat, Karli Marie Nave

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Rhythm is ubiquitous to human communication, coordination, and experience of music. In this dissertation, I address three empirical questions through three different methodologies, all of which contribute to the growing body of literature on human auditory rhythm processing. In Chapter 2, I present a registered report detailing the results of independent conceptual replications of Nozaradan, Peretz, Missal, & Mouraux (2011), all using the same vetted protocol. Listeners performed the same tasks as in Nozaradan et al. (2011), with the addition of behavioral measures of perception. In neuroscience, neural correlates to musical beat perception have been identified, yet little to no …

A Pilot Study Of Urine Proteomics In Covid-19-Associated Acute Kidney Injury, Yinyin Ye, Madhurima Kaushal, Diane Salamon, Amanda Knoten, Laura Marks, Joseph P Gaut, Anitha Vijayan, Philip A Mudd, Jane A O'Halloran, Sanjay Jain, Et Al.

2020-Current year OA Pubs

No abstract provided.

Deletion Of Type Viii Collagen Reduces Blood Pressure, Increases Carotid Artery Functional Distensibility And Promotes Elastin Deposition, Amanda L Mohabeer, Jeffrey T Kroetsch, Meghan Mcfadden, Negin Khosraviani, Thomas J Broekelmann, Guangpei Hou, Hangjun Zhang, Yu-Qing Zhou, Minyao Wang, Anthony O Gramolini, Robert P Mecham, Scott P Heximer, Steffen-Sebastian Bolz, Michelle P Bendeck

2020-Current year OA Pubs

Arterial stiffening is a significant predictor of cardiovascular disease development and mortality. In elastic arteries, stiffening refers to the loss and fragmentation of elastic fibers, with a progressive increase in collagen fibers. Type VIII collagen (Col-8) is highly expressed developmentally, and then once again dramatically upregulated in aged and diseased vessels characterized by arterial stiffening. Yet its biophysical impact on the vessel wall remains unknown. The purpose of this study was to test the hypothesis that Col-8 functions as a matrix scaffold to maintain vessel integrity during extracellular matrix (ECM) development. These changes are predicted to persist into the adult …

Semiflexible Oligomers Crystallize Via A Cooperative Phase Transition, Pierre Kawak, Dakota S. Banks, Douglas R. Tree

Faculty Publications

Semicrystalline polymers are ubiquitous, yet despite their fundamental and industrial importance, the theory of homogeneous nucleation from a melt remains a subject of debate. A key component of the controversy is that polymer crystallization is a non-equilibrium process, making it difficult to distinguish between effects that are purely kinetic and those that arise from the underlying thermodynamics. Due to computational cost constraints, simulations of polymer crystallization typically employ non-equilibrium molecular dynamics techniques with large degrees of undercooling that further exacerbate the coupling between thermodynamics and kinetics. In a departure from this approach, in this study, we isolate the near-equilibrium nucleation …

Pharmacogenomics Insights Into Precision Pediatric Oncology, Kristie N. Ramos, David Gregornik, Kenneth S. Ramos

2020-Current year OA Pubs

PURPOSE OF REVIEW: Pharmacogenomic insights provide an opportunity to optimize medication dosing regimens and patient outcomes. However, the potential for interindividual genomic variability to guide medication dosing and toxicity monitoring is not yet standard of care. In this review, we present advances for the thiopurines, anthracyclines and vincristine and provide perspectives on the actionability of pharmacogenomic guidance in the future.

RECENT FINDINGS: The current guideline on thiopurines recommends that those with normal predicted thiopurine methyltransferase and NUDT15 expression receive standard-of-care dosing, while 'poor metabolizer' haplotypes receive a decreased 6-mercaptopurine starting dose to avoid bone marrow toxicity. Emerging evidence established significant …

Detecting Risk Level In Individuals Misusing Fentanyl Utilizing Posts From An Online Community On Reddit, Sanjana Garg, Jordan Taylor, Mai El Sherief, Erin Kasson, Talayeh Aledavood, Raven Riordan, Nina Kaiser, Patricia Cavazos-Rehg, Munmun De Choudhury

2020-Current year OA Pubs

INTRODUCTION: Opioid misuse is a public health crisis in the US, and misuse of synthetic opioids such as fentanyl have driven the most recent waves of opioid-related deaths. Because those who misuse fentanyl are often a hidden and high-risk group, innovative methods for identifying individuals at risk for fentanyl misuse are needed. Machine learning has been used in the past to investigate discussions surrounding substance use on Reddit, and this study leverages similar techniques to identify risky content from discussions of fentanyl on this platform.

METHODS: A codebook was developed by clinical domain experts with 12 categories indicative of fentanyl …