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Performance, Perception, And Choice Of Animated Pedagogical Agent, Kevin Kirk
Performance, Perception, And Choice Of Animated Pedagogical Agent, Kevin Kirk
UNLV Retrospective Theses & Dissertations
This study was designed to investigate learning with animated pedagogical agents (APAs) in the chemistry domain. Of interest was whether learners achieved more when paired with an APA, the learner's perception of the APA, and whether the ability to choose an APA affected learner performance and perception; An APA (Animated Pedagogical Agent) is a computerized character that is designed to facilitate learning. The ability of the student to choose which APA to study with was integral to this study, so that the effects of student choice on performance and perception of the APA could be investigated. Further, the student's view …
Effects Of Metallurgical And Environmental Variables On The Performance Of Alloy 718 For Heat Exchanger Applications, Anand Venkatesh
Effects Of Metallurgical And Environmental Variables On The Performance Of Alloy 718 For Heat Exchanger Applications, Anand Venkatesh
UNLV Retrospective Theses & Dissertations
Austenitic Alloy 718 was extensively investigated, evaluating its tensile properties, crack-growth-rate (CGR), impact resistance, and resistance to stress-corrosion-cracking (SCC) and localized corrosion. The tensile data enabled a development of mechanisms on dynamic strain aging (DSA) and yield strength anomaly (YSA). The magnitudes of dislocation density, activation energy and work-hardening index, related to the DSA phenomenon, were estimated using different analytical approaches. The occurrence of YSA was verified based on transmission electron microscopic evaluations. The steady state CGR followed the Paris equation, showing a linear relationship. Alloy 718 exhibited a respectable impact resistance irrespective of the testing temperature. The SCC susceptibility …
Monitoring And Modeling The Performance Of A Solar Powered Hydrogen Filling Station, Mark R Campbell
Monitoring And Modeling The Performance Of A Solar Powered Hydrogen Filling Station, Mark R Campbell
UNLV Retrospective Theses & Dissertations
A hydrogen filling station (HFS) has been constructed in Las Vegas to demonstrate how solar energy can be used to generate and store hydrogen as an energy carrier for transportation. This thesis presents a description of the station and the data acquisition system used to monitor its performance. Energy consumption by the hydrogen generation and storage equipment and energy production from a solar photovoltaic (PV) array were measured, and based on the characteristics of the different system components, a computer model was created to predict the amount of hydrogen that could be produced from the solar array. The hydrogen produced …
An Estimation Of The Performance Limits And Improvement Of Dry Cooling On Trough Solar Thermal Plants, Huifang Deng
An Estimation Of The Performance Limits And Improvement Of Dry Cooling On Trough Solar Thermal Plants, Huifang Deng
UNLV Retrospective Theses & Dissertations
A model of a fairly typical, but simplified, solar trough plant has been developed and simulated to determine its thermodynamic performance using the software GateCycle. The energy generation and cycle efficiency of the plant have been examined for the Las Vegas vicinity with conventional wet cooling and conventional dry cooling cases considered separately using this software. TMY2 data are used for this location for this purpose. Similarly, the same studies are carried out for "ideal" cooling systems as a compariSon It turned out that the ideal dry cooling system would significantly outperform the conventional wet cooling system, indicating the possibility …
Skeletal Muscle Damage, Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness And Performance After Resistance Training With Leucine And Carbohydrate Or Carbohydrate Alone, Matthew Steven Stock
Skeletal Muscle Damage, Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness And Performance After Resistance Training With Leucine And Carbohydrate Or Carbohydrate Alone, Matthew Steven Stock
UNLV Retrospective Theses & Dissertations
The purpose of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of adding leucine to pre and post-exercise carbohydrate beverages on blood markers of muscle damage, muscle soreness, and squat performance. Eighteen resistance-trained subjects performed 6 sets of squats to fatigue using 75% of the 1-RM with 3 minutes rest between sets. Subjects consumed a carbohydrate beverage (.25 g/kg) 30 minutes before and immediately after exercise with or without the addition of leucine (45 mg/kg) in randomized, double-blind fashion. Creatine kinase (CK), lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), and subjective surveys of muscle soreness, were analyzed before, 24 hrs, 48 hrs, and 72 hrs …
The Impact Of Conference Food Function Performance On Attendee Satisfaction And Behavior, Yoon-Young Lee
The Impact Of Conference Food Function Performance On Attendee Satisfaction And Behavior, Yoon-Young Lee
UNLV Retrospective Theses & Dissertations
A conference event with high attendance brings in economic resources to the destination city as well as hosting company. Its food functions in particular can be an effective tool to satisfy attendees and build good attendance, as it empowers an attendee's sensory memory of an event. Besides, nutritiously balanced food, which is sought-after these days, improves an attendee's learning ability. The purpose of this research was to identify factors that affect the attendee's perceived performance of and satisfaction with conference food function, and further, to understand an attendee's return intention based on the satisfaction level. It is concluded that the …
Conversion And Performance Evaluation Of A Hydrogen Powered Ford F-250 Pickup Truck, Julian J. L Gardner
Conversion And Performance Evaluation Of A Hydrogen Powered Ford F-250 Pickup Truck, Julian J. L Gardner
UNLV Retrospective Theses & Dissertations
The following thesis details all design, fabrication and analysis necessary for the conversion of a Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) powered full size pickup truck to run on compressed hydrogen gas. As an industry for hydrogen powered vehicles develops, adherence to a specified set of safety regulations is necessary to ensure the safety of vehicle end users. Currently accepted standards for hydrogen vehicle safety follow regulations put forth by NFPA for CNG powered vehicles. The design of the fuel system follows applicable hydrogen and CNG regulations. A potentially revolutionary fuel delivery system that consolidates a gaseous fuel injector and a spark …
Inner Experience During Golf Performance, Yani L Dickens
Inner Experience During Golf Performance, Yani L Dickens
UNLV Retrospective Theses & Dissertations
Sport performance is widely believed to depend on internal processes that occur during performance. Studies examining these processes have relied on retrospective self-reports obtained long after performance, a method limited by athletes' abilities to compete and recall. Our study circumvented these problems by obtaining contemporaneous non-retrospective reports of inner experience using Descriptive Experience Sampling (DES). DES uses a device that emits a random beep via an earpiece. Participants record ongoing inner experience immediately after the beep in a notebook. Within 24 hours participants are interviewed about these momentary experiences. Five highly-skilled (handicaps of between 2 and 7) and five moderately-skilled …
Performance Evaluation Of Single And Double-Basin Solar Stills In Las Vegas, Nevada, Nanda Holur Venkatesh
Performance Evaluation Of Single And Double-Basin Solar Stills In Las Vegas, Nevada, Nanda Holur Venkatesh
UNLV Retrospective Theses & Dissertations
The objectives of this research were to conduct long-term testing of modified single-basin still designs, and to design, build and test an alternative double-basin still that may increase water production at the same or lower cost; Performance of two commercial single-basin still designs, from different suppliers, was evaluated over a 14-month period in Las Vegas, Nevada. The average daily water yields of SunwaterRTM and SolAqua(TM) ranged from 1.1+/-0.7 L/m2 and 0.9+/-0.5 L/m 2 (in winter) to 5.5+/-1.7 L/m2 and 4.6+/-0.9 L/m2 (in summer) respectively; Different configurations of cover glass and water volume/depth were evaluated on SunwaterRTM single-basin stills. Low-e glass …
Validation Of The Load Collector Ratio (Lcr) Method For Predicting The Thermal Performance From Five Passive Solar Test Rooms Using Measured Data, Daniel James Overbey
Validation Of The Load Collector Ratio (Lcr) Method For Predicting The Thermal Performance From Five Passive Solar Test Rooms Using Measured Data, Daniel James Overbey
UNLV Retrospective Theses & Dissertations
The standard procedure used to analyze buildings that feature passive solar heating strategies is the load collector ratio (LCR) method. This procedure was developed by the Los Alamos National Laboratory between 1977 and 1984. As a result of the LCR method, one will obtain the solar savings fraction (SSF) of the input passive solar builDing The SSF is the most widely accepted metric used to evaluate the effectiveness of passive solar heated buildings. The SSF may be defined as the extent to which a building's passive solar feature(s) reduces a building's auxiliary heat requirement relative to a comparable building devoid …
The Effect Of Concomitant Ecstasy-Marijuana Use On Auditory Verbal Learning And Memory Performance, Kimberly M Cramer
The Effect Of Concomitant Ecstasy-Marijuana Use On Auditory Verbal Learning And Memory Performance, Kimberly M Cramer
UNLV Retrospective Theses & Dissertations
Previous research indicates that ecstasy users exhibit deficits of verbal learning and memory. This research has not considered polydrug use in ecstasy users, especially marijuana. Marijuana is an important confound because 90 percent of ecstasy users also use marijuana. Several studies have suggested that marijuana use alters verbal memory functioning; consequently, it is difficult to ascertain whether the observed memory deficits in ecstasy users are attributable to ecstasy, marijuana, or other drug use. The present study examined the effects of marijuana and ecstasy on verbal memory function. Marijuana use was accounted for by recruiting concurrent ecstasy-marijuana users' and ecstasy-naive marijuana-only …
Using Cluster Analysis To Evaluate The Academic Performance Of Demographic Homogeneous Subsets, Jeffrey N Halsell
Using Cluster Analysis To Evaluate The Academic Performance Of Demographic Homogeneous Subsets, Jeffrey N Halsell
UNLV Retrospective Theses & Dissertations
No Child Left Behind (NCLB) requires states to develop, under very specific conditions, a valid and reliable system of measurement that meets certain requirements while neglecting others. One such provision is a system of assessments that holds all schools to the same academic criteria, regardless of circumstance, while at the same time acknowledging an achievement gap exists between certain subpopulations of students. Nevada has developed such a program, which effectively fulfills the requirements of NCLB, and like NCLB, neglects to recognize the unique challenges for those schools housing larger than average populations of lower-performing students; Historically, when discussing the achievement …
The Effects Of Performance Feedback With Goal Setting On Effective Teaching Behavior, Shannon Elizabeth Crozier
The Effects Of Performance Feedback With Goal Setting On Effective Teaching Behavior, Shannon Elizabeth Crozier
UNLV Retrospective Theses & Dissertations
Research indicates that classroom management is one of the greatest challenges and most significant concerns facing teachers today. Teachers, particularly in urban schools, are faced with high rates of student problem behavior. Teachers in urban schools are less likely to be designated highly qualified. Urban districts evidence high rates of teacher attrition that is due, in part, to classroom management. To date, little research is available on how to effectively improve the management skills of general education teachers including students with challenging behavior in their classrooms. A pivotal component of behavior management is effective teaching. Performance feedback with goal setting …
The Relationship Between Brand Loyalty And Financial Performance: An Empirical Study On The Hotel Industry In Las Vegas, Hye-Soon Park
The Relationship Between Brand Loyalty And Financial Performance: An Empirical Study On The Hotel Industry In Las Vegas, Hye-Soon Park
UNLV Retrospective Theses & Dissertations
The primary objective of this study was to examine the relationship between brand loyalty and financial performance of Las Vegas hotels. This study also investigated the impact of the age of a property and development costs on financial performance. The study used convenience sampling collecting data from a total of 315 visitors who currently stayed at the selected 12 hotels in Las Vegas during the survey period. The data was collected on the Las Vegas Strip through self-administered questionnaire and was analyzed using multiple regression. Results indicate that there was a significant relationship between brand loyalty and financial performance in …
Performance Of Plate Fin Compact Heat Exchangers, Ibrahim Mohamed Khalil
Performance Of Plate Fin Compact Heat Exchangers, Ibrahim Mohamed Khalil
UNLV Retrospective Theses & Dissertations
Heat exchangers design includes the consideration of both the heat transfer rates between two fluids and the pumping power required to overcome fluid friction and push the fluids through the heat exchangers. In gas flow heat exchangers, the friction power limitations force the designer to select moderately low mass velocities. Low mass velocities with low thermal conductivities will result in low heat transfer rate per unit of the surface area. Thus a large surface area is a typical characteristic of a gas flow heat exchanger; The problem of a large required area can be solved by using large area density …
The Presidential Performance Of George W. Bush As A Visual Construct, Kristen Allen Stetzenbach
The Presidential Performance Of George W. Bush As A Visual Construct, Kristen Allen Stetzenbach
UNLV Retrospective Theses & Dissertations
The purpose of this study is to examine George W. Bush's performance as President of the United States through mediated visual messages. In this paper performance will be conceptualized using a content analysis method. This paper presents the notion that presidential performance and the job of being president are linked. The study is meant to watch President Bush and document his appearances as seen through mediated images. The New York Times' front pages from George W. Bush's first inauguration in January 2001 up to his re-election and second oath of office in 2005 were analyzed for six categories of visual …
Analysis And Evaluation Of Field Retroreflectivity Performance Of Pavement Marking Materials At Various Test Deck Locations In The Us, Siddharth David
Analysis And Evaluation Of Field Retroreflectivity Performance Of Pavement Marking Materials At Various Test Deck Locations In The Us, Siddharth David
UNLV Retrospective Theses & Dissertations
Pavement markings are one of the most important elements of traffic control on roadways. They are lines used on a roadway to warn and direct drivers and to control traffic operations on highways and streets. Pavement markings are typically white and yellow in color depending on usage. Different types of materials are used in the manufacture of pavement markings, including paint, tape, epoxy, thermoplastic, and preformed thermoplastics. Performance measures used to evaluate pavement markings include retroreflectivity, color, and durability; In the US, the National Transportation Product Evaluation Program (NTPEP), administered by the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials …
Public College Students' Academic Experiences And Performance In Utah's Religious Enclave, Joe Peterson
Public College Students' Academic Experiences And Performance In Utah's Religious Enclave, Joe Peterson
UNLV Retrospective Theses & Dissertations
Many American colleges were established in "religious enclaves," regions dominated by somewhat homogeneous religious cultures that were formed when cobelievers experienced socially inhospitable conditions and removed themselves from the culturally diverse mainstream and gathered into more homogeneous cultural strongholds. Through modernization and urbanization, many former religious enclaves have evolved into pluralistic social settings; however, one large enclave remains. In Utah, students at public colleges and universities experience a cultural environment where the LDS (Mormon) religion has overwhelming demographic dominance (77 percent of Utah's population in 2000, Grammich, 2004, p. 20). This dissertation explores the influence of the enclave milieu on …
Investigation Of The Relationship Between Firm-Wise Financial Factors And Firm Performance In The Hospitality Industry, Zhenxing Mao
Investigation Of The Relationship Between Firm-Wise Financial Factors And Firm Performance In The Hospitality Industry, Zhenxing Mao
UNLV Retrospective Theses & Dissertations
This study empirically investigates the relationship between firm-wise financial factors and firm performance in the hospitality industry from 2000 to 2004 using panel data regression. After a literature review of firm-wise financial factors and their impact on performance in the literature, unit-effect and time-effect linear models were proposed and examined in both the restaurant and hotel sectors with different firm performance measures used as the dependent variable (i.e., Proxy Q, Sharpe ratio, and Treynor ratio). While some variables, especially liquidity and solvency, were found to have significant impacts on firm performance measured by Proxy Q and Sharpe ratio in both …
Performance Analysis Of Error Detection And Correction Code For Wireless Sensor Networks, Gopinath Balakrishnan
Performance Analysis Of Error Detection And Correction Code For Wireless Sensor Networks, Gopinath Balakrishnan
UNLV Retrospective Theses & Dissertations
Recent advances in wireless communications and electronics have enabled the development of low-cost, low-power, self-organizational, multifunctional wireless sensor networks. Wireless sensor networks can be applied to a wide range of application areas including heath, military and homeland security, environment, industry and commercial, and home. A typical wireless sensor network consists of one or more sink nodes and a large number of sensor nodes scattered in a sensor field. Each of these sensor nodes is capable to collect the data and relay the data back to the sink through a multi-hop architecture. The key challenge in sensor networks is to overcome …
Performance Evaluation Of Fuel Cell-Battery Hybrid Electric Vehicle, Ryan Mauldin
Performance Evaluation Of Fuel Cell-Battery Hybrid Electric Vehicle, Ryan Mauldin
UNLV Retrospective Theses & Dissertations
Hybrid electric vehicles that utilize gasoline-powered engines as a base source of power enjoy widespread customer acceptance because of their performance and economy. However, the future generation of these vehicles as well as conventional ones will have to move away from internal combustion engines due to depleting fossil fuel reserves and stricter environmental norms. Hybrid power sources composed of fuel cells and deep cycle batteries combine the high energy density of fuel cells with the high power density of batteries, offering efficient transportation without harmful emissions. This thesis describes the conversion of an electric vehicle into a hybrid fuel cell-battery …
Development And Qualification Of A Room Used To Investigate Component And System Performance Characteristics Of Heating, Ventilating, And Air-Conditioning Systems, Jagan M Rayavarapu
Development And Qualification Of A Room Used To Investigate Component And System Performance Characteristics Of Heating, Ventilating, And Air-Conditioning Systems, Jagan M Rayavarapu
UNLV Retrospective Theses & Dissertations
An environmentally controlled room that can be used to investigate component and system performance characteristics of heating, ventilating, and air-conditioning (HVAC) systems was developed and qualified. The room has two air supply distribution systems, one is a conventional air distribution system where conditioned air is delivered from the ceiling diffusers, and the second is an underfloor air distribution system where conditioned air is delivered through diffusers located in the floor. The development required extensive construction work for the two air distribution systems and the surface temperature control, data acquisition, and recording systems. The room surfaces were divided into thirteen separate …
Embodied Language Performance: Mediational Affordances Of Dramatic Activity For Second Language Learning, John Richard Haught
Embodied Language Performance: Mediational Affordances Of Dramatic Activity For Second Language Learning, John Richard Haught
UNLV Retrospective Theses & Dissertations
This qualitative study examines the unique mediational affordances a drama based approach to second language learning provides. From the perspective of Sociocultural theory, the nature of learning is greatly determined by the mediational means employed and this study revealed the importance of modeling and imitation and multiple perspective taking that arose from the recursive process of rehearsal to be instrumental in the students' understanding and growing mastery of English. This recursion process occurs within instructional conversations which serve to level the relations of power between teacher and learner, resulting in a more authentic learning environment. In short, drama introduces alterity …
The Impact Of Institutional Ownership On Firm Performance In The Hospitality Industry, Ming-Chih Tsai
The Impact Of Institutional Ownership On Firm Performance In The Hospitality Industry, Ming-Chih Tsai
UNLV Retrospective Theses & Dissertations
Institutional investors have become important players in today's financial markets and their increasing importance in corporate governance in the United States (U.S.) is further evidenced by the growing volume of corporate equity they control. The ownership structure/firm performance relationship has always been a subject of debate. Similarly, in the hospitality industry as of June 2002, institutional investors were estimated to own {dollar}2.3 billion, or 66.7% of total outstanding shares in PricewaterhouseCoopers' lodging universe; This dissertation examines the impact of institutional ownership on firm performance as measured by a proxy for Tobin's Q in the restaurant, casino and hotel sectors from …
Performance Of Waspaloy At Elevated Temperature For Heat Exchanger Applications, Lalit Savalia
Performance Of Waspaloy At Elevated Temperature For Heat Exchanger Applications, Lalit Savalia
UNLV Retrospective Theses & Dissertations
This investigation was focused on characterizing the high-temperature tensile behavior and corrosion susceptibility of the nickel-based alloy Waspaloy, which is a candidate structural material for heat exchangers in the nuclear hydrogen generation program. The tensile properties, evaluated at three different temperatures, indicate that both yield and ultimate tensile strength were gradually reduced with increasing temperatures. While no failures were observed in stress corrosion cracking (SCC) tests in an acidic solution under a constant-load, the true failure stress (sigmaf) was reduced to some extent under a slow-strain-rate condition using both smooth and notched specimens. The critical potentials, determined in a similar …
The Other Side Of The Curtain: The Power And The Potential Of Performance In Public Spaces, Nancy Dieckmann Matheny
The Other Side Of The Curtain: The Power And The Potential Of Performance In Public Spaces, Nancy Dieckmann Matheny
UNLV Retrospective Theses & Dissertations
This research study develops a greater understanding of alternative opportunities for performance majors extending beyond traditional theatre venues. The emphasis of this study is the use and application of environmental entertainment. The study examines and synthesizes the skill set, as defined by known executives and decision makers in the entertainment industry who are regularly utilizing the services of environmental entertainers. The resultant data reveals qualities required to successfully gain entrance to and maintain a career as an environmental entertainer.
Examining The Impact Of Human Resources Management: A Performance Based Analytic Model, Yoon Seonghee Cho
Examining The Impact Of Human Resources Management: A Performance Based Analytic Model, Yoon Seonghee Cho
UNLV Retrospective Theses & Dissertations
This dissertation investigated the direct effects of human resource management (HRM) practices on organizational performance in the hotel industry. The main goal of this study was to develop the conceptual model to measure the direct effects of the six domains of HRM practices on the three measures of organizational performance. To accomplish the main goal of this study, three sub-objectives were investigated. The first sub-objective was to develop a valid and reliable HRM measurement model. The second sub-objective was to investigate the direct effects of the HRM constructs on the three measures of organizational performance. The third sub-objective of this …
From The Shtetl To The Screen: The Development Of Yiddish Theatre In Performance, Adam Stuart Littman
From The Shtetl To The Screen: The Development Of Yiddish Theatre In Performance, Adam Stuart Littman
UNLV Retrospective Theses & Dissertations
This submission comprises a survey of Jewish drama as expressed through Yiddish Theatre in performance. It explores the origins, early trends, and significant works of Yiddish drama. The reader will gain an understanding of the ways in which the Jewish religion guided the emergence of Yiddish Theatre, the heights of achievement in the form, the decline of Yiddish Theatre, and some of the influences such development has had on the theatre world today.
Comparison Of The Performance Of Various Bootstrap Procedures For Gamma And Lognormal Distributions, Alex N Berejnoi
Comparison Of The Performance Of Various Bootstrap Procedures For Gamma And Lognormal Distributions, Alex N Berejnoi
UNLV Retrospective Theses & Dissertations
The main objective of the present work is to study and compare the performance of the various bootstrap procedures (e.g., standard bootstrap method, bootstrap-t method, simple percentile bootstrap method, Hall's bootstrap method, and bias-corrected accelerated (BCA) bootstrap method (Efron and Tibshirani, 1993)) which may be used to compute a 95% UCL of the population mean based upon skewed distributions (e.g., gamma and lognormal); Monte Carlo simulation experiments have been performed to compare the performances of these methods. The comparison of the various methods has been evaluated in terms of the coverage probabilities achieved by the various 95% UCLs. Based upon …
Tropi Can Can: Race And Performance In '50s Las Vegas, Malcolm Womack
Tropi Can Can: Race And Performance In '50s Las Vegas, Malcolm Womack
UNLV Retrospective Theses & Dissertations
In 1955 the Jim Crow resort town of Las Vegas opened its first interracial hotel/casino, the Moulin Rouge, and staged its first all-black production show, the Tropi Can Can revue. On the Cafe Rouge stage were the wild antics Stump & Stumpy, bringing a sad reminder of the past; the romantic music of the Platters, bringing a hopeful note for the future; and the very non-traditional showgirls, bringing a host of audience expectations about the immediate present; This paper attempts to deconstruct and analyze that show and the theatrical elements of the resort, the differing experiences of white and black …