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Coaching Motivation, James Derella

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Introduction

The ability to motivate athletes is one of the major requirements of being a good coach at any level. Collegiately it may even be more important because college athletes are trying to juggle so much in their life. Student athletes have to deal with schoolwork, practice, social life and other various demands that coaches, peers, individual and family members put on them. Student-athletes need to also weigh the options of trying to make sport a career or making sport a secondary option and making education. All educational institutions act politically correct and say that student-athletes are exactly that: students …

Investigating Three Decades Of Vegetation Change In A Mojave Desert Mountain Range, Chris Lee Roberts

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

This project is a vegetation change study spanning 29 years in the Newberry Mountains of Southern Nevada. Long term monitoring data are crucial for understanding the effects of climate change on vegetation dynamics. Successful management intervention in vegetation change will require identification of early indicator plant species and their responses to climatic cues. This project is one of the oldest comparisons of resurveyed Mojave vegetation community plots with repeatable methodology and the longest survey interval reported for the southeastern Mojave Desert. 103 plots were relocated and resurveyed based on data methods in Jim Holland's thesis titled "A Vegetative Analysis of …

Measuring Spillover Effects Of Residential Amenity Improvements Using Spatial Hedonic Approach, Shruti Bishan Tandon

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

The purpose of this dissertation is to develop a methodology for the estimation of the appropriate welfare benefits in the presence of spillover externalities. The ability to capture influences of the not so easily observed variables allow spatial lag models to measure the direct and indirect spillover effects. The direct effect measures the value of the property in question and the indirect captures the influences of neighboring properties, through a spatial multiplier effect.

Kim et al. (2003) through a path breaking approach estimated welfare benefits of air quality improvement. Their methodology captured spillover effects of amenity changes that lump both …

Perceptions Of Barriers That Inhibit African American Women And Adolescent Girls From Participation In Physical Activity, Sonya Daniels Walker

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

This study examined the barriers to leisure time physical activity for African American women and their adolescent daughters. Six mother-daughter dyads were interviewed who have access to physical activity opportunity. Three of the dyads participated in a follow-up focus group. A qualitative research design that utilized a grounded theory approach identified two themes for the women and two themes for the girls. Themes for the women include influence of culture and low physical activity IQ. Sub-themes of influence of culture are (a) hair and (b) body image. Sub-themes of low physical activity IQ are (a) mommy guilt, (b) perception of …

From Martyrs To Mothers To Chick In Choos: The Medieval Female Body And American Women's Popular Literature, Gina M. Sully

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Placing the generic conventions of medieval hagiography, Nina Baym's insights about nineteenth-century American sentimental fiction's overplot, and contemporary American women's popular literature into tension illuminates some important commonalities. First, biographers of the medieval virgin saints and authors of contemporary American women's popular literature deploy the same overplot that Baym identifies as characteristic of American women's nineteenth-century popular fiction. Second, in order to define feminine virtue and establish the virtue of their protagonists, nineteenth-century and post-millennial American women writers rework the contrastive tropes by which hagiographers establish their heroines' virtue. Third, struggles for ascendance in the domestic realm gesture toward its …

Attentional Focus During Balance Training In Idiopathic Parkinson’S Disease (Pd): A Randomized Clinical Trial, Alyssa Davis, Rebecca Hatlevig, Amanda Richards, Leslee Rosenlof

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

The purpose of this study was to compare the effects of various attentional focus strategies on balance in people with PD. Forty-nine adults with idiopathic PD were randomized into one of four groups (internal focus, external focus, no focus, and control). The three intervention groups participated in a month-long balance program. The outcomes measured were the Sensory Organization Test, Berg Balance Scale, self selected gait velocity, Dynamic Gait Index, Activities-specific Balance Confidence Scale and obstacle course completion time. These outcomes were measured at baseline, post intervention, 2-weeks post intervention, and 8-weeks post intervention. Statistical analyses yielded no significant differences among …

Active Recovery And Electro-Muscular Stimulation On Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness After Endurance Running: A Randomized Clinical Trial, Amanda J. Gramly, Kitrick C. Rhodes, Andrea F. Smith

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Background/Purpose: Current research on strategies to decrease delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS) has focused on the effects of active and passive recovery on athletic performance across various sports, but there is little evidence regarding these recoveries at reducing DOMS induced by aerobic activities, such as running. In addition, there is limited research regarding the efficacy of recovery using electro-muscular stimulation (EMS). Therefore, the purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of active and EMS recovery in decreasing DOMS. Subjects: Forty-eight healthy subjects (25 males and 23 females) between the ages of 20 and 40 (25.1 ± 2.9) participated. …

Population-Based Survey Of Lumbar Surgery Beliefs In The United States, Amanda Elyse Mccauley, Zachery Clark Rasmussen

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Purpose/Hypothesis: Studies have shown that poor lumbar surgery outcomes may be influenced by a person’s preconceived perceptions of low back surgery (LBS). However, the perceptions of the general population about issues related to lumbar surgery are not known. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to investigate the general population’s perceptions regarding LBS.

Number of Subjects: This study included 262 participants (Average age: 46.1, SD=16.9; 125 Males, 137 Females) who completed the questionnaire from the general population in the Las Vegas area.

Materials/Methods: Questionnaire development involved expert panel feedback from three physical therapists, three spine surgeons, two surgeon assistants/nurses, two …

Immediate Effects Of High Intensity Training In Children With Cerebral Palsy Gmfcs Levels I-Iii: A Pilot Study, Andrea Blahovec, Andrea Kuiken, Jillian Mears, Heather Riggins

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Background: Cerebral Palsy is one of the most common causes of motor disability in the U.S., but there is still a lack of consensus for best intervention strategies to improve function and gait efficiency.

Objective: Determine if ambulatory children with CP, exposed to a brief, high intensity training session, will: 1) experience changes in temporal-spatial gait characteristics 2) demonstrate increased gait speed and 3) demonstrate improved gait kinematics.

Design: Five participants walked at preferred and fast speeds over an instrumented walkway followed by a 15-minute intervention. After a short rest, post-intervention walking was completed.

Results: Ten dependent variables were extracted …

Therapist Characteristics Influencing Physical Therapy Non-Treatment In The Acute Care Setting, Daniel Mcgarvey, Colby Olsen, Aaron Van Wagoner

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Background and Purpose: Research has found that participation in physical therapy (PT) services in the acute care setting increases functional outcomes and decreases patient length of stay. Certain physical therapist characteristics could be a potential source of influence on patient non-participation in physical therapy in the acute care setting. The purpose of this study was to determine whether specific characteristics of therapists and patients are predictive of physical therapy non-treatment.

Subjects: Subjects included 16 physical therapists or physical therapist assistants and 1225 patients at a community acute care hospital.

Methods: Characteristics of each therapist and their corresponding patient data were …

Foot Volume Change During Long Distance Running In Healthy Adults, Meghan Boni, Istvan Takacs, Rebecca Wilson

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Background and purpose: Healthy adults frequently engage in running as a means of cardiovascular exercise. Larger running shoes are often chosen based on common beliefs that feet swell during running, yet many continue to encounter foot injuries, such as blisters, as a result of this activity. Previous research has analyzed the changes in foot volume during short bouts of activity. However, there has been limited research on the effect of long distance running on foot volume, which is where many of these injuries are seen. The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of long distance running, defined …

Supervised Lower Extremity Strengthening Program To Improve Function In Women Over Fifty With Knee Osteoarthritis: A Time Series Design, Janelle Brooke Lemons, Diane Christine Sheesley, Pamela Reagan Sutton

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Objective: Develop a simple, self-paced lower extremity strengthening program incorporating functional activities for women over the age of fifty to reduce limitations associated with knee OA.

Study Design: This was a pilot study utilizing a time series design with 8 women aged 55-65 (M + SD = 60 + 3) meeting the American College of Rheumatology's criteria for clinical diagnosis of knee OA.

Background: Lower extremity weakness in women with knee osteoarthritis is associated with pain and functional limitations.

Methods and Measures: Subjects began the 14-week program with 2 weeks of baseline treadmill walking. The following 12 weeks were divided …

Duration Of The Effects Of Three Static Stretching Conditions With Or Without A Dynamic Warm-Up In College Age Adults, Spencer Blackwell, Andrew Blomberg, Jonathan Griffith

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Purpose. The purpose of this study was to determine the stretching duration (15, 30, 60 seconds) with or without a dynamic warm-up that resulted in the longest lasting acute effects in hamstring flexibility.

Subjects. Forty subjects (17 male, 23 female) (age: 20-35 years) were selected to participate in this study using a sample of convenience from university graduate students.

Methods. This study contained 7 treatment conditions in which each subject completed in random order. Three groups consisted of a 5-minute treadmill warm-up at a self-selected velocity (SSV) followed by one of three stretching durations (15, 30, or 60 sec). …

Fortifying The Pipeline: An Exploratory Study Of High School Factors Impacting The Information Literacy Of First-Year College Students, Jennifer L. Fabbi

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Information literacy—the ability "to recognize when information is needed and have the ability to locate, evaluate, and use effectively the needed information” (American Library Association [ALA], 1989, para. 3)—has been widely and increasingly cited as an essential competency for college success, for the workplace, and for life (Bruce, 1997; Eisenberg, 2008; Fitzgerald, 2004; Johnston & Webber, 2003; National Leadership Council for Liberal Education and America’s Promise, 2007; Obama, 2009; Rader, 2002). Information literacy best practice and standards state that students optimally develop this skill set through immersion in the research process—often and over time—and this proposition is also supported in …

The Relationship Between Institutional, Departmental And Program-Specific Variables And The Academic Performance Of Division I Fbs Football Programs, Steven C. Eigenbrot

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

This study investigated the connection between the academic evaluation of Division I FBS football programs and the various social settings that influenced these student-athletes. These social settings were classified as: institutional, departmental and program-specific. The experience of the student-athlete is thought to be impacted by all three settings, creating applicability for social identity theory, which provides the theoretical framework of the study.

Burial And Exhumation History Of Mississippian Strata In East-Central Nevada, Yuki Yunika Agulia

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Zircon (U-Th)/He analyses and vitrinite reflectance (Ro) analyses were performed on a suite of Mississippian sedimentary rocks collected in east-central Nevada in order to test Permian exhumation described in a previous study.

The zircon analyses produced three clusters of ages: 1) older than, 2) similar to, and 3) younger than depositional age. The majority of zircons shows ages that are older than the sandstone deposition age. Young ages were recorded in three localities that may indicate reset ages/residence within the (U-Th)/He partial retention zone (HePRZ). Moderate-high ratios of Th/U may indicate a magmatic source. Vitrinite reflectance (Ro) analyses show values …

Natural And Constructed Wetlands For Ecosystem And Engineering Services In The Arid And Semi-Arid Regions, Achyut Raj Adhikari

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

The Las Vegas Wash (LVW) has undergone significant wetlands degradation and soil erosion over the past thirty years due to increasing flow resulting from urbanization and large rainfall events in the Las Vegas Valley Watershed. The increased flow and associated pollution load in the LVW and its adverse impact in Lake Mead have alerted stakeholders to pay a greater attention to explore alternative measures for rehabilitation of wetland ecosystems. This dissertation, using the case of changes in LVW, analyzes and describes ecological and engineering services provided by wetlands in arid and semi-arid regions and provides a knowledge base that can …

Sex And Stereotyping In Sin City: A Content Analysis Of Las Vegas Magazine Advertisements, Michelle Irene Aikin

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

There have been numerous studies regarding gender stereotyping, the objectification of women, and how sex is used to sell products and services. In a city that is notorious for "what happens here, stays here," it is important to be aware of Las Vegas cultural marketing trends and how they compare with society-wide values. Using sex excessively in advertisements may have a negative impact on the Las Vegas community and the shaping of a negative image of the city. How much sex appeal is used and the levels of sexuality in Las Vegas print advertisements has not yet been researched. A …

Dynamic Modelling Of Single Phase Grid Connected Photovoltaic System, Gopi Krishna Ari

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Grid-connected photovoltaic (PV) power systems have been sustaining an exponential growth rate during the past decade. This steep growth is driven by a growing concern about climate change, the adoption of an aggressive regional renewable portfolio standard, rebates and tax incentives, and reduction in PV system cost. One of the main technical barriers that can ultimately limit further PV penetration is the fast variations in the PV system's output power induced by cloud transients. Such events are known to cause voltage fluctuations which may lead to excessive operations of voltage regulation equipment and light flickering.

Solar irradiance variability, which can …

Deciphering The Evolution Of Ore Fluids At The Batu Hijau Copper-~Gold Porphyry Deposit, Sumbawa, Indonesia, Jordan Thomas Armstrong

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Fluid inclusions contained within quartz veins from the Batu Hijau Cu-Au porphyry deposit in Indonesia were analyzed to track the evolution of fluid temperature, pressure, and composition during the formation of the deposit to better understand the formation of this and other Cu-Au porphyry deposits in order aid future exploration. A combination of petrography, microthermometry, synchrotron x-ray fluorescence, and laser ablation-inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry were used to determine the temperature, pressure, and compositional aspects of the deposit.

Four types of fluid inclusions were recognized at Batu Hijau based on the volume percent of the vapor bubble; inclusions were classified as …

Evaluating Recharge And Dynamics Of Flow In The Lower Virgin River Basin, Usa: Interpretation Of Hydrochemical And Stable Isotopic Data, Joseph Asante

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Because of the complex geologic setting of the Basin and Range province, groundwater flow systems of the Intermountain basins of the southwestern United States are complex and remain poorly understood. Understanding these flow systems is important for water budgeting on a regional and local scale, and development of robust numerical groundwater models for sustainable water use and protection of water-dependent ecosystems. Although for decades hydrochemistry and isotopes have been used to characterize and trace subsurface water and surface water, effectively interpreting these data are still challenging, which can be attributed to existing subjective grouping of these data and the lack …

Using Negative Feedback To Guide Behavior: Impairments On The Wisconsin Card Sorting Test Relates To Psychosis, Sally Barney

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

There is increasing controversy regarding the distinction between schizophrenia and bipolar disorder as separate diagnostic categories because these disorders share many features in common. These and other findings suggest that bipolar disorder and schizophrenia may be better conceptualized along a continuum or within more homogeneous subsets of affective, psychotic, and mixed symptomatology.

Dopamine dysregulation has been found in schizophrenia and bipolar disorder, particularly those that experience psychosis during the acute phases of their bipolar illness. Dopamine has been found to play a role in reward and reward learning. Recently, research has found that individuals with schizophrenia experience deficits in reward …

The Fluvial Muddy Creek Formation Near Overton, Nevada, Carl Taylor Swenberg

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

The Muddy Creek Formation (MCF) may represent an ancestral Colorado River deposit. To test this hypothesis, I mapped exposures of the MCF within the Virgin River Depression (VRD), a rift basin in the central Basin and Range. This is the first study to analyze fluvial MCF facies and test their viability as ancestral Colorado River deposits.

Mapping, paleocurrent analysis, conglomerate provenance, and architectural elements analysis were used in order to characterize the fluvial MCF near Overton NV. Architectural elements analysis revealed that MCF fluvial facies are most closely associated with those of a high-energy sand-bed braided river system. These results …

The Potential Of Downtown Las Vegas Becoming A Creative Milieu, Ana Magdalena Barragan

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

The city of Las Vegas is attempting to revitalize downtown through a creative economy by bringing cultural and experiential activities to the area in a mixed use arrangement with residential, business and civic uses. This study looks at the possibility of not only revitalizing downtown, but on it becoming a true creative milieu - a place that fosters creativity and innovation. It does so by first identifying three major forces working upon the realization of these goals: 1) the regional socio-economic conditions, 2) the government strategies, and 3) the creative population's participation.

The study conducts a quantitative assessments of each, …

Chemical Weathering Of The Mafic Minerals Serpentine And Olivine In Natural Environments, Julie Lynn Baumeister

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Chemical weathering is a critical process that plays a key role in controlling the chemistry of natural waters, the cycling of atmospheric carbon dioxide, and the formation of soil. The weathering of silicate minerals is important because the Earth's crust is composed of approximately 92 weight percent silicate minerals. Despite an extensive literature on mineral dissolution and kinetics, relatively few studies have examined weathering of the mafic minerals serpentine and olivine, especially in a natural environment. The first chapter of this thesis provides an introduction to the minerals serpentine and olivine. The second chapter of this thesis examines the important …

Elementary School Based Health Centers As Providers Of School Entry Health Exams: Do They Meet The Standards?, Roberta Bavin

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

The health of today's children is crucial for the future of our society. There are many children without access to healthcare in these turbulent economic times; times that are increasingly uncertain as society maneuvers its way through the maze of healthcare reform. School based health centers (SBHCs) provide a safety net for children needing basic healthcare who are otherwise underserved. School entry health examinations (SEHE) are legal requirements in many states, and are a proven method for identifying health conditions early enough in a child's life that they can be corrected. Treating identified health conditions facilitates academic success for children, …

Johannes Brahms, Vierzehn Deutsche Volkslieder, Woo 34, Nos. 1-14, An Arrangement, Transcription And Pedagogical Rationale For Wind Band, Robert Logan Biles

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

This document illustrates how specific educational objectives can be met in the wind band rehearsal through the selection, transcription, and arrangement of the Vierzehn Deutsche Volkslieder, WoO 34, Nos. 1-14 by Johannes Brahms. It further defines the pedagogical appropriateness of these works and their transcriptions by outlining the educational goals that they accomplish.

The resulting wind band transcriptions and arrangements, for use at the secondary and post-secondary levels, are presented in two formats. The first is a convertible transcription where each instrumental part contains transpositions of all of the original vocal parts making it adaptable for various combinations of instruments. …

Muddy Creek Formation: A Record Of Late Neogene Tectonics And Sedimentation In Southern Nevada, Thomas William Muntean

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

The Late Neogene Muddy Creek Formation (MCF), exposed in the vicinity of Lake Mead in southern Nevada, represents the youngest widespread Cenozoic sedimentary sequence in the region and is the focus of this study. Historically, the MCF has been largely ignored, with limited previous studies providing only regional-scale constraint on the age, stratigraphy, and mode of deposition for the formation; resulting in a data gap for our understanding of the Late Cenozoic tectonic and sedimentological evolution of southern Nevada.

From The Foreland To The Hinterland: Taphonomy Across The Cretaceous To Paleogene Sevier Retroarc Region Of Nevada, Joshua William Bonde

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Until 2004 very little paleobiology, let alone paleoecology, had been studied within exposures of the Sevier retro-arc foreland and hinterland, in the state of Nevada. This is due largely to poor and spotty exposure. This study focuses on taphonomic processes within three stratigraphic intervals in the foreland and hinterland of the Sevier retro-arc region, and what these taphonomic indicators reveal about the geography of the hinterland.

First, the Willow Tank Formation of southern Nevada was deposited in the foredeep of the Sevier retroarc foreland basin. This unit represents a multi-channel, aggradational, fluvial system that drained the Sevier highlands to the …

Predicting Expenditure Patterns Based On Motivations To Travel For Active Sport Tourists, Chris Brown

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

The present study continued the line of research into general tourism motivations and expenditures by further expanding the scope into active sport tourists traveling to participate in a specific sport. In completing this research, a broad range of travel, expenditure, and motivational factors were considered. In addition, multiple regression was utilized to answer the proposed research question in an attempt to achieve a more comprehensive understanding of active sport tourists' motivations for travel and their subsequent expenditures.