Digital Commons Network^™

Variations In Video Game Play Habits And Beliefs Over Time, John Adam Campbell

Theses and Dissertations

Psychological research about the consequences of playing video games has grown exponentially, correlating to the exponential growth of the video game industry. In the past decade, a major impetus has related to the concept of video game addiction, pathological gaming, or Internet Gaming Disorder. While the presence of this problem is widely accepted and there is growing knowledge about the factors contributing to its development and perpetuation, there is minimal research speaking to intervention. The primary purpose of the present study was to identify a potential pathway to educate members of the gaming community about pathological gaming, with the hope …

Semi-Empirical Methods For Electronic Properties Of Surface Adsorbed Molecules., Rajesh Dhakal

Theses and Dissertations

In the work described here, semi-empirical, theoretical tools have been developed to address one-electron properties of substrate/adsorbate systems. The tools are adaptations of the simple, Hückel π-electron theory and of the fast accurate-kinetic

energy theory of F. Harris et al. (FAKE) to systems involving an infinite, mostly periodic substrate via a Green-function formalism. These tools are applied here to study graphene with vacancies and adsorbates, but can be generalized. In π theory, only a small subset of substrate basis states having odd reflection symmetry through the graphene layer are used to treat electrons near the Fermi level, to a very …

Collaboration In English Language Learner Teacher Education: Implications For Moving Theory Into Practice, Katie Erin Erickson

Theses and Dissertations

This qualitative phenomenological study was developed to fill the gap in current research on what extent five teacher educators, from three Midwest and one Southwest teacher education program, are preparing English Language Learner (ELL) preservice teachers to collaborate in ELL teacher education. The results indicate that ELL teacher educators are not preparing ELL preservice teachers to collaborate for K-12 ELLs. The interview data supports the implication that teacher educators perceive some degree of programmatic reform in teacher education programs is necessary for the integration of collaboration for ELL education.

There are several recommendations resulting from this study. Teacher education programs …

Evaluating Wetland Expansion In A Tallgrass Prairie-Wetland Restoration, Katie Mae Engelmann

Theses and Dissertations

Remote sensing is an effective tool to inventory and monitor wetlands at large spatial scales. This study examined the effect of wetland restoration practices at Glacial Ridge National Wildlife Refuge (GRNWR) in northwest Minnesota on the distribution, location, size and temporal changes of wetlands. A Geographic Object-Based Image Analysis (GEOBIA) land cover classification method was applied that integrated spectral data, LiDAR elevation, and LiDAR derived ancillary data of slope, aspect, and TWI. Accuracy of remote wetland mapping was compared with onsite wetland delineation.

The GEOBIA method produced land cover classifications with high overall accuracy (88 – 91 percent). Wetland area …

Attitudes And Beliefs Of North Dakota Early Childhood Educators Toward Gender Constructs, Janelle Jean Ferderer

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this qualitative study was to examine the attitudes and beliefs about gender and gender diversity held by certified practicing early childhood teachers in North Dakota Department of Public Instruction approved preschool programs. Selected children’s books were used to elicit qualitative responses that provided insight into teachers’ beliefs, attitudes, and practices regarding gender.

The theoretical framework for the study was based on Vygotsky’s theories on the Zones of Proximal Development (ZPD) and the More Knowledgeable Other (MKO), which focus on the importance of the role of educators’ influence in the social development of young children. The methodology for …

Reading And Play Frequency In The Early Head Start Program On Parent And Child Outcomes, Zachary Flaten

Theses and Dissertations

This study examines the channels that Early Head Start (EHS) influences cognitive development in toddlers and successful parenting skills. I use a fixed effects model, incorporating individual fixed effects and time fixed effects, with longitudinal panel data from the EHS Research and Evaluation Project. By employing these methods and running separate regressions on a pooled, control and treated group, I find that when parents nightly read to their child, Bayley Mental Development Index (MDI) and Home Observation for Measurement of Environment (HOME) scores increase. When parents engage in play interactions with their child, I uncover a positive influence on child …

The Impact Of Agroclimatic Variables On Crop Insurance Claims In Saskatchewan, Patrick Frimpong Manso

Theses and Dissertations

The study investigated the impact of agroclimatic variables on the loss cost of hard red spring wheat (HRSW), durum, barely and canola in Saskatchewan. Using daily data on temperature and precipitation, we estimated the water balance or soil moisture using American Society of Civil Engineers standard reference evapotranspiration formula. Accounting for model uncertainty by using Bayesian modeling averaging (BMA), we find that loss cost is influence by monthly temperature and water balance. We find that water balance in June and August impact loss cost of the HRSW, durum, barley and canola. Depending on the crop, one percent increase June water …

Can Money Illusion Effect Explain Hong Kong Housing Market?, Stephanie Ho

Theses and Dissertations

This paper studies if the Hong Kong housing market from 1993:Q1 to 2016:Q2 can be explained by money illusion. When people suffer from money illusion, a drop in inflation can lead to a high increase in housing prices since they mistakenly believe that inflation lowers the real interest rate, and the future fixed nominal mortgage payments in the real cost are underestimated. Unlike the supportive evidence of money illusion on the UK housing market found by Brunnermeier and Julliard (2007), no empirical link was found between inflation and the estimated mispricing term (implied irrational component) of the price-rent ratio in …

The Molecular Mechanisms Of Sex Determination In Vertebrates, Lei Guo

Theses and Dissertations

Many reptiles display temperature-dependent sex determination (TSD), in which the primary sex is determined by incubation temperatures rather than sex chromosomes. However, temperature is not the only factor that play critical roles in sex determination in the species with TSD. Previous studies in the snapping turtle, a species with TSD, showed that dihydrotestosterone (DHT) induces ovary development at temperatures that normally produce males or mixed sex ratios. In addition, the feminizing effect of DHT was found to be associated with increased expression of the ovary-determining gene Foxl2, suggesting a potential androgen-Foxl2 regulatory mechanism. This dissertation aims to clarify the molecular …

Assessment Of Climate Change And Agricultural Land Use Change On Streamflow Input To Devils Lake: A Case Study Of The Mauvais Coulee Sub-Basin, Courtney Jackson

Theses and Dissertations

Since 1993, Devils Lake in North Dakota has experienced a prolonged rise in lake level and flooding of the lake’s neighboring areas within the closed basin system. Understanding the relative contribution of climate change and land use change is needed to explain the historical rise in lake level, and to evaluate the potential impact of anthropogenic climate change upon future lake conditions and management. Four methodologies were considered to examine the relative contribution of climatic and human landscape drivers to streamflow variations: statistical, ecohydrologic, physically-based modeling, and elasticity of streamflow; for this study, ecohydrologic and climate elasticity were selected. Agricultural …

Using Phylogenetic Analysis To Diagnose Freshwater Molluscan Species In The Judith River Formation Of Hill And Fergus Counties, Montana, With Notes On Depositional Environments And Quality Of Preservation, Matthew Illies

Theses and Dissertations

The Judith River Formation has a long history of study, from Meek and Hayden’s expeditions in the 1850s to E. D. Cope’s searches for new dinosaur species. More recently, the Judith River Formation receives a plethora of research in paleontology and geology. Despite this, little work has been done on the freshwater molluscan fauna found within. The purpose of this study was to create a method where accurate species diagnoses become possible, and to create a launching point for future work in the Judith River Formation. Freshwater mollusk specimens were collected from shell beds in the Judith River Formation at …

Effect Of Nanomaterials On Binder And Mix Performance, Bishal Karki

Theses and Dissertations

Nanotechnology has been increasingly used in asphalt modification for its remarkable effect in improving the binder and mix performance. Rheological properties of binder play major roles in rutting, fatigue cracking and low-temperature cracking resistance of Hot Mix Asphalt (HMA) pavement. This study was conducted to investigate the effect of Nanomaterials (NMs) on the rheological characteristics of asphalt binders and rutting and cracking resistance of HMA mixes. NMs, Nanoclay and Nanoalumina, were mixed separately into Performance Grade (PG) 58-28 and 64-28 asphalt binder at control (0% NM), 1, 5 and 7% by binder weight. Rolling Thin Film Oven (RTFO) and Pressure …

Commuting Away: The Experiences Of Rns Who Live In Rural Communities And Commute Away For Employment In Non-Rural Communities, Laurie Jo Johansen

Theses and Dissertations

A lack of healthcare providers, including RNs, creates barriers for the U.S. rural population to access adequate healthcare services. One contributing factor to the scarcity in rural areas is the increasing numbers of RNs commuting away from rural communities for employment—14% in 1980 to 37% in 2004 (Skillman, Palazzo, Doescher, & Butterfield, 2012).

This descriptive phenomenology study investigated the experiences of RNs living in rural communities who commuted away to non-rural settings for employment. Purposeful sampling with snowballing was used to recruit 16 RNs for the study, allowing for understanding a rich variation in the professional experiences of RNs, as …

Moving Towards Raising Consciousness: An Inquiry Into How Preservice Teachers Envision Classroom Management, Courtney Caye Lalonde

Theses and Dissertations

Effective classroom management is critical in the creation of learning environments that foster academic success for all students. Preservice teachers must develop an awareness and understanding of all aspects of classroom management and their relation to the two main classroom management approaches: the discipline based approach and the relationship based approach. Furthermore, preservice teachers must have opportunities for authentic practice through structured field experience. This study examines a course restructuring process that was intended to improve classroom management course content. The conceptual framework for this study is based on Martin and Baldwin’s (1994) construct of three broad dimensions of classroom …

Importance Of Macroeconomic Stability To Developed Nations, Jeffrey Brian Leeson

Theses and Dissertations

This research investigates the importance of macroeconomic stability to economic growth of developed nations. For over a decade, many developed nations have experienced slower gross domestic product growth as well as slower gross domestic product per capita growth. Meanwhile, recently developed economies, such as the high-performing East Asian economies, have experienced far higher per capita growth rates. Although this is in line with Solow’s (1956) growth model predicting conditional convergence and other researchers attributing the slowdown to sectoral shifts, this offers little solace to the citizens of those developed nations witnessing slower growth. The purpose of this research is to …

Presentation Effects On Matrix Reasoning Scores, Katharine Elizabeth Lindberg

Theses and Dissertations

Matrix reasoning tasks are popular measures of fluid and inductive reasoning ability. The impact of rule type, number of rules, grouping, overlapping elements, and unfamiliar shapes on matrix reasoning performance has been shown to make matrix tasks more difficult to solve. Alternatively, the relationship of features (the physical and visual dimensions of individual elements within a matrix) to matrix reasoning performance in an adult population has not been established. The current study aimed to test the impact of features (i.e., height, shape, width) on matrix reasoning performance in an undergraduate sample (N = 196) by systematically varying rules and features …

Addressing Diversity In Medical Laboratory Science Education: Perceptions And Practices, Christie Lynn Massen

Theses and Dissertations

Multicultural Education and Culturally Responsive Teaching methods have been available to assist educators in addressing diversity for a long time. However, the literature fails to address how diversity is being incorporated in laboratory science educational programs. The purpose of this study was to better understand Medical Laboratory Science (MLS) and Medical Laboratory Technician (MLT) educators’ perceptions and practices. To understand what diversity in MLS and MLT education looks like, the following research questions were identified:

1. What are MLS and MLT instructors’ perceived levels of importance for addressing the needs of an increasingly diverse student population?

2. How do MLS …

Evaluation Of Rare Earth Element Extraction From North Dakota Coal-Related Feed Stocks, Daniel A. Laudal

Theses and Dissertations

The rare earth elements consist of the lanthanide series of elements with atomic numbers from 57-71 and also include yttrium and scandium. Due to their unique properties, rare earth elements are crucial materials in an incredible array of consumer goods, energy system components and military defense applications. However, the global production and entire value chain for rare earth elements is dominated by China, with the U.S. currently 100% import reliant for these critical materials. Traditional mineral ores including previously mined deposits in the U.S., however, have several challenges. Chief among these is that the content of the most critical and …

Teacher Perspectives On The Impact Of High-Stakes Testing On Students With Disabilities: A Grounded Theroy Study, Tammy Mayer

Theses and Dissertations

The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act 1997 (IDEA), No Child Left Behind Act 2001 (NCLB), and Every Child Succeeds Act 2015 (ESSA) has changed how public schools adapt to standards and accountability systems for all students, including students with mild-to-significant cognitive disabilities. Federal legislation has changed the focus of teaching and learning since the implementation of NCLB. This movement has altered the way students with disabilities are compared to their same-age peers.

High-stakes testing has generated numerous challenges for educators, administrators, parents, and students across the nation. Increased pressure has been placed on schools to achieve Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP), …

Amphetamine Exposure During Embryogenesis Leads To Long-Term And Transgenerational Increase In Behavioral Response And Decrease In Dopamine Uptake, Talus J. Mccowan

Theses and Dissertations

Amphetamine (AMPH) is widely prescribed for the treatment of ADHD and a highly abused substance in society, yet little is known about the long-term effects of the drug. Here, we used Caenorhabditis elegans (C. elegans) to establish a model for the long-term and transgenerational effects of AMPH exposure on behavior. Furthermore, experiments were conducted to explore the molecular mechanisms of AMPH that were altered by embryonic AMPH exposure.

C. elegans have a well characterized behavioral response to AMPH known as Swimming Induced Paralysis (SWIP). For the SWIP test, animals are placed in fluid, which normally induces a thrashing behavior. However, …

The Effect Of Household Debt Servicing Costs On Expenditure Growth, Jared Alexander Michel

Theses and Dissertations

This study examines the effect of debt-servicing costs on subsequent expenditure growth. Quarterly expenditure data on US households from the US Labor Department’s Consumer Expenditure Survey are utilized in a typical regression framework, and an emphasis is placed on determining the effect of a positive change in a household’s debt-servicing costs on expenditure growth. Initial results reaffirm the literature in showing a negative relationship between leverage and expenditure growth. However, upon controlling for the change in each household’s debt-servicing costs, the strong relationship disappears, and instead, a strong negative relationship between positive changes in a household’s debt-servicing costs and subsequent …

Employment Effects Of The 2015 Minimum Wage Increase In Johnson County, Iowa, Joseph Charles Pastorino

Theses and Dissertations

This paper studies the employment effects of the November 2015 minimum wage increase in Johnson County, Iowa from $7.25 per hour to $8.25 per hour. It was the first of three incremental minimum wage increases implemented by the county to raise its minimum wage to $10.10 per hour. The paper uses a difference-in-difference approach to compare the experience of the Johnson County labor market with that of contiguous border counties to estimate the impact of the policy change. The study’s results yielded employment comparison estimates which were not statistically significant. Therefore, the null hypothesis that the policy effect of the …

The Problem-Solving Approach Of Health And Education Professionals Who Have Experience In The Arts As An Artist And Personal Experience In Trauma, Chanel Myers

Theses and Dissertations

Clients face many different obstacles within healthcare and education settings. Professionals in health and education fields are in a position to be a problem-solving resource to clients, students, and patients. The subset of professionals being examined are problem-solving professionals, who work with clients/students/patients, within the health and education fields, who self-identify as an artist, and also have experienced trauma with chronic struggling. How do problem-solving professionals in health and education fields who self-identify as an artist and have experienced trauma with chronic struggling approach problem-solving in their profession? This study used qualitative methods and interviewed ten participants. This study found …

Athletic Trainers Describe Their Use Of Imagery: What, Where, When, And Why, Rachel Phelps

Theses and Dissertations

Objective: Conduct an in-depth exploration of imagery use by ATs by investigating if ATs use imagery and what, where, when, and why they image.

Design: Qualitative design.

Setting: Online questionnaire.

Participants: 219 ATs (94 females, 124 males, 1 unknown) representing 6 different position titles.

Main Outcome Measure: Modified Imagery Use by Athletic Trainers Questionnaire.

Results: ATs believed instructors should be the ones to teach them how to use imagery. Results showed that 81% of the sample used imagery but 19% did not use imagery for a variety of reasons (i.e., time, lack of education). Images used by ATs fell into …

Monitoring Changes On The Sheyenne National Grassland Using Multitemporal Landsat Data, Stefano Potter

Theses and Dissertations

Tallgrass prairies are one of the rarest ecosystems on the planet as up to 99% of their historical extent has been converted to agriculture. Once a prairie is converted there is often a loss of ecosystem services such as soil retention, carbon storage, water quality and a loss of biodiversity. It can take centuries to restore a native prairie after conversion has taken place. The Sheyenne National Grassland is managed by the U.S. Forest Service and contains the largest publicly owned tract of tallgrass prairie remaining in North America making it a highly valuable for conservation.

Ordinary least squares regression …

Buckling Of Liquid-Filled Steel Storage Tanks Under Earthquake Loading, Wiriyachai Roopkumdee

Theses and Dissertations

The static and dynamic buckling loads of cylindrical liquid storage tanks were studied in this thesis. Finite element analysis was performed using ANSYS computer program. Twelve different geometries of the cylindrical tanks were analyzed with height to diameter (H/D) ratios of 0.5, 1.0, 1.5, and 2.0 and the diameter to thickness (D/t) ratios of 1000, 1500, and 2000 to cover tall and short cylindrical tanks. The transient dynamic analysis was performed to find the dynamic buckling loads. Applied dynamic loads in this study are horizontal earthquake excitations in terms of acceleration (g) due to gravity. Budiansky and Roth procedure was …

Is The Gefion Dynamical Asteroid Family The Source Of The L Chondrites?, Rachel Roberts

Theses and Dissertations

Identifying main belt asteroid sources of the ordinary chondrites (H, L, and LL) is a high priority. Ordinary chondrites account for approximately 75% of meteorite falls, of which the L chondrites account for approximately 35% of meteorite falls (Wasson, 1985; Schmitz et al., 2001). From detailed analysis of meteorites, composition and formation environment can be ascertained; pairing the meteorites to probable sources in the main asteroid belt increases our understanding of the compositional and temperature environment during the formation of the inner solar system (Burbine et al., 2002; Gaffey, 2011). Gaffey and Gilbert (1998) identified a probable main belt parent …

Indigenous Knowledge System And Decolonizing Methodology Interwoven Into Higher Education Experiences: Autoethnography, Franklin Sage

Theses and Dissertations

What ways can Indigenous Knowledge and Diné Knowledge Systems be useful in autoethnography doctoral research? This dissertation uses Indigenous Research Methodology and autoethnography to make use of storytelling from the Navajo Creation Story and Navajo Circular Model to examine the educational experiences of Native Americans in higher education. A Navajo Circular Model was developed to provide a visual guide of the Indigenous Research process utilizing various Navajo traditional elements. This dissertation highlights federal policies that changed the course of Native American education. The results are in autoethnography that reveals how cultural identity, names, dislocation from home, financial barriers and racism …

Molecular Mechanisms Regulating Rna Polymerase Ii Pausing During Gene Activation, Ann Sanoji Samarakkody

Theses and Dissertations

RNA Polymerase II (Pol II), the enzyme that transcribes all messenger RNAs (mRNAs) has another activity by pausing at gene promoters. The paused Pol II generates short 5’-capped RNAs of about 50 nucleotides in length. Much is known about Pol II pausing including its prevalence across the genome. But, the molecular mechanisms that are involved in regulating Pol II pausing and its roles in gene regulation are yet to be fully explored. In this study, I have investigated the molecular mechanisms that regulate dynamics of Pol II pausing in response to gene activation.

The main goal of this study was …

An Investigation Of The Impact Of Enso On Regional Climate Over The Northern Great Plains, Akila Sampath

Theses and Dissertations

Using ground-based observations, as well as reanalysis and Coupled Model Intercomparison Project Phase 5 (CMIP5) data, the long-term changes in precipitation and surface temperature are studied for the Northern Great Plains (NGP) region for the period of 1965-2005. Significant positive trends of ~1-2 °C/41 years in annual mean temperature are found across North Dakota and Minnesota. This study also suggests that the eastern part of the NGP region is wetter than the western part of the NGP, for the past 41 years. In addition, the spatial-temporal changes of precipitation and temperature of the region, as well as their linkages to …