Digital Commons Network^™

Associations Among Benevolent Sexism, Relationship-Contingent Self-Esteem, And Relationship Maintenance Strategies In Heterosexual Women, Carrie Underwood

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Past research shows that heterosexual women who endorse benevolent sexism (a sex-role attitude) tend to be highly invested in romantic relationships (Lee, Fiske, Glick, & Chen, 2010). Consequently, they may be more likely than other women to remain in relationships that are troubled. The current study aimed to shed light on this possibility by examining whether benevolent sexism was associated with the relationship maintenance strategies that women use in troubled relationships. I presented women with a scenario of a troubled relationship and manipulated the type of sexism the male partner in the scenario endorsed. Repeated measures ANCOVA revealed that women …

Worked To Leisure: The Intersections Of Volunteerism, Work, And Leisure, Denise Nicole Cook

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Volunteerism and work are topics which academics in several disciplines research. This study is an examination of the intersection of work and volunteerism via the lens of role theory. According to role theorists, the term role refers to behaviors which are either a result of social position or expectations (Biddle 1986). Cognitive role theorists use vocabulary such as “role conflict” and “role overload” to identify incongruences sometimes found in roles individuals have in their lives (Biddle 1986). These incongruences are primarily examined as they relate to individual level consequences. This research explores volunteerism and work as they relate to role …

Sex Worker And Proud: A Phenomenological Study Of Consensual Sex Workers' Lives, Michael Gerald Curtis Jr.

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Ten consensual sex workers who were currently working in Nevada were qualitatively interviewed in an effort to explore their perceptions of the adult industry. Interviews specifically focused on their experience disclosing their profession to others and the potential effects that it has on their personal relationships, and access to effective treatment. The Moustakas method of phenomenological inquiry was used to analyze data from ten participants who self-identified as direct sex workers. Seven essential themes emerged from this analysis: (1) the adult industry provides professional and personal agency, (2) the industry is often transient, (3) disclosure is an impactful and ongoing …

Co-Navigating The U.S. Educational System: A Multiple Case Study Of The Social And Academic Pressures Experienced By Iranian Immigrant Parents And Their 1.5-Generation Immigrant Children, Shahla Fayazpour

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

The United States of America is a complex, diverse nation, and the number of immigrant families grows daily. Since parents and family play central roles in their children’s future and academic achievements, the purpose of this study is to examine how immigrant parents navigate their children’s education in the United States. The goal of this research is to amplify the voices of immigrant families while informing policymakers and individuals about the racial issues and barriers that immigrant families face in society and school, and about how this affects their parenting and their children’s academic performance. This research aims to reduce …

Complete Sequencing And Comparative Analysis Of The Genomes Of The First Magnetotactic Gammaproteobacteria Isolated In Pure Culture: Strains Bw-2 And Ss-5, Corey Geurink

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

The genomes of the first two discovered magnetotactic bacteria (MTB) belonging to the ammaproteobacteria, strains BW-2 and SS-51, were sequenced, sealed, annotated and compared to MTB of other phylogenetic groups. Cells of both strains are rod-shaped and biomineralize cuboctahedral and elongated octahedral crystals of magnetite, respectively, that are enveloped in a protein-embedded, lipid-bilayer membrane referred to as the magnetosome membrane or vesicle. The crystals and their associated membranes are known as magnetosomes. Magnetosome crystals consist of either magnetite (Fe3O4) or greigite (Fe3S4) and, because of their specific mineral compositions, crystal morphologies and sizes, the biomineralization processes involved in magnetosome formation …

Numerical Characterization Of The Flow Field And Heat Transfer Inside The Receiver Of A Parabolic Trough Solar Collector Carrying Supercritical Co2, Samad Gharehdaghimollahajloo

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

The aim of this research is to provide a detailed numerical analysis of flow field and heat transfer inside the heat collecting element of a parabolic trough collector. The parabolic trough collector is used as the boiler in a direct Super Critical Carbon Dioxide (S-CO2) Brayton cycle.

A single collector is modeled and analyzed with different inlet conditions. The working fluid is supercritical since its pressure is increased to above critical pressure in the compressor while its temperature reaches 300 °C after passing through the recuperators and before entering the solar field. For the first time, this research considers both …

The Effect Of Oil Prices On Workforce In Selected Organization For Economic Cooperation And Development (Oecd) Countries, Amjad Kisswani

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Oil prices have greatly increased and decreased over the past few years, and have constantly been responsible for causing undesirable world economic performance and employment effects. The increase of oil prices usually leads to the rising prices of services such as production costs, energy bills, and petroleum products. Therefore, the increase will lower the productivity level, which affects interest rates and inflation rates, investments, product selling prices, consumption levels, unemployment rates, and real wage rates (Loungani, 1986). The oil price shocks since the 1970s have had a significant impact on the economy and are considered an important element of economic …

The “Singapore Model” In Gaming: Applications In South Korea, Young Gi Lee

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

The gaming governance system in Singapore is a very well-known and internationally renowned model. Singapore began to launch their gaming regulation system in 2005 by establishing a national framework on gambling prior to opening two integrated resorts in the country in 2010 (Winslow, Cheok, & Subramaniam, 2015). In contrast, the South Korean “model” is much less renowned. Though there have been discussions about introducing full-scale integrated resorts, the government currently allows South Korean citizens to gamble in only one property - Kangwon Land (Research, 2016). However, Kangwon Land’s situation is controversial in South Korea, with concerns about problem gambling issues …

Remember The Country And The Age In Which We Live": The British Gothic Novel In The Age Of Enlightenment, 1764-1798, Garland David Beasley

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Remember the Country and the Age in Which We Live” argues that the British Gothic novels produced in the late eighteenth century were not, as has traditionally been assumed, written in reaction against Enlightenment values in the face of rising political and social discord. Instead, I contend that eighteenth-century Gothic novels take part in a larger tradition of the novel that sought to impart the values of Enlightenment into a modernist genre still on the rise. By exploring the influence of Samuel Richardson on the development of the Gothic novel, the role of formal and informal educational structures, representations of …

"Already Writers": A Case Study In Assessment And Visual Rhetoric Connections In Digital Multimodal Composition, Fawn Elise Canady

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

English language arts must respond to shifts in literacy practices that reflect changes in ‘college and career ready’ that are more than technologically mediated, but also emphasize creative and social skills. The case study in this dissertation is a small part of a larger, ongoing formative experiment in digital multimodal composition (DMC). A formative experiment is a methodological approach that favors a collaborative, iterative research process that is centered on an instructional goal in authentic classroom settings (Reinking & Bradley, 2008). The intention of the larger research study was to support students’ learning through DMC. This dissertation explored one of …

Reverse Migration: Documenting How The Educational Experiences Of Transnational Youth In Mexican Schools Are Shaped By Parental Deportation, Sandra Lourdes Candel

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Research Problem

Over 500,000 U.S.-born children are living in Mexico –some due to parental deportation– experiencing a decrease in their quality of life, the stress of an unfamiliar language and culture, and difficulty accessing education. In order to support them in their transition to Mexico, and to reincorporate them into U.S. society as adults, their struggles and educational trajectories should be of great concern to the Mexican and U.S. governments, as well as higher education institutions.

Purpose

The purpose of this qualitative study was to document the educational experiences of transnational students attending schools in a border city in northern …

A Historical Case Study Of Title Ix In Nevada: An Excellent Investment In Our Youth, Jason Clark

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

The purpose of this study was to examine and document the history of Title IX in the American West, specifically at the University of Nevada, Reno (UNR), and at Clark County School District (CCSD) in Las Vegas, Nevada. This thesis contends that since the late nineteenth-century, women have utilized sports as a method to shed discriminatory stereotypes, fight for inclusion, and promote gender equality. In addition, the progressive actions of educational administrators and community leaders regarding Title IX make both UNR and CCSD exceptional institutions for gender equality. This thesis contains six chapters including the introduction and conclusion. Chapter 1 …

Understanding The Long-Term Changes In Hydrologic Processes On A Watershed Scale Due To Climate Variability And Change, Chao Chen

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

In the past century, the population explosion and economic development have resulted in global warming, which has raised a series of concerns, such as sea-level rise, food security, and water resources management. The water flow patterns and features experience both short-term and long-term changes in responses to the changes in the hydrologic processes and meteorologic conditions. On a watershed scale, it is crucial to understand, quantify, and attribute the influences of climate change on the local water resources system. Such understanding can be of great help to undertake local water management tasks, such as flood control, reservoir operation, ecosystem services, …

Radiative Contour Mapping Using Uas Swarm, Zachary Cook

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

The work is related to the simulation and design of small and medium scale unmanned aerial system (UAS), and its implementation for radiation measurement and contour mapping with onboard radiation sensors. The compact high-resolution CZT sensors were integrated to UAS platforms as the plug-and-play components using Robot Operation System. The onboard data analysis provides time and position-stamped intensities of gamma-ray peaks for each sensor that are used as the input data for the swarm flight control algorithm. In this work, a UAS swarm is implemented for radiation measurement and contour mapping. The swarm of UAS has advantages over a single …

A Test Driven Approach To Develop Web-Based Machine Learning Applications, Armin Esmaeilzadeh

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

The purpose of this thesis is to propose the design and architecture of a testable, scalable, and ef-cient web-based application that models and implements machine learning applications in cancer prediction. There are various components that form the architecture of our web-based application including server, database, programming language, web framework, and front-end design. There are also other factors associated with our application such as testability, scalability, performance, and design pattern. Our main focus in this thesis is on the testability of the system while consid- ering the importance of other factors as well.

The data set for our application is a …

The Role Of Pre-Existing Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus In Colorectal Cancer Stage And Survival In Elderly Americans: A Seer-Medicare Population-Based Study 2002-~2011, Sanae El Ibrahimi

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Diabetes is a common comorbid condition among colorectal cancer (CRC) patients, yet its effects in CRC outcomes, particularly stage at diagnosis, risk of death and variations by diabetes severity (complications vs no complications) and Hispanic ethnicity have not been adequately studied. The purpose of this study was to investigate the association between pre-existing T2DM and advanced stage at diagnosis in elderly patients with CRC; to examine whether diabetes is an independent predictor of poor survival from all-cause and CRC-specific mortality; to assess whether variations exist by diabetes severity and to analyze the outcomes for the Hispanic group.

The Surveillance Epidemiology …

Investigation Of Setting Time And Compressive Strength Of Ready-Mixed Concrete Blended With Returned Fresh Concrete, Negasi Niguse Gebremichael

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

The Center for Sustainable Transportation Infrastructure (CSTI), in its 2012 study, estimated that out of all the concrete leaving the plant, between 2% and 7% of concrete returns to the plant unused as a returned fresh concrete (RFC). Disposal of both the truck wash water and RFC is a growing concern for the industry. Most industry personnel contacted during the investigation, agree that reusing is superior to recycling of this substantial RFC economically and environmentally. This study will determine if the reuse of RFC in subsequent batches compromises the quality of newly blended concrete.

The effect of RFC on fresh …

Synthesis Of Actinide Materials For The Study Of Basic Actinide Science And Rapid Separation Of Fission Products, Jacquelyn M. Dorhout

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

This dissertation covers several distinct projects relating to the fields of nuclear forensics and basic actinide science. Post-detonation nuclear forensics, in particular, the study of fission products resulting from a nuclear device to determine device attributes and information, often depends on the comparison of fission products to a library of known ratios. The expansion of this library is imperative as technology advances. Rapid separation of fission products from a target material, without the need to dissolve the target, is an important technique to develop to improve the library and provide a means to develop samples and standards for testing separations. …

Competitive Power Down Methods In Green Computing, James Andro-Vasko

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

For the power-down problem one considers a device which has states OFF, ON, and a number of intermediate states. The state of the device can be switched at any time. In the OFF state the device consumes zero energy and in the ON state it works at its full power consumption. The intermediate states consume only some fraction of energy proportional to the usage time but switching back to the ON state has has different constant setup cost depending on the current state. Requests for service (i.e. for when the device has to be in the ON state) are not …

Controlled Electrochemical Reduction Of Gold And Palladium Metal Precursors In Polyaniline, Nicole Goodwin

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Polyaniline (PANI) has been extensively studied due to its unique electrochemical properties. The conjugated polymer is conductive with high chemical stability below 100°C, mechanical strength, and large surface area. The applications of PANI have included chemical sensing, corrosion inhibition coatings, light emitting diode and as a substrate for metal composite catalysts. Both chemical and electrochemical methods have been developed and utilized in the synthesis of PANI/metal composites. The simultaneous reduction of aniline and metal precursor produces a composite of PANI encapsulated metal, reducing the active surface area available for catalysis. Alternatively, chemical reduction of the metal precursor into preformed PANI …

Validity And Diagnostic Accuracy Of Broad Symptom Measures And Adhd Symptom Ratings For Identifying Individuals With Adhd Combined And Adhd Inattentive, Stacy Jean Graves

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Neuropsychological assessments conducted with children with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) often includes broad measures of behavioral disturbances, as well as specific measures of ADHD symptomatology. However, it is unclear the extent to which these two types of measures share substantial common variance or are useful in improving diagnostic accuracy. In efforts to increase efficiency, the current study examined these matters to provide clinicians with information that might help improve the selection of behavioral ratings for evaluation purposes.

Participants included in this study were evaluated for clinical purposes at a community based private practice. Participants included 253 of these children …

Evaluating The Chemical And Biological Stability Of Finished Waters Blended For Direct Potable Reuse In A Simulated Distribution System, Assumption Grimaldi

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

This work evaluated the impacts of blending several different high grade recycled waters with conventional source waters for direct potable reuse (DPR) applications. Bench-scale laboratory tests were conducted for recycled water-source water blends from four participating facilities that have either considered adopting DPR or have already implemented DPR as a feasible approach to overcome water scarcity. The chemical and biological stability of the finished waters was investigated after pipe rig incubation to simulate the quality of blended waters that had aged in a potable water distribution system. The effects of blend ratio, reclaimed water treatment, and source water quality were …

Student Expectations And Motivation In Spanish For Heritage Speakers Programs, Sergio A. Guzman

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

The changing demographics in the United States and the growing need for multilingual individuals originated by globalization, among other reasons, have contributed to the emergence of a new field within the area of Applied Linguistics: The Teaching and Learning of Heritage Languages. Due to historical and geographic causes, Spanish for Heritage Speakers (SHS) is currently the largest and most established of these programs. However, the curricula, like those of most college courses, has been developed from professors’ perspectives, largely ignoring what students want to learn and/or their motives for enrolling in these classes. The lack of student input is especially …

The Design And Validation Of A Rhythm Span Task, Elizabeth Hofschulte Collins

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

The purpose of this study was to design and validate a rhythm span task. Existing rhythm span tasks do not address important elements of rhythm and music such as tempo (speed), length (duration in beats per minute), and complexity (level of syncopation). This rhythm span task includes every combination of these criteria. The rhythmic sequences were presented with a piano sound from computer audio speakers. To align with traditional simple span tasks, the rhythm span task required participants to reproduce the rhythmic sequence. Results from this study showed that length was a significant factor for difficulty. Short rhythms were found …

Client’S Perception Of Therapist’S Way-Of-Being, Derek Holyoak

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

The purpose of this research is to investigate how clients’ perception of their therapist’s way of being impacts client engagement during the therapeutic process. By utilizing a common factors perspective, which emphasizes the importance of a strong therapeutic alliance between clients and therapists, the researcher aims to provide empirical evidence supporting the Therapeutic Pyramid Meta-Model. The Meta-Model, which was created by Fife and colleagues (2014), lays the foundation of effective psychotherapy as a therapist’s way-of-being. The meta-model is concurrent with the common factors literature which accounts for almost 30 percent of therapeutic change to therapist-relationship factors. A phenomenological framework, in …

A Phenomenological Study Of The Process Of Transitioning Out Of The Military And Into Civilian Life From The Acculturation Perspective, Wilisha C. Daniels

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

The purpose of this study was to investigate the process of transitioning of veterans the perspective of acculturation. The study explored the lived experience of veterans, by attempting to gain a better understanding of the transition process of post 9/11 military members.

The study used the acculturation framework to view the experiences of transitioning from military to civilian culture. Limited research exists examining the connection between acculturation and transitioning for veterans. The phenomenological methodology was used to explain the veterans’ experiences.

The study revealed that TAP, the government-mandated transition program did very little to prepare veterans transition back to the …

Parents' Perceptions Of Smartphone Use And Parenting Practices, David Jackson Johnson

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

The present study is a qualitative examination aiming to gain insight into parents’ perceptions of their smartphone use and the effects it may be having on their children as well as parenting practices. Participants (N=12) were smartphone using parents that consisted mostly of young college-educated females. Thematic analysis of individual interviews resulted in five primary themes: (1) Disengagement, (2) Concern for Future, (3) Change in Social Norms, (4) Boundaries, and (5) Cognitive Dissonance. These findings indicate significant effects parental smartphone use is having in the lives of study participants. These thematic findings call for additional research examining the impact parental …

Studies In Words: Laborious Ben Jonson's Lexicon, Steven Hrdlicka

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

This dissertation examines significant words in Ben Jonson’s poetic lexicon that the poet inherited, borrowed, and shaped from antiquity and through the Middle Ages. Jonson used etymology as a means to rhetorical inventio, a common practice in the Renaissance. Etymology comprehended more than mere word derivation in the Renaissance but also notably included philological study. Ben Jonson’s extensive knowledge of language, history, architecture, the plastic arts, and philosophy is well known, but the extent to which Jonson’s knowledge of these subjects contributed to his understanding and use of poetic language is not. Thus this dissertation seeks to explore the intellectual …

Surface And Interface Characterization Of Solution-Processed Metal Oxides And Pedot:Pss Using Photoelectron Spectroscopy, Lynette M. Kogler

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Solution-processed materials are appealing for use in printable electronics as a means to lower production costs, but precise control of the process is crucial for achieving the desired properties in the final materials and their interfaces. Electronic interface properties depend on both the involved materials and their fabrication processes, impacting the development and commercialization of these materials. Analyzing the chemical and electronic structure of these materials, particularly at the surfaces and interfaces, is important not only for insuring that the materials have the desired properties, but also for understanding the effects of the fabrication process and how to modify properties …

Comparison Of Simulation Methods Of Single And Multi-Bit Continuous Time Sigma Delta Modulators, Benju Koirala

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Continuous time Sigma Delta Modulators (CT ΣΔMs) are a type of analog to digital converter (ADC) that are used in mixed signal systems to convert analog signals into digital signals. ADCs typically require antialiasing filter; however antialiasing filters are inherent in CT ΣΔMs, and therefore they require less circuitry and less power than other ADC architectures that require separate antialiasing filters. As a result, CT ΣΔM ADC architectures are preferred in many mixed signal electronic applications.

Because of the mixed signal nature of CT ΣΔMs, they can be difficult to simulate. In this thesis, various methods for simulating single-bit and …