Digital Commons Network^™

Evaluation Of Heart Rate Variability And Cardiovascular Regulation To In-Flight Workload And Thermal Stress, Bradley Hoffmann

Theses and Dissertations

Aerospace environments are physically and mentally demanding. Commercial pilots, as well as astronauts during spaceflight, experience an increasing variety of task workloads. Pilots can become fatigued, leading to human error, which is the main factor in airline accidents. Similarly, astronauts during extravehicular activity (EVA) can become fatigued, which could lead to overexertion compiled with other serious injuries. Objective measures such as cardiovascular and thermal metrics have been shown to respond to changes in stress, however, in-flight physiological measures are lacking. Both cardiovascular and thermoregulation measures can help predict early warning signs of stress due to in-flight workloads. Cardiovascular reactions fluctuate …

Investigation Of Cats Aerosol Products And Application Toward Global Diurnal Variation Of Aerosols, Logan Lee

Theses and Dissertations

A comparison of 1064 nm aerosol optical depth (AOD) from the Cloud-Aerosol Transport System (CATS) with collocated Aerosol Robotic Network (AERONET), Aqua and Terra Moderate Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) Dark Target, and Cloud-Aerosol Lidar with Orthogonal Polarization (CALIOP) AOD for the period of Mar. 2015-Oct. 2017 is presented in this study. In addition, vertical profiles of aerosol extinction from CATS and CALIOP are also compared for the same period. Upon quality assurance checks of CATS data, reasonable agreement is found between aerosol data from CATS and other sensors. Using quality assured CATS aerosol data, for the first time, variations in AODs …

Enzymatic Approach To Improve Tensile, Freeness And Brightness, Yao Ntifafa

Theses and Dissertations

Weak tensile strength is usually source of web breaks on paper machines and converting machines. Web break, in general, is due to poor hydrogen bonding between the fibers. Web break which is ultimately a downtime and a waste can be reduced through enzymatic approach. In order to increase the tensile strength of the paper, it necessary to determine the amount and the conditions in which the enzymes yield a better sheet strength.A central composite design approach, using dosage, time and temperature as factors, was used to study the effects of the enzymes on the sheet strength; the pulp used is …

Validating Nde Dataset And Benchmarking Infrared Thermography For Delamination Detection In Bridge Decks, Eberechi Orie Ichi

Theses and Dissertations

We collected and developed an SDNET2021 dataset, a rare combination of annotated non-destructive evaluation (NDE) data, from five in-service bridge decks in Grand Forks as a feed for validating, benchmarking, developing, training, and testing artificial intelligence (AI) models to evaluate, monitor, and assess bridge conditions. The developed dataset, which serves as ground truth, contains sound concrete as class 1 and delaminated sub-surface concrete as classes 2 and 3. The SDNET2021 dataset consists of 488 delaminated (class 2 and 3) and 1,448 sound (class 1) Impact Echo (IE) signals, 214,943 delaminated (class 2 and 3) and 448,159 sound (class 1) Ground …

Scaling Near-Surface Remote Sensing To Calibrate And Validate Satellite Monitoring Of Grassland Phenology, Morgen W.V. Burke

Theses and Dissertations

Phenology across the U.S. Great Plains has been modeled at a variety of field sites and spatial scales. However, combining these spatial scales has never been accomplished before, and has never been done across multiple field locations. We modeled phenocam Vegetation Indices (VIs) across the Great Plains Region. We used coupled satellite imagery that has been aligned spectrally, for each imagery band to align with one another across the phenocam locations. With this we predicted the phenocam VIs for each year over the six locations.Using our method of coupling the phenocam VIs and the meteorological data we predicted 38 years …

An Exploratory Factor Analysis Of The Collectivist Coping Styles Inventory Using An Adult American Indian Sample, Micah Louis Prairie Chicken

Theses and Dissertations

The present study examined the factors that emerged from the Collectivist Coping Styles (CCS) inventory using an exploratory factor analysis with an adult American Indian sample. The CCS inventory was originally developed using a sample of Taiwanese college students by an American-led research team and published in 2006. The CCS consists of 30 collectivist culture-specific coping items, among other indices (e.g., trauma resolution index). Coping has largely been theorized, and subsequently measured, from a White American individualist perspective. In response, a number of researchers with interests in non-White ways of being have begun broadening this area by examining coping from …

Numerical Simulations Of Hydraulic Fracturing Through Perforated Wellbores, Omar Akash

Theses and Dissertations

Unconventional reservoirs such as tight formations and plays, are known by their ultra-low permeability. To economically produce hydrocarbon from these reservoirs, technology-based solutions need to be deployed. hydraulic fracturing is a widely accepted and applied technology for successful development of unconventional reservoirs.

The fractures initiated near wellbore can have different lengths, widths, and heights. As a result, a complex fracture network is expected to be formed near wellbore. The hydraulic fracturing design is related to several parameters. Some of these parameters cannot be altered such as the geological attributes and mechanical properties of the targeted formation and the field in-situ …

Phylogeny And Systematics Of The Superfamily Diplostomoidea Poirier, 1886 (Platyhelminthes: Trematoda), Tyler Joseph Achatz

Theses and Dissertations

The Diplostomoidea is a large superfamily of digeneans which possess a unique holdfast organ. Members of the superfamily are distributed worldwide and are known to parasitize a wide variety of animals, both invertebrates and vertebrates. In some cases, diplostomoideans have been associated with diseases such as ocular diplostomiasis and ‘black spot’ disease in fishes. The taxonomic and systematic history of diplostomoideans is complex and includes numerous revisions based on morphology and host associations. Prior to this study, the Diplostomoidea included 6 families and 16 subfamilies. Recent molecular phylogenetic analyses have revealed the Diplostomidae and the Strigeidae to be non-monophyletic and …

Role Of Gravin/Akap12 Variants In Regulating Endothelial Cell Behavior, Ashrifa Ali

Theses and Dissertations

A functional endothelium must maintain an equilibrium among processes such as endothelial cell (EC) migration, barrier function and angiogenesis. The endothelium is constantly exposed to external factors that that result in a complex network of signaling wired to several possible cellular outcomes. A-kinase anchoring proteins (AKAPs) have a critical role in regulating cell signaling by providing spatial and temporal control of signaling proteins to increase downstream target specificity. Several studies have linked gravin (also called SSeCKS or AKAP12), an AKAP, to migration, barrier function, and angiogenesis. However, the functional significance of each gravin variant in ECs has not been investigated …

The Evolution Of An Institution And Student Misconduct Polices: A Study Of Minnesota State University Moorhead (Msum), 1887-2007, Ashley Jo Atteberry

Theses and Dissertations

An institution of higher education holds certain beliefs about the personal growth of students while they are enrolled. The behavior prohibited within the student misconduct policies reflect the norms within the larger society as well as the expectations specific to the learning environment within the institution. Students adhering to the expectations defined in these policies are perceived as embracing these beliefs, which enhances the character and resulting community member the student becomes upon graduation. In an opportunity to understand and resolve the concern of having an overly legalistic published policies for student misconduct, this qualitative study reviewed the content of …

Intron Retention Of Jarid2 Regulates Gene Expression During Temperature-Dependent Sex Determination, Jacob Robert Bierstedt

Theses and Dissertations

Temperature-dependent sex determination (TSD) is the developmental process in which cell fate decisions in the bipotential gonads are influenced by temperature and drive the gonad toward one of two distinct organs, an ovary or testis. In species with TSD, temperature establishes the gene expression patterns required for cell fate decisions and gonad differentiation. However, the precise mechanism that temperature regulates gene expression is unknown. Here we have shown that Jarid2, which encodes a Polycomb Repressive Complex 2 (PRC2) accessory protein, exhibits temperature-dependent intron retention that results in three distinct transcripts encoding distinct proteins with functional similarities and differences in TSD. …

Career Aspirations Of Collegiate Aviation Students, Shayne A. Daku

Theses and Dissertations

Three studies in this dissertation examined the career aspirations of collegiate aviation students: student motivation with respect to career aspirations, military aviation career aspirations, and student perceptions of career pathway programs. Findings from each of these studies are valuable to students pursuing careers in aviation and industry partners seeking to fill pilot positions. Each of these reports highlights the desire of current collegiate aviation students to have a career that supports their values of remaining close and connected to their family and friends. In the first research, aviation graduates report crew base and hourly pay as the most important factors …

Systemic Veterinary Parasitcides For Residual Malaria Vector Control In Central America, Staci Michele Dreyer

Theses and Dissertations

Malaria continues to be one of the most severe public health concerns worldwide. The malaria parasite, Plasmodium, is transmitted from person to person through the mosquito vector Anopheles. Vector control is a crucial element of anti-malarial campaigns and works best when there is thorough knowledge about an Anopheles vector’s biology and behavior in a given region. To fully eradicate malaria, new vector control strategies must be developed that exploit the behaviors of different vector species. One promising strategy to target vectors that primarily bite outdoors and display generalist feeding behaviors (zoophagic) is the use of veterinary systemic parasiticides. Veterinary parasiticides …

Maximum Carbon Dioxide Capture, Sequestration And Maximum Carbon Dioxide Beneficial Reuse At The Optimal Cost Efficiency For The Power Generation Sector To Address Global Temperature Rise, Michael Dean Garcia

Theses and Dissertations

Global Climate Change is arguably one of the most important global crises of our times. Global Climate Change is the result of increasing global ambient temperatures around the world. These increased temperature changes have been impacting all aspects of human life and activity as wells as impacting all biological and physical systems of Earth. The primary cause of Global Climate Change are anthropogenic emissions of carbon dioxide and other Greenhouse Gases. Fossil fuel combustion is a primary source of these emissions. The initiation of anthropogenic Global Climate Change has been scientifically traced back to the Industrial Revolution. From the Industrial …

K-3 Teacher And Administrator Knowledge Of Dyslexia And Foundational Reading Skills, Pam Jean Krueger

Theses and Dissertations

In recent years, the scientific community has provided a great deal of knowledge about the brain and how we learn. Included in this research is a clear explanation of how people learn to read and also what happens in the brain of a person with dyslexia. Because of the great strides that have been made through research, most students can become successful readers, including those with dyslexia. A very large part of this success is the result of knowledgeable teachers using research-based reading instruction beginning in kindergarten. Dyslexia is a common language-based learning disability that affects students’ reading, writing, and …

"The Last Major Front": Special Education's Transition To Adulthood And North Dakota, Matthew David Mccleary

Theses and Dissertations

The thesis examines the development and implementation of special education’s transition policy in the United States and North Dakota from the 1980s to the 1990s. Researchers have primarily sought to further evidence-based practices in preparing adolescents with disabilities for adulthood, but the history of this effort has rarely been discussed. In the late 20th century, policymakers, researchers, and educators attempted to turn around negative socio-economic outcomes for people with disabilities by helping youth with disabilities and their families plan for the future and get connected to post-school services and employment. Assumptions about people with disabilities influenced transition programming and the …

Photometric And Astrometric Analysis Of Three Near-Earth Asteroids, Steven D. Newcomb

Theses and Dissertations

Asteroid astrometry can provide precise information on an object’s orbital position and motion, while lightcurve photometry can help determine its rotational spin rate, its shape, and the possible presence of a binary satellite object in orbit around it.

This thesis therefore reports the astrometric and photometric study of three near-Earth objects (NEOs): 68347 (2001 KB67), 494999 (2010 JU39), and 455432 (2003 RP8). Because NEOs represent a record of the early solar system, serve as possible sources for minable material, and sometimes present an impact hazard to the planet Earth, the study of these asteroids is important for understanding their orbital …

Student-Athlete Motivation And Gender, Jessica Schanilec-Gowan

Theses and Dissertations

Billions of dollars are spent each year on athletic teams and the education of National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) student-athletes. Successful athletic programs require teams that are excelling in the classroom and also within their sports. Stakeholders are continually searching for factors that impact the academic success of the student-athlete population. This study explored one of those factors: motivation. In this research, an ex post facto quantitative research format was utilized to determine if there were relationships among three subscales of Gaston’s (2002) Sports and Academics Questionnaire (SAMSAQ) and gender identity. More specifically, the three SAMSAQ subscales that were examined …

Sensitization To A Milk Allergen Induces Differential Behavioral And Neurological Responses In Allergic C57bl/6j And Balb/Cj Mice, Nicholas Smith

Theses and Dissertations

Studies have highlighted an association between food allergies and neuropsychiatric disorders such as anxiety, depression, and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. Though the precise mechanism behind this relationship is unknown, it marks a potential novel therapeutic strategy outside of traditional neuropharmacological intervention. Food allergy is a heterogeneous disorder of the immune system characterized by an immune response that occurs reproducibly to a given food. Chronic allergen exposure in patients with mild or non-anaphylactic food allergies may cause or exacerbate psychiatric conditions. However, the variability in food allergies due to factors like genetic background introduces selection bias for individuals with overt anaphylactic …

Development Of A Deep Neural Network Based Method For Quality Control Of Modis Maiac Aerosol Data For Aerosol Modeling Applications, Joel Braxton Aldridge

Theses and Dissertations

Quality-assured satellite aerosol data have been shown to improve aerosol analysis and forecasts in Chemical Transport Models. However, biases present in the satellite-based aerosol data can also introduce non-negligible uncertainties in the downstream aerosol forecasts and impact model forecast accuracy. Therefore, in this study we evaluated uncertainties in Moderate Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) Multi-Angle Implementation of Atmospheric Correction (MAIAC) aerosol products and developed a deep neural network (DNN) based method for quality control of Terra and Aqua MODIS MAIAC Aerosol Optical Depth (AOD) data using the version 3 level 2 AErosol RObotic NETwork (AERONET) data as the ground truth. This method …

Numerical Investigation Of Forces And Acceleration For Air-Sea Uav In Transition, Emmanuel Chibuike Chukwuemeka

Theses and Dissertations

The air-sea UAV is designed to fly, transition into water, and move through water submerged. It is however subjected to a huge impact force during its transition from air to sea. This high impact force poses the risk of causing damage to the UAV structure and components. Therefore, it is very important to carry out quantitative research on understanding the forces and accelerations involved in the transition process. Computational fluid dynamics (CFD) was used to develop a method capable of handling the water entry process. The Fluent software package under ANSYS Inc. was used for the simulation and computations.The study …

Integrative Approach For Improved Oil Recovery In Unconventional Reservoirs, Abdulaziz Ellafi

Theses and Dissertations

The hydrocarbon production improvement in unconventional reservoir development hasbeen driven by the application of modern horizontal drilling and multi-stage hydraulic fracturing (MSHF) techniques, which makes it possible to access low porosity (<10%) and low permeability (<0.1 mD) formations. Large stimulated reservoir volumes (SRVs) have been created through breakthroughs in hydraulic fracturing technology; however, fracture treatment is not necessarily effective. Operators have started utilizing tighter spaced clusters, longer stage lengths, and greater proppant volumes to design hydraulic fracture stimulation. However, the ultimate oil recovery reported by several studies is less than 8% due to a rapid decline in unconventional well performance and by approximately 75% within the first two years of well production as a result of several reasons. This research presents an integrated approach of unconventional reservoir applications to increase well/reservoir contact area (i.e., large stimulated reservoir volumes “SRVs”) and efficiently produce more trapped oil in the pore matrix from liquid-rich shale reservoirs. In order to achieve research goals, this dissertation is divided into three phases. In the first phase, we present a combination of the Diagnostic Fracture Injection Test (DFIT) and post-treatment pressure falloff analysis, which can help to design intelligent production and improve well performance. Our field study from the STACK Play, Anadarko Basin, Oklahoma, explains the objective optimization workflow of diagnostic tools. The falloff pressure analysis provides vital information, assisting operators in fully understanding models for fracture network characterization. In the second phase, this research aims to study the capability of high-viscosity friction reducers (HVFRs) by examining the produced water from the Bakken Formation through an integral approach. Surfactant application as an additive to the HVFRs is investigated in high TDS (total dissolved solids) conditions. The results show that using a surfactant mixed with the fracturing fluids can improve proppant transport, fracture conductivity profile, and thus higher effective fracture half-length compared to current practice. It is found that such a fracturing fluid mixed with surfactant can increase Estimated Ultimate Recovery (EUR) by as high as 15% compared with linear gel and HVFRs with produced water (HVFR-PR) due to larger propped SRVs. In the final phase, the experimental work is presented to evaluate the feasibility of the Enhanced Oil Recovery (EOR) method using the CO2 huff-n-puff (HNP) protocol in the Middle Bakken Formation, the Mountrail County, Williston Basin, ND. The objective is to evaluate the incremental oil recovery from CO2-EOR under several operational and well/reservoir conditions scenarios. The parameters considered in the sensitivity study include temperatures, pressure, soak time, and a number of injection cycles to obtain optimum conditions under which the incremental oil recovery from the MB Formation is increased. The wettability alteration (i.e., contact angle) is also studied using rock-chip samples before and after the HNP experiment at the Bakken reservoir conditions (present, for example, P & T in psi/F). As overall outcomes from this research, the CO2-HNP process has a good potential in the lab and could be succeeded economically in field applications that might reduce the need for refracturing stimulation or infill drilling.

Open And Fair Skies: A Level Playing Field For American Workers, Shea Byom

Theses and Dissertations

For years Delta, American, and United airlines have cited unfair practices by Qatar,United Arab Emirates, and Etihad airways. The main problem, they argued, was the unfair business practices, especially the government subsidies provided to these Gulf carriers that they believed harmed competition, and put at risk millions of U.S. jobs supported by tourism and travel (Al-Sayeh, 2014). Delta, American, and United airlines believed that the Gulf carriers were in direct violation of their Open Skies agreement, which provides open competition between all airlines. “Fair and open” eliminates government interference in commercial decisions of air carriers about routes, capacity, and pricing …

The Effect Of Fatty Acid-Binding Protein 1 Gene Ablation On Brain And Liver Lipid Metabolism, Regan Clarice Lawrence

Theses and Dissertations

Although studies in animal and cell culture systems have demonstrated the importance of liver fatty acid-binding protein (FABP1) in liver lipid metabolism, the impact of Fabp1 gene ablation on brain fatty acid uptake and lipid metabolism in intact animals is unknown. To address this, we assessed the effect of Fabp1 gene ablation on uptake and esterification of [1-14C]20:4n-6 into liver and brain lipids in vivo using a steady-state kinetic model. Plasma radioactivity was increased in Fabp1 gene-ablated mice, suggesting that loss of FABP1 impairs hepatic uptake of 20:4n-6. Indeed, liver uptake of [1-14C]20:4n-6 into aqueous and organic fractions was reduced. …

Virginal Apprehensions Within The Liminal Monastic Space Of The Nun Of Watton, Aimee Alicia Melicher

Theses and Dissertations

The Nun of Watton is a treatise by Ælred of Rievaulx focusing on the scandalous affair of a nun becoming pregnant by a lay brother, and through a series of events is miraculously transformed back into a virgin like state. In my thesis, I will be examining the properties of the space that the nuns of Watton inhabit and how the functions of the space affected the events that occurred by applying Henri Lefebvre’s spatial theory. Additionally, I will be arguing that the Nun received a miraculous abortive churching. Those actions protected the purity of the monastery and the people …

Seismic Response Of Liquid-Filled Thin-Walled Steel Cylindrical Tanks, Wiriyachai Roopkumdee

Theses and Dissertations

Seismic response plays an important role in the design of liquid-filled thin-walled steel cylindrical tanks because of the small thicknesses of the walls as compared to their diameter. The liquid-filled thin-walled cylindrical tanks are vulnerable when they are subjected to earthquake accelerations. This dissertation aims to estimate and improve the seismic buckling strength of the liquid-filled thin-walled steel cylindrical tanks under earthquake excitation. The structural response to the base excitation is modeled using the concept of effective earthquake forces. The time steps in numerical analysis are divided to be small enough to accurately capture the periods of oscillations. The finite …

Fulfilling The Purpose Of Education: Voices Of North Dakota Graduates Pertaining To Curriculum And Graduation Requirements, Sarah Jean Ricks

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this dissertation was twofold: to determine how graduates of North Dakota high schools perceived their educational experiences in relation to preparing them for their adult lives, and to determine how curriculum and graduation requirements at the time of this study in North Dakota Century Code (NDCC) 15.1-21, titled “Curriculum and Testing,” fulfilled the purpose of education in North Dakota. This study used a mixed-methods research design and includes a literature review and an online survey of 81 North Dakota high school graduates in the Dickinson area regarding the readiness of students who have graduated from North Dakota …

Flight Training For Commercial Remote Pilots, Michael Walach

Theses and Dissertations

A remote pilot training program, part of an sUAS course, were studied to determine the effectiveness and portability of the training curriculum. Students in a university unmanned aircraft systems course were the subjects, and multiple data points were collected over the 15 week program. No differences were found in student performance on the metrics used to assess the students regardless of who the students had as a flight instructor. Males scored higher than females on prior flight experience upon entering the course; however, neither gender nor prior aviation experience were significant contributing factors in student success either academically (written tests) …

Gender Differences In Social Presence In Gender-Segregated And Blended Learning Environments In Saudi Arabia, Abdullah Eid Alotaibi

Theses and Dissertations

The present study aimed to achieve one of the goals of the Saudi Arabia Vision 2030, which is the improvement of the quality of teaching approaches and learning outcomes. Additionally, the vision strives for equality among students in all educational institutions, including equality among men and women, who are mostly segregated in all aspects of life (e.g., education). One of the major issues in the online portion of blended learning environments is the lack of social presence. Therefore, the present study used a quantitative, cross-sectional survey design to investigate the influence of gender on the perception of social presence levels …

Hole Cleaning And Cuttings Transportation Modelling And Optimization, Foued Badrouchi

Theses and Dissertations

Efficient hole cleaning in drilling operation is essential to ensure optimum rate of penetration. This complex problem involves simultaneous analysis of multiple parameters, including cuttings characteristics, fluid rheology and the geometry of the annulus space. For instance, accurate calculations of the equivalent circulation density (ECD) requires the effect of the mud density increase due to the cuttings’ concentration to be considered, which itself is a function of the settling velocity and the rate of penetration (ROP). Analytical models, lab experiments and numerical simulations have been used to determine the optimum flow rate for efficient hole cleaning. Most of these models …