Digital Commons Network^™

Landscape Ecology Influence On Population Dynamics And Gene Flow: A Muskrat’S Tale, Ayla A. Morehouse

Theses and Dissertations

Understanding movement patterns across a landscape is an essential tool for wildlife managers to understand and predict population dynamics, interactions, and susceptibility to disease and environmental changes. Part of this is due to population spatial synchrony being driven by three primary factors: dispersal, the “Moran Effect”, and trophic interactions. We seek to understand if dispersal may play a larger role in population synchrony and, if so, what landscape features may hinder the movement of muskrats (Ondatra zibethicus), a small semiaquatic mammal that relies on ditches and shallow wetlands for habitat and local movement. In this study we genotyped eleven microsatellite …

Genetic Breed Association And Contraceptive Response Gwas Of The Feral Horses (Equus Caballus) Of Theodore Roosevelt National Park, Melissa Amy Thompson

Theses and Dissertations

Theodore Roosevelt National Park (TRNP) is home to a herd of feral horses (Equus caballus) which were present on the landscape prior to the establishment of the park and are now maintained as a living history demonstration herd. I used genomic analyses to investigate the TRNP horses’ relatedness to other breeds and the genetic basis for variation in response to a contraceptive vaccine. DNA from 118 horses was genotyped for 70k SNPs spread evenly across the genome. To clarify the relationship of this herd with other horses, I used population genomic analyses to compare the TRNP genotypes to a dataset …

Associations Between Handgrip Strength Asymmetry And Health Related Quality Of Life Among Canadian Adults: An Analysis Of The Canadian Health Measures Survey, Jessica Lembke

Theses and Dissertations

Background: Health related quality of life (HRQOL), a measure of perceived quality of health is significantly related to current and future health. Handgrip strength (HGS) asymmetry is an aspect of muscle function that can be measured using handheld dynamometry. While several studies have examined relationships between HGS asymmetry and HRQOL, few have used nationally-representative data, and none have used Canadian data. The aim of this study, therefore, was to examine the association between HGS asymmetry and HRQOL in a nationally-representative sample of Canadian adults.

Methods: A secondary analysis of cross-sectional data from cycles 5 and 6 (2016–17 and 2018–19) of …

Systems Modeling As A Means Of Building Accuate Mental Models Of Physiology Core Concepts In Undergraduate And Graduate Health Sciences Students, Michelle Murphy

Theses and Dissertations

Accurate medical and health sciences problem solving relies upon a solid foundation of basic sciences content knowledge, primarily physiology. Yet, due to its nature as a dynamic system of interconnected, networked, concepts, physiology is often difficult for students to master. The three studies in this dissertation explore the use of a cognitive tool, systems modeling, to facilitate the development of an accurate mental model of physiology content knowledge in undergraduate and graduate physiology students. In the first study, undergraduate physiology student participation within online asynchronous peer group systems modeling activities was associated with progressive improvement on multiple choice question answer …

Examining Cultural Identification And Substance Use Among American Indian And Caucasian Adults, Lynn Ruth Martell

Theses and Dissertations

Previous research suggests American Indians (AIs) demonstrate higher levels of substance use and related consequences. AIs have experienced historical trauma through colonization which has created shifts in the way AIs conceptualize their identity. However, the literature on cultural identification as an influencing factor of substance use among AIs is inconsistent. The current study examined alcohol and drug use/related consequences, collective self-esteem, and cultural identification among 213 AI (n = 44) and Caucasian (CA; n = 169) adults via online surveys. Results indicated higher scores on the American Indian Cultural Identification (AICI) scale was a predictor for increased alcohol and drug …

Development Of Biomass-Derived Nanoparticles For Biological And Medical Applications, Sarah Elizabeth Reagen

Theses and Dissertations

Quantum dots (QDs) are a subset of nanoparticles (NPs) that have several unique optical and electrical properties that make them viable for fluorescent cell labeling applications. However, these QDs in the past were composed of toxic heavy metals such as lead and cadmium, and therefore, graphene-based QDs (GQDs) have been examined as an alternative material for these cell labeling applications for their increased biocompatibility. Furthermore, GQDs can produced singlet oxygen (1O2) for photodynamic therapy (PDT), making them capable of being used as a PS agent for cancer treatment. Additionally, hollow mesoporous silica nanoparticles (hMSNs) are capable of being an alternative …

Investigating Gender Diversity, Equity, And Inclusivity And Students’ Experiences Within Collegiate Team-Based Learning Environments, Marissa Elizabeth Saad

Theses and Dissertations

As the United States works towards strengthening and diversifying the science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) workforce, many national charges aim to increase the quantity of female participants, while overlooking how systematic barriers affect the quality of female students’ education. Many STEM workforce development programs, such as the National Space Grant College and Fellowship Program, are committed to improving the nation’s diversity, equity, and inclusivity (DEI) efforts, enabling technical education through hands-on team-based learning (TBL) environments.

The purpose of this study was to take a holistic approach to assess how gender DEI in STEM team environments influence the quality of …

Retired Indigenous And Non-Indigenous College Student Athletes' Mental Health Relating To Athletic Identity, Cultural Identity, And Career Transition, Victoria Williams

Theses and Dissertations

To date, empirical studies have investigated the transition or retirement phase, following the conclusion of a student-athletes’ four-year career as a comparison between student-athletes and non-athletes. Specifically, when investigating these constructs, researchers have failed to thoroughly investigate the role cultural identity may play in mitigating psychological symptoms during the transition phase. As such, this study will seek to investigate both Indigenous and non-Indigenous retired college student- athletes, during the transition phase, in terms of the degree to which they identified with their athletic identity, cultural identity and career transition. It is expected those retired Indigenous and non-Indigenous student- athletes who …

Data Driven Approach To Saltwater Disposal (Swd) Well Location Optimization In North Dakota, Kalyanaraman Venugopal

Theses and Dissertations

The sharp increase in oil and gas production in the Williston Basin of North Dakota since 2006 has resulted in a significant increase in produced water volumes. Primary mechanism for disposal of produced water is by injection into underground Inyan Kara formation through Class-II Saltwater Disposal (SWD) wells. With number of SWD wells anticipated to increase from 900 to over 1400 by 2035, localized pressurization and other potential issues that could affect performance of future oil and SWD wells, there was a need for a reliable model to select locations of future SWD wells for optimum performance. Since it is …

Non-Binary Gender Identity Development: A Qualitative Study, Trevor Waagen

Theses and Dissertations

Gender identity development models in psychology for transgender individuals have typically combined the experiences of binary transgender and non-binary transgender people into the same group. However, differences may exist between the two communities. Therefore, the present study sought to explore the lived experiences of non-binary adults and their gender identity development process. Through the lens of grounded theory (Charmaz, 2014), semi-structured, qualitative interviews were conducted with 10 non-binary participants to collect rich data on their gender identity development process. Transcriptions were coded and reviewed to develop themes and categories. The themes included: Connection and relationships, intersectionality and culture, gender in …

Open House Notes From The Creativity, Discovery, And Innovation Workgroup During The Und Leads Development Process. The Notes Preserve Participant Feedback Related To Research, Creativity, Innovation, Collaboration, Scholarship, And Opportunities For Strengthening Und’S Future Strategic Direction., University Of North Dakota

LEADS Development Documents

Town hall notes from the Collaboration and Engagement workgroup during the UND LEADS development process. The notes preserve participant feedback related to collaboration, community engagement, partnerships, experiential learning, outreach, and UND’s role in serving communities across North Dakota and beyond.

Reclamation: Managing Water In The West; An Overview Of The Pick-Sloan Missouri Basin Program, United States Bureau Of Reclamation, Roger S. Otstot

US Government Documents Related to Indigenous Nations

This undated summary released by the Bureau of Reclamation offers a concise overview of the Pick-Sloan Missouri Basin flood control plan which was enacted when Congressed passed the Flood Control Act of 1944. This plan led to the construction of several dams in the Missouri River basin, including the Garrison Dam. The completion of the Garrison Dam displaced the majority of the Mandan, Hidatsa, and Arikara people living on the Fort Berthold Reservation. This document contains tables, graphs, maps, and a photograph.

Development Of A Piezo-Mechanical Battery, Caleb Aba-Onukaogu Aba-Onukaogu

Theses and Dissertations

The piezo-mechanical battery is designed to store energy in a flat spiral spring and harvest the kinetic energy of the unwinding spring using piezoelectric unimorph cantilever beams. The system, initially proposed on a micro scale, was designed to function on a macro scale. The power spring of the system was designed to deliver enough torque to run the system and provide enough force to the escapement mechanism to excite the cantilever beams. The gear system is designed as a compound epicyclic gear system with a gear ratio of 55:1. The cantilever beams were designed to act as springs as well …

The Discovery And Investigation Of Jig (Cg14850): A Previously Uncharacterized Novel Drosophila Melanogaster Protein, Sayem Hoque Bhuiyan

Theses and Dissertations

Despite Drosophila being one of the most studied model organisms in the world of research, one-third of 14,000 protein-encoding genes that the Drosophila genome possesses code for proteins that are yet uncharacterized. While investigating some of these uncharacterized Drosophila proteins, we identified a scarce protein type–a protein localized in both mitochondria and nucleus. Proteins, dual-localized in mitochondria and nucleus, establish communication between these organelles. This type of dual-localized protein is among the rarest of proteins, which limits us from fully understanding the mito-nuclear communication mechanism. Here, we tell the story of Jig, which we discovered to be one of those …

P&I Club Membership As Potential Incentivization For Adherence To Best Space Traffic Management Practices: A Maritime Analogue, Cristin M. Finnigan

Theses and Dissertations

It has been said that the space environment is becoming so accessible, we are at risk of depleting it as a resource, thereby risking society’s space-dependent functions. Law, regulations, policies, and guidelines exist to guide entities to act to preserve the space environment. However, best space traffic management (STM) practice implementation and regulatory compliance could be costly and resource-intensive, especially for a small business. Some entities may not undertake innovative space endeavors at all, or worse, ignore laws, regulations, policies, and guidelines. A question arises of how space actors could be persuaded to work toward meeting STM laws, regulations, policies, …

The Architecture And Dynamics Of Gene Regulatory Networks Directing Cell-Fate Choice During Murine Hematopoiesis, Joanna Handzlik

Theses and Dissertations

Mammals produce hundreds of billions of new blood cells every day througha process known as hematopoiesis. Hematopoiesis starts with stem cells that develop into all the different types of cells found in blood by changing their genome-wide gene expression. The remodeling of genome-wide gene expression can be primarily attributed to a special class of proteins called transcription factors (TFs) that can activate or repress other genes, including genes encoding TFs. TFs and their targets therefore form recurrent networks called gene regulatory networks (GRNs). GRNs are crucial during physiological developmental processes, such as hematopoiesis, while abnormalities in the regulatory interactions of …

An Examination Of The Effects Of Body Mapping Instruction On Singers’ Static Standing Posture And Posture While Singing, Amanda Moreno

Theses and Dissertations

Physical posture is one of the fundamental aspects of vocal technique, and voice pedagogues suggest that effective alignment is necessary for healthy vocal production. Body Mapping (BMG) is a somatic method that focuses on the understanding and correction of errors in a person’s body map to facilitate effective movement for musical activity. Because this method has balance, physical alignment, and posture as foundational, it may be an effective way to begin to instruct students. This study investigated whether the use of the BMG method, which teaches posture through movement, scientific pictures, and anatomical models, would result in a significant difference …

Mosquito Fauna And Prevalence Of Avian Malaria In The Turtle Mountains, North Dakota, Kelsey J. Morin

Theses and Dissertations

Avian malaria is a disease caused by intracellular parasites transmitted by mosquitoes and is detrimental to individual birds and their populations. Although it is sub-lethal in most instances, avian malaria can result in anemia, lower fertility, and reduced migration ability. The Turtle Mountains is a unique ecoregion in North Dakota and provides habitat for various bird and mosquito species that differ from other parts of the state. Previous research has defined the mosquito fauna and occurrence of avian malaria in the Red River Valley region of eastern North Dakota and Northwest Minnesota; however, no research has been conducted in the …

Behavioral Responses Of Breeding Ducks To Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Surveys And Best Practices For Breeding Waterfowl Surveys Using Unmanned Aerial Vehicles, Mason Ryckman

Theses and Dissertations

Unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) have become a popular wildlife survey tool. As such, biologists are exploring the use of UAVs for surveying waterfowl. The most cited benefit of using UAVs over traditional methods is the idea of reduced disturbance, but this has had limited formal evaluation across species. We conducted UAV surveys with associated behavioral observations of ducks on wetlands and on nests during the 2019 – 2020 breeding seasons. We found species-specific behaviors among blue-winged teal (Spatula discors), northern shoveler (Spatula clypeata), and gadwall (Mareca strepera) including ducks noticing the aircraft, but reactions were generally less than traditional ground …

Phylogenetic Relationships Of Noctuoid Moths With An Examination Of Complex Characteristics, Melissa Sisson

Theses and Dissertations

The tribe Noctuini comprise over 520 species; many are economically important species that impact human agriculture. Despite their diversity and relevance, relationships of the Noctuini have been difficult to resolve. There are extensive morphological revisions of these taxa (e.g., Agrotis, Euxoa); however, there are no studies that focus exclusively on the phylogenetic relationships of the Noctuini. Currently, the Noctuini are separated into two subtribes, the Agrotina and Noctuina, which each are further subdivided into two subgenera. In this study, we tested previous classification schemes using three loci. We sampled three outgroup taxa and 54 noctuine species that represent the majority …

A Survey Of Research Administrators To Identify Areas Of Administrative Burden In Federal Research Grant Management, Jessica Lynn Schiller

Theses and Dissertations

Many processes in higher education are complicated by administrative burden and proceduralinefficiencies. The federal government and research universities partner to advance science and technology, but the federal research grant process is criticized for its lack of efficient and streamlined procedures. Staff and faculty alike lament losing valuable time to bureaucratic regulations, cumbersome processes, and burgeoning reporting standards. As the cost of higher education is increasingly scrutinized, current procedures must be analyzed to identify areas of excessive administrative burden and redesigned to maximize efficiency. To address this issue, a Qualtrics survey was deployed to research administrators to identify areas of administrative …

Und Strategic Planning Workgroup Final Report Attachments: Collaboration And Engagement, University Of North Dakota

LEADS Development Documents

Attachments to the Collaboration and Engagement workgroup final report from the UND LEADS development process. The document preserves supporting materials connected to the workgroup’s findings, recommendations, and strategic planning input related to collaboration, partnerships, community engagement, and UND’s external relationships.

Prioritizing Gifted Pedagogy In Middle School Honors: A Delphi Study, Bailey Nafziger

Theses and Dissertations

This research explores the perceptions of gifted specialists and middle school honors teachers to determine which elements from gifted pedagogy can be used to motivate gifted adolescents in an honors classroom setting. In addition, the priorities of gifted specialists and honors classroom teachers were compared to highlight key patterns. The Delphi approach was used to facilitate three rounds of anonymous collaboration between the two expert groups. Three priorities emerged through the collaboration: 1) critical thinking, 2) acceleration, and 3) goals of the class and curriculum. While social emotional issues were priorities in initial rounds, no social emotional priorities were selected …

Effects Of Fractional Gravity On Human Gait, Elizabeth Nicole Smith

Theses and Dissertations

Only twelve humans have stepped on the Moon for a mere 80 hours. Further, noneof that Lunar exposure has been within the last 50 years. NASA’s Artemis Program recently announced that the next manned missions to the Moon will be scheduled for 2024 and 2025. With only a few years to prepare, it is pertinent that training for prospective astronauts reflects current scientific knowledge to ensure safety. In this study, the coordinative gait structures under 1.0g (Earth), as well as simulated 0.38g (Martian) and 0.17g (Lunar), were analyzed to discover critical changes in gait that may occur in these environments. …

Meta-Analysis For Comparing Effect Between Game-Based Learning Versus Gamification Utilized In Nutrition Education, Chia-Lin Chang

Theses and Dissertations

The prevalence of obesity tripled from 1975 to 2016 and was declared as a global epidemic by the World Health Organization (WHO) in 1997 (Haththotuwa et al., 2020; "Controlling the global obesity epidemic," 2022). Nutrition education that involves knowledge and behavioral change is one major component addressing the problem ("Controlling the global obesity epidemic," 2022). Therefore, the effectiveness of each learning session is essential (Sharifirad et al., 2013). Thus, many nutrition educators have used gamified nutrition education to improve teaching effectiveness to increase healthy behavior or knowledge (Chow et al., 2020.; Munguba et al., 2008; Azevedo et al., 2019). Two …

Factors Influencing Levels Of Secondary Traumatic Stress In Non-Offending Caregivers Of Children With Sexual Or Physical Abuse Histories, Ani Mangold

Theses and Dissertations

The present study examined factors influencing levels of secondary traumatic stress (STS) in non-offending caregivers (NOCs) of children with histories of sexual or physical abuse. These factors included the nature of the abuse, NOCs’ relationships with the initiators of the abuse, children’s ages and genders, NOCs’ genders, NOCs’ personal trauma histories, familial structures, and the elapsed time between children’s disclosures of abuse and their trauma assessments. As a secondary objective, the present study examined the interactions between children’s self-reports of their own posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptomatology, NOCs’ estimates of their children’s PTSD symptomatology, and NOCs’ self-reports of their own …

The Impact Of Traumatic Experiences On Women's Mental Health: The Moderating Effect Of Violent Media Consumption, Erika Meierding

Theses and Dissertations

Introduction: Prior research informs us that negative mental health outcomes are associated with childhood trauma (Chapman et al., 2004; Widom, 1999) and with exposure to violence in the media (Hopwood & Schutte, 2017). Given the prevalence of violence against women (VAW) both in the media and in society in general, it is important to understand how VAW in the media may uniquely impact the mental health of women who have previous experiences of childhood trauma. Objective: Drawing from cultivation theory and the diathesis stress model of mental health, this study examined the moderating role of exposure to VAW in the …

Genome-Wide Analysis Of Methylome In The Mouse Brain Using Long-Read Sequencing Technology, Zachary Even, He Huang, Ramkumar Mathur, Xusheng Wang

Arts & Sciences Undergraduate Showcase

DNA methylation is an epigenetic modification that transfers a methyl group onto the C-5 position of the cytosine to form 5-methylcytosine. DNA methylation regulates gene expression by recruiting proteins involved in gene repression or by inhibiting the binding of transcription factor(s) to DNA, especially in regulation of Allele Specific Expression (ASE). In this study, we used Oxford Nanopore long-read sequencing technology to profile methylome in the two inbred mouse strains, C57BL/6J (B6) and DBA/2J (D2). Compared with bisulfite conversion followed by Illumina Sequencing, long-read sequencing technology allows us to achieve much longer read length of 4,653.675 base pairs on average …

Environmental Impacts Of Contact Lens Waste, Abigail Wilhelmi

Arts & Sciences Undergraduate Showcase

Contact lenses have been used for decades to correct vision, and over 150 million people use contact lenses today. The materials used to make contact lenses have evolved drastically, but ultimately resulted in a specific plastic, silicone-derived hydrogel, which provides maximal comfort and clear vision, while also maintaining the eye health of the user. Contact lenses have enhanced the lives of many people, but a topic that is often left out of contact lens discussions is that of plastic waste. Single-use plastic and increased plastic pollution have recently been areas of concern and expanded research. Contact lenses are often forgotten …

Winter Commencement: December 16-17, 2021, University Of North Dakota

UND Commencement Programs

UND Winter Commencement program from December 16 and 17, 2021.