Digital Commons Network^™

Odonates At The Clark County Wetlands Nature Preserve: A Look At Habitat And Relative Abundance, Erin Jolley

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

The purpose of this study is to identify the various species, relative abundance and habitat of dragonfly and damselfly larvae at the Clark County Wetlands Park Nature Preserve (WPNP). An accurate assessment of these insects can be useful in interpreting potential indications of environmental problems at the Wetlands. From this data, necessary improvements can be made to the dragonfly habitat as well as the habitat of other surrounding organisms. Habitat identification is considered especially important because it is "structured by instream and surrounding topographical features, and is a major determinant of aquatic community potential" (Southwood, 1977). For purposes of this …

The Contribution Of Environmental Variables On Small Mammal Species Richness And Relative Abundance In Eastern Nevada, Stephanie Harris

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

The purpose of this study is to determine how four environmental variables: elevation, latitude, soil type, and vegetation impact the relative abundance of Peromyscus maniculatus and the species richness of small mammal populations in Eastern Nevada. In order to complete this study, a survey of small mammals was completed in the following 8 Eastern Nevada valleys: Delamar, Dry Lake, Dry Lake- Muleshoe,Cave, Lake, Snake, Spring, White River. In each valley, transects of Sherman live traps will be set up for 3 consecutive nights (O'Farrell et al 1977). Data on elevation, latitude, soil type, and vegetation were taken at each trap …

The Fate And Transport Of Nitrogen (N) And The Effect Of Emergent Plants On Natural Treatment Of N-Species At Las Vegas Wash, Nevada, Tanju Kiriscioglu

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

The purpose of this study is to analyze the effect of emergent plant communities at Las Vegas Wash (the System) using a system dynamics modeling approach. Understanding the dynamics of nitrogen (N —major polluting nutrient in the Wash) that enters the System is important because it occasionally causes algal blooms, choking Lake Mead through excessive eutrophication. Emergent plant communities are an integral part of wetland ecosystems and they play a crucial role in natural treatment of nutrients. This study is intended to test this hypothesis.

The study makes use of Wash data from reliable sources (Las Vegas Valley Water District, …

Transforming The Suburban Realm: A Call For Diversification In The Las Vegas Home-Building Process, Kory W Harris

UNLV Retrospective Theses & Dissertations

More U.S. residents live within suburban boundaries than they do the central cities and rural regions combined---creating a need for suburban design methods that adequately meet the desires of the suburban population. The design of suburban neighborhoods over the past several decades, however, has not adequately met the needs of its residents. This dilemma has only intensified over the past several years because of an increasingly varied group of potential hornebuyers. Local, state, and federal governments---as well as land developers, planners, and architects---need to raise awareness to the issues facing suburban design. By incorporating strategic design elements into the development …

Creating Higher Education In Southern Nevada: A Framing Study Of Local Newspaper Coverage, Christine Janssen

UNLV Retrospective Theses & Dissertations

This study seeks to analyze and understand how Southern Nevada's two local newspapers framed the creation of the University of Nevada, Las Vegas and Nevada State College. A brief history of the editorial and political philosophies of the Las Vegas Review Journal and the Las Vegas Sun is presented, followed by a review of the literature on framing theory, and the theory that communities are formed by communication. Dominant frames are identified through text analysis of 486 newspaper articles. Frames are categorized by a central theme, metaphors suggested by the frame, and images, catch phrases and vocabulary used in the …

An Analysis Of The Acoustic Doppler Velocimeter In Low Flow Environments Along The Las Vegas Wash, Roslyn Ryan

UNLV Retrospective Theses & Dissertations

This research project evaluated the performance of the Acoustic Doppler Velocimeter (ADV) in "low flow" environments along the Las Vegas Wash. It also tested the boundaries and limitations of the Acoustic Doppler Velocimeter. Measurements were made using both the ADV and the traditional mechanical Pygmy Meter, which has been the standard for low flow discharge measurements in the United States Geological Survey (USGS) since 1885; The first set of measurements showed that the ADV is just as reliable as the Pygmy Meter when obtaining low flow discharge measurements. The next series of measurements tested the ADV by using a series …

Statistical Models For Right-Turn Related Crashes At High Crash Locations In The Las Vegas Valley, Paul John Villaluz

UNLV Retrospective Theses & Dissertations

The research objective was to develop a statistical model that related right-turn related crashes (RTRC) to volumetric factors at High Crash Locations (HCL) in the Las Vegas Valley. Information from selected HCL was analyzed with simple bivariate regression analysis and multiple regression analysis; Response variables included the number of RTRC, the ratio of RTRC/Million Entering Vehicles (MEV), and the ratio of RTRC/Total Intersection Crashes. Predictor variables included Right-Turn Volume, Right-Turn-On-Red Volume, Red Time/Cycle Time Percentage, Cross Product (per 1000 Vehicles) of Right-Turn Volumes and Opposing Through Volumes [Cross Product], Frequency of Gaps greater than 6.5 seconds [Gaps > 6.5 s], and …

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 …

An Arima-Model-Based Approach With Hazard Area For The Probability Of Volcanic Disruption Of The Proposed High-Level Radioactive Waste Repositiory At Yucca Mountain, Nevada, Usa, Xiaojuan Liu

UNLV Retrospective Theses & Dissertations

An interesting extension of advanced time-series analysis techniques is introduced into the domain of volcanological data exploration. A new and innovative use of the well-known ARIMA method for modeling the recurrence rate of volcanism ranging from simple Poissonian volcanoes to those showing cyclic trends is presented. Specifically, we propose a new tool to fingerprint the eruptive behavior of a volcano, which also links some modeling tools of two of the most developed areas in the literature of statistics: stochastic processes and time series. Valuable modeling and computing insights are discussed using a data set from the volcanic database at Yucca …

The Forgotten Chinese Cemetery Of Carlin Nevada: A Bioanthropological Assessment, Ryan William Schmidt

UNLV Retrospective Theses & Dissertations

The investigation of historical cemeteries enables direct assessment of biological variability, health and disease, and additional insights into populations that have gone relatively undocumented in North America and elsewhere. This thesis examines a historic cemetery located in northern Nevada, in the town of Carlin. A total of 13 well-preserved skeletal individuals were excavated in 1996, all buried within coffins and whose Chinese origin has been confirmed through historical documentation and associated artifacts (Chung et al. 2005). Although the sample size is small, it provides a number of important insights into the health and behavior of early Chinese-American communities, including dental …

The Etiological Role Of Susto In Diabetes Among Hispanics In Southern Nevada, Carin K Wallace

UNLV Retrospective Theses & Dissertations

This thesis explores the association between susto, a Hispanic folk explanation of disease, and type 2 diabetes. This association is explored through a focus group and semi-structured interviews, with participants recruited from a population of 300 diabetes patients under treatment by a local non-profit group. Results show that not only is susto thought to be an important cause of diabetes among Hispanic diabetics and their family members, but that the meaning of susto may be changing; no longer thought of as solely a frightful event, it is a description of the resulting emotions as well. The role of emotions such …

Broadway In The Desert: Defining Success For The Broadway Musical On The Las Vegas Strip, Jane C Walsh

UNLV Retrospective Theses & Dissertations

This thesis will focus on the Broadway musical and its introduction onto the Las Vegas Strip, its growth in popularity as a viable entertainment choice for the tourist industry, and its current affiliation with specific resorts. Several Broadway musicals will be examined in an effort to discover elements contributing toward their success. I will briefly reflect upon the history of Broadway musicals as related to the Las Vegas Strip. Next I will explore the recent trend of resort casinos investing in venues aimed at housing a specific musical. The majority of my research information will be obtained from interviews, local …

Racial Profiling In Las Vegas: A Reexamination Of Police Stop Data In Las Vegas, Daniel Eric Doran

UNLV Retrospective Theses & Dissertations

Racial profiling remains the subject of controversy when discussing police and minority relationships. Recently, scholars have studied this controversial issue in an attempt to determine the characteristics and extent of the problem. Although researchers have suggested possible reasons for racial disparities in traffic stop data, more information is needed to develop a more in-depth understanding of these disparities. The study presented here analyzes traffic stop data from Las Vegas during the 2002 calendar year. The study analyzes key driver characteristics and whether these characteristics influence the officer's search or arrest of the driver. The study uses univariate, bivariate, and multivariate …

Estimating The Impact Of Entertainment On The Gaming Volume Of Las Vegas Hotel Casinos, Eunju Suh

UNLV Retrospective Theses & Dissertations

This study addressed the indirect effect of entertainment on gaming volume (i.e., coin-in). Specifically, this study attempted (1) to gain an understanding of the relationship between show patronage and gaming volume; and (2) to estimate the magnitude of incremental revenue for each show attendee. Conceptual models to examine the indirect effect of daily show headcounts on gaming volume were proposed, including other variables previously found or theorized to influence gaming volume. Secondary data (i.e., show headcounts, daily coin-in and daily cash drop) were collected from two different Las Vegas Strip properties. This study employed multiple regression models with the appropriate …

Democratic Writing Pedagogy And The Southern Nevada Writing Project, Thomas B Smith

UNLV Retrospective Theses & Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to examine how practicing teachers acted to incorporate a more democratic writing pedagogy in their classrooms after participation in the Southern Nevada Writing Project's Summer Institute. Democracy in this study refers to a critical view of democracy. This research is a multiple case study of five teachers' practice during the first half of the school year following their participation in the Institute. The participants teach in schools of varying grade levels, SES, and achievement. Data sources included classroom observations with follow-up interviews, a final group interview, and artifacts from the Institute. These data were …