Digital Commons Network^™

Education, Oppression, And Democracy : A Philosophical Approach To Educational Inequity, Ben Davis

Undergraduate Theses and Senior Projects

No abstract provided.

Judgment Of Fearful Faces, Anthony Garnett

Undergraduate Theses and Senior Projects

No abstract provided.

The Ups And Downs Of A Rather Agitated Life : (An Exploration Of M. Gonne), Mary O'Leary

Undergraduate Theses and Senior Projects

No abstract provided.

Epigenetic Changes Associated With Amphetamine Use In C. Elegans, Michelle Patregnani

Undergraduate Theses and Senior Projects

No abstract provided.

Evaluating Sedimentary Basins For Geothermal Power Production Potential And Bottom-Hole Temperature Corrections, Anna Marguerite Crowell

Theses and Dissertations

At present, the risks and costs associated with geothermal energy wildcat exploration are prohibitive. With improved technology, the future may be brighter, and a play fairway analysis, for geothermal exploration can guide development. Comparing geophysical data with geothermal gradient allows identification of potentially economic areas of interest. The play fairway analysis is a common tool used by the petroleum industry to identify areas for potential exploration. The analysis identifies areas in the Denver, Illinois, Michigan, and Williston Basins with the highest development potential. A great deal of data have potential for a play fairway analysis, but data quality is problematic …

Hydrogen Adsorption Into Covalent Organic Frameworks, Aaron Koenig

Theses and Dissertations

The practicality of hydrogen power vehicles relies on the existence of an effective onboard storage method. Using expanded Wang-Landau simulations, we study the adsorption of hydrogen in a series of covalent organic frameworks (COF-102, COF-105 and COF-108). From which adsorption isotherms of H2 are generated at temperatures of 77 K and 298 K. At 77 K the COFs are on par with the Department of Energy's 2015 targets, but fall short at 298 K.

Molecular dynamic simulations of hydrogen in the COFs were also performed. From which the mean square displacement of the H2 molecules was measured to obtain the …

Empirical Investigation Of The Laminar Thermal Entrance Region And Turbulent Flow Heat Transfer For Non-Newtonian Silica Nanofluid In Hexagonal Tubes, Emeke Kevin Opute

Theses and Dissertations

This research seeks to determine for the flow of stable dispersion of 9.58% silicon-oxide (SiO2) nanoparticles by volume in water through three hexagonal tubes of hydraulic diameters 1.67 mm, 2.42 mm and 3.26 mm, the pressure drops across the length of the tubes with and without the application of constant heat flux to the test section. Constant heat flux was applied on the wall of each test section (by electric resistance method). The operating temperature range of 15-63°C was maintained for the experiments. Data were analyzed using conventional hydrodynamic and thermal correlations. The test sections were selected and set up …

Powwow As Spaces Of Public: Circulated Meanings Of A Native Practice For Non-Natives, Joshua Eugene Young

Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation examines the status of the relationship between Natives and non-Natives utilizing powwow as the representative anecdote of the intercultural space of interaction between these two groups. Where most scholars ask how Native Americans use powwow to reclaim Native identity, I shift the focus to non-Natives, whose relationship to powwow has gone largely unexamined. I argue that powwow serves as a public space for staging diversity for non-Natives, a fact that has wide-ranging implications for Natives, too. Utilizing rhetorical theories of ritual communication and publicity as a way to interrogate this relationship, I argue that the publics attending to …

The Growth And Metabolic Effects Of Pseudouridine Synthase Gene Deletion On Escherichia Coli Strain Bl21, Lisa Marie Burnette

Theses and Dissertations

During the process of ribosome assembly and maturation, the rRNA is heavily modified. The process of modification is ubiquitous throughout all kingdoms of life and includes cleavage by RNases, methylation and pseudouridylation of RNA species. Interestingly, while rRNA modification is ubiquitous and modification locations are frequently conserved, in many species the modification enzymes are dispensable for normal growth. This non-essentiality has made understanding the functions of RNA modification difficult.

Pseudouridines are one of the most common rRNA modifications and, in Escherichia coli, comprise nearly one third of the modifications found within the ribosome. Pseudouridylation is the post-transcriptional base isomerization of …

Regulation Of Vectorial Active Transport In Human Proximal Tubule Cells By Mt-3: The Role Of The C-Terminal Domain On E-And N-Cadherin Expression And The Confirmation Of Protein-Protein Interactions, Andrea Marie Nore

Theses and Dissertations

The proximal tubule of the kidney is particularly susceptible to toxicant-induced damage and cell cultures of human proximal tubule cells are widely utilized to study the role of epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) in renal disease. Cadmium is a toxic metal ion that is known to produce renal tubular necrosis and accumulate in the proximal tubule. This metal binds to a family of cysteine rich metal binding proteins known as metallothioneins (MT) that are found in abundance in the kidney. Previous studies from our laboratory have shown that the third isoform of metallothionein (MT-3) is expressed in the epithelial cells of the …

Lexical And Phonological Influences On Picture Naming In Adults, Brianna Jallo

Undergraduate Theses and Senior Projects

No abstract provided.

Expression Of Fibronectin In Urotsa (Bladder) Heterotransplant Tumors, Chelsea Ensz

Undergraduate Theses and Senior Projects

No abstract provided.

Innovation In Robotic Space Mining Through The Nasa Robotic Mining Competition, Nicholas Allen

Undergraduate Theses and Senior Projects

No abstract provided.

Money And Art : Financial Management Of Arts Organizations, Kristin Canham

Undergraduate Theses and Senior Projects

No abstract provided.

Artificial Magnetic Conductor Integrated Textile Monopole Antenna, Ala Alemaryeen

Theses and Dissertations

Wearable antenna is a fast growing field in application-oriented research, which introduced a new generation of garments capable of monitoring wear health, as well as environmental states. This thesis is concerned with the design and fabrication of a compact textile wearable antenna at operating frequency within the Industrial, Scientific and Medical (ISM) band, intended for integration into a flight jacket of the astronaut inside the habitat. The antenna is integrated with artificial material known as High Impedance Surface (HIS) for performance enhancement. The purpose of the system is to constantly monitor vital signals of the astronauts.

The entire design cycle …

Factors Affecting Unsatisfactory Performance During Air-To-Air Refueling In The C-17 Pilot Checkout Course, Richard Smith

Theses and Dissertations

In 2014, the USAF reduced its personnel by approximately 20,000. One of the areas hit hardest by the cuts were the faculty at the USAF C-17 formal training unit, where students are trained to fly the C-17 transport plane. Due to the reduction in forces, faculty staffing dropped by 30% though the number of students remained the same. Air-to-air refueling during the Pilot Checkout Course is the most commonly failed syllabus event. When a student fails to progress on a syllabus event, it requires additional instructor, simulator, and aircraft resources. In an effort to reduce the amount of failures and …

Recall Of Novel Words In Adolescents Following A Brief Mindfulness Exercise, Anna Lauren Schimmelpfennig

Theses and Dissertations

Mindfulness has been associated with various benefits, including enhanced attention, improved recall, and increased emotional well-being. Previous research has suggested that a brief mindfulness exercise can enhance recall of novel words in female college students. Participants in the current study were 82 students (41 female, M = 14.6, SD = 1.2) from a rural, Midwestern secondary school. Participants were randomly assigned to listen to a 20-minute body scan exercise or a control lecture before learning English-Swahili word pairs. Results revealed no significant effect of group on immediate or delayed recall of word pairs. Additionally, there was no significant effect of …

Local Buckling Restraining Behavior Of Concrete-Filled Steel Tubular Columns Under Seismic Loads, Fokruddin Ahmad

Theses and Dissertations

Extensive investigations have verified that frame systems consist of concrete-filled steel tubular (CFST) columns have more benefits than ordinary reinforced concrete and steel systems. The CFST column increases earthquake resistant capabilities due to the concrete filling inside the steel tubes and are ideal for buildings subjected to large compressive stress. The use of CFST columns is drawing attention due to their strength and quake-proof advantages. Local buckling of the steel tube is delayed by the restraint of the concrete, and the strength of concrete is increased by the confining effect of the steel tube.

This thesis deals with the local …

Changes In Consumer Behavior Since 1992: A Case Study Of American Shopping Malls, Caitlin Adeline Elliott

Theses and Dissertations

Consumer behavior is highly correlated with economic conditions. The American shopping mall, an innovation of the 1950’s was built as a retail hub for consumption and entertainment purposes. Utilizing a data set ranging from 1992 – 2014, this paper researches the rapid decline and disappearance of shopping malls. To account for the number of shopping malls that have failed, I use the seasonally adjusted quarterly sales of department stores. Regressions are completed using ordinary least square (OLS) methodology. Three economic and societal changes are studied in regards to the cause behind the decline. The rising income inequality gap, the short …

Interplay Of Porous Media And Fracture Stimulation In Sedimentary Enhanced Geothermal Systems : Red River Formation, Williston Basin, North Dakota, Caitlyn M. Hartig

Theses and Dissertations

Fracture stimulated enhanced geothermal systems (EGS) can be installed in both crystalline rocks and sedimentary basins. The Red River Formation (Ordovician), which lies between 3.6 and 4.2 km depth in the Williston Basin, is a viable site for installation of sedimentary EGS (SEGS). SEGS is possible there because temperatures in the formation surpass 140° Celsius and the permeability is 0.1-38 mD; fracture stimulation can be utilized to improve performance. The main objectives of this project were 1) to determine the spatial variation of the intrinsic properties of the Red River Formation across the study area, and 2) to understand the …

The Effects Of Income Inequality On Society, Jessica Lee Clark

Theses and Dissertations

This study is an examination of the relationship between income inequality and numerous indicators that capture the physical health of the citizens, additionally controlling for numerous other confounding factors. The analysis contributes to the literature by examining this relationship at a more disaggregated level within the Unites States than previous studies. This approach may help us to explore any impacts of income inequality on health that are lost in aggregation. The analysis also includes the most recent recession and adds to the literature the impact of inequality on health during a period of economic crisis. Results suggest that there is …

Statistical Downscaling For The Northern Great Plains: A Comparison Of Bias Correction And Redundancy Analysis, Jacob Coburn

Theses and Dissertations

The climate of the Earth is changing, and is primarily a result of our rampant industrialization over the past two centuries. These changes have manifested themselves in many ways over the whole of the Earth’s surface and sub-systems, leading to the need to understand the changes and predict future outcomes. Coupled climate and general circulation - Earth system models (GCMs) allow for the analysis of dynamically active simulations over the whole of the planet, yet are limited by computational power. The model grids are coarse by design to perform within these computational constraints, which enables them to function and provide …

Improving The Availability Of Thermal Conductivity Data And Modeling How Inaccurate Thermal Conductivity Data Affect Geothermal Power Production Models, James Joshua Crowell

Theses and Dissertations

The availability of site specific thermal conductivity data can be improved by measuring irregularly sized samples and by using GIS tools. New calculations for use with measurements of samples with irregular shapes and sizes result in valid thermal conductivity values. Using the new thermal conductivity data along with GIS tools reasonable estimates of thermal conductivity may be made for sites where no samples are available. Ten thirty-year long production simulations using different thermal conductivity values for reservoir rock and for overlying rock were completed resulting in produced water temperatures that varied by as much as +3% to -5.6% from the …

Stability And Ductility Evaluation Of Thin-Walled Circular Steel Bridge Piers Under Cyclic Loading, Basha Dorose

Theses and Dissertations

Steel bridge piers have found wide application in highway bridge systems around the globe. Steel tubular bridge piers, compared with concrete ones, are light and ductile. They can be built under severe constructional restrictions, such as in limited spaces throughout urban areas like New York and Tokyo, where the effective use of the limited spaces are desired strictly. They are also applied to locations where heavy superstructures are unfavorable, such as on soft ground, reclaimed land and bay areas.

In general, steel bridge piers are designed as single columns of the cantilever type, or one to three-story frames. Steel columns …

Identifying "Bad" Asteroid Spectra: A Cross-Correlative Database Study, Iva Gerasimenko

Theses and Dissertations

The SMASS I, SMASS II and S3OS2 asteroid spectral survey data sets as well as those collected by Sawyer (1991) and Vilas (1992) were examined for compositionally significant inconsistencies between spectra taken for the same asteroids. Data was obtained from Small Bodies Node Planetary Data System. Thirty four asteroid spectra were determined to display drastic differences which would affect the mineralogical interpretation of the spectra. Including 354 Eleonora, which prompted the original question, these asteroids were further examined for possible causes of inconsistencies to determine if they were prompted by actual differences in the surface composition or were due to …

Using Computer Vision And Volunteer Computing To Analyze Avian Nesting Patterns And Reduce Scientist Workload, Kyle Andrew Goehner

Theses and Dissertations

This paper examines the use of feature detection and background subtraction algorithms to classify and detect events of interest within uncontrolled outdoor avian nesting video from the Wildlife@Home project. We tested feature detection using Speeded Up Robust Features (SURF) and a Support Vector Machine (SVM) along with four background subtraction algorithms — Mixture of Guassians (MOG), Running Gaussian Average (AccAvg), ViBe, and Pixel-Based Adaptive Segmentation (PBAS) — as methods to automatically detect and classify events from surveillance cameras. AccAvg and modified PBAS are shown to provide robust results and compensate for issues caused by cryptic coloration of the monitored species. …

Multi-Doppler Radar And In Situ Cloud Hydrometeor Analysis Of A North Dakota Snowband And Its Environment On 20 November 2010, Kendell Laroche

Theses and Dissertations

Snowbands can produce locally larger snowfall accumulations as well as reductions in visibility thereby being hazardous to vehicles and aircraft. The study herein is the first to combine multi-Doppler retrieved winds, in situ snow crystal size distributions, and polarimetric radar variables within snowbands for two radar wavelengths. Data includes two polarimetric radars: Doppler on Wheels (DOW) – a mobile X-band polarimetric Doppler weather radar – and the University of North Dakota (UND) polarimetric C-band radar (hereafter: “UND radar”). Also used in this study are data from the two-dimensional cloud (2DC) probe attached to the UND’s Citation II weather research aircraft. …

Understanding And Predicting Bagging Performance Through The Use Of Cfd And Dem Simulations, Matthew Perry Leone

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis will focus on rear discharge bagging performance for Rear Discharge Rear Collect (RDRC), Select Series Lawn & Garden tractors. The problem under investigation pertains to adequately transporting cut grass from the mower deck to the dedicated hopper, without the plugging of the rear discharge chute or the deck mounted chute. The most problematic weather related factors are dew and rain, with the former being the most severe. Conditions creating this problem typically occur during the spring months and when the grass is at its healthiest state.

Field research and data have been collected to gain a better understanding …

Developing Novel 3d Antennas Using Advanced Additive Manufacturing Technology, Milad Mirzaee

Theses and Dissertations

In today’s world of wireless communication systems, antenna engineering is rapidly advancing as the wireless services continue to expand in support of emerging commercial applications. Antennas play a key role in the performance of advanced transceiver systems where they serve to convert electric power to electromagnetic waves and vice versa. Researchers have held significant interest in developing this crucial component for wireless communication systems by employing a variety of design techniques. In the past few years, demands for electrically small antennas continues to increase, particularly among portable and mobile wireless devices, medical electronics and aerospace systems.

This trend toward smaller …

Observing Range Of Motion (Rom) In Baseball Athletes During An Off-Season Resistance Training Program And Practice, Jimmy Justin Morin

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to observe possible changes in ROM of the shoulder and the hip after an off-season resistance training program and practice. The participants engaged in their normal off-season fall ball practice and off-season training regimen. Participants (N=20) were recruited from The University of North Dakota Baseball team. Before the athletes began their off-season training, a pre-test measurement was taken on shoulder Internal Rotation (IR), External Rotation (ER), Horizontal Adduction (HAdd), and hip and knee flexion. Resistance training took place three days a week for twelve weeks, and fall ball practice was four days a week …