Digital Commons Network^™

Inter-Comparison Of Lunar Reflectance-Based & City Light-Based Aerosol Optical Depth Retrievals Using Viirs Dnb, Aanan Schlief

Theses and Dissertations

Atmospheric aerosols play an important part in maintaining and altering Earth’s radiation balance and often pose a threat to human health. For this reason, atmospheric aerosols have been studied, typically, during daytime hours, through the use of space-borne instruments and ground-based observations. Currently, however, there are no operational nighttime aerosol retrieval methods available from passive-based satellite observations. The Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite (VIIRS) instrument, which is aboard the Suomi National Polar-Orbiting Partnership (NPP) satellite, includes a Day/Night Band (DNB) that is sensitive to faint light signals at nighttime opening the door for nighttime aerosol studies. Using observations from the …

Performance Assessment Of Wastewater Treatment Processes: Evaporation, Microplastic Settling, Biosolid Air Drying And Gasification, Fangtian Li

Theses and Dissertations

The main contaminants in wastewater can be classified as suspended solid, dissolved inorganic and organic molecules. The dissolved inorganics in wastewater are salinity such as sodium chloride and sodium sulfate. Evaporation is one possible method to separate dissolved salt from high salinity wastewater, but the proper application of energy-saving evaporation depends on many conditions. Microplastic is a part of total suspended solids and can be effectively removed through settling process, and the removal efficiency can be predicted by settling model. Biological treatment eliminates organic matters and biosolids are the inevitable by-products. Air drying is a sustainable approach for reducing water …

An Exploration Of Education Strategies In National Board Of Health And Wellness Coaching Programs, Brenna Joy Swanson

Theses and Dissertations

Health and wellness coaching (HWC) is a vital and growing profession effective in preventing and managing chronic diseases. The National Board for Health and Wellness Coaching (NBHWC) established comprehensive training guidelines to advance and uphold the field. Each NBHWC-approved program develops a unique curriculum blending education strategies with NBHWC content requirements that prepare individuals to become aspiring health and wellness coaches (HWCs). Pedagogical approaches are well studied; however, education strategies utilized in NBHWC programs and across competency categories are not widely known. Thus, this three-article dissertation provides an understanding of educational strategies used within NBHWC programs. This study aims to …

Assessment Of High-Performance Steels Through Additive Manufacturing And Ultrasonic Impact Peening, Md Touhidul Islam Rimon

Theses and Dissertations

This abstract focuses on the treatment of three distinct materials: 17-4 PH stainless steel, a nickelbased super alloy, and AISI 4140 stainless steel. The treatment process involves a combination of laser deposition and ultrasonic impact peening.

The study explores the effects of this treatment on the mechanical and microstructural properties of the mentioned materials. Laser deposition is utilized to enhance surface characteristics, such as hardness, wear resistance, and corrosion resistance. Nickel-based super alloys are known for their exceptional high-temperature strength and corrosion resistance, making them suitable for demanding applications in aerospace and power generation industries. AISI 4140 stainless steel is …

Determination Of The Water To Cement Ratio Of Fresh Concrete Using Nir Hyperspectral Imagery, Eric Edwin Wiken

Theses and Dissertations

The water to cement ratio (w/c) is the primary mix design parameter that will control the strength of a concrete mix. Although a specific w/c is usually stated in concrete mix specifications, there is currently no practical test available that can quickly measure this critical property from fresh concrete. Near-infrared (NIR) Hyperspectral Imagery (HSI) can identify a material by measuring the response of the material to the incident NIR light reflecting off its surface in a range of wavelengths. This measured response can be used to differentiate between unique materials and identify variations of similar materials. This thesis studies the …

Advancing Nutrition And Dietetics Students' Preparation For Clinical Practice Through Simulation-Based Learning Experiences, Danielle Marie Villano

Theses and Dissertations

The use of Simulation-Based Learning (SBL) has increased in Nutrition and Dietetic (N&D) programs, although the research supporting its usability in N&D students is lacking. There are limited quality SBL instruments available that have been validated and tested for reliability in N&D students preparing for clinical practice. This three-article dissertation was to test the reliability of three SBL instruments for N&D students completing the Nutrition Care Process (NCP) during SBL activities. During the first phase of this study, two instruments were developed, and one instrument was modified from another SBL instrument that had been previously validated and used for nursing …

The Application Of Machine Learning Algorithms On Co2 Eor, Chenyu Wu

Theses and Dissertations

CO2 Enhanced Oil Recovery (EOR) is increasingly recognized worldwide for its dual benefits of enhancing oil production and addressing environmental concerns related to greenhouse gas emissions. However, traditional methods for assessing the feasibility of CO2 EOR in a specific field, such as pilot tests and simulations, are often time-consuming and labor-intensive. A critical factor in determining the suitability of a field for CO2 EOR is the CO2 Minimum Miscibility Pressure (MMP), as miscible flooding is more feasible when the reservoir pressure exceeds the CO2 MMP. Traditional determination of CO2 MMP relies heavily on extensive experimentation, which, despite its accuracy, incurs …

Preparing Teachers To Differentiate Instruction: A Systematic Review, Betsy Ahearn

Theses and Dissertations

Differentiated Instruction is the term used to describe a variety of strategies for successfully addressing student diversity in the classroom. It relies on the attitudes of teachers who aim to maximize learning for all students and is based on the use of assessment data to respond to student readiness, interest, and learning profile. Although implementation has been found to have positive results in improving student performance many barriers have stood in the way of teachers utilizing these techniques. This systematic review of literature provides an extensive overview of information related to differentiated instruction guided by research questions. The methods utilized …

The Effects Of Disconfirming Feedback On Multiple Tests Of A Witness's Memory, Kaden Alan Bollinger

Theses and Dissertations

Testing a witness’s memory more than once has been shown to decrease accuracy in subsequent tests, and providing a witness with disconfirming feedback has also been shown to reduce confidence levels and reduce accuracy after they have made a decision from a lineup. The current study aims to examine how disconfirming feedback affects a witness’s accuracy throughout multiple lineups, as well as looking to examine the reflector variables of reaction time and the “Remember, Know, Guess” (e.g. RKG) questionnaire. Participants who incorrectly chose a suspect from an initial target-absent lineup were given disconfirming feedback and randomly assigned to either a …

Usda Wildlife Services Management Efforts At The Grand Forks Wastewater Treatment Plant, Dorothy Celeste Daulton

Theses and Dissertations

Wildlife collisions with aircraft (wildlife strikes) are a costly and dangerous issue. In recent decades, wildlife strikes within airport boundaries have decreased partly due to on-airfield wildlife strike mitigation efforts. Landscape attractants surrounding airfields within an 8 km radius have been found to influence the occurrence of wildlife strikes by increasing wildlife presence and abundance on or near airfields. The effectiveness of mitigation efforts can be increased by extending operations to include landscape features in an 8 km radius from airports. However, not much is known about the long-term effects of wildlife strike mitigation operations when conducted on neighboring properties, …

Access To Books For Lower Socioeconomic Students: Creating A Book Sharing Intervention, Laura Fernandez

Theses and Dissertations

Lack of access to books has a lasting effect on children. The home literacy environment of a child impacts their emergent literacy skills, and later the level of literacy with which the child enters kindergarten. Children from lower socio-economic environments are more likely to enter kindergarten behind their peers due to factors such as: less access to books in their home due to poverty and having family members that work multiple jobs and have less time to spend reading with their children. Shared reading between a caregiver and a child is an integral piece of emergent literacy that can start …

Investigating The Potential Of 3d Concrete Printing For Unreinforced Structures, Alireza Hasani

Theses and Dissertations

Additive manufacturing in construction has surged in recent years. This thesis explores the advancements of 3D Concrete Printing (3DCP) within additive construction. Through an exhaustive analysis of 137 built projects and various publications, the research synthesizes the states of research and practice of 3DCP technology. It offers insights into key factors influencing 3DCP structural performance, its potential advantages, and challenges. Additionally, the feasibility of employing 3DCP for constructing unreinforced structures, particularly unreinforced concrete pipes, is evaluated through series of experiments. The research aims to ensure compliance with standards and evaluate their suitability for real-world transportation applications by conducting structural, fresh, …

Equipping Leaders To Meet The Essential Needs Of Early Childhood Educators In North Dakota: Sustaining An Engaged And Highly Qualified Early Care And Education Workforce, Beth Heyne

Theses and Dissertations

High-quality early childhood program options are in high demand not only because research has solidified the importance of early childhood experiences on human development but also because most households have all available adults participating in the labor force. Sustainability of the early care and education workforce is a common problem of practice that impacts many early childhood settings, which has only been exacerbated in recent years because of the Covid-19 pandemic. The purpose of this research aims to identify challenges faced by early childhood educators to equip leaders with strategic approaches to increase the likeliness of organizational commitment and engagement …

Restoring The Occupational Therapy Spirit In Hand Therapy Practice, Karrianna Iseminger

Theses and Dissertations

The dominant role psychosocial factors play in physical healing and disability perceptions of individuals with upper extremity (UE) conditions has been documented repeatedly in the literature for over 40 years. This population is at particular risk given the number of occupations requiring the functional use of one or both UEs for successful performance. However, occupational therapy practitioners (OTPs) specializing in hand therapy do not appear to have a shared practice or understanding of evaluation and intervention for psychosocial factors as they tend to focus mostly on the physical limitations of occupational performance. Therefore, the purpose of this three-article dissertation project …

A Hybrid Framework To Secure Iot Sensor Networks Based On Blockchain And Machine Learning, Shereen Ismail

Theses and Dissertations

With the advances in sensor network technologies, more and more networked things, or smart objects, are being evolved in cyber-physical-based systems including Internet of Things. In recent years, Internet of Things Sensor Networks is a significant subject to a variety of internal and external cyber-attacks, necessitating the development of robust countermeasures tailored to their unique characteristics and limitations. Various prevention and detection techniques have been proposed to mitigate these attacks. Classical security techniques, such as spread spectrum, cryptography, and key management, may not efficiently detect attacks, and can demand sophisticated software and hardware changes, rendering these solutions insufficient to address …

Exploring Ambiguous Asteroid Taxonomic Classification, Tyler Linder

Theses and Dissertations

The Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS) Moving Object Catalog (MOC) shows color variations between asteroid observations, which were observed multiple times. This is a surprising result that was not identified in the literature. Therefore, a data processing pipeline was built to extract the asteroid observations to analyze new data collected with the SMARTS 1.0m and 4m Blanco with DECam. The results appear to confirm the color variations on short timescales. However, there is still a long series of steps required before such a result can be proven, such as ensuring the level of photometric accuracy in the processing is smaller …

Modeling The Architecture And Water Content Of Exoplanet Systems By Pebble Accretion: The Ppols Model, Sean Mccloat

Theses and Dissertations

A key area linking frontier observational capabilities to theoretical questions of exoplanet system architectures is the transport and evolution of water in planet-forming disks and mechanisms that tune its incorporation into planets. This research develops a pebble accretion model of planet formation (“the PPOLs Model”) that self-consistently handles the drift and accretion of rocky/icy pebbles around stars ranging from late M-dwarfs to early A-stars. The model grows multiple protoplanet cores simultaneously and evolves the snow line position consistently with evolving disk conditions. The combination of growing multiple cores while evolving the snowline allows for a prolonged period of growth and …

Advances In Smoke Retrievals Using Lidar: Techniques And Applications, Natalie Midzak

Theses and Dissertations

Smoke aerosols arise from a variety of regional sources and fuel types dependent on the properties of the fire, leading to spatial variability in smoke composition and optical properties. After emission, these aerosols age and mix in the atmosphere with other aerosol species, such as sulfates, altering the optical and microphysical properties of the smoke aerosols over time. Further, smoke particles originating from biomass burning events are typically assumed to be spherical, yet non-spherical smoke particles are also reported from in situ observations. Thus, lidar ratio (extinction to backscatter ratio) and depolarization ratio exhibit spatiotemporal variability for smoke. In this …

Physical Wellness Of The Collegiate Athlete, Richard Michael Morgan

Theses and Dissertations

Wellness among athletes has been studied, but it is still unclear what dimensions make up wellness and where the clinician should focus their efforts. It is known that wellness is a multifaceted definition and has many dimensions. This dissertation will look at the dimension of physical wellness of an athlete pertaining to prevention, return to sport/rehabilitation, and enhancing performance. The purpose of the study is to understand how a clinician may have a direct effect on the physical wellness of the athlete through prevention, intervention or rehabilitation, and performance training. This paper will discuss three different sub-dimensions of physical wellness, …

Additives Impact On Wet Strength And Size Development In Papermaking- Polyamide Epichlorohydrin (Pae), Alkenyl Succinic Anhydride (Asa) And Alkyl Ketene Dimer (Akd) Cases, Yao Parnell Ntifafa

Theses and Dissertations

Additives are ingredients used in papermaking to enhance fiber properties, introduce special properties to the paper and improve the efficiency of the paper making process. Wet strength agents, sizing agents, dry strength agents, fillers, retention aids, defoamers, dyes and pigments are common additives used in paper mills. Poor retention of wet strength additive such as PAAE (polyamide epichlorohydrin) and hydrophobicity loss due to ASA (alkenyl succinic anhydride) and AKD (alkyl ketene dimer) size reversion not only increase cost and reduce product quality in the mill but also increase customer complaints and rejections.In this study, a method was developed to quantify …

Contributing Factors To Low Airspeed On Climbout Events As A Precursor To Loss Of Control Within The National General Aviation Flight Information Database, Owen Dae Poborsky

Theses and Dissertations

The nature of aviation is not without inherent risk. Conducting flight training operations increases the overall risks due to inexperience of the student pilot and the challenges of the learning environment. Flight data seeks to reduce these risks; as seen in its success for commercial airlines. These successes are slowly coming to general aviation through programs like the National General Aviation Flight Information Database (NGAFID). This study seeks to determine if the type of takeoff performed by the flight crew led to a lower indicated airspeed (IAS) during a low airspeed on climbout event. Using 262 individual low airspeed on …

Using An Airship Design To Extend A Small Uncrewed Aircraft Flight Endurance, Joseph Reilly

Theses and Dissertations

One limitation of uncrewed aircraft is being unable to fly as long as needed for some operations, such as linear inspection. This research explores the flight endurance of an uncrewed aircraft using airship design. It investigates the benefits of using an airship design to increase the efficiency and extension of the flight of a small, uncrewed aerial system (sUAS). Thus, it is crucial to find ways to augment flight endurance. Two different airframes were built, and flight tested using a lifting gas to provide the lifting force and vectored thrust needed to move. Flight testing captured time in the air …

Vehicle Crashes In Minnesota: Spatial And Temporal Patterns And Contributing Factors To Crash Severity, Bastien Koralalage Pavithra Navodi Rodrigo

Theses and Dissertations

Vehicle crashes represent a critical global issue, resulting in numerous fatalities, injuries, and significant economic and societal impacts. In response, government officials worldwide are developing strategies and policies to enhance road safety and promote sustainable transportation systems, aiming for zero fatalities and injuries. Understanding the causes of crashes is essential for these efforts. This study focuses on identifying spatial and temporal patterns and contributing factors for the crash severity of vehicle crashes in Minnesota. Spatial distribution of crash hotspots is identified and visualized using spatial autocorrelation (global Moran I), hotspot analysis (Getis–Ord Gi*), and kernel density estimation in ArcGIS Pro. …

Victimization And Perpetration Of Sexual Violence In College Men: Factors Influencing Overlap And Prevention, Jasmine Ann Skorheim

Theses and Dissertations

Previous research has demonstrated a relationship between victimization and perpetration of sexual violence, referred to as victim-offender overlap, and explained this relationship through theories such as the cycle of violence. The current study examined this relationship by grouping participants based on experiences of victimization only, perpetration only, and both victimization and perpetration (both group). Exploratory analysis also considered childhood sexual abuse. Interpersonal and psychological risk factors relevant to perpetration prevention programming were then analyzed between groups. Participants consisted of 486 college men recruited from Kent State University’s psychology subject pool who completed an online survey through Qualtrics. It was found …

Black Lives Matter: Protesting As A Form Of Communication, Tiffany Tara Sonterre

Theses and Dissertations

On May 25, 2020 in Minneapolis, Minnesota, Officer Derek Chauvin knelt on the neck of George Floyd for 9 minutes and 29 seconds, resulting in Floyd’s death; protests and riots broke out not only in Minnesota, but around the United States (Taylor, 2021). This was just the most recent event in the repeated police brutality against people of color. This dissertation is a case study examining protesting as a form of communication in regards to the Black Lives Matter movement. The deaths of 15 Black people which generated notable media attention are examined via a variety of news sources, starting …

Clinical Reasoning Development Following A Simulation-Based Learning Experience In Doctor Of Physical Therapy Education, Benjamin Wolden

Theses and Dissertations

Clinical Reasoning (CR) integrates thinking and decision-making in clinical practice (Huhn et al., 2019). CR is an established area of research in Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT) education (Musolino & Jensen, 2019; Jensen & Mostrom, 2012) and has been acknowledged as a core competency of physical therapist residency education (APTA Residency Competency Work Group, 2020). Despite the established research, the assessment of CR has emerged as a topic of importance due to the need for standardized assessment of CR in DPT education that can lead to high-quality research and implementation of evidence-informed teaching and learning (Reilly et al. 2021; Furze …

Modeling Ash Deposition During Oxy-Coal Combustion Of A High Alkali Earth Metal (Powder River Basin) Coal: Insights From Turbulence Modeling, Mohamed Zamzam

Theses and Dissertations

Coal production has waned in recent years despite its historical significance, driven by mounting concerns over climate change and the escalating adoption of renewable energy sources. With coal production in the U.S. expected to continue its decline and stricter environmental regulations looming due to increasing greenhouse gases and SO2 emissions, there is a critical need to identify an economically viable and environmentally friendly coal type. Embracing carbon capture-based technologies such as oxy-fuel combustion without compromising boiler performance is essential in this endeavor. Sub-bituminous coal varieties like Powder River Basin (PRB) coal boast lower sulfur and nitrogen content compared to bituminous …

Water Quality Hotspot Analysis On Chlorophyll-A To Monitor Harmful Algal Blooms In Small And Medium Lakes Of North Dakota, Sae Young Lee

Theses and Dissertations

The water quality of recreational lakes degrades with Harmful Algal Blooms (HABs). HABs can block sunlight, lower oxygen levels, and may produce toxins. Industrial and domestic waste and fertilizer runoffs can enrich nutrients for HABs. Chlorophyll-a (Chl-a) is a significant indicator for tracking HABs and has been monitored increasingly using remote sensing techniques. In search for significant trends in hotspots of Chl-a concentrations in small and medium lakes of northeastern North Dakota, Chl-a water samples were collected in summer and fall of 2023. The study lakes include: Fordville Dam Recreation Area, Larimore Dam RecreationArea, Homme Dam Recreation Area, and South …

Exploring The Detrimental Effects Of Sleep Deprivation, Brooklyn Shereck

Psychology Student Publications

No abstract provided.

Can Occupational Therapy Help Patients With Cancer?, Alanna Pritchard

Psychology Student Publications

No abstract provided.