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2005

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Vissim Model Development Of A Mid-Block Pedestrian Crossing Between Signalized Intersections, John Christopher Merrill Jan 2005

Vissim Model Development Of A Mid-Block Pedestrian Crossing Between Signalized Intersections, John Christopher Merrill

UNLV Retrospective Theses & Dissertations

Pedestrian mid-block crossings through arterial roadways have significant impacts on vehicular level of service and safety. Past research has been conducted to simulate these crossings. However, a practical, realistic model and methodology have not been established for analysis and planning of mid-block pedestrian crossings. The objective of this study was to create a practical traffic microsimulation methodology for mid-block pedestrian crossings through a case study using a versatile transportation software package. VISSIM v3.70 was selected because of its ability to model individual vehicle and pedestrian interactions. The developed methodology provided a framework for model development at any pedestrian mid-block crossing …

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Gothic Analogues In Kay Boyle's Death Of A Man: Modernist Perspective And Political Reality, Cara A Minardi Jan 2005

Gothic Analogues In Kay Boyle's Death Of A Man: Modernist Perspective And Political Reality, Cara A Minardi

UNLV Retrospective Theses & Dissertations

In order to flesh out obscured meanings of Death of a Man, one must understand the political and social milieu between 1917-1936 in America and Europe. Incorporating a new historicist approach, this paper considers the social and political warnings contained in Boyle's Death of a Man. That American critics rejected Boyle's novel is evidence of American biases toward Europe during a period of American isolationism. The novel itself confronts European attitudes that in many cases were the result of The Treaty of Versailles and that led to World War II. Viewing Boyle's novel as a piece of Gothic writing overlaid …

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Generating Quality Dominating Set, Khursheed Mohammed Jan 2005

Generating Quality Dominating Set, Khursheed Mohammed

UNLV Retrospective Theses & Dissertations

Construction of a small size dominating set is a well known problem in graph theory and sensor networks. A Connected dominating set (CDS) can be used as a backbone structure in sensor networks for message delivery and broadcast. The general dominating set problem is known to be NP-hard and some approximation algorithms have been proposed; In most approximation algorithms for constructing connected dominating set only the size of the dominating set has been considered. In this thesis we address the problem of constructing connected dominating sets with several quality factors that include (i) diameter, (ii) risk-factor, and (iii) interference. We …

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Finite Element Analysis Of A Projectile During Gun Launch, Kumarswamy Karpanan Nakalswamy Jan 2005

Finite Element Analysis Of A Projectile During Gun Launch, Kumarswamy Karpanan Nakalswamy

UNLV Retrospective Theses & Dissertations

The air gun test is a possible way to study the transient shock environment that a projectile is anticipated to encounter in an actual field test. The air gun test simulates the real gun test in a controlled environment by firing the projectile into an energy absorbing material like aluminum honeycomb. This thesis presents the use of Lagrangian and Arbitrary Lagrangian and Eulerian method in simulating the gun launch dynamics of a generic artillery component subjected to launch simulation in an air gun test. The aluminum honeycomb absorbs the kinetic energy of a projectile by deforming plastically. There are many …

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Handwritten Number Recognition, Meenakshisundaram Murugan Jan 2005

Handwritten Number Recognition, Meenakshisundaram Murugan

UNLV Retrospective Theses & Dissertations

The main focus of this research is to automate medical form processing. An important step in this process is separating handwriting from printed text characters. We developed a filtering technique that extracts handwritten text from the printed text in the form. Once the handwritten text is segregated, each line of the segregated text is identified. The identification step is followed by character segmentation. Statistical analysis is performed on the gaps between the characters in each line. This results in a binormal curve clearly depicting two regions indicating if the gap represents the spacing between characters within a word or between …

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Conjugacy Numbers For Cyclic Groups Of Even Order, Tanya Jessica Murray Jan 2005

Conjugacy Numbers For Cyclic Groups Of Even Order, Tanya Jessica Murray

UNLV Retrospective Theses & Dissertations

Let Gamma be a finite group, let X be a subset of Gamma where X-1 = X and 1 ∉ X. The conjugacy graph Con(Gamma; X) has vertex set Gamma and two vertices g, h ∈ Gamma are adjacent if and only if there exists x ∈ X with g = xhx-1. Let O be a group with generating set Delta. The conjugacy number con(O; Delta) is defined as the minimum integer k ≥ 2 for which there exists a nonabelian group Gamma of order k|O| and a subset X of Gamma such that Cay(O; Delta) is isomorphic to a …

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Political Factionalism Among The Mojave Indians, 1826--1875, Melinda A Oesterman Jan 2005

Political Factionalism Among The Mojave Indians, 1826--1875, Melinda A Oesterman

UNLV Retrospective Theses & Dissertations

The Fort Mojave Indians of California and Mohave Indians of Arizona were once united on their aboriginal territory. Their lifestyle was impacted by interaction with the Spanish, fur trappers, military explorers and emigrant parties; Spanish interaction with the Mojave in the 1600s resulted in little change. The fur trappers of the 1820s generally lacked cultural awareness and respect of Mojave resources. Military expeditions along the 35th parallel into Mojave territory were generally well received and aided by some Mojave, while other Mojave were cautious of the "foreign invaders." Emigrant parties soon followed, causing alarm among the Mojave as they believed …

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Joint Design For Shock Mitigation, Gopi Nallani Jan 2005

Joint Design For Shock Mitigation, Gopi Nallani

UNLV Retrospective Theses & Dissertations

Smart projectiles carry various electronic components that can be damaged by severe shock loads. Propagation of shock from the region of initial loading to the locations of critical components can result in their failure. The objective of the research is to mitigate (absorb/reflect/disrupt, etc.) the incident shock loading, including simulating set-back, set-forward and balloting loads on a projectile as it exits the gun muzzle and predicting the structural response of internal electronic components. A detailed finite element analysis of the projectile and internal components is presented. The effect of electronic component mounting location on peak acceleration and RMS acceleration has …

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Policy Analysis: Evaluating Theories Of The Hermeneutic Critique, Cecilea Mun Jan 2005

Policy Analysis: Evaluating Theories Of The Hermeneutic Critique, Cecilea Mun

UNLV Retrospective Theses & Dissertations

This thesis evaluates three theories representing the three perspectives identified by Goktug Morcol as perspectives of the hermeneutic critique in policy analysis, while explicating the revolutionary process that the science is currently undergoing. The evaluation is focused around the question as to whether the three theories are viable alternatives to positivist theories. First, a brief history of policy analysis is presented, highlighting the conditions that contributed to the rise of the general positivist paradigm as the ideal in policy analysis. This is followed by a summary and criticisms of the general positivist paradigm. Next, summaries of Dvora Yanow's interpretive theory, …

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Music As A Rhetorical Form: The Use Of Audio In "America's Most Wanted", Josette Nicole Perrone Jan 2005

Music As A Rhetorical Form: The Use Of Audio In "America's Most Wanted", Josette Nicole Perrone

UNLV Retrospective Theses & Dissertations

In the roughly fifty years since television programming began, the medium has gone from being a mere novelty to a major cultural force. Television is pervasive and widespread---nearly every home in America has one. It is hard to deny that because of its presence in our culture that some of its messages get through. My project is centered on the extent to which those messages affect the lives of its viewers; The purpose of the project is to examine music as a rhetorical form by analyzing a ten-minute segment of "America's Most Wanted" (AMW) on the Washington D.C. sniper case …

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"You've Got Mail": Email Use In Post-Dissolutional Relationships, Michelle P Mosbacher Jan 2005

"You've Got Mail": Email Use In Post-Dissolutional Relationships, Michelle P Mosbacher

UNLV Retrospective Theses & Dissertations

This study is an examination of the conscious motives involved with using email communication over face-to-face communication in post-dissolutional communication between former romantic partners. This project also answered specific questions regarding the nature of post-dissolutional communication. Data collected from 173 undergraduate students revealed that the ability to plan messages within an email is a conscious motive of using email communication that is not perceived in face-to-face communication, whereas the ability to save-face and avoid topics are not. Additionally, emoticons are sparingly used in post-dissolutional email communication, yet those participants who reported to use emoticons are also concerned with saving face. …

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Virtual Design And Modeling Of Various Manufacturing Processes For Remote Fabrication Of Transmuter Fuel, Jamil Mohamad Renno Jan 2005

Virtual Design And Modeling Of Various Manufacturing Processes For Remote Fabrication Of Transmuter Fuel, Jamil Mohamad Renno

UNLV Retrospective Theses & Dissertations

As currently envisioned, over 70,000 tons of high-level nuclear waste would be stored inside the planned Yucca Mountain repository. After emplacement, the site must be maintained and guarded for over 10,000 years; The reprocessing of spent nuclear fuel is a possible alternative to geological storage. Here, depleted Uranium would be separated from Plutonium and Minor Actinides. While Plutonium can be 'burned' in commercial nuclear reactors, the minor actinides would be transmuted into other elements. The large-scale deployment of remote fabrication and refabrication processes (approx. 100 tons of Minor Actinides (MA) annually) will be required. Process automation has the potential to …

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Urvashi: A Novel, Dave Anish Mukundbhai Jan 2005

Urvashi: A Novel, Dave Anish Mukundbhai

UNLV Retrospective Theses & Dissertations

"Urvashi" is based on the universal theme of an obsessive love of a young man for a young woman. It's a story that's repeated in every age and culture, in the lives of countless young men and women. Porus Chaturvedi, a young "upper-caste" corporate executive in India, decides to pursue, as his "perfect match," a "lower-caste" girl (named Urvashi) not yet out of high school. Complicating this "love affair" are Porus's endless, bookish attempts to theorize life; his recruitment of a disparate band of sympathizers to act as "go betweens" and to help him "strategize"; his erotic fantasies followed by …

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Homeland Security Emergency Response Wind Field Plume Flow, Lynn Bryant Nielson Jan 2005

Homeland Security Emergency Response Wind Field Plume Flow, Lynn Bryant Nielson

UNLV Retrospective Theses & Dissertations

Numerous atmospheric dispersion models for emergency response exist. The Office of the Federal Coordinator for Meteorological Services is leading the development of new atmospheric dispersion models for emergency response. Collaborative efforts, mutual aid agreements, and partnerships synergize forming meteorological data networks providing atmospheric modeling for enhancing emergency response. Technological advances in computer meteorological forecasts are producing data used for predicting wind field plume flow for potential emergency response; Fire stations make excellent sites for meteorological towers because they are located in fire response districts distributed throughout a community and the meteorological data gathered may serve multiple purposes; A tower was …

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Peer Relations Among Female Delinquents: A Study Of Racial/Ethnic Differences And Violence, Jenna Rachael Silverman Jan 2005

Peer Relations Among Female Delinquents: A Study Of Racial/Ethnic Differences And Violence, Jenna Rachael Silverman

UNLV Retrospective Theses & Dissertations

Recent increases in violence rates among female juveniles, especially African Americans and Hispanics, have necessitated an investigation of contributors to violence. The present study examines differential aspects of peer relationships as predictors of violence among female juvenile offenders, taking racial/ethnic differences into account. Questionnaires assessing for peer relationship variables (i.e., attachment, perceptions of delinquency, involvement in peer pressure, and association with delinquent peers) and delinquent and violent behavior were administered to 136 female juvenile offenders. The results showed that high levels of peer association and extrinsic rewards from peer relationships best predicted violence among female juvenile offenders. Among Caucasians, African …

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Effectiveness Of Water For Dust Control On Las Vegas Valley Soils, Krishna Kamakshi Sistla Sai Jan 2005

Effectiveness Of Water For Dust Control On Las Vegas Valley Soils, Krishna Kamakshi Sistla Sai

UNLV Retrospective Theses & Dissertations

In this thesis, five simple and rapid methods were developed to investigate the effectiveness of water in controlling dust emitted from different soil surfaces undergoing either wind erosion or construction activity. Poof, Scrape and Small Wind Tunnel tests determine the variation in dust emissions from dry, abraded and wetted surfaces with respect to elapse time. Poof and Scrape tests were able to distinguish among different soil groups classified based on their Particulate Emission Potential (PEP) and surface conditions. The Pie pan tests found one PEP group to have weaker crusts than the others. Simplified and standard infiltration tests gave comparable …

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Pectoral Fin Control Of A Biorobotic Auv In The Dive Plane, Aditya Simha Jan 2005

Pectoral Fin Control Of A Biorobotic Auv In The Dive Plane, Aditya Simha

UNLV Retrospective Theses & Dissertations

Maneuvering of biologically inspired robotic undersea vehicles (BAUVs) is considered in the dive plane using pectoral-like oscillating fins. Firstly, an open-loop and optimal feedback control system is designed to control a biorobotic AUV in the dive pLane Next, an inverse control system for dive-plane control is derived based on a discrete-time AUV model. An approximate minimum phase system with a new output variable is derived for the purpose of design; Computational fluid dynamics (CFD) is used to parameterize the forces generated by a mechanical oscillatory flapping foil, which attempts to mimic the pectoral fin of a fish. Finally, a control …

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A Problem Concerning The Existence Of Graphs With Certain Degrees, Jonathan Seary Summer Jan 2005

A Problem Concerning The Existence Of Graphs With Certain Degrees, Jonathan Seary Summer

UNLV Retrospective Theses & Dissertations

Let n ≥ 2 be a positive integer. For a sequence ( S0, S1, S 2,..Sn-1) of nonnegative integers we study the problem of whether there exists a graph there exists a graph containing i=0n-1Si vertices having exactly Si vertices whose degrees are congruent to i modulo n for each i = 0, 1, 2,.., n-1. When such a graph does exist, the sequence (S0, S 1, S2,..Sn -1) is said to be realizable. It is known for modulo 2, 3, and 4 that such a sequence is realizable with seventeen exceptions for modulo 3 and twenty-four exceptions for modulo …

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The Differential Impact Of Language Skills On The Wages Of Hispanic Men And Women, Annette Marie Tanori Jan 2005

The Differential Impact Of Language Skills On The Wages Of Hispanic Men And Women, Annette Marie Tanori

UNLV Retrospective Theses & Dissertations

This study will look to expand on the work that has been done in regards to the earnings of Hispanics. When compared to other minority groups, Hispanics traditionally earn less. The average household income for Hispanics is 22% less than the national average household income of {dollar}42,000 a year. This study will examine the effect that the language penalty, which is the estimated difference in wages between English and non-English speakers holding other important factors constant, has on the earnings of Hispanic men and women. The data used in the study is taken from the United States Census Bureau, 2000 …

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Tissue Cooling During Cryotherapy With Varied Types Of Compression, David Tomchuk Jan 2005

Tissue Cooling During Cryotherapy With Varied Types Of Compression, David Tomchuk

UNLV Retrospective Theses & Dissertations

This study was performed to examine the effects of varied types of external compression on surface and intramuscular temperature. Fourteen university students volunteered for this study; each subject received all 3 treatment conditions: ice compressed with an elastic wrap, ice compressed with Flex-i-Wrap(TM), and ice with no compression. Subjects were asked to lie prone on a standard treatment table during the 30-minute ice application and the 60-minute post-application durations. Surface and intramuscular temperatures were recorded every 30 seconds throughout the experiment. The results revealed a significant difference in surface temperature between compression and no compression, but no difference between forms …

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Plyometric Training In Female Adolescent Soccer Players, Amaris Christine Vandyke Jan 2005

Plyometric Training In Female Adolescent Soccer Players, Amaris Christine Vandyke

UNLV Retrospective Theses & Dissertations

The purpose of the study was to measure the effects of low impact plyometric training on vertical jump and kicking distance in female adolescent soccer players. Comparisons at three separate time intervals: pre-test, 7 weeks, and 14 weeks were made between individuals completing normal soccer training and competition and those additionally completing once-weekly plyometric training. No significant difference in kicking distance was found between groups at pre-test (p = 0.5005) or 7 weeks (p = 0.1174). However, the plyometric training group had significantly longer kicking distance after 14 weeks (p = <0.0001). The control group displayed a significant decrease in kicking distance between 7 and 14 weeks (p = 0.0081). No significant difference in vertical jump height was found between groups at pre-test (p = 0.8366) or 7 weeks (p = 0.1077); however, the plyometric group had a significantly higher vertical jump after 14 weeks (p = 0.0144). Once-weekly plyometric training may improve soccer performance.

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Reject Inference Methodology Skewed Missing Data Problem, Atsuko Watanabe Jan 2005

Reject Inference Methodology Skewed Missing Data Problem, Atsuko Watanabe

UNLV Retrospective Theses & Dissertations

Statistical models are most predictive and robust when the historical data used to build the model covers sufficient representation from the population. A financial organization uses a scoring model, developed with historical data, to determine if a consumer should be granted a line of credit for which they apply. When the existing model is too old or the applicant population has changed, a new model is to be developed, but the range of historical data, essential to the predictive model development, does not include the entire applicant population because of the declines. A technique called reject inference is typically used …

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A Tough One Out There, Patryke Kim Thomas Jan 2005

A Tough One Out There, Patryke Kim Thomas

UNLV Retrospective Theses & Dissertations

This fictional work explores the manner the story's protagonist, Cam Madden, evolves after he decides to become a police officer. The story follows the progression from testing, being hired, completing a police academy, working the street, and promoting to detective. Circumstances during this progression shape the protagonist's persona until he changes from innocent to cynic, which affects all aspects of his life---love, work, and play. Cam's evolution is the primary backdrop, but there is another that places the elements of story, scene, and character within a historical and contemporary context and those elements against the procedure and methodology of the …

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Missing Letters: Seven Stories And One Novella, David Biddle Winkler Jan 2005

Missing Letters: Seven Stories And One Novella, David Biddle Winkler

UNLV Retrospective Theses & Dissertations

My MFA thesis, entitled MISSING LETTERS, consists of seven short stories and one novella. These pieces are arranged to reflect a variety of tone and style; The first story, "Tale of the Ill Ook Ook," is strictly comedic and serves as a parody of adult book stores. The emphasis is on humor rather than eroticism; The second story is "Trouble on the Farm," which is intense in its treatment of a troubled runaway teen with murder and vengeance on his mind; Story number three, "The Romans," is a children's story, featuring Scotty, the protagonist who headlines my first published novel, …

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An Analysis Of Ground Stone Artifacts From Ghwair I, A Pre-Pottery Neolithic B Site In Southern Jordan, Claudia C Woodman Jan 2005

An Analysis Of Ground Stone Artifacts From Ghwair I, A Pre-Pottery Neolithic B Site In Southern Jordan, Claudia C Woodman

UNLV Retrospective Theses & Dissertations

Ground stone artifacts indicating food preparation and other activities are well-represented among the assemblage resulting from three seasons of excavation at Ghwair I, a Pre-Pottery Neolithic B site in southern Jordan Placement of Ghwair I in context of roughly contemporaneous Levantine sites indicates that its ground stone assemblage is typical of the period and that Ghwair I was a self-reliant community. The ground stone assemblage indicates that mobility of the site's occupants was relatively low. Spatial analysis of distribution of ground stone across the site suggests specialized activity loci and, possibly, early social stratification.

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Synthesis And Characterization Of Strontium Fluorapatite, Chirantha Prageeth Rodrigo Jan 2005

Synthesis And Characterization Of Strontium Fluorapatite, Chirantha Prageeth Rodrigo

UNLV Retrospective Theses & Dissertations

Proliferation of nuclear waste is a major environmental issue we all face this century. Long lived radioactive isotopes such as 90Sr contained in spent nuclear fuel have been causing major problems during the disposal stage of the nuclear fuel cycle. Disposal of radioactive isotopes requires a suitable confinement host material in order to dispose of them in a safe and appropriate repository. In this thesis I describe how to synthesize and characterize the mineral fluorapatite as a host material for Sr. Fluorapatite is a naturally occurring mineral with the unit cell formula of Ca10(PO 4)6F2. This mineral possesses a stable …

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Synthetic Methods For Catalytically Active Polyaniline/Platinum Composites, Neloni Ranamli Wijeratne Jan 2005

Synthetic Methods For Catalytically Active Polyaniline/Platinum Composites, Neloni Ranamli Wijeratne

UNLV Retrospective Theses & Dissertations

Polyaniline (PANI) is an organic semiconductor, which has attracted great attention in fundamental science and industries over the past decade due to its conductivity and electrochemical properties. The studies show that the three different synthetic methods produce PANI/Pt composites with different chemical compositions and electronic properties. The differences results from the overall oxidation state of the polymer and the interaction of nitrogen with the metallic Pt particles. The method of preparation influences the electrocatalytic oxidation of methanol and formic acid. Although, the electrochemically and chemically prepared PANI/Pt materials show some catalytic activity, they are not identical. PANI/Pt formed from the …

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Hellfire And Damnation Through Crime Or Bliss Through Faith: A Look At Faith-Based Corrections, Gregory Paul Warren Wuthrich Jan 2005

Hellfire And Damnation Through Crime Or Bliss Through Faith: A Look At Faith-Based Corrections, Gregory Paul Warren Wuthrich

UNLV Retrospective Theses & Dissertations

The latest movement in trying to combat the U.S. crime problem is through "faith-based" corrections. These programs are in the infancy stages and minimal data are present at this time to illustrate true effectiveness of such programs. This study is a theoretical evaluation of such programs and incorporates a framework from Gary LaFree (1988). Results indicate that "faith-based" programs tend to be one dimensional and in order for them to work properly they must be set up in conjunction with other institutional changes. Often other theories can incorporate the dimension of religion, yet religion alone, such as through "faith-based" programs, …

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Improvements To Patient-Specific Skeletal Dosimetry, Jeffrey Scott Wyler Jan 2005

Improvements To Patient-Specific Skeletal Dosimetry, Jeffrey Scott Wyler

UNLV Retrospective Theses & Dissertations

Nuclear medicine encompasses numerous steps, with accuracy being a key component throughout. Exactitude in skeletal dosimetry is of importance due to the high radiosensitivity of the hematopoietic cells populating the marrow cavities within trabecular bone. In fact, active marrow is generally the dose limiting organ in both radioimmunotherapy and bone pain palliation; Current research involving improvements in skeletal dosimetry is being pursued through nuclear magnetic resonance- (NMR) and computed tomography- (CT) imaging. Images acquired from these imaging modalities are coupled to Monte Carlo transport models to calculate S values for radionuclides localized within the skeleton. This is accomplished by in-vivo …

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Examining The Basis For Change In Clark County Non-Conforming Zone Change Process: Was It Needed?, Maria Kaseko Jan 2005

Examining The Basis For Change In Clark County Non-Conforming Zone Change Process: Was It Needed?, Maria Kaseko

UNLV Retrospective Theses & Dissertations

This study reviews Clark County's non-conforming zone change process from 1990 to 2002. A non-conforming zone change, sometimes known as a non-conforming zone boundary amendment is a proposed request that is not within the range of residential densities and/or non-residential intensities indicated on the applicable land use plan map, master plan, or concept plan. This research explores and examines two questions raised by the Clark County's new implementation plan, which was approved in April 2003 to amend the non-conforming zone change process. (1) Clark County assumed there was a public perception that non-conforming zone changes were being approved without regard …

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