Digital Commons Network^™

The Predictability Of Selected Academic Demographic And Family Related Factors On The Academic Achievement Of Middle School Students., Demetria Westmoreland

Dissertations (2016-Present)

The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship and predictability of selected demographic, academic and family related factors on the academic performance of middle school students. Specifically, this study will be concerned with the predictability of the variables gender, ethnicity, standardized mathematics scores, standardized reading scores, family income, type of household, socioeconomic status and primary language spoken in the home on the academic performance of middle school students as measured by their STAAR’s social studies scores. A quantitative correlational research design was employed in the current investigation. A linear relationship was not found between the demographic factors of …

Examining Arrests For Possession Of Marijuana Among Students Attending Minority Serving Institutions And Non-Minority Serving Institutions, Andre Spence

Dissertations (2016-Present)

This study examined on-campus drug arrests made in 2018 and 2019 at 20 non-minority serving and minority serving institutions located in Texas. The on-campus drug arrest data included a total of 1693 possession of marijuana arrests. The purpose of the study was to determine if racial arrest disparities existed among Blacks and Whites arrested for possession of marijuana on college campuses in Texas. Furthermore, the study employed the racial threat theory to determine if the racial composition of the neighborhood a college is located in influenced the percentage of Black arrests for possession of marijuana. Results revealed that Blacks were …

The Impact Of Demographic Factors On The Persistence, Study Habits, And Motivation Of African American And Latino Male Community College Students, Martin Perez

Dissertations (2016-Present)

The purpose of this study was to determine the relationship and predictability of demographic factors on the persistence, study habits and motivation level among African American and Latino male community college students. Specifically, this study was concerned with the predictive power of demographic (socio-economic status, age, ethnicity, and family support) factors on the persistence, study habits, and motivation level among minority male community college students. A predictive correlated research design was utilized in the current study. Eighty-three (83) minority male college students were selected to participate in the study. An instrument entitled The Community College Survey of Student Engagement (CCSSE) …

The Predictability Of Types Of Mentoring Relationships On The Perceived Performance Behaviors Of College Undergraduate Students, Jeffery Lindsey

Dissertations (2016-Present)

The purpose of this study was to examine the predictability of types of mentoring relationships on the perceived academic success, retention status, graduation status, and progression status of undergraduate students in the United States. Specifically, this study focused on the predictable relationship between types of mentoring relationships such as peer mentorship, faculty mentorship, e-mentorship, and group mentorship on the perceived academic success, retention status, graduation status, and persistence status of undergraduate students. For this study I utilized a correlational design. A survey was used to collect quantitative data from undergraduate students. A purposive sample of the population was necessary for …

The Impact Of Selective Cognitive And Non-Cognitive Factors On Academic Performance And Persistence Rate Of First-Year College Students: Implications For Counseling., Tanya Sharneek Jones

Dissertations (2016-Present)

The issue of first-year college students academic performance and persistence rate has recently become a focal point for policy discussions because researchers, administrators, counselors, and policymakers are increasingly interested in understanding why some students succeed while others fail. To help incoming freshmen accomplish their academic and career goals, college and universities must gain the necessary insight on how to retain these students and assist them in matriculating on their campuses. Selective cognitive and non-cognitive characteristics associated with incoming freshmen will have a significant impact on them remaining in school and graduating. The purpose of this study was to examine the …

Urbanization And Climate Change Impacts: A Comparative Analysis Of Adaptability Of Us Coastal Cities, Olaniyi David Olaleye

Dissertations (2016-Present)

The quest to address human and societal developmental requirements has caused urban cities to grow and expand (Zhao, Gao, & Cuo, 2016). Urbanization is a term associated with the physical development of metropolitan cities. The word relates closely to the developmental approach utilized in the formation of urban societies (Fishman, 2017). According to researchers, urbanization contributes to the impacts of climate change and associated natural disasters. Climate change is closely related to societal and environmental carbon footprints and greenhouse gas emissions (Brody, Zahran, Maghelal, Grover, & Highfield, 2007). Development activities and growth of municipal settings have substantial impacts on the …

Investigation Of Toxic Chemicals In Plant-Based Milk Alternatives, Chukwunonso A. Anakwue

Dissertations (2016-Present)

Milk is a dietary component consumed all over the world and is known to be essential for development in children. Despite all the nutritional advantages associated with milk consumption, several issues like lactose intolerance, and high lipid content, etc., negatively affects the perception of cow milk consumption, and has grown into general health concerns. Issues with cow milk consumption drove for a healthier alternative and this led to plant-based milk alternatives (PBMA). Several studies have linked consumption of these PBMAs with other negative effects such as: allergy, poor nutrient profile and the presence of other foreign chemicals. This study’s main …

The Effects Of Socio-Personal, Job-Related, And School-Related Factors On The Level Of Financial Support By Alumni Of Higher Education Institutions, Bosede Ozavogu Airhia

Dissertations (2016-Present)

This study presents an examination of the relationship and predictability of selected socio-personal, job-related, and school-related factors on the level of financial support by alumni at an historically black college and university (HBCU). In this study, the researcher specifically examined the predictive power of socio-personal, job-related, and school-related factors. These factors consisted of gender, ethnicity, marital status, age, income, occupation, years on the job since graduating, sense of belonging to university, engagement in student activities, and interaction with faculty and staff on the financial support of alumni of an historically black college and university by reviewing data from a modified …

Limitations Of Available Blood Products For Massive Transfusion During Mass Casualty Events At Us Level 1 Trauma Centers, James Williams, Michael Gustafson, Yu Bai, Samuel Prater, Charles E Wade, Oscar D Guillamondegui, Mansoor Khan, Megan Brenner, Paula Ferrada, Derek Roberts, Tal Horer, David Kauvar, Andrew Kirkpatrick, Carlos Ordonez, Bruno Perreira, Artai Priouzram, Juan Duchesne, Bryan A Cotton

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

INTRODUCTION: Exsanguination remains a leading cause of preventable death in traumatically injured patients. To better treat hemorrhagic shock, hospitals have adopted massive transfusion protocols (MTPs) which accelerate the delivery of blood products to patients. There has been an increase in mass casualty events (MCE) worldwide over the past two decades. These events can overwhelm a responding hospital's supply of blood products. Using a computerized model, this study investigated the ability of US trauma centers (TCs) to meet the blood product requirements of MCEs.

METHODS: Cross-sectional survey data of on-hand blood products were collected from 16 US level-1 TCs. A discrete …

Defining The Epidemiology Of Safety Risks In Neonatal Intensive Care Unit Patients Requiring Surgery, Daniel J France, Jason Slagle, Emma Schremp, Sarah Moroz, L Dupree Hatch, Peter Grubb, Timothy J Vogus, Matthew S Shotwell, Amanda Lorinc, Christoph U Lehmann, Jamie Robinson, Marlee Crankshaw, Maria Sullivan, Timothy A Newman, Tamara Wallace, Matthew B Weinger, Martin L Blakely

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

OBJECTIVE: The aim of the study was to determine the incidence, type, severity, preventability, and contributing factors of nonroutine events (NREs)-events perceived by care providers or skilled observers as a deviations from optimal care based on the clinical situation-in the perioperative (i.e., preoperative, operative, and postoperative) care of surgical neonates in the neonatal intensive care unit and operating room.

METHODS: A prospective observational study of noncardiac surgical neonates, who received preoperative and postoperative neonatal intensive care unit care, was conducted at an urban academic children's hospital between November 1, 2016, and March 31, 2018. One hundred twenty-nine surgical cases in …

Profile Of Autism Spectrum Disorder In Tuberous Sclerosis Complex: Results From A Longitudinal, Prospective, Multisite Study, Jamie K Capal, Marian E Williams, Deborah A Pearson, Robin Kissinger, Paul S Horn, Donna Murray, Kristn Currans, Bridget Kent, Martina Bebin, Hope Northrup, Joyce Y Wu, Mustafa Sahin, Darcy A Krueger, Tacern Study Group

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

OBJECTIVE: Tuberous sclerosis complex (TSC) is highly associated with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Objectives of the study were to characterize autistic features in young children with TSC.

METHODS: Participants included 138 children followed from ages 3 to 36 months with TSC from the Tuberous Sclerosis Complex Autism Center of Excellence Research Network (TACERN), a multicenter, prospective observational study aimed at understanding the underlying mechanisms of ASD in TSC. Developmental and autism-specific assessments were administered, and a clinical diagnosis of ASD was determined for all participants at 36 months. Further analyses were performed on 117 participants with valid autism assessments based …

What Do We Know About Business Strategy And Environmental Research? Insights From Business Strategy And The Environment, S Kumar, R Sureka, Wm Lim, S Kumar Mangla, N Goyal

Plymouth Business School

Business Strategy and the Environment (BSE) is a premier journal dedicated to interdisciplinary research that advances business practice leading to improvements in environmental performance. Using big data analytics, this review examines the intellectual structure and the drivers of research impact of BSE in the scholarly domain. The bibliometric results suggest three major findings. First, the top three countries contributing to BSE are the United Kingdom, the United States, and China. Second, BSE's research manifests through five thematic clusters, namely, business strategy and sustainability; corporate governance and sustainability reporting; green marketing and pro-environmental behavior; innovation and environmental policy; and environmental management …

Preparation To Performance: A Conductor’S Journey To The Podium, Geoffrey B. Neuman

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

The journey to the podium for a successful music educator that conducts performing ensembles requires a strong methodology steeped in score study, rehearsal planning, repertoire selection, musicianship skills, performance skills, and administrative duties. At the beginning of a career, educators often find themselves lacking the high level skills necessary to become a successful educator on the podium. This is often due to the many non-conducting requirements needed to complete the degree. Once a position is secured and professional life begins, these skills are often not fully developed. This then results in the music educator lacking the qualities needed to prepare …

Designs And Outcomes Of Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (Tms) And Repetitive Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (Rtms) Circuits, Daniel Senda

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

This thesis reports the design and outcomes of several circuits intended for transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) and repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) research. In simple terms, TMS circuits are composed of four main blocks: high voltage power source, energy storage bank, control switch, and coil. Each one of these blocks has characteristics that influence how well the circuit will perform for TMS procedures. A successful TMS research circuit must have the ability to emit controlled electromagnetic pulses through a coil connected to it. For the first block, voltages ranging from 50 V to 2 kV were used. In the second …

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 …

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, …

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). …

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 …

Arkansas Corn And Grain Sorghum Performance Tests 2021, J. F. Carlin, R. B. Morgan, R. D. Bond

Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station Research Series

Corn and grain sorghum performance tests are conducted each year in Arkansas by the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture. The tests provide information to companies marketing seed within the state and aid the Arkansas Cooperative Extension Service in formulating recommendations for producers. The 2021 corn performance tests contained 70 hybrids and were conducted at the Northeast Research and Extension Center (NEREC) at Keiser, the Lon Mann Cotton Research Station (LMCRS) near Marianna, the Bell Farming Company (BFC) near Des Arc, the Rohwer Research Station (RRS) near Rohwer, and the Rice Research and Extension Center (RREC) near Stuttgart. The …

Prenatal Risk Factors And Neonatal Dna Methylation In Very Preterm Infants, Marie Camerota, Stefan Graw, Todd M. Everson, Elisabeth C. Mcgowan, Julie A. Hofheimer, T. Michael O’Shea, Brian S. Carter, Jennifer B. Helderman, Jennifer Check, Charles R. Neal, Steven L. Pastyrnak, Lynne M. Smith, Lynne M. Dansereau, Sheri A. Dellagrotta, Carmen J. Marsit, Barry M. Lester

Manuscripts, Articles, Book Chapters and Other Papers

Background: Prenatal risk factors are related to poor health and developmental outcomes for infants, potentially via epigenetic mechanisms. We tested associations between person-centered prenatal risk profiles, cumulative prenatal risk models, and epigenome-wide DNA methylation (DNAm) in very preterm neonates. Methods: We studied 542 infants from a multi-center study of infants born < 30 weeks postmenstrual age. We assessed 24 prenatal risk factors via maternal report and medical record review. Latent class analysis was used to define prenatal risk profiles. DNAm was quantified from neonatal buccal cells using the Illumina MethylationEPIC Beadarray. Results: We identified three latent profiles of women: a group with few risk factors (61%) and groups with elevated physical (26%) and psychological (13%) risk factors. Neonates born to women in higher risk subgroups had differential DNAm at 2 CpG sites. Higher cumulative prenatal risk was associated with methylation at 15 CpG sites, 12 of which were located in genes previously linked to physical and mental health and neurodevelopment. Conclusion: We observed associations between prenatal risk factors and DNAm in very preterm infants using both person-centered and cumulative risk approaches. Epigenetics offers a potential biological indicator of prenatal risk exposure.

Multiplex Pcr Pathogen Detection In Acute Gastroenteritis Among Hospitalized Us Children Compared With Healthy Controls During 2011-2016 In The Post-Rotavirus Vaccine Era., Christopher J. Harrison, Ferdaus Hassan, Brian R. Lee, Julie Boom, Leila C. Sahni, Coreen Johnson, James Dunn, Daniel C. Payne, Mary E. Wikswo, Umesh Parashar, Rangaraj Selvarangan

Manuscripts, Articles, Book Chapters and Other Papers

Background: Despite vaccine-induced decreases in US rotavirus (RV) disease, acute gastroenteritis (AGE) remains relatively common. We evaluated AGE pathogen distribution in hospitalized US children in the post-RV vaccine era.

Methods: From December 2011 to June 2016, the New Vaccine Surveillance Network (NVSN) conducted prospective, active, population-based surveillance in hospitalized children with AGE. We tested stools from 2 NVSN sites (Kansas City, Houston) with Luminex x-TAG Gastrointestinal Pathogen Panels (Luminex GPP) and analyzed selected signs and symptoms.

Results: For 660 pediatric AGE inpatients and 624 age-matched healthy controls (HCs), overall organism detection was 51.2% and 20.6%, respectively (P < .001). Among AGE subjects, GPP polymerase chain reaction detected >1 virus …

Patient-Derived Ipscs Link Elevated Mitochondrial Respiratory Complex I Function To Osteosarcoma In Rothmund-Thomson Syndrome, Brittany E Jewell, An Xu, Dandan Zhu, Mo-Fan Huang, Linchao Lu, Mo Liu, Erica L Underwood, Jun Hyoung Park, Huihui Fan, Julian A Gingold, Ruoji Zhou, Jian Tu, Zijun Huo, Ying Liu, Weidong Jin, Yi-Hung Chen, Yitian Xu, Shu-Hsia Chen, Nino Rainusso, Nathaniel K Berg, Danielle A Bazer, Christopher Vellano, Philip Jones, Holger K Eltzschig, Zhongming Zhao, Benny Abraham Kaipparettu, Ruiying Zhao, Lisa L Wang, Dung-Fang Lee

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Rothmund-Thomson syndrome (RTS) is an autosomal recessive genetic disorder characterized by poikiloderma, small stature, skeletal anomalies, sparse brows/lashes, cataracts, and predisposition to cancer. Type 2 RTS patients with biallelic RECQL4 pathogenic variants have multiple skeletal anomalies and a significantly increased incidence of osteosarcoma. Here, we generated RTS patient-derived induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) to dissect the pathological signaling leading to RTS patient-associated osteosarcoma. RTS iPSC-derived osteoblasts showed defective osteogenic differentiation and gain of in vitro tumorigenic ability. Transcriptome analysis of RTS osteoblasts validated decreased bone morphogenesis while revealing aberrantly upregulated mitochondrial respiratory complex I gene expression. RTS osteoblast metabolic assays …

Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis With Various Doses Of Hydroxychloroquine Among Healthcare Personnel With High-Risk Exposure To Covid-19: A Randomized Controlled Trial, Fibhaa Syed, Muhammad Hassan, Mohammad Ali Arif, Sadia Batool, Rauf Niazi, Ume E Laila, Sadia Ashraf, Junaid Arshad

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Objective This trial aimed to evaluate the safety and efficacy of pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) with various hydroxychloroquine (HCQ) doses against a placebo among healthcare personnel (HCP) with high-risk exposure to coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID 19). Methods A phase II, randomized, placebo-controlled trial was conducted including 200 subjects with no active or past severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection (antibody testing and reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) were taken at the time of enrollment). Subjects of experimental groups one to three received HCQ in various doses and the control group received a placebo. The study outcomes in terms of …

Mission-Based Filters In The Electronic Residency Application Service: Saving Time And Promoting Diversity, Jennifer L Swails, Sasha Adams, Mark Hormann, Emma Omoruyi, Omowunmi Aibana

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

BACKGROUND: Holistic review promotes diversity, but widespread implementation remains limited.

OBJECTIVE: We aimed to develop a practical approach to incorporate holistic review principles in screening applicants in the Electronic Residency Application Service (ERAS) and to assess the impact on diversity.

METHODS: Three residency programs (internal medicine [IM], pediatrics, and surgery) at McGovern Medical School developed filters to identify applicants with experiences/attributes aligned with the institutional mission. These filters were retroactively applied to each program's 2019-2020 applicant pool using built-in ERAS capabilities to group applicants by user-defined features. We compared the demographics of applicants reviewed during the cycle with those identified …

Long-Term Impacts Faced By Patients And Families After Harmful Healthcare Events, Madelene J Ottosen, Emily W Sedlock, Aitebureme O Aigbe, Sigall K Bell, Thomas H Gallagher, Eric J Thomas

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

BACKGROUND: Patients and families report experiencing a multitude of harms from medical errors resulting in physical, emotional, and financial hardships. Little is known about the duration and nature of these harms and the type of support needed to promote patient and family healing after such events. We sought to describe the long-term impacts (LTIs) reported by patients and family members who experienced harmful medical events 5 or more years ago.

METHODS: We performed a content analysis on 32 interviews originally conducted with 72 patients or family members about their views of the factors contributing to their self-reported harmful event. Interviews …

Resistin Levels Decrease As Insulin Resistance Increases In A Mexican-American Cohort, Absalon D Gutierrez, Carlos A Flores, Sapna Naik, Minjae Lee, Parisa Asgarisabet, Masha Resman, Miryoung Lee, Joseph B Mccormick, Susan P Fisher-Hoch

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

AIMS: Links between resistin, insulin resistance (IR), and resistin-stimulated cytokine signaling remain unknown in Mexican-Americans. A Mexican-American cohort was examined to determine (1) relationships between circulating resistin and IR, (2) resistin's associations with cytokines and demographic and anthropometric variables, and (3) similar measurements with other adipokines.

METHODS: For cross sectional analyses, 953 adults (367 males and 586 females) in the Cameron County Hispanic Cohort (CCHC) were stratified into three groups: normal glucose tolerance, prediabetes, and diabetes mellitus. Differences in resistin and other adipokine levels were examined using linear regression via unadjusted model (Model 1), model adjusted for cytokines (Model 2), …

Kajian Tingkat Keparahan Postur Janggal Yang Berkontribusi Kepada Gangguan Sistem Muskuloskeletal (Studi Pustaka Naratif), Ira Safhira, Chandra Satrya

National Journal of Occupational Health and Safety

Background: Not all of awkward postures that exist in the industry should be eliminated. Due to the fact, awkward posture can not be separated from daily work activities. Any movement that makes the body angle away from the normal position, can be said to be an awkward posture. Misconceptions related to the concept of awkward posture are followed by the fact that the assessment’s concepts of the observation method that are often used to assess awkward postures (REBA, RULA, and OWAS) is not accordance with the theory it should be. That condition can reduce the effectiveness of controlling musculoskeletal system …

Information Literacy For Global Inclusion: Designing An Annotated Bibliography For Global Search And Selection, Pamela A. Espinosa De Los Monteros, Elizabeth L. Black

Communications in Information Literacy

The COVID-19 pandemic has reinforced the notion that our world is global and interdependent. Despite the ever-increasing connection of global with local, there continues to be formidable barriers in accessing information produced in different international contexts and languages. This Innovative Practices article details the redesign of an annotated bibliography assignment in an international studies course to support the inclusion of global perspectives into the information practices of undergraduate students. The redesign embedded explicit information literacy dispositions and global citizenship education competencies through the search and selection of global information sources. The authors discuss the instructional elements used, student outcomes, and …

Ay 2021/2022 Fs Agenda, 2021-12-01, Faculty Senate

Faculty Senate Archives

No abstract provided.

Ay 2021/2022 Fs Meeting Minutes, 2021-12-01, Faculty Senate

Faculty Senate Archives

No abstract provided.