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The IEEE Consumer Communications and Networking Conference (CCNC 2013) was held on January 11-14, 2013 at the Las Vegas Flamingo Hotel. The conference started on the last day of CES 2013, at which, for the first time, a new, consolidated IEEE booth highlighted innovation and scholarship in various engineering disciplines relevant to consumer electronics. IEEE ComSoc's part of the booth featured selected research prototype demonstrations from IEEE CCNC demonstration session participants, as well as samples of publications and calls for papers of our conferences, and information on IEEE ComSoc sponsored standards and standardization projects. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

This paper investigates relationships among casino revenue, crime rates, and the number of visitors in Las Vegas, Nevada. Numerous studies have attempted to assess the impact of casino activities on crime rates but have provided inconclusive results. Some studies have found that casino activities increase crime rates, while others find no significant relationship between casino gambling and crime rates. But all studies that have found casinos increase crime rates do not adjust the crime rate for the number of visitors to the area. The impact of casino activities on crime rates disappears, however, when crime rates are adjusted for visitors. This study revisits the question with consideration for the potential endogeneity among variables. This paper addresses endogeneity concerns by estimating the impact of casino activities on crime using a system of equations to represent casino activities, adjusted crime rates, and visitors. Three stage least squares is used to estimate the system. Results show that the impact of casino activities on crime rates persists even after crime rates are adjusted for the visitors. Efforts to reduce crime can be effective in boosting the Las Vegas regional economy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The advent of high-throughput next generation sequencing technologies have fostered enormous potential applications of supercomputing techniques in genome sequencing, epi-genetics, metagenomics, personalized medicine, discovery of non-coding RNAs and protein-binding sites. To this end, the 2008 International Conference on Bioinformatics and Computational Biology (Biocomp) - 2008 World Congress on Computer Science, Computer Engineering and Applied Computing (Worldcomp) was designed to promote synergistic inter/multidisciplinary research and education in response to the current research trends and advances. The conference attracted more than two thousand scientists, medical doctors, engineers, professors and students gathered at Las Vegas, Nevada, USA during July 14-17 and received great success. Supported by International Society of Intelligent Biological Medicine (ISIBM), International Journal of Computational Biology and Drug Design (IJCBDD), International Journal of Functional Informatics and Personalized Medicine (IJFIPM) and the leading research laboratories from Harvard, M.I.T., Purdue, UIUC, UCLA, Georgia Tech, UT Austin, U. of Minnesota, U. of Iowa etc, the conference received thousands of research papers. Each submitted paper was reviewed by at least three reviewers and accepted papers were required to satisfy reviewers' comments. Finally, the review board and the committee decided to select only 19 high-quality research papers for inclusion in this supplement to BMC Genomics based on the peer reviews only. The conference committee was very grateful for the Plenary Keynote Lectures given by: Dr. Brian D. Athey (University of Michigan Medical School), Dr. Vladimir N. Uversky (Indiana University School of Medicine), Dr. David A. Patterson (Member of United States National Academy of Sciences and National Academy of Engineering, University of California at Berkeley) and Anousheh Ansari (Prodea Systems, Space Ambassador). The theme of the conference to promote synergistic research and education has been achieved successfully. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Steel-fiber reinforced concrete (SFRC) brings favorable properties to concrete pavements. The use of the material is limited by the lack of an appropriate analysis method. This paper is the second in a series of two aimed at providing a modeling approach, which can be used to model the behavior of SFRC concrete and SFRC ground slabs. In this paper, a finite-element model, capable of simulating the nonlinear behavior of the SFRC slab, is proposed and compared with the slab's experimental response. An approximate model describing the behavior of the support layers is developed using results from a plate-bearing test. The same support model is adopted for the analysis of the combined structure of the slab and the support. The material model developed and tested in the first paper, for the SFRC containing 15 kg/m3 of steel fiber, is adopted for the analysis of the SFRC slabs. In addition, a parameter study is conducted to investigate the influence of concrete strength, steel-fiber content, and the support stiffness on the load displacement (P-Δ) response of SFRC ground slabs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Methods for estimating juvenile survival of wildlife populations often rely on intensive data collection efforts to capture and uniquely mark individual juveniles and observe them through time. Capturing juveniles in a time frame sufficient to estimate survival can be challenging due to narrow and stochastic windows of opportunity. For many animals, juvenile survival depends on postnatal parental care (e.g., lactating mammals). When a marked adult gives birth to, and provides care for, juvenile animals, investigators can use the adult mark to locate and count unmarked juveniles. Our objective was to leverage the dependency between juveniles and adults and develop a framework for estimating reproductive rates, juvenile survival, and detection probability using repeated observations of marked adult animals with known fates, but imperfect detection probability, and unmarked juveniles with unknown fates. Our methods assume population closure for adults and that no juvenile births or adoptions take place after monitoring has begun. We conducted simulations to evaluate methods and then developed a field study to examine our methods using real data consisting of a population of mule deer in a remote area in central Nevada. Using simulations, we found that our methods were able to recover the true values used to generate the data well. Estimates of juvenile survival rates from our field study were 0.96, (95% CRI 0.83–0.99) for approximately 32-day periods between late June and late August. The methods we describe show promise for many applications and study systems with similar data types, and our methods can be easily extended to unmanned aerial platforms and cameras that are already commercially available for the types of images we used. Supplementary materials accompanying this paper appear online. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recent trends in renewable energy development in the United States (U.S.) show that new installed capacity of utility-scale solar energy has exceeded 30% of total installed capacity of all sources per year since 2013. Photovoltaic solar energy provides benefits in that no emissions are produced; however, there are potential impacts from photovoltaic solar development on birds that include habitat loss and potential for collision mortality. Only 2 papers in the peer-reviewed literature present fatality information from fatality monitoring studies at a photovoltaic utility-scale solar energy facility; however, more data exists in unpublished reports. To provide a more comprehensive overview of bird mortality patterns, we synthesized results from fatality monitoring studies at 10 photovoltaic solar facilities across 13 site-years in California and Nevada. We found variability in the distribution of avian orders and species among and within Bird Conservation Regions, and found that water-obligate birds, which rely on water for take-off and landing, occurred at 90% (9/10) of site-years in the Sonoran and Mojave Deserts Bird Conservation Region. We found that a cause of mortality could not be determined for approximately 61% of intact carcasses, and that approximately 54% of all carcasses were feather spots, introducing uncertainty into the interpretation of the fatality estimates. The average annual fatality estimate we calculated for photovoltaic solar (high-end estimate of 2.49 birds per megawatt per year) is lower than that reported by another study (9.9 birds per megawatt per year) that included one photovoltaic facility. Our results provide a summary of fatalities in bird conservation regions where the facilities are located, but expanding our conclusions to new regions is limited by the location of facilities with fatality monitoring data. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There is a pressing need for new exploration tools to target and vector towards mineralization in covered terrains. Groundwater provides a valuable and under-utilized geochemical sampling medium, and represents an important and cost-effective tool to expose covered terrains to systematic exploration. For Au exploration, researchers agree the best hydrogeochemistry pathfinder is dissolved Au itself, with additional potential from other pathfinders (albeit non-unique) such as As, Ag, W and Mo. Despite Au's relatively low solubility, with rigorous field protocols and appropriate analytical methods, explorers can respond to dissolved Au directly with robust parts per trillion (ppt)-level analyses. Even with ppt-level analyses, a practical implication of Au's low solubility is that a deposit's dissolved Au signature is generally weaker than seen in other more mobile pathfinders, producing a smaller detectable footprint, which must be considered when designing exploration programmes. Using purpose-drilled groundwater sampling bores, explorers can collect groundwater samples at the density required to respond to dissolved Au where existing borehole coverage is otherwise insufficient. In addition to its use at the regional scale, with even tighter sample density, hydrogeochemistry also shows promise at the project scale, allowing the 3D modelling of pathfinder dispersion. For hydrogeochemistry to be widely adopted for Au exploration, explorers need confidence in ppt-level dissolved Au analyses, and the context to understand their significance. This paper aims to address these topics and provide a straightforward starting point for Au explorers interested in applying hydrogeochemistry by: (i) summarizing examples of regional sampling programmes and more focused case studies to illustrate how covered Au deposits create measurable dissolved Au footprints distinguishable from background; and (ii) sharing examples of dissolved Au analyses that are being integrated into exploration at the regional and project scales. As seen in the results, the distributions of dissolved Au in the regional- and project-scale programmes show remarkably similar and easy to interpret high-contrast, low-frequency anomalies against relatively low backgrounds. These are desirable attributes of any geochemical pathfinder. When combined with the benefits of hydrogeochemistry v. other geochemical exploration tools (e.g. groundwater can create larger footprints requiring fewer samples to detect, and groundwater can recharge from depth to reflect deeper mineralization), dissolved Au is a powerful pathfinder ideally suited for Au exploration in covered terrains. While this paper focuses on the use of dissolved Au, additional pathfinders can provide valuable information, including indications of lithological changes, hydrothermal alteration and different styles of mineralization, as well as opportunities to use secondary pathfinders when sample density or local conditions may not result in detectable dissolved Au signatures. Thematic collection: This article is part of the Exploration 17 collection available at: https://www.lyellcollection.org/cc/exploration-17 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tri-cone roller bits are mostly used for drilling blast holes in surface mines. One way of improving the efficiency of drilling operation and to reduce drilling cost is to determine the reliability of the existing bits and their components. This work investigates reliability of tri-cone roller bit based on failure of two of its main components, which are, inserts and bearings. The paper has considered complete failure mode (CFM) analysis based on warranty data collected from the field to determine the reliability of the individual components as well as for the complete bit unit drilling in sandstone rock overburden. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Effects of climate change are likely to be detected in nearly all sectors and regions of the economy, with both winners and losers. One of the consequences of climatic changes could be altered regional water supplies. This paper presents an investigation of regional agricultural implications of changes in water availability. Specifically, using a profit maximization approach, the economic consequences of altered water availability in the Great Basin of Nevada are analyzed in terms of the effects on net returns of agricultural producers. Under the scenarios analyzed in this paper, it is found that with adequate water systems, increase in streamflow and consequent increase in water availability could significantly benefit agricultural producers of this region. Net returns to irrigators could increase by 8 to 13 percent, not taking into account the possibility of changes in crop yields and prices. It is also shown that the benefits from increased water availability are sensitive to likely crop yield and price changes. The potential for adverse effects of climatic changes on water supply is also considered by analyzing the effects of decreased water availability. Under decreased water availability scenarios, farmer net returns decrease substantially. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Increasingly, urban and rural communities across the U.S. are looking at ecological systems as capital assets with values that are diminishing as they are degraded. Investments are needed so they can continue to provide ecological services critical to the environmental, social, and economic well-being of the communities. This paper explores ''reinvestment'' as term encouraging the development of mechanisms for sustained and long-term investment in ''natural capital,'' as well as the other forms of capital on which communities and society depend. It raises important questions on which there are information gaps, such as the value of ecological services, the level of investment needed to restore and maintain ecological systems, the activities to which investment dollars should be allocated, and where public and private investment dollars might come from. These questions are discussed at national, regional, and local scales, focusing on water-an ecological resource with immense value that connects ecosystems and communities at many scales. The paper presents lessons and reinvestment mechanisms from studies in California's Sierra Nevada ecosystem and community-based efforts in its northernmost drainage, the Feather River watershed. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

The IEEE Consumer Communications and Networking Conference (CCNC 2015), the leading international conference dedicated to driving the advance of networked consumer technologies, will hold its 12th annual meeting of global communications experts from January 9 - 12, 2015 in Las Vegas, Nevada, USA. Held each year in conjunction with the International Consumer Electronics Show (CES), the "Call for Papers" deadline is September 7, 2014 for original technical paper submissions. We invite papers that explore key industry topics ranging from wireless home and vehicular networking and peer-to-peer video conferencing to phishing and spam detection, mobile cloud computing, gamification and social signal processing. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Despite their ubiquity, surface occurrences of obsidian artifacts at archaeological sites throughout western North America have traditionally been viewed as unworthy of serious attention because of the difficulty in dating them. In the past 40 years, the time sensitivity of certain Great Basin projectile point types has been established, which brings the importance of surface collections more center stage. With the coming of age and refinement of geochemical methods, obsidian artifacts from these surface sites can now be analyzed using nondestructive instrumental methods and matched to their geological eruptive origin on the basis of congruence in trace and rare earth element chemistry. Many of these surface assemblages in the Great Basin contain considerable numbers of obsidian projectile points that, when matched to their chemical source of origin, open up entirely new ways to investigate change and continuity in past land use and social relations. The present study was conducted in the lower Humboldt Valley of western Nevada, where large numbers of obsidian projectile points have been collected by professional archaeologists over the past century and housed in academic institutions and museums. In this study, more than 900 obsidian projectile points and bifaces were analyzed from 24 sites and localities within the lower Humboldt Valley using energy-dispersive X-ray fluorescence (EDXRF) to bring data to bear on the question of whether changes in obsidian source use occurred there over the past 5000 years (as determined by time-sensitive projectile points). Significant changes were identified in the direction and distance-tosource of arrow points vs. dart points, and in the source and direction of Humboldt series points and of Humboldt Basal-notched bifaces, which implicate directional shifts through time in social relations among peoples using—and during some periods living at sites in—the lower Humboldt Valley. These results provide independent data to evaluate current views about land use, artifact conveyance, social relations, and technological change in the western Great Basin and beyond. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although several approaches have been proposed in the literature to utilize inverter-based distributed energy resources (DERs) in the secondary frequency control (SFC), challenges related to practically implementing SFC with inverter-based DERs have not been considered. These challenges include response time of DERs, the communication environment, and emulation of the actual Automatic Generation Control (AGC). This paper develops and implements a coordinated operation and control for below the substation resources such as inverter-based DERs and a utility-scale battery energy storage system (USBESS) to participate in the secondary frequency control. A linearized optimization problem is formulated to simultaneously determine optimal setpoints of participating resources and satisfy AGC requests in real time for the secondary frequency control. To mimic the actual process of AGC, a hardware- and software-in-the-loop-based experimental setup is developed with the integration of real-time digital simulators (RTDS), a centralized controller at the substation, and gateways as IoT devices, which are commonly used in practice to interface DERs to control and monitoring systems. The controller remains in listening mode until it receives an AGC signal. When it receives an AGC signal, it optimally dispatches the USBESS and DERs and monitors the change in power flow at the substation. The controller iteratively dispatches the participating resources considering their response time until the AGC request is satisfied. The proposed control is implemented on an actual feeder configuration located in Las Vegas, Nevada, in collaboration with NV Energy—the largest public utility in Nevada. The results illustrate that USBESS and DERs can be coordinated and dispatched to satisfy AGC requests for SFC. • Novel linearized optimization-based secondary frequency controller • High fidelity prototype for practical implementation of AGC on real system • Combined hardware-and software-in-the-loop-based real-time laboratory setup for AGC [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Southwestern North America is currently experiencing a multidecadal megadrought, with severe consequences for water resources. However, significant uncertainty remains about 21st century precipitation changes in this semi-arid region. Paleoclimatic records are essential for both contextualizing current change, and for helping constrain the sensitivity of regional hydroclimate to large-scale global climate. In this paper, we present a new 2.8 Ma to present compound-specific isotopic record from Clayton Valley, the site of a long-lived paleolake in the southern Great Basin. Hydrogen and carbon isotopes from terrestrial plant leaf waxes provide evidence of past shifts in rainfall seasonality as well as ecosystem structure, and help contextualize the formation of this lithium-rich lacustrine basin. Our results suggest that regional hydroclimates underwent a substantial reorganization at the Plio-Pleistocene boundary, especially between 2.6 and 2.0 Ma. In this interval, a reduced latitudinal temperature gradient in the North Pacific likely resulted in a northward shift in storm tracks, and a reduction in winter rainfall over the southern Great Basin. This occurred against a background of increased summer rainfall and a greater accumulation of lithium in the lake basin. Our interpretation is corroborated by a compilation of Plio-Pleistocene north Pacific sea surface temperature records, as well as an isotope-enabled model simulation. Overall, these results suggest that past shifts in rainfall seasonality helped set the stage for the development and dessication of lithium-rich lacustrine deposits. • We present a new record from Clayton Valley, Nevada in the southern Great Basin. • Leaf wax hydrogen isotopes reveal long-term changes in rainfall seasonality. • Reduced winter rainfall between 2.6 and 2.0 Ma driven by ocean temperature changes. • Hydroclimate changes critical to formation of lithium-rich lacustrine deposits. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Fire Ecology is the property of Springer Nature and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Evaluating arterial operational performance plays a pivotal role in arterial system management and enhancement. As a fundamental reference guide for traffic engineers, the Highway Capacity Manual (HCM) provides a series of analysis methodologies for evaluating multimodal operations on urban streets, highways, freeways, and off-street pathways. However, the efficient use of the performance evaluation methodology of urban street facilities for motorized vehicles in the HCM can be restricted by a large amount of traffic volume collections at signalized and access point intersections, roadway segment geometric data inputs, and complicated calculation procedures on urban street segments. Further, the use of alternative tools, such as vehicle trajectory data, remains to be explored to supplement the urban street facility calculation framework in the HCM. To bridge the gap, this research utilizes vehicle trajectory data as an alternative tool and proposes a combined vehicle trajectory data and HCM calculation framework to implement and assess the existing performance evaluation methodology of urban street facilities for motorized vehicles in the HCM 7th Edition. A case study was carried out on three major signalized arterials in Sparks, Nevada, for HCM methodology implementation and performance evaluation. Based on evaluation results, it was found that vehicle trajectory data can be utilized as an alternative tool to implement the performance evaluation methodology of urban street facilities for motorized vehicles in the HCM 7th Edition. It is recommended to combine arterial through-vehicle trajectories, the time-space diagram, arterial level of service (LOS), and the poorest segment LOS for arterial operational performance evaluation and further enhancement. The proposed automobile traveler perception score (ATPS) in the HCM was found to be insensitive to reflecting traveler’s perception of service quality. Additional traveler perception-based factors are recommended to be included for further ATPS development and enhancement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Evaluating arterial operational performance plays a pivotal role in arterial system management and enhancement. As a fundamental reference guide for traffic engineers, the Highway Capacity Manual (HCM) provides a series of analysis methodologies for evaluating multimodal operations on urban streets, highways, freeways, and off-street pathways. However, the efficient use of the performance evaluation methodology of urban street facilities for motorized vehicles in the HCM can be restricted by a large amount of traffic volume collections at signalized and access point intersections, roadway segment geometric data inputs, and complicated calculation procedures on urban street segments. Further, the use of alternative tools, such as vehicle trajectory data, remains to be explored to supplement the urban street facility calculation framework in the HCM. To bridge the gap, this research utilizes vehicle trajectory data as an alternative tool and proposes a combined vehicle trajectory data and HCM calculation framework to implement and assess the existing performance evaluation methodology of urban street facilities for motorized vehicles in the HCM 7th Edition. A case study was carried out on three major signalized arterials in Sparks, Nevada, for HCM methodology implementation and performance evaluation. Based on evaluation results, it was found that vehicle trajectory data can be utilized as an alternative tool to implement the performance evaluation methodology of urban street facilities for motorized vehicles in the HCM 7th Edition. It is recommended to combine arterial through-vehicle trajectories, the time-space diagram, arterial level of service (LOS), and the poorest segment LOS for arterial operational performance evaluation and further enhancement. The proposed automobile traveler perception score (ATPS) in the HCM was found to be insensitive to reflecting traveler’s perception of service quality. Additional traveler perception-based factors are recommended to be included for further ATPS development and enhancement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Presents an abstract of the study `Molecular Archaeology: An Analysis of Ancient Native American DNA from Western Nevada' by F.A. Kaestle.

Copyright of Western North American Naturalist is the property of Monte L. Bean Life Science Museum and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

The purpose of this paper is to describe the development, actions, and evaluation of a university-based, transdisciplinary coalition so that the model may be replicated in other university or multidisciplinary systems. The University of Nevada Las Vegas (UNLV) Mental and Behavioral Health Coalition addresses Nevada's workforce shortages through multi-disciplinary faculty collaboration among seven training programs at UNLV that produce mental health professionals. The coalition's collaborative approach to solution-generating work has served as a catalyst for professional integration in the community as a whole. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Global Stratotype Section and Point of the mid-Carboniferous boundary was selected in the Arrow Canyon section within the lower Bird Spring Formation at the first evolutionary appearance of the conodont Declinognathodus noduliferus (Ellison and Graves) sensu lato. The studied boundary beds, spanning a 38.8-m interval from the UpperMississippian into the Lower Pennsylvanian, occur in bryozoan-brachiopod-crinoidal grainstones/packstones with conodonts and foraminifers. The conodonts of the studied interval belong to the shallow-water Adetognathus-Rhachistognathus biofacies. The Adetognathus and Rhachistognathus species/subspecies A. lautus (=A. gigantus), A. spathus, R. minutus minutus, R. muricatus, R. primus, R. prolixus, R. websteri and transitional forms dominate the succession. Gnathodus girtyi simplex, G. lanei n. sp., G. defectus and transitional forms between them are abundant. The elements of the boundary-marker D. noduliferus s. l. and transitional forms between G. girtyi simplex and D. inaequalis are less common. The occurrences of Idiognathoides spp. are very rare. Neognathodus spp. only occur in the upper part of the studied interval. The mid-Carboniferous boundary stratotype has been studied by many workers but its conodonts have been rarely described systematically. The detailed updated descriptions of themost stratigraphically important taxa are given in this paper. The evolution of Gnathodus, Adetognathus and Rhachistognathus species within the mid-Carboniferous interval is discussed. Four lineages are summarized: 1) C. unicornis, A. unicornis, A. lautus and A. spathus; 2) G. girtyi girtyi, G. g. simplex and D. inaequalis; 3) G. lanei and G. defectus; and 4) R. prolixus, R. muricatus and R. websteri/R. primus/R. minutus. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Spectral mixing models for minerals can be complex, and choosing the right unmixing model is indispensable to ensure the accuracy of spectral unmixing. Continuum removal (CR) and natural log operation have the potential to eliminate nonlinear effects in spectral mixing, and have already been used in nonlinear spectral unmixing applications. In this study, the newly proposed log and CR (LCR) model and four other spectral unmixing models for mineral analysis (the linear model, CR model, natural log model, and simplified Hapke model) were summarized and applied to both laboratory mineral powder spectra and hyperspectral data of Cuprite, Nevada, USA. This paper summarizes the concept of mixing reflectance reconstruction (MRR), along with a comprehensive method to determine accuracy based on MRR results, which can be performed in different dimensions, such as spatial dimension and spectral dimension. The LCR model performed the best in both laboratory experiments and image data analysis, indicating its strong potential for practical application. The level of atmospheric correction's influence on unmixing accuracy varied for different spectral unmixing models, among which LCR model also had the best performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nevada was one of the hardest-hit states during the recent financial crisis and is still far behind the rest of the country in recovery (Luhby, 2012). Since 2008, the Nevada System of Higher Education has seen a 20.3% decrease in state support (Palmer, 2012). With state funds significantly reduced and funding required for student success initiatives on an increase, Truckee Meadows Community College (TMCC) found itself needing to maximize the generation of non- state funds. One area that had great potential as an excellent source of non-state funds was summer session. Although TMCC's summer session had always been run as a self-supporting entity, it had not been run under a profit- (surplus-) generating business model. When internal reorganization had left the summer session program without a dedicated administrator, it was decided that the dean of business would take on that role. This decision was made specifically so summer session would be run as a surplus-generating business. The transition from the past-which had seen summer session less as a value to the institution and more as a value to participating faculty-to a model that works within the policy to maximize returns to the institution, provide fair compensation to faculty, and ensure that student needs are met, has been wrought with a number of challenges. This paper reviews the process and outcomes, including the major opportunities and challenges in the three years since the transition took place. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper explores teaching and learning applications at the intersection between Universal Design for Learning, Assistive Technology, and mainstream educational technology. Informed by the SETT framework in which the technology choice is informed by student, environment, and task (Dell, Newton, & Petroff, 2017; Zabala, 2005), this paper is designed for a learner-profile consistent with learners who need concrete and visual approaches to optimize receptive and expressive communication. The visual and interactive approaches shared here include Universal Design, graphic organizers, and comic strip creations, and may appeal to teachers of students on the autism spectrum as well as others who are responsive to visual supports. While it is not possible to predict the exact nature of the environment and tasks at hand for these students, the paper leaves those decisions in the hands of the readers. Approaches and suggestions shared here reflect practitioner experience, findings from the literature, and data from a 2016 course, in which a small number of diverse students reinforced the concept that UDL approaches increased their engagement and success.

Information about the Annual IEEE Consumer Communications and Networking Conference which was held in Las Vegas, Nevada on January 10-13, 2009 is presented. It was held with the Consumer Electronics Show and was attended by nearly 450 participants. The event was highlighted with its theme "Empowering the Connected Consumer."

BACKGROUND: In the United States, about 38,000 cases of nonfatal workplace injuries were reported in 2015, in the category of 'mechanical work' (plumbing, heating, and air conditioning); this is nearly identical to the number of cases reported under 'building construction'. OBJECTIVE: This paper analyzes the types and rates of injuries and illnesses of mechanical contractors of southern Nevada, including the nature of the injuries and illnesses, body parts affected by injuries, causes of injuries, and factors affecting the injury rates. METHODS: To obtain data, a survey consisting of questions regarding the number of injuries and types of injuries was conducted with 31 mechanical contractors of southern Nevada involved in plumbing, piping, heating, refrigeration, and air conditioning. RESULTS: The injury rate for larger mechanical contractors (n = 16), in terms of number of employees and annual revenue, was significantly lower than for smaller mechanical contractors (n = 15). Mechanical contractors who worked on residential buildings (n = 13) had significantly higher rates of injuries than those involved with industrial (n = 7) or commercial buildings (n = 10). Results showed that sprains and strains (31%) were dominant injuries, and the major causes were from parts and materials (39%), hand tools (16%), contact with objects (14%), and falls (7%). CONCLUSIONS: The study concluded that the injury rate for these mechanical contractors was found to be higher than that reported by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration for specialty trade contractors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Accessible summary What is known on the subject? Resilience is an ability and a process that allows an individual to develop positive adaptation despite challenges and adversities., Many military veterans returning to college after their military service have difficulty transitioning to civilian life., Although some research exists that explores factors related to the resilience of college student veterans, limited theoretical descriptions exist that explain how student veterans construct resilience, and how resilience is enacted and enhanced in their academic and personal (non-academic) lives., What this paper adds to existing knowledge? The resilience of student veterans involves a complex process of transitioning from military to civilian life and an iterative journey between positive adaptation and transient perturbations., Student veterans' resilience is a result of integrating and resolving various aspects of their academic and personal challenges., What are the implications for practice? Nurses can apply this grounded theory as a practical framework for equipping student veterans with effective strategies to develop and enhance resilience., Nurses can employ a holistic approach of care in their interactions with military veterans and student veterans that includes fostering psychological resilience, helping to manage their multiple non-academic responsibilities and supporting their academic success., Abstract Introduction Adjusting to college life is one of the most difficult experiences in a military veteran's transition to civilian life. Many military veterans returning to college not only encounter academic challenges, but also deal with physical and psychiatric disabilities, loss of military camaraderie and social disconnect. These often negatively affect their personal and academic lives. Hence, it is important to explore resilience to best support student veterans as they transition from military to civilian life. Aim The aim of this study was to explore how student veterans construct and enact resilience within their personal and academic lives. Method Using constructivist grounded theory methodology, in-depth individual interviews were conducted with 20 military veterans enrolled as undergraduate students at a U.S. university. Results The process of 'integrating,' which represents student veterans' construction and enactment of resilience, was the core category. This category has three subcategories: (1) the aspects; (2) the expressions; and (3) the enactments of resilience. Implications for practice Nurses can use this grounded theory as the practical framework for their interactions with military veterans, and more particularly with supporting student veterans in their academic lives, in their personal lives and in the transition from military to civilian life. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Liquefaction has caused severe damage to buildings and infrastructure during numerous earthquakes, leading researchers to develop constitutive models that can capture complex soil behaviour in liquefaction-induced phenomena. Constitutive models require validation against laboratory or real-world data to assess their capability. This paper first discusses the recent implementation of the stress-density (S-D) model in the OpenSees finite element platform. Subsequently, calibration and validation phases evaluate the performance of the S-D model against two previously conducted centrifuge tests. Single-element simulations of cyclic simple shear tests inform the parameter calibration for the Nevada sand, which comprises the two main layers in the centrifuge tests. The validation phase consists of eight 1-D site response analyses in OpenSees compared to the centrifuge tests in terms of accelerations, spectral accelerations, pore water pressures, and settlements. The current study shows that the model reasonably predicts the soil behaviour in terms of acceleration and pore water pressure, particularly in the liquefiable layer. • Validation analysis of stress-density model in OpenSees. • Models for single-element cyclic shear and centrifuge 1D site response. • Shear strain saturation evident in single-element calibration. • Reasonable prediction of pore pressure by S-D model in the liquefiable layer. • Underestimation of volumetric settlements by S-D and PM4Sand models. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

More than half of National Parks in the United States report the presence of invasive animals. Here we report a checklist of non-native aquatic fauna at Lake Mead National Recreation Area, Nevada, with the earliest reported sighting in 1940. Seventy-two species of non-native aquatic fauna were found representing six taxonomic groups. 41 (57%) are established, 9 (13%) are either eradicated or failed, and the status of 19 species (26%) is unknown. This comprehensive species list represents a preliminary step in developing monitoring programs for invasive species currently found within Lakes Mead and Mohave. It will also help inform the development of early detection and rapid response activities and monitoring to safeguard the park from future invasions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Communities that are historically marginalized and minoritized were disproportionately impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic due to long-standing social inequities. It was found that those who experience social vulnerabilities faced a heightened burden of COVID-19 morbidities and mortalities and concerningly lower rates of COVID-19 vaccination. The CDC's Social Vulnerability Index (CDC-SVI) is a pivotal tool for planning responses to health crises such as the COVID-19 pandemic. This study explores the associations between CDC-SVI and its corresponding themes with COVID-19 vaccine uptake in Nevada counties. Additionally, the study discusses the utility of the CDC-SVI in the context of equitable vaccine uptake in a pandemic setting. We examined the linear association between the 2020 CDC-SVI (including the composite score and the four themes) and COVID-19 vaccine uptake (including initial and complete vaccinations) for the seventeen Nevada counties. These associations were further examined for spatial-varied effects. Each CDC-SVI theme was negatively correlated with initial and complete COVID-19 vaccine uptake (crude) except for minority status, which was positively correlated. However, all correlations were found to be weak. Excessive vaccination rates among some counties are not explained by the CDC-SVI. Overall, these findings suggest the CDC-SVI themes are a better predictor of COVID-19 vaccine uptake than the composite SVI score at the county level. Our findings are consistent with similar studies. The CDC-SVI is a useful measure for public health preparedness, but with limitations. Further understanding is needed of which measures of social vulnerability impact health outcomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

(1) Background: To address the importance of engaging American Indian and Alaska Native Elders in a dialogue about healthy aging and fill the gap in the scholarly literature on this topic. (2) Methods: This study conducted a listening session with Elders who attended the 2021 National Indian Council on Aging (NICOA) Annual Conference in Reno, Nevada. The listening session was audio-recorded and transcribed for thematic analysis by two analysts. (3) Results: Important insights regarding American Indian and Alaska Native Elders' perspectives on planning for future care and aging-related diseases, such as Alzheimer's disease. (4) Conclusions: This study is one of the first to engage American Indian and Alaska Native Elders in a conversation about health aging. Calls for intergenerational solidarity, protection of Elders, education, and relationality were found to be important themes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A plethora of names has been applied to upper Cambrian and Lower Ordovician lithostratigraphic units distributed from western Utah to southeastern and central Nevada. We report comprehensive stratigraphic analysis utilizing lithologic, conodont, brachiopod, sequence stratigraphic, and carbon isotope data from several ranges in southeastern Nevada. Those data demonstrate that upper Cambrian to Lower Ordovician strata in that area belong to a variety of depositional systems that can be integrated into a comprehensive and functional depositional model that span carbonate tidal flat to shallow marine carbonate ramp to shelf to deep marine settings. Most of these strata should be placed within a single lithostratigraphic nomenclature based on the well-known Notch Peak Formation and House Limestone of western Utah. Strata of the Whipple Cave Formation in the South Egan Range, Nevada are reassigned to the three members of the Notch Peak Formation. Strata assigned to the Nopah Formation and Pogonip Group by geologic mappers who worked in the Delamar Mountains, Meadow Valley Mountains, Sheep Range, and Arrow Canyon Range in Nevada are reassigned to the Notch Peak Formation and overlying House Limestone. Coeval strata farther west record a deeper marine depositional setting and are appropriately assigned to the Windfall Formation and Goodwin Limestone. Conodonts and sequence stratigraphic packages identified from slope deposits of the Hales Limestone at Tybo Canyon in the Hot Creek Range allow correlation to the Notch Peak Formation and House Limestone in western Utah. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Scalding water, plummeting cage elevators, cave-ins, fiery explosions, toxic air. These were among the many hazards of silver ore mining on Nevada's Comstock Lode in the late 1800s. This article explores the nature of silver mining society in the 1860s and 1870s, focusing on the dangerous conditions in which miners worked in the mineshafts that ran beneath the communities of Virginia City and Gold Hill, Nevada. The material culture and conditions of mining, the article argues, were central to determining the community's needs and the charitable efforts mounted to address them. Philanthropic work and fundraising for a diverse set of causes--from attending to individuals' needs to building a hospital to running an orphanage--shaped residents' social and cultural lives, as well as the built environment in which they lived. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Youjiang Basin in China is the world's second-largest concentrated area of Carlin-type Au deposits after Nevada, USA, boasting cumulative Au reserves nearing 1000 t. This study examined the recently unearthed Lintan Carlin-type Au deposit within the Youjiang Basin. Factor analysis and association rule algorithms were used to identify exploration vectors and indicators essential for navigating this promising geological territory. In the Lintan mining area, the geological strata encompass the Triassic Bianyang, Niluo, and Xuman formations comprised clastic rocks, followed by the deeper Permian Wujiaping Formation with massive carbonate rocks. The orebodies are restricted to the F14 inverse fault, cutting through the Xuman Formation, with an additional F7 fault between the Wujiaping and Xuman formations. A total of 125 rock samples from the F14 fault and a representative cross-section were analyzed for 15 elements (Au, Ag, As, Bi, Cd, Co, Cu, Hg, Mo, Ni, Pb, Sb, Tl, W, and Zn). The elements were divided into four groups based on cluster and factor analysis. Group 1 (Co, Cu, Zn, Ni, Tl, W, and Bi) was mainly enriched in the Xuman, Niluo, and Bianyang formations controlled by sedimentary diagenesis. Group 2 (Au, As, Hg, and Sb) was concentrated in the F14 and F7 faults, representing Au mineralization. Group 3 (Pb, Ag, and Mo) was mostly enriched near the F14 and F7 faults, displaying a peripheral halo of Au mineralization, and was probability controlled by ore-forming hydrothermal activities. Group 4 (Cd and Mo) exhibited extreme enrichment along the periphery of the F7 fault. This pattern indicates the presence of a substantial hydrothermal alteration zone surrounding the fault, likely influenced by ore-forming hydrothermal processes. Additionally, Pb, Ag, Cd, Mo, and W are considered essential indicators for ore formation besides Au, As, Sb, Hg, and Tl. Twelve effective association rules were derived using the association rule algorithm, which can aid in discriminating Au mineralization. The spatial distributions of the 15 elements indicated that the F14 fault is the main ore-bearing fracture zone, while the F7 fault serves as the ore-conducting structure, channeling ore-forming fluids into the F14 fault. Faults between the Wujiaping and Xuman formations, along with their associated reverse faults, present potential prospecting targets both within and outside the Lintan Au deposit in the Youjiang Basin. Exploration geochemical data can be fully utilized by combining factor analysis and association rule algorithms, offering key guidance for prospecting Carlin-type gold and similar deposits. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]