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Variation In The Modified First Metatarsal Of A Large Sample Of Tapirus Polkensis And The Functional Implications For Ceratomorphs., Patrick Lawrence Hawkins

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The Mio-Pliocene age Gray Fossil Site of northeastern Tennessee has the largest collection of tapir postcranial skeletons in the world. Though representing a single species, a few localized structures show high variability. This paper deals with variation of the first metatarsal, which in tapirs was reduced as an early adaptation for running and then retrofitted to serve as a special origin for flexors and adductors of the proximal phalanges. The first metatarsal connects the medial ankle with a posterior process of the third metatarsal in tapiroids. In Tapirus indicus, T. webbi, and 6 out of 31 T. polkensis …

Increasing Mand Variability In Preschoolers With Autism, Tyra P. Sellers

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Language development and the ability to access reinforcement in young children with autism may be impeded by lack of behavioral variability in verbal behavior. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of simultaneously teaching multiple responses and extinction of repetition on producing varied verbal behavior in young children with autism. In particular, we examined the effects of these procedures on increasing the behavioral variability of mands used to request edibles in preschool children with autism. For all three participants, neither increasing mand repertoires via teaching multiple responses, nor extinction of repetition, by themselves or in combination were …

Method Of Tolerance Allocation To Maintain Rotary Balance Of Multi-Component Bodies, Lindsay Louise Rogers

Master's Theses (2009 -)

Vibration of rotating machinery caused by mass imbalance is the most frequent source of unwanted disturbing forces and also the most preventable. In the case of a CT scanner, unwanted vibration in the equipment causes artifacts to the X-ray image, and therefore all measures are taken to eliminate imbalance. The CT scanner is a multi-component rotating body, therefore making it a challenge to account for many discrete components, each with unique variation. This research developed the equations for static and dynamic balance including considerations for inertia. The variation of the components was studied using two models: a sensitivity analysis and …

Linguistic Variation In The Affrication Of /T/ And /D/, Megan E. Tedder

Culminating Projects in English

This study investigated the affrication of /t/ and /di before the palatal liquid /J/ and whether this linguistic variable is a language change occurring in American English. To investigate this, I used the methodology of an apparent time study. The methodology of this study involved finding 12 participants of varying ages and placing them into predetermined age groups. Group A had four participants aged 10-19, Group B had four participants aged 20-40, and, finally, Group Chad four participants who were over the age of 40. These participants were asked to read from a word list and a short story that …

/Ae/ And /E/ In El Paso English, Lance Levi Williams

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

The production and perception of front vowels /ae/ and /e/ by El Paso residents was examined in a pilot study to begin to establish linguistic variables in an understudied yet dynamic speech community and explore the question of the unity of the speech community and possible influence of L2 English speakers on L1 English speakers. 25 subjects, males age 19 to 34, were given both tests of perception and production, and these results were analyzed with respect to their social and linguistic backgrounds. In general, subjects in the Anglo group appeared to be more united in their production and perception …

Voice From The Other Side Of The Mirror: A Comparative Study Of Nabokov And Kundera, Shasha Li

Digitized Theses

This thesis is a comparative study of the novels of Vladimir Nabokov and Milan Kundera. The point of departure of my thesis is the inquiry to the narrative voices in their works and the search for the “real author” behind the deluded narratives. My thesis will begin with the examination of the role of parody in Nabokov’s novels, particularly Lolita. It further discusses how, through irony and imitation, Nabokov’s text, as Borges said about the Baroque style, “deliberately exhausts (or tries to exhaust) its possibilities and borders on its own caricature.” Bader’s metaphor, “refracted shades,” concerning the authorship of Pale …

Scan-Based Near-Field Acoustical Holography On Partially Correlated Sources, Michael D. Gardner

Theses and Dissertations

Scan-based near-field acoustical holography (NAH) is applied to partially correlated sources. Partial field decomposition via the virtual coherence method is used to implement the scan-based NAH. The background and theory of these methods are developed. Multiple stationary reference microphones are required for the partial field decomposition. Guidelines for reference microphone placement in the literature thus far have been limited. Improved guidelines for reference microphones are given after the results of two sets of experiments. The first set involves discrete, partially correlated sources, both physical and numerical. The second set of experiments is strictly numerical and involves continuous sources. Fewer microphones …

Twenty-One Countries, Millions Of Native Speakers, And One Semester To Teach It All: Linguistic Variation In Entry Level College Textbooks For Spanish, Nicole Joanne Gilmore

Master's Theses

There is a great deal of linguistic variety in the Spanish that is spoken throughout the world. Differences such as the use of vosotros, voseo, and seseo, are steadily employed in some areas, while other people groups express themselves in a totally different manner. Because such a wide range of linguistic nuances exist, textbook authors are faced with the difficult task of choosing which elements to include and which to exclude from their writings. In this study, I have examined 17 different beginning level textbooks for college students of Spanish with a particular focus on the teaching of the following …

Spatiotemporal Variation In Soil Moisture And Hydraulic Properties And Their Impacts On Rainfall -Runoff And Infiltration Processes, Jun Yin

UNLV Retrospective Theses & Dissertations

In arid and semi-arid regions such as in the southwestern United States, soil moisture is an essential component of desert ecosystems. Gaining better knowledge of moisture dynamics through appropriate numerical modeling will help us understand physical mechanisms that influence soil hydrologic processes in these regions. Moreover, numerical modeling of these processes is often emphasized because most desert watersheds are ungauged, and thus field observations are either not readily available or difficult to simulate. In this dissertation, three modeling studies were conducted to investigate the temporal and spatial soil moisture variation and hydraulic properties, and their effect on rainfall-runoff and infiltration …

The Importance Of The Riemann-Hilbert Problem To Solve A Class Of Optimal Control Problems, Nicholas Dewaal

Theses and Dissertations

Optimal control problems can in many cases become complicated and difficult to solve. One particular class of difficult control problems to solve are singular control problems. Standard methods for solving optimal control are discussed showing why those methods are difficult to apply to singular control problems. Then standard methods for solving singular control problems are discussed including why the standard methods can be difficult and often impossible to apply without having to resort to numerical techniques. Finally, an alternative method to solving a class of singular optimal control problems is given for a specific class of problems.

On Computing Bayesian Credible Sets For The Coefficient Of Variation Of A Normal Population, Skanda Pokkunuri

UNLV Retrospective Theses & Dissertations

The use of Coefficient of Variation (CV) is quite common in many disciplines, yet its estimation has not received much attention from statisticians. In this paper, we consider the problem of confidence interval estimation of CV for a normal population using the Bayesian approach. The method of Gibbs Sampler is used for numerical integration in order to compute the Bayes credible sets for CV for two different joint prior distributions---the natural conjugate prior, and the non-informative prior. Several simulated examples are included to demonstrate the proposed procedure.

Establishing A Quantitative Foundation For Exactly Constrained Design, Alisha M. Hammond

Theses and Dissertations

Exactly constrained (EC) design is a robust design method which can be used for mechanical assemblies. It entails using the minimum number of constraints to eliminate all desired motion.

While found by some engineers in industry to have many benefits (including robust assembly, no binding or play, ease of assembly, and the ability to tolerate the wear of parts), EC designs remain somewhat unrecognized by academia. One reason for this minimal exposure may be the lack of a quantitative foundation for such designs. This thesis describes the history and current background for EC designs, and it also begins to develop …

Geographic Variation And Behavorial Plasticity: Vigilance In Desert Bighorn Sheep (Ovis Canadensis Nelsoni) Populations, Kathleen Mary Longshore

UNLV Retrospective Theses & Dissertations

Antipredator behaviors such as vigilance are often costly because they must be traded off with other activities, such as feeDing To assess geographic patterns of vigilance behavior in bighorn sheep, I tested the large-scale hypothesis that vigilance in bighorn sheep would differ between populations as a result of spatial heterogeneity in predation regimes. Mean vigilance as well as the covariation of vigilance with environmental factors such as group size and distance from escape terrain were predicted to differ among regions with and without predators. Populations under high predation risk were three populations that had originally been translocated from a mountain …

Multiple Voltage Scheme With Frequency Variation For Power Minimization Of Pipelined Circuits At High-Level Synthesis, Bharath Radhakrishnan

UNLV Retrospective Theses & Dissertations

High-Level Synthesis (HLS) is defined as a translation process from a behavioral description into structural description. The high-level synthesis process consists of three interdependent phases: scheduling, allocation and binDing The order of the three phases varies depending on the design flow. There are three important quality measures used to support design decision, namely size, performance and power consumption. Recently, with the increase in portability, the power consumption has become a very dominant factor in the design of circuits. The aim of low-power high-level synthesis is to schedule operations to minimize switching activity and select low power modules while satisfying timing …

Innovative Forced Response Analysis Method Applied To A Transonic Compressor, Timothy M. Hutton

Browse all Theses and Dissertations

A set of inlet guide vane (IGV) unsteady surface pressure measurements of a transonic compressor is presented. Using a flexible pressure sensor array, unsteady IGV suction-surface and pressure-surface pressures are acquired for six spanwise by five chordwise locations for various speed lines and throttle settings. Measurements from this sensor array are used to investigate unsteady vane/blade interaction aeromechanical forcing functions in a modern, highly loaded compressor stage. A significant effect is shown on the unsteady forced response of the IGV with changes in compressor operating point and IGV/rotor axial spacing for various span and chord locations. In particular, variations in …

The Evolution Of Drug Laws In America And The Variation In Penalties And Sentencing In State Courts, Robert Christopher Hogenson

UNLV Retrospective Theses & Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to examine the evolution of major drug laws in the United States, the variation in statutory penalties between selected states, and to determine if the written law is reflected in sentencing and prison admissions. Penalties for felony possession and illicit trafficking for five states-Arizona, Florida, Illinois, Nevada, and New York---were compared with case disposition, incarceration rates, and average time offenders spend in jail or prison for these offenses. Two data sources from Bureau of Justice Statistics were utilized for this analysis. The first data set was titled "State Court Processing Statistics, 1990, 1992, 1994, …

Variation In Decorated Tusayan Gray Ware Pottery At The Yamashita-3 Site, Kristen D Martine

UNLV Retrospective Theses & Dissertations

This thesis characterizes variability in sand-tempered decorated Tusayan Gray Ware pottery at the Yamashita-3 site in the lower Moapa Valley. Attributes included in this analysis reflect geologic source materials used to make pottery, and stylistic variables that mirror decisions made by individual potters. Evaluation of these characteristics will aid future researchers in identifying the degree to which manufacture of decorated Tusayan Gray Ware pottery was standardized in the Virgin region. The results of this analysis indicate that most characteristics of decorated Tusayan Gray Ware pottery display little variation, indicating that the manufacture of this pottery was standardized. Two aspects of …

Teacher Perceptions Of Student Speech, Yvonne G. Haig

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

Although language variation is widespread and natural,it is subject to judgement. Where a standard language has developed, other varieties tend to be judged against its "standards". While a number of overseas studies have found that this type of linguistic bias occurs in education and negatively impacts on dialect speakers, there has been little research in Australia. The research reported in this thesis investigates how teachers perceive the speech of school-aged students and whether the socio-economic status or level of schooling of the students influence these perceptions. Further, it examines the relationships between the teachers' background, the way they define Standard …

Growth Responses Of Great Basin Plant Species To Variation In Nitrogen Availability, Carol J. Bilbrough

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

For this dissertation, I examined the ability of field-grown plants to capture N presented in enriched patches or in whole-plant pulses. I assessed root proliferation in N-enriched patches when Agropyron desertorum plants had been previously fertilized or shaded. All plants responded with increased root growth rates in N-enriched patches. However, root proliferation by shaded plants was 50% less than unshaded plants. Unexpectedly, plants with higher N status had greater root growth rates in enriched patches than plants that had not received N supplement. I concluded that plants already under competitive pressure above ground for light and below ground for nutrients …

Morphological And Molecular Variation In Four Species Of Migratory Raptors From North America, Elise Vernon Schmidt

UNLV Retrospective Theses & Dissertations

Population structure and ecological morphology of four species of raptors were studied in three migratory populations. Sharp-shinned Hawks (Accipiter striatus), Cooper's Hawks (A. cooperi), Red-tailed Hawks (Buteo jamaicensis), and American Kestrels (Falco sparverius) all migrate through three major flyways in North America: the Goshute Mountains of Nevada, the Manzano Mountains of New Mexico, and Cape May Point in New Jersey. Restriction fragment analysis of mitochondrial DNA was used to elucidate population structure, and analyses of morphological characteristics provided information on ecomorphology of raptors. Geographic population structure was found only in Red-tailed Hawks with Cape May individuals having a different haplotype …

A Study Of Bistable Behavior And Parameter Variation In Dark Molecular Clouds, Robert Lee Vaughn

UNLV Retrospective Theses & Dissertations

A study of Bistable Behavior and Parameter Variation in Dark Molecular Clouds investigates the phenomenon of bistability and its relation to phase transitions, derives an analytical model of fractional ionization and does a parameter study. Specifically, this investigation focuses on several different types of phenomena that are associated with the modeling of giant and dark molecular clouds. The chemical model of a molecular cloud consists of a set of stiff coupled differential equations. Each differential equation represents the rate of change of the abundance of a chemical species in the molecular Cloud Analytical approximations to the fractional ionization are presented; …

Pms: Cyclical Variation In Attentional Capacity With Pms And Non-Pms Women, Francine Linda Greenstein

UNLV Retrospective Theses & Dissertations

The increasing need for women to have an expanded role in decision making capacities and in professional areas raises persistent questions concerning the effect of menstrual cycle fluctuations on performance, specifically, cognitive/intellectual functioning. A wide variety of recurring cyclical and emotional symptoms have been reported as common to women suffering from premenstrual syndrome (PMS). This study examined possible impairment of cognitive functioning during the PMS phase of the menstrual cycle using PMS and Non-PMS women. The two groups were compared over three menstrual cycles on a digit span task, a letter detection task, and a combination of the two. PMS …

Chemical Quality Variation In A Small Mountain Watershed, David C. White

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The purpose of this study was to quantify the chemical nature of the Chicken Creek waters, and to investigate the variability and causes of that observed chemistry. The three objectives of the study were: 1) inventory the chemistry of the water produced by the subject watersheds, 2) determine chemical budgets for the watersheds, and 3) identify the sources of the primary chemical components.

Chemical surveys were made: 1) on the stream exiting from each gaged watershed, 2) at various points within the West Branch drainage network, 3) of the atmospheric inputs (rain, snow, and dust), 4) of the soil solution, …

M.F.A. Painting Thesis, John Michael Harris, Rebecca Fogg

Theses

None provided.

An Experimental Study Of Variation Within And Between Populations Of Petrophytum Caespitosum (Nutt.) Rydb. With Emphasis On Numerical Techniques, Frank R. Drysdale

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Nine populations of sixty-eight individuals representing the distribution of Petrophytum caespitosum (Nutt.) Rydb. (Rosaceae) in the Intermountain Region were investigated for taxonomically significant variation using numerical techniques. On the basis of 19 morphological characters 3 subspecific taxa are recognized. Two taxa are existing subspecies: P. caespitosum (Nutt.) Rydb. var. caespitosum and P. caespitosum (Nutt.) Rydb. var. elatius (S. Wats.) Tides. One new subspecies is described: P. caespitosum (Nutt.) Rydb. var. latifolium. The ecology of the species is discussed. The floral and vegetative anatomy are described. Chromosome counts of 3 populations have given n = 9. A list of herbarium …

An Analysis Of An Unilateral Reproductive Isolation Barrier In Secale L, Harold James Price

Theses and Dissertations

In the cross, S. cereale ♀ x S. africanum ♂, near normal seeds were formed. They showed 40% germination. In the reciprocal cross, S. africanum ♀ x S. cereale ♂, the seeds were dry, brittle, extremely shrivelled at maturity and none germinated. Reciprocal differences as sharp as those in crosses between S. cereale and S. africanum were not noted in crosses of S. cereale with S. montanum or with S. vavilovii. Seeds from the cross S. cereale ♀ x S. montanum ♂ showed 81% germination, whereas seeds from the reciprocal cross S. montanum ♀ x S. cereale ♂ showed 77% …

Variation In The Order Of Presentation Of Cues As One Variable In Concept Organization, John E. Genasci

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

In the experiment, with forty-eight students as subjects, a series of nonsense syllables (DAX, MEF, TOV, VIC, YOP, ZIP, and ZIL) were to be associated with four geometric figures. The task was so arranged that Zip applied to all figures, Dax and Vic to subsets of two figures each, and the remaining were individual labels. In each of three experiments there was an experimental group that received pre-response cueing by means of an analogy which involved hierarchic concepts in the same general form, i. e ., animal, wild, tame, and individual names.

The results suggest that the order and timing …