Digital Commons Network^™

The Heterogeneity Of Victim Impact Statements: A Content Analysis Of Capital Trial Sentencing Penalty Phase Transcripts, Bryan Myers, Narina Nuñez, Benjamin Wilkowski, Andre Kehn, Katheirne Dunn

Psychology Faculty Publications

Victim impact statements (VISs) are controversial in capital sentencing proceedings largely due to their questionable relevance to sentencing, the concern that characterizations of the victim may lead to arbitrary sentencing judgments, and the belief that the emotional nature of this evidence may be inflammatory. A sample of 192 capital trial VIS transcripts was analyzed for content as well as a linguistic analysis of emotionality. The findings reveal that these statements are highly varied, including their format, length, and relation between the witness and the victim. Despite a legislative mandate that they address the emotional, financial, and physical suffering experienced by …

Chimera In The Library: A Journey Through The Cultures Of It, Libraries, & Library It, Stephanie Walker

Librarian Publications

No abstract provided.

Modeling And Simulation Of Inductive-Based Wireless Power Transmission Systems, Mohammad Haerinia

Electrical Engineering Student Publications

This chapter studies an inductive-based wireless power transfer system for low-power applications at short distances. The transferring power system has been modeled, simulated and analyzed via finite element method. A wireless power transfer system includes important parts such as coil, core and driver. In this chapter, the important parts of an inductive power transfer system have been analyzed. Receiving and transmitting printed spiral coils are designed in an optimized procedure. The experimental results were in a good agreement with the simulation results. Moreover, based on the performed modulation and simulation the use of the pot core as the receiving core …

Conduct Unbecoming A Christian Missionary: Aaron Mcgaffey Beede's Work On North Dakota's Standing Rock Reservation, 1901-1916, Sonja Natalie Hathaway

Theses and Dissertations

Research for this dissertation focused on a close reading of Aaron McGaffey Beede’s journals, letters, and publications. Contemporary sources were used to compare or explain ideas and actions. Rather than an exhaustive treatment of secondary sources, the dissertation uses a broad sampling of topics and sources in an attempt to pull together many of the disparate threads that provide the context for Beede’s thoughts and actions.

This dissertation began as a study and explanation of the work and legacy of the Episcopal missionary Aaron McGaffey Beede, particularly his work in preserving Indian customs, traditions, and stories. Understanding Beede and his …

Regional And Residential Short Term Electric Demand Forecast Using Deep Learning, Tareq Hossen

Theses and Dissertations

For optimal power system operations, electric generation must follow load demand. The generation, transmission, and distribution utilities require load forecasting for planning and operating grid infrastructure efficiently, securely, and economically. This thesis work focuses on short-term load forecast (STLF), that concentrates on the time-interval from few hours to few days. An inaccurate short-term load forecast can result in higher cost of generating and delivering power. Hence, accurate short-term load forecasting is essential. Traditionally, short-term load forecasting of electrical demand is typically performed using linear regression, autoregressive integrated moving average models (ARIMA), and artificial neural networks (ANN). These conventional methods are …

The Effect Of Sexually Objectifying Media And Social Threat On Sexual Coercion, Carissa Ann Malevich

Theses and Dissertations

Sexual aggression researchers have struggled to find a specific profile of individuals likely to become sexually aggressive (Abbey, 2005). As most of the research has focused on internal personal characteristics, some researchers have called for more research into external or situational factors that may increase the likelihood for men to become sexual perpetrators (Farris, Viken & Treat, 2010). Thus, the current investigation sought to explore the impact of two promising external factors, sexually objectifying media and social threat, on sexual coercion proclivity. Sexual coercion is a much lesser studied form of sexual aggression but is very common and often normalized …

Claims Of Sexual Assault On College Campuses: Impact Of Educational Evidence & Victim Prototypicality On Attributions Of Blame, Heather J. O'Brien

Theses and Dissertations

Sexual assault is one of the most prevalent but under-reported crimes in the United States and sexual assaults are even more common on college campuses (RAINN, 2016). Although both laws and campus student policies may be violated, very few perpetrators are ultimately punished (Lonsway & Archambault, 2012). Lack of investigation and prosecution of these cases may in part arise out of myths surrounding sexual assault. These myths may be challenged when scientific evidence is presented. Whether such evidence can undermine myths and prototypical notions of a sexual assault victim remains equivocal. To this end, the current study employed a 2 …

American Indian Biculturalism Inventory - Pueblo, Royleen J. Ross

Theses and Dissertations

A time in American history existed when Native Americans were not allowed to express, much less retain their traditions, culture, language, and livelihood. Today, Natives are thriving in various fields at many different professional levels and have not only mastered majority culture’s ways, but have integrated them, on their own terms, into their lives. Warfare was declared upon Native Americans in the educational arena beginning in the late 1800’s, resulting in many indigenous individuals not only meeting the educational challenge posed to them, but excelled beyond expectation. Thus, in contemporary society, many Native Americans have retained their traditional ways and …

Trpc1-Mediated Ca2+ Entry Regulates Metabolism By Modulating Adipose Differentiation, Autophagy, And Adiponectin Secretion, Anne Schaar

Theses and Dissertations

A multitude of organs play a critical role in managing metabolism including the liver, pancreas, gut, brain, muscle, and adipose tissue. Abnormal function in any one of these can offset the metabolic balance and negatively affect whole body function thereby contributing to the development of metabolic complications and obesity. Although no single metabolic abnormality is responsible for obesity, understanding how normal cellular processes are regulated provides us with knowledge to reverse them during times of dysfunction. The main focus of this dissertation is on the regulation of adipose tissue due to its dual role of storing excess lipids and endocrine …

Wireless Power Transfer For Biomedical Applications, Reem Shadid

Theses and Dissertations

In this research wireless power transfer using near-field inductive coupling is studied and investigated. The focus is on delivering power to implantable biomedical devices.

The objective of this research is to optimize the size and performance of the implanted wireless biomedical sensors by: (1) proposing a hybrid multiband communication system for implantable devices that combines wireless communication link and power transfer, and (2) optimizing the wireless power delivery system. Wireless data and power links are necessary for many implanted biomedical devices such as biosensors, neural recording and stimulation devices, and drug delivery and monitoring systems.

The contributions from this research …

Mechanisms Of Cold Region Hydrologic Changes To Recent Wetting In A Terminal Lake Basin, Diane Frances Van Hoy

Theses and Dissertations

The recent changes in hydroclimatic conditions in the Northern Great Plains (NGP) have led to an increase in precipitation and wetland connectivity over the last few decades. The most recent wet period started at 2005 after the last NGP drought (1999-2004). The current wetting is expected to continue and could potentially last into 2038 and beyond. The increases in precipitation during the recent wet period yield an integrated response resulting in hydrologic changes in the NGP. However, the underlying mechanism of the hydrologic changes caused by recent wetting is poorly understood requiring a physically-based modeling framework in order to decipher …

Faculty And Staff Perceptions About Concealed Carry Initiatives And Their Effect On Campus Safety: A Multi-State Examination, Heidi Marie Ahl-Quanbeck

Theses and Dissertations

Concealed carry on campus is a polarizing debate affecting higher education today. Concealed carry refers to the carrying of a weapon in public while concealed from view. Prompted by isolated instances of gun violence as well as the changing gun culture within our society, ten states now permit weapons on campus as a result of legislation or institutional policy. Yet, little is known about faculty and staff perspectives on concealed carry on campus initiatives or how weapons could affect perceptions about campus safety. The purpose of this study is to better understand faculty and staff perspectives on concealed carry, to …

Quantifying Extravehicular Activity Performance Degradation Due To Sustenance Deprivation, Eryn Beisner

Theses and Dissertations

Modern EVAs (spacewalks) performed onboard the International Space Station require astronauts to endure up to twelve hours of intense mental and physical exertion without food, as they do not stop to eat nor do they currently have the capabilities to consume sustenance in their spacesuits. With the future of space exploration taking aim at the Moon, Mars, and beyond, EVAs are expected to become more demanding than ever. This is a pilot study to attempt to quantify astronaut performance during an EVA to determine if there is significant performance degradation because of acute starvation. Astronauts conducting EVA training at NASA’s …

Differentiating Active And Passive Fatigue States With The Use Of Electroencephalography, Kyle Anthony Bernhardt

Theses and Dissertations

With advances in automation technology, it is becoming essential to understand how automation affects human operators. A concern for the implementation of automation technology is the interactive effects it has with operator cognitive fatigue. Desmond and Hancock (2001) proposed that two types of fatigue can arise depending on the nature of the task: active and passive. Active fatigue results when operators must make constant perceptual-motor adjustments during high task demands, while passive fatigue results from operators executing little or no perceptual-motor adjustments during low task demands, similar to when automation is employed. The purpose of this study was to use …

Evaluation Of Nest Fate Classification Accuracy, Research Activities And Nesting Behaviors Of Least Terns And Piping Plovers On The Missouri River, Alicia Kyren Andes

Theses and Dissertations

Federally protected interior Least Terns (Sternula antillarum athalassos) and Piping Plovers (Charadrius melodus) are small shorebirds that nest on un-vegetated sand habitat, such as temporary sandbars and permanent islands along inland river systems in the United States including the Missouri River, during the summer months. Extensive monitoring and research has been conducted on the Missouri River populations because they are an important component of recovery efforts for both species; therefore, two of my primary objectives included: 1) estimate rates of and determine factors that influence nest fate misclassifications and 2) evaluate the impacts of research activities on shorebird nesting behaviors …

The Impact Of Implicit Attitudes On Behavioral Intentions To Prevent Suicide, Julio Brionez

Theses and Dissertations

The suicide rate in the United States of America continues to climb despite national strategies to reduce it (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention & National Center for Health Statistics, 2016; U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Office of the Surgeon General & National Action Alliance for Suicide Prevention, 2012). What the strategies lack is mechanisms to target implicit attitudes (IAs) about suicide. This omission is important as IAs have been effective at predicting future suicide attempts (Nock et al., 2010). This study used an implicit association test of attitudes to suicide (IAT-SUICIDE) to examine IAs to suicide …

Investigating The Impact Of Offset Fracture Hits Using Rate Transient Analysis In The Bakken And Three Forks Formation, Divide County, North Dakota, Cody Lee Brown

Theses and Dissertations

The common development plan for operators in the Williston Basin has been to initially drill and complete one well in order to hold a 1280 acre spacing unit. Once acreage is secure across the asset, operators return to each spacing unit and drill infill wells. By the time infill wells are drilled, reservoir depletion from the original (parent) well can be observed within the spacing unit. Reservoir depletion increases the likelihood of existing wells experiencing inter- communication when infill wells are hydraulically fractured. Such inter-well communication, or frac-hits, often have detrimental effects on existing wells. As such, understanding the effect …

Teacher-Writer Perceptions On The Essence Of Writing: Influences, Identity And Habits Of Mind To Sustain A Writing Life, Shari L. Daniels

Theses and Dissertations

This body of work contains three articles that support the need for K-12 teachers to write

professionally and personally. The research sought to explore the questions of initial influences

to write, essentials to sustain writing and the relationship of teacher-writer development to self

authorship. Much of the previous literature produced by scholars, authors and teacher-writers

focus on the benefits for students when teachers are confident as writers. Student motivation to

write rests on the beliefs of the teacher who provides a model for writing as this shapes student

beliefs about themselves as writers. However, there is little research that provides …

The Involvement Of Polyol Pathway In Hypgerglycemia And Cadmium Toxicity In The Establishment Of Diabetic Neprhopathy, Bethany Anne Davis

Theses and Dissertations

Diabetic nephropathy (DN) is a major cause of end-stage renal disease (ESRD), where prolonged exposure to hyperglycemia induces damage to proximal tubule cells of the kidney. Since progression to ESRD correlates to pathological changes in the tubular segments of the kidney, the effects of hyperglycemia in the PT portion of the nephron may be particularly relevant to the progression of DN. Development of this disease also is likely to occur in the context of exposure to other renal toxins, and the heavy metal cadmium (Cd2+) may be the most relevant due to the accumulation of this metal in the major …

The War After Battle: Morale, Post-Traumatic Stress And Long-Term Welfare Of Combat Soldiers, Corey Doan

Theses and Dissertations

There is a historical, literary, and philosophical record of the effects of combat on mental health. Modern psychological research has focused on the relationship between combat deployment and a litany of mental health issues which include post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), various forms and manifestations of depression, substance abuse with a specific focus on alcohol, as well as social, family, and work-life functional impairment. This study introduces a customized 18-item Integrated Military Morale Questionnaire (IMMQ) which was designed to measure the proposed basic components of military morale: personal morale, cohesion, and esprit de corps. Data from 185 United States military members …

Wild And Domestic: Short Stories, Sara E. Dupree

Theses and Dissertations

Wild and Domestic is a collection of short stories set in rural northwestern Minnesota that center around themes of parenting, family, and the desire for stability and security. This desire for domestic harmony often comes into conflict with the characters’ strong desire for personal freedom, self-expression, sexual gratification, and a deeper connection to the natural world—desires that are linked to the concept of wild. The collection also invites readers to reflect on its animal characters. In many of the stories, animal characters, both wild and domestic, play a role in setting up the crisis or climax of the story by …

"Representative Bureaucracy" In Police Hiring Practices: A Case Study Of A Diverse Police Agency, Sara Franceen Edel

Theses and Dissertations

Diverse police agencies that are reflective of communities they serve are vital to community-oriented and problem-oriented policing, and in repairing fractured relationships by establishing trust and a partnership with communities. Agencies that engage in community-oriented and problem-oriented policing also attract more female officers and officers of color. The purpose of this study is to describe how one police agency in the Midwest recruits, hires, and retains a representative agency, and to describe what factors are important in this process. It is a descriptive, single case study that uses triangulation of multiple methods, including quantitative and qualitative methods, and multiple data …

Undergraduate Rehabilitation Education And Accreditation: The Importance Of Being Persistent, David C. Perry, Chrisann Schiro-Geist, Michelle Marme, J. Chad Duncan, Regina Robertson, Penny Willmering

Education, Health & Behavior Studies Faculty Publications

This article presents an overview of undergraduate rehabilitation education (URE) and the movement toward accreditation. Tracing the history of URE from the earliest days of rehabilitation education programs up to the present, this review discusses the purposes of URE, traditional URE program curricula, where URE graduates have been (and are being) employed, and the relationship between UREs and graduate rehabilitation counseling programs. The article also explains the development of URE curriculum and program standards, the development of a registry of qualified URE programs, and the transition to accreditation of URE programs in the United States. The purposes of accreditation are …

Executive Functioning Strength As A Predictor For Multitasking Performance, Kaitlin M. Reitz

Undergraduate Theses and Senior Projects

No abstract provided.

Vitawips : Vital Passive Wireless Sensing, Cassandra Eerdmans

Undergraduate Theses and Senior Projects

No abstract provided.

Examining Nodapl Through The Lens Of Social Movement And Participation Theories, Zeinab El-Rewini

Undergraduate Theses and Senior Projects

No abstract provided.

Examining Teacher Perceptions On Change In Secondary School Libraries To Promote Informational Literacy, Sarah Crary

Theses and Dissertations

Libraries in schools are changing from a place to check out books to providing access to information from a multitude of media. The specific changes needed in school libraries and the method to accomplish those changes, specifically from the perspective of teachers, is an area of research with few empirical studies. The purpose of the study was to use Fullan’s Change Theory (2007) initiation phase to identify how ready teachers are to engage in changing the way information literacy skills are taught. The researcher investigated teachers’ perception with openness to change. The researcher analyzed teachers’ perceptions about collaborative roles between …

Autonomous Localization Of A Uav In A 3d Cad Model, Akkas Haque

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis presents a novel method of indoor localization and autonomous navigation of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles(UAVs) within a building, given a prebuilt Computer Aided Design(CAD) model of the building. The proposed system is novel in that it leverages the support of machine learning and traditional computer vision techniques to provide a robust method of localizing and navigating a drone autonomously in indoor and GPS denied environments leveraging preexisting knowledge of the environment. The goal of this work is to devise a method to enable a UAV to deduce its current pose within a CAD model that is fast and accurate …

Racial Identity Development Of Somali Refugees In The Midwest, Nnenna Lindsay

Theses and Dissertations

The number of Somali refugees in the United States continue s to increase, yet research on their racial identity development, racialization experiences, and strategies used to cope with racism and discrimination is lacking. This qualitative study was conducted to explore the unique racial narratives of Somali refugees. In order to better understand how Somalis make meaning of their racial identity and adjust to the contemporary racial climate of the Midwest, in-depth interviews were conducted with seven Somali refugees and a narrative methodology was used to analyze the results. The overarching narrative highlighted the journey to becoming Black for Somali refugees …

Local Perceptions Of Learning And Improvisation In Private Music Lessons, Matthew Jon Lorenz

Undergraduate Theses and Senior Projects

No abstract provided.