Digital Commons Network^™

Design And Characterization Of A Shock And Vibration Mitigation Seat System, George Samaan Ladkany

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Extensive research has been conducted into the development of pneumatic seatbladder systems for shock and vibration mitigation for use in current U.S military vehicle envelopes. This research expands on the previous work through an elaborate experimental characterization of four prototype air bladder seat cushion systems. The experimental characterization conducted included shock testing, continuous vibration, and internal dynamic pressure measured during the shock event.

The shock testing was conducted both at the Army Research Lab as well at UNLV. The shock testing conducted at UNLV was performed on a drop tower designed and constructed during the time of this research. The …

Empirically Derived Formulas To Predict Indoor Maximum, Average, And Minimum Temperatures In Roofpond Buildings Using Minimum Climatic Information, Ibrahim Kivarkis Kako

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

This thesis introduces an empirically developed formula to predict the comfort conditions and thermal performance of a Skytherm(TM) Southwest Roofpond placed over a light-weight un-insulated structure built at the School of Architecture at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas.

The predictive formula introduced in this study may be used in different parts of the world (particularly developing nations where insulation and air-conditioning are rarely used) to predict the performance of a Skytherm(TM) Southwest Roofpond using minimal climate data.

The data collected in the experimental setup at the Natural Energies Advanced Technologies Laboratory included outside and inside temperatures of various surfaces …

Quantity-Based Cost Forecasting System For Street Construction Projects, Nipesh Pradhananga

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Construction projects typically are not withdrawn after going into the competitive bidding process. The decision of contracting authorities regarding which projects will proceed to the bidding stage depends, in part, upon the early estimates of probable cost. Efforts are made to make this estimate as realistic as possible. Irrespective of the estimate of probable cost, the actual project cost is established by the amount of the winning bid.

This study analyzed historical bid data of street construction projects undertaken by the Public Works Department, Clark County, Nevada, from 1991 through 2006. The focus of this study was on utilizing statistical …

Optimal Design Of Discrete-Time Delta Sigma Modulators, Matthew Edward Jackson

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

In this thesis, optimal signal transfer functions (STFs) and noise transfer functions (NTFs) for discrete time delta sigma (ΔΣ) modulators are determined. For a given oversampling rate (OSR), these STFs and NTFs are optimized with respect to a weighted combination of the ΔΣ modulator's signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) and dynamic range (DR). This optimization problem is solved using a novel hybrid orthogonal genetic (HOG) algorithm that uses customized genetic operators to improve algorithm performance and accuracy when applied to multimodal, non-differentiable performance surfaces. To generate optimal system functions, the HOG algorithm is implemented as a constrained global optimizer to minimize cost …

Experimental And Natural Variation In Hovering Flight Capacity In Bees, Hymenoptera: Apidae, Jason Thomas Vance

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

In honey bees, the capacity for flight underlies many behaviors which impact fitness and longevity, such as the ability to forage or evade predators. However, flight capacity is not fixed across bees' lifespan, which is punctuated by a suite of physiological changes that accompany age and the transition from in-hive to foraging behaviors; thus, flight capacity may vary during periods of development, senescence, or in response to morphological damage such as wing wear. This dissertation describes the biomechanics and aerodynamics which contribute to the scope of honey bee flight performance, and investigates how age, behavioral development, and wing-wear affects flight …

Response Of Sandhill Crane (Grus Canadensis Riverine Roosting Habitat To Changes In Stage And Sandbar Morphology, Paul Kinzel, Jonathan Nelson, Ashley Heckman

United States Geological Survey: Staff Publications

Over the past century, flow regulation and vegetation encroachment have reduced active channel widths along the central Platte River, Nebraska. During the last two decades, an annual program of in-channel vegetation management has been implemented to stabilize or expand active channel widths. Vegetation management practices are intended to enhance riverine habitats which include nocturnal roosting habitat for sandhill cranes. Evaluating the success of other management treatments such as streamflow modification requires an understanding of how flow shapes the sandbars in the river and how sandbar morphology interacts with flow to create crane habitat. These linkages were investigated along a 1-km …

"Daughters Of British Blood" Or "Hordes Of Men Of Alien Race" The Homesteads-For-Women Campaign In Western Canada, Sarah Carter

Great Plains Quarterly (through 2013)

In May 1910 Mildred Williams, a young teacher in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, made headlines across Western Canada for her pluck and stamina as she waited for twelve days and nights on a chair on the stairs outside the door of the land office in Saskatoon to claim a homestead (see Fig. 1). She was determined to file on a half-section (320 acres) of valuable land near Kindersley. Williams put up with a great deal of inconvenience during her days and nights on the stairs. On the second day she was challenged by a man who wanted the same property and who …

Updating The 2001 National Land Cover Database Land Cover Classification To 2006 By Using Landsat Imagery Change Detection Methods, George Xian, Collin Homer, Joyce Fry

United States Geological Survey: Staff Publications

The recent release of the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) National Land Cover Database (NLCD) 2001, which represents the nation's land cover status based on a nominal date of 2001, is widely used as a baseline for national land cover conditions. To enable the updating of this land cover information in a consistent and continuous manner, a prototype method was developed to update land cover by an individual Landsat path and row. This method updates NLCD 2001 to a nominal date of 2006 by using both Landsat imagery and data from NLCD 2001 as the baseline. Pairs of Landsat scenes in …

Self-Assembly Of Magnetic Ni Nanoparticles Into 1d Arrays With Antiferromagnetic Order, Valery Bliznyuk, Srikanth Singamaneni, Sarbeswar Sahoo, Srinivas Polisetty, Xi He, Christian Binek

Christian Binek Publications

In this paper, we report on the magnetic properties of isolated nanoparticles and interacting nanochains formed by the self-assembly of Ni nanoparticles. The magnetic properties were studied using superconducting quantum interference device (SQUID) magnetometry and magnetic force microscopy (MFM). We demonstrate that single-domain Ni nanoparticles spontaneously form one-dimensional (1D) chains under the influence of an external magnetic field. Furthermore, such magnetic field-driven self-assembly in conjunction with surface templating produces regular arrays of 1D nanochains with antiferromagnetic intra-chain order. The antiferromagnetic order, which is in striking contrast to what is found for non-interacting nanoparticle assemblies within the chains, can be evidenced …

A Disability By Any Other Name Is Still A Disability: Log Cabin, The Disability Spectrum, And The Ada (Aa), Gabrielle L. Goodwin

Articles by Maurer Faculty

In EEOC v. Lee's Log Cabin, the Seventh Circuit followed the Supreme Court precedent of the last decade that has increasingly narrowed the determination of what constitutes a disabled individual under the Americans with Disabilities Act. In 2008, Congress passed the ADA Amendments Act in an attempt to restore the ADA to its original purpose and the original vision of the ADA's drafters and supporters. Whether these amendments will produce dramatic changes in the way the administrative agencies and courts apply the ADA remains to be seen. Nonetheless, the only way the ADA or its amendments will successfully protect against …

Capturing And Handling Wild Animals, Sanford D. Schemnitz, Gordon R. Batcheller, Matthew J. Lovallo, H. Bryant White, Michael W. Fall

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

The art of capturing wild animals for food and clothing is as old as human existence on earth. However, in today’s world, reasons for catching wild species are more diverse. Millions of wild animals are captured each year as part of damage and disease control programs, population regulation activities, wildlife management efforts, and research studies. Many aspects of animal capture, especially those associated with protected wildlife species, are highly regulated by both state and federal governmental agencies. Animal welfare concerns are important regardless of the reason for capture. In addition, efficiency (the rate at which a device or system catches …

Feasibility Of Infectious Prion Digestion Using Mild Conditions And Commercial Subtilisin, John L. Pilon, Paul B. Nash, Terry Arver, Don Hoglund, Kurt C. Vercauteren

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Two serine protease enzymes, subtilisin 309 and subtilisin 309-v,were used to digest brain homogenates containing high levels of prion infectivity using mildly alkaline conditions to investigate prion decontamination methods. To establish that PrP^res infectivity was eliminated, we utilized the Rocky Mountain Laboratory (RML) mouse-adapted scrapie model system for bioassay. Only one digestion condition (subtilisin 309 at 138mAU/ml, 55^◦C and 14 h digestion time pH 7.9) was considered to be highly relevant statistically (P < 0.001) compared to control, with 52% of challenged mice surviving until the end of the study period. In contrast, treatment of PrP^res by autoclaving at 134^◦C or treatment with hypochlorite at a concentration of 20,000ppm completely protected mice from prionosis. Further, in …

Radiation-Induced Decomposition Of The Metal-Organic Molecule Bis(4-Cyano-2,2,6,6-Tetramethyl-3,5-Heptanedionato)Copper(Ii), David Wisbey, Ning Wu, Yaroslav B. Losovyj, Ihor Ketsman, A. N. Caruso, Danqin Feng, John Belot, Elio Vescovo, Peter A. Dowben

Peter Dowben Publications

The effects of vacuum ultraviolet radiation on the adsorbed copper center molecule bis(4-cyano-2,2,6,6- tetramethyl-3,5-heptanedionato)copper(II) (or Cu(CNdpm)₂), (C₂₄H₃₆N₂O₄Cu, Cu(II)) was studied by photoemission spectroscopy. Changes in the ultraviolet photoemission spectra (UPS) of Cu(CNdpm)₂, adsorbed on Co(1 1 1), indicate that the ultraviolet radiation leads to decomposition of Cu(CNdpm)₂ and this decomposition is initially dominated by loss of peripheral hydrogen.

Induced Spin Polarization Of Copper Spin 1/2 Molecular Layers, David Wisbey, Ning Wu, Danqin Feng, A. N. Caruso, J. Belot, Yaroslav B. Losovyj, Elio Vescovo, Peter A. Dowben

Peter Dowben Publications

Thin films of the metal organic molecule bis(4-cyano-2,2,6,6-tetramethyl-3,5-heptanedionato)copper(II) (or Cu(CNdpm)₂), (C₂₄H₃₆N₂O₄Cu, Cu(II)), deposited on ferromagnetic Co(111) at 40 K, exhibit a finite electron spin polarization. The spin polarization magnitude and sign for Cu(CNdpm)₂ deposited on Co(111) is coverage dependent, but deviates from the mean field expectations for a simple paramagnet on a ferromagnetic substrate. The spin asymmetry is seen to favor select molecular orbitals, consistent with the predicted single molecule density of states. The overlayer polarization observed indicates a strong influence of the ferromagnetic Co(111) substrate and some extra-molecular …

Avian Visual System Configuration And Behavioural Response To Object Approach, Bradley F. Blackwell, Esteban Fernandez-Juricic, Thomas W. Seamans, Tracy Dolan

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Antipredator behaviour theory provides a framework to understand the mechanisms behind human– wildlife interactions; however, little is known about the role of visual systems in the responses to humans. We quantified responses of brown-headed cowbirds, Molothrus ater (Boddaert), and mourning doves, Zenaida macroura (Linnaeus), to object approach (a ground-based vehicle) and vehicle lighting regimen, and we examined two visual properties (visual acuity and visual fields) that could influence antipredator behaviour. Brown-headed cowbird groups exposed to vehicle approach and constant illumination of the vehicle-mounted lamp showed alert behaviour earlier than did groups exposed to pulsating treatments or no lamp. Interestingly, light …

Regional Assessment On Influence Of Landscape Configuration And Connectivity On Range Size Of White-Tailed Deer, W. David Walter, Kurt C. Vercauteren, Henry Campa Iii, William R. Clark, Justin W. Fischer, Scott E. Hygnstrom, Nancy E. Mathews, Clayton K. Nielsen, Eric M. Schauber, Timothy R. Van Deelen, Scott R. Winterstein

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Variation in the size of home range of white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) has broad implications for managing populations, agricultural damage, and disease spread and transmission. Size of home range of deer also varies seasonally because plant phenology dictates the vegetation types that are used as foraging or resting sites. Knowledge of the landscape configuration and connectivity that contributes to variation in size of home range of deer for the region is needed to fully understand differences and similarities of deer ecology throughout the Midwest. We developed a research team from four Midwestern states to investigate how size of …

Survival And Cause-Specific Mortality Of Wild Turkeys In Northern Indiana, Lee A. Humberg, Travis L. Devault, Olin E. Rhodes Jr.

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Information regarding survival and cause-specific mortality of eastern wild turkeys (Meleagris gallopavo silvestris) is vital to their management, especially in small or isolated populations. Between January 2003 and August 2005, we used radio telemetry to investigate survival and cause-specific mortality of 87 [44 male (24 adult and 20 juvenile) and 43 female (34 adult and 9 juvenile)] wild turkeys in northern Indiana. We estimated annual and seasonal survival using the Kaplan-Meier product-limit method. Mean male and female annual survival estimates were 0.257 and 0.777, respectively. Annual survival estimates were different between sexes within years, but were homogenous within …

A Review Of Mitigation Measures For Reducing Wildlife Mortality On Roadways, David J. Glista, Travis L. Devault, J. Andrew Dewoody

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

A growing literature in the field of road ecology suggests that vehicle/wildlife collisions are important to biologists and transportation officials alike. Roads can affect the quality and quantity of available wildlife habitat, most notably through fragmentation. Likewise, vehicular traffic on roads can be direct sources of wildlife mortality and in some instances, can be catastrophic to populations. Thus, connectivity of habitat and permeability of road systems are important factors to consider when developing road mortality mitigation systems. There are a variety of approaches that can be used to reduce the effects of roads and road mortality on wildlife populations. Here, …

Avian Visual System Configuration And Behavioural Response To Object Approach, Bradley F. Blackwelll, Esteban Fernández-Juricic, Thomas W. Seamans, Tracy Dolan

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Antipredator behavior theory provides a framework to understand the mechanisms behind human–wildlife interactions; however, little is known about the role of visual systems in the responses to humans. We quantified responses of brown-headed cowbirds, Molothrus ater (Boddaert), and mourning doves, Zenaida macroura (Linnaeus), to object approach (a ground-based vehicle) and vehicle lighting regimen, and we examined two visual properties (visual acuity and visual fields) that could influence antipredator behavior. Brown-headed cowbird groups exposed to vehicle approach and constant illumination of the vehicle-mounted lamp showed alert behavior earlier than did groups exposed to pulsating treatments or no lamp. Interestingly, light treatments …

Feral Swine Damage And Damage Management In Forested Ecosystems, Tyler A. Campbell, David B. Long

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Invasive feral swine (Sus scrofa) cause deleterious impacts to ecosystem processes and functioning throughout their worldwide distribution, including forested ecosystems in the United States. Unfortunately, many feral swine damage management programs are conducted in a piecemeal fashion, are not adequately funded, and lack clearly stated or realistic objectives. This review paper identifies damage caused by feral swine to forest resources and presents techniques used to prevent and control feral swine damage. Concluding points related to planning a feral swine damage management program are: (1) the value of using a variety of techniques in an integrated fashion cannot be …

White-Tailed Deer Herbivory And Timber Harvesting Rates: Implications For Regeneration Success, Brad F. Miller, Tyler A. Campbell, Benjamin R. Laseter, W. Mark Ford, Karl V. Miller

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Herbivory by white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) can affect forest regeneration. Typical measures to ensure forest regeneration have included physical barriers or direct manipulation of deer densities. However, altering silvicultural practices to provide abundant deer forage has not been tested thoroughly. We examined browse species preferences and changes in herbivory rates in 1–6 year old regeneration areas from 2001 to 2004 in the central Appalachians on the MeadWestvaco Wildlife and Ecosystem Research Forest in West Virginia. Woody vegetation reached the maximum plot coverage by the 4th growing season. However, the establishment of less abundant woody species, such as northern …

Feasibility Of Infectious Prion Digestion Using Mild Conditions And Commercial Subtilisin, John L. Pilona, Paul B. Nash, Terry Arver, Don Hoglund, Kurt C. Vercauteren

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Two serine protease enzymes, subtilisin 309 and subtilisin 309-v,were used to digest brain homogenates containing high levels of prion infectivity using mildly alkaline conditions to investigate prion decontamination methods. To establish that PrP^res infectivity was eliminated, we utilized the Rocky Mountain Laboratory (RML) mouse-adapted scrapie model system for bioassay. Only one digestion condition (subtilisin 309 at 138mAU/ml, 55 ◦C and 14 h digestion time pH 7.9) was considered to be highly relevant statistically (P < 0.001) compared to control, with 52% of challenged mice surviving until the end of the study period. In contrast, treatment of PrP^res by autoclaving at 134 ◦C or treatment with hypochlorite at a concentration of 20,000ppm completely protected mice from prionosis. Further, in vitro assays suggest …

Alkaline Hydrolysis Of Mouse-Adapted Scrapie For Inactivation And Disposal Of Prion-Positive Material, R. G. L. Murphy, J. A. Scanga, B. E. Powers, J. L. Pilon, K. C. Vercauteren, P. B. Nash, G. C. Smith, K. E. Belk

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Prion diseases such as bovine spongiform encephalopathy, chronic wasting disease, and scrapie pose serious risks to human and animal health due to a host of disease-specific factors, including the resistance of infectious prions (PrP^Sc) to natural degradation and to most commercial inactivation procedures. In an attempt to address this concern, a mouse model was used to compare the efficacy of an alkaline hydrolysis process with a simulated continuous-flow rendering treatment for disposal of PrP^Sc-infected biological material. Female C57/BL6 mice (N = 120) were randomly divided into 4 treatment groups (n = 30), and each mouse was …

Unearthing Archaeology: A Study Of The Recent Coverage Of Selected English-Language Archaeology Journals By Multi-Subject Indexes And By Anthropological Literature, David C. Tyler, Yang Xu, Emily Dust Nimsakont

University of Nebraska-Lincoln Libraries: Faculty Publications

Librarians, faculty, and professional researchers, and students already encounter difficulties in locating journal articles for the field of archaeology, yet, in the current budgetary climate, librarians needing to reduce subscription costs may be tempted to cancel smaller, discipline-specific indexes in favor of large multi- subject indexes with broad coverage. This study examines and compares the coverage provided to 208 archaeology and archaeology-related journals and magazines by six multi-subject indexes (Academic Search Premier, ArticleFirst, eLibrary, IngentaConnect, Wilson OmniFile, Web of Science) and by anthropology’s primary index, Anthropological Literature, over a twenty year period (1988–2007).

The Willa Cather Archive In The Classroom, Andrew Jewell

University of Nebraska-Lincoln Libraries: Faculty Publications

This essay discusses many of the opportunities for teachers I believe are present in the Willa Cather Archive (http://cather.unl.edu), particularly in the way the Archive makes new materials available or older materials available in a new way. Additionally, this essay suggests some of the implications of the Archive’s digital presentation of resources. However, the place of digital scholarship in academic life is still evolving, and students and teachers are just getting accustomed to using the form. Given this circumstance, many of my thoughts are inconclusive, observations based upon preliminary understandings into how this resource affects our classrooms. I avoid confident …

Analysis Of Connections Between Pseudocodewords, Nathan Axvig, Deanna Dreher, Katherine Morrison, Eric T. Psota, Lance C. Pérez, Judy L. Walker

Department of Mathematics: Faculty Publications

The role of pseudocodewords in causing noncodeword outputs in linear programming (LP) decoding, graph cover decoding, and iterative message-passing decoding is investigated. The three main types of pseudocodewords in the literature — linear programming pseudocodewords, graph cover pseudocodewords, and computation tree pseudocodewords — are reviewed and connections between them are explored. Some discrepancies in the literature on minimal and irreducible pseudocodewords are highlighted and clarified, and a value for the minimal degree cover necessary to realize an LP pseudocodeword is found. Additionally, some conditions for the existence of connected realizations of graph cover pseudocodewords are given. This allows for further …

Psychological Ownership: Theoretical Extensions, Measurement, And Relation To Work Outcomes, James B. Avey, Bruce Avolio, Craig Crossley, Fred Luthans

Department of Management: Faculty Publications

Viewing psychological ownership as a positive resource for impacting human performance in organizations, the present study investigated the components of an expanded view of psychological ownership. Confirmatory factor analyses on a proposed measure of psychological ownership provided support for a positively-oriented, ‘‘promotion-focused’’ aspect of psychological ownership comprised of four dimensions: self-efficacy, accountability, sense of belongingness, and self-identity. In addition, territoriality was examined as a unique and more ‘‘prevention-focused’’ form of ownership. Practical implications and suggestions for future research on psychological ownership and positive organizational behavior conclude the article.

Constitutionalism Before Constitutions: Burma's Struggle To Build A New Order, David C. Williams

Articles by Maurer Faculty

No abstract provided.

The Human Rights Potential Of Sovereign Wealth Funds, Christiana Ochoa, Patrick Keenan

Articles by Maurer Faculty

In April, 2008, World Bank president, Robert Zoellick, called for sovereign wealth funds to invest one percent of their capital in Africa. The result will be the International Finance Corporation's Sovereign Funds Initiative and is an attempt to nurture the potential of sovereign wealth funds to contribute to economic development and improved well-being in a number of countries in Africa and elsewhere. This article explores the actual potential of the Sovereign Funds Initiative to realize its desired goals. After exploring and demonstrating the disappointing effects of natural resource wealth, development aid and foreign direct investment on some developing countries, the …

After The Revolution: Global Health Politics In A Time Of Economic Crisis And Threatening Future Trends, David P. Fidler

Articles by Maurer Faculty

In 2008, global health’s political revolution, which unfolded over the preceding 10-15 years, ended when four global crises damaged global health and altered the political, diplomatic, and governance contexts in which global health activities operate. The climate change, energy, food, and economic crises revealed limitations in global health’s ability to shape large-scale political, economic, and environmental problems that adversely affect health or harm underlying determinants of health. In addition, projected trends in world affairs potentially threaten health and the ability of countries to craft effective collective action responses to global problems damaging health directly and indirectly. In the post-revolution period, …