Digital Commons Network^™

A Classroom Research Study On Strategies To Promote Vocabulary Retention In The Lote Classroom, Rosalia Scafidi-Iannone

Stony Brook Theses and Dissertations Collection, 2006-2020 (closed to submissions)

Stony Brook University The Graduate School Doctoral Defense Announcement Abstract A classroom research study on strategies to promote vocabulary retention in the LOTE classroom By (Rosalia Scafidi-Iannone) Vocabulary is an essential component of second language acquisition. Second language learners are faced with the challenging task of remembering many new words. Exactly how learners can best accomplish that task is disputed. The purpose of this research is to investigate the impact of certain types of activities on long-term retention of vocabulary. In this dissertation the literature in the field of vocabulary retention is reviewed. Unlike to the vast majority of research …

Building Distributed Data Models In A Performance-Optimized, Goal-Oriented Optimization Framework For Cyber-Physical Systems, Varun Subramanian

Stony Brook Theses and Dissertations Collection, 2006-2020 (closed to submissions)

Cyber-physical systems (CPS) are large, distributed embedded systems that integrate sensing processing, networking and actuation. Developing CPS applications is currently challenging due to the sheer complexity of the related functionality as well as the broad set of constraints and unknowns that must be tackled during operation. Building accurate data representations that model the behavior of the physical environment by establishing important data correlations and capturing physical laws of the monitored entities is critical for dependable decision making under performance and resource constraints. The goal of this thesis is to produce reliable data models starting from raw sensor data under tight …

A Study Of The Extratropical Tropopause: Related To The Upper Tropospheric Relative Vorticity And The Distance From The Jet, Shu Meir Wang

Stony Brook Theses and Dissertations Collection, 2006-2020 (closed to submissions)

The extratropical tropopause is a familiar feature in meteorology; however, the understanding of the mechanisms for its existence, formation, maintenance and sharpness is still an active area of research. In order to examine the sharpness of the tropopause, Birner et al. (2002) proposed the concept of the TIL (Tropopause Inversion Layer), which is based upon the characteristics of the thermal profile. Bell and Geller (2008), believing that the resulting stability profile was more fundamental to dynamics and transport, defined the ESTL (Extratropical Stability Transition Layer) based on the stability characteristics. Wirth (2004) suggested that the cyclonic/anticyclonic asymmetry plays a large …

Low Intensity Pulsed Ultrasound: Countermeasure For Microgravity-Induced Bone Loss, Sardar Muhammad Zia Uddin

Stony Brook Theses and Dissertations Collection, 2006-2020 (closed to submissions)

Microgravity (MG) during space flight is known to have adverse effect on bone quality and quantity. Data collected from studies conducted on astronauts show a loss of 1-1.6% bone mineral density (BMD) per month of space-flight. This decreased BMD has been recorded in the load-bearing region of the legs and spine. The reduction in bone quality can be due to decreased osteoblast and/or increased osteoclast activity when exposed to microgravity. During space-flights, rigorous exercise has been used to reduce to bone loss due to microgravity, but thus far it has proven inadequate to produce significant results. Some studies have considered …

Role Of Fluid Shear Modulation On Bone Cell Metabolism During High-Frequency Oscillatory Vibrations, Gunes Uzer

Stony Brook Theses and Dissertations Collection, 2006-2020 (closed to submissions)

Human, animal and cell studies indicate that the application of vibrations can be anabolic and/or anti-catabolic to bone. Dynamic oscillations create a complex mechanical environment which generates forces not only through accelerations but also through fluid forces. The specific mechanical signal which cells respond has not been identified, in-part because the generated fluid shear is coupled with the magnitude of the applied acceleration in most in vivo and in vitro studies. Looking at how these two mechanical parameters previously proposed to drive the cellular response to vibration - fluid shear and accelerations, act together is critical for understanding their effects …

Luck, And Other Disasters, Genevieve Crane

Stony Brook Theses and Dissertations Collection, 2006-2020 (closed to submissions)

This is a collection of stories loosely centered around loss of control. Some of the narrators suffer psychological breakdowns, such as eating disorders and schizophrenia, while others suffer from external forces. The loose theme is intentional, for the sake of experimentation with a variety of voices and circumstances. Some of these characters scrape against the edge of the revelation that there is logic in their chaos. Others miss the epiphany entirely. All of the characters in these stories speak in dash format and there are no quotation marks used to indicate when someone is speaking. This decision was made because …

Inhibition Of Mammalian T Cells By Salmonella Enterica Serovar Typhimurium, Amy Laura Kullas

Stony Brook Theses and Dissertations Collection, 2006-2020 (closed to submissions)

Bacterial pathogens must avoid clearance by the immune system to establish infection, yet many processes of bacterial immune subversion remain undefined. T cells are a key component of the mammalian immune system and are required for protective immunity against many bacterial pathogens. Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium avoid clearance by the host immune system by suppressing T cell responses, yet the mechanisms mediating this immunosuppression are still unknown. We show that S. Typhimurium inhibit T cell responses by producing L-asparaginase II, which catalyzes the hydrolysis of L-asparagine to aspartic acid and ammonia. L-asparaginase II is necessary and sufficient to suppress T …

Postmetaphysical Reason And Postsecular Consciousness: Habermas' Analysis Of Religion In The Public Sphere, Javier Aguirre

Stony Brook Theses and Dissertations Collection, 2006-2020 (closed to submissions)

My dissertation is an exegetical, reconstructive and critical project on J??rgen Habermas' recent account of the role of religion in the public sphere. It is an exegetical dissertation insofar as it interprets Habermas' account as presented in his article Religion in the Public Sphere. It is reconstructive since it develops an analysis of Habermas' previous works as well as his new thoughts related to the key concepts involved in his argument. Finally, it is critical because it offers as well, based on the previous exegesis and reconstruction, a critical perspective of some of the weakness and deficiencies of Habermas?? account. …

A Scaffold Directed Approach To An Aromatic Belt, David Michael Connors

Stony Brook Theses and Dissertations Collection, 2006-2020 (closed to submissions)

An aromatic belt, a molecule that has two continuous edges that do not intersect and is fully conjugated, is a synthetic target that has yet to be isolated. Aromatic belts are an attractive target for synthetic chemists, due to their curved pi system. Molecules with curved pi systems, such as fullerenes and carbon nanotubes, have unique physical and chemical properties. Synthesis of an aromatic belt is challenging, as bending a pi system leads to an increase in strain energy. Our work uses a scaffold to direct the reactions in a controlled manner. The scaffold will allow smaller planer pieces, the …

The Initial Development Of Child-Focused Interventions In The Treatment Of Maternal Substance Abuse And Child Neglect, Kendra Tracy

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

This single case study focuses on the development and evaluation of child focused interventions for the treatment of child neglect and concurrent maternal substance abuse that were incorporated into Family Behavior Therapy (FBT). The participants were a mother referred by the Department of Family Services and her child. The child participated in three child focused interventions that were developed to decrease child behavior problems, increase support and communication, and prevent future neglect by strengthening the mother & child relationship. Although not a focus in this study, the mother participated in traditional FBT adult focused intervention components. The chief aim of …

Where In The World Are The Women Of Time? Women And The "Person Of The Year" Covers For Time Magazine, Krystle Lynne Anttonelli

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Through a content analysis of Time magazine's "Person of the Year" issue, formerly titled "Man of the Year," this thesis examines how the news magazine has reevaluated and revised the once gender suggestive title to a more inclusive title in correlation to the portrayal of women featured on the covers from both past and present. This thesis also provides background on the feminist theory in order to put into perspective the professional and intellectual growth of women throughout the decades. The supporting literature contextualizes the findings with reference to other mainstream magazines and the portrayal of women versus men featured …

Self-Image Congruence With Communication Channels And Its Impact On Reward Program Loyalty, Orie Berezan

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Loyalty programs have become products in and of themselves. They need to maintain member loyalty in order to survive. It is proposed that communication has a larger impact on program loyalty than previously thought. This study utilizes structural equation modeling (SEM) to evaluate the influence of communication typologies and dimensions on hotel reward program loyalty via self-image congruence, service quality, satisfaction, and trust. Moreover, this dissertation presents a communication identity model, which focuses on promoting hotel reward program loyalty via self-congruence with communication channels.

Newly discovered significant paths were found between: communication style and self-congruence with communication channels; self-congruence with …

Identity And Intersectionality For Big City Mayors: A Phenomenological Analysis Of Black Women, Constance J. Brooks

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

The role of a mayor is integral within local governance. Their leadership and influence directly effectuates outcomes for the cities over which they preside. For big city mayors, their impact extends beyond local government and into the national policy arena. The way an individual demonstrates the role of mayor can be influenced by his/her perception of their own identity. However, within the realm of academic research dedicated to mayoral leadership and African Americans in politics, Black female mayors have largely been ignored. In particular, there are no known attempts at investigating the intersection of race and gender in understanding Black …

Taiwanese Willingness To Communicate In English: Can Watching American Television Programs Help?, Yu-Ting Chien

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

This study explored the relationship between Taiwanese audiences' use of American television programs and their willingness to communicate in English. Taiwanese participants filled out an online survey consisted of questions from uses and gratifications constructs and willingness to communicate constructs. In addition, different subtitle settings were also examined.

Results indicated that participants with high integrative motivation consuming information from American television programs, in addition, the setting of subtitles were associated with perceived communication competence, integrative motivation, language anxiety and social interaction motivation.

Adaptive Local And Global Synchronization And Phase Control Of Inferior Olive Neurons (Ions), Srujan Kumar Chalike

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Clusters of inferior olive neurons (IONs) in the olive-cerebellar system play an important role in providing synchronized motor control signals for the activation of large number of muscles. However, the dynamics of IONs are highly nonlinear and the system parameters are assumed to be unknowm. The IONs evolving from arbitrary initial conditions are not synchronized. However the application of IONs for control of BAUV's requires that IONs oscillate in unison. The objective is to design control laws such that the controlled ION tracks the trajectories of the reference ION. The two control laws are derived based on tuning functions adaptive …

Ore And Gangue Mineral Paragenesis Of The Cortez Hills Carlin-Type Gold Deposit, Nevada: Evidence For Coincident High-Grade Gold Deposition And Collapse Brecciation, Lindsey R. Clark

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

The Cortez Hills Carlin-type gold deposit (CTGD), located on the Battle Mountain-Eureka trend of Northern NV, is hosted in a conical shaped polylithic breccia whose central axis strikes parallel to the imbricate Voodoo fault system. Gold grades at the center of the Cortez Hills Breccia Zone (CHBZ) are locally in excess of an ounce per ton. Gold mineralization within the refractory ore at Cortez Hills shares many characteristics with other well studied CTGDs. However, new observations during this study have recognized 1) fragmented realgar that are rimmed by gold-bearing iron-sulfide minerals in four samples, 2) a Hg- and Tl-rich late-ore …

Mega-Renters: Who Are They And How Do They Operate?, Stefan William Cosentino

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

This dissertation investigates individuals who have acquired an extraordinary number of vacation ownership (timeshare) points or weeks and utilize their ownership for the purposes of generating income by renting their room reservations to the third parties. Individuals who operate in this context have been referred to as mega-renters on blogs such as the Timeshare Users Group website (Tug2.net), commonly referred to as Tug, which is an online forum where owners of timeshare share information about their ownership.

The timeshare or vacation ownership product is a leisure product that provides consumers luxury accommodations and or vacation experiences. Academic opinion based on …

A Phenomenological Study On The Leadership Development Of African American Women Executives In Academia And Business, Deanna Rachelle Davis

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

The purpose of this qualitative phenomenological study was to explore the intersectionality of race and gender for African American women through their lived experiences of how they developed into leaders. This research study was designed to determine how the intersection of race and gender identities contributed to the elements of leadership development as perceived by eight African American female executives in academia and business. The researcher sought to explore strategies future leaders might utilize to address leadership development and career ascendency for African American females who aspire to leadership roles. A phenomenological research method was most appropriate for this research …

School Leadership Readiness: Traditional Vs. Online Administrative Preparation, Jose Delfin

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

According to the National Center of Educational Statistics (2006-2007) report, 92% of two and four-year Title IV degree-granting postsecondary institutions offered distance education courses due to students' demand for flexible scheduling. That same report cited that 82% of those institutions were seeking to increase student enrollment via distance education. There is little empirical research that pertain to the topic of degrees earned through online, or hybrid methods that have any bearing on job preparedness for past, present, and future educational leadership candidates. For all concerned, online programs are here to stay. Arguably, online courses are fast becoming the norm rather …

The Meaning Of The Lived Experience Of Nursing Faculty On A Dedicated Education Unit, Deborah Ann Demeester

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

In 2011, 58,327 qualified applicants were denied admission to U.S. baccalaureate programs due to an inadequate number of qualified faculty, insufficient clinical placement sites, and resource constraints. Nursing faculty leaders are being challenged to increase enrollment to address a projected worsening nursing shortage and to transform prelicensure nursing education to ensure that program graduates have the nursing skills and competencies to meet the health care needs of the population.

Collaborative educational partnerships offer promising strategies to diminish the nursing faculty shortage, educate more students, and provide stable, rich learning environments. The Dedicated Education Unit (DEU) model is one of these …

Closing Up Shop: Meditations On The Departmental/Programmatic Elimination Experience, Susan Beth Donoff

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Departmental and programmatic eliminations represent a new paradigm in the history of American higher education. Hastened by a national economic recession and competing state funding priorities, public post-secondary institutions have turned to academic attrition as a solution to continuous budgetary shortfalls. As a means of addressing the lived experience of faculty members and department chairs, the following qualitative case study explores perceptions of implementing departmental and/or programmatic eliminations.

Utilizing uncertainty reduction theory as a conceptual framework, interviewed faculty in saved units experienced considerable strategic uncertainty, failing to understand why they had been selected for elimination. Guided by a college-wide strategic …

Hardware-Software Co-Design, Acceleration And Prototyping Of Control Algorithms On Reconfigurable Platforms, Desta Kumsa Edosa

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Differential equations play a significant role in many disciplines of science and engineering. Solving and implementing Ordinary Differential Equations (ODEs) and partial Differential Equations (PDEs) effectively are very essential as most complex dynamic systems are modeled based on these equations. High Performance Computing (HPC) methodologies are required to compute and implement complex and data intensive applications modeled by differential equations at higher speed. There are, however, some challenges and limitations in implementing dynamic system, modeled by non-linear ordinary differential equations, on digital hardware. Modeling an integrator involves data approximation which results in accuracy error if data values are not considered …

Petrogenesis Of The East Fork Member Rhyolites, Valles Caldera, New Mexico, Usa, Carla Eichler

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

The most recent volcanism in the Valles caldera is represented by the El Cajete Pyroclastic Beds (ECPB), Battleship Rock Ignimbrite (BRI), and Banco Bonito Flow (BBF) as well as the VC-1 rhyolite, which are collectively known as the East Fork Member (EFM) of the Valles Rhyolite. The EFM was erupted at approximately 55 ka and 40 ka after an approximate 460 ka lull in volcanism. Previous studies suggested a mafic intrusion at depth triggered the eruptions. This thesis represents the first detailed study of the EFM.

Crystal assemblages consist of plagioclase, biotite, clinopyroxene, orthopyroxene, amphibole, sanidine, quartz, and oxides. Electron …

Superintendent Leadership During Economic Austerity: A Multiple Case Study, Douglas Paul Finch

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

In contrast with recent decades of economic growth and stability, today's education funding landscape appears to be entrenched in a pattern of diminishing financial resources that may persist for a number of years. This is occurring also amid unprecedented efforts by lawmakers and public officials to intervene in school reform work. School leaders, specifically superintendents of the public school districts, are expected to make difficult leadership decisions in cutting back and downsizing the district organization while still maintaining an innovative and positive environment in schools. The effective leader must be well informed of best practices in positively influencing critical determinants …

School Reform: Where Does Policy Come From? Where Should It Go?, Kim Karman Friel

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Policy analysis helps to develop a greater understanding of societal problems and provide possible solutions for elected and non-elected government decision makers. Ultimately, the product of analysis is advice relating to public decisions and informed by social values. In light of the pressures placed on education by policy-makers concerning implementation of educational reform there are surprisingly few studies concerning the changing role of the federal government from a historical perspective. Looking at the past, with the present in mind, reminds us that the current shape of education was not inevitable.

This qualitative dissertation study analyzes the evolution of the intentions …

Community Perspectives On Black Parent Engagement In West Las Vegas Before And After Desegregation: A Case Study, Tonia Faye Holmes-Sutton

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

According to research on parent engagement in K-12 schools, disconnects often exist between parent involvement as defined by school leaders and the African American families and communities they serve (Delgado-Gaitan, 1991; Tillman, 2009). Unfortunately, these competing definitions and conceptions of parent involvement often result in school leaders and administrators perceiving that Black students do not achieve as well as their White peers because Black parents are not involved or engaged in the education of their children (Cooper, 2010; Cooper, 2009; Fields-Smith, 2005). This perception undermines the development of positive home-school relations between school leaders, educators, and Black parents, and in …

Exploring Reasons Why Men And Women Refrain From Sex Despite Desire, Alessandra Lanti

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Sexual behavior has been found to be an unreliable referent for sexual desire. Numerous studies have found that sexual activity is motivated by a range of non-desire related factors, from the promotion of intimacy to the seeking of new experiences. Sexual desire may also be an unreliable predictor of sexual activity. There is a dearth of research, however, on the reasons why individuals choose not to have sex despite the presence of desire for a willing partner. The main aim of this study is to qualitatively investigate the reasons why people refrain from sex when they feel desire for a …

Timeliness Of Electronic And Traditional Laboratory Reporting In Southern Nevada, 1999-2012, Jennifer Anne Lucas

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

This study compares the timeliness of Electronic Laboratory Reporting (ELR) with traditional reporting. ELR has been implemented in parts of the United States, and is perceived to be faster than traditional reporting. Faster reporting leads to faster public health response to prevent outbreaks, and to reduce the burden of infectious disease in communities. Nevada State law requires that diseases be reported within certain time frames. Timeliness of laboratory reporting at the Southern Nevada Health District (SNHD) from 1999-2012 was assessed by analyzing cases of four common diseases in this retrospective secondary analysis of extant data.

The difference in timeliness regarding …

A Case Study Using Principal-Agent Theory To Explore How A Public, Four Year University Interacts With A System Office, Annie Macias

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

The focus of this research was to examine the funding relationship between a single public institution of higher education and its accompanying system office. Such a study is important in order to obtain insight into the relationship between a System Office and an institution, and thus how institutions carry out their fiscal responsibilities, not directly to the state but to the System Office they serve. The study provides insight into how the System Office communicates and transacts with an institution regarding financial allocations. Also important is whether that institution receives effective communication and whether the institution's perceived expectations are as …

Hardware Implementation Of Processor Allocator For Mesh Connected Chip Multiprocessors, Rana Sangram Reddy Marri

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

The advancements in the semiconductor process technology and the current demand for highly parallel computing has led to the advent of Chip Multiprocessors (CMPs). CMP is the integration of two or more independent processor cores, which can read and execute program instructions, on to a single integrated circuit die. CMPs are the main computing platforms for research and development in parallel and high performance computing environments. They offer minimum inter-core communication latencies as the processor cores are present on a single chip.

The Operating System (OS) plays a key role in using a CMP effectively. The OS should support a …