University Of Nevada , Las Vegas Research Articles

Introduction to this special issue: Faculty intellectual property in the digital age

Prior to the third generation of distance education that is described as telelearning (Taylor 1995) or teleconferencing (Moore and Kearsley 1996), there were few questions about the ownership of a faculty member’s intellectual property. It was extremely rare for an institution to claim ownership of a professor’s class materials whether lecture notes, flip charts, overhead transparencies, audio and video recording, monographs, handouts or tests. With the advent of Internet-based distance education delivery systems including 2-way audio and video as well as online courses, the issue of intellectual property ownership has grown complex. The American Association of University Professors (AAUP) states ‘‘The materials created by faculty members for distance education courses should be treated in exactly the same fashion as materials created by faculty members for traditional courses’’ (AAUP, n.d.). This statement implies that ownership of course materials used in teaching a course delivered via distance education should be treated the same as a traditional face-to-face classroom course, that is, the faculty member owns the materials. In contrast, the American Association of Universities (1999) states ‘‘...the university should own the intellectual property that is created at the university by faculty.’’ University distance education policies, however, view ownership of distance education materials differently than traditional classroom materials. The distance education policy at California Polytechnic State University (Calpoly Polytechnic State University, n.d.) states that faculty must negotiate with the university for ownership based on current policies and contracts. The University of Nevada Las Vegas (n.d.) and Buffalo State University (n.d.) policies state that the university and faculty member are joint owners of the materials if university

An on sun parametric study of solar hydrogen production using WO 3 photoanodes

The solar production of hydrogen using photoactive electrodes is a topic receiving much attention in recent years. The use of thin metal oxide films as photoanodes allows the water splitting reaction to occur at a much lower applied voltage than would be necessary with a straight electrolysis process. The University of Nevada Las Vegas in collaboration with the UK based firm Hydrogen Solar and funded by the United States Department of Energy, has developed a prototype of this type of cell using a WO 3 photoanode. An on-sun test facility has been constructed by the UNLV Center for Energy Research (CER) where a study is being conducted with regard to the effects various design parameters on the rate of hydrogen evolution. Parameters being studied include electrolyte temperature, electrolyte flow rate, electrolyte resistivity, applied voltage, and membrane to electrode spacing. The data collected is used in a parametric study of the cell performance. The results of this study are then used to establish general trends as to the effects of these parameters on the performance of the cells outside of a laboratory environment.

Why would they try:

In 2008, the University of Nevada Las Vegas (UNLV) University Libraries piloted the Educational Testing Service's standardised test of information, communication, and technology (ICT) skills (iSkills) in spring and autumn 2008. In the course of administering the test we explored motivational strategies, a critical component in low-stakes, low-personal-consequences testing. Motivational strategies included providing feedback on test performance, highlighting the value of the test for the individual student, and appealing to the student's willingness to improve the overall performance of the institution. We addressed ways to motivate students in order to enhance their level of participation in and performance on the test. As the use of standardised testing to benchmark student information skills is increasing within the information literacy community, it is vital to address these motivational aspects to ensure the generation of reliable data. This article describes the strategies and language the University Libraries used to convey value and stimulate interest; it also provides feedback from test-takers on why they tried to do their best on the test

THE ARCHAEOLOGY OF PUEBLO GRANDE DE NEVADA

Pueblo Grande de Nevada, more popularly known as “Lost City,” refers to a loosely defined series of archaeological sites in the Moapa Valley of southern Nevada. Excavated between the years of 1924 and 1941, these sites were to have a major impact on early-twentieth-century Southwestern archaeology. Despite the excitement that surrounded these finds at the time of their discovery, their legacy has largely been forgotten today. We argue one reason for this oversight is that the data obtained by the original researchers are inadequate for addressing the questions being asked of the region today. In particular, because plant and animal remains were not systematically recovered by the original researchers, the early fieldwork has provided only a broad sketch of the subsistence activities practiced in the region. To remedy these shortcomings, in 2006 archaeologists from the University of Nevada Las Vegas conducted additional excavations at House 20, a roomblock located within one of the so-called Lost City sites. In this paper, the history of the Lost City fieldwork is reviewed and results from our 2006 excavations are presented. The newly obtained data suggest that the inhabitants of House 20 were heavily invested in agriculture and utilized wild resources that could be obtained in the immediate vicinity.

UNLV Special Collections in the Twenty-First Century

University of Nevada Las Vegas (UNLV) Special Collections is consistently striving to provide several avenues of discovery to its diverse range of patrons. Specifically, UNLV Special Collections has planned and implemented several online tools to facilitate unearthing treasures in the collections. These online tools incorporate Web 2.0 features as well as searchable interfaces to collections.

Editorial Board Thoughts: Issue Introduction

Editorial Board Thoughts: Issue Introduction
 Discovery: What Do You Mean by That?

Success Factors and Strategic Planning: Rebuilding an Academic Library Digitization Program

This paper discusses a dual approach of case study and research survey to investigate the complex factors in sustaining academic library digitization programs. The case study involves the background of the University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV) Libraries’ digitization program and elaborates on the authors’ efforts to gain staff support for this program. A related survey was administered to all Association of Research Libraries (ARL) members, seeking to collect baseline data on their digital collections, understand their respective administrative frameworks, and to gather feedback on both negative obstacles and positive inputs affecting their success. Results from the survey, combined with the authors’ local experience, point to several potential success factors including staff skill sets, funding, and strategic planning.

Review of technetium chemistry research conducted at the University of Nevada Las Vegas

The chemistry of technetium is being explored at the University of Nevada Las Vegas. Our goal is to investigate both the applied and fundamental aspects of technetium chemistry, with a special emphasis on synthesis, separations, and materials science. The synthetic chemistry focuses on metal–metal multiple bonding, oxides and halides. Synthesis and characterizations of (n-Bu4N)2Tc2X8, Tc2(O2CCH3)4X2 (X = Cl, Br), TcO2, Bi2Tc2O7, Bi3TcO8, TcBr3 and TcBr4 have been performed. The applied chemistry is related to the behavior of Tc in the UREX process. Separation of U/Tc has been conducted using anion exchange resin and metallic Tc waste form synthesized and characterized.

Collection Assessment of Monograph Purchases at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas Libraries

The purpose of this article is to describe an assessment project of the monograph collection at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV) Lied Library. The circulation statistics and in-house use of all monographs for the nine colleges at UNLV were assessed analyzing the last five years of data. The analysis included an assessment of the circulation statistics and in-house use of books purchased on an approval plan compared with books purchased by individual liaison librarians. The findings illustrated the fact that overall use of the monograph collection has declined over the past five years. The findings also showed that books purchased on an approval plan had slightly higher use than the books purchased by individual liaisons. The study shows that academic libraries need to monitor usage of the monograph collection to be certain that money is spent in the most efficient manner and that usage data can be helpful if there is a need to reduce budget allocations for monographs or if a reallocation of funds for monographs is necessary.

An Experimental Approach to Understanding Thule Pottery Technology

The Arctic is poorly suited for pottery manufacture. For historic and prehistoric potters, the cool humid weather would have meant that clays were collected wet, that pots were formed and dried under humid conditions, and that the ground and fuels used during firing would be damp. These situations would have created substantial problems for potters. To investigate how these issues might have affected Thule pottery production, in 2004 the authors initiated a series of replication experiments. These experiments, informed by ethnographic accounts, were carried out in Tununak, Alaska and on the campus of the University of Nevada Las Vegas. Results of our experiments confirm the extreme difficulties associated with making pots in the Arctic. Additionally, they inform on the effects of some of the manufacturing techniques reported to have been used historically and shed light on why Arctic potters might have made the technological choices that they did.

Are Judges Overpaid?: A Skeptical Response to the Judicial Salary Debate

The public debate over the need to raise judicial salaries has been one-sided. Sentiment appears to be that judges are underpaid. But neither theory nor evidence provides much support for this view. The primary argument being made in favor of a pay increase is that it will raise the quality of judging. Theory suggests that increasing judicial salaries will improve judicial performance only if judges can be sanctioned for performing inadequately or if the appointments process reliably screens out low-ability candidates. However, federal judges and many state judges cannot be sanctioned, and the reliability of screening processes is open to question. An empirical study of the high court judges of the fifty states provides little evidence that raising salaries would improve judicial performance. 1. the sAlAry debAte Chief Justice John Roberts says that the pay increases that his colleagues have received over the past two decades are so inadequate as to create a “constitutional crisis” (Year-End Report 2007). Justice Kennedy says that “[because of inadequate judicial pay] the nation is in danger of having a judiciary that is no longer considered one of the leading judiciaries of the 1 Faculty at NYU, Duke, and Chicago law schools respectively. Thanks to Jonathan Baker, Scott Baker, Prea Gulati, Kimberly Krawiec, Jayanth Krishnan, David Levi, Raleigh Levine, Richard McAdams, Ann McGinley, Richard Posner, Jeff Rachlinski, Greg Shafer, David Snyder, Jeff Stempel, Joshua Teitelbaum, Un Kyung Park, and participants at seminars and workshops at the University of Chicago, Loyola University of Chicago, Cornell University, Duke University, Ohio State University, the University of Nevada-Las Vegas, the University of North Carolina, American University, and the William Mitchell Law School for comments. Thanks also to the judges who gave us good-natured albeit highly critical feedback. For research assistance, thanks to Jai Damle, John Niles, Craig Porges, Nathan Richardson, Lauren Tribble, Reed Watson, Jennifer Wimsatt, and Matthew Wolfe. Finally, thanks to Mark Ramseyer and an anonymous referee for their review and comments. Winter 2009: Volume 1, Number 1 ~ Journal of Legal Analysis ~ 47 1 48 ~ Choi, Gulati & Posner: Are Judges Overpaid? world” (Hearing 2007a). Justice Alito warns that “eroding judicial salaries will lead, sooner or later, to less capable judges and ultimately to inferior adjudication” (Hearing 2007b). Justice Breyer “believe[s] that something has seriously gone wrong with the judicial compensation system” (Hearing 2007a). Lower court judges, lawyers, public intellectuals, and law professors agree (Parker 2007). One hundred and thirty law school deans signed a letter urging judicial pay increases (Letter 2007). The American College of Trial Lawyers endorses a salary increase (American College of Trial Lawyers 2007). So does Paul Volker, the former Federal Reserve Board Chairman (Volker 2007). The complaints are not new—Chief Justice Rehnquist made them as did his predecessor, Chief Justice Burger (Frank 2003; Holt 2006). And they are not limited to federal judges. State judges and their supporters have been complaining equally loudly about inadequate pay (Schotland 2007; Sherwin 2007; Wise 2008). Judith Kaye, the Chief Judge of the highest court in New York, went so far as to file suit against the legislature and the governor, asserting that the legislature’s and governor’s refusal to provide adequate salary increases for judges was undermining judicial independence and effectiveness (Stashenko & Wise 2008). Are these complaints plausible? How does one tell whether someone—a judge, or someone else—is underpaid? The judges cite data showing that they are paid less than (some) foreign judges and (some) practicing lawyers in the United States and some law professors, but why are these people the relevant comparison? What if these people are overpaid? To evaluate the argument that judges are underpaid, one needs a theory of wage compensation and empirical evidence. However, so far neither theory nor evidence has played a large role in the public debates. The purpose of this article is to generate a debate over the proper theoretical and empirical foundations for determining the optimal level of judicial compensation. Setting out a simple theoretical model of judicial behavior, we demonstrate that the case for increasing the salaries of federal judges is weaker than recognized. However, the case may be stronger for state judges subject to a meaningful risk of job loss. We make several points. First, judicial pay cannot be evaluated in isolation. Pay is but one aspect of judicial compensation—which includes status, tenure, pensions, and the satisfaction derived from doing justice, affecting policy, and wielding power—and working conditions in general, which 2

Design and Synthesis of n-Type Organic−Inorganic Hybrid Material Incorporating CdSe Quantum Dots Nanocrystal Core and Diphenylquinoline Peripheral Group

ADVERTISEMENT RETURN TO ISSUEPREVCommunication to the...Communication to the EditorNEXTDesign and Synthesis of n-Type Organic−Inorganic Hybrid Material Incorporating CdSe Quantum Dots Nanocrystal Core and Diphenylquinoline Peripheral GroupMaksudul M. Alam*†, Mohammad Mushfiq†, Haesook Han‡, Pradip K. Bhowmik‡, and Kisholoy Goswami†View Author Information Innosense LLC, 2531 West 237th Street, Torrance, California 90505, and Department of Chemistry, University of Nevada Las Vegas, 4505 Maryland Parkway Box 454003, Las Vegas, Nevada 89154-4003* Corresponding author: e-mail [email protected], Tel 1-310-530-2011; Fax 1-310-530-2099.†Innosense LLC.‡University of Nevada Las Vegas.Cite this: Macromolecules 2008, 41, 21, 7790–7793Publication Date (Web):October 10, 2008Publication History Received24 June 2008Revised1 October 2008Published online10 October 2008Published inissue 11 November 2008https://doi.org/10.1021/ma801416xCopyright © 2008 American Chemical SocietyRIGHTS & PERMISSIONSArticle Views717Altmetric-Citations2LEARN ABOUT THESE METRICSArticle Views are the COUNTER-compliant sum of full text article downloads since November 2008 (both PDF and HTML) across all institutions and individuals. These metrics are regularly updated to reflect usage leading up to the last few days.Citations are the number of other articles citing this article, calculated by Crossref and updated daily. Find more information about Crossref citation counts.The Altmetric Attention Score is a quantitative measure of the attention that a research article has received online. Clicking on the donut icon will load a page at altmetric.com with additional details about the score and the social media presence for the given article. Find more information on the Altmetric Attention Score and how the score is calculated. Share Add toView InAdd Full Text with ReferenceAdd Description ExportRISCitationCitation and abstractCitation and referencesMore Options Share onFacebookTwitterWechatLinked InReddit Read OnlinePDF (636 KB) Get e-AlertsSupporting Info (1)»Supporting Information Supporting Information SUBJECTS:Cadmium selenide,Hybrid materials,Nanocrystals,Quantum dots,Transmission electron microscopy Get e-Alerts

Building a Better M.I.C.E. Trap: Using Virtual Focus Groups to Assess Subject Guides for Distance Education Students

ABSTRACT Subject guides are often used as an alternative to in-person library instruction for distance education students. However, when students are not on-campus, it can be difficult to assess if they are getting all of the relevant information they need. In an organization that serves students located across the United States and even outside of the country, a method was needed to assess the effectiveness of library information provided to distance learners on specific topics. The William F. Harrah College of Hotel Administration (Hotel College) at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV), offers a number of on-campus and distance education courses, including classes taught at a satellite campus in Singapore. With diverse course offerings via distance education, the conventions and exhibitions subject area was chosen as a case study. Often referred to as M.I.C.E., the study of meetings, incentives, conventions, and exhibitions in a hospitality context is a major subdiscipline within the Hotel College. After researching different approaches to studying the effectiveness of subject guides, a virtual focus group was chosen to gather feedback from students. This paper will demonstrate how focus groups can be created and how the information gathered can be used to increase effectiveness of subject guides. Readers will discover effective techniques and pitfalls for using virtual focus groups in conjunction with subject guides assessment.

Design and validation of a fuzzy logic controller for a smart projectile fin with apiezoelectric macro-fiber composite bimorph actuator

This paper focuses on the design and validation of a fuzzy logic controller for the smart finof a projectile. The hollow fin is actuated by a cantilevered piezoelectric bimorph that iscompletely enclosed within it. A linear model of the actuator and fin is identifiedexperimentally by exciting the system using a chirp signal. A procedure for designing agenetic algorithm (GA)-based fuzzy logic controller for the fin is presented. The controlleris validated using simulation and experimental testing that is conducted in the subsonicwind tunnel at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV). Results show that theproposed controller accomplishes the desired fin angle control under various operatingconditions.

“Democracy” and “Necessity” in the War on Terror

Click to increase image sizeClick to decrease image size Additional informationNotes on contributorsMartha Solomon WatsonMartha Solomon Watson is Sanford Berman Professor and Dean of the Greenspun College of Urban Affairs, University of Nevada Las Vegas

Preface: Special Issue on High-Performance Computing Architectures

Click to increase image sizeClick to decrease image size Additional informationNotes on contributorsM. YangMei Yang received her Ph.D. degree in Computer Science from the University of Texas at Dallas in August 2003. She is currently an Assistant Professor in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering at University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV). Before she joined UNLV, she was an Assistant Professor in the Department of Computer Science at Columbus State University from August 2003 to August 2004. Her current research interests include computer architectures, networking, and embedded systems.L. WangLing Wang received her Ph.D. degree in Electrical Engineering from University of Nevada, Las Vegas, USA, in 2003. In 2004, she joined the faculty of the College of Computer Science and Technology at Harbin Institute of Technology as Associate professor. Her primary interests are in VLSI design and various aspects of computer-aided design, and network-on-chip.

Trauma and Addiction: Implications for Helping Professionals

(1) Helping professionals and first responders often experience stressful and traumatic incidents on a daily basis, and sometimes several times per day. (2) Research in addictions suggests an important link between traumatic experiences and the potential for addiction. (3) The idea of self-medicating to cope with stress and trauma is common not only in patients but also in helping professionals and first responders. (4) Treatment of substance-related disorders, trauma disorders, and stress responses share an important common consideration--immediacy.

Numerical Simulation for Under-Floor Air Distribution System With Swirl Diffusers

A finite volume renormalization group (RNG) k-ε turbulent model was employed to simulate an under-floor air distribution (UFAD) system consisting of eight swirl diffusers. Mesh generation was conducted using PRO/E and GAMBIT. Computational fluid dynamics (CFD) results using FLUENT show both flow and thermal patterns for an instrumented laboratory room (Building Technology Laboratory-BTL) located at the University of Nevada Las Vegas. Simulation results are presented using symmetrical boundary settings for the BTL. Stratification heights and clear zones are discussed. The application of CFD simulation provides insightful analyses in UFAD design and placement.

Developmental Immunotoxicity of Trichloroethylene (TCE): Studies in B6C3F1 Mice

This study assessed the developmental immunotoxicity of trichloroethylene (TCE) in B6C3F1 mice exposed via drinking water (0, 1,400, 14,000 ppb) from gestation day 0 (GD0) to either 3 or 8 weeks of age. Lymphocyte proliferation, NK cell activity, SRBC-specific IgM production (PFC response), splenic B220+ cells, and thymic and splenic T-cell immunophenotypes were assessed at 3 and 8 weeks of age. Delayed type hypersensitivity (DTH) and autoantibodies to ds-DNA were assessed in 8-week old animals only. Proliferation and NK cell activity were not affected at either age. Decreased PFC responses were noted in male offspring at both ages and both TCE treatment levels. PFC responses in female offspring were suppressed by treatment with 14,000 ppb TCE at both ages assessed and at 1,400 ppb TCE at 8 weeks of age. Splenic numbers of B220 cells were only decreased in 3-week old pups exposed to 14,000 ppb TCE. The most pronounced alteration in T-cell subpopulations were increases in all thymic (CD4+, CD8+, CD4+/CD8+, and CD4-/CD8-) T-cell types in 8-week old animals. DTH was increased in females at both TCE levels and in males at the high dose only. These results indicate that TCE may be an effective developmental immunotoxicant and suggests that additional studies are required to determine the health risks associated with developmental exposure to TCE. *Present Address: Clinical Laboratory Sciences, University of Nevada-Las Vegas, 4505 Maryland Parkway, Las Vegas, NV, USA

Preliminary Commissioning and Energy Audit of a UNLV Building

ABSTRACT A partial commissioning and energy audit were performed on a recently constructed building at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV). Although the building is relatively new and has passed all building code requirements, it has not undergone a formal commissioning process to check that the mechanical systems, such as the heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC), were performing at optimally designed conditions. The building is approximately 35,000 ft2 spread over three floors. The following components and systems were inspected, tested, and/or analyzed during the project: rooftop units, ducting flow rates, VAV units, room supply air fl ows, thermostats, temperature control sensors, some preliminary aspects of IAQ, some aspects of lighting, hot water heating, occupancy and occupant perceptions, and operating parameters. The building chosen has an energy management system (EMS), and hence its data can be reasonably evaluated. In addition to the inspections of the above items in the above areas, an energy use simulation was conducted using RESHEAT to test the effects of changing thermostat and hours of operation settings on the predicted energy savings in the building. The simulation showed that with the proposed changes, as much as 16.0 percent reduction of energy use could be achieved. The proposed changes resulting from this study were deemed to minimally impact the interior environment and occupants.