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1999

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The Art Of Truth: The Architecture Of 19th -Century American Allegory, Gary Brian Bennett Jan 1999

The Art Of Truth: The Architecture Of 19th -Century American Allegory, Gary Brian Bennett

UNLV Retrospective Theses & Dissertations

The current study, in its broadest scope, explores the nature of literary art primarily as a moral experience. Specifically, it addresses ironic allegory---a genre of fiction born during the American Renaissance of the mid-nineteenth century. As an amalgam of two other oblique genres, Gothic fiction and Puritan allegory, ironic allegory was originally the product of Nathaniel Hawthorne's moral imagination and tragic sensibility; consequently, its primary themes are the properties of time, the problems of tragedy, the process of transformation, and the preeminence of truth. Focusing exclusively on the architectural metaphors in Cooper's Templeton trilogy, Hawthorne's The House of the Seven …


The Impact Of Interracial Contact On Stereotypical Perceptions, Joann Watts Debose Jan 1999

The Impact Of Interracial Contact On Stereotypical Perceptions, Joann Watts Debose

UNLV Retrospective Theses & Dissertations

Situations involving interracial contact and their impact on the reduction of racist attitudes among whites in America will be examined using the contact theory of prejudice. This perspective maintains that evidence for the continued "social distance" between blacks and whites can be quantified in measures of workplace contact. Racial perceptions in schools, churches and neighborhoods provide additional evidence for the contact theory of race relations. Stereotypic perceptions develop when people are unable or unwilling to obtain all the information needed to make accurate judgments about people or situations. Often, the absence of the "total picture" encourages people to fill in …


The Effects Of Computerized Instruction In Intermediate Algebra, Cynthia Lynn Glickman Jan 1999

The Effects Of Computerized Instruction In Intermediate Algebra, Cynthia Lynn Glickman

UNLV Retrospective Theses & Dissertations

This study was designed to measure the effects of a reform oriented computer assisted instructional environment R-CAI on community college students' procedural skill acquisition and conceptual understanDing Also examined were the effects of a computerized instructional environment on students' attitudes toward mathematics; The R-CAI involved the use of Prentice Hall's Interactive Mathematics with lessons created to provide opportunities for students to learn within "real world" contexts. Using these activities, students collected information, analyzed data and applied mathematical concepts; After controlling for initial differences, it was concluded that students taught by the R-CAI environment significantly outperformed students taught by the Traditional …


Reproductive And Growth Responses Of Mojave Desert Plants To A Changing Climate, Travis E Huxman Jan 1999

Reproductive And Growth Responses Of Mojave Desert Plants To A Changing Climate, Travis E Huxman

UNLV Retrospective Theses & Dissertations

Global change may impact terrestrial ecosystems through effects on the regenerative capacities of plants. Changes in energy allocation to reproduction, as a result of increasing CO2, changing temperature or precipitation, could shift the ecological and evolutionary factors that control plant distributions and species interactions. These changes in energy allocation to reproduction are manifested as seed number, viability and mass change. We conducted a meta-analysis of results from a number of different elevated CO2 experiments with the goal of determining patterns of reproductive response across a large number of species and functional types. In addition, we performed a number of experimental …


Terrorism And Political Policy: Crisis And *Policy Making Indicators In The Media During Legislative Action, James David Ballard Jan 1999

Terrorism And Political Policy: Crisis And *Policy Making Indicators In The Media During Legislative Action, James David Ballard

UNLV Retrospective Theses & Dissertations

This study tested three political sociology policy making theories with relation to the media coverage of an act of political violence and the affiliated policy formation processes related to this event. To test the three theories, a case study was conducted on the bombing of the Alfred Murrah Federal Building in Oklahoma City on April 19, 1995 and the subsequent policy enacted under the auspices of the Antiterrorism and Effective Death Penalty Act (AEDP). The case analysis focused on several preexisting policy debates, the media coverage immediately following the bombing, and subsequent policy discussions leading to the passage of the …


Advertising And The Elderly: Do Magazine Ads Continue To Reinforce Ageism?, Jaymes Antonio Aimetti Jan 1999

Advertising And The Elderly: Do Magazine Ads Continue To Reinforce Ageism?, Jaymes Antonio Aimetti

UNLV Retrospective Theses & Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to assess how the younger population views the elderly in magazine ads, as well as how mature adults view themselves through media depiction when they see elderly characters in print ads. A convenience sample of one-hundred university students and forty-eight retired teachers from the Nevada Chapter of Retired Teachers answered a questionnaire including: negative, neutral, or positive depictions of seniors in ads; whether or not seniors are portrayed accurately, and the frequency of senior minorities in magazine ads. Results suggest that a majority of the respondents agree that seniors are portrayed inaccurately in magazine …


"Welcome, Fellow Toastmasters": The History And Membership Of A Public Speaking Phenomenon, Ellen Beth Levine Bremen Jan 1999

"Welcome, Fellow Toastmasters": The History And Membership Of A Public Speaking Phenomenon, Ellen Beth Levine Bremen

UNLV Retrospective Theses & Dissertations

Since 1905, Toastmasters International (TI) serves as the most recognized organization for voluntary oral communication practice in the world. Due to the dearth of scholarly communication research regarding TI, this thesis details the history, educational structure, and program dynamics of the organization. Literature review included the nature and extent of post-secondary communication education, as well as social affiliation and leisure theories. Finally, an Internet survey of 343 international TI members revealed the demographics of the "typical" TI member: a male or female college graduate between the ages of 36--50, who works in a wide range of professions. The study also …


Exploring The Situational Context Of Criminal Assaults And Batteries, Gini Rene Deibert Jan 1999

Exploring The Situational Context Of Criminal Assaults And Batteries, Gini Rene Deibert

UNLV Retrospective Theses & Dissertations

Social scientists are increasingly aware of the significance of examining crime events and the situational context of crime. This paper extends that research by exploring the physical and social aspects of assaults. Guided by research on masculinity, status threats, and character contests, this study uses police data to examine the situational dynamics of dispute-related assaults; Specifically, this study differentiates two types of dispute-related violence: character contests and noncharacter contests. Numerous situational variables are examined to assess the significance of their relationship with the likelihood of an offense being a character contest; By comparing character contests to other types of dispute-related …


Battered Women: Exploring Motivating Factors To Leave Or Remain In Violent Relationships, Lora Ellen Kirn Jan 1999

Battered Women: Exploring Motivating Factors To Leave Or Remain In Violent Relationships, Lora Ellen Kirn

UNLV Retrospective Theses & Dissertations

The current study explores factors motivating women to leave or remain in violent relationships from an interactionist perspective. Literature reviewed will integrate gender socialization and labeling with studies on domestic violence to investigate a woman's role in becoming a victim and her responses to violent relationships. Interview data from women residing in a domestic violence shelter examine the label "battered woman" insofar as it may serve as a catalyst for leaving an abusive relationship once a woman identifies with being a battered woman. Further, a woman's view of her role, commitment to family maintenance, and children in the home are …


Habitat Use And Movements Of Channel Catfish In The Red River Of The North, Jamison L. Wendel Jan 1999

Habitat Use And Movements Of Channel Catfish In The Red River Of The North, Jamison L. Wendel

Theses and Dissertations

No abstract provided.


Abbreviated Breastfeeding And The Theory Of Planned Behavior : Womens' Stories, Barbara J. Forrest Jan 1999

Abbreviated Breastfeeding And The Theory Of Planned Behavior : Womens' Stories, Barbara J. Forrest

Theses and Dissertations

No abstract provided.


Loss Of Reca Function Affects The Ability Of E. Coli To Maintain Plasmids Containing A Ter Site, Runhua Hou Jan 1999

Loss Of Reca Function Affects The Ability Of E. Coli To Maintain Plasmids Containing A Ter Site, Runhua Hou

Theses and Dissertations

No abstract provided.


Identification Of Proteins Secreted By The Choroid During Recovery From Experimentally Induced Myopia In Chicks, Yuan Huang Jan 1999

Identification Of Proteins Secreted By The Choroid During Recovery From Experimentally Induced Myopia In Chicks, Yuan Huang

Theses and Dissertations

No abstract provided.


Suicide-Related Knowledge Of Teachers On Spirit Lake Nation, Deborah Lynn Jones Hanson Jan 1999

Suicide-Related Knowledge Of Teachers On Spirit Lake Nation, Deborah Lynn Jones Hanson

Theses and Dissertations

No abstract provided.


Henry Ford's Anti-Semitism: A Rhetorical Analysis Of The "Paranoid" Style, Jeffrey Brian Farrell Jan 1999

Henry Ford's Anti-Semitism: A Rhetorical Analysis Of The "Paranoid" Style, Jeffrey Brian Farrell

UNLV Retrospective Theses & Dissertations

The life and rhetoric of Henry Ford was examined in this study in order to gain an understanding why, and how, he propagated the longest running anti-Semitic campaign in history. A synergy of two existing theories in communication, Hofstadter (1966) and Smith (1977) provided the appropriate framework for this study. Their observations of high-profile figures being labeled as politically "paranoid" were adapted to Henry Ford. This thesis labels Ford as a "paranoid" by identifying that: (1) Ford perceived a conspiracy; (2) a crusade was needed to defeat the conspiracy; (3) Ford was a militant leader; and, (4) the enemy was …


Assisted Reproduction: Deciding What's Best For The Child, The Family, And Our Society, Gayle R Fisher Jan 1999

Assisted Reproduction: Deciding What's Best For The Child, The Family, And Our Society, Gayle R Fisher

UNLV Retrospective Theses & Dissertations

The use of high-tech reproductive technologies to have children is widely practiced today in the United States. While state statutes regulate this industry to some extent, this field is largely self-governed, and disputes between individuals are usually resolved through the courts; In my thesis, I examine the inadequacy of public policy formation in the three more controversial areas of assisted reproduction: artificial insemination, in vitro fertilization, and surrogate motherhood. Policy-making is mostly done indirectly and haphazardly through the courts and some state and federal legislation. There has been no organized national dialogue; I recommend that moral consensus be sought on …


Prescription Drug Advertisements As Fantasies: A Cultural Critique Using A Visualization Model, Julie Dianne Fisher Jan 1999

Prescription Drug Advertisements As Fantasies: A Cultural Critique Using A Visualization Model, Julie Dianne Fisher

UNLV Retrospective Theses & Dissertations

Foss' (1994) rhetorical schema for the evaluation of visual images in conjunction with elements of Bormann's (1982) theories on fantasy theme analysis provides a framework for the creation of the included Visualization model which enables the examination of prevalent advertising images. The transformation of the dissemination of information from a verbal to a visual focus necessitates studies that explore the social messages invading the collective unconscious. The implicit messages and related fantasy themes in the visual dimension influence perceptions and individual visions of what is real. Imagery tells us much of what we know about the world. Consequently, the profusion …


Rethinking The Aceramic Neolithic: Insights From An Ethnoarchaeological Study On Cyprus, Sherry Lynn Marks Jan 1999

Rethinking The Aceramic Neolithic: Insights From An Ethnoarchaeological Study On Cyprus, Sherry Lynn Marks

UNLV Retrospective Theses & Dissertations

The so-called bizarre Aceramic Neolithic Period on the Mediterranean island of Cypros is reconsidered in light of an ethnoarchaeological study conducted in conjunction with the Kholetria-Ortos Project. The ethnoarchaeological study was designed to discover the organizational aspects of agropastoral strategies on the modern landscape and its relevance, if any, to the study of agropastoralism during the Aceramic Neolithic Period. As a result, a number of strategies considered "irrational" by agricultural policy analysts were identified, posing an analogical conceptual dilemma of contemporary phenomena. The presentation and discussion of the ethnoarchaeological results from the perspective of economic uncertainty, however, demonstrates that these …


Ecofeminism As Invitational Rhetoric: Envisioning The Shift In Western Consciousness, Julie Ann Schutten Jan 1999

Ecofeminism As Invitational Rhetoric: Envisioning The Shift In Western Consciousness, Julie Ann Schutten

UNLV Retrospective Theses & Dissertations

Ecofeminists believe the Western patriarchal worldview perpetuates a power-over ideology that contributes to the destruction of the environment. Ecofeminists advocate that understanding the web of life is crucial for attaining a paradigm shift to a mindset that respects all entities. This study examines how ecofeminist discourse offers individuals a new paradigm grounded within feminine systems of meaning--no hierarchical ordering. The theory of invitational rhetoric supports feminist systems of thought, maintaining every entity has immanent value. This study reviews themes represented by the re-emergence of the Goddess as a gateway towards ecofeminist thinKing Additionally, two pieces of ecofeminist discourse are critiqued …


Avian Habitat Relationships In The Mojave Desert, Matthew Eugene Hamilton Jan 1999

Avian Habitat Relationships In The Mojave Desert, Matthew Eugene Hamilton

UNLV Retrospective Theses & Dissertations

The relationship between bird community composition and plant community composition and structure was studied over three years (1994-1996) in a variety of Mojave Desert habitat types. This study addressed two fundamental questions: what plant community characteristics are statistically related to bird species diversity and the density of individual bird species, and what is the affect of neighboring habitat on bird species composition? Three habitat types were surveyed, Larrea scrub, Larrea scrub with Yucca and Opuntia, and Coleogyne scrub with Yucca. Bird species richness varied from 1 to 10 species, with the Coleogyne sites having the most species and the Larrea …


Fast Algorithms For Wavelet-Based Analysis Of Hyperspectral Signatures, Jiang Li Jan 1999

Fast Algorithms For Wavelet-Based Analysis Of Hyperspectral Signatures, Jiang Li

UNLV Retrospective Theses & Dissertations

Hyperspectral sensors promise great improvements in the quality of information gathered for remote sensing applications. However, they also present a huge challenge to data storage and computing systems. Thus there is a great need for reliable compression schemes, as well as analysis tools that can exploit the hyperspectral data in a computationally efficient manner. It has been proposed that wavelet-based methods may be superior to currently used methods for the analysis of hyperspectral signatures. In this thesis, a wavelet-based method, as well as traditional analytical methods, was implemented and applied to hyperspectral images. The computational expense of the various methods …


Towards The Cloning Of The Human Heat Shock Protein Twenty-Seven Multigene Family, Ann A Ohiaeri Jan 1999

Towards The Cloning Of The Human Heat Shock Protein Twenty-Seven Multigene Family, Ann A Ohiaeri

UNLV Retrospective Theses & Dissertations

We attempted to clone closely-related members of the human heat shock protein 27 (hsp 27) multigene family. Genomic DNA was obtained from human A549 lung cancer cells. Colony hybridization and the Polymerase chain reaction identified the hsp 27 genes. Positive clones were subcloned into pGEM-3Z. The DNA sequence information for three of the clones was determined, and analyzed using DNAsis and Blast Algorithms. DNA Alignments of the inserts contained in three positive clones showed a homology of 29-51% to the human hsp 27 gene. Our data suggests that these inserts are distant members of the human hsp 27 multigene family. …


Rodent Effects On Shrubs In A Mojave Desert Shrub Community, Steven Schuyler Vrooman Jan 1999

Rodent Effects On Shrubs In A Mojave Desert Shrub Community, Steven Schuyler Vrooman

UNLV Retrospective Theses & Dissertations

The mounds created by many species of Dipodomys (kangaroo rats) are long-term modifications of the the soil chemical and physical environment which have been shown to increase both the diversity and abundance of annuals in the deserts of the Southwestern United States. I characterized shrub distribution and soil parameters on and off rodent mounds in a Coleogyne ramosissima community in Lucky Strike Canyon near Las Vegas, Nevada and performed several experiments to investigate rodent effects on seedlings and seeds of C. ramosissima. Rodent mounds were found to be long-term modifications of the soil physical and chemical environment which support a …


The Disability Press: A Wheel Still In Spin, Cindy Schwartz Mccoy Jan 1999

The Disability Press: A Wheel Still In Spin, Cindy Schwartz Mccoy

UNLV Retrospective Theses & Dissertations

This study, exploring the messages of the disability press, also utilizes Marxist theory to explain empowerment in the disability community. Although Marxism has significant value for explaining disability oppression, Marx's theory of internal relations, describing an interconnected web of organizational structure and the accompanying relationships, sheds light on the political nature of disability empowerment. A world view characterized by an economic base and social superstructure models an intrinsically enmeshed impairment base and social superstructure model of disability. The covers and cover stories of Mouth, Mainstream, Ragged Edge, and New Mobility magazines are catalogued and a representative sample is analyzed in …


Midpoint Estimation Applied To The Vertical-Horizontal Illusion, Gary Wayne Ogren Jan 1999

Midpoint Estimation Applied To The Vertical-Horizontal Illusion, Gary Wayne Ogren

UNLV Retrospective Theses & Dissertations

Eighty-three college undergraduates estimated midpoints of vertical lines presented in cued (a letter or figure presented below the line), uncued, and inverted T conditions. Subject's mean estimates were near the geometric midpoint in the two cued conditions, and significantly above the midpoint in the uncued and inverted T conditions. Mean estimates in the inverted T conditions were significantly above those in the uncued condition. These displacements are discussed in relation to previous midpoint estimation findings and theoretical explanations of the vertical-horizontal illusion. The midpoint estimation task is evaluated as an investigative tool in studies of geometric-optical illusions, and recommendations for …


Sorption And Desorption Of Selenium In Cement Formulations, Elizabeth Ann Johnson Jan 1999

Sorption And Desorption Of Selenium In Cement Formulations, Elizabeth Ann Johnson

UNLV Retrospective Theses & Dissertations

Twenty-seven cementitious formulations containing three levels of water/solids (45%, 50%, 55%), three weight percentages of silica fume (0%, 10%, 20%), and three weight percentages of clay (0%, 3%, 5%) were evaluated for their ability to effectively sorb selenium at three pH levels (5.9, 8.7, 12.4). A Type V Portland cement was utilized. Distribution coefficients (K{dollar}\sb{\rm d}{dollar} values) determined for each cement formulation ranged from 250-1600 L kg{dollar}\sp{-1}{dollar}. Findings suggest that increased water/solids ratios tend to maximize selenium sorption while adding silica fume or 5% clay appears to decrease sorption. A sorption/desorption study was conducted on cementitious formulations containing three levels …


Responses Of Python Regius To Animal Chemosensory Stimuli: Implications Of Foraging Ecology, Albert Klein Jan 1999

Responses Of Python Regius To Animal Chemosensory Stimuli: Implications Of Foraging Ecology, Albert Klein

UNLV Retrospective Theses & Dissertations

Python regius is considered to be a sit-and-wait forager and has been reported to attempt capture of live and dead homeothermic prey. This preference for homeothermic prey may be innate and is not dependent on thermal cues. Chemosensory stimuli appear to be the only stimuli which may indicate to P. regius the metabolic group that a dead prey item at room temperature item may belong to. Snakes were exposed to novel odors from homeothermic and poikilothermic animals. Prey Searching Behavior (amount of locomotion) and Information Gathering Behavior (tongue flicking) were observed. Habituation to odors resulted in decreased behaviors. Odors of …


A Heuristic Approach For Path Planning For Redundant Robots, George Petrescu Jan 1999

A Heuristic Approach For Path Planning For Redundant Robots, George Petrescu

UNLV Retrospective Theses & Dissertations

A new method to solve the trajectory generation for a redundant manipulator is proposed. It avoids traditional computationally intensive methods by relying on the human experience; The proposed method uses a fuzzy logic controller to generate the magnitude of the angles needed to move the end effector to the next target point. The inputs to the controller are the desired displacement of the end effector and the elements of the jacobian matrix that correspond to the considered joint, while the output is the angle magnitude of the joint needed to reach the target point; An algorithm is used to determine …


Gambling Addiction And Life Meaning, Andrew Bohdan Plesh Jan 1999

Gambling Addiction And Life Meaning, Andrew Bohdan Plesh

UNLV Retrospective Theses & Dissertations

Addictive Gambling has plagued mankind for thousands of years. However, it has only recently been studied extensively. One proposed cause for addiction, which has been used in studying alcohol and drug abuse, is a lack of meaning in the addict's life. However, a causal link between life meaning and gambling addiction has not yet been examined. This study used a sample of 355 normal people and compared scores on the South Oaks Gambling Screen (SOGS), the Purpose in Life (PIL) Test, the short form of the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI), and the Michigan Alcoholism Screening Test (MAST). Relationships between the …


Detection Of Glial Interleukin-6 Release: Development Of A Novel Interleukin-6 Elisa, Kay-Lynn Bowman Jan 1999

Detection Of Glial Interleukin-6 Release: Development Of A Novel Interleukin-6 Elisa, Kay-Lynn Bowman

UNLV Retrospective Theses & Dissertations

The development of an interleukin-6 (IL-6) enzyme-linked immunosorbent (ELISA) assay resulted in a detection range of 1 ng/m1 to 10 ng/mL IL-6. The limit of detection (LOD) for IL-6 was 0.25 ng/mL. Troubleshooting techniques were attempted including matrix effects, non-specific binding, and coating buffer pH differences. In comparison to the ELISA, the LOD for IL-6 using the 7TD1 bioassay was 2--5 pg/mL. Therefore the 7TD1 bioassay was implemented for the experiments described in this study. IL-6 is a cytokine known to stimulate B-cell differentiation and to activate T-cells. IL-6 is elevated in inflammatory and neurodegenerative diseases. Interleukin-1beta (IL-1beta) stimulates IL-6 …