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Volume 35, Number 44: August 21, 1998, University Of North Dakota

University Letter Archive

No abstract provided.

Summer Commencement: July 31, 1998, University Of North Dakota

UND Commencement Programs

UND Summer Commencement program from July 31, 1998.

An Exploration Of The Roles, Responsibilities, And Challenges Of Six Graduate Teaching Assistants In The Visual Arts, Karen Drummond Devers

Theses and Dissertations

In this qualitative study, six participants shared their experiences as graduate teaching assistants (GTAs) in the Visual Arts department of an upper- midwest university. Interviews, observations, and field notes during one semester, provided insights into how the participants described and understood their roles and < )sponsibilities as teachers. The university in this study offered no formal training and limited support to the graduate teaching assistants. As a result, participants had to depend on their own ingenuity and judgement to determine what and how to teach. The GTAs had full responsibility for crafting their course syllabi, creating and grading assignments, and resolving difficulties which arose in their classrooms. If they wanted feedback or suggestions, it was up to them to seek out responsive faculty members as mentors. The issues of student absenteeism and non-compliant behaviors were particularly difficult for the participants to resolve. The lack of preparation and support which was offered the GTAs contributed to their sense of isolation and precluded the formation of a teaching and learning community within the department.

Volume 35, Number 42: July 24, 1998, University Of North Dakota

University Letter Archive

No abstract provided.

Volume 35, Number 40: July 12, 1998, University Of North Dakota

University Letter Archive

No abstract provided.

The Effects Of Alcohol And Anxiety: Senesitivity On Social Stress In Women, Beth A. Lewis

Theses and Dissertations

The tension reduction hypothesis postulates that consuming alcohol leads to a stress dampening effect. This stress reduction is negatively reinforcing, therefore, individuals learn that consuming alcohol will reduce unpleasant, tension type sensations and cognitions. Several studies have examined the validity of the tension reduction hypothesis as an explanatory model for the development o f alcohol problems, but no clear consensus has been found. As a result, researchers have begun to examine individual difference variables that may interact with the effects of alcohol on anxiety. The present study examined potential individual difference factors (social anxiety and anxiety sensitivity) by randomly assigning …

Attention Defficit/ Hyperactivity Disorder In Adults, James A. Goetz

Theses and Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Factors Influencing The Decision To Withdraw Mechanical Ventilation, Deborah D. Gengerke

Theses and Dissertations

Research reveals that the decision to withdraw life-sustaining medical treatment is commonly faced by surrogate decision makers of the critically ill. Factors noted to be considered by healthcare providers when addressing the decision to withdraw life-sustaining treatment include poor patient prognosis, poor patient quality of life should the patient survive, and the patient's previously expressed wishes regarding life sustaining treatment.

The purpose of this study was to determine the factors that are present in surrogates' decisions to withdraw life-sustaining mechanical ventilation from the critically ill adult. The target population was 31 surrogate decision-makers who had agreed to withdraw life-sustaining mechanical …

Temporal Lobe Transients And Prayer, Donald E. Newberry

Theses and Dissertations

Persinger (1983) theorized that religious experiences involve the production of brief, micro-seizures that originate in the limbic system and affect the temporal lobes of the brain. According to this theory, ritual behavior could be used by individuals to induce micro-seizure activity. The theory predicted that an increase in alpha and theta activity in the temporal lobes of the brain would occur when subjects had a religious experience.

To test this, male and female Christian college students completed a Prayer Experiences Questionnaire inquiring about their religious experiences during prayer. Individuals scoring in the upper and lower 30 percent of the possible …

Volume 35, Number 40: June 26, 1998, University Of North Dakota

University Letter Archive

No abstract provided.

Content Validity And Inter-Rater Reliability Of A Hopi Child Abuse Risk Assessment Instrument., Ron Andrew Reid

Theses and Dissertations

Child abuse within the Hopi tribe is a major social problem that affects the mental health and well being of this Native American Indian community. Since 1985, many states have used risk assessment instruments to estimate the potential risk of child abuse. The present study evaluated a risk assessment instrument developed through combining items gathered from these different instruments for use with the Hopi.In this study, three raters used an instrument developed by the primary investigator (Reid, 1995) for review of records at the Hopi tribe's social service program. The files selected for review contained court substantiated evidence of reported …

Transcriptional Regulation Of A Novel Heat Shock Response And Its Association With Apoptosis In Nb2-Lymphoma Cells., Mingyu Zhang

Theses and Dissertations

Virtually all cells respond to heat stress by increased expression or induction of the highly conserved heat shock proteins (HSPs). However rat Nb2-11 cells, a prolactin-dependent preT-cell line displayed an unusual heat shock response following exposure to heat stress (41$\sp\circ$C, 1 hr). There was no evidence of inducible HSP70 expression. Moreover, expression of the constitutive HSP70s and HSP90s decreased during the heat stress apparently reflecting a decrease in mRNA stability. Gel shift assays revealed that heat shock factor (HSF) was activated although its DNA binding rapidly deteriorated. Immunoblotting, using an antibody specific to HSF1, indicated that proteolysis of HSF1 may …

Volume 35, Number 39: June 12, 1998, University Of North Dakota

University Letter Archive

No abstract provided.

Volume 35, Number 38: May 29, 1998, University Of North Dakota

University Letter Archive

No abstract provided.

Gender Differences In The Influence Of Family History Of Alcoholism On Cognitive Functioning In College Students., Pamela Marie Samson

Theses and Dissertations

Alcohol abuse has been the focus of a great deal of research over the past several decades. More recently, a substantial number of studies have begun to look at a population thought to be at risk for alcohol abuse, the children of alcoholics. Individuals at risk for the development of alcoholism often display the same cognitive deficits as alcoholics and it has been suggested that these deficits may be a factor in the development of alcoholism. The present study examined cognitive functioning in male and female adult children of male alcoholics (FH+) and controls (FH$-$) on measures of spatial processing …

Volume 35, Number 37: May 15, 1998, University Of North Dakota

University Letter Archive

No abstract provided.

Spring Commencement: May 10, 1998, University Of North Dakota

UND Commencement Programs

UND Spring Commencement program from May 10, 1998.

Doctor Of Medicine Commencement: May 9, 1998, University Of North Dakota

UND Commencement Programs

Doctor of Medicine Commencement program from May 9, 1998.

May 7, 1998, University Of North Dakota

University Senate Meeting Minutes

Minutes from the May 7, 1998, meeting of the University Senate. 18 pages

Creativity And Learning: Partners In Pedagogy, Michele M. Welkener

Teaching and Learning: The Journal of Natural Inquiry & Reflective Practice

No abstract provided.

Volume 35, Number 35: May 1, 1998, University Of North Dakota

University Letter Archive

No abstract provided.

May- June 1998, University Of North Dakota Alumni Association

ALL: UND Alumni Review Master List

May- June 1998 issue of "The University of North Dakota Alumni Review." 18 pages

Volume 80, Number 6

Impact Of The 1997 Red River Valley Flood On Marital Relationships, Karen M. Davis

Theses and Dissertations

Despite the gains in disaster research on families, there is little research on the impact of disasters on marital relationships. This study addresses this under- researched area through the examination of the effects of the 1997 Red River Valley Flood on marital relationships.

Data was collected through in-depth interviews with ten heterosexual married couples. The results indicate that the 1997 Red River Valley Flood did have an impact on marital relationships. However, the impact of the flood appeared to be mediated by the state of the couples' relationships prior to the flood. Couples who reported strong relationships prior to the …

Women, Sex And Dating: A Qualitative Study Of College Men's Perceptions, Rosemary E. Barke

Theses and Dissertations

A two-hour focus group of ten, 19, 20, and 21-year-old male college studnets who expressed an interest in dataing women was undertaken to gain a deeper understanding of men's perceptions of women, sex, and dating. Data analysis of verbatim transripts was conducted by three female qualitative researchers. Findings suggest that young men experience confusion, frustration, and lack of trust of young women, at the same time that they experience pressure to be sexually active, perceive women as potential status enhancers and objects, and fear contracting sexually transmitted diseases and impregnating young women. Reported readiness for intimate relationships varied within the …

The Effect Of Higher Education On Attitudes And Values: Gender And The Academic Environment, Gayle Robbins

Theses and Dissertations

The effects of exposure to a post-secondary educational environment on attitudes and values was assessed utilizing a cross-sectional research design. Four hundred sixty-two participants completed the Schwartz Value Survey and a social distance scale. Of these, 56 were first and second year undergraduates, 57 were third and fourth year undergraduates, 85 were masters level graduate students, 77 were doctoral level graduate students, 96 were non-tenured faculty and 91 were tenured faculty. It was hypothesized that students and entry level faculty would undergo a socialization processes which would include changes in attitudes and values consistent with established tenured faculty. Oneway ANOVAs …

Aspects Of American Bittern Ecology In Northwest Minnesota, David Anthony Azure

Theses and Dissertations

American bittern breeding populations have been declining for at least 3 decades. Lack of information on life history traits precludes the conclusive determination of causal factors. The objectives of this study, conducted in northwest Minnesota, were to 1) estimate summer home-range size of American bitterns, 2) document local movements and habitat use by American bitterns, and 3) refine capture and marking techniques. Results of this study should facilitate further research and may be useful to wildlife managers for implementing management practices to benefit bitterns.

Radio-marked American bitterns were systematically relocated from May through August, 1996-97. Seasonal core-areas and low-use areas …

Volume 35, Number 34: April 24, 1998, University Of North Dakota

University Letter Archive

No abstract provided.

Temperature-Dependent Sex Determination: Factors Affecting Sex Allocation In A Northern Population Of Snapping Turtles., Lonnie Lee Baumgardt

Theses and Dissertations

Sex in the snapping turtle (Chelydra serpentina) is fated by egg temperature during incubation by a process called temperature-dependent sex determination (TSD). Natural nests of C. serpentina were manipulated to determine if different clutches incubated together under lab and field conditions would result in equivalent sex ratios among clutches. The plasticity in sex ratio among clutches from both treatments suggests that not only does heritability of sex expression operate in the lab for this TSD population, but also under field conditions where nest temperatures and moisture conditions fluctuate throughout the nesting season. This implies this population of C. serpentina may …

Use Of Cultivated Wild Rice Paddies And Associated Habitats By Migrating And Breeding Waterfowl In Northwest Minnesota., Jay Thor Huseby

Theses and Dissertations

A primary concern for wildlife managers is continued loss and modification of natural habitats and the resulting impacts on natural populations. If habitat alteration continues, more wildlife species will be using affected landscapes, and it will be increasingly important to understand wildlife biology in manipulated environments. I studied use of cultivated wild rice (Zizania palustris) paddies and associated habitats by waterfowl in northwest Minnesota (1993-1995) to evaluate their potential as migration, nesting, and brood-rearing habitat.I censused migrants using paddies during spring and fall and quantified availability of waterfowl food items collected from samples of paddy substrate. Eighteen species and 22.49 …

Volume 35, Number 32: April 17, 1998, University Of North Dakota

University Letter Archive

No abstract provided.