Digital Commons Network^™

Faculty And Student Perceptions Of Academic Cheating And The Influence Of Achievement Motivation With Online And Face-To-Face Learning Environments, Sherée Christine Royer

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

There are many components contributing to academically dishonest behaviors and with improvements in technology, methods for cheating have expanded to web-based classrooms. This study focuses on academically dishonest behaviors in online and face-to-face (F2F) course formats in an attempt to better understand the impact of cheating in these two learning environments. Additional factors in this study include the relationship between student and faculty achievement orientation and classroom context through the use of vignettes. Participants were students and faculty from a large Southwestern University and faculty members from a local smaller college in the same area. Respondents completed inventories using a …

Pennsylvanian To Cretaceous Folds And Thrusts In South-Central Nevada: Evidence From The Timpahute Range, Angela Giovanna Russo

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Understanding Permian and Mesozoic contractional structures from southern California to northern Nevada requires correlation through south-central Nevada. After the Devonian-Mississippian Antler orogeny through the Permian-Triassic Sonoma orogeny and then up to the Sevier orogeny, south-central Nevada was thought to have remained tectonically inactive. However, Pennsylvanian through Jurassic age deformation is documented to the south in Death Valley and to the north. Identifying geometries, spatial relationships, and relative timing of deformations in the Timpahute Range, south-central Nevada, is an essential piece to completing the overall understanding of Nevada geology. The purpose of this study is to identify and analyze deformational structures …

On High-Performance Parallel Fixed-Point Decimal Multiplier Designs, Ming Zhu

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

High-performance, area-efficient hardware implementation of decimal multiplication is preferred to slow software simulations in a number of key scientific and financial application areas, where errors caused by converting decimal numbers into their approximate binary representations are not acceptable.

Multi-digit parallel decimal multipliers involve two major stages: (i) the partial product generation (PPG) stage, where decimal partial products are determined by selecting the right versions of the pre-computed multiples of the multiplicand, followed by (ii) the partial product accumulation (PPA) stage, where all the partial products are shifted and then added together to obtain the final multiplication product. In this thesis, …

Media Bias Through Facial Expressions On Local Las Vegas Television News Programs: A Visual Content Analysis, Jessica Zimmerman

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Trust in news media has been considered an important base for social order and cohesion in society and is a crucial variable for evaluating news media. Media credibility has been questioned by the audience for some time and the audience's trust in the media has been slowly diminishing over the years. When a news broadcaster communicates a story on local television news, it is possible for his own opinions to leak through nonverbal communication, specifically facial expressions. This thesis explores the six local Las Vegas television news stations' anchors and reporters to visually analyze whether facial characteristics reveal media bias …

Bureaus And Beer: Promoting Brewery Tourism In Colorado, Shane Howlett

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Beer, wine and spirits are three little words that make lots of people excited. Alcohol can be thought of as a necessity for tourists. In recent years, consumers are becoming more interested in the development and processes behind their favorite libations. This has spurred a new type of tourist; those that are interested in brewery tours, vineyard hopping, or enjoying a day out at their favorite distillery.

The beer industry has seen rapid growth expansion in the U.S. In 1980, there were roughly 100 breweries in the nation and today there are over 2500 (Brewers Association, 2013a). With the rapid …

Diversify The Destination Image Of Las Vegas To Chinese Market, Yinying Jiang

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Las Vegas, Nevada, is a renowned travel destination attracting tourists from all over the world. Gambling has been a dominant destination image of Las Vegas in the mind of both the national and international tourists, since the history and fast development of this city has always been related with the gambling industry. In more recent years, the business model of this city has gradually changed itself to a more complete tourist destination with mega resorts, high-end shops, amazing restaurants and incredible shows and etc. Las Vegas is now turning itself into an entertainment and business oriented travel destination along with …

Abundance And Size Of Sand Crabs, Lepidopa Benedicti (Decapoda: Albuneidae), In Southern Texas, Jessica H. Murph, Zen Faulkes

School of Integrative Biological & Chemical Sciences (Formerly Dept. of Biology)

Albuneid sand crabs are found in sandy beaches around the world, but little is known about the basic biology of any species in the family. We sampled sand crabs, Lepidopa benedicti, for 2 years at South Padre Island, Texas, at two locations: one developed site near the town, where recreational use is high and one undeveloped site away from the town, where recreational use is lower. We hypothesized that sand crabs would be less abundant and smaller at the developed site than at the undeveloped one. Densities were highest in summer and lowest in winter but did not differ between …

Stakeholders’ Perceptions Of Special Education Induction Programs, Jeremy E. Vittek, Kim K. Floyd, Sharon B. Hayes

Journal of Research Initiatives

This study examined stakeholders’ perceptions of the challenges and supports provided for beginning special education teachers in a low attrition district within a middle Atlantic state utilizing qualitative methods. The findings from this study revealed a perceived need for varied supports for beginning special education teachers, the special education coordinator is seen as the main source of support, and the perceived role of induction programs to retain special education teachers and the impact these programs have on teacher retention. Based on the findings from this study, future research should examine the role of e-mentoring, district level support, and the role …

Selected North Carolina Beginning And Veteran Teachers’ Perceptions Of Factors Influencing Retention And Attrition, Marvin Mccoy, Linda Wilson-Jones, Paris Jones

Journal of Research Initiatives

The purpose of this qualitative study was to examine factors that impact teacher retention in public schools in the southeast region of North Carolina. Additionally, the purpose was to identify variables that influence beginning teachers’ decisions to leave and veteran teachers’ decisions to stay in the teaching profession. The 10 participants were former and current teachers employed in the State of North Carolina between 2008 and 2011. The research revealed that teacher support, working conditions, and student behavior were among the leading factors impacting beginning teachers’ decisions to leave the profession prior to tenure. The emerging issues in this study …

Ucc Agenda, December 10, 2013, University Curriculum Council

UCC Agendas/Minutes

No abstract provided.

Ucc Minutes, December 10, 2013, University Curriculum Council

UCC Agendas/Minutes

No abstract provided.

4-Health: A Programmatic Evaluation Of A Parent-Based Childhood Obesity Prevention Program, Carrie Benke, Sandra Bailey, Galen Eldridge, Wesley Lynch

Journal of Youth Development

The 4-Health Project promotes healthy lifestyles for rural families with an overall goal of reducing or preventing childhood obesity. 4-Health is an integrated research and educational outreach program delivered by agents located in Montana State University Extension offices throughout the state. The collaborative project was developed to provide healthy living programs focusing on the areas of parenting and family communication, body image, food and nutrition, and physical activity to rural parents of 8-12 year old children participating in Montana’s 4-H Youth Development programs. Evaluation outcomes of the 4-Health Educational (experimental) program and the Healthy Living Information (control) program both showed …

The Partial Characterization Of The 142r Protein Of Tanapox Virus, Krystal N. Seibert

Dissertations

Due to the complex nature of cancer, a variety of strategies are being employed to treat patients. Among these are oncolytic viruses that conditionally replicate in tumor cells with specific cellular landscapes. Several viruses including Herpesviruses, Adenoviruses, and Poxviruses, predominantly vaccinia virus (VV), have been explored for their oncolytic potential. Most of these viruses can productively infect a variety of cell types and it is one goal to create conditionally lethal viruses that can only replicate in tumor cells. Due to the prevalence of p53 inactivating mutations in cancers viruses that are restricted to p53 null cells are desirable and …

Major Win Streak, Richard C. Crepeau

On Sport and Society

Two weeks ago the University of Minnesota was defeated 3-2 in hockey by the University of North Dakota. Twenty-two months earlier on February 17, 2012 the University of North Dakota defeated the University of Minnesota in overtime, 2- 1. The next day Minnesota beat North Dakota 5-2 beginning a 62 match winning streak that included two NCAA national championships and one undefeated season of 41 straight wins.

Fabrication Of Chitosan/Titanium Dioxide Composites Film For The Photocatalytic Degradation Of Dye, P Norranattrakul, K Siralertmukul, R Nuisin

Journal of Metals, Materials and Minerals

The investigation of the chitosan film as a polymer matrix for titanium dioxide (TiO2) dispersion was carried out. Chitosantitanium dioxide composite films were prepared by solution casting, using Chitosan, TiO2, Arquad T50 HFP as surfactant. The mixture of 1.0 g chitosan in 100 mL acetic acid was prepared, subsequently with the addition of TiO2. The solution was then cast onto an acrylic mold and allowed to air-dry. The external morphology of the composite film revealed the high dispersion of TiO2 in the polymer matrix. Three types of crosslinking agent; glutaraldehyde, citric acid, and itaconic acid were studied. It was found …

Sio2-Included Cesium Polyoxotungstate Catalysts For Oxidation, W Trakarnpruk, W Kanjina

Journal of Metals, Materials and Minerals

SiO2-included cesium polyoxotungstate catalysts were synthesized by a sol-gel method and characterizied by FTIR, XRD and N2 adsorption isotherms. XRD patterns prove that the cesium polyoxotungstate is uniformly dispersed in the silica network. The catalysts were used in oxidation of cyclohexane with H2O2. The products are cyclohexanol and cyclohexanone. The catalysts prepared by using a copolymer surfactant show higher surface area and exhibit higher activity. These catalysts are truly heterogeneous and can be reused at least 3 times.

Crystallization Of Carnallite From Kcl-Mgcl2 Brine Solutions By Solvent Evaporation Process And Its Structural And Mechanical Characterization, J Podder, S Gao, R W Evitts, Rw Besant, D Matthews

Journal of Metals, Materials and Minerals

Carnallite crystals have been synthesized from brine solutions at room temperature (23C) by solvent evaporation growth technique to show the effect of the concentration of potassium chloride (KCl) and magnesium chloride (MgCl2) on the growth, structural and mechanical properties of the crystal. Transparent and pseudo-hexagonal shape carnallite crystals with the dimension of 4 5 2 mm to 16 13 3 mm were grown. The crystals were characterized by powder X-ray diffraction and the lattice parameters were found to be a = 9.598 b = 16.141and c = 22.519 space group: Pnna, Z: 12, ? = ? = ? = 90 …

Effect Of Heat Treatment On Phase Transformation Of Tio2 And Its Reflectance Properties, K Archaapinun, N Witit-Anun, P Visuttipitukul

Journal of Metals, Materials and Minerals

Titanium dioxide (TiO2) anti reflection coating film applied for solar cell application, gains more interest due to the insufficient energy problems today. Titanium dioxide can be found in several forms, and the most stable phase is rutile. This research aims to study effect of heat treatment on phase transformation of TiO2 and its effect on reflectance property. Titanium dioxide film was coated on silicon wafer by DC magnetron sputtering to obtain 190 nm and 420 nm thicknesses. Then, it was heat treated at 900C for 1 and 4 hours under ambient atmosphere. Phases and surface morphologies before and after heat …

Investigation Of Supersaturated Silver Alloys For High Hardness Jewelry Application, S Praiphruk, G Lothongkum, E Nisaratanaporn, B Lohwongwatana

Journal of Metals, Materials and Minerals

Sterling silver is one of the most widely used precious metal alloys in jewelry industry. 92.5 wt% silver content is the standard for sterling products, while 7.5 wt% is reserved for other alloying elements. Because the mechanical properties of pure silver such as yield strength and hardness are extremely low. In the bounds of 7.5 wt% solute addition, different approaches have been introduced in order to improve the properties of sterling silver. For example, to increase the hardness of the jewelry pieces, metallurgists introduced age hardening, cold working, and surface treatments. We reported on the trend of intrinsic hardness increase …

Comparison Of Ball-On-Disc And Taber Wear Tests In Assessing Wear Performance Of Electrolessly-Deposited Alloys, K Theeratatpong, S Danchaivijit, Y Boonyongmaneerat

Journal of Metals, Materials and Minerals

In the industry, a Taber wear test is commonly employed to assess the wear resistance of coatings, which are applied on a panel of relatively large scales. On the other hand, other wear testing methods, such as ball-on-disc, is preferred in laboratory settings, as they require smaller test specimens and can determine coefficient of friction. In this study, we systematically compare the differences of Taber wear and ball-on disc by evaluating with an electrolessly-deposited Ni-P alloy systems. The Taber wear shows purely abrasive wear, whereas the ball-on-disc test offers a complex blend of wear mechanisms, and provides the coefficient of …

Safety And Toxicity Evaluation Of Bronopol In Striped Catfish (Pangasianodon Hypophthalmus), Patharapol Piamsomboon, Mintra Lukkana, Janenuj Wongtavatchai

The Thai Journal of Veterinary Medicine

The study was performed to evaluate the safety and toxicity of bronopol in striped catfish Pangasianodon hypophthalmus. Bronopol product is licensed in Thailand and Vietnam for control of aquatic fungi and ciliated protozoa in scaleless fish at the daily dosage of 10 mg/l, 2-hour static immersion, for 5 consecutive days. Safe concentrations were evaluated in fish exposed to bronopol at the therapeutic dosage (10 mg/l, 2 hours, 5 consecutive days) and 2 and 3 times overdose (20 and 30 mg/l, 2 hours, 5 consecutive days). Fish treated with 10-30 mg/l bronopol for 2 hours daily for 5 consecutive days appeared …

Quantification Of Acid Loads And Delineation Of Hydrochemical Facies At A Phreatic Mine Spoil Aquifer, Mitchell A. Mcadoo

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Acid mine drainage geochemistry and in situ alkaline injection were investigated at the DLM coal mine, Alton West Virginia. These included spatial and temporal investigations into hydrochemical controls that were initiated with reclamation efforts. Approaches included the delineation of hydrochemical facies and analysis of time series data to develop a methodology for estimating acid loads.;Results of agglomerative hierarchical clustering were mapped to demonstrate spatial variations in response to reclamation efforts over time. Spatial patterns were determined and indicate that aquifer chemistry continued to evolve during the study period. Results confirmed that injection of alkalinity into the aquifer effected acid producing …

Meeting The Demand For Local Food In West Virginia: An Analysis Of Factors Influencing Producers' Market Participation And Expansion Decisions, Ruth Mary Oldham

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Increasing demand in local food markets in WV offers a new or enhanced income generation opportunity to small producers. An ostensible gap in supply to meet this demand sparks an investigation of the factors that influence producers' decisions, as reflected by their behavior and intentions, to participate and expand in local food markets. The factors that influence both the behavior of current commercial producers and potential new entrants are identified through analysis of data collected through a survey of producers identified by field professionals. Specifically, the influence of motivational and place-based sociocultural characteristics, based on guidance from social psychology Theory …

Stable And Fair Congestion Control Mechanisms For Cooperative Vehicle Safety In Vehicular Networks, Neda Nasiriani

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Cooperative vehicle safety (CVS) systems operate based on broadcast of vehicle position and safety information to neighboring cars. The communication medium of CVS is a Dedicated Short Range Communication (DSRC) wireless channel. One of the main challenges in large scale deployment of CVS systems is the issue of scalability. To address the scalability problem, several congestion control methods have been proposed and are currently under field study. These mechanisms adapt transmission rate and power, based on network measures such as: Channel Busy Ratio (CBR), packet reception rate and vehicles tracking error. Channel Busy Ratio (CBR) is defined as the ratio …

Red-Headed Woodpecker Habitat Selection And Breeding Ecology On Fort Drum Military Installation, New York, Jacob L. Berl

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Red-headed woodpecker (Melanerpes erythrocephalus) populations have declined range-wide over the past 40 years, although the causal mechanisms implicated in the observed declines remain poorly understood. Population decline has been most severe at the periphery of their range, particularly in the northeastern United States, coinciding with a region where there is little information regarding red-headed woodpecker habitat use or demography. A detailed knowledge of habitat requirements and population dynamics is prerequisite for the effective conservation and management of imperiled wildlife populations, and this knowledge gap likely precludes informed management decisions for red-headed woodpeckers in the northeastern portion of their range. In …

Integrated Marketing Communications (Imc) Variables That Influence Perceived Return On Investment (Roi) In Higher Education: Chief Marketing Officers' Perceptions, Adrienne L. King

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

This study examines the relationship of the level of Integrated Marketing Communications (IMC) implementation, level of open systems and change in state appropriations on perceived return on investment (ROI) in U.S. public higher education institutions (HEIs). Designed to provide HEI leaders with data to more accurately determine the best IMC resource allocations, the analysis represents the responses of 40 Chief Marketing Officers (CMOs) at HEIs with high and very high research activity, as defined by the Carnegie Classification, and Council for the Advancement and Support of Education (CASE) memberships.;Building on previous research from the corporate industry indicating four stages of …

A Correlational Study To Evaluate The Effectiveness Of Behavior-Based Safety In An Offshore Oil Production Facility, Zinga Martine Branco

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

For many countries, oil production constitutes a large part of their economic resources. It is also one of the most hazardous activities with high incident rates. Workplace safety has remained a challenge for these industries which strive to operate injury free. Behavior-Based Safety (BBS) is used as a safety intervention approach to minimize the frequency and severity of workplace incidents and injuries. Many companies assume BBS is effective in reducing injuries and losses. However, only anecdotal evidence is usually presented to support the effectiveness of BBS in decreasing incident rates.;This study explores the relationship between Behavior-Based Safety (BBS) outcomes and …

Lack Of Timeliness, Noise And Transitory Components In Earnings As Explanations For The Apparent Decline In The Value Relevance Of Earnings, L. Dwight Sneathen

Accountancy: Faculty Publications

Prior studies identify three factors that contribute to the low contemporaneous association between returns (prices) and earnings: lack of timeliness of earnings capturing value relevant information, noise in earnings, and transitory elements in earnings. This study seeks to identify whether these factors contribute to the observed inter-temporal decline in the contemporaneous association between returns (prices) and earnings documented in recent literature. Prior studies do not explicitly examine the affect of these factors on the inter-temporal decline, and the extant evidence is mixed. Empirical evidence presented here indicates that lack of timeliness of earnings and value-irrelevant noise in earnings have increased …

Analytical And Computational Study Of Flame Acceleration In Tubes: Effect Of Wall Friction, Berk Demirgok

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Premixed flame acceleration is especially strong in the case of flame propagation in tubes or channels. Being a reasonably simple configuration to investigate fundamental flame properties, combustion tubes have numerous practical applications such as safety issues in mines, subways and power plants. This work is devoted to the analytical formulation and computational simulations of premixed flame acceleration induced by wall friction in tubes/channels. Specifically, the evolution of the flame dynamics and morphology is determined, and the main characteristics of the flame acceleration such as the flame shape and propagation speed, the acceleration rate as well as the combustion-generated velocity profile …

Acupuncture For Sleep Disturbances In Veterans With Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, Heather C. King Phd

Dissertations

Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) has emerged as a significant problem among Operation Enduring Freedom/Operation Iraqi Freedom (OEF/OIF) veterans. Disturbed sleep is one of the most frequently reported symptoms among OEF/OIF veterans with PTSD. PTSD itself is impairing, but the burden of this disorder is likely heightened when accompanied by sleep disturbances. Sleep disturbances have been associated with a 75-90% increased risk of co-morbid conditions, increased levels of depression and anxiety, daytime sleepiness and fatigue, reduced psychomotor performance, diminished work productivity, and decreased quality of life. These consequences of disturbed sleep emphasize the critical need for additional evidence based therapies …