Digital Commons Network^™

Attorneys' Perceptions Of Child Witnesses With Mental Retardation, Michelle Dawn Platt

UNLV Retrospective Theses & Dissertations

Children with mental retardation are more likely to be abused than the general population, yet are often denied access to the justice system. Research on children without mental retardation has revealed skepticism as to their reliability as witnesses in the court of law. Even more so, children with mental retardation face the issue of credibility because of their age and disability. The purpose of this study is to assess attorneys' perceptions of child witnesses with mental retardation. Thirty-nine criminal attorneys completed a 33-item questionnaire designed to assess their opinions of the abilities of adults, and children with and without mental …

Durango Hills Water Resource Center, City Of Las Vegas, Nevada

Publications (WR)

No abstract provided.

Characterization Of Steel Fiber And/Or Polymer Concrete Mixes And Applications To Slender Rectangular And I -Beams, Ashraf Ibrahim Ahmed

UNLV Retrospective Theses & Dissertations

This dissertation presents results from experimental studies related to polymer modified concrete, steel fiber reinforced concrete, and steel fiber/polymer modified concrete. As a first stage of this research, the properties of different concrete mixes were characterized. These mixes were: plain concrete, steel fiber concrete with fiber volume fraction of 1%, polymer modified concrete with 1% to 7.5% solids of polymer, and steel fiber/polymer modified concrete with 1% to 7.5% polymer solids and I% steel fiber fraction. Concrete cylinders and 4 x 4 inches beams were tested under compressive, tensile, flexural, and bar pull-out loadings; In the second phase of this …

Spectroscopy Of Negative Molecular Ions: Studies In The Infrared Of Methide (Ch(3)-) And In The Vacuum Ultraviolet Of No(-) And Atomic And Molecular Oxygen (O(-) And O(2)-), Stephen Earl Mitchell

UNLV Retrospective Theses & Dissertations

The methide ion, CH3-, is isoelectronic with ammonia, NH3. Two different autodetachment life times have been observed. Metastable autodetaching states of methide have been observed, with an autodetachment lifetime range of 17 to 667 mus using a fast coaxial ion-laser beam apparatus. The excited states responsible for autodetachment are presumably rotationally excited states. A rovibrational transition in methide has been observed at 3206.74 cm-1 using a fast coaxial ion-laser beam apparatus and sub-Doppler tuning techniques. The full-width-at-half-maximum was measured to be 22.65 MHz, which corresponds to a 7.03 ns lifetime of the vibrationally excited state. This is the first rovibrational …

Heart Failure: Its Impact On Women's Lives, Diane L Rhodes

UNLV Retrospective Theses & Dissertations

Research has shown women are affected by heart failure differently than men, having different risk factors for heart failure (HF), a higher increase in mortality per decade, and longer survival after diagnosis. Women have also been greatly under-represented in studies of HF. A search of the literature revealed only one (Swedish) study examining the overall impact of HF on women's conception of their own lives; This phenomenological study examined the changes in the lives since diagnosis of five women with Stage II HF. Four one-hour, semi-structured interviews were held with each. Colaizzi's steps were used to assess the verbatim transcripts …

Perceptions Of Nonconforming Sexualities And Genders On Television Talk Shows, Violeta Oliver

UNLV Retrospective Theses & Dissertations

GLBTQ (Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Transgendered, Queer/Questioning) people often appear as guests on daytime television talk shows. Using cultivation analysis, the author explored television talk show viewers' perceived realism of television talk shows and GLBTQ people. This quantitative study tested seven hypotheses. Support was found for the first two hypotheses, indicating that heavy viewers of television talk shows perceived television talk shows to be more realistic or true to life than light viewers. Support was not found for the other hypotheses. There was no significance difference between heavy and light viewers of television talk shows and their perception of the GLBTQ …

The Effect Of Anaerobic Exercise On The Thermic Effect Of Food, Charlene Marie Denzer

UNLV Retrospective Theses & Dissertations

The thermic effect of food (TEF) is the increment in energy expenditure above resting metabolic rate associated with the cost of absorption, metabolism, and storage of food. Previous studies have shown that TEF is enhanced by aerobic exercise. The purpose of this study was to determine if a similar effect occurs with anaerobic exercise (weight lifting). VO2 was measured after ingestion of a 660 kcal meal with and without prior completion of a weight-training regimen. TEF was 42% higher after the exercise trial (t = 2.539, p < .017), compared with the control trial. These results indicate that prior anaerobic exercise also leads to an enhanced TEF.

Modeling Of Hand-Arm-Glove Vibration System And Testing And Evaluating Of Antivibration Gloves, Jianying Cui

UNLV Retrospective Theses & Dissertations

Work-related hand-arm disorders (HAVS) caused by exposure to vibration while operating vibrational tools were discussed; no clear dose-effect relationship between vibration exposure and HAVS was found yet. Ways to avoid or delay harmful impact on workers were explored, one means of which is using antivibration gloves during operation. Four types of antivibration gloves were tested per standard ISO 10819, test setup and procedures were presented. Two models of hand-arm-glove system were developed and analyzed; the models were used for predicting the gloves' transmissibility before carrying out actual tests. Model fit was done for the two models to the actual tested …

Characterization Of 2-Methyl-8-Quinolinolato Gallium (Iii) Chelates, Sanjini Ushika Nanayakkara

UNLV Retrospective Theses & Dissertations

We present a detailed photophysical (absorption and emission), thermal and X-ray absorption (NEXAFS) study of gallium (III) bis(2-methyl-8-quinolinolato) carboxylate (2Meq2GaOR) chelates, where OR = acetato (OAc), trifluoroacetato (OTF) and dimethylpropianato (ODMP). These materials are compared with aluminum (III) tris(8-quinolinolato) (Alq3) chelates. We show that regardless of changing the carboxylato ligand the 2Meq2 GaOR chelates have similar unoccupied (LUMO) states. This implies that charge injection should be constant in these materials when used as emitter materials in organic light emitting devices. We also present the first detailed evaluation in to the mer/fac isomerization of gallium (III) tris(2-methyl-8-quinolinolato) (2Meq3Ga) chelate in both …

Thunder In The Desert: Commercial Air Travel And Tourism In Las Vegas, 1959--2001, Daniel Kenneth Bubb

UNLV Retrospective Theses & Dissertations

This thesis carefully examines the relationship between the commercial air travel and tourist industries in Las Vegas, especially highlighting their unprecedented growth in the second half of the twentieth century. It not only provides an accurate historic account of both industries, but clearly delineates the dependence of tourism on commercial air service as the primary source of transportation to Las Vegas; While the thesis's overarching theme focuses on commercial air travel and tourism, it also contains a set of subthemes, one of which highlights the symbiotic relationship of the commercial air travel industry with the Strip "mega-resorts," and the air …

Analysis Of Casino Table Game Tipping By Comdex Conventioneers, Joseph Nelson Christensen

UNLV Retrospective Theses & Dissertations

This study analyzed the mean tips earned per table game dealer of a mega-resort casino located on the Las Vegas "strip" during Comdex, a large annual computer convention located in Las Vegas. Members of the media and gaming authorities have claimed that Comdex conventioneers do not gamble or tip as much as most convention attendees, yet no substantiated and documented explanation has been offered to explain why. This study hypothesized that Comdex conventioneers have the "programmer personality," which is low in the personality dimensions of neuroticism and extraversion. Since the amount tipped has been shown to positively correlate with high …

The Geochemistry Of Gold-Bearing And Gold-Free Pyrite And Marcasite From The Getchell Gold Deposit, Humboldt County, Nevada, Kelli Diane Weaver

UNLV Retrospective Theses & Dissertations

Petrographic and geochemical investigations of pyrite and marcasite from the Getchell Carlin-type gold deposit show that elevated concentrations of a characteristic suite of trace metals correlate with ore-stage pyrite morphology. Secondary ion mass spectrometry analyses revealed a significant positive correlation between As and Au in ore-stage Fe-sulfide minerals. High-resolution transmission electron microscopy analyses revealed that gold-bearing Fe-sulfide crystals are arsenic-rich marcasite, rather than pyrite. These analyses failed to identify gold as microinclusions in ore-stage pyrite/marcasite, and support the conclusion that gold is present in solid solution; Analyses reflect the chemistry of fluids responsible for precipitation of the pyrite and marcasite. …

An Empirical Investigation Of The Adoption And Usage Of Electronic Data Interchange In The Hotel Industry, Collin D Ramdeen

UNLV Retrospective Theses & Dissertations

This dissertation examines the application of Electronic Data Interchange (EDI) adoption and use in the hotel industry. EDI is a type of interorganizational information system that facilitates the exchange of business documents in structured, machine processable form. The research model links EDI adoption to four usages: purchasing, accounting, financing and strategic. Based on relevant literature, six theories were selected from which, nineteen hypotheses were proposed for the relationships between EDI adoption and usage; The data were collected through a self-administered questionnaire that was mailed out to 1200 hotel manager with the title of purchasing managers, controllers, and management information systems …

Microbial Implications For Structural Integrity During Nuclear Waste Storage, Terry Ann Leilani Else

UNLV Retrospective Theses & Dissertations

The study of microorganisms in oligotrophic environments is vital to understanding the geology and ecology of Nevada, and in particular, Yucca Mountain and the Nevada Test Site. Native to the Yucca Mountain tuff and to the Nevada Test Site soil are microorganisms, existing in biofilms, which are capable of corroding metals, and producing acids or enzymes that can degrade materials such as wood and cardboard. Studying the environmental conditions that could promote the growth of such microorganisms is essential for the modeling of the Yucca Mountain repository and the waste burial program on the Nevada Test Site. The first phase …

Algal Growth Potential And Nutrient Limitation In The Las Vegas Bay, Lake Mead, Nevada, Xiaomo Du

UNLV Retrospective Theses & Dissertations

Algal bioassays were conducted to determine algal growth potential (AGP) and nutrient limitation of the Las Vegas (LV) Bay of Lake Mead using the standard test organism Selenastrum capricornutum and the Lake phytoplankton. Results for the current nutrient levels in the LV Bay revealed that the AGP of the LV Bay waters, measured by the maximum specific growth rates is limited by phosphorus (P). Both the growth rates and the biomass content indicated the LV Bay is P-limited. Bioassay results, using higher nitrogen (N) and phosphorus levels, showed that increasing the N and P of the Bay concentrations to levels …

Southern Nevada Water Authority, Statler Hasley

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

The arid Southwest of the United States is confronted with increasing water demands. Past efforts to meet water demand have been directed toward development of scarce water resources. Now the times are changing and conservation programs are being instituted to expand supplies for the growing population. In Las Vegas, the tides are shifting to conservation programs. The Southern Nevada Water Authority (SNWA), an agency comprised of the local water utilities, have united to find new sources of water to feed the growing city. SNWA has invested a great deal of money into the conservation programs as an alternative to developing …

Gated Communities As Public Entities, Dennis W. Stransky

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Gated Communities as Public Entities identifies these organizations as phenomena of recent land development practices. The topics discussed include the history of private dwelling associations, the makeup of these organizations, and the parallels between them and their larger, public counterparts. Specific areas such as taxes, infrastructure, codes covenants and restrictions, and law enforcement are discussed in detail. Gated Communities have become a large part of the available housing choices for many homebuyers. Approximately one-third of the homes constructed today are part of private associations created as various forms of private corporations. The laws related to the creation of private corporations …

Coalition Formation: Governmental Practices To Resolve Social Issues, Delshanna Jones

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Small groups have formed to resolve social issues since the beginning of time. It is the village concept where activists meet in the center of town to discuss a concern and together work toward a solution to a problem. This is represented in the town of Plato’s Republic and how they handled its dilemma with Socrates disrespect and disruptions to their way of ruling/ their culture. People met at a central location, discussed the issue, agreed on a solution and, together, enforced the resolution. Thus, first governments used groups to find solutions to community problems (Bell and Smith, p.1). Citizens …

Gender Differences In Presenting Symptoms, Treatment, And Outcome In Myocardial Infarction, Alona Dalusung-Angosta

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

The purposes of this study were to compare the presenting symptoms, treatment, and outcome between men and women with MI. The study sample consisted of 300 patients (N = 300) who were diagnosed with MI in a county hospital in the Southwest area of the United States.

Chest pain, shortness of breath, sweating, and left arm pain were the most common symptoms reported by both genders. Men had more chest pain than their women counterparts (p = .022). No significant difference was found in the cardiac enzyme levels between both genders. Men had more Q wave changes during MI than …

Will Succession Planning At The Department Of Energy/Nevada Succeed?, James H. Winget

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

The topic of this professional paper is the succession planning program at the Department of Energy Nevada Operations Office (DOE/NV). I have prepared this paper for the Department of Public Administration in partial fulfillment of a Masters of Public Administration degree. The paper centers on the interpretation of data that was received through an office-wide survey of the staff and leaders of the DOE/NV. The data presented supports the theory that there may be significant weaknesses found in the current structure of the succession planning that may directly affect whether or not the program will succeed. The analyses performed focuses …

Hazardous Materials Incidents And Emergency Medical Response In Clark County, Martha Dicey

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Today's society was built on technological advancements and which also brought about the creation of hazardous materials. Hazardous materials are termed basically as a solid, liquid, or gas substance that, when released from a container, is capable of harming the environment, people or property. Hazardous materials can be found everywhere including industrial locations, backyard swimming pools, hospitals, and private homes. Transportation corridors such as railroads, boats, and trucks and in limited quantities by air are major areas where hazardous materials can be present. Incidents involving hazardous materials may occur during transportation or at any location where hazardous materials can be …

Alternative Principal Components Regression Procedures For Dendrohydrologic Reconstructions, Hugo G. Hidalgo, Thomas C. Piechota, John A. Dracup

Civil and Environmental Engineering and Construction Faculty Research

Streamflow reconstruction using tree ring information (dendrohydrology) has traditionally used principal components analysis (PCA) and stepwise regression to form a transfer function. However, PCA has several procedural choices that may result in very different reconstructions. This study assesses the different procedures in PCA-based regression and suggests alternative procedures for selection of variables and principal components. Cross-validation statistics are presented as an alternative for independently testing and identifying the optimal model. The objective is to use these statistics as a measure of the model's performance to find a conceptually acceptable model with a low prediction error and the fewest number of …

Impact Of The American's With Disabilities Act On Local Government (A Retrospective Review Of 10 Years Of Action) Specific To Personnel Administration, Mark A. Dascalos

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

President George Bush signed the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) into law on January 26, 1990. This Act was intended to overcome many perceived or actual acts of discrimination against persons with disabilities residing in the United States of America. To date, no author has looked back to see what the impact of this comprehensive law has been on local government. This author through study will be determining what, if any, impact this law has had on the State of Nevada counties. This study is being limited in scope to personnel administration, and personnel related remedies. Recommendations for the future …

Unlv Magazine, Barbara Cloud, Donna Mcaleer

UNLV Magazine

No abstract provided.

The Phenomenology Of Panic Disorder In Adolescents, Wesley D Allan

UNLV Retrospective Theses & Dissertations

The Phenomenology of Panic Disorder in Adolescents examines correlates of panic disorder in adolescents. Specifically, 20 adolescents with panic disorder were compared with 20 adolescents with a non-panic anxiety disorder (e.g., overanxious disorder). Results showed that adolescents with panic disorder displayed higher levels of anxiety sensitivity (i.e., anxiety pertaining to the symptoms of anxiety such as heart palpitations). Based on the obtained results, anxiety sensitivity is proposed as a potentially critical variable in the examination of adolescent panic disorder.

Final Technical Report For Grant De-Fg01-96ew56093 Nevada Risk Assessment/Management Program (Nramp), Donald H. Baepler, Anthony Hechanova

Nevada Risk Assessment/Management Program

The Nevada Risk Assessment/Management Program (NRAMP) was part of a national effort by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) to develop new sources of information and approaches to risk assessment, risk management, risk communication and public outreach as these objectives relate to the ecological and human health effects of radioactive and hazardous material management and site remediation activities. This final report presents a synopsis of the NRAMP effort that occurred from 1995 to 2000. Included in this report is a brief history of NRAMP including a description of the DOE Notice of Program Interest (NOPI) goals and how the NRAMP …

The Legislative History Of Gambling, 1861 - 1915, Ben Hetfeld

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Nevada’s way of regulating gambling has been of such interest over the past years that it has been given a name, the “Nevada Model”. Interested parties usually are seeking to learn if this model of gambling regulation will work in other political units of this country. The point of this paper is to give some background to the “Nevada Model” by looking at how the acts of the legislature of the state evolved through time. Of equal importance is the understanding of the role the miners played in the formation of Nevada’s culture and lifestyle. The miners brought Nevada its …

An Examination Of Gasoline Pollutants From Two-Cycle Marine Engines Within Lake Mead National Recreation Area, Brian Carter

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Jet skis are a very popular "toy" to have in the United States. They account for almost a third of all boat sales, and their numbers are growing rapidly. Unfortunately jet skis use two-cycle engines that pollute at unacceptable levels. Jet ski motors can emit up to 25% of its fuel right back into the water. This alarmed me and I wanted to take a deeper look into how bad jet skis pollute Las Vegas' primary water source. Lake Mead. I looked into how a two-cycle engine differs from a regular engine and I looked at the actual pollutants a …

An Analysis Of The Socio-Economic Impact Of Casino Gambling In Mesquite, Nevada, And Its Implications For Public Policy, Janice K. Herfeld

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

This study is a preliminary analysis of the socio-economic impact of casino gaming in Mesquite, Nevada. Mesquite is being studied from this perspective in order to provide policymakers with information that will aid in the determination of public policy relevant to and in conjunction with casino gaming activity. A combination of site visits to the area and interviews with casino executive personnel and relevant law enforcement was conducted for the purposes of gathering information for this study. Three police departments (Mesquite, Nevada, Cedar City, Utah and St. George, Utah) were interviewed to determine the crime rate in jurisdiction. Relevant data …

Public Finance Of Professional Athletic Facilities: Case Studies In Stadium And Arena Finance, Larry Harala

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

During the course of the 1990s cities across the country opted to expend public monies at record levels on stadium and arena construction. The focus of this paper will be an examination of whether or not spending public money on private athletic facilities is justifiable. For the purpose of this paper “justifiable” will mean; that the overall economic benefit to the community can be clearly and quantifiably demonstrate to have a net positive economic impact on the community while benefiting all socio-economic elements of the community at large. The types of facilities that this paper will examine are arenas and …