Digital Commons Network^™

Effects Of Aspartame Consumption On Cognitive Function, Fang Ye

Theses and Dissertations

The FDA estimates that 35% of Americans regularly consume aspartame, an artificial sweetener used in diet drinks and other sugar-free food items. Some anecdotal reports indicate the substance has been associated with health, behavioral, and cognitive concerns. The FDA and other regulatory agencies indicate it is safe for use up to 50mg/kg/day. They further advise individuals with metabolic phenylalanine disorders not to consume this product. This conflicting advice has caused confusion for consumers and practioners. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to examine the effects of aspartame consumption on cognitive functioning of healthy adults.

Orem's theory of Self-Care guided …

Parents' Perceptions Of Children's Attitude Of The Heritage Language Through Intergenerational Reading In The L1, Ruth A. Aldrich

Theses and Dissertations

Cultural diversity is not a new concept for the United States. In recent years a demographic shift has taken place so that the "language minority" has become the majority in many urban schools. Educational researchers actively seek innovative ways to acculturate new arrivals into North America. They observed that one way to strengthen acculturation is by affirming the heritage languages and cultures. This study involved three educated Afghan-Minnesotan parents reading heritage storybooks to their children at home. Through promoting heritage literacy, I hypothesized that an intergenerational reading program would enhance children's attitude and behavior toward heritage language and culture while …

Time Of Day, Attention, Sleep Quality, And Driving Experience: Possible Moderators Of Age-Related Differences In Driving Performance, Carol L. Bennett

Theses and Dissertations

Auto crashes are more likely in the afternoon, and older adults are involved in more crashes later in the day as compared to earlier in the day. Factors that may influence older adult’s driving included visual spatial attention and sleep quality. In addition, circadian preference may also influence driving. The purpose of this study was to evaluate these factors in older adults. This study included younger adults (N= 41, M= 21.6 years) and older adults (N= 40, M= 65.5 years) who were tested between 8 and 10 a.m. or between 3 and 5 p.m. Participants were tested on a computerized …

Ogimah Ikwe: Native Females And Their Path To Leadership, Denise K. Lajimodiere

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this qualitative interview study was to discover leadership patterns in the paths of Native female leaders and their experiences. The study explores the path that current Native female leaders walked on that lead them to their positions of leadership. The study speaks to the challenges, conflicts and obstacles faced by Native women working toward professional goals that demand a balance of traditional and contemporary leadership strengths and roles and focuses on the experience, perceptions, beliefs and meaning of the women interviewed. The study gives a voice to five of today’s Native female leaders—five Brave-Hearted Women.

The participants’ …

Development And Validation Of The Coping, Alcohol/Drugs, And Trauma Scale (Cats), Patricia J. Hunter

Theses and Dissertations

This study was designed to develop and investigate the validity of a coping scale (Coping, Alcohol/Drugs, and Trauma Scale; CATS), which could be used to predict problematic alcohol and drug (AOD) use patterns among college women, based upon historical stressors. It was predicted that the CATS would have strong convergent validity with the Michigan Alcohol Screening Test-Revised (MAST-R), moderately strong convergent validity with the Coping Response Inventory - Avoidant Scale (CRI- Avoidant), and moderate convergent validity with the Traumatic Events Questionnaire (TEQ). Additionally, the CATS was expected to have strong correlations to binge drinking as measured by the Khavari Alcohol …

Funny Ha-Ha Or Funny Strange: The Structure And Meaning Of Laughter In Conversation, Linda Houts-Smith

Theses and Dissertations

Although laughter has been studied for centuries, the work has occurred in several different fields, and the lack of an interdisciplinary approach has hindered the integration of results. Work in philosophy has focused on why we laugh but has lacked a basis in empirical data, resulting in ungrounded theories. Studies in neuroscience and linguistics rest on empirical data, but stop short of a full description of the phenomenon of laughter, focusing on when and how we laugh, but not why. This study seeks to describe the phenomenon of laughter more fully, to describe both the nature of the laughable and …

The Experiences Of Heterosexual Women Married To Gay Or Bisexual Men, Matt Pearcey

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to better understand the experiences of heterosexual women who were married to gay or bisexual men. This survey looked at what led these women to marry their husbands, how they fell after they found out about their husband's newly identified sexual orientation, and how they coped with this revelation.

A mixed-method approach was taken in this study with 27 closed-ended questions. Three of the questions were open ended. This 30-question surv ey was utilized in order to gather data on each subject's experience of coping with their husband or partner’s coming out process. It …

The Experience Of Transition By Baccalaureate Nursing Graduates, Linda R. Pettersen

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this phenomenological study was to investigate the transition experience of new baccalaureate-prepared graduates entering nursing practice as registered nurses. Participants were a convenience sample of six graduates from a midwestem university who were employed as registered nurses from eight to twelve months in acute care nursing practice. Transition theory was used as a guide in designing interview questions. Participants were interviewed and the audio-recorded interviews were transcribed and then analyzed for codes, categories, and themes.

Four themes emerged from analysis of the data. Theme One: Lack of experience contributes to self-doubt for the new graduate nurse. Although …

North Dakota Dual Credit: Initial Impact 1997-2004, Anita K. Decker

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to investigate the impact of enrollment in North Dakota’s dual credit program on the students who had been enrolled from Fall 1997 through Spring 2004. Participants are identified by gender, by year in school, by courses taken for dual credit, and by high school size. Analysis of post-high school college entry data by matriculation, graduation, and grade point average are included.

Dual credit students took over 12,000 courses from the eleven public colleges in the North Dakota University System and from five nonpublic or out-of-state colleges. Students were divided between seniors, who took 9836 …

Teacher Preparation Reform Efforts: Perceptions Of School Leaders And Teacher Educators, Ann Beste-Guldborg

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to examine the perceptions of teacher educators and school leaders regarding various proposed reform recommendations to the field of teacher preparation. School leaders and teacher educators, employed at public institutions in Minnesota, North Dakota, and Montana were surveyed. Data were analyzed statistically to determine differences in perceptions between groups.

The findings of the study indicate that school leaders and teacher educators agreed more often than not regarding the importance of the various reform recommendations. Among the differences between groups, school leaders favored accountability measures and alignment with K-12 standards while teacher educators preferred advancing …

Principal Time Commitment And Job Satisfaction Before And After An Executive Coaching Workshop, Thomas Matthew Gravel

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to investigate time commitment and job satisfaction of principals before and after an executive coaching workshop. Principals on average work 50-70 hours per week and the demands being placed on principals is ever increasing. The result has been fewer qualified individuals applying for principal positions across the country and the burnout of those who are in the position.

Data were collected from K-12 principals by surveying those who attended one of four workshops titled, “How to Work Less, Play More, and Still Get the Job Done in a Normal School Week: Assuming Your Proper …

Patterns Of Relationship Satisfaction And Sexual Behavior As A Function Of Pornography Use Among College Men, Joel David Deloy

Theses and Dissertations

Recent research on sexually explicit materials (SEM), or pornography, has expanded from a focus on sexual violence, and aggression, towards the examination of the influence of SEM on other relationship factors. Available information on how males involved in a romantic relationship use SEM has been limited, and the effect of SEM use on relationship satisfaction and sexual behavior is not well understood. This study examined 245 college men who completed self-report measures of relationship satisfaction, core relationship variables (autonomy, affection, conflict resolution, intimacy, and equality) and SEM use patterns. All participants were in significant romantic relationships of at least three …

Hindi "To" And Relevance, Virginia Crowell Phillips

Theses and Dissertations

The morpheme to occurs in the Hindi language frequently, but is difficult to define and difficult for speakers of Hindi as a second language to use correctly. The purpose of this study is to provide insight into how to contributes to the understanding of the utterance that contains it. Relevance Theory, developed by Sperber and Wilson in 1986, is the framework for this study. Relevance Theory makes a distinction between the implicit and explicit content of utterances and between words that encode conceptual representations and words that encode processing instructions. I will consider whether to contributes to implicit or explicit …

Hb1245: A Case Study Of The Process That Rescinded Nd's Nursing Education Requirements, Wanda Fisher Rose

Theses and Dissertations

A case study approach was used to examine House Bill1245 (HB1245, 2003) introduced by the ND Nurses Association (NDNA) in the 2003 58th ND Legislative Session. The purpose of this study was to trace the events and debates that rescinded the nursing education for entry-into-practice that existed since 1987. The study was designed to answer the following questions: (a) What events prompted the introduction of House Bill1245? (b) Who were the key actors during the legislative process? (c) What was the understanding ofHB1245 by nurses? (d) What factors influenced the outcome of HB1245? and, (e) Why did NDNA introduce HB1245? …

Challenging Gender Stereotypes In The Classroom: How Students Respond To "Dreamworlds", Angela Bailly

Theses and Dissertations

Students do not arrive in our classrooms as blank slates. When we, as Iructors, attempt to challenge them with a new wav of thinking about a topic, it's often difficult to know the impact of that exposure. It is even more difficult to cjliscover how students integrate the new information. This study explores the integration of Dreamworlds II: Desire/Sex/Power in Music Video into the lives of nineteen undergraduates. Dreamworlds II is a film concerning music videos and how they present images of women. It challenges the viewer to think about the cortsequences of these images and the alternatives that could …

Influential Factors Affecting The Career Success Of Professional Northern Plains Native American Males: A Qualitative Study, Adam J. Guilmino

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to better understand successful vocational experiences among Northern Plains Native American males. Most studies completed up to this point have approached the issue of Native American career exploration from a problem-based perspective. This study used a Consensual Qualitative Research (CQR) methodology to examine the experiences of Native Americans who have been nominated by their tribal community as career successful members of their community.

Eight male members of two North Dakota Native American tribes were interviewed using semi-structured qualitative interview protocol. Interviews were transcribed and analyzed for domains and categories. Eight domains emerged from the …

Dynamic Analysis Of Bridges Under Moving Loads, Sanjay B. Gurav

Theses and Dissertations

Moving loads have great effect on dynamic stresses in structures and cause them to vibrate extensively, especially at high velocities. A peculiar feature of moving loads is that they are variable in both space and time. This is why the dynamic analysis of bridges under moving forces has attracted researchers worldwide. When a moving load is traveling on a bridge, different factors play an important role in the vibration of the bridge. Road surface profile, vehicle dynamics, weight and speed of the moving vehicle and the geometry of the bridge all play an important roles in the analysis. The main …

Locating Social Justice Issues In Middle Years Classes: Not All Pumpkins Are Orange, Lee Anne Block

Theses and Dissertations

This qualitative study utilizes narrative inquiry to consider how difference and equity are experienced and represented in middle years classes and to link teachers’ concepts of curriculum to that experience and representation. The inquiry is grounded in a case study of interactions among students and between students and teacher in a grade six classroom in a Canadian city. Additionally, interviews with the grade six teacher and with four other teachers, who had a commitment to including social justice issues in the curriculum, develop the relationship of teachers’ curriculum concepts to teaching for social justice. The implications of that relationship for …

The Lived Experiences Of Three Student Teachers In A Birth-Third Grade Teacher Licensure Program, Kathleen A. Sonsteng

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to discover themes in the experience, behavior, and attitude of three students in a Birth-Third Grade Teacher Licensure Program, at a specific midwestern university, as the students were involved in their primary-level student teaching experience. In looking at the lived experiences of these three student teachers, the focus was on their level of confidence and preparedness before, during, and after student teaching.

This qualitative study used a phenomenological research approach. The phenomenon in this particular study is the primary-level student teaching experience. This study sought understanding of what this student teaching experience was for …

Prevalence Of The Metabolic Syndrome In A Midwestern Community, Hanna R. Thomas

Theses and Dissertations

The metabolic syndrome (MS) has been linked to a significantly higher risk of heart disease and diabetes. It affects approximately 25% of Americans today with its prevalence continuing to increase as the population becomes heavier and more sedentary. With Pender’s Health Promotion model as a theoretical base, this study examined the prevalence of the risk factors, preventative and treatment measures for the metabolic syndrome among a Midwestern North American population. A non-experimental secondary data analysis comparative survey design approach was used through a chart review of 101 male patient charts and 101 female patient charts. Significance was established at p …

Making A Difference, Making Connections: Perspectives Of College Faculty And Practitioners Leading A Service Experience Abroad, Wanda Berg

Theses and Dissertations

The Asociacion Nuestros Ahijados or the GOD'S CHILD Project, is a service organization founded in 1991 by a North Dakota native to help Guatemalan children who were poor or abandoned. The Project focuses on health, education and human rights for children in Guatemala. The University of Mary is a small Catholic Benedictine college in North Dakota. Currently, educators from the University of Mary travel with groups of students to provide services in Guatemala, in collaboration with the GOD'S CHILD Project. The purpose of this qualitative study was to learn about aspects of culture, spirituality, and leadership as it relates to …

Design, Integration And Control Of Proton Exchange Membrane Electrolyzer For Wind Based Renewable Energy Applications, Kevin W. Harrison

Theses and Dissertations

This research endeavor began with the design and construction of a new hydrogen test facility at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL). To improve the electrical link of wind-based electrolysis the characterization of a proton exchange membrane (PEM) elect) /zer under varying input power was performed at NRELs new test facility. The commercially available electrolyzer from Proton Energy Systems (PES) was characterized using constant direct current (DC), sinusoidally varying DC, photovoltaics and variable magnitude and frequency energy from a 10 kW wind turbine.

At rated stack current and ~ 40°C the system efficiency of the commercial electrolyzer was measured to …

Days Of Love Translation Of Vaikom Muhammad Basheer's Anuraaghathintaey Dhingal, Mirosh Thomas

Theses and Dissertations

Anuraaghathintaey Dhinangal is a novel in Malayalam language by the celebrated novelist of Kerala Vaikom Muhammad Basheer (1908- 1994). It was written as a memoir in 1946 and was published for the first time in 1983. It discusses the love affair of a high caste Hindu woman and a Muslim writer who resembles Basheer himself (it was written as a diary) in a complex religious and political background.

The segment translated here starts with the narrator’s account of the first moment when he met the girl and goes through an array of letters exchanged between them discussing the cultural, religious …

The Effect Of Repeated Visual Or Verbal Worry On Thought Intrusions And Habituation, Jessica C. White Plume

Theses and Dissertations

The avoidance model of worry proposes that verbal and visual cognitive activi ty serve to maintain or reduce worry, respectively. The present study tested this model in a laboratory setting. One-hundred one undergraduate college students (77 female, 24 male; mean age = 20.55 years) identified as high or low worriers underwent two fifteen-minute sessions of visually imagining, or verbally thinking about, personally relevant worry topics. Outcome measures included post-exposure thought intrusions, and psychophysiological and subjective arousal. As expected, high worriers reported higher subjective anxiety and more negative thought intrusions throughout the experiment. Visual exposure did not reduce negative thought intrusions …

The Effects Of No Child Left Behind Act On North Dakota Career And Technical Education Programs, Jerome Alden Gunderson

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to research the effects of No Child Left Behind legislation on the enrollment of Career and Technical Education programs in the state of North Dakota. In 2001, the US Congress passed the “No Child Left Behind’' legislation. The No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) has initiated much discussion and forced changes to many public school K-12 programs. The legislation was written specifically to address educational issues related to core academic educational programs such as math, English, science, and social studies.

Career and Technical Education (CTE) programs were not addressed in the NCLB legislation, but …

The Relationship Between Self-Efficacy, Other-Efficacy, And Relation-Inferred Self-Efficacy With Performance In Soccer, Jennifer Cilz

Theses and Dissertations

This study assessed the relationships between other-efficacy, relation-inferred self-efficacy, self-efficacy, and performance. The participants were three head coaches and 40 athletes from three NCAA women’s soccer teams. New measures of self-efficacy, other-efficacy, and relation-inferred self-efficacy were developed using Bandura’s guidelines. Performance was measured by the number of times the athletes completed a soccer task successfully. Analysis indicated that none of the efficacy measures could predict performance. Results did show a significant con-elation between relation-inferred self-efficacy and the self-efficacy measures, indicating that the self-efficacy an athlete has to perfonn a task was similar to what they perceived their coaches’ perceptions would …

Contextual And Mediating Factors In Body Image Dissatisfaction, Kiri A. Faul

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to examine the specific nature of the interaction and contribution of variables related to body image in a nonclinical population using a path analysis. This paper discusses various theoretical models and variables in the development and maintenance of body image dissatisfaction and eating concerns. Several variables and personality traits have been suggested as etiological factors in the development of body image dissatisfaction. These variables stem from different theoretical models. The five theoretical models discussed are: (1) Developmental, (2) Social-comparison, (3), Self-discrepancy, (4) Self-objectification, and (5) Feminist theory. From these broad theoretical models, many variables …

The Effect Of Airline Scheduling On Airport Delays, Craig Carlson

Theses and Dissertations

With the passage of the Deregulation Act of 1978 the government unknowingly hastened the arrival of the “Hub and Spoke” system of airline operations. The passage of this act along with the increasing use of smaller commuter planes has caused the airlines to over schedule many of the larger hub airports in the United States causing many delays in the nation’s air traffic control system. Of the large hub airports in the United States a convenience sample was taken to ensure the needed data was present. Schedule data for the time period of May 2004 – June 2004 was collected …

Achieving Quality Living In The Elderly Population, Charlote Ferrel

Theses and Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Postoperative Nausea And Vomiting Algorithm Pocket Guide, Laurie Senn

Theses and Dissertations

Background: Postoperative nausea and vomiting (PONY) remain common complications following surgery and their causes and treatments are complex. Despite much research and advances in treatment, PONY is present as often as 25-30% following all surgical cases. Patients have identified avoidance of nausea and vomiting, avoidance of gagging on endotracheal tube, and control of postoperative pain as their top priorities following surgery. Certain patient characteristics, type of surgery performed, and some anesthetic medications have been implicated in increasing the risk of developing PONY. Patients at high risk for developing PONY are frequently female, have a history of PONY or motion sickness, …