Digital Commons Network^™

You Should Know Jack: A Qualitative Study Of The Jack Lalanne Show (1951-~1965), Robert Cochrane

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Jack LaLanne hosted the first and longest running fitness program in United States broadcast history from 1951 through 1985. Since LaLanne's rise as a broadcasting celebrity, the health and fitness industry has grown from a small, somewhat-maligned field into a multi-billion dollar per year economy of its own. As LaLanne reached iconic status through his show, his name became synonymous with good health and nutrition, but the messages of his show went far beyond simple exercises. He used religious, patriotic, and biomedical messages to get his points across. In addition, he was a showman who sang to his audience, used …

Prehistoric Foraging Strategies In The Piute Valley Of Southern Nevada, Christopher Alan Brosman

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

The Piute Valley of Southern Nevada is an incredibly diverse but arid zone in the eastern portion of the Mojave Desert. Most of this diversity can be attributed to the elevation shifts ranging from the Colorado River basin to the peaks of the surrounding mountain ranges. These peaks and valleys provide a multitude of resource zones in which prehistoric hunter-gatherers could provision themselves throughout the year. For this thesis I have used archaeological survey, paleo-climate models, life-sciences data and ethnographic research to perform an in-depth land use analysis of prehistoric forager adaptations to this challenging but life-sustaining environment.

Recent investigations …

State Juvenile Justice Spending Decisions: The Effects Of Federal Aid, Race, Politics, And Other Socioeconomic Factors, Willie B. Coleman Smith

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Historically, juvenile justice in the United States has been the responsibility of state governments with limited federal support. There is a notable gap in the empirical literature on factors that affect funding policies for state juvenile justice programs. In this dissertation research, I used two theoretical perspectives to examine determinants of juvenile justice spending: economic theory on intergovernmental aid and tenets of the Politics of Social Order Framework, developed by Stucky, Heimer, and Lang (2007) to investigate corrections spending. Two research questions were considered: 1) What impact does federal aid have on state spending on juvenile justice programs? and 2) …

Beyond The Baccalaureate: Black Students' Decisions To Pursue A Graduate Education, Edward Collins

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

This study uses data from the Baccalaureate and Beyond 1993/03 (B&B: 93/03) Longitudinal Study to investigate the issues that affect the likelihood of graduate/professional school enrollment of Black, 4-year degree earners. Also of particular interest were a comparison of graduate degree aspirations to actual post baccalaureate participation and the effect of attending a Black college on graduate school matriculation. Adapting Perna's (2006) college choice model and applying logistic regression, this study examined how academic achievement, financial aid, habitus, school and community, and the higher education context influence the decision of whether or not Black students enrolled in a graduate education …

Program Evaluation Of Preceptor Preparation And Effectiveness In A Local Nurse Residency Program, Margaret Covelli

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Preceptors are vital to the success of new graduate registered nurses in their transition to practice as they assist the new nurse in developing skills, competency, and confidence. Most residency programs may include training for preceptors but there may not be evidence that preceptor preparation makes a difference in the retention of nurse residents or the relationship to favorable evaluations of preceptors from the residents. This study evaluated and compared the effects of preceptor training on competency levels of the resident and therefore retention.

The methodology was a post hoc descriptive study of variables that included demographics, surveys from residents …

The Influence Of Parent Factors On Child Perfectionism: A Cross-Sectional Study, Lisa Caitlin Cook

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Perfectionism is a multidimensional construct that affects adults and children and is associated with psychological problems such as depression, anxiety, and obsessive compulsiveness. Studies regarding risk factors for perfectionism are scarce but extant research and theories suggest parents may be involved in the development of perfectionism in children. The present study included 160 children aged 8-17 years (67 males, 93 females) and their parents. The study examined child perfectionism across five age groups (8-9 years, 10-11 years, 12-13 years, 14-15 years, 16-17 years) as well as relationships between parent and child perfectionism and between parent psychopathology and child perfectionism. Self-oriented …

Nuestras Experiencias: A Phenomenological Study Of Latina First Generation Higher Education Graduates, Diana Elizabeth Cruz

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

A review of the literature indicates that Latinos lag behind White and

African American students in higher education degree attainment. This educational gap is of concern because Latinos are the largest minority group in the United States, and the Latino population is expected to increase in the future. Higher education degree attainment for Latinos is vital because statistics show an undeniable relationship between degree attainment and income level. In order to ensure the economic well being of Latinos, it is important that Latinos persist through university degree programs. The purpose of this qualitative study was to explore the experiences of …

Exercise And Nutrition Survey Of Nevada Air National Guard Members, Matthew Antonio Demattei

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

One hundred seventy-three Nevada Air National Guard members voluntarily participated in this exercise science and nutrition survey-based study. The survey consisted of ten closed-ended questions; the intent of the study was to determine whether the participants were willing to attend exercise science or nutrition related classes, or if the participants were willing to instruct exercise science or nutrition classes if they possessed a degree in either field. Forty-six females, and one hundred twenty-seven males participated in this study; one hundred thirty-six of the respondents were enlisted, and thirty-seven of the respondents were officers. Participants were demographically separated by age groups …

Problem Solving Interventions: Impact On Young Children With Developmental Disabilities, Lindsay Ann Diamond

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Problem-solving skills are imperative to a child's growth and success across multiple environments, including general and special education. Problem solving is comprised of: (a) attention to the critical aspects of a problem, (b) generation of solution(s) to solve the problem, (c) application of a solution(s) to the identified problem, and (d) evaluation of the consequences of the solution. Children with developmental disabilities may experience difficulty with the problem-solving process.

The purpose of this study was to determine an effective method to teach young children with developmental disabilities to problem solve. Specifically, this study compared two types of problem-solving instruction. The …

Heat, Mass And Force Flows In Supersonic Shockwave Interactions, John Michael Dixon

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

There is no cost effective way to deliver a payload to space and, with rising fuel prices, currently the price to travel commercially is also becoming more prohibitive to the public. During supersonic flight, compressive shock waves form around the craft which could be harnessed to deliver an additional lift on the craft. Using a series of hanging plates below a lifting wing design, the total lift generated can be increased above conventional values, while still maintaining a similar lift-to-drag ratio. Here, we study some of the flows involved in supersonic shockwave interaction. This analysis uses ANSYS Fluent Computational Fluid …

The Effects Of Salt Diapirs On The Thermal Maturity Of Surrounding Sediments In The Western Pyrenees, Spain, Nicholas Martin Downs

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Salt diapirs have been modeled as having a large effect on the thermal maturity of surrounding sediments as a result of the high thermal conductivity contrast between halite and other lithologies. The goal of this study was to confirm these and other theoretical predictions through sampling of three salt structures in the western Pyrenees, Spain. Stratigraphic units around these three diapirs were targeted based on their lithologies and positions relative to the diapirs. Samples were analyzed for vitrinite reflectance and quartz cementation to determine their levels of thermal maturity. Remote sensing instruments were used to attempt to measure present day …

New Deal Cowboy: Gene Autry And Public Diplomacy, Michael Dean Duchemin

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

This dissertation explains how Gene Autry used his mastery of multiplatform entertainment and the techniques of transmedia storytelling to make the policies of Franklin Delano Roosevelt (FDR), the 32nd President of the United States, more attractive to the American public. Making a case for cultural significance, the work shows how Autry developed a singing cowboy persona to exploit the western genre as his modus operandi, because it appealed to rural, small town and newly-urban Americans in the Midwest, South and Southwest. Examining Autry's oeuvre within a context created by Roosevelt administration policies, the dissertation exposes a process of public diplomacy …

Empowering Teachers: Characteristics, Strategies, And Practices Of Successful Principals, Cailin Patrice Ellis

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

This study implemented an exploratory mixed-methods design to better understand how the characteristics of a principal, specifically the strategies, behaviors, and actions, lead to the perception of empowerment as perceived by the teachers themselves.

An expert panel identified three highly successful principals assigned to elementary schools within a large urban district. Each was the principal of the school for a minimum of 4 years that utilized and sustained a shared-governance structure. Site observations at the schools, as evidenced by principal supervisors, indicated a successful governance structure, strong educational focus, and a sustained data-driven design for school improvement.

The teachers at …

The Acquisition Of Cultural Competence: A Phenomenological Inquiry Highlighting The Processes, Challenges And Triumphs Of Counselor Education Students, Douglas L. Garner

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Although research has effectively isolated and identified the key characteristics of a culturally competent counselor, there are few studies regarding the acquisition of these characteristics. To close the gap between theory and practice, studies are needed researching the emergence and, acquisition of these characteristics. This study explores how Masters-level Counselor Education students narrate the encounters, challenges, triumphs and epiphanies associated with their preliminary attempts to practice in a culturally competent manner. This phenomenological inquiry seeks to shed light students attitudes, beliefs and dispositions; defines the processes related to the acquisition of cognitive awareness and learning, skills and abilities; and illuminates …

Public Corruption For Gain In America: The Costly Consequences Of Violating Public Trust, Yvonne Atkinson Gates

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Several empirical analyses have explored corruption in government to determine the factors that contribute to corrupt behavior of elected officials.

This study will focus, explore, and enhance the research on the causes of public corruption among elected county commissioners by examining four domains of corruption causality: individual characteristics of elected officials, county government characteristics, county government fiscal performance, and community characteristics. This study will attempt to determine if General Strain Theory can provide a theoretical framework for understanding the causes of public corruption and, to what degree it can predict whether elected county officials will engage in corrupt behavior.

A Flower Blooms In The Desert: Managing For Collaboration, Josphine Gatti Schafer

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

This is a dissertation about local, regional and federal agencies charged with the development of parks, trails and natural areas in Southern Nevada. The context for the delivery of this service is a network. Networks are an increasingly common context for service delivery in the United States; however, their value for constituents has been questioned. Some suggest that the advantages of capacity building and social capital that are expected when organizations work across their typical boundaries are not as significant as expected. This dissertation provides knowledge to add to this debate.

The dissertation is an in-depth case study that evaluates …

Structural Performance Of Reinforced Concrete Flat Plat Buildings Subjected To Fire, Sara Jean George

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Reinforced concrete structures are typically considered to have inherent resistance to fire. However, several concrete structures around the world have experienced partial or total collapse under fire. Reinforced concrete flat-plate is a type of structural system widely used for office and residential buildings. Flat plate construction is prone to punching shear failure at slab-column connections which may lead to a catastrophic progressive collapse. The slabs of flat-plates generally have very thin concrete cover leaving steel reinforcement more sensitive to thermal loads. Little is known in the engineering community about the structural performance of flat-plate structures subjected to fire. Through a …

Enhancing The Calibration Accuracy Of Adult Learners: A Multifaceted Intervention, Antonio P. Gutierrez

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

The present study employs the Nelson and Narens Model of Metacognition (NNMM) to examine the influence of metacognitive strategy training and extrinsic incentives on performance, level of confidence, and the calibration accuracy of undergraduate students' metacognitive judgments within a pretest/posttest experimental design. Calibration of performance is crucial because it allows learners to engage in appropriate comprehension monitoring during a learning episode. As metacognition implies, those individuals who are better calibrators can more adequately adapt to the demands of the situation (monitoring), and thereby better prepare for learning episodes that are similar in format or content (control). Consequently, this aids in …

Interactive Effects Of Working Memory Self-Regulatory Ability And Relevance Instructions On Text Processing, Nancy Jo Hamilton

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Reading is a process that requires the enactment of many cognitive processes. Each of these processes uses a certain amount of working memory resources, which are severely constrained by biology. More efficiency in the function of working memory may mediate the biological limits of same. Reading relevancy instructions may be one such method to assist readers in utilizing working memory resources more efficiently.

This study examines the relationship between perspective relevance instructions and participants' ability to regulate their working memory resources. In a 3 x 2 x 2 design the study extended the literature by utilizing a measure of fluid …

Shock And Vibration Isolation System For Ambulatory And Litter Patients In Ground And Air Medical Transport, Mohamad R. Hachem

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

This project explored the effectiveness of seat and litter air bladder technologies in reducing patient exposure to whole body shock and vibration during ground borne and airborne medical transport. Several seat and litter air bladder configurations were examined during field tests in a U.S. Army RG-33 MRAP ambulance and a U.S. Army HH-60M Black Hawk helicopter. The MRAP field tests were conducted at Ft. Detrick, Maryland. The Black Hawk field tests were conducted at Ft. Rucker, Alabama.

During the field tests, tri-axial vibration signals were recorded on a 16-channel CoCo90 Data Logger/Frequency Analyzer and then post processed in the laboratory …

Monsters In Our Midst: An Examination Of Human Monstrosity In Fiction And Film Of The United States, Michelle Kay Hansen

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

The chapters within this dissertation concentrate on textual analysis of literature and film in which monsters appear in various forms, and particularly how those monsters still coincide with Noel Carroll's definition of "art-horror" in his book Philosophy of Horror, while proving that Carroll's definition of monster - and any others who may attempt to limit the definition of monstrosity - is incomplete and much too restrictive. I will be concentrating on monstrosity as it appears in gothic and horror fiction, film, and other elements of popular culture in order to explore the concept of "the monstrous" on multiple levels.

The …

Factors Affecting Talent Development: Differences In Graduate Students Across Domains, Stephanie Hartzell

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

There is an abundance of literature on young individuals who show early signs of talent and on older individuals who have demonstrated their abilities throughout the years. This research aims to look at those individuals who are in between, that is, graduate students who have the demonstrated potential to achieve within their fields of study. This study explored backgrounds of talented individuals in their adolescent period and their current measures of cognitive abilities. A total of 38 graduate students majoring in the areas of art (n= 12), science (n= 12), and education (n= 14) were used as examples of individuals …

An Investigation Of The Role Of Gabab Ligands On Cued And Contextual Fear Conditioning, Chelcie F. Heaney

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

GABA is the primary inhibitory neurotransmitter in the brain and mediates several processes, including learning and memory. Activating or inhibiting GABA receptors allows for the examination of the effects of altered GABAergic signaling on these processes. The two main receptors, GABAA and GABAB, each have a different mechanism of action when activated, thus they may contribute differentially to learning and memory. The metabotropic GABAB receptor responds with the activation of several intracellular signaling cascades, which provide long-lasting inhibitory effects that primarily mediate network function. Conversely, the GABAA receptor is an ion channel that contributes more immediate inhibitory effects through the …

Increasing Labor And Delivery Nurse Knowledge Of Triaging Non-Obstetrical Medical Emergencies In Pregnant Women Through The Use Of Simulation, Julie Hoffman

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effect simulation training has on an OB nurse's ability to correctly triage pregnant patients. Registered Nurses (RNs) working in OB triage must be able to correctly and expediently identify the care a pregnant patient needs. OB triage nurses are trained to recognize pregnancy related issues that commonly present during the months leading up to delivery. It is as important for these nurses to have the skills to realize when a pregnant patient is having a non-obstetrical health crisis. A group of OB triage RNs participated in simulation-training scenarios based on non- …

A Comparison Of High School Physical Education And Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps, Kathryn Anne Holt

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Physical education is recommended for its potential to promote and provide physical activity. However, in high school settings students can commonly participate in other specified physical activity related programs in lieu of physical education and these programs are referred to as physical education waivers. Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps (JROTC) is a common physical education waiver program. Although the criteria used to establish JROTC as a waiver program for physical education is unclear, anecdotally similar accrual of physical activity appears to be a main rationale. The primary purpose of this study was to examine student physical activity levels, lesson contexts, …

Variables Associated With Critical Illness Among Clark County Residence Hospitalized With H1n1 Influenza A Virus During The 2009 Influenza Season., Jonathan P. Hyatt

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Background:In 2009, a novel H1N1 Influenza A virus was detected in the population. Because it can potentially affect a different population than the influenza strains circulating for the past 35 years, it is critical for physicians, practitioners and public health organizations to understand who is susceptible to this disease, and which sub-populations are most likely to suffer critical illness. The objective of this study was to examine the factors unique to 2009 H1N1 infection, with the goal of finding the variables associated with ICU admission (Critical Illness) in the Clark County 2009 H1N1 patient.

Methods:Factors that were assessed in this …

Love Is Just A Word For The Last Body I'D Like To Keep Vigil Over, Robert Jagger

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Love is Just a Word for the Last Body I'd Like to Keep Vigil Over is a collection of poetry that was composed during my time spent at UNLV. Comprised mostly of prose poems, it was heavily influenced by the works of Richard Hugo, Robert Coover, Joshua Marie Wilkinson and several French poets who are often categorized as being members of either the Symbolist or Decadent movement. At its best, the collection attempts to invoke a sense of Joseph Cornell's boxes--odd juxtapositions of everyday items and language that create new and uncertain circumstances. Unlike Cornell's boxes, however, the poems aren't …

The Relationship Between Self-Efficacy And Fluid,And Dietary Compliance In Hemodialysis Patients, Ansy Paul John

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Patients with end-stage renal disease (ESRD) who receive hemodialysis often fail to follow a prescribed diet and fluid regimen, which undermines the effectiveness of care and leads to unpredictable disease progression and greater likelihood of complications. Non-adherence to dietary and fluid limitations compromises the outcomes of patients receiving hemodialysis. Noncompliance can lead to detrimental long-term outcomes including deterioration of the cardiovascular system, heart failure, hypertension, and pulmonary edema as well as short-term problems such as edema, itching, bone pain, and breathlessness.

Many studies have demonstrated that self-efficacy strategies are associated with improved dietary and fluid compliance among individuals receiving hemodialysis. …

Adaptive Behavior Malingering In Legal Claims Of Mental Retardation, Renee M. Kadlubek

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

In 2002, the Supreme Court ruled that it is unconstitutional to put people with mental retardation to death for capital crimes (Atkins v. Virginia, 2002). Justice Scalia dissented, suggesting that mental retardation is a condition easy to feign. The current study examined whether participants provided with the definition of mental retardation and adaptive behavior ("informed malingering group") are any better at malingering having mental retardation than participants not provided with the definitions ("malingering group"). Three groups of participants participated in this study: the control group, the malingering group, and the informed malingering group. All participants completed an intellectual assessment and …

A Comparison Of Bias In Four Measures Of Monitoring Accuracy, Fred Kuch

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Typically in calibration research, subjects perform a task and make a judgment about the success of the task. Accurate findings help subjects improve self-calibration. In addition, researchers rely on the accuracy of findings to make inferences about underlying metacognitive processes. Consequently, it is important that the measures used to assess monitoring accuracy are as free of bias as possible. Bias indicates whether an observed value of monitoring accuracy over- or underestimates the true value.

This study examined gamma and three other viable statistics, d', C, and the G Index, currently used to measure monitoring accuracy. Using Monte Carlo simulation techniques, …