Digital Commons Network^™

Vulnerability When Fecundity Fails: Infertility And Assisted Reproductive Technologies In The Bridge, Melissa Gjellstad

Languages & Global Studies Faculty Publications

Assisted reproductive technologies (ART) transformed the treatment of infertility in the Scandinavian welfare state. In the course of a forty-year history, Denmark has become an international leader in the proportion of babies born via ART. The third season of the Danish/Swedish television serial The Bridge (2015) includes a subplot of infertility and state responsiveness to the involuntarily childless, fertile donors and donor-conceived children. This chapter outlines milestones in medically assisted reproduction in Denmark and Sweden, including current policy differences around surrogacy, and considers those states and the consequences for their citizens in a literary vulnerability analysis of The Bridge informed …

Forecast Of Streamflows To The Arctic Ocean By A Bayesian Neural Network Model With Snowcover And Climate Inputs, Kabir Rasouli, Bouchra R. Nasri, Armina Soleymani, Taufique H. Mahmood, Masahiro Hori, Ali Torabi Haghighi

Geology and Geological Engineering Faculty Publications

Increasing water flowing into the Arctic Ocean affects oceanic freshwater balance, which may lead to the thermohaline circulation collapse and unpredictable climatic conditions if freshwater inputs continue to increase. Despite the crucial role of ocean inflow in the climate system, less is known about its predictability, variability, and connectivity to cryospheric and climatic patterns on different time scales. In this study, multi-scale variation modes were decomposed from observed daily and monthly snowcover and river flows to improve the predictability of Arctic Ocean inflows from the Mackenzie River Basin in Canada. Two multi-linear regression and Bayesian neural network models were used …

Comparison Of Anterior Cruciate Ligament Graft Materials And Risk Of Rupture/Reinjury In Young Athletes, Matt Hockert

Physician Assistant Scholarly Project Posters

The anterior cruciate ligament tear is a standard surgical injury seen with young athletes competing at elite, amateur, and recreational capacities. The purpose of this literature review is to determine the rehabilitation guidelines and risks associated with anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction, as well as determining the role of rehabilitation in graft rupture. This literature review also serves to determine if graft choice for surgical repair plays a role in an increased risk of rupture or reinjury. This literature review used various online databases, including Dynamed, Cochran, and PubMed, with the utilization of MeSH terms listed below in “keywords” in order …

Methamphetamine: Potential Risk Factor For Neurodegenerative Conditions, Katelyn Sarlette

Physician Assistant Scholarly Project Posters

Methamphetamine use is a relevant problems in many communities. While it has many adverse health effects, it may also contribute to the development of the neurodegenerative conditions such as amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), multiple sclerosis (MS), and Parkinson’s disease (PD).

• A literature review was conducted using PubMed, EMBASE, Clinical Key, and DynaMed. Literature found included high quality systematic reviews, randomized controlled trials, and meta-analysis.

• Literature supports that METH use has several major neurotoxic effects resulting in physical and cognitive deficits. There is minimal available evidence evaluating METH use as a risk factor for ALS although, they do share …

Fostering Needs First: An Otr’S Guide To Evaluation For Individuals Transitioning Out Of Foster Care, Paige Melby, Meagan Flom

Occupational Therapy Capstones

Title: Fostering Needs First: An OTRs guide to evaluation

Background: Individuals transitioning out of foster care (ITF) are experiencing occupational, personal, and environmental barriers, affecting their ability to maintain independent living. Specific barriers to independence experienced by this population include high rates of homelessness, increased rates of poverty, and increased mental health disruptions (Gomez, Ryan, Norton, Jones, & Galan-Cisneros 2015; Lee & Morgan, 2017; O’Neal, 2015).

Purpose: The purpose of this product is to establish the role for occupational therapy in the foster care system, specifically in the transition out of services and into independent living. This product aims …

Creating Inclusive And Culturally Competent Healthcare For The Lgbtq+ Community: A Curriculum, Caelin Hansen, Jordyn Himley

Occupational Therapy Capstones

The lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, etc. (LGBTQ+) population is growing in America and in recent years has shown an increase in equal rights and societal acceptance (Newport, 2018). However, despite the positive changes that have been made, the LGBTQ population is still underserved in healthcare and faces health disparities (Dean, Victor, & Grimes, 2016; Institute of Medicine, 2011). This may be due to the fact that medical professionals receive little to no education regarding LGBTQ care, which can result in misconceptions, discomfort, and use of microaggressions towards the population. (Beagan, Chiasson, Fiske, Forseth, Hosein, Myers, & Stang, 2013; Utamsingh, …

A Holistic And Proactive Approach For Preparing Occupational Therapy Practitioners To Combat Compassion Fatigue, Olivia Kack, Mimi Yunker

Occupational Therapy Capstones

Purpose

Occupational therapy is a unique profession working with individuals across the lifespan to overcome adversity and increase overall quality of life. Of the many settings where occupational therapists can work, 93% work in direct-patient care (AOTA, "Work Setting Trends for Occupational Therapy: How to Choose a Setting"). These settings are high demand in nature and require large quantities of time, energy, empathy, and compassion. Continuous use of empathy and compassion daily creates a risk for developing compassion fatigue among healthcare providers. Unfortunately, there currently appears to be a disjunction in occupational therapy literature related to compassion fatigue in occupational …

Predictive Ecology: Simulating Long-Term Changes In Forest Populations Responding To Various Reintroduction Methods Of The Bc3f3 American-Chinese Chestnut Tree., Shelby Dawn Young

Theses and Dissertations

Vida is an explicit biometric simulator tool used to predict multiple aspects of plant populations and community dynamics. Vida is a growth model combined with a reiterative algorithm. The software is written in Python and uses species-specific growth data to model virtual forest ensembles based on each species’ growth parameters. Biometric modeling tools like Vida are reliable because they are based on mathematically observed biological truths, of which scientists can use to enhance the predictive power of ecological approaches in different areas. These simulation outputs can be used to demonstrate the ways a forest grows over time. The user can …

Effects Of Choice Orientation And Consensual Non-Monogamy On Relationship Quality, Meara Thombre

Theses and Dissertations

Consensual non-monogamy (CNM) is a style of sexual or romantic relationship that consensually includes more than two people. Despite a notable prevalence of CNM relationships in the United States, there is relatively little research on this population. While previous research generally finds similar levels of relationship quality to that of monogamist relationships, those in CNM relationships experience notable stigma and are an understudied population. The current study used the Maximization Paradox (Dar-Nimrod, Rawn, Lehman, & Schwartz, 2009) to investigate whether individual differences in choice orientation might impact relationship quality differently in CNM and monogamist relationships. Specifically, it investigated whether maximizers, …

Home Range And Habitat Selection Of Gray Wolves (Canis Lupus) On Red Lake Indian Reservation And Surrounding Areas, June Levin

Theses and Dissertations

Every animal requires space where they can perform activities to survive and reproduce. For land animals, components of space use include area and habitat. Because most land animals are living on a human dominated landscape, understanding home range area and habitat needs is critical to their conservation. This is particularly relevant for threatened or endangered species such as the gray wolf (Canis lupus). The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources estimates home ranges and habitat use of wolves in northwestern Minnesota; however, a subset of this population lives within the bounds of Red Lake Indian Reservation, where The Red Lake Band …

Redirected Mindset: A Guide To A More Holistic Practice In Physical Rehabilitation, Sara Anderson, Ashley Malina

Occupational Therapy Capstones

Problem: Current practice is that the occupational therapists’ identity has become rooted in the practice setting they are working in versus the core values and beliefs of the profession. Despite the core values and beliefs of the profession, occupational therapists have pigeon-holed themselves as physical or mental health practitioners (Terry & Westcott, 2012). This results in restricted assessments and interventions that are not holistic and often not occupation based (Terry & Westcott, 2012). “Occupational therapy practitioners need to have an understanding of the physical, emotional, and psychosocial aspects of recovery from physical disability to address potential obstacles to their patient’s …

Finding Your Fire A Group Therapy Manual Designed For Women Who Experience Ptsd From Sexual Violence, Brittanie Schafer

Occupational Therapy Capstones

Purpose: Studies have shown that sexual violence affects approximately 17.7 million women annually (RAINN, 2019). Many of these women lead busy lives, often balancing the roles set upon them by jobs and families. With this in mind, many women believe that they do not have the time to attend therapy or that their other roles in their lives are more important. Some women still do not have the confidence to go to therapy out of the fear of reliving the trauma, experiencing embarrassment, and/or coping with low self-esteem (Keefe, Wiltsey Stirman, Cohen, DeRubeis, Smith, & Resick, 2018). Occupational therapists have …

Comparing Romosozumab And Alendronate In The Treatment Of Osteoporosis In Postmenopausal Women, Taylor Johnshoy

Physician Assistant Scholarly Project Posters

The purpose of this literature review is to determine if there is a statistical difference in the safety and efficacy between romosozumab, the prototypical drug in the new drug class sclerostin inhibitors, versus alendronate, the prototypical bisphosphonate, in the treatment of postmenopausal osteoporosis. A comprehensive literature review was performed searching PubMed, EMBASE, and Access Medicine from the last five years. Works chosen for review were limited to articles published in English, full-text articles, clinical trials, randomized control trials, systematic reviews, and meta-analyses. Items were excluded after reviewing abstracts due to material not directly comparing the treatment modalities. The research presented …

Comparative Scoping Study Report For The Extraction Of Microalgae Oils From Two Subspecies Of Chlorella Vulgaris, Jasmine Kreft, Eric Moe, Nicholas Garcia, Andrew Ross, Wayne Seames

Chemistry Faculty Publications

The production of microalgae as a fatty acid oil resource for use in biofuels production is a widespread research topic at the lab scale. Microalgae contain a higher lipid content on a dry-weight basis compared to oilseeds such as soybeans. Additionally, the growth and cultivation cycle of microalgae is 15 days, in comparison to soybeans, for which the cycle occurs once or twice annually. However, to date, it has been uneconomical to produce microalgae oils in a world-scale facility due to limitations in cultivating microalgae at commercial scales. Recent developments suggest that the use of heterotrophic microalgae may be economically …

Treatment Of Bakken Produced Water Using Supercritical Water Desalination, Joshua Oloruntimilehin Oluwayomi

Theses and Dissertations

Recent advances in horizontal drilling and hydraulic fracturing have significantly increased freshwater usage. Oil and gas wells in the United States tend to generate over 23 billion barrels of produced water per year of which about 32 million b/day are high total dissolved solids (TDS > 200,000 mg/L) while the world is gradually running short of fresh water. Environmental concerns associated with water usage and concentrated wastewater disposal have led to the growing consideration to treat and recycle brine for reusable purposes like crop irrigation, livestock watering and hydraulic fracturing.

In this study, an emerging and promising technology called supercritical water …

Land Management And Plant Species Pattern Effects On Grassland Pollinator Services, Leslie Blaine Yellow Hammer

Theses and Dissertations

Invertebrate pollinator populations are widely recognized as declining because of anthropogenic activities that include changes in the amount and quality of available habitat, competition with introduced species, increased agricultural chemical use, and climate change. Because habitat and resource availability affect pollinator populations, land management may affect pollinator presence. My first aim was to determine if pollinator communities and habitat characteristics (available bare ground and floral resources) differed between grazed and idle grasslands within the Grand Forks County Grasslands of northeastern North Dakota, USA. Although available bare ground and plant species richness differed between grassland types, floral resources and pollinator communities …

Evaluating Mixed-Mode Survey Designs For Collecting Deer And Fall Turkey Hunter Harvest Data In North Dakota, Ethan James Kalinowski

Theses and Dissertations

Achieving state wildlife agency biological goals for deer (Odocoileus spp.) and turkey (Meleagris gallopavo) rely on high quality data collection via hunter harvest surveys. Concomitantly, better information is needed to optimize best survey methods. From 2017 to 2019, we surveyed North Dakota, USA, deer and fall turkey hunters using a self-administered mail control survey and 3 mixed-mode internet/mail surveys to gain a better understanding of alternative survey designs that may be used to estimate harvest of game populations and inform future management efforts. Our first objective was to measure response rates across various segments of deer and fall turkey hunters …

Interferon-Γ Medaites Lung Damage Through The Hyper-Activation Of Ccr2+ Inflammatory Monocytes During Influenza Virus Infection, Mitchell Anthony Klomp

Theses and Dissertations

Influenza viruses (IV) have caused untold morbidity and mortality throughout the previous centuries. These viruses have caused several pandemics that have witnessed the loss of millions of lives. Today, IVs continue to circulate annually, and the efficacy of influenza virus vaccines are limited. As IV pandemics in 1918, 1957, and 2009 have shown the world, the push for a universal influenza vaccine has never been more relevant. While much research has been devoted to understanding the virology around IVs, the immunopathology of the host-pathogen axis has been less studied. Recently, there has been much attention on the role of the …

Molecular Simulation Study Of Enhanced Oil Recovery Methods In Tight Formation, Chuncheng Li

Theses and Dissertations

The Middle Bakken Formation of the Williston Basin is a typical tight formation with the predicted primary oil recovery of less than 10%, which results in large amounts of oil remaining in the reservoir. Therefore, an effective enhanced oil recovery (EOR) method for recovering the residual oil is crucially important. To obtain the microscopic EOR mechanisms, molecular simulation methods including Monte Carlo (MC) simulations and molecular dynamics (MD) simulations were applied to study the various EOR methods, such as CO2 injection, hydrocarbon gas injection, and nanofluid flooding. A series of molecular models, including bulk systems, interfacial systems, and nanoconfined systems, …

Critical Contingency Eva’S For 3d-Printed Planetary Habitats, James Robert Stoffel

Theses and Dissertations

This novel pilot study evaluates the potential associated tools, methods, and concept of operations required for a Critical Contingency Extravehicular Activity (CCE) repair of a 3D-printed in-situ resource utilization (ISRU) Lunar and Martian habitat. With NASA’s current 2020 Technology Roadmap and Taxonomy for TX06: Human Health, Life Support, and Habitation Systems (e.g. Extravehicular Activities, Habitation, Human Factors), TX07: Exploration Destination Systems (e.g. ISRU, Maintenance, Repair, Operations, Safety), TX12: Materials, Structures, Mechanical Systems, and Manufacturing, and the Centennial 3D-Printed Habitat Challenge, this research will provide an initial evaluation of standard repair methods on the system’s functional abilities, environmental, and human factors …

Asexual Experiences Of Microaggressions Scale: Instrument Development And Evaluation, Evelyn Estela Ayala

Theses and Dissertations

The present paper explores the experience of microaggressions among asexuals and relevant literature. There is a dearth of research on asexuality, particularly as it relates to the experience of microaggressions. However, research suggests that microaggressions have a cumulative impact on both physical and emotional well-being as reported by all minority groups that face microaggressions (Lewis, 2009, Mayer, 2010). The development of a scale that measures the experience of microaggressions would allow for this area of research to be further studied. The paper utilized DeVellis’s (2017) method for scale development to develop a psychometrically sound scale assessing the experience of microaggressions …

An Exploration Of Indigenous Spiritual Microaggressions, Cerynn Dawn Desjarlais

Theses and Dissertations

This descriptive exploratory research is amongst the first to investigate Spiritual Microaggressions experienced by Indigenous Peoples across North America. Microaggressions can further be conceptualized and categorized as microassaults, microinsults, and microinvalidations. Participants who self-identify as Indigenous individuals ages 18 and over, from North America, who work in or are educated in the mental health field engaged in 60-90-minute interviews to explore the spiritual microaggressions incurred upon them. A total of 8 participants who identify as mental health professionals and graduate students in the mental health field were interviewed as an intensity sample. Participants discussed the implications of Indigenous Spiritual Microaggressions …

At-Home Childcare Providers’ Perceptions Of Gardening With Children, Erin Lauckner

Theses and Dissertations

Children do not consume recommended amounts of fruits and vegetables, which has been correlated with negative health consequences. Gardening with children has been shown to positively impact children’s consumption of these foods. While research investigating gardening with children exists, much of this has been conducted with teachers and children in schools, and limited research has been conducted with childcare providers and preschool-aged children. Little research has been conducted about this topic with in-home childcare providers and the children under their care. This pilot study utilized a cross-sectional mixed methods research design through an online survey instrument. A convenience sample of …

Electron Beam Irradiation As A Potential Lipid Decontamination Technique For Life Detection Instruments, Denise Kathleen Buckner

Theses and Dissertations

In the search for extraterrestrial life, identification of molecular biosignatures is a key technique. Lipids are important molecular biosignatures: they are ubiquitous to terrestrial life, survive for billions of years in the geologic record, can form biotically and abiotically (bearing molecular features indicating biogenicity), and are detected throughout the Solar System. Lipid-based life detection instruments require stringent contamination control to prevent false positives, but traditional decontamination techniques are unlikely to sufficiently remove lipid contamination without compromising instrument materials. This thesis investigates Electron Beam Irradiation (EBI) as a potential decontamination technique; five representative lipid standards, including palmitic acid, oleic acid, heneicosane, …

Characterizing Palmitoylation On The Sodium Hydrogen Exchanger Isoform 1 (Nhe1), Moriah Hovde

Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation focuses on the role of palmitoylation in regulating the sodium hydrogen exchanger isoform 1 (NHE1) and associated cellular functions as well as how various phosphorylation pathways alter NHE1 palmitoylation. Palmitoylation is the only known reversible lipid modification, allowing for the dynamic regulation of palmitoylated proteins not found with other lipid modifications. NHE1 regulates intracellular pH (pHi) by exchanging an extracellular sodium for an intracellular hydrogen. Additionally, NHE1 is involved in regulating cell volume, cytoskeletal organization, protein anchoring, cell migration, and cell proliferation. NHE1 is highly regulated by protein interactions and modifications including phosphorylation. To begin, the first study …

Molecular Mechanisms Of Transcriptional Responses In Stress-Induced Human Cells, Sayantani Ghosh Dastidar

Theses and Dissertations

Precise regulation of gene expression is essential for maintaining cell homeostasis and survival. Rapid responses to intracellular or extracellular stimuli involve highly regulated genome-wide changes in the transcriptional landscape. However, works on transcriptional regulation thus far has been primarily focused on genes and gene promoters. Consequently, ubiquitous transcription outside of genes has been greatly neglected. Therefore, in order to understand genome-wide transcriptional changes with stimuli, we looked at transcription factor distribution, RNA Polymerase II (Pol II) dynamics, histone changes, chromatin accessibility at both promoters and promoter-distal regions along with changes in gene transcription. With this approach, we were able to …

Automated Fractional Snow Cover Monitoring From Near-Surface Remote Sensing In Grassland, Anai Caparo Bellido

Theses and Dissertations

Snow cover is an important variable in both climatological and hydrological studies because of its relationship to environmental energy and mass flux. However, variability in snow cover can confound satellite-based efforts to monitor vegetation phenology.

This research explores the utility of the PhenoCam network cameras to estimate Fractional Snow Cover (FSC) in grassland. The goal is to operationalize FSC estimates from PhenoCams to inform and improve satellite-based determination of phenological metrics.

The study site is the Oakville Prairie Biological Field Station, located near Grand Forks, North Dakota. I developed a mostly semi-automated process to estimate FSC from PhenoCam images through …

Physical Activity And Depression In Mothers Of A Child With A Special Health Care Need: Informing Future Interventions, Brianna Jean Black

Theses and Dissertations

In the United States, approximately 20 percent of all children have a special health care need. Additionally, mothers of a child with a special health care need have worse overall well-being, mental and physical health compared to mothers of typically developing children. Physical activity may improve depressive symptoms and overall health in these mothers; however, little is known about the acceptability of physical activity interventions for mothers of a child with a special health care need. Therefore, the primary aim of this study was to understand more about mother’s desire to use physical activity to improve depressive symptoms after having …

A Study Of The Feasibility Of Growth, Extraction, And Industrial Scale Up Processing Of Microalgae Lipids., Jasmine Oleksik

Theses and Dissertations

The interest in microalgae as a plausible alternative to crop oils as a raw material in the form of triglycerides and free fatty acids (FA oils) for renewable fuels and chemicals is increasing and it is a widespread research topic at the lab scale. Microalgae contain a higher lipid content on a dry weight basis compared to oilseeds such as soybeans. Additionally, the growth and cultivation cycle of microalgae is 15 days, in comparison to soybeans where the cycle occurs once or twice annually. Despite these advantages, to date it has been uneconomical to produce microalgae oils in a world-scale …

Bio-Regenerative Life Support Systems Functional Stability And Limitations, A Theoretical Modeling Approach, Curt I. Holmer

Theses and Dissertations

Experiments with Ecological Closed Life Support Systems (ECLSS) for moderate sized crews have shown instability when supporting crews over long periods of time required for deep space travel. Tests such as Russia’s BIOS series, NASA’s Lunar-Mars Life Support Test Project (LMLSTP), ESA’s Micro-Ecological Life Support System Alternative (MELiSSA), and Japan’s Closed Ecology Experiment Facilities (CEEF) have shown that microalgae and higher plants combined with physical-chemical material converters can be a successful part of a Biological Life Support System or a Closed Ecological Life Support System. LMLSTP, MELiSSA, and CEBAS experiments as well as commercial Ecosphere products have proven stability at …