Digital Commons Network^™

The Trend Toward Preventative Medicine Through Health And Fitness Programs In The Public And Private Sectors, Christina M. Lehnertz

Theses and Dissertations

Taking Care of the Employees While Cutting Health Care Costs: Can the Private and Public Secotrs Learn from one Another?

In the face of skyrocketing health care costs for employees in both the public and private sector, each must find ways to contain these costs while providing their employees adequate care. The trend has been toward the practice of preventative medicine. Each sector has experimented with and developed different programs for employee health that must operate within the particular constraints of the sector. Public sector examples to be used in the study are public health programs and the old and …

Community Development Block Grant: A Comparative Analysis Of Economic Development Program For North Dakota, South Dakota, And Montana, Jill Bourgois

Theses and Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Relationship Of Adolescent Self-Image To The Risk Of Pregnancy, Vicki Wessman Downey

Theses and Dissertations

Adolescent pregnancy remains as one of the most pervasive socio- heaUh problems present in the United States. The health, economic, and social risk concomitant with adolescent pregnancy impacts on the child, mother, father, and society. Adolescent pregnancy, the problem that has not gone away, is an endemic phenomenon requiring long-term systematic intervention. It is imperative that underlying factors which contribute to this problem be identified so that subsequent research and educational programs can impact to reduce the problem.

One of the significant factors in teen pregnancy is low self esteem and self-concept. The purpose of this study was to examine …

Spark Without Flame: The German Library Of Information A Nazi Propaganda Agency In The United States, 1936-1941, Craig S. Olson

Theses and Dissertations

Most studies of Nazi propaganda have focused on main events inside Germany. This thesis proposes to examine German efforts in the United States in the years before American entry into the Second World War. This will be done by examining one Nazi agency: the German Library of Information which operated out of New York City from 1936 to 1941.

The first chapter explores the formation of the German Library of Information and its goals. The question of whether it as controlled by the Foreign Office or the Propaganda Ministry is also discussed.

The second chapter cover the association between the …

Understanding Craving For Cigarettes: A Multidimensional Assessment Approach, H. Katherine O'Neill

Theses and Dissertations

Cigarette smoking is a serious health hazard affecting a sizeable proportion of the adult population. The addictive nature of cigarettes has been blamed for the difficulty smokers experience in achieving and maintaining abstinence. Cigarette cravings are frequently cited as a factor contributing to relapse. Addiction theories proposed independently by Wikler, Siegel, and Solomon view cravings as classically conditioned responses to internal or external cues. These responses are presumably multidimensional, having cognitive, emotional, and physiological manifestations.

The current study examined cigarette cravings under controlled laboratory conditions. Forty-six male and female undergraduates served as participants. Stimuli commonly associated with smoking relapse were …

The Expanding Rol Of The President As Commander-In-Chief Since World War Ii, David E. Kugler

Theses and Dissertations

While conflict has always existed between the president and the Congress over war-making roles, the president's Commander-in-Chief role has expanded significantly since World War II. This study examines expansion of presidential power in terms of the establishment of the United States as a world economic and political power and the development of nuclear weapons.

Case studies were selected from each of the administrations from Truman through Reagan to illustrate these points. The Truman administration is studied in terms of the war in Korea and the advent of the limited war concept in a nuclear-powered world.

President Eisenhower's massive retaliation strategy …

Alice L. Milligan: The Celtic Twilight's Forgotten Star, Kathryn J. O'Hehir

Theses and Dissertations

During the course of a historical examination of any given time period, persons and events are remembered in some texts and forgotten in others. The historical process of selection and rejection of materials is, in itself, the subject of much study. This study unearths a forgotten turn of the century Irish patriot named Alice L. Milligan, a Protestant nationalist writer from County Tyrone, Northern Ireland.

She is worthy of study in that she breaks traditional sectarian lines still drawn in Ireland today, where the stereotype prevails that only Catholics desire a reunited Ireland, with Protestants desiring inclusion with Great Britain. …

Function Of Song In Chipping Sparrows (Spizella Passerina), Daniel J. Albrecht

Theses and Dissertations

The functions most commonly ascribed to bird song are mate attraction and territory defense. These are combined into the "dual function" hypothesis. I tested this hypothesis to determine if these are the functions of song in chipping sparrows (Spizella passerina).

I performed a series of neighbor/stranger song playbacks to test the territory defense portion of the "dual function" hypothesis. If song has a territorial function, songs of different individuals might be recognized by territory owners and might elicit different levels of response. However, territorial male chipping sparrows did not respond differently to neighbor and stranger song playbacks either early in …

A Study Of General Education Curricula In Selected Small Colleges, Lavonne Fay Larson

Theses and Dissertations

Given the distinctiveness of small colleges, the primary purpose of this study was to gain a more complete understanding of general education curricula of selected small colleges in terms of the colleges' stated goals, their process of developing and modifying, and the stucture and content of their present general education curricula. A second purpose was to propose a model for developing general education curricula.

Three research methods were employed: a review of related literature, an analysis of written institutional documents, and campus interviews. Two groups of small colleges, with enrollments of less than 2000, participated. Data from the first group …

Acute Effects Of Smoking On Prose Memory And Physiological Arousal, Scott J. Krebs

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of the present study was to determine the effects smoking a cigarette of varying nicotine yields had on physiological arousal and memory for prose passages.

Forty-five male habitual smokers were assigned to either a placebo (0.1mg nicotine cigarette), a 0.7mg, or a 1.5mg nicotine cigarette group. All subjects were in good health, reported that they regularly inhale smoke, that they smoked daily, and have for at least the past 3 months. Subjects smoked their assigned cigarette in a controlled fashion prior to reading 4 prose passages from a computer screen. Immediately after reading each passage, subjects were asked …

Cognitive Functioning Of Male Adult Children Of Alcoholics And Control Subjects While Under The Influence Of Acute Alcohol Intoxication, Bette Bakke

Theses and Dissertations

Previous research has suggested that adult children of alcoholics (ACAs) are at increased risk for the development of alcoholism. Differences between ACA and control subjects have been reported for a range of cognitive, affective and behavioral measures in addition to certain components of the auditory evoked potential, supporting speculation that biological or psychological markers exist as predictors of future alcoholism. The present study examined 20 males ACA and 20 male control subjects under either placebo or alcohol experimental conditions using cognitive measures (Digit Span, Trail Making, Digit Symbol) at baseline, peak and descent phase of the session that have been …

Some Measurements Of Achievement Among Participants In The Indians Into Medicine Student Support Program, James N. Beiswenger

Theses and Dissertations

The subject of this paper is an assessment of the effectiveness of several student support activities provided by the Indians into Medicine (INMED) program at the University of North Dakota. INMED offers summer enrichment sessions and academic year support for Indian students preparing for health careers.

Program evaluation mechanisms include pre- and posttesting of participants in summer 1990 enrichment sessions, a questionnaire completed by 41 undergraduate and medical students in fall 1990, and statistical analyses of student achievement, with some tests using variables which researchers have found to be associated with achievement in college and professional school.

The Norwegian Short-Term Parochial School (Religionsskole) In North Dakota Lutheran Congregations, 1880s-1930s, Erik Luther Williamson

Theses and Dissertations

Within the Norwegian-American community of the United States and North Dakota there is a memory of "Norwegian Schools" held mainly in summers. These schools taught the essence of Lutheranism with hymn singing, and Norwegian grammar and literature. These schools seemed pervasive in North Dakota, but there is little material on them.. General church histories neglected them; Sunday School seemed dominant .. People who had attended or taught the Norwegian Schools in the early twentieth century were becoming fewer. It was appropriate to research the schools before recollection faded and significance waned.

Research began with anniversary pamphlets of Lutheran churches which …

William Olander The Practice Of An Activist Curator, Gayle Rodda Kurtz

Theses and Dissertations

William Olander, Senior Curator of The New Museum of Contemporary Art, was born July 14, 1950, and died of AIDS March 18, 1989. From his first curatorial project, a presentation of performance art in April 1980, and until his death, Olander's curatorial practice was based on theoretically formulated ideas that promoted active participation in culture with traditional and non-traditional mediums. He has been described as a "model museum curator" with some "very novel ideas."

This thesis traces Olander's early background and formal education in order to show the development of his approach to contemporary art within the institutional context of …

Speech Behavior In Othello: The Conversations Of Roderigo And Iago, Mary Margaret Dahlberg

Theses and Dissertations

The character Roderigo in William Shakespeare's play Othello is often ignored by critics. Discussion of his role, both in scholarly study and stage portrayal is extremely limited. His lines are spoken almost entirely in dialogue with Iago; he appears to be a mere tool in Iago's evil designs on Cassio and Othello. Yet his conversations with Iago form a subplot which both clarifies Iago's character and aids our understanding of Othello's reponse to Iago's temptations.

The six conversations between Iago and Roderigo are the subject of this paper. Since the two men are not social equals, it seems particularly useful …

The Effects Of Carboxyl-Group Specific Modification And Triiodo-L-Thyronine On Cardiac Sodium Channels, Samuel C. Dudley

Theses and Dissertations

The patch clamp method was used to evaluate the effects of 3,5,3'-triiodo-L-thyronine (T₃) and carboxyl modification on adult rabbit ventricular Na⁺ channels. In contrast to TTX-sensitive Na⁺ channels, Ca²⁺ block of cardiac Na⁺ channels was not prevented by selective carboxyl modification by trimethyloxonium (TMO) or water soluble carbodiimide (WSC). In 2 mM Ca²⁺, TMO-treated patches exhibited 3 discrete conductance (γ_Na) levels. An abbreviation of mean open time (MOT) accompanied each decrease in γ_Na. The effects on channel gating of elevating external Ca²⁺ differed from those of TMO …

Divine Imagination: Correlations Between The Kabbalah And The Works Of William Blake, Mikell Waters Brown

Theses and Dissertations

The intention of this thesis is to investigate correspondences which exist between the Kabbalah and the recondite world of William Blake's imagery. Particular attention will be paid to the symbiotic relationship or word and image and the dialectical approach to salvation which is common to both Blake and the Kabbalah. The attempt will be made to locate correlations between depictions or several or Blake's characters and components or the kabbalistic Tree of Life. In doing so, this writer hopes to show that Blake's familiarity with the Kabbalah was instrumental in enabling him to give form to the visionary experience upon …

Perceptual And Cognitive Abnormality Model Of Hypochondriasis: Psychological Correlates Of Amplification And Misinterpretation, James R. Craft

Theses and Dissertations

Hypochondriasis is a disorder that may affect ten percent of all individuals seeking medical care. This places a great burden on the health care resources that are currently available. Unfortunately, very few of these individuals come to the attention of mental health professionals.

Various models have attempted to conceptualize hypochondriasis. These include the psychiatric model, the psychodynamic model, the social learning and the perceptual or cognitive abnormality model.

The perceptual or cognitive abnormality model suggests that individuals who are hypochondriacal misinterpret and/or amplify normal bodily sensations. These processes lead the individuals to believe they are suffering from a serious disease. …

A Case Study Of An Effective Board Of Directors Of A Nonprofit Organization: Perceptions, Processes, Characteristics, And Diversity, Marcia Cohen Penn

Theses and Dissertations

This case study examines an effective board of directors of a nonprofit organization. The research identifies three qualitative characteristics of the Board, seeks to understand benefits and challenges of this Board's diversity, the processes it follows and Board members perceptions of Board effectiveness. Twenty-seven active Board members are interviewed in depth, observed at Board and Committee meetings and surveyed as to their perceptions of Board effectiveness. The results are presented based on emerging data gathered over a six-month period of time. Thirty-seven different definitions of Board effectiveness have been identified by Board members in this study.

Conclusions and implications are …

Geriatic Nurse Practitioner's Health Promotive Behaviors: A Test Of Theory Of Reasoned Action, Sandra L. Venegoni

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this investigation was to develop an instrument to test the theory of reasoned action (Fishbein & Ajzen, 1975) in a new behavioral domain the health promotive behaviors of geriatric nurse practitioners (GNPs). The two behavioral categories included in the study were health assessment and health teaching, each with its individual index of actions.

A questionnaire was developed to examine the beliefs of a sample of 200 certified geriatric nurse practitioners and to test the relationships of the theoretical model. Names of the subjects were randomly selected from the American Nurses' Association 1989 list of certified GNPs. Ninety-four …

Mechanisms Of Regulation Of The Human C-Myb Proto-Oncogene During Myelomonocytic Differentiation, Lawrence H. Boise

Theses and Dissertations

Control of hematopoiesis is a complex set of events that is currently being dissected at the molecular level. To determine factors that may be crucial for commitment to terminal differentiation of myelomonocytic cells, a mutant of the HL-60 cell line was characterized at the cellular and molecular level. This clone, termed DMSOr, was shown to differentiate in a similar fashion as parental HL-60 in response to 1.3% DMSO at the morphologic and functional level. The anti-proliferative aspects of differentiation were also present in DMSOr as evidenced by decreased 3H-thymidine incorporation and an increased percentage of cells in the G0/G1 phase …

Job Satisfaction Of Nurse Anesthesia Faculty: A Preliminary Study, James Patrick Embrey

Theses and Dissertations

This study examined how satisfied nurse anesthesia faculty are with their jobs. In addition, this study identified factors that influenced a nurse anesthesia faculty member's job satisfaction level.

A total of 304 nurse anesthesia educators from across the United States participated in this questionnaire survey study. A researcher developed personal data form (PDF) collected demographic information. The 1967 version of the Minnesota Satisfaction Questionnaire (MSQ) provided job satisfaction measurements.

There was a statistically significant correlation between the general satisfaction scores measured by the PDF and MSQ. Analysis of demographic data provided a CRNA educator profIle. Job satisfaction data indicated that …

Effects Of 2,3,7,8-Tetrachlorodibenzo-P-Dioxin (Tcdd) On The In Vitro Antibody Response: Differential Effects On The B Lymphocyte Depending On The State Of In Vivo Activation And The Modulation By Serum-Derived Growth Factors, Dale L. Morris

Theses and Dissertations

Previous reports have indicated a dichotomy in the actions of TCDD on humoral immunity, both in vitro and in vitro, in which enhancements and suppression have been identified. The latter effect has been correlated with induction of liver P4501A1 enzyme activity, a response which is regulated by the Ah-gene locus. Additionally, the primary alteration in suppression of antibody responses is in the differentiation of the B cell. Therefore, the current investigation was undertaken to determine the relationship between these dual actions of TCDD on humoral immunity as related to its direct actions on B lymphocyte function. Specific emphasis was placed …

Identification Of Dq Alpha Polymorphism Using The Polymerase Chain Reaction, Richard Mello

Theses and Dissertations

This was a study of detection systems for DQ alpha HLA polymorphism that could be exploited for the demonstration of simulated chimerism. Polymorphic segments of DO alpha DNA were amplified by the polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Simulated chimerism was represented by a mixture of minor and major component DNA. The goal was to detect minor component DNA in the presence of major component DNA utilizing various laboratory techniques. Techniques studied included probe strip typing with the AmpliType HLA-DO Alpha test kit, allele-specific amplification, polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, restriction enzymes, and Southern transfer combined with a peroxidase detection system.

The AmpliType HLA-DO …

The Effect Of The Rivalry Between Jesse Knight And Thomas Nicholls Taylor On Architecture In Provo, Utah: 1896-1915, Stephen A. Hales

Theses and Dissertations

The development of the downtown business district of Provo, Utah has closely followed the orderly growth envisioned by its founders. However, one early change in the city's layout had a profound effect on the direction of Provo's development. In 1852, Brigham Young moved the site of the Provo tabernacle from its original location in the designated public square to a location on the fringes of the earliest city boundaries. The result of this action was a sometimes heated controversy among residents regarding the city's true public center. As commercial development reached a peak between 1896 and 1915, the controversy erupted …

Preservation Of The Writing Approaches Of The Four Gospel Writers In The Joseph Smith Translation Of The Bible, Donald Joseph Miles

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis analyzes additions to the gospels in the Joseph Smith Translation of the Bible. To assess the appropriateness of the JST additions, the thesis examines Joseph Smith's additions to verify whether they parallel the approaches of the original gospel writers to their audiences. There is strong indication that material added to the King James Version by the Joseph Smith Translation is consistent with the approaches of the original gospels to their audiences. Chapter one shows that the JST Matthew, like the KJV Matthew, is concerned with showing that Jesus fulfills Old Testament prophecy. Chapter two finds that JST Mark …

The Effects Of Concentric And Eccentric Contractions Performed At Equal Power Levels On Skeletal Muscle Fiber Hypertrophy, Thomas Philip Mayhew

Theses and Dissertations

There are no data available as to whether training with eccentric contractions are more effective than concentric contractions for producing skeletal muscle fiber hypertrophy. To better understand the effects of training with different contraction types two related studies were performed.

In the first study a device which is frequently used by clinicians for concentric and eccentric exercise, the Kin-Com^R, was tested for accuracy and reliability. The measurements obtained from the force, angle, and speed transducers of this device were found to be accurate and reliable between days.

The purpose of the second study was to determine if there …

Classification Of Newborns Based On Maturity Rating And Intrauterine Growth At The Medical College Of Virginia Hospitals, Lydia Holmes Sund

Theses and Dissertations

Nurses at the Medical College of Virginia Hospitals (MCVH) in Richmond, Virginia, use the Newborn Maturity Rating and Classification Tool to identify high risk infants. An estimate of gestational age is made and using this estimate, weight, length, and head circumference measurements are plotted on graphs on the tool to determine if the infant achieves intrauterine growth smaller, larger or equal to gestational age.

The data used to generate the graphs on the Newborn Maturity Rating and Classification Tool were collected in Colorado during the 1950's. Two nurses at MCVH questioned the use of these graphs. They wanted to know …

Family Stress And The Role Of The Mormon Bishop's Wife, Marguerite Irene Adams

Theses and Dissertations

A national survey of bishops' wives was conducted to determine whether Reuben Hill's "Roller Coaster" model of family stress following a stressor event should be modified to include a honeymoon period when the precipitating event is viewed positively by the family. The honeymoon period was expected to be within the first year, and too few respondents were in their first year to give statistically significant evidence of such a pattern. Several measures did give non-significant evidence of a honeymoon phase, though.

Other factors found to have an important effect on the stressfulness of the position of bishop's wife were: age …

Utah Indians And The Indian Slave Trade: The Mormon Adoption Program And Its Effect On The Indian Slaves, Robert M. Muhlestein

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis is a study of the Mormon adoption program developed by the Mormons in response to the Indian slave trade in Utah, 1850-1880. It focuses on the Mormon justifications, as enumerated by Brigham Young, for the adoption policy and it links those justifications to expected results. Further this thesis compares the Mormon's expected results with the actual results of the adoption program through an analysis of historical accounts and Mormon ordinance records.