Digital Commons Network^™

A Group Protocol For Promoting Wellness In Rural Community-Dwelling Older Adults, Emily Bachmeier, Laurel Busch

Occupational Therapy Capstones

Purpose: In the United States, there are currently 46 million citizens aged 65 and older. This number is projected to more than double by the year 2060 (Mather, 2016). As the elderly population continues to grow, the need for evidence-based, client centered prevention programs for community-dwelling older adults becomes more crucial to promote independence and preserve well-being in the community. Older adults living in rural areas are at an even higher risk of losing independence secondary to decline in activity tolerance, which further elevates their need for targeted interventions (Park, Kim, & Lee, 2015). Creating a preventative program to maintain …

The Relationship Between Cell Phone Use And Motivation To Exercise In College Students, Ryan Eric Doree

Theses and Dissertations

Past research suggests that high cell phone usage is related to sedentary behavior, poor physical fitness, and poor mental health. College students cell phone usage has increased over previous years while physical activity levels have declined, but due to little research, this relationship is still unclear. The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between college student's smartphone usage, exercise motivation, and physical activity. College students completed an electronic survey (n=157; female = 135; age = 20.01±1.49; BMI = 24.39) that assessed exercise motivation, physical activity, smartphone usage, height and weight (to calculate BMI), depression, anxiety, stress and …

A Neoclassical Realist’S Analysis Of Sino-U.S. Space Policy, Christopher David Fabian

Theses and Dissertations

During the Cold War, the United States focused its collective policy acumen on forming a competitive, actor-specific strategy to gain advantage over the Soviet Union. The fragmentation of the Soviet Union resulted in a multi-polar geopolitical environment lacking a near-peer rival for the United States. Overwhelming soft and hard power advantages allowed American policy makers to peruse a general, non-actor specific strategy to maintain its hegemonic position. However, the meteoric rise of China as a near-peer competitor in East Asia has challenged this paradigm. In order to maintain its competitive advantage, or at the very least ensure the safety of …

Impacts Of Cold Region Hydroclimatic Variability On Phosphorus Exports: Insights From Concentrations - Discharge Relationships, Tyson Lee Jeannotte

Theses and Dissertations

In Devils Lake ND, a terminal lake in the Northern Great Plains, algae blooms are of great concern due to the recent increase of streamflow and subsequent elevated concentrations of nutrients, particularly phosphorus. To date, very few studies explore P concentration to streamflow relationship in cold region agricultural basins, specially the headwater catchments of the Devils Lake basin. This study gains a better understanding of the impacts of hydroclimatic variation on concentration to streamflow relationships between two headwater catchments (Mauvais Coulee: 1032 km2 and Tributary 3: 160 km2) draining to Devils Lake during the 2016-2018 period. This study presents high-resolution …

Narrative Portraiture Of American Indian Men Who Persist To Completion Of Doctoral Degrees, Shawn F. Holz

Theses and Dissertations

This qualitative study examines the lived experiences of American Indian men who have completed their doctoral degrees through the positive exploration of portraiture methodology. Semi-structured interviews are conducted with subject-actors being asked to share stories from their earliest childhood memories and educational experiences through high school and through to completion of their doctoral degrees. Using narrative analysis and transculturation theory as the framework, subject-actors stories are examined to identify emergent themes of common experiences and characteristics. These create a composite portrait of a male American Indian student who persists to completion of their doctoral degree.

Inflammation Is A Common Factor Between Central And Peripheral Neurodegeneration, Brett Anthony Mcgregor

Theses and Dissertations

The studies in this dissertation investigate neurodegenerative conditions of the central and peripheral nervous system utilizing bioinformatics and systems biology approaches. Various neurodegenerative conditions are associated with neuroinflammation or the inflammation of nervous tissue. We utilized Parkinson’s disease as our system for neuroinflammation in the central nervous system and diabetic peripheral neuropathy for the peripheral nervous system. Parkinson’s disease is associated with loss of dopaminergic neurons in the substantia nigra and consequent loss of dopamine signaling in the striatum of the central nervous system. Characteristics of Parkinson’s Disease include symptoms such as shaking, rigidity, slowness of movement, difficulty walking, dementia, …

Decision Analytics Using Permissioned Blockchain “Commledger”, Atif Farid Mohammad

Theses and Dissertations

The advent of Blockchain has introduced a paradigm shift in the area of Scientific Computing. The decision analytics embodiment in current technology fabric has introduced a need of incorporating Blockchain with industrial technology ecosystem. The utilization of Blockchain has introduced gaps in terms of standard business processes, while the data is being processed using the concept of traditional RDBMS and NoSQL data formats. The lag of permissioned and permissionless Blockchain is the problem area which is dealt with in this doctoral dissertation to provide a Proof of Permission (PoP) protocol for any organization or entity to tailor according to their …

Examining The Perceptions Of Bullying Between Certified And Non-Certified School Personnel, Shanna Morlock

Theses and Dissertations

Bullying has been a widely researched topic. However, many areas are yet to be researched in regards to school personnels’ perceptions. This dissertation was focused around several of these missing research areas, as well as included non-certified staff. Non-certified staff have been left out of the vast majority of studies involving school personnel and bullying. That, or their perceptions have not been explored as a separate group of school personnel. This is problematic as non-certified staff are often part of supervisory roles in settings where bullying often occurs. This study addressed differences among school personnel perceptions in regards to bullying …

Measuring Friendship Maintenance In Gay Men, Eliah Reding

Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation examines the existing friendship maintenance literature to develop a psychometrically sound scale for the measurement of friendship maintenance among gay men. Existing friendship maintenance research does not adequately capture the uniqueness of gay male friendship. Utilizing DeVellis’s (2016) steps of scale development, this dissertation constructs a new scale, the GayFABS, to assess the unique aspects of friendship maintenance in gay men. Unique in this dissertation is the use of a focus group to establish content validity rather than the traditional approach of expert review. An exploratory factor analysis is conducted to structure the scale and its component subscales. …

Hunting And Fishing Attitudes, Behaviors And Ethics Related To Gender And Aggression, Victoria Williams

Theses and Dissertations

To date, no empirical studies have investigated the relationship between psychopathology (or other constructs) pertaining to hunting and fishing attitudes, behaviors and ethics relating to gender and aggression. Although experienced outdoorspeople assumedly adhere to, or are at least aware of, general hunting and fishing codes of ethics, many disregard them. This study investigates the differences between men and women on these variables by utilizing a newly developed measure of hunting and fishing attitudes and beliefs, the Sportsperson Attitude Scale (SAS) (McDonald, Williams, Sargent & McDonald 2017). This measure was created in order to better understand the potential motivators and reinforcers …

Wetland Dynamics In A Terminal Lake Basin: Implications To Recent Hydroclimatic Evolution, Alexis Lucy Archambault

Theses and Dissertations

Spatiotemporal surface water extent dynamics are important factors to understand the evolution of land surface and hydrologic processes in the Prairie Pothole Region (PPR). Surface water bodies such as lakes and wetlands are highly responsive to the variability in air temperature and precipitation, making them effective indicators of long-term hydrological conditions. Increased levels of precipitation influencing subsequent fill and spill processes have facilitated the wetland behavior in the Devils Lake Basin (DLB) as well as the rising lake levels that has caused $1 billon in flood damages. To date, the impacts of recent wetting (1993-present) on surface water area dynamics …

Characteristics Of Convectively Induced Turbulence Determined From Tropical And Midlatitude Simulations, Katelyn Audrey Barber

Theses and Dissertations

Out-of-cloud convectively induced turbulence (CIT) poses both a serious threat to aviation operations and a challenge to forecasting applications. This challenge is particularly large in the tropics, as CIT prediction and avoidance are limited due to sparse observations and lack of tropical turbulence research. This study uses high resolution numerical simulations to investigate out-of-cloud CIT properties including intensity, areal coverage, and location using popular turbulence diagnostics in both the tropics and midlatitudes. Convective types are varied in both regions to determine the influence of convective strength and stage (developing versus mature) on CIT characteristics. The Ellrod index, Richardson number, subgrid-scale …

Sparc, A Matricellular Protein, In A Cell Culture Model Of Heavy Metal Cadmium Induced Bladder Urothelial Carcinoma, Emily Rae Biggane

Theses and Dissertations

Bladder cancer, the most common urinary tract malignancy, has environmental toxicant exposure as one of its biggest risk factors. This lab examines potential biomarkers employing an in vitro model of urothelial carcinoma using a normal bladder cell line and its malignantly transformed cells transformed counterpart, transformed by exposure to long term, low doses of cadmium (Cd2+). Initial microarray analysis determined that Secreted Protein Acidic and Rich in Cysteine (SPARC) was the most repressed gene across all transformed cell lines compared to its normal counterpart (Garrett et al., 2014, Larson et al., 2010).

SPARC, an extracellular matrix glycoprotein, functions by regulating …

Multicultural Education And Cultural Competency Standards For Legal Professionals, Stephanie Bono

Theses and Dissertations

The development of multicultural education and cultural competency standards for legal professionals is an important topic within the legal field (Bryant, 2001; Weng, 2005; Curcio, Ward, & Dogra, 2013). The legal profession plays a major role in American society, with legal professionals working in prominent positions within the government, financial sector, and business, in addition to private law firms. These professionals create policy, write laws, and advocate on behalf of others. They are leaders and experts who possess enormous power, and we rely on them to make decisions that will allow our society to thrive. In recent decades, however, our …

An Exploration Of In-Person And Online Social Interaction: Examining The Effects Of Two Domains Of Social Behavior, Michael David Prazak

Theses and Dissertations

Social interaction is a core dimension of a fulfilling life. At present, the study of social interaction has focused largely on online social interaction due to the prevalence of this behavior in modern society, and the large impact of this manner of interaction on the psychological health of individuals. In terms of online behavior, both positive and negative effects may be experienced. Better understanding predictors and outcomes of online behavior would thus be a timely and valuable contribution to literature. The present study examined anxious and avoidant attachment style as predictors of social intimacy, levels of both in-person and online …

Effects Of A Confidence-Based, Individualized Remediation Strategy On Student Learning And Final Grades In A Multi-Campus Human Anatomy Curriculum, Ethan Snow

Theses and Dissertations

Reliable measurement of student learning and delivery of comparable education across distributed campus sites are two significant challenges facing institutions across the country. Evidence-based practices for learning objective (LO) development and use can help overcome comparability challenges, but widely-used correctness-only assessment methods contribute to these challenges since they are only able to interpret correct answers as displays of complete knowledge and incorrect answers as displays of absent knowledge. Assessment instruments that measure correctness alone are not able to distinguish guesswork (i.e., when a student lacks knowledge but randomly chooses the correct answer), partial knowledge (i.e., when a student has learned …

Competing By Tweeting: A Content Analysis Of University Presidents' Tweets, Susan Balcom Walton

Theses and Dissertations

Some university presidents have engaged with stakeholders by using Twitter content to interact with them and strengthen institutional image. However, little research has been published concerning how university presidents use social media to connect with audiences in areas that directly impact institutional image, specifically, college rankings such as those provided by U.S. News & World Report.

This study addressed two questions: What is the content of the Twitter posts of top public university presidents who use Twitter, and how does that content relate to criteria that reinforce institutional image, such as the U.S. News & World Report rankings? These questions …

Preventing Internet-Based Juror Misconduct: Investigating The Efficacy Of Prohibitive Jury Instructions, Emily Marie Carstens Namie

Theses and Dissertations

To prevent the biasing influence of information obtained outside of the courtroom courts often issue instructions to jurors that limit or prohibit certain activities and the use of information during the trial and when making verdict decisions. (i.e., prohibitive instructions). However, research indicates that mock jurors tend to ignore such instructions. Additionally, advances in mobile technology give today’s jurors easier access to potentially biasing information obtained through the internet and digital communication (e.g., social media, blogs, email, and texting). This raises the question not yet addressed by extant research, whether jurors access this information during a case, even when judges …

Applications Of An Unmanned Aircraft Vehicle And Remote Cameras For Studying A Sub-Arctic Ecosystem, Andrew Barnas

Theses and Dissertations

The midcontinent population of lesser snow geese (Anser caerulescens caerulescens) has increased dramatically since the 1960’s due to changing agricultural practices in their southern wintering areas. The destructive foraging and continued population growth of lesser snow geese has resulted in cascading negative impacts on northern ecosystems. Studying remote sub-Arctic ecosystems is logistically challenging, but the advent of remote sensing technologies (such as drones and remote cameras) may assist ecologists in understanding snow goose ecology. Before these tools can be integrated into snow goose research programs, precursor “proof-of-concept” studies are required to validate tool use. The objectives of this study were …

On Satyrs: Brutes, Monsters, And Demons: Of Their Nature And Worship: François Hédelin's Des Satyres As A Defense Of God And Humankind, Danielle Skjelver

Theses and Dissertations

Best known for his 1657 La Pratique du Theatre, François Hédelin was a cleric with a keen interest in the stage. As the abbé d’Aubignac, he wrangled in debate with the most respected scholars of his day, and Hédelin’s contacts extended to the crown itself. His Des Satyres, brutes, monstres et démons is an attempt to do with a species what he did with the stage - to bring disorder and immorality to heel.

This dissertation provides historical context, analysis, and translation of François Hédelin’s 1627 Des Satyres, brutes, monstres et démons. De leur nature et adoration Contre l'opinion de …

Antennas And Wave Propagation In Wireless Body Area Networks: Design And Evaluation Techniques, Ala Alemaryeen

Theses and Dissertations

Recently, fabrication of miniature electronic devices that can be used for wireless connectivity becomes of great interest in many applications. This has resulted in many small and compact wireless devices that are either implantable or wearable. As these devices are small, the space for the antenna is limited. An antenna is the part of the wireless device that receives and transmits a wireless signal. Implantable and wearable antennas are very susceptible to harmful performance degradation caused by the human body and very difficult to integrate, if not designed properly. A designer need to minimize unwanted radiation absorption by the human …

Comparing Screening And Treatment Of Bacterial Vaginosis And Pregnancy Outcomes, Stephanie Severson

Physician Assistant Scholarly Project Papers

Despite evidence that bacterial vaginosis can lead to poor perinatal outcomes the consensus remains against a screening and treatment protocol for all pregnant women. Due to variability in a multitude of factors, a generalized recommendation is difficult to make. There are inconsistencies among stage of gestation that screening took place and treatment selection. The multiple variables in demographics also make providing best practice recommendations difficult. Lack of recommendations are largely due to harm of treatment in those who were misdiagnosed. The development of polymerase chain reaction (PCR) has the capability to reduce misdiagnosis. Newer studies have shown benefit of early …

The Case For An Affirmative Consent Provision In Rape Law, Eric Sandoval

North Dakota Law Review

No abstract provided.

Navigating Cultural Differences Between Fieldwork Educators And Students, Tiana Brown, Norris Chin

Occupational Therapy Capstones

Background Cultural competency is an awareness and incorporation of knowledge about individuals and groups of people into specific policies, practices, standards and attitudes by incorporating the client's personal views, values and belief (Suk, Oh, & Im, 2018). Although it is important for future health care professionals and faculty to understand our growing diverse population, there is little to no emphasis on improving the interactions of diverse students and their fieldwork educators. Currently, there is no literature that provides guidance on facilitating culturally competent interactions and challenges for fieldwork educators or students. The purpose of this project was to develop a …

Occupational Therapy In Primary Care: Progressive Neurological Disorder, Amanda Callahan, Danielle Chartier

Occupational Therapy Capstones

The purpose of this scholarly project is to provide occupational therapists with a quick reference guide describing the unique role of occupational therapy to provide treatment for patients with multiple sclerosis within a primary care setting.

A substantial literature review was completed to gather knowledge on multiple sclerosis, occupational therapy, primary care, and the intertwining of these three concepts. The findings from the literature review assisted to guide the development of the product.

A collaborative client and therapist guide was developed to guide treatment for individuals with multiple sclerosis within a primary care setting. Occupational therapists bring a holistic perspective …

Implementing An Occupational Therapy Student-Run Clinic At The University Of North Dakota, Ryan Walter, Kennedy Bresnahan

Occupational Therapy Capstones

Introduction: The curriculum of the occupational therapy program at the University of North Dakota (UND) includes approximately 185 hours of level I fieldwork experience where students work to integrate and practice skills learned within the classroom in a clinical setting. Students report that these experiences are often observation-based. Additionally, academic fieldwork coordinators are having an increasingly difficult time finding placements to support the growing number of students nationwide. A contributing factor to placement shortages is the tradition of using the apprenticeship model of supervision, where one student is supervised by one fieldwork educator (FWE). In order to ensure a consistent …

Toda La Familia: An Occupational Therapy Resource Guide For Working With Latino Children Diagnosed With Asd And Their Families, Rachel Fritzler, Stacey Sigmond

Occupational Therapy Capstones

The purpose of this scholarly project was to create a resource guide for occupational therapists working with Latino children diagnosed with ASD and their families. Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a developmental disability that has become increasingly prevalent within the United States (Baio, Wiggins, and Christensen, 2018), with ASD rates triplining in Hispanic children between the years of 2002 through 2006 (Pedersen et al., 2002). Blanche, Diaz, Barretto, and Cermak (2015) indicated that multiple family members, not just primary caretakers, are aiding in caring for a child diagnosed with ASD. However, many extended households which may include grandparents, aunts, uncles, …

The Experiences Of Occupational Therapists Working In Oncology Care And The Implications Of The Referral Process, Samantha Albrigtson, Jade Clement

Occupational Therapy Capstones

Purpose: The purpose of this independent study was to explore the current role of occupational therapists working in oncology care and to understand the implications of the referral process for this specific population.

Methodology: A phenomenological research design, derived from Giorgi and Giorgi (2008), was used to implement this study. The researchers interviewed 6 occupational therapists, from a variety of settings, in the Midwest region using a semi-structured interview style. The interviews were recorded, transcribed, and broken down into key constituents (Giorgi & Giorgi, 2008).

Results: The subsequent results from the 6 interviews were developed from 11 key constituents that …

Access To Occupational Therapy Practice: A Review Of Current Licensing Processes In The United States, Melissa Groth, Martha Scoby

Occupational Therapy Capstones

Purpose This study was conducted to gain insight on the 50 United States and Washington D.C. occupational therapy (OT) licensure application process. This study sought to examine the accessibility of the OT licensure websites as well as the compliance each OT state licensure application has with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). The researchers predicted that, while the profession of OT seeks inclusion for all individuals, there is discrimination prominent in the OT state licensure process for individuals living with disabilities.

Methodology A two-fold process was used to collect information regarding accessibility and accommodation within licensing processes for OT licensure …

Occupational Therapy With An Adventurous Twist, Ashley Cambronne, Mikaela Karpen

Occupational Therapy Capstones

The purpose of this scholarly project is to increase knowledge and awareness of adventure therapy (AT) for occupational therapists (OTs) practicing in mental health settings or who are interested in practicing in mental health settings within the United States. Currently, there is a lack of knowledge and awareness of AT by OTs practicing within the United States. This lack of knowledge and awareness is due to a lack of research, especially research focused on AT implementation by OTs. The process for gathering data and creating the scholarly project was first, identifying a problem, then searching CINAHL, PubMed, PsychInfo, and Academic …