Digital Commons Network^™

Seismic Vulnerability Assessment Of Off-Ramp Structures Of The Las Vegas Downtown Viaduct, Mohammad Ohidul Hasan

UNLV Retrospective Theses & Dissertations

This thesis presents the results of analytical studies conducted on the off ramp structures of the Las Vegas downtown viaduct. In the first stage, the moment, shear and deformation capacities of the columns were determined by moment-curvature analysis. Then, the existing design of the bridge columns was compared to the requirements of the current bridge design codes. In the second stage, the moment, shear and deformation demands on the columns due to a strong earthquake were determined using the seismic provisions of the current bridge design codes. In the third stage, non-linear three dimensional finite element models of the off …

Confidence Intervals For Exposure Risk Assessment, Mark S Kirkham

UNLV Retrospective Theses & Dissertations

The problem of estimating exposure to a pollutant involves estimation of chemical intake Q. Typically, Q has the form Q = q11q12&cdots;q 1r1/q211q22 &cdots;q2r2t where all thetaij's are unknown means of certain random variables. In assessing the risk to human health from exposure to the pollutant of concern, a confidence interval estimate of Q is needed. In the case of independent normal random variables, point estimates and certain types of interval estimates of a product of several parameters exist in the literature, but not for a ratio of products. In many situations, lot of prior knowledge is available regarding the …

Cerium And Rhodium Substitution In The Antiferromagnetic Superconductor Cerium Rhodium Indium(5), Brian Edward Light

UNLV Retrospective Theses & Dissertations

Among heavy fermion materials, a relationship between unconventional superconductivity and magnetism has been observed. The dependence of the magnetic transitions of CexLa1-xRhyIr1-y In5 with respect to temperature and magnetic field applied along the tetragonal c and a crystal axes is examined using heat capacity measurements. The magnetic phase diagram of CeRh yIrl-yIn5 for the applied transitions in the a direction shows the magnetic structure of CeRhIn5 is unchanged by Ir doping. Doping of Ir in small concentrations is shown to increase the antiferromagnetic transition temperature TN. La doping or higher concentration of Ir is shown to lower TN. This shows …

Framework For A System To Model Casino Development, Benjamin Harold Mammina

UNLV Retrospective Theses & Dissertations

The purpose of this study is to develop a system to model casino development without the user's need for information from architects, contractors or consultants. The target user would be a casino executive who had business experience, but minimal real estate development experience. Successful modeling would be based upon a favorable ratio of developmental costs to income projections known as Return on Investment (ROI). In this study factors used to calculate ROI for casino development projects were analyzed by examination of actual ROI calculations that were previously performed by experienced casino executives who had support from architect, contractors and consultants. …

Alternate Path Routing Algorithm For Traffic Engineering In The Internet, Shyam Subramanian

UNLV Retrospective Theses & Dissertations

Data flowing through the internet continues to grow every year. Increase in traffic demands increase in bandwidth. But bandwidth1 does not grow as fast as the traffic. This leads to congestion in the network and performance degradation. One way to avoid this problem is to use efficient routing algorithm that efficiently maps the flow of data onto the network; The most often used routing algorithm in the internet is the shortest path algorithm (Dijkstra's algorithm). This algorithm is simple and easy to implement. But this algorithm leads to over-utilization of part of the network, while the other part remains under-utilized. …

A Comparison Of Upper Confidence Limits For Skewed Distributions, Michael Gary Theemling

UNLV Retrospective Theses & Dissertations

Remediation decisions at contaminated sites are determined by comparing the Upper Confidence Limit (UCL) of the mean contaminant to a site-specific action level. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has established methods for computing this UCL, also called the Exposure Point Concentration (EPC) term; The UCL formula depends upon the distribution of the contaminant concentrations, which are often positively skewed. The EPA frequently recommends the Lognormal distribution to model such data. However, that assumption often causes the UCL to be unreliable. What is the role of skewness in computing UCL statistics over different distributions? Computer simulation is used to test a …

An Analysis Of The Relationship Between Alcohol Availability And Alcohol-Related Hospital Admissions In The City Of Chicago, 1990--1997, Dorothy Ruth Wilson

UNLV Retrospective Theses & Dissertations

Current research suggested a relationship between alcohol availability and problems, including suicide, and car accidents. However, the relationship between alcohol availability and alcohol related hospital admissions, such as acute intoxication and liver damage, has not been widely explored. Measuring alcohol availability by alcohol outlet density and using data for alcohol related hospital admissions in the city of Chicago, a Poisson regression analysis determined that neighborhoods with a higher percentage of African-Americans, higher poverty level, and a greater density of alcohol outlets had a greater number of alcohol related hospital admissions than other neighborhoods. To control for individual level characteristics, a …

Partitioning A Given Circuit Targeting Multiple Fpgas, Girish Narayanan Cherussery

UNLV Retrospective Theses & Dissertations

Our approach to the problem of partitioning the design (represented as a hypergraph) into Multi-FPGAs uses a bi-level approach by initially clustering the design and then applying the bipartitioning technique iteratively. Each partition generated by the iterative bipartitioning technique should meet the constraints given by the FPGAs input-output and number of CLBs. The traditional FM partitioning can be applied to partition the circuit into multiple FPGAs. FM partitioning aims to minimize the number of interconnections but fails to group the nodes with maximum interconnections into one partition. Thus FM algorithm looks at the partitioning problem with a global viewpoint, abandoning …

Approximation Algorithms For Multi-Facility Location, Prashanth Kodela

UNLV Retrospective Theses & Dissertations

This thesis deals with the development and implementation of efficient algorithms to obtain acceptable solutions for the location of several facilities to serve customer sites. The general version of facility location problem is known to be NP-hard; For locating multiple facilities we use Voronoi diagram of initial facility locations to partition the customer sites into k clusters. On each Voronoi region, solutions for single facility problem is obtained by using both Weizfield's algorithm and Center of Gravity. The customer space is again partitioned by using the newly computed locations. This iteration is continued to obtain a better solution for multi-facility …

Gender Differences In Cognitive Interference With Sexual Arousal, Sarah Elizabeth Nunnink

UNLV Retrospective Theses & Dissertations

It is well documented that cognitive interference detrimentally influences sexuality, but little is known about the content of that interference. This study compared the self-reports of 220 college men and 337 college women on two types of cognitive interference during sex, performance-oriented and appearance-oriented. Also assessed via use of the Derogatis Sexual Functioning Inventory and the Sexual History Form were: sexual satisfaction, psychological distress, sexual knowledge, sexual experiences, sexual attitudes, sexual fantasy, body image, affect, and sexual functioning, all areas thought to be related to sexual functioning. As predicted, findings indicated that women were more concerned with their own appearance …

Paradigms Of Reality In Poe's Mad Narrative, Tamy Lynn Burnett

UNLV Retrospective Theses & Dissertations

This study focuses on an examination of madness in four short stories by American author Edgar Allan Poe: "Ligeia," "Eleonora," "The Black Cat," and "The Fall of the House of Usher." Using Walter Fischer's theoretical communication framework, the Narrative Paradigm, the four stories are examined for narrative fidelity and narrative probability in an effort to more fully understand Poe's treatment of madness in first person narrators; "Ligeia" and "Eleonora" are compared as stories of a lost lover and the subsequent possibilities for madness due to guilt over marrying someone else. Next, "The Black Cat" is examined with a focus on …

Compliance With Title Ix Of The Education Amendments : How Do North Dakota Public Schools Measure Up?, Carol Ann Reed

Theses and Dissertations

No abstract provided.

A Dynamic Simulation Model Of Beach Sand Replenishment: A Case Study Of Santa Barbara, California, David Turbow, Steve Norwick, Sajjad Ahmad

Civil and Environmental Engineering and Construction Faculty Research

Sediment deprivation from dam installments contributes to beach erosion yet the underlying physical and economic factors linking them together have traditionally been isolated during regional planning. In order to gain a better understanding of the behavior of a managed beach system, a dynamic simulation model was developed incorporating physical and monetary factors influencing the amount of available beach sand. The Santa Barbara littoral cell was chosen as a case study to evaluate the feasibility of beach preservation goals under scenarios in which annual sand replenishment funding, sand prices, or sediment recovery from behind dams were limiting factors to available beach …

The Oxford Guide To Style, Priscilla Finley

Library Faculty Research

Oxford's style manual will be essential to users previously dependent on Hart's Rules for Compositors and Readers (39th ed., 1986)--those preparing manuscripts for Oxford University Press and other British publishers--which Ritter revises and enlarges. Chapters cover general publication topics such as front matter and preparation of copy and proofs; editorial issues like punctuation, numbers, and capitalization; special conventions regarding science and mathematics; and "specialist subjects" including British and EU law, music, poetry, drama, and sacred works.

Design And Analysis Of A Process For Melt Casting Metallic Fuel Pins Incorporating Volatile Actinides, Yitung Chen, Darrell Pepper, Randy Clarksean

Fuels Campaign (TRP)

The Transmutation Research Program requires the incorporation of non-fertile actinides into the fuel matrix for the transmuter blanket. One of three currently proposed candidate matrices for the transmuter blanket is a metallic alloy fuel matrix. Metallic fuels are an outstanding candidate for a transmutation fuel due to excellent irradiation performance and ease of fabrication. However, including a volatile constituent during fabrication of these fuel pins presents a challenge. High vapor pressure actinides, particularly americium, are susceptible to rapid vaporization and transport using traditional metal fuel casting processes. As a result, only a fraction of the desired charge is incorporated into …

Proposals Submitted In Fiscal Year 2002, Grants Development Office

Grants Development Office Reports

No abstract provided.

Annual Summary Of Grant And Contract Activity Fiscal Year 2002, Grants Development Office

Grants Development Office Reports

No abstract provided.

The Polar Expression Of Enso And Sea-Ice Variability As Recorded In A South Pole Ice Core, Eric A. Meyerson, Paul A. Mayewski, Karl J. Kreutz, L. David Meeker, Sallie I. Whitlow, Mark S. Twickler

Faculty Publications

An annually dated ice core recovered from South Pole (2850 m a.s.l.) in 1995, that covers the period 1487–1992, was analyzed for the marine biogenic sulfur species methanesulfonate (MS). Empirical orthogonal function analysis is used to calibrate the high-resolution MS series with associated environmental series for the period of overlap (1973–92). Utilizing this calibration we present a ~500 year long proxy record of the polar expression of the El Niño–Southern Oscillation (ENSO) and southeastern Pacific sea-ice extent variations. These records reveal short-term periods of increased (1800–50, 1900–40) and decreased sea-ice extent (1550–1610, 1660–1710, 1760–1800). In general, increased (decreased) sea-ice extent …

Examining Aspects Of Alabama Reading Initiative Implementation In Upper Elementary Grades., Jean Gober Lollar

All ETDs from UAB

No abstract provided.

Targeted Deletion Of The Activating Transcription Factor 4 (Atf4) Gene In Mice., Howard Cooper Masuoka

All ETDs from UAB

No abstract provided.

A Comprehensive Mass Balance Of A Watershed Under Steady State Conditions, Oran Joseph Viator Jr.

Open Access Dissertations

Blackstone River water quality data collected during three dry weather surveys of the river was used in a comprehensive mass balance of selected water quality constituents for the river under steady state conditions, and to develop a method that can be applied to separate point and non-point source loads to the river. Mass balances for the river reaches between each dry weather sampling station were completed which isolated point sources, resulting in the identification of those reaches that were major contributors of pollutant loads to the river. These non-point sources, and the point sources, were ranked according to their dry …

Panel 2: Discussion Transcript

Brooklyn Journal of International Law

No abstract provided.

Essay: The Death Penalty In Japan: An "Absurd" Punishment, Joachim Herrmann

Brooklyn Law Review

No abstract provided.

Punitive Damages: How Jurors Fail To Promote Efficiency, W. Kip Viscusi

Vanderbilt Law School Faculty Publications

Evidence of corporate risk-cost balancing often leads to inefficient punitive damages awards, suggesting that jurors fail to base their decision making on principles of economic efficiency. In this Article, Professor Viscusi presents the results of two experiments regarding jury behavior and punitive damages. In the first experiment, Professor Viscusi found that mock jurors punish companies for balancing risk against cost, although award levels vary depending on how the economic analysis is presented at trial. The results of the second experiment suggested that mock jurors are unwilling or unable to follow a set of model jury instructions designed to generate efficient …

The Effect Of Electoral Systems On Voting Behavior And Party Development: The Case Of Canada, Chris Andrews

Masters Theses

This thesis will explore three major areas of political science research: The timing of elections, Duverger's law and voter turnout. Each of these topics has been covered extensively in the literature. However, as with most areas of political science, there remain facets of each of these topics that deserve further examination. Chapter 1 begins this discussion with an introduction to each of these three topics and a description of the Canadian electoral and party systems.

Chapter 2 examines the impact of the timing of elections on the government party in Canadian parliamentary elections. This chapter shows that there are aspects …

Gray Cloud Obscures The Rainbow: Why Homosexuality As Defamation Contradicts New Jersey Public Policy To Combat Homophobia And Promote Equal Protection, Rachel M. Wrightson

Journal of Law and Policy

No abstract provided.

The Observing Body: Quantum Mechanics, The Anthropic Principles, And Panopticism, C. Jason Smith

Reconstruction: Studies in Contemporary Culture

[First paragraph]

When philosopher of history and science Michel Serres wrote of that rare and narrow passage between the human sciences and the exact sciences [1], he intended to suggest not only the infrequency and difficulty of such contact, but also the unwillingness on either side to engage in what could be a dangerous, low-profit venture. It seems a long haul back to our common origins in philosophia, and typically, efforts to regain common ground between the disciplines have approached the problem as a one-sided move from the exact sciences to the study of the humanities. Notable exceptions such …

The Promise And Pitfalls Of Using Imprecise School Accountability Measures, Thomas J. Kane, Douglas O. Staiger

Dartmouth Scholarship

In recent years, most states have constructed elaborate accountability systems using school-level test scores. However, because the median elementary school contains only 69 children per grade level, such measures are quite imprecise. We evaluate the implications for school accountability systems. For instance, rewards or sanctions for schools with scores at either extreme primarily affect small schools and provide weak incentives to large ones. Nevertheless, we conclude that accountability systems may be worthwhile. Even in states with aggressive financial incentives, the marginal reward to schools for raising student performance is a small fraction of the potential labor market value for students.

Pick A Number, Any Number: State Representation In Congress After The 2000 Census, Paul H. Edelman, Suzanna Sherry

Vanderbilt Law School Faculty Publications

In this essay, Professors Edelman and Sherry explain the mathematics behind the allocation of congressional seats to each state, and survey the different methods of allocation that Congress has used over the years. Using 2000 census figures, they calculate each state's allocation under five different methods, and discuss the advantages and disadvantages of the various methods.

On Legal Interpretations Of The Condorcet Jury Theorem, Paul H. Edelman

Vanderbilt Law School Faculty Publications

There has been a spate of interest in the application of the Condorcet Jury Theorem to issues in the law. This theorem holds that a majority vote among a suitably large body of voters, all of whom are more likely than not to vote correctly, will almost surely result in the correct outcome. Its uses have ranged from estimating the correct size of juries to justifying the voting of creditors in Chapter 11 reorganizations. While the mathematics is unassailable, the legal interpretation of the conclusion is dependent on the model of probability one uses when invoking the assumption that the …