Digital Commons Network^™

Student And Parent Satisfaction With Online Education At The Elementary And Secondary Levels, Craig Warner Butz

UNLV Retrospective Theses & Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to examine factors associated with student and parent satisfaction with online education at the elementary and secondary level. The study involved the development and validation of two questionnaires (student and parent) to determine factors related to satisfaction. The questionnaires were developed through a review of current literature concerning distance and online education and with feedback from administrators and teachers currently working in online education at the elementary and secondary levels; The student satisfaction questionnaire contained 27 items that were assigned to five hypothesized dimensions or factors: (a) school-level technology support, (b) school-level instructional support, …

Using The Concrete-Representational-Abstract Teaching Sequence To Increase Algebra Problem-Solving Skills, Kyle B Konold

UNLV Retrospective Theses & Dissertations

Researchers have demonstrated the effectiveness of using direct instruction, learning strategy instruction and the concrete-representational-abstract teaching sequence for teaching a variety of basic math skills, but little research has been conducted related to their effectiveness for teaching more complex skills such as algebra. This study investigated the effects of teaching secondary school students with and without mild disabilities a strategy for solving algebra equations and word problems using the concrete-representational-abstract (CRA) teaching sequence. There were 169 secondary students who participated in this study. Of the 169 participants, 79 were male and 90 were female, they ranged in age from 11 …

The Impact Of Full-Day And Half-Day Kindergarten On The Language Arts Achievement Scores Of First-Grade Students, Stefanie M Kujaczynski

UNLV Retrospective Theses & Dissertations

Full-day kindergarten programming is an increasing trend in early childhood education settings. Many school districts are beginning to offer such programs based on the needs and opinions of teachers and parents. These districts are making substantial financial commitments to this programming prompted by the belief that full-day kindergarten will produce greater academic gains for children, more specifically at-risk children; This study investigated the impact of full-day and half-day kindergarten program enrollment on the language arts achievement scores of 237 first grade children considered to be at risk for academic failure. Gender differences and program enrollment differences were the primary categories …

Distributed Importance-Based Fuzzy Logic Controllers For Flexible Link Manipulators, Zhixia Shi

UNLV Retrospective Theses & Dissertations

This research studies the design and tuning of the distributed importance-based fuzzy logic controllers (FLCs) for two dynamic systems: a single-link flexible manipulator and a two-link rigid-flexible manipulator. The importance analysis algorithm is introduced in the structure design of a FLC. The fuzzy rules for the former system are written based on observing the system behaviors. The fuzzy rules for the latter are selected to mimic the performance of the comparable linear controllers. A Modified Nelder and Mead Simplex Algorithm is used to tune the parameters of the membership functions in the distributed importance-based FLC. The tuned distributed importance-based FLC …

The Role Of Hotel Image And Image Congruence And Their Effects On Repeat Intention In The Hotel Industry, Grace S Lee

UNLV Retrospective Theses & Dissertations

The primary objective of this study was to empirically determine the relationship between hotel image, image congruence and repeat intention of Las Vegas Hotels. The sample (N = 211) included customers of various hotels in Las Vegas. The data was collected on the Las Vegas Strip through self-administered surveys and was analyzed using Correlation, Analysis of Variance, and Regression. As previous research indicated that a favorable image led to repeat patronage, the findings from this study determined a significant effect of hotel image and image congruence on repeat intention. Some other interesting findings included variations in the effects of hotel …

The Role Of Ontology In Information Management, Renato De Freitas Marteleto

UNLV Retrospective Theses & Dissertations

The question posed in this thesis is how the use of ontologies by information systems affects their development and their performance. Several aspects about ontologies are presented, namely design and implementation issues, representational languages, and tools for ontology manipulation. The effects of the combination of ontologies and information systems are then investigated. An ontology-based tool to identify email message features is presented, and its implementation and execution details are discussed. The use of ontologies by information systems provides a better understanding about their requirements, reduces their development time, and supports knowledge management during execution time.

Improving Resolution Of Stiff Layers In Soil Profiles Through Multi-Step Inversion Of Sasw Data, Haiyan Liu

UNLV Retrospective Theses & Dissertations

Stiff, cemented layers commonly encountered in desert soil profiles significantly affect the soil load capacity and load distribution pattern. The purpose of this research is to develop algorithms for detecting stiff layers through inversion of seismic surface wave data to generate one-dimensional shear wave velocity (VS) profiles; The inversion algorithms begin with a starting model. Development of a high-quality starting model helps ensure good results; Two inversion methods, simulated annealing (SA) and linearized inversion (LI), are applied to the problem. The SA method includes a general approach (SA-G) and an approach developed specifically to investigate stiff-inclusion systems (SA-I). Algorithms for …

Estimation Of The Population Mean Using Two Extremes In Order Statistics, Vladimir Emil Minev

UNLV Retrospective Theses & Dissertations

For most non-parametric statistical inference, the sampling theory of order statistics has been playing a fundamental role because of that properties of the range and the average of the smallest and largest order statistics are useful for estimate the population parameters of both large and small samples; The applications of the method using order statistics in a given sample to estimate the parametric values appear quite often in the literature. For a certain data set, such as stock market data, the method we are considering may have an advantage in estimating the mean due to the fact that the stock …

Ridgelets: A Promising New Wavelet-Like Transform To Represent Objects With Linear Singularities, Maria Beatriz Teruel

UNLV Retrospective Theses & Dissertations

In the last two decades plenty of research has been carried out in the field of Wavelet theory and it is well known that wavelets can efficiently deal with point-like singularities. Unfortunately, such is not the case for higher dimensions singularities. To overcome this weakness of the Wavelet transform E. Candes and D. Donoho [4] introduced a new wavelet-like transform that can effectively deal with linear singularities in two dimensions, namely the Ridgelet transform. This new representation tool exploits the ability of wavelets to deal with point singularities. In fact, the Ridgelet transform is equivalent to a one-dimensional wavelet transform …

A Study Of The Effects Of Lithium Perchlorate On Poly(Ethylene Oxide), (Peo) Melt Dynamic Behavior Using Fabry-Perot Interferometry, Radoslav Boykov Bogoslovov

UNLV Retrospective Theses & Dissertations

Poly(ethylene oxide)/lithium perchlorate (PEO/LiClO4) complexes are widely studied as a prototype solid polymer electrolyte in rechargeable lithium-polymer batteries. Characterizing the structure and dynamics of the system in its molten state is important for understanding the role of the polymer environment in lithium ion transport and conductivity. We implement a fiber-optic coupled Fabry-Perot interferometer to investigate the electrolyte elastic properties and structural response times, which are both related to the intrachain local mobility and therefore to ion diffusion. We propose a simple and inexpensive fiber-optic experimental design combining two experimental techniques, Fabry-Perot interferometry and photon correlation spectroscopy. Our tests and evaluation …

Genetic Algorithms For The Traveling Salesman Problem Using Edge Assembly Crossovers, Dwain Alan Seppala

UNLV Retrospective Theses & Dissertations

The central issue in creating new genetic algorithms is the algorithm's crossover method. My focus is on a particular crossover known as the Edge Assembly Crossover, or EAX, by Nagata and Kobayashi. The basics of a what make up a genetic algorithm is reviewed. The traveling salesman problem is defined. The EAX as an algorithm within an algorithm is explained. The crossover's implementation is original and is listed. The use of the graphic user interface, TSP View, used to run algorithms is explained as well as the extensions to the interface that were implemented for this study. The results of …

Study Of Geometry Effects On Local Corrosion Rates For Lbe Loop, Chao Wu

UNLV Retrospective Theses & Dissertations

Corrosion is an extremely important issue in nuclear cooling system applications. Many scientific and engineering efforts have contributed to the research of finding an ideal material, which has resistance to corrosive Lead Bismuth Eutectic (LBE). A Delta Loop was designed and constructed in Los Alamos National Lab (LANL) to obtain the experimental data. This loop is a multi-section closed system that differs in diameter from one part to another. As a result, an intensive study on the geometry effect is necessary and valuable. In this thesis, this problem was simulated by commercial software STAR-CD. Results provide a good prediction where …

Improving Service Quality In Small Communities: The Bahamas As A Model, Kera Lonise Carey

UNLV Retrospective Theses & Dissertations

Service quality is a topic that permeates every facet of the tourism industry. In small communities such as The Bahamas, where tourism is the driving factor for economic stability, service quality is paramount. In 2001, the Bahamian Ministry of Tourism set customer satisfaction goals for the country and is continually striving to improve the country's visitor satisfaction ratings through market research; This qualitative exploratory study investigates service quality in Bahamian hotels and was inspired by Ministry of Tourism customer service research. The project was tailored to identify service quality gaps within the Bahamian hotel industry by applying the Conceptual Gap …

A Vlsi Architecture For Lifting-Based Wavelet Packet Transform In Fingerprint Image Compression, Tao Zhu

UNLV Retrospective Theses & Dissertations

FBI uses a technique called Wavelet Scalar Quantization (WSQ), a wavelet packet transform (WPT) based method, to compress its fingerprint images. Though many VLSI architectures have been proposed for wavelet transform in the literature, it is not the case for the WPT. In this thesis, a VLSI architecture capable of computing the WPT is presented for application of WSQ. In the proposed architecture, Lifting Scheme (LS) is used to generate wavelets instead of the traditional convolution filter-bank (FB) specified in original standard. A comparative study between LS and FB shows that quality of images transformed by LS is completely acceptable …

Numerical Modeling Of Multiphase Fluid Flow Through The Electrolytic Cell, Roald Rifkatovich Akberov

UNLV Retrospective Theses & Dissertations

Electrolytic cells are used to obtain sodium hypochlorite (NaOCl), an important industrial product, from seawater. The chemical reaction of the process (NaCl + H2O → NaOCl + H2) produces hydrogen gas bubbles near the cathode's surface inside a continuous liquid phase. In time, solid particles of calcium carbonate appear on the cell's anode due to the cell operation. Thus, the fluid flow process in the cell, in general, is a three-phase process that includes turbulence. Although hydrogen bubbles and calcium carbonate particles are usually small in size, they aggregate in the system over time and lead to the blockage of …

Determinants Of Ceo Compensation In The Hospitality Industry, Yoonhwa Choi

UNLV Retrospective Theses & Dissertations

This study empirically investigated whether CEO pay is linked to company performance within the hospitality industry, and attempted to further identify determinants of executive compensation among selected variables used in this study for the hotel, casino, and restaurant sectors. Thus, the present study adds to the body of knowledge on executive compensation for the hospitality industry by newly identifying sector-specific variables; The data was gathered for the years 1995--2000 for 22 hotels (SIC 7011), 25 casinos (SIC 7990), and 61 restaurants (SIC 5812) respectively. The final samples of the restaurant, hotel and casino sectors consisted of 53, 77, and 188 …

Efficient Design And Implementation Of Image Processing Algorithms On Reconfigurable Hardware Using Handel-C, Venkateshwar Rao Daggu

UNLV Retrospective Theses & Dissertations

Computer manipulation of images is generally defined as Digital Image Processing (DIP). DIP is used in variety of applications, including video surveillance, target recognition, and image enhancement. These applications are usually implemented in software but may use special purpose hardware for speed. With advances in the VLSI technology hardware implementation has become an attractive alternative. Assigning complex computation tasks to hardware and exploiting the parallelism and pipelining in algorithms yield significant speedup in running times. In this thesis the image processing algorithms like median filter, basic morphological operators, convolution and edge detection algorithms are implemented on FPGA. A pipelined architecture …

I-Magic Labelings Of Cubic Trees And N-Caterpillars, John Thomas Ethier

UNLV Retrospective Theses & Dissertations

Let G be a graph with q edges, then an edge labeling L: E → {1, 2,.., q} is a bijection from the set of edges E to the set of natural numbers less than or equal to q. A graph is said to be I-magic if there exists an edge labeling such that the sum of all edge labels incident to each internal vertex has the same value, and this value is called the magic index t, while the labeling is called an I-magic labeling. It has been conjectured that all cubic trees are I-magic. In this paper, we …

A Graphical Approach For Goodness-Of-Fit Of Poisson Model, Davin P Padilla

UNLV Retrospective Theses & Dissertations

Extensive work has been done on goodness-of-fit (GOF) tests for data assumed to have come from univariate continuous distributions; however, literature on GOF procedures for univariate discrete distributions is rather sparse in compariSon The Poisson distribution in particular has received much attention in the study of GOF tests due to its numerous applications as a model for observable phenomena. Hence, we survey existing GOF tests for Poissonity and present a useful guide to the most commonly used distribution-free GOF tests in practice. We then propose and investigate a graphical test of fit for the Poisson model that is based on …

Thesaurus-Aided Learning For Rule-Based Categorization Of Ocr Texts, Jeffrey Scott Coombs

UNLV Retrospective Theses & Dissertations

The question posed in this thesis is whether the effectiveness of the rule-based approach to automatic text categorization on OCR collections can be improved by using domain-specific thesauri. A rule-based categorizer was constructed consisting of a C++ program called C-KANT which consults documents and creates a program which can be executed by the CLIPS expert system shell. A series of tests using domain-specific thesauri revealed that a query expansion approach to rule-based automatic text categorization using domain-dependent thesauri will not improve the categorization of OCR texts. Although some improvement to categorization could be made using rules over a mixture of …

Spectral Analysis Of Hybrid Bermudagrass Placed Under Various Combinations Of Nitrogen And Water Availability, Malika Baghzouz

UNLV Retrospective Theses & Dissertations

Remote sensing technology that uses a movable ground-based system has promise for rapid, accurate and objective evaluation of turfgrass quality for instantaneous nitrogen and water application correction. Such a test has been made on hybrid bermudagrass 'Tifway' [ Cynodon dactylon (L.) Pers. x C. transvaalensis Burtt-Davy] through a 2-year field study at the Center for Urban Water Conservation in the city of North Las Vegas. Ten combinations of water and nitrogen treatments including cyclic and steady conditions were imposed on twenty experimental plots, with two replications per treatment. Treatments consisted of five N treatments: High Steady Nitrogen (HSN), Low Steady …

A Model To Understand Population Decline Of The Devil's Hole Pupfish (Cyprinodon Diabolis) And Support Habitat Management Decisions, Yuri V Graves

UNLV Retrospective Theses & Dissertations

After intensive efforts in the 1970s to stabilize the water level in Devil's Hole, the population of the Devil's Hole Pupfish showed slight but steady increase from the 1970s until the mid-1990s when the population began a steady deCline In this study I developed a system dynamics model to help the Devil's Hole Pupfish Recovery Team understand the recent decline and identify and test potential management strategies and policies to reverse or stop the deCline The model and modeling process was used to identify critical gaps in existing data. Tests simulating pore space manipulation, algae removal and addition of refugia …

Finite Element Analysis Of Pin Positioning In Lapidus Procedure For Treating Hallux Valgus, Haritha Royyuru

UNLV Retrospective Theses & Dissertations

A finite element analysis is carried out to find the optimum position of the pin placement of mini fixator in Lapidus procedure in the treatment of Hallux Valgus. Various parameters are considered for analysis like diameter of the pin, positioning of the pin from the fracture site, number of pins effecting the stability of the fixation device and fusion site, rail distance from the fusion site, effect of width and length of the rail, effect of fusion angle and effect of pin angle positioning in fusion the joint by using FEMLAB 2.3 for both modeling and analysis. A 2D model …

Task 1: Geodetic Monitoring Of The Yucca Mountain Region Using Continuous Global Positioning System Measurements, Jonathan Price

Publications (YM)

The principal purpose of the cooperative agreement is to develop and continue providing the public and the Yucca Mountain Site Characterization Office (YMSCO) with an independently derived, unbiased body of scientific and engineering data concerning the study of Yucca Mountain as a potential high level waste repository. Under this agreement, the University and Community College System of Nevada (UCCSN) will perform scientific or engineering research, and develop and foster collaborative working relationships between the Government and academic researchers. The following describes the objectives of Task 1 “Geodetic Monitoring of the Yucca Mountain Region Using Continuous Global Positioning System Measurements” under …

Design And Analysis Of A Process For Melt Casting Metallic Fuel Pins Incorporating Volatile Actinides, Yitung Chen, Darrell Pepper, Randy Clarksean

Fuels Campaign (TRP)

The goal of this project is to investigate the casting processes for metallic fuels to help design a process that minimizes the loss of the volatile actinide elements from the fuel.

The research effort centers on the development of advanced numerical models to assess conditions that significantly impact the transport of volatile actinides during the melt casting process and represents a joint effort between researchers at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV) and Argonne National Laboratory (ANL).

Design And Evaluation Of Processes For Fuel Fabrication, Georg F. Mauer

Fuels Campaign (TRP)

The goal of this research project is to provide technical support to process designers working on the development of the fuel cycles for transmutation applications. Detailed process models are developed to better define the impact of fuel choice on the transmuter fuel cycle, including relative process losses, waste generation, and plant capital cost. These process models provide insight regarding required plant size and number of plants needed to mesh with the fuel recycling line. They also determine requirements for automation.

Manufacturing models for large-scale production in a hot cell environment are also developed. Combined, these two models allow the assessment …

Design And Evaluation Of Processes For Transmuter Fuel Fabrication, Georg F. Mauer

Fuels Campaign (TRP)

• Project Objective: examine autonomous robotic fuel fabrication processes with regard to hot cell and equipment design, operations, and costs.

• Fabrication processes for different fuel types differ in terms of equipment types, throughput, and cost.

• Design options are restricted by the requirement to employ only radiation-hardened machinery and components

• Benefit to Department of Energy: decision support for the selection of the most suitable manufacturing process.

Stochastic Learning Feedback Hybrid Automata For Power Management In Embedded Systems, Pushkin Kachroo, S. K. Shukla, T. Erbes, H. Patel

Electrical & Computer Engineering Faculty Research

In this paper we show that stochastic learning automata based feedback control switching strategy can be used for dynamic power management (DPM) employed at the system level. DPM strategies are usually incorporated at the operating systems of embedded devices to exploit multiple power states available in today's ACPI compliant devices. The idea is to switch between power states depending on the device usage, and since device usage times are not deterministic, probabilistic techniques are often used to create stochastic strategies, or strategies that make decisions based on probabilities of device usage spans. Previous work (Irani et al., 2001) has shown …

Investigation Of The Corrosion Of Steel By Lead-Bismuth Eutectic (Lbe) Using Scanning Electron Microscopy And X-Ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy, Daniel Koury

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Lead Bismuth Eutectic (LBE) has been proposed for use in programs for accelerator transmutation of waste. LBE is the leading candidate material as a spallation target and an option for the sub-critical blanket coolant. The corrosion of 316 and 316L stainless steels by LBE has been studied using UNLV's facilities for Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) and X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy (XPS). We have compared exposed and unexposed samples and studied the differences. Some amount of surface contamination is present on the samples and has been removed by ionbeam etching. The unexposed samples reveal typical stainless steel characteristics: a chromium oxide passivation …

Immobilization Of Fission Iodine By Reaction With A Fullerene Containing Carbon Compound And Insoluble Natural Organic Matrix: Quarterly Report September-December 2002, Spencer M. Steinberg

Separations Campaign (TRP)

The recovery of iodine released during the processing of used nuclear fuel poses a significant challenge to the transmutation of radioactive iodine. This proposal will develop and examine the use of Fullerene Containing Carbon (FCC) compounds as potential sorbents for iodine release from the reprocessing of nuclear fuel. This work will also include the development of bench-scale testing capabilities at UNLV to allow the testing of the FCC material in a simulated process off-gas environment. This experimental capability will also be used to test other potential sorbtion materials and processes, such as natural organic matter (NOM) and other promising alternatives. …