Thesis Equations: A Standard Formula to Help Craft a Thesis Statement

Thesis Equations is an outlining method that can be used for writing argumentative papers. It proposes a formulaic structure that acts as a base for students to craft a simple thesis. Students need to know how to make a claim. With the emergence of AI use, and the decreasing knowledge of foundational practices, utilizing proper brainstorming and outlining skills persists to be a difficult task for student writers.https://oasis.library.unlv.edu/btp_expo/1222/thumbnail.jp

Urban Heat Islands in Mountain West Cities, 2024

This fact sheet presents data on Urban Heat Islands (UHIs) in six cities across five Mountain West states: Arizona, Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico, and Utah. The data are derived from the 2024 Climate Central report, “Urban Heat Hot Spots in 65 Cities,” which includes data on how UHIs boost temperatures in 65 major cities across the United States. This fact sheet focuses on UHIs in six Mountain West cities: Albuquerque, NM; Denver, CO; Las Vegas, NV; Phoenix, AZ; Salt Lake City, UT; and Tucson, AZ

Looking Back, Looking Forward: Contextualizing Historical Bioarchaeological Accounts with Contemporary Social Issues

The very existence of women has been taken for granted throughout history. Their domestic roles are viewed as biologically fixed, resulting in a general lack of information recorded or researched relating to their lived experiences, life histories, and narratives. Instead, it is the history of white men that has been standardized as the norm, creating visible gaps in our understanding of women’s experiences. Additionally, the majority of existing literature centers on female reproduction, their roles as mothers, and violence enacted against women. While this information contributes towards a greater understanding of women’s experiences in bioarchaeological investigations, these data often lack a holistic representation of women’s narratives, health and autonomy. To contribute toward this representation, I used osteological, mortuary, and historic archival data to explore how women buried at the Milwaukee County Poor Farm Cemetery lived and died throughout the late 19th to early 20th centuries. Furthermore, these historical data were then situated within a contemporary context to understand how women’s health, treatment, and representation have and/or have not changed from the past to the present. Bridging the gap between historic and contemporary context requires a framework that contextualizes morbidity and mortality alongside social, political, and economic context (i.e., cultural determinants): a social autopsy. A social autopsy examines the cultural determinants that contribute toward differential morbidity and mortality patterns in vulnerable populations. In bioarchaeology and forensic anthropology, the integration of social autopsy can help researchers identify historical and contemporary factors that shaped the lives and deaths of the individual or groups being studied. The social autopsy asserts that meaningful reform cannot occur without a deep understanding of systemic issues, oppressive treatment, and the differential hardships faced by marginalized individuals. By applying this methodological framework, bioarchaeologists and forensic anthropologists can guide interventions that not only address historical injustices but also contribute toward improving public health and social welfare policies today

“Do You Even Lift, Bro?”: Correlates of Muscle Dysmorphia Symptomatology in Filipino Male University Students

Muscle Dysmorphia (MD) is a subtype of Body Dysmorphic Disorder (BDD) and is marked by the desire to increase muscularity and reduce body fat. MD is typically more prevalent among younger male populations, and it often drives comorbid disorders, including substance abuse, eating disorders, and social anxiety. Despite the growing literature on MD, it remains understudied in certain racial/ethnic populations, such as Filipinos. Acculturation, defined as the process in which an individual adopts, acquires, and adapts to a new cultural environment as a result of immigration, influences body image by reshaping an individual’s perceptions of beauty and muscularity standards. Guided by the Social Ecological Model (SEM), this study aimed to determine the severity of MD symptomatology among Filipino male university students in the United States and evaluate the associations among acculturation, MD symptomatology, and anabolic-androgenic steroid (AAS) use and ideation. An anonymous primary data survey administered through Qualtrics was disseminated to university students who met the inclusion criteria. R statistical software was used to conduct all data analyses, including descriptive statistics, linear regression in a structural equation model framework, and logistic regression. Results show that Filipino men showed a higher MD symptom severity than other populations previously studied. Structural equation models revealed that language use and preference (LUP) were negatively associated with drive for size (DS) (β = -0.25, p = 0.004) and functional impairment (FI) (β = -0.29, p \u3c 0.001) but positively associated with appearance intolerance (AI) (β = 0.31, p = 0.004). Additionally, ethnic social relations (ESR) were negatively associated with AI (β = -0.19, p = 0.045). Logistic regression indicated LUP was negatively associated with AAS use (OR = 0.90, 95% CI [0.82, 0.97], p = 0.007), but ESR was positively associated with AAS use (OR = 1.37, 95% CI [1.15, 1.66], p \u3c 0.001). Meanwhile, ESR (OR = 1.18, 95% CI [1.04, 1.34], p = 0.01) and FI (OR = 1.14, 95% CI [1.01, 1.28], p = 0.03) were positively associated with the likelihood of AAS ideation. These findings will help emphasize the importance of body image issues, particularly in men, and guide the development of public health interventions based on the SEM

Understanding Hospitality Students’ Perspectives Towards Hospitality Program Resources: A Qualitative Research

Hospitality students are qualified and well-trained candidates to meet the growing labor demand of the hospitality industry. It is worth noting that not all hospitality students are attracted to hospitality careers. While previous hospitality education research has shown interest in the role of hospitality program resources in students’ career intentions, there is a significant gap in qualitative research that investigates students’ detailed perspectives on how these resources can shape their career decisions. Drawing on Social Cognitive Career Theory (SCCT), this case study explores students’ perspectives on their resource experiences, needs, and perceived SCCT factors associated with their career and graduate studies intentions. The data were generated through 17 online semi-structured interviews of hospitality students enrolled in a southwestern four-year hospitality program. Specifically, this case study’s findings revealed that hospitality program resources have an important role in helping students discover, identify, and develop their career interests and future plans. The most needed resources expected by students are redesigning hospitality courses, assigning jobs (including guaranteeing internships), and learning specific positions (e.g., job title, duties, daily work content, promotion paths, etc.) that are available in the hospitality industry. Consistent with the SCCT’s theoretical framework, students’ social cognitive variables, perceived contextual barriers and support, and additional personal factors work together and shape their career and academic development. Accordingly, the findings are valuable for hospitality programs to understand and better accommodate students’ needs, offering resources that can support students’ development

Clinical Decision Making in Pelvic Floor Therapy the OT Difference

Pelvic floor dysfunction (PFD) is a life-altering and debilitating chronic condition that affects 28 millions of women in the United States alone, the prevalence of (PFD) among women ranges from 11.5% to 35%, (Radzimińska et al., 2017; Wu et al., 2009). This study affirms how occupational therapy practitioners can be essential resource in treating pelvic floor dysfunction from a holistic perspective by addressing the wide range of activities of daily living (ADL) and instrumental activities of daily living (IADL) impacted by pelvic floor dysfunction, particularly in women. Through a qualitative descriptive case study and a single key informant—an occupational therapist specializing in pelvic floor therapy— explored how clinical experiences, evidence-based practice, and continuing education influence clinical decision-making in delivering optimal client interventions and outcomes data analysis consisted of inductive coding and thematic analysis yielding (1) a holistic approach to evaluation and assessment of ADLs, IADLs, and occupational participation; (2) the application of an occupational clinical lens in treatment planning; and (3) an occupational perspective on intervention strategies and the development of personalized home exercise programs. These findings highlight the unique contributions of occupational therapists in addressing both the physical and psychosocial impacts of pelvic floor dysfunctio

Oral Prevalence of Selenomonas Noxia Differs Among Orthodontic Patients Compared to Non-Orthodontic Controls: A Retrospective Biorepository Analysis

Introduction: The introduction of fixed orthodontic brackets in orthodontic therapy has the potential to significantly alter the oral microbial flora. Most orthodontic research has focused on cariogenic pathogens, while some evidence has demonstrated an increase in many known periodontal pathogens. However, little is known about the prevalence of the gram-negative periodontal pathogen, Selenomonas noxia (SN) among these patients.Methods: Using an existing saliva biorepository, n=208 samples from adult and pediatric orthodontic and non-orthodontic patients were identified and screened for the presence of SN using qPCR and validated primers. Results: In the pediatric study sample (n=89) 36% tested positive for the presence of SN with orthodontic patients comprising more SN- positive samples (87.5%) than SN-negative samples (78.9%), p=0.0271. In the adult study sample (n=119 ), SN was found in 28.6% with orthodontic patients comprising 58.8% of positive samples and only 28.2% of negative samples,, p\u3c 0.0001. Conclusions: These data demonstrated that both pediatric and adult orthodontic patients exhibited higher prevalence of SN compared with age-matched non-orthodontic controls. As this organism is associated not only with periodontal disease, but long-term health issues such as obesity, more research is needed regarding the factors that increase prevalence of this organism

The Dropbot: Design and Development of a Custom Drone for Precision Water Drop Penetration Time (WDPT) Testing

Assessing the hydrophobic characteristics of soil is vital for understanding soil wettability or soil-water interactions, particularly in post-wildfire environments where water repellency can significantly impact ecosystem recovery, water infiltration, and erosion control. One key metric in soil wettability studies is the Water Drop Penetration Time (WDPT) test, which evaluates the hydrophobicity of soil and guides land treatment strategies. This thesis presents the design and development of DropBot, a custom-built drone platform engineered for the precise delivery and analysis of water droplets in WDPT tests.The DropBot, a custom drone, integrates a lightweight, 3D-printed frame with a self-leveling platform, enabling consistent droplet deployment and testing across varied terrains. The system is equipped with modular manipulators, a custom droplet release mechanism, and multiple onboard sensors for environmental feedback. The DropBot is operated using the Robot Operating System (ROS) framework, allowing for scalable sensor integration, data acquisition, and autonomous behavior. The development process included iterative mechanical design, sensor calibration, and field testing to ensure precision, stability, and repeatability. Experimental results demonstrate the DropBot’s ability to accurately deliver water droplets with controlled positioning and timing, validating its utility for in-situ WDPT tests. This work also contributes to the growing field of agricultural robotics and sets the stage for further enhancements, such as computer vision integration for surface detection and fully autonomous mission planning for soil property mapping

Rainy Day Funds in Mountain West States, FY2024

This fact sheet presents data on rainy day funds for fiscal year 2024 in the five Mountain West states of Arizona, Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico, and Utah, as originally reported in the 2025 Governing Magazine article, “Growth of State Rainy Day Funds Has Slowed Down.” These data capture the number of days each state could fund state government operations using only rainy day funds, which represent the money states set aside to maintain operations during economic downturns or fiscal stress

Unmarried, Married, and Divorced People in the Mountain West, 2023

This fact sheet presents the ratio of unmarried men to unmarried women, as well as percentage rates of single, married, and divorced people for sixteen Mountain West cities in Arizona, Colorado, Nevada, and New Mexico. The Smart Asset report, “Where Most People Are Single or Married – 2025 Study” reports data for the 119 most populous cities in the U.S. from the 2023 one-year American Community Survey conducted by U.S Census Bureau