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Volume 48, Number 2: September 01, 2010, University Of North Dakota

University Letter Archive

No abstract provided.

Volume 48, Number 1: August 25, 2010, University Of North Dakota

University Letter Archive

No abstract provided.

Volume 47, Number 52: August 18, 2010, University Of North Dakota

University Letter Archive

No abstract provided.

Volume 47, Number 51: August 11, 2010, University Of North Dakota

University Letter Archive

No abstract provided.

Smokers' Responses To Fearful And Disgust-Eliciting Anti-Smoking Media, Mark C. Goetz

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to build upon Wakefield and colleagues and Vogeltanz-Holm and colleagues hypotheses that anti-smoking ads are effective by means of eliciting negative emotional states, particularly disgust. In this study, we compared two sets of ads: those high in fear and disgust and those high in only fear. We hypothesized that subjective and physiological responses to ads high in fear and have a disgust component would be greater than for the fear-only ads. We also predicted that the ads high in disgust would have higher rates of recall and engagement. Last, we predicted that participants viewing …

Relative Effectiveness Of Repellents For Preventing Deer Damage To Japanese Yews, Paul D. Curtis, Jason R. Boulanger

Biology Faculty Publications

Homeowners whose landscape plants are repeatedly browsed by white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) are interested in repellent products that are effective and long-lasting. New products come to market with limited experimental testing. We conducted a 10-week trial from Feb. through Apr. 1999 to test the duration and efficacy of six commercial deer repellents [Deer-Away Big Game Repellent (BGR) mix, BGR spray, Deer-Off, Deer Stopper II, Repellex, Tree Guard] and two experimental deer repellents (CU-A and CU-B) relative to each other and to untreated plants. Treated and control balled japanese yew (Taxus cuspidata) shrubs were placed at each …

Laptop Education: Impact On Learning And Achievement, Christopher E. Mills

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to examine how 1:1 Laptop initiatives in the 10th, 11th, and 12th grade affected student achievement and student academic performance over the 2008–2009 school year at a selected small rural, Minnesota high school. The two variables in this study were: perceived student performance skills based on survey results from both student and teacher participants, and pre-existing Minnesota graduation testing results and grade point averages from Fertile-Beltrami School District students. The three questions that were researched in this study were: (1) What effects does a 1:1 Laptop initiative have on student academic performance based on …

Prevention Of Spinal Anesthesia Induced Hypotension During Elective Cesarean Section, Keith Nelson

Theses and Dissertations

The incidence of cesarean delivery has increased dramatically over the past decade. According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention's National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS), cesarean deliveries accounted for more than 30% of all births in 2005, setting a new United States record. Due to the increased risks, morbidity, and mortality associated with general anesthesia for cesarean sections, regional anesthesia is most often selected for non-emergent cesarean deliveries. Unless a preexisting labor epidural is in place, spinal anesthesia is most often the regional technique of choice for cesarean deliveries due to its immediate onset and dense blockade. Hypotension …

The Morphology Of Nouns In The Ugoroŋmo Language (Arara Of Pará), Shirley Dias Cardoso De Souza

Theses and Dissertations

In this thesis I describe the morphology of nouns in the Ugoroŋmo language (Arara of Pará), which is spoken by just over three hundred people. The Ugoroŋmo people live on the bank of the Iriri river, in two villages (Laranjal and Cachoeira Seca) in the state of Pará, Brazil.

The nouns of this language can be divided in three main groups: those that are not inflected for possession, those that may be inflected for possession, and those that must be inflected for possession (inherently possessed nouns). Possession is marked by two affixes: a possessor prefix and a possessive suffix. Inherently …

A Phonological Description Of "Pet Talk" In Arara, Isaac Costa De Souza

Theses and Dissertations

The Arara people of Para, Brazil, as a whole, are remnants or survivors of some larger Cariban groups who descended from the headwaters of the upper Xingu to the mid and low areas of this river by the beginning of the nineteenth century. Now they live in three different villages: Maia, Cachoeira Seca and Laranjal.

The present thesis aims to describe thirteen different ludlings or "play languages" that elderly Arara people from Laranjal know and sometimes use in talking to pets. Play languages are linguistic forms that are purposely manipulated at some level. The strategies which the Arara people use …

The Significance Of Gender In Literacy Instructions, Julie Kragness

Theses and Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Volume 47, Number 49: July 28, 2010, University Of North Dakota

University Letter Archive

No abstract provided.

Ciliary Neurotrophic Factor And Its Signal Transduction In The Rat Hypothalamo -Neurohypophysial System, David Y. Lo

Theses and Dissertations

Ciliary neurotrophic factor, a member of the interleukin-6 family of cytokines, promotes neuronal survival and axonal sprouting in various populations of neurons including sensory neurons, motor neurons, and magnocellular neurons (MCN's) of the supraoptic nucleus (SON). Unilateral lesion of the hypothalamo-neurohypophysial tract (HNT) results in an initial period of axonal degeneration followed by a restoration of axonal density in the neurohypophysis by 30 days post-lesion. The restoration of axonal density is attributed to collateral sprouting from MCN's of the intact contralateral SON. A statistically significant increase in CNTF levels was demonstrated previously in the intact contralateral SON following unilateral lesion …

Functional Regulation Of The Transient Receptor Potential Canonical 1 By Caveolin 1 And Stromal Interaction Molecule 1, Biswaranjan Pani

Theses and Dissertations

Caveolae are cholesterol-rich plasma-membrane (PM) microdomains which foster wide-range of signal-transduction events including Ca2+-influx. Caveolae contain Caveolin1 (Cav1) as their major structural-protein. Transient receptor potential canonical 1 (TRPC1) channels constitute an integral-component of store-operated Ca2+ channels (SOCC) which initiate store-operated Ca2+ entry (SOCE), in response to endoplasmic reticulum (ER) Ca2+-store depletion. Recently, Stromal interaction molecule 1 (STIM1) was identified as the ER Ca2+-sensor which, following store-depletion, forms clusters and translocate to peripheral-ER at sub-plasma membrane region and communicates with PM-SOCC activating SOCE. This study identifies a significant role of Cav1 and STIM1 in regulating TRPC1 function. In salivary epithelial cells, …

Trans-4-Hydroxy-2-Hexenal As A Marker Of N-3 Polyunsaturated Fatty Acid Oxidation In Brain In A Rat Model Of Ethanol Withdrawal, Eric K. Long

Theses and Dissertations

Lipid peroxidation is a free radical-mediated process characterized by addition of molecular oxygen to polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA). Lipid peroxidation occurs basally, resulting in products that participate in normal signaling. One product is trans-4-hydroxy-2-nonenal (HNE). HNE is a product of lipid peroxidation of n-6 PUFA, such as arachidonic acid, and has the ability to mofify proteins, deplete glutathione, and induce apoptosis. Brain is a tissue that consumes large amounts of oxygen and contains an abundance of PUFA, which suggests a high degree of susceptibility of lipid peroxidation. Lipid peroxidation is known to increase in brain in diseases such as Alzheimer's …

Selenium Determinations, Nanoparticle Sorbent Analysis And Nanoparticle Catalysts For Chemiluminescence, Sandra Grace Hazelton

Theses and Dissertations

Three projects in chemical analysis are presented. In the first, calibration-free Se(IV) determinations were accomplished using an electrochemical flow cell and stripping potentiometry at an unmodified gold electrode. The method was optimized prior to analysis of water and wheat samples. A detection limit of approximately 0.5 ppb Se(IV) was observed. Method accuracy was good and precision was acceptable (%RSD < 10). In the second project, stripping analysis was also employed, this time to analyze metal ion adsorption on carboxylic acid-modified silica nanoparticles. The metals analyzed were Cu(II), Cd(II), and Pb(II). By using anodic stripping voltammetry, adsorbed metal ions could not be detected, thus the need to separate the sorbent from the free metal ions was eliminated. All three metal ions in this study adsorbed in a nearly one-to-one ratio with the carboxylic acid groups at high pH (∼1000 μmol g-1). The effect of pH on adsorption behavior was also investigated. The third project also employed silica nanoparticles and a flow-through detection system. Co(III)-triethanolamine-doped silica nanoparticles were synthesized and used as catalysts for the luminol-H2O2 chemiluminescence reaction. It was found that the chemiluminescent signal increased linearly with the concentration of nanoparticles in bulk solution. The detection limit for the nanoparticles was 1.5 × 10-12 mol L-1 . Luminol-H2O2 chemiluminescence had superior precision when catalyzed by nanoparticles as compared with the free cobalt(III) complex. It was demonstrated that the nanoparticles met the criteria required for a biosensor label.

The Impact Of Social Support On The Neuropsychological Functioning Of Multiple Sclerosis Patients, Caitlin G. Schultz

Theses and Dissertations

Multiple sclerosis is an autoimmune disease which can affect several areas of functioning including physical and psychological functioning. Many individuals experience difficulties with depression and neuropsychological capabilities. Additionally, social networks often appear to be impacted by the disease. Previous research has shown that some of the physical functioning as well as the depressive symptomatology in multiple sclerosis can be ameliorated by improvements in social support. The present study used archival data to explore the impact of social support on neuropsychological function in 112 adults with multiple sclerosis. It was found that higher levels of perceived social support correlated with improved …

Activation Dependent Function Of Transient Receptor Potential Canonical 3 In Neurosecretion, Sunitha Bollimuntha

Theses and Dissertations

Transient receptor potential canonical 3 (TRPC3), a non-selective Ca 2+-permeable cation channel, is a member of the TRP superfamily of ion channels. The mode of activation of TRPC3 is governed by a cascade of Phospholipase C (PLC) mediated signaling events, following G-protein coupled receptor (GPCR) or tyrosine kinase receptor activation, resulting in endoplasmic reticulum (ER) Ca2+ store depletion. This very store depletion triggers the activation of plasma membrane TRPC3 and hence they are termed as receptor operated or store operated cation channels. In addition to the receptor mediated activation of TRPC3, an alternate mode of channel activation has been described, …

The Believers: A Novel, Karen T. Miller

Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation takes for its topic the prosperity gospel, begun in the mid-nineteenth century and still thriving today. The prosperity ministries that cropped up in Oklahoma and Texas emphasize scriptures such as "ask what you Will and it shall be done" (John 15.7). They teach that if you have faith, whatever you ask of God Will be given to you. This novel explores what happens to a group of young adults in a small-town Arkansas church who follow the evangelist Reverend Elijah P. Dunlap's prosperity teaching. Weekly meetings of the Believers form the structure for the novel. The group's members …

Hippocampal Based Spatial Memory, Antioxidant Defense And Neurogenesis In Long-Living Ames Dwarf Mice, Sunita Sharma

Theses and Dissertations

The US Census Bureau projects that there Will be 71.5 million people over the age of 65 by 2030. One of the most significant problems is that the elderly population suffers from age-associated cognitive impairment. The hippocampus is one identified brain region known to be vulnerable to aging and is associated with a decline in growth hormone/insulin like growth factor-1 (GH/IGF-1), and an increase in oxidative stress and neuronal loss. The Ames dwarf mouse is a long-living animal that is growth hormone deficient and thus, lacks peripheral IGF-1. Ames mice have enhanced antioxidant protection in the peripheral system but the …

A Taxonomy And Framework For Designing Educational Games To Promote Problem Solving, Richard Van Eck, Woei Hung

Teaching, Leadership & Professional Practice Faculty Publications

Problem solving is often discussed as one of the benefits of games and game-based learning, yet little empirical research exists to support this assertion. It will be critical to establish and validate models of problem solving in games, but this will be difficult if not impossible without a better understanding of problem solving than currently exists in the field of serious games. Problem solving and problem-based learning (PBL) have been studied intensely in both Europe and the United States for more than 75 years. Any models and research on the relation of games and problem solving must build on the …

Diagnostic Utility Of Cerebral White Matter Integrity In Early Alzheimer's Disease, David K. Johnson, Willis Barrow, Raeann E. Anderson, Amith Harsha, Robyn Honea, William M. Brooks, Jeffrey M. Burns

Psychology Faculty Publications

We compared white matter integrity with brain atrophy in healthy controls and participants with very mild dementia (Clinical Dementia Rating 0 vs. 0.5) from the Brain Aging Project, a longitudinal study of aging and memory at the University of Kansas Medical Center. Structural magnetic resonance imaging and diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) including fractional anisotropy and mean diffusivity were performed on 27 patients with very mild dementia (Clinical Dementia Rating = 0.5) of the Alzheimer's type (DAT), and 32 cognitively normal subjects. Patient groups were compared across 6 volumetric measures and 14 DTI regions of interest. Very mildly demented patients showed …

Volume 47, Number 42: June 09, 2010, University Of North Dakota

University Letter Archive

No abstract provided.

Volume 47, Number 39: May 19, 2010, University Of North Dakota

University Letter Archive

No abstract provided.

Volume 47, Number 38: May 12, 2010, University Of North Dakota

University Letter Archive

No abstract provided.

School Of Law Commencement: May 8, 2010, University Of North Dakota

UND Commencement Programs

School of Law Commencement program from May 8, 2010.

Phosphorylation Of The Type Iα Regulatory Subunit Of Camp -Dependent Protein Kinase., Karen Mae Boeshans

Theses and Dissertations

The mechanism by which the type la regulatory subunit (RIa) of cAMP-dependent protein kinase (PKAI) is localized to cell membranes is unknown, however, RIa may be localized through hydrophobic interaction with membrane lipids. To determine if post-translational lipid modification of RIa is important for membrane association, both beef skeletal muscle cytosolic RI and beef heart membrane-associated RI were characterized by electrospray ionization mass spectrometry. Total sequence coverage was 98% for both the membrane and cytosolic forms of RI after digestion with trypsin or AspN protease. Sequence data indicated that membrane-associated and cytosolic forms of RI were the same RIa gene …

Normalizing The Immediate And Early Postpartum Period: A Teaching Module For Nursing Students, Cate Edlebeck

Theses and Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Ecological Factors In Social Skills Acquisition: High School Students With Emotional And/Or Behavioral Disorders In The United States And Norway, Sarah K. Anderson

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of my study was to develop a grounded theory of the underlying social processes and/or other ecological factors that impact the effectiveness of skill acquisition for students with emotional and/or behavioral disorders (EBD) in "sister" cities located in the United States (Site One) and in Norway (Site Two). Theory development was based on in-depth investigation of 10 students with EBD, five at each research site. This study looked at ecological factors impacting the learning of a new social skill, the socialization skills of students with EBD, and differences in skill acquisition between the two research sites.

Based on …

Comparing Pedestrian Behavior Before And After Installation Of A Countdown Pedestrian Signal At An Intersection, Carl W. Warrene

Theses and Dissertations

The objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of countdown signals at an intersection on pedestrian behavior. A "before" and "after" study design was used. Survey data for this experiment was collected over multiple days in two collection periods. More than 330 random pedestrians were observed for each collection period. "Before" data was collected at the subject intersection with traditional, non-countdown timer pedestrian signals in place. The signals were replaced with countdown pedestrian signals and "after" data were collected. Pedestrian behavior, demographic data and experiment metadata was collected for each observation collection period.