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1997

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Reaction As Image: Comic Books And American Life, 1940-1955, William S. Bush Jan 1997

Reaction As Image: Comic Books And American Life, 1940-1955, William S. Bush

UNLV Retrospective Theses & Dissertations

The comic book became a mass medium during a series of defining moments in twentieth-century American history. By telling and retelling narratives of individual achievement during the Great Depression, and tales of patriotism during World War II, comic books gained a popular audience rivaling that of agenda-setting national periodicals such as Life or The Saturday Evening Post. In the first postwar decade, however, publishers experimented with themes of crime, horror, teen romance, and social satire in ways that provoked a wave of public hostility. Crusading psychiatrists, politicians, civic groups, and religious leaders led a campaign against the industry that revealed …

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The Effectiveness Of Court Appointed Special Advocates (Casas) To Assist In Permanency Planning, Cynthia Ann Calkins Jan 1997

The Effectiveness Of Court Appointed Special Advocates (Casas) To Assist In Permanency Planning, Cynthia Ann Calkins

UNLV Retrospective Theses & Dissertations

The effectiveness of permanency planning, which refers to efforts to move children through the court system in a timely and efficient manner, was analyzed by comparing outcome and process measures among a group of children having a court appointed special advocate (CASA) ordered and assigned to their case, a group of children who had CASA services ordered, but never assigned to their case (CONA), and a group of children who never had a CASA ordered nor assigned to their case (NO CASA). It was found that those cases having CASA involvement had significantly fewer placements, tended to be more likely …

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Determinants Of Health Promotion Behavior In Active Duty Air Force Personnel, Bridgette Jolene Grabowski Jan 1997

Determinants Of Health Promotion Behavior In Active Duty Air Force Personnel, Bridgette Jolene Grabowski

UNLV Retrospective Theses & Dissertations

Today's health care system has increasingly focused on health promotion and disease prevention activities. Within the United States' Air Force, emphasis has also been placed on health promoting lifestyle activities. However, the Air Force has a paucity of research regarding health promotion behavior and characteristics that influence a healthy lifestyle. The purpose of this research study was to determine the extent perceived locus of control and demographic factors, as selected factors of Nola Pender's Health Promotion Model, can predict health promotion behavior in a random sample of 217 active duty AF personnel assigned to a southwestern base. The results of …

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Instructional Environments For Technology Inservice Education, Karen Jane Grove Jan 1997

Instructional Environments For Technology Inservice Education, Karen Jane Grove

UNLV Retrospective Theses & Dissertations

This study examines different instructional formats for providing inservice education on classroom technology applications to elementary teachers. An intensive weekend workshop format was compared with a traditionally paced format for inservice education. Results are discussed in terms of measurable changes in teacher growth in the use of the applications and growth in the use of the applications with students. A secondary purpose was to determine if there was a relationship between learning styles and success in these two environments. Teachers' learning styles were identified using the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator. The results of the study indicate that intensive models of inservice …

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The Effect Of Human-Animal Bonding On Quality Of Life, Johanna Barham Hanson Jan 1997

The Effect Of Human-Animal Bonding On Quality Of Life, Johanna Barham Hanson

UNLV Retrospective Theses & Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to determine whether pets have a positive impact on the lives of their owners by improving their quality of life (QoL). In addition, the study examined the relationship between pet bonding, selected demographic variables and QoL among pet owners and non-pet owners; The subjects consisted of 136 pet owners and 101 non-pet owners from selected church congregations in a Southwestern state. Results of the t-test indicated no significant difference in the QoL scores between pet owners and non-pet owners (p =.232). Yet on a qualitative level, pet owners (90.3%), felt that their pet did …

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Descriptive Experience Sampling Of Individuals With High Natural Rates Of Speech, Margie G Koch Jan 1997

Descriptive Experience Sampling Of Individuals With High Natural Rates Of Speech, Margie G Koch

UNLV Retrospective Theses & Dissertations

This study employed the descriptive experience sampling method to investigate inner experiences of seven fast talkers. Subjects who identified themselves as very fast talkers on a questionnaire then told a standardized story, during which their speech rate was measured. Subjects with high measured rates were then asked to use the descriptive experience sampling method to record inner experiences (thoughts, images, and feelings) in a notebook when randomly signaled by a programmed beeper. The subjects and investigators discussed each sample in detail. Salient characteristics were identified for each subject. Salient characteristics shared across subjects were identified: fast talkers samples were characterized …

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Perceptions Of Importance And Performance: A Study Of University Of Nevada, Las Vegas Hotel College Master's Alumni, Michael F Lamb Jan 1997

Perceptions Of Importance And Performance: A Study Of University Of Nevada, Las Vegas Hotel College Master's Alumni, Michael F Lamb

UNLV Retrospective Theses & Dissertations

The purpose of this research was to analyze the graduate program in the William F. Harrah College of Hotel Administration at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas with regard to its success in preparing Master's graduates for careers in the hospitality industry. All graduates of the program's 13 year history were surveyed through the mail and 58% returned valid surveys. Respondents were asked to render opinions as to the relative importance 46 competencies had on their professions. The alumni were then asked to evaluate those same competencies on the basis of how well UNLV taught the skills; The responses were …

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Compact Routing In Fault-Tolerant Distributed Systems, James Edward Lawrence Jan 1997

Compact Routing In Fault-Tolerant Distributed Systems, James Edward Lawrence

UNLV Retrospective Theses & Dissertations

A compact routing algorithm is a routing algorithm which reduces the space complexity of all-pairs shortest path routing. Compact routing protocols in distributed systems have been studied extensively as an attractive alternative to the traditional method of all-pairs shortest path routing. The use of compact routing protocols have several advantages. Compact routing schemes are not only more memory-efficient, but provide faster routing table lookup, more efficient broadcast scheme, and allow for a more scalable network. These routing schemes still maintain optimal or near-optimal routing paths. However, most of the compact routing protocols are not fault-tolerant. This thesis will first report …

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The Effects Of Learning A Programming Language On Logical Thinking Skills, Margaret Gradwell Mains Jan 1997

The Effects Of Learning A Programming Language On Logical Thinking Skills, Margaret Gradwell Mains

UNLV Retrospective Theses & Dissertations

The study examined the effects of learning a computer programming language on logical thinking skills, by comparing the logical reasoning skills of students who took a QBasic class with those who took a continuing education computer graphics/desktop publishing class; The study took place during a 14-week period in the fall of 1996. The sample was selected from students enrolled in a QBasic programming language from a community college in Las Vegas, Nevada {dollar}(n=15).{dollar} A desktop publishing/graphics class was the comparison group, selected from the same community college {dollar}(n=15).{dollar} Pretest and posttest scores on the students' logical thinking skills were collected …

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Staff Training On Choice Availability And Its Effects On Adaptive And Maladaptive Behavior In Persons With Developmental Disabilities In The Group Home Setting, Tami Jo Mc Knight Jan 1997

Staff Training On Choice Availability And Its Effects On Adaptive And Maladaptive Behavior In Persons With Developmental Disabilities In The Group Home Setting, Tami Jo Mc Knight

UNLV Retrospective Theses & Dissertations

Recent research regarding persons with developmental disabilities has focused on the effects of choice availability on adaptive and maladaptive behavior. Because degree of choice within one's living environment is considered a key element of quality of life, it seems important to evaluate this variable and its relationship to adaptive and maladaptive behavior. In this preliminary study, direct-care staff members in a group-home setting were taught to increase choice opportunities in the areas of eating, leisure, and personal hygiene for residents with mild, moderate, or severe mental retardation. This investigation also examined the effects of increased choice availability on residents' adaptive …

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Generation X: A Social Movement Toward Cynicism, Paula Gottula Miles Jan 1997

Generation X: A Social Movement Toward Cynicism, Paula Gottula Miles

UNLV Retrospective Theses & Dissertations

In the past twenty-five years Americans have shifted from modern values of reason, science, and progress, to postmodern values of cynicism and relativism. Due to the different social climate and the ubiquitous mass media, Generation Xers--those born between 1960 and 1980--are the first to be socialized from infancy to possess postmodern values. Because of this dramatic shift in values, Generation X can be viewed as an intellectual or cultural social movement, in the sense of a social movement being a collective change in values over time. This study examines the differing values of Generation X by comparing their values to …

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Predictors Of Positive Reinforcement-Based School Refusal Behavior, Tami Lynn Roblek Jan 1997

Predictors Of Positive Reinforcement-Based School Refusal Behavior, Tami Lynn Roblek

UNLV Retrospective Theses & Dissertations

The present study empirically investigated child and family variables that differentiated attention-getting and positive tangible reinforcement dimensions of SRB. Age, gender, severity of SRB, level of generalized anxiety, type of diagnosis, level of fearfulness, level of somatic complaints, and type of familial environment were evaluated. Youngsters (n = 129) and their parents were administered various diagnostic, self-report, and family measures. Children who refused school for attention were younger and displayed more diagnoses of separation anxiety than children who refused school for positive tangible reinforcement. These differences were consistent across child-, parent-, and composite-derived functions. Children who refused school for attention …

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A Survey Of Computer Uses In Music, Maria N Russell Jan 1997

A Survey Of Computer Uses In Music, Maria N Russell

UNLV Retrospective Theses & Dissertations

This thesis covers research into the mathematical basis inherent in music including review of projects related to optical character recognition (OCR) of musical symbols. Research was done about fractals creating new pieces by assigning pitches to numbers. Existing musical pieces can be taken apart and reassembled creating new ideas for composers. Musical notation understanding is covered and its requirement for the recognition of a music sheet by the computer for editing and reproduction purposes is explained. The first phase of a musical OCR was created in this thesis with the recognition of staff lines on a good quality image. Modifications …

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A Study Of The Landscaped Environments In Urban Resort Hotels As An Inducement For Secondary Commercial Activities: Three Case Studies In Las Vegas, Jianping Shu Jan 1997

A Study Of The Landscaped Environments In Urban Resort Hotels As An Inducement For Secondary Commercial Activities: Three Case Studies In Las Vegas, Jianping Shu

UNLV Retrospective Theses & Dissertations

This study analyzed types, layout, and space relationships of landscape environments and commercial areas in urban resort casino hotels, and investigated three resort casino hotels in Las Vegas as case studies to examine how developed landscaped environments function and provide an amenity which can enhance commercial activity. A systematic analysis of this symbiotic relationship between landscape environments and commercial space has demonstrated the relative effectiveness of combining these elements as an interactive design concept when compared with treating gardens as a feature separate from commercial space; The analysis process was conducted by site visitations to analyze the space relationship between …

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An Investigation Of Humanizing Elements As A Factor Of Visitor Satisfaction Found In Two Atrium-Type Casino Resort Hotels, Huiting Sun Jan 1997

An Investigation Of Humanizing Elements As A Factor Of Visitor Satisfaction Found In Two Atrium-Type Casino Resort Hotels, Huiting Sun

UNLV Retrospective Theses & Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to investigate the extent to which humanizing components have affected user satisfaction in large interior open spaces of two buildings, which was defined as public atrium space; Public atria spaces were investigated to determine the correlation between various humanizing elements found in these public spaces and the degree of user satisfaction. By means of two methodologies, participant observation and a user survey, the behavior of both individuals and groups using these selected atrium spaces was evaluated to determine user satisfaction found in the atria of two urban resort casino hotels in Las Vegas; Relevant …

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The Roles Of African American Women In The Las Vegas Gaming Industry, 1940-1980, Claytee D White Jan 1997

The Roles Of African American Women In The Las Vegas Gaming Industry, 1940-1980, Claytee D White

UNLV Retrospective Theses & Dissertations

Beginning in the early 1940s in Las Vegas, African American women became the domestic work force of the glamorous strip. They dominated the "back-of-the-house" jobs for several decades. This research studied these women by investigating their migration to Las Vegas from small towns in the South and researching their working environment. Oral interviewing was the methodology used to conduct this study; This thesis examined black women's participation in the Culinary Workers Union, Local 226 by comparing Las Vegas with blacks in organized labor activities in other cities in the West. The research of Quintard Taylor (The Forging of a Black …

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Seasonal Xylem-Conducting Ability In The Desert Shrub Chilopsis Linearis, Judith Michele Dudek Jan 1997

Seasonal Xylem-Conducting Ability In The Desert Shrub Chilopsis Linearis, Judith Michele Dudek

UNLV Retrospective Theses & Dissertations

Chilopsis linearis, a facultative phreatophyte, is a shrub that is common along washes in arid environments like the Mojave Desert. In addition to adaptive drought tolerant and drought avoidance mechanisms, internal anatomical and developmental characteristics such as vessel diameter, number of vessels produced and the season of the year they are produced affect the conducting ability of xylem to transport water to the leaves. Xylem conductance measurements indicated that no more than half of the vessels in C. linearis are conducting in either a dry year (1994) or a wet year (1995). This was likely due to the obstruction of …

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Children's Perspectives On Coping Strategies Used For Asthma, Terri A Dymeck Jan 1997

Children's Perspectives On Coping Strategies Used For Asthma, Terri A Dymeck

UNLV Retrospective Theses & Dissertations

Asthma is the most common chronic pulmonary disease among American children. There is limited research describing how children cope with asthma, and evidence suggests that many of these children demonstrate poor coping ability. This study, originally performed by Ryan-Wenger and Walsh (1994), describes the relationship between the frequency and effectiveness of coping strategies personally used by school-age children to manage asthma. Additional questions were incorporated to provide an objective measurement of coping and augment the original research; The Schoolagers' Coping Strategies Inventory (SCSI) and a demographic questionnaire were mailed to children with asthma and their parents. Data analysis {dollar}(N=65){dollar} demonstrated …

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Predictors Of Life Satisfaction Of Persons With Mental Retardation, Colleen Sisley Firth Jan 1997

Predictors Of Life Satisfaction Of Persons With Mental Retardation, Colleen Sisley Firth

UNLV Retrospective Theses & Dissertations

Data from a study conducted by the State of Nevada to assess consumer satisfaction with services of persons with mental retardation were factor analyzed. Data collected using ACD's Outcome Performance Measures for People with Disabilities were used. It was attempted to replicate ACD's obtained factor structure. It was then explored which groups of these variables best predicted the life satisfaction of these individuals; Results indicated that ACD's factor structure was replicable with a sample of persons with mental retardation. This may suggest that variables important to a person's quality of life may be similar for people with different disabilities. Results …

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The Grid Sketcher: An Autocad-Based Tool For Conceptual Design Processes, Brian Martin Gardner Jan 1997

The Grid Sketcher: An Autocad-Based Tool For Conceptual Design Processes, Brian Martin Gardner

UNLV Retrospective Theses & Dissertations

Sketching with pencil and paper is reminiscent of the varied, rich, and loosely defined formal processes associated with conceptual design. Architects actively engage such creative paradigms in their exploration and development of conceptual design solutions. The Grid Sketcher, as a conceptual sketching tool, presents one possible computer implementation for enhancing and supporting these processes. It effectively demonstrates the facility with which current technology and the computing environment can enhance and simulate sketching intents and expectations; Typically with respect to design, the position taken is that the two are virtually void of any fundamental commonality. A designer's thoughts are intuitive, at …

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Public Participation Program Development: An Analysis Of Public Participation In The Water Industry, Marcia Lynne Holmberg Jan 1997

Public Participation Program Development: An Analysis Of Public Participation In The Water Industry, Marcia Lynne Holmberg

UNLV Retrospective Theses & Dissertations

The field of public participation is a distinct, but yet unpolished facet within the public relations industry. While the purpose of and need for public participation are becoming increasingly clear, many remain unaware or unconvinced of its advantages. Likewise, even among those who endorse the necessity of public participation, its methods and strategies continue to be a mystery to most; One industry, in particular, that has recognized and embraced the benefits of conducting public participation is the water utility industry. The purpose of this thesis is to (1) crystallize the understanding of why public participation is a necessary and advantageous …

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The Degree Of Relationship Between Tests Of Cognitive Mechanisms, Craig Allen Lane Jan 1997

The Degree Of Relationship Between Tests Of Cognitive Mechanisms, Craig Allen Lane

UNLV Retrospective Theses & Dissertations

In a variety of fields interested in cognition and cognitive processes 'tests' have been developed to help scientists infer a variety of cognitive processes. In the current study, the extent to which these tests share commonality in a predicted direction was assessed. Four tests were employed including the Stroop task administered via computer, the Stroop task administered manually, the Simon task, and an Inspection Time task. Eighteen undergraduates served as participants. The study was a one-way within subjects design. The dependent measure for the Simon and Stroop (automated) tasks was reaction time, while the number of correct responses was the …

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Empirical Analysis Of The Situational Variables And Their Impact On A Manager's Leadership In Influencing Employee Organizational Citizenship Behaviors In Korean Hotels, Jung Hoon Lee Jan 1997

Empirical Analysis Of The Situational Variables And Their Impact On A Manager's Leadership In Influencing Employee Organizational Citizenship Behaviors In Korean Hotels, Jung Hoon Lee

UNLV Retrospective Theses & Dissertations

The purpose of this study is to identify situational variables that may influence the effect of a manager's leadership on subordinate organizational citizenship behavior (OCB) in the Korean hotel industry; Data were collected from 107 managers and their 487 subordinates across a wide variety of different departments in the deluxe business hotels in Korea; Thirteen hypotheses were tested using a partial correlation coefficient test in multiple regression to examine the correlation between thirteen situational variables and five employee OCB dimensions. The test generally showed that selected characteristics of a manager, task, and organization either substitute or enhance a manager's leadership …

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Patients' Perceptions Of Spiritual Needs And The Role Of Nurses To Resolve Spiritual Needs, Barbara Ann Nelson Jan 1997

Patients' Perceptions Of Spiritual Needs And The Role Of Nurses To Resolve Spiritual Needs, Barbara Ann Nelson

UNLV Retrospective Theses & Dissertations

This study replicated Finney's (1989) study which examined acutely ill hospitalized patients' perceptions of spiritual needs and the nurse's role in assisting them to resolve those needs. The Spiritual Needs of Patients questionnaire (Martin, Burrows, & Pomilio, 1976) was used to assess patients (n = 73) in a southwestern regional hospital. Reliability was reported as Cronbach's alpha at 0.68. Findings supported Finney's study as well as the original study (Martin et al., 1976) and Hoskins (1986). Patients' responses supported the statement that a person who is ill thinks more about his/her relationship to God. The most important spiritual need identified …

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The Relationship Between Media Exposure, Personal Experience And Education On The Public's Perceptions Of People With Disabilities: A Correlational Study, Melissa Lynn Reichley Jan 1997

The Relationship Between Media Exposure, Personal Experience And Education On The Public's Perceptions Of People With Disabilities: A Correlational Study, Melissa Lynn Reichley

UNLV Retrospective Theses & Dissertations

The Relationship Between Media Exposure, Personal Experience and Education on the Public's Perceptions of Disabilities seeks to determine whether there is any correlation between people's opinions about people with disabilities (PWDs), and their media consumption, education, and experience or contact with PWDs. The author compares such perceptions between respondents with and without disabilities. While research suggests nondisabled people view people with disabilities to varying degrees of negativity depending on the level and type of disability and accompanying social stigma attached, this researcher questions whether frequency of media exposure is having a positive influence on media consumers' perceptions of PWDs (which …

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Low Harmonic Distortion Flash A/D Converters Incorporating Dynamic Element Matching Techniques, Bret David Steadman Jan 1997

Low Harmonic Distortion Flash A/D Converters Incorporating Dynamic Element Matching Techniques, Bret David Steadman

UNLV Retrospective Theses & Dissertations

New dynamic element matching techniques are shown to reduce the harmonic distortion and improve the spurious-free dynamic range of flash ADCs. Resistor chain mismatch errors are negated by randomly rearranging the resistors each sample by utilizing 5(2{dollar}\sp{b}{dollar}-1) digital switches and b + 1 random control signals for a b-bit flash ADC. The integral and differential nonlinearity of a non-ideal flash ADC are derived for three common resistor chain mismatch errors; namely, geometric mismatches, linear gradient mismatches, and dynamic mismatches. The transfer function of a non-ideal flash ADC is also derived and the converter output is shown to consist of a …

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Automatic Clustering And Feedback In Information Retrieval, Girish Venkatachaliah Jan 1997

Automatic Clustering And Feedback In Information Retrieval, Girish Venkatachaliah

UNLV Retrospective Theses & Dissertations

Clustering and feedback have been used in information retrieval to improve the effectiveness of retrieving relevant documents. In this thesis, we investigate the retrieval effectiveness from various document collections in presence of both clustering and feedback. More precisely, we apply a clustering algorithm to an initial run of our queries to choose appropriate clusters for feedback. The clustering and feedback are done automatically.

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The Credibility Of News Photography In The Digital Age, Mara Evonne Vernon Jan 1997

The Credibility Of News Photography In The Digital Age, Mara Evonne Vernon

UNLV Retrospective Theses & Dissertations

Photographers have been manipulating photographs since photography's invention, but digital imaging technology presents photographers with unlimited possibilities. Digital imaging technology allows both simple and complex manipulations to be completed easily and quickly, unlike traditional techniques that are both difficult and time consuming. Additionally, detecting digital manipulation is virtually impossible, jeopardizing photography's referent to the original scene captured through the lens of a photographer's camera; A review of the literature demonstrated a need for research in relation to the media consumer because prior research focused on media practitioners and their tolerance or intolerance for digital manipulation practices. This thesis explores the …

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Examining Student Perceptions Of The Transitional Services School Counselors Provide To College-Bound Individuals With And Without Learning Disabilities In The Areas Of Self-Awareness, Self-Advocacy, And The Law, Gillian Elisa Wells Jan 1997

Examining Student Perceptions Of The Transitional Services School Counselors Provide To College-Bound Individuals With And Without Learning Disabilities In The Areas Of Self-Awareness, Self-Advocacy, And The Law, Gillian Elisa Wells

UNLV Retrospective Theses & Dissertations

College-bound students with and without learning disabilities were surveyed, to examine their perceptions of the transitional services provided by school counselors in the areas of self-awareness, self-advocacy, and the law. It appears that both groups are receiving some transitional services. Self-Awareness, self-advocacy, and the law are three components that are not covered by school counselors who work with students. In a majority of cases students cite family and other professionals as the only assistance they receive in these areas.

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Robust Dynamic Feedback And Variable Structure Adaptive Control Of Rigid And Flexible Spacecraft, Yueming Zeng Jan 1997

Robust Dynamic Feedback And Variable Structure Adaptive Control Of Rigid And Flexible Spacecraft, Yueming Zeng

UNLV Retrospective Theses & Dissertations

This thesis presents control systems design for control of rigid and flexible spacecraft in the presence of parameter uncertainty and disturbance inputs. Two kinds of control systems are designed for the control of rigid spacecraft. For the design of the first controller, Rodrigues parameters and modified Rodrigues parameters are used to describe the orientation of spacecraft. A dynamic decoupling attitude control law is derived for the tracking of reference attitude trajectories. The singular perturbation theory is used for the stability analysis of the closed-loop system. For the synthesis of the control law, only the attitude error is required. The second …

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