Digital Commons Network^™

Techno-Economic Analysis Of Biogas Utilization In Refuse Power Plants, Marco Hernandez

Theses and Dissertations

As the energy industry shifts towards a heavier priority on decreasing the environmental impact caused by power plants, an innovation that repurposes existing coal processing facilities has been in high demand. A Techno-Economic Analysis (TEA) that focuses on transporting and co-firing biogas, a renewable fuel obtainable from landfills or through anaerobic digestion, with waste coal, which is a source of pollution in need of remediation, has been conducted to evaluate the benefits of net-negative carbon emissions. ASPEN Plus V14 simulations were constructed and utilized to aid the process estimation for the proposed power plant designs. The Levelized Cost of Electricity …

Petrophysical And Geomechanical Alterations During Supercritical Co2 Submerge: Laboratory Testing On Samples From The Middle Bakken, Ruichong Ni

Theses and Dissertations

The promising strategy of CO2 capture, utilization and storage (CCUS) aims to reduce CO2 emissions and tackle the pressing problem of global warming. Previous studies have demonstrated the importance of changes in petrophysical and geomechanical characteristics in assessing target formations' capacity to sequester CO2. Permeability is one of these characteristics that is essential to the movement of CO2 inside rock formations and has a direct effect on how well CO2 is sequestered. Existing methods calculate permeability by using effective stress, but they have made unpractical assumptions that the effective stress coefficient could be stable or gradually increase after CO2 exposure. …

Low-Temperature Dual Balance Electrodynamic Trap (Lt-Dbet) For Single Microparticle Aerosol Studies, Victor Oyebamiji Ojo

Theses and Dissertations

Atmospheric aerosol processes regulate our climate through light scattering and cloud formation, which are governed by their physicochemical properties. Despite their climate impacts, important individual particle properties are difficult to measure at controlled temperatures relevant to the troposphere. This study presents the Low-Temperature Dual Balance Electrodynamic Trap (LT-DBET), a commercial DBET from MicroLev LLC, modified with a copper tubing network and a recirculating chiller to achieve temperature control as low as -5 ⁰C, which is suitable for heterogenous freezing using AgI. Aerosol microdroplet growth via water uptake is indirectly measured using a feedback loop, which continuously applies balancing voltages proportional …

Experimental Investigation Of Freezing Microdroplets For Understanding Chain Crystal Aggregates Observed In Atmospheric Clouds, Imteaz Osmani

Theses and Dissertations

Ice crystal aggregates are observed in upper stratospheric clouds. The crystal aggregates can form in different orientations, geometry, and shapes which are not well studied. These crystal aggregations are found in the clouds as crystal chains of various lengths and cause damage to hypersonic vehicles which include missiles, re-entry vehicles, and jet aircraft. The reasons behind such damage by atmospheric crystal chains to hypersonic bodies are unknown. That is why studying these ice crystals and their behavior in the hypersonic environment is necessary. Ice crystals form in the atmosphere in two different ways which are homogenous and heterogenous. Heterogenous freezing …

The Role Of Carbon Source And Redox Potential On Microbial C1 Gas Fermentation For Ethanol Production, Ademola Owoade

Theses and Dissertations

In the quest for sustainable and renewable energy sources, microbial gas fermentation has emerged as an alternative method for producing bioethanol and other valuable chemicals. Bioethanol is notable for its extensive application as a biofuel and its capacity to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Conventional ethanol production predominantly depends on sugar and starch feedstocks, which compete for food resources. Microbial C1 gas fermentation presents a sustainable alternative by using industrial waste gases, or gases from gasification of municipal solid wastes, biomass, agricultural residues, animal wastes, and energy crops, which are all nonfood-based. Microbial gas fermentation is influenced by temperature, pH, gas …

Behavioral Health Workforce Modeling To Assist In Prioritizing Educational Pathways Programs In North Dakota, Mandi-Leigh Peterson

Theses and Dissertations

Background. The need for behavioral health services in North Dakota has grown in recent years. As part of the response to the need for services, a state definition of behavioral health workforce was enacted in state statute to assist in addressing this need. Thus far, no empirical evaluations of the status of that workforce have been conducted.Purpose. The primary purpose of this work was to quantify the supply and demand for the behavioral health workforce in North Dakota to assist in identifying and prioritizing those educational pathways that can assist in growing the identified needed workforce. Sample. This study examined …

Risk Factor Patterns For Elder Abuse Among United States Indigenous Peoples: Native Elder Maltreatment Survey Secondary Data Analysis, Maylynn Riding In

Theses and Dissertations

Elder abuse is a significant public health issue, with findings indicating that 9% to 10% of older adults in the United States experience abuse. This figure is likely mirrored among Indigenous Peoples residing within tribal boundaries, although specific data is scarce. This study aims to fill the gap in understanding the prevalence and risk factors associated with elder abuse among United States Indigenous Peoples (USIP) through a secondary data analysis of the Native Elder Maltreatment Survey (NEMS). The NEMS employs two key instruments: the Hwalek-Sengstock Elder Abuse Screening Test (HS EAST), which is validated for community use, and the Native …

Researching Chlorophyll-Α Levels In Freshwater Lakes To Understand The Environmental State Of The Turtle Mountains Using Ndci Through Remote Sensing Techniques, Elliot Quinn Peltier

Theses and Dissertations

Chlorophyll α is one of the main indicators of water quality. Increasing levels have various triggers such as agricultural runoff, wastewater from treatment plants, sewage, and humus. Addressing chlorophyll α is crucial since high concentrations are precursors to eutrophication and are hazardous to human health. The Turtle Mountains in North Dakota and Manitoba is an island forest laden with lakes and trees. However, the noticeable extent of agricultural surface on the United States side of the border has made obvious the disintegration of forested area. Also, a lack of information and studies do not allow anyone to comprehend the level …

Analyzing The Effects Of Cloud Seeding On Hail Suppression During The North Dakota Cloud Modification Project, Lynnlee Storm Rosolino

Theses and Dissertations

This study assesses the effectiveness of cloud seeding for hail suppression as part of the North Dakota Cloud Modification Project. Using a radar-based hail size retrieval algorithm, storm data from 2016-2018 were analyzed to compare observed hail sizes with forecasted values from atmospheric models and indices. Algorithm output is compared with model proximity sounding analysis including two hail-centric indices, five severe weather indices, and HAILCAST output to determine the forecasted hail size. Results show that the majority of unseeded cases have matching forecasted and observed hailstone diameter. In contrast, in seeded storms, observed hail sizes were consistently smaller than forecasted. …

Investigation Of The Existence Of Vertically Oriented Ice Crystals In Winter Storms, Kendra R. Sand

Theses and Dissertations

The existence of vertically oriented ice crystals is investigated in winter storms, as observed through remote sensing and analyzed during the NASA Earth Venture Investigation of Microphysics and Precipitation for Atlantic Coast-Threatening Snowstorms (IMPACTS) field campaign field campaign. The primary objective was to determine if a preferred angle of ice crystal orientation could be identified in situ using contemporary airborne sampling instruments. Additionally, the study sought to explore potential correlations between the vertical orientation of ice crystals and electric field anomalies at cloud top, as well as the relationship between crystal orientation and particle concentration. To achieve these objectives, Two-Dimensional …

An Analysis Of Curricular Complexity Patterns In Undergraduate Mechanical Engineering Programs Using Federally Reported Data, Shane Schellpfeffer

Theses and Dissertations

With the recent development of curricular analytics tools designed to quantify the structure of a curriculum (Heileman, Abdallah, et al., 2018), some institutions of higher education are examining their curricula to find ways that these pathways to graduation can be improved (McMurtrie, 2021). The tools used to analyze curricula were created to address an issue of importance in the field of undergraduate engineering, that issue being the decreasing enrollment trend over the past two decades. The decrease in undergraduate engineering graduates in programs across the United States led to conversations in both academia and industry regarding potential solutions for this …

Using Problematic Sexual Behaviors And The Developmental Life Course Model To Predict Criminal Justice Involvement And Psychopathology By Early Adulthood, Amanda Schwartz

Theses and Dissertations

The developmental life course (DLC) model explains risk factors and developmental patterns among juveniles who have committed more than one sexual offense by considering the impact of major life events, experiences, and risk and protective factors throughout various developmental stages. Using an archival longitudinal dataset, the Longitudinal Studies of Child Abuse and Neglect (LONGSCAN), this study applied the DLC model to explore the relationship between gender and onset and persistence of problematic sexual behaviors (PSBs) in childhood and adolescence with criminal justice involvement and psychopathology by early adulthood (N = 330, 46% male, M = 18.26 years) after controlling for …

The Fcc 5-Year Deorbit Rule’S Impact On The Space Industry Including Non-Traditional Scientific And Environmental Stakeholders, Kristin Shahady

Theses and Dissertations

In pursuit of a safer and more sustainable space environment, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) introduced the 5-year deorbit rule, a regulatory mandate aimed at mitigating space debris by requiring satellite operators to remove their spacecraft from LEO within 5 years after their mission is complete. While the intent behind this rule is admirable in the desire to remediate and limit the generation of orbital debris, it raises questions whether it was crafted with consideration of all stakeholders, whether it will truly mitigate the creation of orbital debris, and whether it exhibits characteristics of arbitrariness and capriciousness. Agencies’ actions be …

Observational Analyses Of Aerosol Radiative Impacts On Weather And Climate Scales, Blake Thomas Sorenson

Theses and Dissertations

With the enhanced Arctic warming and sea ice melting in recent decades, this study seeks to expand our understanding of how atmospheric aerosols affect the Arctic radiative budget, on both weather and climate scales. On climate scales, the study of the impact of atmospheric aerosols on Arctic radiative budget, through observation-based methods, remains challenging due to the complicated surface conditions including sea ice, open oceans, and land surfaces. Using satellite observations from the Ozone Monitoring Instrument (OMI), the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS), the Cloud and the Earth Radiant Energy System (CERES), and the Special Sensor Microwave Imager / Sounder …

Elementary Teacher Instructional Self-Efficacy In Leader In Me Lighthouse Schools, Lara Storm

Theses and Dissertations

This study is a secondary data comparative analysis using the Leader in Me Measurable Results Assessment (MRA) to examine whether teachers at Leader in Me Lighthouse certified schools have a greater degree of instructional self-efficacy than teachers at non-Lighthouse certified Leader in Me schools. Literature shows that students in classes with teachers that have a higher degree of instructional self-efficacy experience higher student achievement and a more supportive classroom climate. In addition, those teachers with higher efficacy experience lower levels of stress and burnout and are more engaged in professional development. The guiding notion of this investigation is that implementing …

Causes Of The Morphological Distinctiveness Of Ahuna Mons And Differences In Cryovolcanic Styles On Ceres And The Inner Uranian Satellites Miranda And Ariel, Caleb Strom

Theses and Dissertations

Ahuna Mons is one of the most distinctive features on the dwarf planet (1) Ceres and shows evidence of cryovolcanic activity on a main belt object in the geologically recent past. Ahuna Mons is unusual, however, in that it has a higher aspect ratio and sharper features than other candidate domes on Ceres. It also stands apart from cryovolcanic features identified on other suspected cryovolcanic worlds like Miranda and Ariel, where cryovolcanism is associated with double ridges and potential plume activity. In this work, dome age, based on crater counting, and aspect ratio are compared through correlative analysis to investigate …

Handheld Multimodal Point Spectroscopy, Rgb Imaging, And Fusion Artificial Intelligence To Determine The Species And Freshness Of Fish Fillets, Mitchell Sueker

Theses and Dissertations

When fish species are mislabeled and the fish’s freshness is inaccurately represented, health, environmental, and economic problems can arise for both consumers and the fish industry. Fish are some of the easier foods to mislabel, as the processing of whole fish to fillets makes the visual identification of the species and freshness assessment more challenging. Due to the shortcomings of the current industry standards, confirmed by our interviews with over 20 professionals in all fish supply chain nodes, developing a system that can provide accurate and rapid on-site fraud detection is of necessity. In an attempt to meet these needs, …

Nanoparticles: Applications For Energy Innovation, Wen Sun

Theses and Dissertations

The work described in this dissertation will have three primary goals that are all essential for improving the energy demand using nanotechnology. The first goal is to comprehensively understand the application of SiO2-based nanoparticles (SiO2-based-NPs) in enhanced oil recovery (EOR) and the challenges associated with their use. The second goal is to investigate the application of ruthenium-based nanoparticles using reduced graphene oxide as the matrix (Runano-based/rGO) for the electrochemical synthesis of ammonia under ambient conditions. The third goal is to develop binder-free 3D nanomaterials and assess their electrochemical properties for supercapacitor applications. To fulfill this goal, two different nanomaterials have …

Indigenous Innovation: Exploring Substance Use And Drone Applications In Indigenous Contexts Across Canada, Jacob Nelson Taylor

Theses and Dissertations

This is a dissertation in practice which addresses Indigenous health, substance use, dronetechnology, and ethical considerations of drone use. A dissertation in practice results in three products with practical application in community. Through development of a grant application, journal manuscript, and community toolkit for ethical drone use, this dissertation addresses a broader narrative about the empowerment of Indigenous communities in Canada.

In Chapter 2, a grant application has been designed for submission to Health Canada’s Substance Use and Addiction Program. The grant explores substance use among Indigenous Peoples working in the forest sector. The grant application addresses the need for …

Development Of Fluorescent-Based Nanoparticles For Bioimaging, Gene Regulation Expression, And Photo-Induced Synergistic Cancer Therapy, Di Sun

Theses and Dissertations

Fluorescent-based nanoparticles have been applied to a broad range of biological applications, as discussed in this dissertation, including bioimaging, gene regulation expression, and photo-induced synergistic cancer therapy. Prior to applications, this dissertation first focused on the development and characterization of several fluorescent-based nanoparticles using different methods. These include 1) Streamlined synthesis of dual-emissive fluorescent-based silicon quantum dots (SiQDs). The SiQDs were generated as a promising, non-toxic labeling tool for bioimaging of a variety of cell types. both in visible and near-infrared (NIR) ranges. 2) Polymer-based nanoparticles - Polymer dots (Pdots) with a strong NIR fluorescence. The Pdots were functionalized as …

Kinetics And Mechanism Of Multiscale Formation And Inhibition In A Mixture Of Calcium Carbonate And Calcium Sulphate Salts, Glavic Tikeri

Theses and Dissertations

Despite the ongoing research, there remains a significant gap in the understanding of the formation dynamics of mineral scale, particularly calcium carbonate and calcium sulfate. This study primarily aims to elucidate the behaviors of these scales' interactions and deposition. The experimental work was conducted mostly using an in-house-made continuous stirred tank reactor laser setup. By continuously monitoring changes in laser intensity within supersaturated solutions of calcium carbonate and calcium sulfate, their formation kinetics was captured, and variations in induction time under varying physicochemical conditions of temperature and pH was quantified. The laser setup was also used to assess the effectiveness …

Barriers To Faculty Adoption Of Assessment: A Case Study In Engineering, Melodie A. R. Williams

Theses and Dissertations

This case study at an undergraduate teaching-focused engineering program in a small faith-based liberal arts university is designed to evaluate tools for assessing the engineering accreditor ABET’s Student Outcome Five – teamwork skills of engineering students. This evaluation would set the foundation for developing an assessment program that meets the needs of faculty, administrators, and accreditors. Activity theory is used as the theoretical framework for the study. A literature review lays the foundation for a novel conceptual framework asserting “faculty resistance” is actually “systemic friction.” The methodology is described, including data collection procedures, data analysis methods, and the approaches to …

Investigating The Impact Of Urban Areas On Quasi-Linear Convective Systems, Claiborne Wooton

Theses and Dissertations

Urban areas absorb and radiate energy at a higher rate compared to surrounding rural areas due to several factors, including an urban area’s tendency to have sparse vegetation and tree canopies along with high incidences of pavement. Urban areas have been shown to impact both the environment in which thunderstorms form (by altering thermodynamic, microphysical, and wind flow patterns) and the thunderstorms themselves; however, most of this previous work focused on isolated thunderstorms amid weak environmental vertical wind shear. This thesis analyzes how the structure of observed quasi-linear convective systems (QLCSs)—i.e., lines of thunderstorms—are altered as they pass over urban …

Development, Characterization, And Application Of Nanomaterials For Target Detection And Therapeutic Study, Yingfen Wu

Theses and Dissertations

Nanomaterials have emerged as a pivotal area of research in chemistry, driven by their unique properties that make them suitable for both industrial and biomedical applications. Among nanomaterials, nanozyme is a series of nanomaterials with enzyme-mimetic activities that can proceed with the catalytic reactions of natural enzymes, conferring significant potential for their use in various biomedical applications. Herein, we describe three types of nanomaterials products with distinct properties and applications: 1) Fe³⁺-doped graphene quantum dots (GQDs) for sensitive H₂O₂ detection; 2) ratiometric fluorescent nanoprobes based on near-infrared (NIR) semiconducting polymer dots for label-free detection of dopamine; and 3) Multifunctional near …

Evaluating Uas As A Tool For Improving Elk Population Counts In A Suburban Forested Area Of North Central Colorado, Michael Wussow

Theses and Dissertations

For decades, wildlife researchers have taken advantage of an aerial perspective for performing population counts because of challenges associated with ground observations. Due to advances in aviation technology and regulations, unoccupied aerial systems (UAS) have become increasingly available for wildlife population monitoring in addition to manned aircraft, with success largely dependent on the species, their habitat, and UAS utilized. This study compares a currently accepted method of counting North American elk (ground/spotting scope counts) to a novel method (UAS) to evaluate if a commercial-off-the-shelf quadcopter (COTS) UAS equipped with zoom-capable RGB cameras would be an acceptable tool for counting elk …

Investigation Of Gas Injection Eor In Conventional And Unconventional Reservoirs Based On Laboratory Experiments And Field Pilot Tests, Jin Zhao

Theses and Dissertations

Currently, fossil fuels (including oil, natural gas, and coal) are still the dominant energy sources in the United States. However, their extraction and utilization generate a significant volume of carbon dioxide (CO2) and associated gases, such as methane (CH4), ethane (C2H6), propane (C3H8), etc. Injecting these gases back into deep oil reservoirs offers a practical means to enhance oil recovery while reducing air pollution. The target formations are usually characterized by good porosity and permeability to ensure sufficient injectivity and storage capacity. However, recent unconventional reservoir development indicated that tight formations could also be potential targets for enhanced oil recovery …

The Role Of Open Education And Faculty Gender In Shaping Student Perceptions, Virginia Clinton-Lisell, Alison E. Kelly

Education, Health & Behavior Studies Faculty Publications

Student perceptions of open education, both open educational resources (OER) and open pedagogy, are typically reported as positive in research studies. However, there is a need for controlled research to better understand the specific effects of open education. Furthermore, it is not understood how faculty gender, often noted to be influential in student perceptions of courses, interacts with open education. The current study addressed these issues in a controlled experiment in which college students (N = 413) were randomly assigned to read vignettes of course descriptions that varied based on textbook type (OER or commercial), pedagogy (open or closed), and …

Renewable Assignments: Comparing Faculty And Student Perceptions, Julie Lazzara, Matthew Bloom, Virginia Clinton-Lisell

Education, Health & Behavior Studies Faculty Publications

This study examined faculty and student perceptions of renewable assignments within an OER-enabled pedagogy framework. Building on Wiley and Hilton’s (2018) framework, this study focused on the subset of practices that result in renewable assignments. Renewable assignments leverage OER permissions (reuse, redistribute, retain, remix, revise) to produce student work with value beyond the classroom. The study compared college students’ (N = 24) perceptions of value, interest, motivation, and reward for renewable assignments versus those of the instructor (N = 1) in one online class. Students reported that the value, interest, motivation, and reward of the renewable assignment were somewhat better …

November 21, 2024, The Dakota Student

The Dakota Student

No abstract provided.

Love Medicine, Casey Fuller

Floodwall Magazine

I love words. Words are totally amazing. Words allude, cordon off, cordon in, exfoliate, and blossom. And words are just so strange. The meaning in words can change over, their footprints marking you with their history. And yet, one conclusion I’ve come to as an English PhD student at the University of North Dakota, as a person who lives and breathes and teaches words every day, is that words can’t express all of my feelings. It’s a sad notion for me—one that I’ve tried to deny. So, as an English PhD student who is far enough along in his studies …