Las Vegas Paperboy

I’m an author and journalist who has lived in Las Vegas since 1997. My first book, Beneath the Neon: Life and Death in the Tunnels of Las Vegas, chronicles my adventures in the city’s underground flood channels. My second book, My Week at the Blue Angel: And Other Stories from the Storm Drains, Strip Clubs, and Trailer Parks of Las Vegas, is a creative-nonfiction collection set in off-the-beaten-path Vegas. These two books grew out of my eight years as a writer and editor for Las Vegas CityLife alternative-weekly paper. I enrolled in UNLV’s MFA creative-writing program in the fall of 2012, in part to help me transition from journalism to fiction writing. A key component of this transition is my thesis, a short novel that combines elements of journalism, fiction, and memoir. The novel’s (or fictional memoir’s) working title is Las Vegas Paperboy and it’s narrated by an alt-weekly writer and editor named Dylan Walsh, who was laid off during the recession and is stuck delivering a paper route in the shadow of the Las Vegas Strip—and he’s not happy about it. Through raw, diary-like entries, Dylan takes readers with him on the route, set in the service-industry slums of Sin City, and introduces them to a cast of non-stereotypical characters: a radical spoken-word poet and pro-wrestling promoter, a burned-out high school teacher, a Cuban love interest. The narrator and characters share their unique insights on Las Vegas, the recession, the media, and any other topic that makes the headlines of the Daily Express, the ultra-conservative paper delivered by the liberal Dylan. Beneath the Neon and My Week at the Blue Angel take readers into the storm drains, weekly motels, and low-rent apartments of Las Vegas. Paperboy ventures into similar seedy settings, but also attempts to explore the psyche of the city. The book examines what it’s like to be a longtime local and all the ups and downs that come with it. Other themes include immigration and homelessness. Illustrated by urban artist Joseph Watson, Las Vegas Paperboy strives to be a work of stark realism—a vivid examination of how the recession affected people at ground zero. It’s, in some ways, modeled on street-lit works Pimp (Iceberg Slim) and Post Office (Charles Bukowski) and it also borrows from Ask the Dust (John Fante) and Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas (Hunter S. Thompson), but its goal is to be a unique book for a unique time and place. I, however, realize I have work to do to reach this goal. My plan is to push the book forward the rest of the school year and get within a few chapters of the end. I will then spend the summer working on another draft and completing the final chapters. This subsequent draft will focus on a few key changes, first and foremost giving the book more conflict and narrative drive (perhaps Dylan is heartbroken when we meet him and, through his relationship with Sofia, he either finds redemption or more disappointment). I also plan to add depth to certain points and sections, add a few more poetic chapters, trim the dialogue, and introduce the characters more spontaneously (i.e., eliminate the “staging”). I compare the book, in its current form, to a photo that’s out of focus. Once I find the main conflict, I believe that a lot of the peripheral content will become clear

Tilling the Cram Down Landscape: Using Securitization Data to Expose the Fundamental Fallacies of Till

It is almost universally recognized that the Bankruptcy Code\u27s protection for consumers is justifiable under the theory that an \u27\u27entrepreneurial economy prospers when honest but unfortunate debtors are given a fresh opportunity to swim back into the productive mainstream rather than being forced down to drown. The amount of protection the Bankruptcy Code (hereinafter, the Code ) should afford consumers, on the other hand, is a source of much disagreement. Long-standing debate over this issue was, in fact, the basis for the controversy surrounding the Bankruptcy Abuse Prevention and Consumer Protection Act ( the Act ) that the President signed into law in April of 2005. The Act makes the most substantial changes to the Bankruptcy Code since its enactment in 1978, \u27 and appears to be a major victory for those who believe consumer abuse had overwhelmed the bankruptcy process and that reform was necessary in order to heighten the integrity of the system and to increase the accountability of debtors, creditors and their counsel. In the midst of all of the attention over the Act, however, commentators and politicians have in large part overlooked what the Act did not change. Most importantly, the Act failed to address several vital controversies surrounding Chapter 13, and these oversights will continue to present major hurdles to bankruptcy practitioners, petitioners, and secured creditors in the coming years

The Effect of Organizational Commitment on Teacher-Coach Burnout

The purpose of this investigation was to explore the levels of burnout and organizational commitment within teacher-coaches, and additionally, to explore the degree to which organizational commitment mediated the relationship between teacher-coaches and burnout. The data was analyzed with quantitative analyses including multiple regression analysis and mediation analysis. Survey data was collected through the use of the Maslach Burnout Inventory - Educators Survey (Maslach, 1986) and the Meyer, Allen, and Smith’s (1993) Revised Three-Component Model (TCM) Commitment Survey. In total, 42 teacher-coaches and 21 teachers from Orange County, NY were eligible for the study, and thus, 63 total sets of data were analyzed. Additional background questions were added to the survey items for grouping purposes. The background questions were designed to probe the participants’ gender, subjects taught, sports coached, years of teaching experience, and years with current organization. The analyses revealed a significant difference between teachers and teacher-coaches in the personal accomplishment subscale of burnout, in the sense that teacher-coaches yielded a significantly greater level of accomplishment. The results also revealed a significantly higher level of affective commitment in teacher-coaches relative to teachers. Furthermore, mediation analysis showed evidence of partial mediation of the relationship between teacher-coaches and personal accomplishment by affective commitment. Future research should explore the impact of wins and losses on the relationship between a coach and their level accomplishment and commitment. Future research may also explore the degree to which the various sports individually impact this relationship given the varying degree of popularity and following among the individual interscholastic sports. Lastly, future research should be dedicated to finding the degree to which a teacher’s level of burnout and commitment is influenced by participating in other extracurricular roles within the school that are not sport-based

Ports and Pests: Assessing the Threat of Aquatic Invasive Species Introduced by Maritime Shipping Activity in Cuba

Aquatic invasive species (AIS) are biological pollutants that cause detrimental ecological, economic, and human-health effects in their introduced communities. With increasing globalization through maritime trade, ports are vulnerable to AIS exposure via commercial vessels. The Cuban Port of Mariel is poised to become a competitive transshipment hub in the Caribbean and the intent of this study was to evaluate present and potential impacts AIS pose with the likely future increase in shipping activity. We utilized previous assessment frameworks and publicly accessible information to rank AIS by level of threat. Fifteen AIS were identified in Cuba and one, the Asian green mussel Perna viridis (Linnaeus, 1758), had repeated harmful economic impacts. Five species associated with trade partners of Port Mariel were considered potentially detrimental to Cuba if introduced through shipping routes. The results presented herein identify species of concern and emphasize the importance of prioritizing AIS prevention and management within Cuba

Diagnostic criteria for problematic Internet use among U.S. university students: A mixed-methods evaluation

Empirical studies have identified increasing rates of problematic Internet use worldwide and a host of related negative consequences. However, researchers disagree as to whether problematic Internet use is a subtype of behavioral addiction. Thus, there are not yet widely accepted and validated diagnostic criteria for problematic Internet use. To address this gap, we used mixed-methods to examine the extent to which signs and symptoms of problematic Internet use mirror DSM-5 diagnostic criteria for substance use disorder, gambling disorder, and Internet gaming disorder. A total of 27 university students, who self-identified as intensive Internet users and who reported Internet-use-associated health and/or psychosocial problems were recruited. Students completed two measures that assess problematic Internet use (Young’s Diagnostic Questionnaire and the Compulsive Internet Use Scale) and participated in focus groups exploring their experiences with problematic Internet use. Results of standardized measures and focus group discussions indicated substantial overlap between students’ experiences of problematic Internet use and the signs and symptoms reflected in the DSM-5 criteria for substance use disorder, gambling disorder, and Internet gaming disorder. These signs and symptoms included: a) use Internet longer than intended, b) preoccupation with the Internet, c) withdrawal symptoms when unable to access the Internet, d) unsuccessful attempts to stop or reduce Internet use, e) craving, f) loss of interest in hobbies or activities other than the Internet, g) excessive Internet use despite the knowledge of related problems, g) use of the Internet to escape or relieve a negative mood, and h) lying about Internet use. Tolerance, withdrawal symptoms, and recurrent Internet use in hazardous situations were uniquely manifested in the context of problematic Internet use. Implications for research and practice are discussed

The Effect of U.S. University Students\u27 Problematic Internet Use on Family Relationships: A Mixed-Methods Investigation

This is the first study to investigate how college students in the U.S. with problematic Internet use perceive the role the Internet plays within their families of origin. The sample included 27 U.S. university students who self-identified as excessive Internet users. Participants reported spending more than 25 hours a week on the Internet on non-school or non-work-related activities and reported Internet-associated health and/or psychosocial problems. This study provides descriptive statistics from participants\u27 completion of two problematic Internet use measures (i.e., Young\u27s Diagnostic Questionnaire and the Compulsive Internet Use Scale) and reports findings from four focus groups. Three themes emerged from the focus groups: (1) family connectedness, (2) family conflict/family disconnection, and (3) family Internet overuse. The findings of this study are a first step toward the design of effective interventions for problematic Internet use among U.S. college students and serve to inform clinical practice and health policy in this area

Novel freeze-drying methods to produce a range of collagen-glycosaminoglycan scaffolds with tailored mean pore sizes.

The pore structure of three-dimensional scaffolds used in tissue engineering has been shown to significantly influence cellular activity. As the optimal pore size is dependant on the specifics of the tissue engineering application, the ability to alter the pore size over a wide range is essential for a particular scaffold to be suitable for multiple applications. With this in mind, the aim of this study was to develop methodologies to produce a range of collagen-glycosaminoglycan (CG) scaffolds with tailored mean pore sizes. The pore size of CG scaffolds is established during the freeze-drying fabrication process. In this study, freezing temperature was varied (−10 degrees C to −70 degrees C) and an annealing step was introduced to the process to determine their effects on pore size. Annealing is an additional step in the freeze-drying cycle that involves raising the temperature of the frozen suspension to increase the rate of ice crystal growth. The results show that the pore size of the scaffolds decreased as the freezing temperature was reduced. Additionally, the introduction of an annealing step during freeze-drying was found to result in a significant increase (40%) in pore size. Taken together, these results demonstrate that the methodologies developed in this study can be used to produce a range of CG scaffolds with mean pore sizes from 85 to 325 microm. This is a substantial improvement on the range of pore sizes that were possible to produce previously (96-150 microm). The methods developed in this study provide a basis for the investigation of the effects of pore size on both in vitro and in vivo performance and for the determination of the optimal pore structure for specific tissue engineering applications

The effect of dehydrothermal treatment on the mechanical and structural properties of collagen-GAG scaffolds.

The mechanical properties of tissue engineering scaffolds are critical for preserving the structural integrity and functionality during both in vivo implantation and long-term performance. In addition, the mechanical and structural properties of the scaffold can direct cellular activity within a tissue-engineered construct. In this context, the aim of this study was to investigate the effects of dehydrothermal (DHT) treatment on the mechanical and structural properties of collagen-glycosaminoglycan (CG) scaffolds. Temperature (105-180 degrees C) and exposure period (24-120 h) of DHT treatment were varied to determine their effect on the mechanical properties, crosslinking density, and denaturation of CG scaffolds. As expected, increasing the temperature and duration of DHT treatment resulted in an increase in the mechanical properties. Compressive properties increased up to twofold, while tensile properties increased up to 3.8-fold. Crosslink density was found to increase with DHT temperature but not exposure period. Denaturation also increased with DHT temperature and exposure period, ranging from 25% to 60% denaturation. Crosslink density was found to be correlated with compressive modulus, whilst denaturation was found to correlate with tensile modulus. Taken together, these results indicate that DHT treatment is a viable technique for altering the mechanical properties of CG scaffolds. The enhanced mechanical properties of DHT-treated CG scaffolds improve their suitability for use both in vitro and in vivo. In addition, this work facilitates the investigation of the effects of mechanical properties and denaturation on cell activity in a 3D environment

Characteristics of Internet addiction/pathological Internet use in U.S. university students: A mixed-methods investigation

Studies have identified high rates and severe consequences of Internet Addiction/Pathological Internet Use (IA/PIU) in university students. However, most research concerning IA/PIU in U.S. university students has been conducted within a quantitative research paradigm, and frequently fails to contextualize the problem of IA/PIU. To address this gap, we conducted an exploratory qualitative study using the focus group approach and examined 27 U.S. university students who self-identified as intensive Internet users, spent more than 25 hours/week on the Internet for non-school or non-work-related activities and who reported Internet-associated health and/or psychosocial problems. Students completed two IA/PIU measures (Young’s Diagnostic Questionnaire and the Compulsive Internet Use Scale) and participated in focus groups exploring the natural history of their Internet use; preferred online activities; emotional, interpersonal, and situational triggers for intensive Internet use; and health and/or psychosocial consequences of their Internet overuse. Students’ self-reports of Internet overuse problems were consistent with results of standardized measures. Students first accessed the Internet at an average age of 9 (SD = 2.7), and first had a problem with Internet overuse at an average age of 16 (SD = 4.3). Sadness and depression, boredom, and stress were common triggers of intensive Internet use. Social media use was nearly universal and pervasive in participants’ lives. Sleep deprivation, academic under-achievement, failure to exercise and to engage in face-to-face social activities, negative affective states, and decreased ability to concentrate were frequently reported consequences of intensive Internet use/Internet overuse. IA/PIU may be an underappreciated problem among U.S. university students and warrants additional research