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Seeing, Being Seen
No full textSeeing, Being Seen is a short story collection of approximately 49,000 words. The collection contains twelve stories that experiment with surreal tropes from the horror genre, often exploring a central theme or storyline through experimental and non-traditional prose formats. Prominent themes include gender and sexual dysphoria, isolation, and the transference of trauma between close friends, family, and loved ones
The Impact of Fines on AC Mixtures Passing Sieve #200 using Marshall Mix Design
No full textAsphalt pavements are constantly subjected to the damaging effects of traffic and weather. Fine aggregates play a significant role in the overall performance and durability of asphalt concrete. This research investigates the impact of the percentage of fines passing sieve #200 using the Marshall Mix Design method and evaluates how the varying percentages fine aggregate passing sieve #200 influences the mechanical properties and overall performance of the mixture. The aggregates consisted of sampling from three different sources and two different mix types, each mixtures having a 2% added and reduced fine content to compare with the control mix. The mixture design were conformed to the “Standard Specifications for Public Works Construction” by Regional Transportation Commission (RTC). By adjusting the fines contents p#200 by +2% and -2% from the control mix fines, this study aims to assess its effect on key performance criteria, including cracking resistance, rutting susceptibility, and stiffness. Although some mixtures required binder adjustments to meet the air voids specification of 4±1.5%, most of the mixtures still performed within acceptable limits.The mixtures underwent performance testing including the Ideal Cracking Test (IDEAL-CT), Hamburg Wheel Tracking Test (HWTT), and Dynamic Modulus (E*) testing using the Asphalt Mixture Performance Tester (AMPT), under both short-term and mid-term aging conditions. The results revealed that increasing P200 content generally led to higher rutting susceptibility and reduced dynamic modulus, particularly in Type 3 mixtures, indicating decreased stiffness and structural performance. Mixtures with lower P200 showed a higher CTindex value due to increased binder film thickness because of less amount of fine contents in the mix. Findings emphasize that precise control of fines and binder content is essential to ensure performance, especially under changing field conditions. Overall, this research confirms that even small changes in fine aggregate content can significantly affect asphalt mix behavior and highlights the importance of performance-based mix design for long-term pavement reliability. The study supports the growing shift toward performance-based specifications by demonstrating how fine aggregate content influences key mechanical properties
Harm reduction vending machines: Exploring and improving acceptability of a low barrier approach to reducing drug related harms
No full textBackground: The opioid overdose crisis remains a major public health issue in the United States. The National Academy of Sciences (NAS) prevention framework categorizes interventions into three levels: universal, selective, or indicated. Naloxone is central to overdose prevention and has traditionally focused on individuals at highest risk of experiencing an overdose (i.e., indicated interventions). However, in recent years, efforts have expanded to include broader strategies targeting at-risk subgroups (selective interventions) and the general public (universal interventions). This shift reflects a growing interest in expanding naloxone access through novel, low-barrier approaches. Harm reduction vending machines (HRVMs) represent a novel approach that may support this broader distribution landscape. While international evidence supports HRVMs, limited research has explored their use and perception in the United States context.Purpose: The three aims of this dissertation were to: 1) Summarize universal and selective naloxone distribution models in the United States, 2) Characterize the reach and acceptability of HRVMs among PWUD in Nevada using survey data, 3) Identify factors that influence HRVM use in Nevada through qualitative research.
Methods: In manuscript one, a scoping review of peer-reviewed U.S.-based studies (2005–2025) was conducted to characterize universal and selective naloxone distribution models. Studies were categorized by intervention type (universal vs. selective), setting, target population, and most common outcomes reported. In manuscript two, survey data from 213 people who used drugs in Nevada (2022–2023) were analyzed to assess HRVM awareness, intent, and perceived barriers, and facilitators. Descriptive statistics and regression models were used to identify correlates of intent to use. In manuscript three, a rapid ethnographic approach was employed, including 43 interviews, 44 hours of observation, and audits of eight HRVM sites. Thematic analysis focused on enabling and impeding factors that shape HRVM access and use.
Results: The scoping review identified 16 relevant studies (3 universal, 13 selective). The most commonly reported outcomes were number of naloxone doses distributed and improvements in overdose knowledge and attitudes. Manuscript 2 survey results showed low HRVM awareness (30%) but high intent to use (69%) among non-users. Facilitators included free supplies and 24/7 access; barriers included transportation, location awareness, and surveillance concerns. Paper 3 qualitative data highlighted HRVMs as preferred for their convenience, anonymity, and non-judgmental access. Impeding factors included limited hours, too much visibility, and unclear information. Participants recommended locating machines outside, near public transportation, and increasing supply limits.
Conclusions: There is not sufficient evidence to support implementation of universal or selective naloxone distribution interventions. However, the NAS framework could be used to guide naloxone distribution plans, including HRVM implementation efforts. HRVMs show promise in expanding supply distribution. HRVMs are acceptable and valued by PWUD but programmatic barriers exist. Centering user perspectives is critical for improving reach, equity, and effectiveness of future HRVM implementation efforts
Comparing Virtual Mand and Tact Training to Teach Foreign Language Vocabulary
No full textLearning foreign languages through virtual or app-based instruction has become a common method in the modern world due to its accessibility and ease of use. While there are many aspects to learning a language, an important feature is vocabulary acquisition, which is a common target in virtual learning. In behavior analysis, the conceptualization of verbal operants can be applied to increase a learner’s ability to acquire novel vocabulary words. The current study implements a virtual training to teach learners mand and tact verbal operants. The trainings were evaluated based on their efficiency when looking at number of trials to reach mastery and effectiveness when assessing the number of emergent relations post-training. The tact training consisted of presenting an object to the participants on a computer and asking them to name the object in Mandarin Chinese, while the mand training consisted of an interrupted chains procedure where participants were required to virtually request access to an item that was being withheld from them to complete an activity on the screen. Overall, there were no significantly different results between the two training conditions. Both tact and mand training in all 12 participants produced a similar number of trials to mastery, as well as producing a high level of emergent mands, tacts, and intraverbals. The results from this study indicate that virtual foreign tact and virtual foreign mand training may both be successful ways to promote vocabulary acquisition in learners
Global Variation in Upper Third Molar Agenesis
No full textTooth agenesis, defined as the congenital absence of one or more teeth, most commonly affects upper third molars. The third molar is the last tooth to develop in the dentition, and experiences the highest variation in size and morphology, demonstrating instability. Although the exact etiology of third molar agenesis is unknown, previous studies suggest it is influenced by evolutionary reductions in jaw size, tooth size, softer diets, and genetic variation. Christy G Turner II scored 40 morphological tooth crown and root traits, including upper third molar agenesis and the associated conditions of pegged and reduced third molars. These variables turned out to be a very sensitive indicator of world population history. His research demonstrated that frequencies of upper third molar reduction and absence exhibit strong dependence on geographic regions. Therefore, the aim of the present study was to assess the frequencies of upper third molar agenesis and the associated traits of pegged and reduced third molars using a globally distributed archaeological dataset.Pack Research Experience Progra
Time Machines: The Sensation Novel as a Technology of Transimperial Temporality
No full text“Time Machines: The Sensation Novel as a Technology of Transimperial Temporality” investigates how late Victorian sensation novels represent and explore relations between Britain and other geographies using plots and tropes of time travel. The temporal, geographical, and cultural disruptions of sensation fiction function as alternative modes of understanding imperial and colonial relations. This dissertation builds on established postcolonial readings and, following work by Sukanya Banerjee, proffers a transimperial historical framework as a method of understanding the complex and ambivalent fascination with and potentiality of imperial “threats” that present as atavistic disruptions in the metropole. The fin-de-siècle novels by H. Rider Haggard, Guy Boothby, F. Anstey, Richard Marsh, and H.G. Wells discussed in this project offer dynamic narratives that consider the Other’s disruption of British notions of historical progress and geographical and cultural mastery in plots that represent foreign subjects and knowledges as potent agents that resist and will outlast British domination. Using Gothic literary tropes that disturb and blur distinctions between Briton and Other, and between Britain and dominated colonies and territories, these novels disturb the British Empire’s placement as the epicenter of history through a transimperial mode of retrospection that considers the Other as always, already and indefinitely existing coevally to and alongside Britain across the expanse of space and time
Teaching Writing to Multilingual Learners of English (MLE): Pre-Service Teachers' Experiences in a Practicum Context
No full textAs U.S. classrooms grow increasingly linguistically diverse, there is an urgentneed to prepare pre-service teachers (PSTs) to support multilingual learners of English
(MLE), particularly in the area of writing instruction. This dissertation investigates how
PSTs enrolled in a university-based after-school literacy tutoring program supported the
writing development of elementary-aged MLE. Grounded in sociocultural theory
(Vygotsky, 1978), dialogism (Bakhtin, 1981), social semiotic multimodality (Kress,
2010), and culturally responsive pedagogy (Gay, 2010), this qualitative multiple case
study explores the instructional strategies PSTs used and the decision-making processes
that informed their practices.
Findings across eight PST–MLE case studies reveal that effective writing
instruction was scaffolded, multimodal, and culturally affirming. PSTs incorporated
visual organizers, drawing, storytelling, and students’ home languages to reduce writing
anxiety and support idea generation. Decision-making was shaped by prior coursework,
mentoring, reflective practice, and a commitment to honoring students’ linguistic and
cultural identities. Despite these strengths, PSTs also navigated challenges related to
linguistic confidence, material limitations, and institutional expectations. This study
contributes to research on multilingual writing pedagogy by offering empirical insights
into how PSTs translate theory into practice in real-time, individualized settings. It
underscores the need for teacher preparation programs to integrate targeted training in
linguistically responsive writing instruction, scaffolded pedagogies, and reflective
teaching practices. Ultimately, the study calls for a reimagining of writing instruction that positions multilingualism as an asset and ensures that all students—regardless of
language background—are supported in meeting rigorous academic standards
The Mallet Duo in the Percussion Studio
No full textThe purpose of this document is to explore the potential of the Marimba and Vibraphone as a duo, not only as an ensemble that offers the possibility to expand the repertoire played in the percussion curriculum, but also as a pedagogical tool for teaching improvisation through the adaptation of jazz standards or other kinds of music that can be adapted to the mallet duo.
The document will provide historical context for both instruments focusing on their integration into improvised music, tracing their journey from the early appearances of mallet instruments in music that included improvisational sections. Additionally, it will offer a detailed account of “Double Image,” the groundbreaking duo formed by Dave Samuels and David Friedman, which was the first ensemble to pioneer the marimba/vibraphone duo setting. The study will explore their innovative approach, include biographical insights about both artists, and provide a music analysis of two of their most renowned arrangements: Carousel and Nyack.
The idea for this document stems from the formation of my own duo, “Ochoa/Heglund,” which consists of Dr. Andrew Heglund and myself. After been playing together for two years, this document serves as both a continuation and an explanation of our approach to performing jazz standards in a mallet duo setting. Additionally, I will explore how this chamber setting can function as a pedagogical tool for teaching improvisation, as I have been learning to improvise in this context during my doctoral studies. The document will include examples of our arrangements, along with their analysis and performance practices, followed by a discussion on how these can be effectively integrated into the percussion studio and curriculum
Analysis of Properties of Biomass Burning Aerosols using Numerical Techniques
No full textThe increasing frequency and intensity of wildfires in the Western U.S. have heightened concerns over the environmental and health impacts of wildfire-emitted aerosols. These aerosols contribute substantially to atmospheric particulate matter (PM), with their particle size distribution (PSD) playing a critical role in radiative forcing and respiratory health. However, distinguishing wildfire-related aerosols, especially under moderate or weak smoke conditions, remains challenging. Traditional source apportionment methods, such as Positive Matrix Factorization (PMF), have been widely used to analyze aerosol sources, yet their application to PSD data is limited. Additionally, machine learning (ML) techniques provide new opportunities for improving the estimation of PM, but their use in identification and classification of wildfire aerosols remains underexplored.To address these challenges, satellite imagery, hazard mapping systems, and wind back-trajectory analysis were used to identify wildfire smoke-influenced days in Reno, Nevada (NV). PSD data and air pollutant concentrations were analyzed to differentiate wildfire-related aerosols from other sources. PMF was used to quantify the contributions of wildfire emissions to air pollution, while aerosol sources were classified using k-means clustering and key factors influencing PSD variability under wildfire smoke impacting were examined. Finally, a Random Forest classification system (RFCS) was developed and trained using k-means clustering results to detect hourly wildfire smoke influence based on common air pollutant data.
The results indicate that wildfire smoke significantly increases aerosol particle size and contributes up to 65% of PM2.5 concentrations during wildfire seasons (July-September) and up to 47% on an annual basis in Reno, NV. PMF analysis effectively identified wildfire-related aerosols, while k-means clustering revealed that using PSD data and air pollutant concentrations can both successfully distinguish wildfire-influenced hours. Key factors influencing wildfire aerosol PSD variability were demonstrated. The RFCS successfully detected wildfire-impacted hours, even in cases of light smoke influence, demonstrating its potential for real-time air quality assessments. These findings advance our understanding of wildfire aerosol properties and highlight the effectiveness of numerical techniques for improving air pollution monitoring and mitigation strategies
A Review of Specifications and Measurement Methods for Asphalt Pavement Density
No full textAchieving proper in-place density is essential for long-term performance and durability of asphalt pavements. This document summarizes current practices and emerging technologies for measuring in-place density. It begins with a review of the State Department of Transportation (DOT) specifications for density acceptance, including baseline references, measurement methods, quality metrics, and incentive structures. Although core testing remains the primary method for acceptance due to its accuracy, its drawbacks "being destructive, time-consuming, and limited coverage" have prompted increased interest in non-destructive testing (NDT) alternatives. The review covers several NDT methods, including nuclear and non-nuclear density gauges, dielectric profiling systems (DPSs), and intelligent compaction (IC) technologies. Each method is examined based on its operating principles, applications, limitations, and key factors affecting its results. A comparative analysis shows trade-offs in accuracy, data coverage, and operational complexity. The document also discusses future trends, such as the integration of multi-NDT platforms that enable real-time and continuous density monitoring. Overall, this review highlights the increasing trend toward the use of intelligent, data-driven tools for compaction assessment. However, to facilitate the adoption of advanced NDT systems, it is essential to develop and implement a quality assurance program (QAP) that effectively utilizes the collected data to improve pavement performance.Federal Highway AdministrationUnited States Department of Transportatio