Digital Commons Network^™

Bystander Distress And Loss Of Consortium: An Examination Of The Relationship Requirements In Light Of Romer V. Evans, Laura M. Raisty

Fordham Law Review

No abstract provided.

Capabilities And Human Rights, Martha C. Nussbaum

Fordham Law Review

No abstract provided.

A Neural Global Workspace Model For Conscious Attention, J. Newman, B. Baars, S. Cho

CCRG Papers

No abstract provided.

Stories From The Gender Garden: Transsexuals And Anti-Discrimination Law, Patricia A. Cain

Faculty Publications

Federal antidiscrimination law (Title VII) and most state antidiscrimination laws do not apply to discrimination against transsexual persons. The standard legal analysis is that such discrimination is not discrimination on the basis of "sex." This article employs a narrative method in order to raise the reader's consciousness about the lives of transsexual and transgendered persons. Specifically, the article focuses on the stories of female-to-male transsexuals (FTMs) and other females who have embraced male attributes (e.g., butch lesbians). The very existence of many FTMs who are part-male and part-female challenges the bipolar nature of our current sex jurisprudence which assumes that …

Race, Religion, And Cultural Identity: Reconciling The Jurisprudence Of Race And Religion, Tseming Yang

Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Genetics, Iq, Determinism, And Torts: The Example Of Discovery In Lead Exposure Litigation, Jennifer Wriggins

Faculty Publications

This article discusses a disturbing development in tort litigation in which defendants use deterministic, genetics-based ideas about individuals and their families to undercut and deflect attention from personal injury claims. Lead exposure litigation involving cognitive injuries claimed on behalf of children who have ingested lead paint is the context of this development. The most extreme manifestation to date has been the efforts in several states to compel relatives of lead-exposed children (usually mothers) to have IQ and psychological testing, even though they are not parties to the litigation. Rule 35 of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure and its state …

A Comparison Of The Knowledge, Misconceptions, And Attitudes Toward The Elderly Of First Versus Final Year Students In Accredited Physical Therapy Programs, Christina J. Fleming, Mark A. Kandes, Jennifer E. Shultz

Masters Theses

Physical therapy is one of the many professions that must respond to the increase of health care utilization by the rapidly growing elderly population. The purposes of this cross-sectional study were to compare first and final year physical therapy students’ knowledge, misconceptions, and attitudes toward the elderly and to determine if knowledge correlates with attitudes. Students in their first year (N=168) and final year (N=149) of accredited Master’s level physical therapy programs were surveyed. Questionnaires consisted of: a short demographic sheet, Palmore’s Facts on Aging Quiz 1 with a “don’t know” response added, and a modified Aging Semantic Differential by …

Knowledge Of Pre-Physical Therapy Students Regarding Admission Criteria At Grand Valley State University, Kerry Randolph, Beth Wieber

Masters Theses

The purpose of this study was to determine how informed pre-P.T. students at G.V.S.U. are about the admission criteria for the P.T. program. A qualitative design was used.

Twenty pre-P.T. students from G.V.S.U. participated in the survey portion of this study. Eight of these students participated in follow-up interviews.

The survey was used to collect information regarding knowledge of admission requirements and sources of information. A personal interview was used to further probe and clarify survey responses. Data was analyzed to identify common themes.

Results indicate that academic advisors for pre-P.T. students at G.V.S.U. are not used as a major …

Women's Perceptions Of Postpartum Appointment Keeping Barriers, Carol L. Czuk

Masters Theses

An exploratory, descriptive design was used to examine women's perceptions of barriers that inhibited them from keeping their postpartum appointments. The Health Belief Model (HBM) was used as a theoretical framework, with special attention to the barriers dimension. A three-part survey consisting of basic demographic questions, a five point response scale for assessment of perceived barriers, and open-ended questions were used for data collection. A convenience sample of 15 women in a rural southwestern Michigan community who had not kept their postpartum appointment by the sixth week after delivery were included in the study. Data were collected by a structured …

Stress, Coping, Adaptation, And Family Hardiness In Families With An Adult Child Who Is Developmentally Disabled And Living In The Parental Home, Joan M. Vansolkema

Masters Theses

Families who successfully cope and adapt to having a child with a developmental disability are of interest to health professionals. The Typology Model of Adjustment and Adaptation and family hardiness provided the conceptual framework to explore and describe the relationships between family hardiness and family coping and adaptation. Sixty-three families returned a mailed survey that included the Family Hardiness Index, Coping Health Inventory for Parents, and Family Adaptability and Cohesion Evaluation Scales II. Higher levels of family hardiness were associated with better family coping and adaptation. Results of ANOVAs and multiple regression indicate the level of mental retardation of the …

Unlv College Of Education Multicultural & Diversity Newsletter, Steve Mccafferty, John Filler, Nancy P. Gallavan, Sandra Okura, Kyle Higgins, Porter Troutman, Stanley Zehm, Mark Bannatyne, Mildred Mcclain, Cyndi Giorgis, Joyce Nelson-Leaf

College of Education Multicultural & Diversity Newsletter

The 14th Annual Las Vegas Multicultural Education Conference sponsored by the Las Vegas Alliance of Black School Educators was held March 6, 7, and 8, 1997, at Jackie Gaughn's Plaza Hotel. More than 200 teachers and administrators from the Clark County School District and across the state of Nevada along with many professors and pre-service teachers from UNLV were in attendance. Opportunities to learn about effective teaching strategies, to view the latest videos, to see artwork created by Clark County School District students, and to enjoy a variety of cultural events were abundant. Keynote addresses were made by Dr. David …

Reexamining Race And Racial Identity In The United States, Jeffrey H. Rutherford

Minnesota Journal of Law & Inequality

Symposium: Our Private Obsession, Our Public Sin: Foreword

Racial Identity And The State: The Dilemmas Of Classification, Michael Omi

Minnesota Journal of Law & Inequality

Symposium: Our Private Obsession, Our Public Sin

History Repeats Itself In The Resurrection Of Prisoner Chain Gangs: Alabama's Experience Raises Eighth Amendment Concerns, Lynn M. Burley,

Minnesota Journal of Law & Inequality

No abstract provided.

Single Mothers' Equal Right To Parent: A Fourteenth Amendment Defense Against Forced-Labor Welfare Reform, Benjamin L. Weiss

Minnesota Journal of Law & Inequality

No abstract provided.

Feminist Theory: Gender, Race And Recidivism, Amie M Shuck

UNLV Retrospective Theses & Dissertations

Feminists and women of color have criticized criminological theories for being developed by white middle-class men to explain white male delinquency, and thus, are limited in their understanding of crime and deviance within a gender or racial context. The purpose of this study is to use a series of logistic regression models to evaluate this assertion regarding criminological 'theories' of recidivism. The results indicate that there are substantive differences in statistically significant coefficients, models explanatory power, and percent improvement in models ability to correctly classify recidivists between gender, race and gender/race models. These findings suggest that further research should be …

The Effectiveness Of Systematic Training For Effective Parenting At Family And Child Treatment Of Southern Nevada, Melody Joyce Thompson

UNLV Retrospective Theses & Dissertations

This study evaluated the effectiveness of the Systematic Training for Effective Parenting (STEP) program in its application at Family and Child Treatment (FACT) in Las Vegas, Nevada. There were five STEP sessions offered between July 1996 and February 1997. Twenty-four parents completed the program. At the beginning of each six-week session, volunteers completed a set of pretest questionnaires including the Self-Report Family Inventory (SFI), a set of four problem scenarios, and a demographics profile. After participation, posttests were collected on the SFI, the problem scenarios, and a Client Rating Counseling Outcome (CRCO) scale. Results showed that the STEP program is …

On Numerical Inversion Of The Moment Generating Function, Andy M Tsang

UNLV Retrospective Theses & Dissertations

The main purpose of this thesis is to apply an algorithm for the numerical inversion of the Laplace transform that recovers the probability density function (PDF) of a sum of nonnegative continuous random variables. The Laplace transform is used in many disciplines. For example, in actuarial sciences, a common application is to study the distribution of the sum of nonnegative independent random variables. Because it is a popular method, numerical techniques have been developed to invert the Laplace transform. In the discrete case, by using a moment generating function (MGF) of a sum of independent discrete variables, the distribution can …

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 …

Capability Of Native Yucca Mountain Microorganisms To Corrode 1020 Carbon Steel, Patricia Russo Castro

UNLV Retrospective Theses & Dissertations

This project addressed the ability of native Yucca Mountain bacterial isolates to corrode metal designated as the outer barrier for nuclear waste containment. Microorganisms implicated in microbially-influenced corrosion recovered from the deep subsurface at Yucca Mountain include iron-oxidizing, sulfate-reducing, and exopolymer-producing bacteria. Test systems composed of a 1020 carbon steel coupon immersed in soft agar or soft agar and ground rock were designed to evaluate the biofilm formation and corrosion capabilities of these microorganisms at elevated temperature. Results indicated that incubation at 50{dollar}\sp\circ{dollar}C decreased the ability of these microorganisms to corrode carbon steel immersed in soft agar. However, corrosion rates …

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 …

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 …

When Playing God: Concerning Artificial Reproduction, Christina Ann Brandom Sessa

UNLV Retrospective Theses & Dissertations

This thesis is a discussion about new reproductive technologies and the ethical implications of those technologies. Until now, fetal personhood was the focus of pro-choice and pro-life groups battling about abortion versus women's rights. However, new reproductive technologies such as in vitro fertilization and cryopreservation further complicate the foundation upon which traditional abortion arguments are based. The focus of the argument should be shifted from fetal personhood to a more comprehensive argument for the respect of the sanctity of human life. This shift would force society to address the more crucial issues which have led us to abortion and new …

Health Patterns Of Nurses Who Smoke, John Louis Yuhos

UNLV Retrospective Theses & Dissertations

This descriptive comparative study examined the usefulness of Pender's (1996) Health Promotion Model to explain the occurrence and differences of health-promoting behavior between nurses who smoke and nurses who do not. A convenience sample of 283 nurses completed two assessment instruments, the Health-Promoting Life-Style Profile (HPLP-II) and the Self-Rated Abilities for Health Practices Scale. Significant differences were found in the mean scores on subscales of the HPLP-II and the Self-Rated Abilities for Health Practices Scale between nurses who smoke and those who do not. A posteriori comparisons of three groups of nurses; current smoking nurses, former smoking nurses and never …

Redox Polymers For Cyanide Ion Decomposition, Yu Zhang

UNLV Retrospective Theses & Dissertations

Insoluble, macroporous styrene-divinylbenzene copolymers bearing redox N-alkyl-N-chlorosulfonamide functional groups were used for removal of cyanide from aqueous solutions. These resins contain active chlorine and show oxidative properties. The use of these resins for oxidation of cyanide to less or nontoxic compounds was investigated in aqueous media containing different concentrations of cyanide and different pH values. Examples of the use of these resins as a polymer-supported reagent for oxidation of cyanide under static and dynamic conditions were given. Active chlorine readily oxidizes cyanide to cyanate. The decomposition of cyanate was also studied. The two decomposition methods investigated were oxidation with redox …

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 …

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 …

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 …

The Effects Of An Eight-Week Training Program On A Population With Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease, Tracy Lynn Lawyer

UNLV Retrospective Theses & Dissertations

This study was designed to determine the effects of an 8 week training program on muscle strength and cardiovascular fitness in participants affected with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Eight participants (ages 64-83) were evaluated before and after the training program on the basis of a modified 3-level step test, biceps curl strength, 6 minute timed walk for distance, and grip strength; Significant improvements were found in biceps curl strength (+12 repetitions, P {dollar}<{dollar}.05), 6 minute walk distance (P {dollar}<{dollar}.05), and in both stepping time and heart rate at each level in the modified step test (P {dollar}<{dollar}.05). No significant improvement was found in grip strength. These results suggest that a program of strengthening and conditioning exercises improves upper body strength and exercise tolerance in participants with COPD, which may have implications for performance of activities of daily living.

Trace Element And Polysaccharide Sorption In A Lacustrine Biofilm, Ephraim G Morris

UNLV Retrospective Theses & Dissertations

Twenty-four elements (Al, As, Ba, Ca, Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, Fe, Ga, K, Li, Mg, Mn, Ni, Pb, Rb, Se, Sr, Ti, U, V, Zn, and Zr) were determined in freshwater biofilms from Lake Mead by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry and flame atomic absorption spectrophotometry. The uptake of polysaccharides (as glucose) was determined by ultraviolet/visible spectrophotometry. Taxonomic identification of the biofilm was determined using a stereo and compound microscopes. Major components included the diatoms Cyclotella, Fragilaria, Cymbella, and Amphora. Results for both major cations and trace elements presented for filtered lake water and for particulates filtered from the water …