Open Access. Powered by Scholars. Published by Universities.®

Digital Commons Network™

Open Access. Powered by Scholars. Published by Universities.®

2003

Discipline
Institution
Keyword
Publication
Publication Type
File Type

Articles 55081 - 55110 of 58674

Full-Text Articles in Entire DC Network

A Relational Post-Processing Approach For Forms Recognition, Zhenxing Mao Jan 2003

A Relational Post-Processing Approach For Forms Recognition, Zhenxing Mao

UNLV Retrospective Theses & Dissertations

Optical Character Recognition (OCR) is used to convert paper documents into electronic form. Unfortunately the technology is not perfect and the output can be erroneous. Conversion then is generally augmented by manual error detection and correction procedures which can be very costly; One approach to minimizing cost is to apply an OCR post processing system that will reduce the amount of manual correction required. The post processor takes advantage of knowledge associated with a particular project; In this thesis, we look into the feasibility of using integrity constraints to detect and correct errors in forms recognition. The general idea is …

Go to article

Strategic Training In The Use Of Causal Diagrams: Facilitation Of Superior Mental Models, Anne Seyer Poliquin Jan 2003

Strategic Training In The Use Of Causal Diagrams: Facilitation Of Superior Mental Models, Anne Seyer Poliquin

UNLV Retrospective Theses & Dissertations

This study focused on the influence of strategic learning on the construction of causal diagrams and their role in text learning. A causal diagram is an instructional adjunct designed to enhance text comprehension by providing a visual representation integrating elements of cause and effect. The Integrated Model of Text and Picture Comprehension (IMTPC) (Schnotz & Bannert, 1999) suggests that diagrams improve learning because they facilitate the construction of mental models via simultaneous comprehension of visual and text elements. However, there is no information on how to achieve this benefit consistently. Scevak, Moore, and Kirby (1993) have demonstrated that this benefit …

Go to article

Genetic Algorithms For The Traveling Salesman Problem Using Edge Assembly Crossovers, Dwain Alan Seppala Jan 2003

Genetic Algorithms For The Traveling Salesman Problem Using Edge Assembly Crossovers, Dwain Alan Seppala

UNLV Retrospective Theses & Dissertations

The central issue in creating new genetic algorithms is the algorithm's crossover method. My focus is on a particular crossover known as the Edge Assembly Crossover, or EAX, by Nagata and Kobayashi. The basics of a what make up a genetic algorithm is reviewed. The traveling salesman problem is defined. The EAX as an algorithm within an algorithm is explained. The crossover's implementation is original and is listed. The use of the graphic user interface, TSP View, used to run algorithms is explained as well as the extensions to the interface that were implemented for this study. The results of …

Go to article

Study Of Geometry Effects On Local Corrosion Rates For Lbe Loop, Chao Wu Jan 2003

Study Of Geometry Effects On Local Corrosion Rates For Lbe Loop, Chao Wu

UNLV Retrospective Theses & Dissertations

Corrosion is an extremely important issue in nuclear cooling system applications. Many scientific and engineering efforts have contributed to the research of finding an ideal material, which has resistance to corrosive Lead Bismuth Eutectic (LBE). A Delta Loop was designed and constructed in Los Alamos National Lab (LANL) to obtain the experimental data. This loop is a multi-section closed system that differs in diameter from one part to another. As a result, an intensive study on the geometry effect is necessary and valuable. In this thesis, this problem was simulated by commercial software STAR-CD. Results provide a good prediction where …

Go to article

Improving Service Quality In Small Communities: The Bahamas As A Model, Kera Lonise Carey Jan 2003

Improving Service Quality In Small Communities: The Bahamas As A Model, Kera Lonise Carey

UNLV Retrospective Theses & Dissertations

Service quality is a topic that permeates every facet of the tourism industry. In small communities such as The Bahamas, where tourism is the driving factor for economic stability, service quality is paramount. In 2001, the Bahamian Ministry of Tourism set customer satisfaction goals for the country and is continually striving to improve the country's visitor satisfaction ratings through market research; This qualitative exploratory study investigates service quality in Bahamian hotels and was inspired by Ministry of Tourism customer service research. The project was tailored to identify service quality gaps within the Bahamian hotel industry by applying the Conceptual Gap …

Go to article

Woodrow Wilson's Principled Preaching On United States Foreign Policy, 1913--1917, Roger E Carey Jan 2003

Woodrow Wilson's Principled Preaching On United States Foreign Policy, 1913--1917, Roger E Carey

UNLV Retrospective Theses & Dissertations

Woodrow Wilson based his ideals and actions as president on principles shaped by his religious beliefs. While Wilson scholars have examined his idealism, few have traced the religious roots of the principles that formed his ideology. During the period of American neutrality from 1914 to 1917, he made numerous public speeches that afford insight into his religious beliefs, their relationship to his understanding of presidential leadership, good government, and especially foreign policy. Wilson believed that good leaders used oratory to inform the people of important issues and guide them to support the best policies. His speeches reflect what he thought …

Go to article

High-Resolution Spectroscopy Of Very Active Solar-Type Stars, Nora Rae Drager Jan 2003

High-Resolution Spectroscopy Of Very Active Solar-Type Stars, Nora Rae Drager

UNLV Retrospective Theses & Dissertations

Previous low-resolution spectroscopy has been used to find stars with highly active chromospheres within 50 pc of the Sun for the Northern hemisphere. We have analyzed thirteen such stars, using high-resolution spectroscopy, to determine Lithium abundances and metallicities. Although two of these stars may be close binaries, it is likely that eleven are single stars or wide binaries, of which four seem to be Pleiades age and two others appear Hyades age. It is usually expected that young stars are to be found in clusters, such as the Pleiades, in which there are many highly active young stars in close …

Go to article

Effects Of A Heat Acclimation Program On Physiologic And Psychological Responses To Work And Heat While Wearing Fire Ensemble, Dale Anthony Branks Jan 2003

Effects Of A Heat Acclimation Program On Physiologic And Psychological Responses To Work And Heat While Wearing Fire Ensemble, Dale Anthony Branks

UNLV Retrospective Theses & Dissertations

Heat acclimation program effects on rectal temperature and heart rate during walks in the heat wearing structural fire protective ensemble (FE) were examined. On six consecutive days, male subjects (N = 7) walked 30 minutes on a treadmill (46--53% V˙O2peak) within a 40 +/- 2°C, 20--22% r.h. environment, wearing FE. Rectal (Trec) mean skin (Tsk), and rectal-skin temperature gradient (T rec-Tsk), heart rate (HR), oxygen uptake (VO2), minute ventilation (VE), rating of perceived exertion (RPE), rating of thermal discomfort (RTD), sweat rate and Na+ and K+ were assessed daily. Significance (p < 0.05) was determined by one way repeated measures ANOVA. Average heart rate, and daily sweat Na+ and K+ concentrations were the only variables observed to decrease significantly during the six days. These changes however were small and represent a questionable practical benefit. Therefore, a six day heat acclimation program during summer months provides no benefit to work in the heat while wearing FE.

Go to article

Names Project Aids Memorial Quilt: A Rhetorical Study Of The Transformation Of An Epidemic Through Social Movement, Daniel C Hinkley Jan 2003

Names Project Aids Memorial Quilt: A Rhetorical Study Of The Transformation Of An Epidemic Through Social Movement, Daniel C Hinkley

UNLV Retrospective Theses & Dissertations

This study looks at the Names Project: AIDS Memorial Quilt as a rhetorical artifact and centerpiece of the current AIDS movement. The methodology for this study is an ethnographic and auto-ethnographic design, utilizing interviews with four Quilt volunteers and staffers, including my observations as a person living with AIDS. This study looks at the Quilt using social movement, rhetorical, and dramatist theories to prove that the Quilt is the rhetorical centerpiece of the AIDS Movement. Social movement theories explain how the Quilt mobilized thousands of people to fight AIDS. Rhetorical theories explain how the Quilt transformed the belief that AIDS …

Go to article

Emerging Identities: New Subjects Within Gay Adoption, Megan O Hartzell Jan 2003

Emerging Identities: New Subjects Within Gay Adoption, Megan O Hartzell

UNLV Retrospective Theses & Dissertations

This thesis explores the identity construction and subject positions of gay male foster and adoptive parents. Using late twentieth and early twenty-first century cultural texts, I apply a Foucaultian perspective to analyze how controversies over gay adoptions articulate shifts in contemporary American discourses of homosexuality and the family. Identities available to homosexuals have shifted since the nineteenth century; this thesis looks at the emergence of a new contested identity for homosexuals as adoptive parents at the turn of the twenty-first century by employing Foucaultian methodological techniques of archaeology. This work contributes to the sociological literature on gender, law, and the …

Go to article

Hamstring/Quadriceps Strength Ratios: An Analysis And A Strength Training Study, Heather Jessica Lee Jan 2003

Hamstring/Quadriceps Strength Ratios: An Analysis And A Strength Training Study, Heather Jessica Lee

UNLV Retrospective Theses & Dissertations

This study was performed to examine the hamstring:quadriceps (H:Q) ratios of female soccer athletes, and to test the effects of a six week strength training program on these ratios. Twelve NCAA Division I female soccer athletes volunteered for this study. Subjects completed two practice sessions, a pretest, six weeks of strength training, and a posttest. The isokinetic pre and posttesting was performed on a KIN-COMRTM dynamometer, with the trials in a set order (concentric 240, 180, 60°/s and eccentric 60, 180, 240°/s). Gravity correction was used on all trials. The H:Q strength ratio was examined conventionally (concentric hamstrings:concentric quadriceps) and …

Go to article

Investigation Of Different Light Delivery Schemes In Photodynamic Therapy Of Human Glioma Spheroids, Robin Marie Rodenbush Jan 2003

Investigation Of Different Light Delivery Schemes In Photodynamic Therapy Of Human Glioma Spheroids, Robin Marie Rodenbush

UNLV Retrospective Theses & Dissertations

The response of human glioma spheroids to ALA-mediated photodynamic therapy subjected to various optical dose delivery schemes is investigated. In particular, the effects of fluence, fluence rate, light dose fractionation and long-term repeat PDT is considered. Improved PDT response was found for low fluence rate photodynamic treatments i.e. those at or below 25 mW cm-2 . Results are consistent with the self-sensitized singlet oxygen mediated photobleaching model of Georgakoudi et al (Georgakoudi, 1998., in which the response is attributed to the deposition of singlet oxygen to a larger volume, i.e., deeper into the spheroid. The efficacy of high-fluence rate PDT …

Go to article

Nonpoint Source Pollution During Dry And Wet Weather Flows In An Urbanized Watershed, Uma Malik Jan 2003

Nonpoint Source Pollution During Dry And Wet Weather Flows In An Urbanized Watershed, Uma Malik

UNLV Retrospective Theses & Dissertations

This research evaluates the quality of urban runoff, from various nonpoint sources during dry weather flows (DWF) and wet weather flows (WWF) in the Las Vegas Valley. Standard constituents in urban runoff were measured to assess the quality of urban runoff, to identify the possible sources of DWF (groundwater flows, excessive irrigation and car washing) and to determine the quality of runoff from residential areas and parking lots during WWF. DWF samples were collected from storm channels on a weekly and monthly basis. WWF samples were collected when the precipitation was at least 1mm. DWF water quality results indicated that …

Go to article

Dose Coefficients For Radionuclides Produced In A Spallation Neutron Source, John Patrick Shanahan Jan 2003

Dose Coefficients For Radionuclides Produced In A Spallation Neutron Source, John Patrick Shanahan

UNLV Retrospective Theses & Dissertations

Internal and external dose coefficient values have been calculated for 14 anthropogenic radionuclides which are not currently presented in Federal Guidance Reports No. 11, 12, and 13 or Publications 68 and 72 of the International Commission on Radiological Protection. Internal dose coefficient values are reported for inhalation and ingestion of 1 mum and 5 mum particulates along with the f1 values and absorption types for the adult worker. Internal dose coefficient values are also reported for inhalation and ingestion of 1 mum particulates as well as the f 1 values and absorption types for members of the public. Additionally, external …

Go to article

X-Ray Emission Spectroscopic Study Of Chloride Solid Compounds Using Synchrotron Radiation, Ich Cong Tran Jan 2003

X-Ray Emission Spectroscopic Study Of Chloride Solid Compounds Using Synchrotron Radiation, Ich Cong Tran

UNLV Retrospective Theses & Dissertations

An x-ray emission spectrometer, developed at beamline 9.3.1 of the Advance Light Source (ALS), Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL), will allow performing measurements of x-ray emission from molecules and materials in gas, liquid and solid phases with energy, angle and polarization dependence. A two-dimensional position-sensitive detector system with data acquisition software is developed for the spectrometer that allows collecting a complete x-ray emission spectrum simultaneously. Mechanical supports for detector mounting and a holder for solid samples are designed and manufactured. Energy calibration, resolution, and performance of the detector system and the spectrometer are tested by studying a solid potassium chloride …

Go to article

Labor Violations And Discrimination In The Clark County Outcall Entertainment Industry, Candice Michelle Seppa Arroyo Jan 2003

Labor Violations And Discrimination In The Clark County Outcall Entertainment Industry, Candice Michelle Seppa Arroyo

UNLV Retrospective Theses & Dissertations

Researchers who insist that sexual exploitation is intrinsic to sex work have deflected attention from two key issues facing sex workers: labor violations and prejudice. The purpose of this study is to investigate unethical labor practices and institutional sexism, racism, and classism in the Clark County outcall entertainment ("escort") industry. To analyze these issues from a sex radical feminist perspective, I spent 820 hours engaged in covert participant observation while working as an appointment setter at two major outcall entertainment agencies in Clark County; Much of the abuse that outcall entertainers in Las Vegas encounter could be eliminated by enforcing …

Go to article

The Effects Of A Personal Accountability And Personal Responsibility Model On Urban Elementary Student Positive Social And Off-Task Behaviors, Daniel Wesley Balderson Jan 2003

The Effects Of A Personal Accountability And Personal Responsibility Model On Urban Elementary Student Positive Social And Off-Task Behaviors, Daniel Wesley Balderson

UNLV Retrospective Theses & Dissertations

In the past few decades, the challenge of violent and disruptive behaviors among our children and youth has been on the rise. This study provides one intervention model focused on personal accountability and personal responsibility designed to reduce off-task and disruptive behavior in school settings, and designed to increase positive social behaviors among children and youth. A multiple treatment ABAD, ACAD, ADA, control behavior analysis design was implemented across four distinct elementary physical education classes matched for participant and setting similarity. Measures included number of occurrence and percentage of class time across Teacher Management, Student Leadership, Passive and Disruptive Student …

Go to article

Trajectory Planning In The Presence Of Risk Regions, Michael Allan Sherwood Jan 2003

Trajectory Planning In The Presence Of Risk Regions, Michael Allan Sherwood

UNLV Retrospective Theses & Dissertations

We consider the problem of developing fast algorithms for computing short collision-free paths for aerial vehicles in the presence of obstacles and enemy radar installations. When aerial vehicles are deployed in such regions, it is critical to compute admissible paths having reduced exposure to threats. The generalized version of this problem is known to be NP-hard [4]. We consider simplified versions in two dimensions. One of the specific problems we address is to adjust a given k-legged trajectory to reduce exposure to threats. We also propose an algorithm to compute a k-legged risk-reduced path using a stage graph which runs …

Go to article

Fecundity Of Larrea Tridentata And Ambrosia Dumosa Across A Spatially Heterogeneous Mojave Desert Landscape, Nicole Sikula Jan 2003

Fecundity Of Larrea Tridentata And Ambrosia Dumosa Across A Spatially Heterogeneous Mojave Desert Landscape, Nicole Sikula

UNLV Retrospective Theses & Dissertations

Seed dynamics of Larrea tridentata and Ambrosia dumosa were measured for two consecutive years (2000--2001) in microhabitats under adult Larrea, under adult Ambrosia, under non-Larrea/Ambrosia shrubs, in barren open areas, and in open areas with >50% microphytic crust cover. Microhabitat measurements were replicated at four large-scale sites that differed in elevation and canyon. Both species produced equivalent numbers of seeds per shrub when both years were considered. Ambrosia had significantly more seeds in the soil seed bank than Larrea at two of the four large-scale sites. Microsite effects on the seed dispersal and subsequent distribution of these species were not …

Go to article

The Economic Impact Of The Writers-In-The-Schools Program At Unlv: 2003, Jennifer Stikich Jan 2003

The Economic Impact Of The Writers-In-The-Schools Program At Unlv: 2003, Jennifer Stikich

UNLV Retrospective Theses & Dissertations

In 2002, the College of Liberal Arts received grants from the National Endowment for the Arts, the International Institute for Modern Letters, and Park Place Entertainment to bring the Writers-in-the-Schools program to the University of Las Vegas. In this paper, I employ surveys to determine the economic impact of the WITS program in the Las Vegas community. Four nationally recognized writers conducted public readings at UNLV, and those that attended these events were the subject of this study. Through employing the logit and probit methods of estimation in a theoretical Random Utility Model, the mean willingness to pay to attend …

Go to article

Rapid Screening Approach For Cavity Detection Using Surface-Based Seismic Measurements, Gennady Tsarev Jan 2003

Rapid Screening Approach For Cavity Detection Using Surface-Based Seismic Measurements, Gennady Tsarev

UNLV Retrospective Theses & Dissertations

A rapid screening method for detection of shallow cavities using surface-based seismic waves has been developed and documented. Emphasis is placed on seismic surface waves due to their ease of measurement and dispersive nature in heterogeneous media; The study includes a numerical experiment, field experiments, and an analytical study of data collected for buried voids. Multi-channel and two-channel data acquisition technology are explored. An alternative analysis of the data based on impulse response is investigated. The field experiments were conducted at sites with known natural caves, buried barrels, and earth fissures. Two historic data sets were used. The numerical experiment …

Go to article

Identification Of High "Risk" Pedestrian Locations, Vinod Vasudevan Jan 2003

Identification Of High "Risk" Pedestrian Locations, Vinod Vasudevan

UNLV Retrospective Theses & Dissertations

In order to identify appropriate countermeasures to improve pedestrian safety, it is necessary to identify those locations which pose high risks. The objective of this thesis is to develop criteria to identify high "risk" locations for pedestrian safety on roadway networks. These high "risk" locations were identified based on analyses of crash data. The crash locations were ranked based on several factors such as crash severity, age group, characteristics of pedestrians involved in crashes, and indicators of traffic and pedestrian exposure. Criteria were developed such that different weights were given for age groups of pedestrians involved in the crashes, and …

Go to article

Dynamic Characteristics Of Metals Under Elevated Temperatures, Hui Wang Jan 2003

Dynamic Characteristics Of Metals Under Elevated Temperatures, Hui Wang

UNLV Retrospective Theses & Dissertations

Metals such as Stainless Steel 316L, Titanium Grade 7, and Alloy C22 must withstand structural deformation caused by static, thermal, and impact loads. Among the most important characteristics for metals is their integrity in case of accidents, where it may be subject to dynamic loads under elevated temperatures. This thesis attempts to experimentally identify properties of the three above mentioned metals at elevated temperature [70°F--350°F] and under different strain rates [10-4--10 2 sec-1]; The thesis will investigate the effect of temperature and strain rate on the dynamic properties of the metals. First of all, candidate metals were introduced; Second of …

Go to article

An Improved Multiants-Aodv Routing Protocol For Ad Hoc Wireless Networks, Jun Wang Jan 2003

An Improved Multiants-Aodv Routing Protocol For Ad Hoc Wireless Networks, Jun Wang

UNLV Retrospective Theses & Dissertations

Compared to the conventional table-driven and on-demand routing protocols, a hybrid routing protocol [71], which uses mobile agents and reactive route discovery, introduced a more realistic solution to this problem. However, the mobile agents were not fully exploited in this protocol. In this thesis research, we will propose an improved MultiAnts-AODV routing protocol based on ant-AODV The goal of our design is to reduce the end-to-end delay and route discovery latency. To achieve a better performance, the communication scheme among the agents is strengthened. We also present an improved navigation algorithm for mobile agents to update the routing tables more …

Go to article

Women Recovering In Alcoholics Anonymous: The Impact Of Social Bonding, Tina Marie Wininger Jan 2003

Women Recovering In Alcoholics Anonymous: The Impact Of Social Bonding, Tina Marie Wininger

UNLV Retrospective Theses & Dissertations

This study examines the process of same-sex bonding within the Alcoholics Anonymous (A.A.) women's community. More specifically, this research measures the impact of same-sex bonding on life-satisfaction and length of sobriety for alcoholic women in A.A. Linear regression analyses of survey data from female A.A. members (N = 293) indicate (1) a statistically significant relationship between Respondents' same-sex social bonding and life-satisfaction, and (2) that the effect of this social bonding on the number of years respondents have remained sober is mediated by life-satisfaction. Therefore, it is likely that higher female bonding scores among women lead to higher life-satisfaction and, …

Go to article

Development Of A Synthetic Route To Aminofluorohexenones As Precursors For Novel Caspase Inhibitors, Ping Xi Jan 2003

Development Of A Synthetic Route To Aminofluorohexenones As Precursors For Novel Caspase Inhibitors, Ping Xi

UNLV Retrospective Theses & Dissertations

Apoptosis is a normal biological process in which cells commit suicide. In cancer cells, a family of proteases called caspases, is involved in one or more of the signaling pathways leading to apoptosis. To better understand this cellular mechanism at the molecular level, selective inhibition of each caspase would allow scientists to determine the exact function of that caspase in the overall pathway. The long term goal of this research project is the synthesis of new, highly specific caspase inhibitors that will be used to study the mechanism of apoptosis in certain cancer cells. The first step, and the primary …

Go to article

The Design And Implementation Of An Input/Output Subsystem For A Farsi Language Search Engine, Ronald L Young Jan 2003

The Design And Implementation Of An Input/Output Subsystem For A Farsi Language Search Engine, Ronald L Young

UNLV Retrospective Theses & Dissertations

The question posed in this thesis is whether it is feasible to use commonly available computer hardware and software equipment found in the United States for querying a web-based native Farsi language search engine. A document conversion utility consisting of a C program called html2unicode was constructed to convert the native language web pages into a common format. A Javascript keyboard application and corresponding embeddable web server was developed to make native Farsi language input and output accessible to a search engine. Although there are some issues inherent in the conversion of Farsi web pages into a format suitable for …

Go to article

Distributed Dynamic Channel Allocation In Mobile Computing System, Qian Zhang Jan 2003

Distributed Dynamic Channel Allocation In Mobile Computing System, Qian Zhang

UNLV Retrospective Theses & Dissertations

Channel allocation problem is one of the most important issues in mobile computing networks. The purpose of this thesis is to develop a new distributed dynamic channel allocation algorithm. The proposed algorithm attempts to reuse channels in different cells to optimize the channel usage. It also assigns a large number of channels to the heavily loaded cells, and a few channels to the lightly loaded cells according to the traffic patterns of mobile computing network in real time. Co-channel interference is prevented in this algorithm. Moreover, the proposed algorithm is deadlock-free, interference-free, and achieves that maximum channel utilization.

Go to article

A Vlsi Architecture For Lifting-Based Wavelet Packet Transform In Fingerprint Image Compression, Tao Zhu Jan 2003

A Vlsi Architecture For Lifting-Based Wavelet Packet Transform In Fingerprint Image Compression, Tao Zhu

UNLV Retrospective Theses & Dissertations

FBI uses a technique called Wavelet Scalar Quantization (WSQ), a wavelet packet transform (WPT) based method, to compress its fingerprint images. Though many VLSI architectures have been proposed for wavelet transform in the literature, it is not the case for the WPT. In this thesis, a VLSI architecture capable of computing the WPT is presented for application of WSQ. In the proposed architecture, Lifting Scheme (LS) is used to generate wavelets instead of the traditional convolution filter-bank (FB) specified in original standard. A comparative study between LS and FB shows that quality of images transformed by LS is completely acceptable …

Go to article

Numerical Modeling Of Multiphase Fluid Flow Through The Electrolytic Cell, Roald Rifkatovich Akberov Jan 2003

Numerical Modeling Of Multiphase Fluid Flow Through The Electrolytic Cell, Roald Rifkatovich Akberov

UNLV Retrospective Theses & Dissertations

Electrolytic cells are used to obtain sodium hypochlorite (NaOCl), an important industrial product, from seawater. The chemical reaction of the process (NaCl + H2O → NaOCl + H2) produces hydrogen gas bubbles near the cathode's surface inside a continuous liquid phase. In time, solid particles of calcium carbonate appear on the cell's anode due to the cell operation. Thus, the fluid flow process in the cell, in general, is a three-phase process that includes turbulence. Although hydrogen bubbles and calcium carbonate particles are usually small in size, they aggregate in the system over time and lead to the blockage of …

Go to article

First Prev Next Last