Digital Commons Network^™

Room Service Principles And Practices: An Exploratory Study, Stanley Douglas Suboleski

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Room service is the delivery of food and beverage products to a guest's sleeping room in a hotel. It is an important, distinguishing characteristic and a necessary service for first-class and luxury hotels. Very little academic research has been conducted on the operating procedures of room service. This was an exploratory study that aimed at identifying the key principles and practices of room service operations in first-class and luxury hotels. This study used a mixed-method approach. Using content analysis on operating audits for room service from a range of hospitality companies, expert panel review, field testing, and analysis of variance …

Division I Student-Athlete Degree Choice Assessment, Tony Terrell

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Though the NCAA has established rules that require student-athletes to complete their college degree in an expeditious manner, the 40/60/80% rule may impinge on student-athlete academic decisions (i.e., degree choice).Yet limited empirical data exist regarding the nature and prevalence of student-athlete degree impingement. The purpose of this study was to develop and validate the Student-Athlete Degree Choice Questionnaire (SA-DCQ). The SA-DCQ assesses factors that influence Division I student-athletes' degree choice. An initial 40 item, 4 component SA-DCQ instrument was piloted with 170 Division I student-athletes. In order to develop scales, Principal Components Analysis (PCA) was conducted. PCA results yielded 13 …

The Effectiveness Of Health Education Materials In Influencing Hiv Testing Behavior: The Unlv-Siphi Study, Rebecca Tsegay

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

The UNLV-SIPHI (Sexual Health Internet-Based Public Health Intervention) Study focused on HIV prevention by improving HIV testing behavior through the development and dissemination of health education materials. The goal of the UNLV-SIPHI Study was to develop effective, custom-made HIV health education materials that promote the knowledge, intention and practice of HIV testing among UNLV students. The UNLV-SIPHI Study was conducted during Spring 2012 semester in selected UNLV undergraduate classes. An online quasi-randomized-control trial (RCT) was used to measure the difference in HIV testing behavior contributing factors among students exposed to the health education materials. Several nonparametric tests were used to …

Examining Competencies For The Human Resources Professional Within Idaho State Government, Cecil R. Torres Jr

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

This study examines the vital competencies of the Human Resource (HR) professional within Idaho state government. Through the lens of comparability and factor analysis, the competencies examined in this study utilize the Human Resource Competency Survey (HRCS) study framework as a basis for study. Since the HRCS model was primarily designed for the private sector, this study examines these study findings in light of public services on a state government level.

This study establishes a competency model that the human resource professional in state level government can use in various facets related to their individual performance, training and development, recruitment, …

Topics In Galaxy Formation: Pairwise Velocities Of Dark Matter Halos And Molecular Hydrogen Regulated Star Formation In Cosmological Simulations, Robert Jo Thompson

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

In this dissertation we investigate two distinct challenges within the concordance LCDM model and an unrelated project.

The first is a discrepancy between theory and observation. A massive galaxy sub-cluster known as the `bullet' has fallen through a more massive parent galaxy cluster at a redshift of z=0.296.

Theory finds that in order to reproduce the observational quantities of this cluster, an unusually high relative velocity of v12=3000 km/s between the two cluster's parent halos is required.

We quantify the statistical probability of producing a `bullet-like' halo pair within large N-body simulations, and

conclude that either the LCDM model is …

Exploring The Relationship Between First Year First Generation College Students And Their Parents, Jerica L. Turek

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

The first year of college is one that is crucial for all students entering higher education due to the major transition issues that must be successfully navigated in order to persist to the sophomore year. Parental support has been shown to have a positive effect during this transition by providing positive coping mechanisms and allowing children to develop higher level of autonomy. The level of parental support is at a high level for members of the Millennial Generation, which is characterized by a close parent-child relationship, as well as a high level of parental involvement in the education process. While …

"Choices" Florida's Version Of Obamacare, Jason Lamarr Wasden

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

"CHOICES" Florida's version of ObamaCare was a unique case voted in by the public in Alachua County Florida. A mixed methods research design was utilized and provided context in which policy entrepreneurs operated, as well as an explanatory model of internal determinants. Social, economic and political factors were examined to determine the predictor variable in the adoption of the "CHOICES" health services program. The results revealed that voters 51 years of age and older had a greater probability of voting for the Alachua Referendum. "CHOICES" legality has not been under contention but its effectiveness has. This study found that "CHOICES" …

Theory Versus Practice: A Study Of Strategy Making In Five Public Mba Programs, Michael Alwyn Wilde

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

This study examined whether coercive, normative and mimetic isomorphic mechanisms contribute to the strategies public MBA programs develop and implement in their quests to differentiate themselves. An additional purpose was to examine whether influential environmental elements impact strategy development in ways that make these organizations more similar than different.

In depth interviews were conducted in an attempt to discover the experiences and perspectives of five current directors of MBA programs in public institutions of higher education. Purposeful sampling, in the form of convenience sampling within a clearly defined population, was used.

The findings suggest that none of the five MBA …

The Uses And Gratifications Of Dance Reality Television Shows, Heather M. Yuille

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

The Uses and Gratifications of Dance Reality Shows

Competition based dance reality shows are a sub-category under the reality television show genre. One way to add to the growing body of research about reality television shows is to study each sub-category individually in terms of uses and gratifications theory. Therefore this research looked into the reasons why people watch dance reality shows. Since dance is an art form that has deep historic roots, has experienced highs and lows in terms of public perception and has experienced a strong resurgence recently within the realm of reality television, it proves to be …

Gravure Printability Of Indium Tin Oxide Nanoparticles On Glass And Pet Films For Applications In Printed Electronics, Dania Awni Alsaid

Dissertations

The advancements in the field of solution processable electro-active materials and their ability to be printed on different substrates have led to the evolution of printed electronics. In this field, electronic components are manufactured with conventional printing methods. Transparent electrodes made from indium tin oxide (ITO) are part of many electronic devices. Currently in industry, highly conductive ITO films are prepared by sputtering. The sputtering and then patterning of ITO films is a sophisticated process that consumes high energy, generates waste and produces films with limited flexibility. Therefore, there is a need to investigate processing methods for creating ITO films …

Health And Relationship Variables Impacting Psychological And Social Well-Being Among Predominantly White Middle Class Adults 65 And Older Who Receive Assistance With Their Care From Family Members, Alyssa C. Ford

Dissertations

The majority of care to persons 65 and older in the United States is provided by family members. Previous research among older adults who receive assistance with their care from family or friends, while sparse, has identified variables that appear to impact the well-being of such persons. These variables include reciprocity, dignity, self-perceived burden, mental health status, and physical health or disability status. However, these variables have not been studied together. The purpose of this dissertation research was to examine these variables individually and collectively as they relate to well-being.

A sample of 71 adults, ages 68 to 97, who …

On The Independent Domination Number Of Regular Graphs, Wayne Goddard, Michael A. Henning, Jeremy Lyle, Justin Southey

Faculty Publications

A set S of vertices in a graph G is an independent dominating set of G if S is an independent set and every vertex not in S is adjacent to a vertex in S. In this paper, we consider questions about independent domination in regular graphs.

Effects Of Stereo And Screen Size On The Legibility Of Three-Dimensional Streamtube Visualization, Jian Chen, Haipeng Cai, Alexander P. Auchus, David H. Laidlaw

Faculty Publications

We report the impact of display characteristics (stereo and size) on task performance in diffusion magnetic resonance imaging (DMRI) in a user study with 12 participants. The hypotheses were that (1) adding stereo and increasing display size would improve task accuracy and reduce completion time, and (2) the greater the complexity of a spatial task, the greater the benefits of an improved display. Thus we expected to see greater performance gains when detailed visual reasoning was required. Participants used dense streamtube visualizations to perform five representative tasks: (1) determine the higher average fractional anisotropy (FA) values between two regions, (2) …

Being Active And Impulsive: The Role Of Goals For Action And Inaction In Self-Control, Justin Hepler, Dolores Albarracin, Kathleen C. Mcculloch, Kenji Noguchi

Faculty Publications

Although self-control often requires behavioral inaction (i.e., not eating a piece of cake), the process of inhibiting impulsive behavior is commonly characterized as cognitively active (i.e., actively exerting self-control). Two experiments examined whether motivation for action or inaction facilitates self-control behavior in the presence of tempting stimuli. Experiment 1 used a delay discounting task to assess the ability to delay gratification with respect to money. Experiment 2 used a Go/No-Go task to assess the ability to inhibit a dominant but incorrect motor response to the words "condom" and "sex". The results demonstrate that goals for inaction promote self-control, whereas goals …

Extending The Battery-Powered Operating Time Of A Wireless Environmental Monitoring System, Ross Matthew Butler

Boise State University Theses and Dissertations

Advances in low-power microelectronics and sensor technologies have enabled the creation of sophisticated environmental monitoring systems capable of operating on battery power. Independence from a power outlet connection opens up many new potential applications, but limited battery life still imposes significant restrictions on a monitoring system’s capabilities and the number of systems that can be economically deployed and maintained. These restrictions have motivated much research into reducing monitoring system energy usage, increasing battery capacity, and harnessing alternative energy sources. While most of the research focuses on new system design, there is a need for techniques to extend the battery-powered operating …

Integrated Approach For Hydrogeologic Investigations In Africa: Inferences From Space-Borne And Land-Based Gravity, Aeromagnetic, Gis, And Remote Sensing Data, Mohamed El Sayed Ahmed Ahmed

Dissertations

An integrated (space-borne and land-based gravity, aeromagnetic, GIS, and remote sensing) approach was developed, tested, and applied to investigate the following on regional scales (Africa) or local scales (El Qaa Plain, Sinai): (1) assess the capability of GRACE data (04/2002 to 08/2011) for monitoring elements of hydrologic systems on the sub-basin level (Task 1); (2) address the nature and the controlling factors (e.g., climatic and/or human pressure-related) affecting the inter-annual GRACE-derived Terrestrial Water Storage (TWS) trends over a large suite of hydrologic systems and domains in (Africa) (Task 2); and (3) identify the structural, geologic and hydrologic settings as well …

Influences In The Platonic Same-Sex Friendships Of Heterosexual Black Males, Darian Mitchell

Dissertations

This study sought to examine potential influences of intimacy levels in the same-sex friendships of Black males. Attention was given to adherence to traditional masculine norms, age, socioeconomic status, religious support, and adult male presence as potential influences. One hundred and thirty-nine Black males completed a survey consisting of a demographic questionnaire, the index of Emotional Intimacy in Same-Sex Friendships (EISSF), the Religious Support Scale (RSS), the Barratt Simplified Measure of Social Status (BSMSS), and the Conformity to Masculine Norms Inventory (CMNI). This study found a minimal positive relationship between emotional intimacy and the hypothesized influences.

Personality And Religiosity: The Influence Of Normative Personality On Black Sunni Muslims' Religious Attitudes And Practices, Halim Khidher Naeem

Dissertations

There is a dearth of literature on Black Sunni Muslims in the field of psychology. More so, there is no literature specifically analyzing the influences upon Black religiosity. The literature has established that personality has significant influence upon religiosity. The literature also says that females are more religious than their male counterparts. The present study analyzed the influence of personality, gender and social class upon religiosity for Black Sunni Muslims. The following hypothesis was investigated: Personality, gender, and social class will affect religious attitudes and practices.

A canonical regression analysis using SPSS revealed that personality, gender and social class had …

The Social And Political Philosophy Of Bertolt Brecht, Anthony Squiers

Dissertations

Bertolt Brecht is widely considered to be one of the most important figures in Twentieth Century literature. An acclaimed poet, he is best known as a playwright and director. His 'epic theatre' revolutionized the theatre by creating radical breaks from traditional literary and theatrical form. These radical breaks were done in an effort to facilitate radical social change. Specifically, Brecht designed his epic theatre as a revolutionary aesthetic which would help bring about the advent of a Marxist revolution. There is a broad corpus of academic work which analyzes the formalistic elements of his work. However, this body of work …

Attitudes Toward Science And Stem Cell Research Based On Religious Worldview: Comparing The Views Of Theists, Naturalists, Skeptics, And Dualists Toward Science As An Institution, Method, And Application Of Knowledge, Jon Van Wieren

Dissertations

This dissertation is a study of attitudes toward science and stem cell research based on religious worldview. This study examines the relationship through General Social Survey data (2006).

Religious worldview is measured here through some of the most common measures of religiosity. This study differs from many other sociological studies of religiosity in that it includes the view of naturalism alongside other religious worldviews, including theism, dualism, and skepticism. Science is understood and measured here as multidimensional. Comparisons are made between attitudes toward science as a social institution, a research method, and as an application of knowledge - where attitudes …

The Contours Of Judicial Tenure In State Courts Of Last Resort: Accountability Vs. Independence, Todd A. Curry

Dissertations

The study of state courts of last resort is a field which has, up until recently, been significantly underrepresented in political science (Baum 1987, Dubois 1980). The bulk of work in judicial politics over the last fifty years has focused on the federal system. Furthermore, the study of state courts allows for a true comparative analysis. The methods of selection used for the staffing of state courts of last resort are highly varied. There are five distinctly different methods which are used for judicial selection in the states, and many states have institutional nuances that provide further variation for study. …

The Structural Changes Of The Hedge Fund Industry Over Time, Simeon Kawakami

Business/Business Administration

Historically, the hedge fund industry is one of the fastest growing investment classes in the last decade. This study looks to analyze the hedge fund industry structural changes from 1994 to 2010. A premise for this study is previous research which shows small funds tend to outperform large funds. Parameters are set to determine the classification of a fund being small, medium, or large. The asset flows to each category are tracked overtime in order to show structural changes. For each category the number of small, medium, and large hedge funds in tracked over time. The results are inconclusive in …

Recrystallization Kinetics Of 3c Silicon Carbide Implanted With 400 Kev Cesium Ions, Daniel Denell Osterberg

Boise State University Theses and Dissertations

Polycrystalline 3C silicon carbide was implanted at room temperature with 400 keV cesium ions to a dose of 10¹⁶ ions·cm^-2. The samples were then annealed at 600 – 1000°C for 0-48 hours in ultra-high purity argon. The implanted zone of each sample was characterized by transmission electron microscopy and secondary ion mass spectroscopy. It is shown that the implantation resulted in a 217 ± 2 nm amorphous region with microstructural damage extending to approximately 250 nm below the surface. Recrystallization of the amorphous region was observed at 725°C, although minimal densification was observed until ≥ 800°C. Densification …

From Expulsion To Success: Perceptions Of Expelled Students About Their Expulsion Process And Resumption Of Education, Julie Slocum Dahlgren

Boise State University Theses and Dissertations

This mixed-methods study examined expelled students in a Northwest public school district of 3,400 students. The purpose was to analyze perceptions of expelled students from 2003-2010 (N-68) regarding their expulsion process and experiences relating to the resumption of educational pursuits. Data was collected from a questionnaire designed by the researcher and distributed to 44 students and from transcribed and coded testimony from four students. The research centers on the whys and wherefores of student expulsions, asking questions that could help schools and school districts penetrate more deeply into the expulsion process, questions that focus on how students perceive their own …

Fabrication Of Solid Solution Tungsten-Rhenium Alloys By High Energy Ball Milling And Spark Plasma Sintering, Cory C. Sparks

Boise State University Theses and Dissertations

Tungsten-rhenium powders of varying compositions were fabricated by spark plasma sintering (SPS). In initial exploration of the parameter space, W-25 at% Re powders were blended and consolidated by SPS at 1500 to 1900°C with sintering dwell times of 0 to 60 minutes. In addition, the influence of milling was investigated. W-25 at% Re powders were high-energy ball milled at 200 to 400 rpm for 5 hours and consolidated at 1700°C with sintering dwell times of 0 to 60 minutes. The sample densities, grain sizes, porosities, contamination level, and hardness values were measured. The intermetallic content, specifically the fraction of σ-phase, …

The Study Of Nitrogen Sources In The Municipal Wells Of Cedar Falls, Iowa, Alison Renee Schell

Honors Program Theses

Groundwater nitrate contamination has been a persistent concern in the drinking water of Cedar Falls, Iowa. Identifying the source of the relatively high nitrates in Cedar Falls Municipal Well 3 is the primary focus of this investigation. Although none of the municipal wells have exceeded the maximum contaminant level for nitrogen ( 45 ppm N 03), the purpose of this project is to investigate the general drinking water quality in the area. To identify the source of the nitrate contamination, groundwater samples from four municipal wells, surface water samples from three sites on the Cedar River, and soil from twelve …

Can A Financial Crisis Occur Under The Rules Of Islamic Finance?, Michelle Walton

Political Science

No abstract provided.

Code Generation For Parallel Execution Of A Class Of Irregular Loops On Distributed Memory Systems, Mahesh Ravishankar, John Eisenlohr, Louis Noël Pouchet, J. Ramanujam, Atanas Rountev, P. Sadayappan

Faculty Publications

Parallelization and locality optimization of affine loop nests has been successfully addressed for shared-memory machines. However, many large-scale simulation applications must be executed in a distributed-memory environment, and use irregular/sparse computations where the control-flow and array-access patterns are data-dependent. In this paper, we propose an approach for effective parallel execution of a class of irregular loop computations in a distributed-memory environment, using a combination of static and runtime analysis. We discuss algorithms that analyze sequential code to generate an inspector and an executor. The inspector captures the data-dependent behavior of the computation in parallel and without requiring complete replication of …

Nanoplasmonics And Metamaterials, Zhaolin Lu, Xiaoyue Huang, Mark Mirotznik, Georgios Veronis, Qiwen Zhan

Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

The International Atomic Energy Agency's Decision To Find Iran In Non-Compliance, 2002-2006, Nima Gerami, Pierre Goldschmidt

WMD Case Studies

On August 14, 2002, at a press conference in Washington, DC, the National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI), an exiled Iranian opposition group, drew worldwide attention when it publicly accused Iran of clandestinely developing nuclear weapons. Alireza Jafarzadeh, then-U.S. media spokesperson for the NCRI, described two “top secret” nuclear facilities being constructed in Iran at Natanz and Arak under the guise of front companies involved in the procurement of nuclear material and equipment. Noting that media attention had focused on Iran’s publicly declared civilian facilities, Jafarzadeh claimed that “in reality, there are many secret nuclear programs at work in …