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Digital Image Processing And Metabolic Parameter Linearity To Noninvasively Detect Analyte Concentration, Joseph Allen Jr

Theses and Dissertations

Spectroscopy is the scientific technique of quantifying and measuring electromagnetic, or light, reflectance or absorption. Atoms emit and/or absorb light when light passes through. The excitations provide specific energy signatures that relate to the element that is emitting or absorbing the light. Non-invasive biosensors monitor physical health properties such as heart rate, oxygen saturation, and tissue blood flow as a result of spectroscopy. Several attempts have been made to non-invasively detect metabolic chemical, or analyte, concentration with various spectroscopic techniques. The primary limitation is due to signal-to-noise ratio. This research focuses on a unique method that combines emission spectroscopy and …

Method Development And Optimization For The Recovery Of Carbohydrates From A Microalga Species Of Chlorella Vulgaris By Combined Physical And Chemical Pre-Treatments, William Richard Hammann

Theses and Dissertations

A key focus of microalgae-based fuels/chemicals research and development has been on the lipids that many strains generate, but recent studies show that solely recovering these lipids may not be cost competitive with fossil-derived processes. However, if the carbohydrates can also be recovered and ultimately converted into useful chemical intermediates, this may improve the economics for microalgae-based sustainable product technologies.

In the present work, physical and chemical pre-treatments were performed on the Chlorella vulgaris microalgae strain to recover the carbohydrates from the biomass. A central composite design approach was used to optimize hydrolysis conditions including temperature, acid concentration, microalgae solid-to-liquid …

Occupational Therapy Practitioners' Knowledge And Perception Of The Value Of Environmental Adaptations For Nursing Home Residents With Neurocognitive Disorders, Hannah Fiser

Occupational Therapy Capstones

The purpose of this independent study was to evaluate occupational therapy practitioners’ perceptions of the efficacy of certain environment-based intervention types when utilized with nursing home residents who present with neurocognitive disorders. A non-experimental research design in an online survey format was utilized. An invitation to take the online survey was submitted to 56 occupational therapy (OT) practitioners working in skilled nursing facilities. The online survey was comprised of questions addressing awareness/use and perception of efficacy of environment-based intervention methods. Seventeen responses were received. The majority of respondents reported awareness and use of the 20 environment-based intervention methods. Overall, respondents …

An Occupational Therapy Referral Screening Tool For Children In Adoptive And Foster Care Placements, Alli Fox, Emily Kollodge

Occupational Therapy Capstones

The purpose of this scholarly project was to identify the needs of children in the adoption and foster care systems (AFCS) by creating a screening tool to refer them to occupational therapy services. In the United States (US), the number of adopted children has grown to 1.8 million (Vandivere, Malm, & Radel, 2009), and to 400,000 children in the foster care system at any given time (Bramlett & Radel, 2017). These children are considered an at-risk population due to their life experiences. Occupational therapists (OTs) are uniquely qualified to work with this population. Due to stress and adversity, children who …

The Use Of Dhea In The Treatment Of Depression, Bryan Tipton

Physician Assistant Scholarly Project Posters

Dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) and its sulfated ester (DHEA-S) are important pre-hormones that also have direct neurohormonal effects on the central nervous system. Over the last twenty years, data have revealed that serum DHEA peaks in a person’s mid-20s and steadily declines throughout their lifetime. In addition, women tend to have lower values than men. This is of note because lower serum values tend to be correlated with increased risk of depression, worse depressive symptoms, and increased risk of relapse into depression. A review of literature concerning DHEA’s age related values, its association with depression, and its use in the treatment of …

Role Of The Tumor Microenvironment In Pd-L1/Pd-1-Mediated Tumor Immune Escape, Xianjie Wang, Jie Wang, Xiangying Deng, Fang Xiong, Junshang Ge, Bo Xiang, Xu Wu, Jian Ma, Ming Zhou, Xiaoling Li, Yong Li, Guiyuan Li, Wei Xiong, Can Guo, Zhaoyang Zang

Chemistry Faculty Publications

Tumor immune escape is an important strategy of tumor survival. There are many mechanisms of tumor immune escape, including immunosuppression, which has become a research hotspot in recent years. The programmed death ligand-1/programmed death-1 (PD-L1/PD-1) signaling pathway is an important component of tumor immunosuppression, which can inhibit the activation of T lymphocytes and enhance the immune tolerance of tumor cells, thereby achieving tumor immune escape. Therefore, targeting the PD-L1/PD-1 pathway is an attractive strategy for cancer treatment; however, the therapeutic effectiveness of PD-L1/PD-1 remains poor. This situation requires gaining a deeper understanding of the complex and varied molecular mechanisms and …

Curators Of Place: Farmers' Narratives Of Sense Of Place And Learning, Matthew Alan Berosik

Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation brings forth the idea that our attachment to place and the meanings behind those attachments could be well suited for implementation within formal agricultural education. The focus of this dissertation brings to light multi-generational family farmer’s attachment to the places they grew up and work on, as well as prepare their children and grandchildren to take on the role of ‘curator of place’. Throughout this dissertation, I lay the groundwork for inclusion of sense of place within formalized agricultural education by highlight just what sense of place is and the missing areas within current agricultural education. For this …

Interplay Between Environmental Signals And Chromatin Remodeling During The Process Of Epithelial To Mesenchymal Transition (Emt), Atrayee Bhattacharya

Theses and Dissertations

The process of epithelial to mesenchymal transition (EMT), in which epithelial cells assume a mesenchymal cell phenotype with enhanced migratory capacity plays an integral role in development and wound healing but also contributes pathologically to fibrosis and cancer progression. This switch in cell differentiation and behavior is mediated by key transcription factors like SNAI1 (SNAIL) and SNAI2 (SLUG) in response to several signaling pathways like TGF-β and EGF. There are three key events that occur during TGF-β induced EMT, namely extracellular cues that must be transmitted to the nucleus to elicit activation of SNAI1 transcription, recruitment of transcription factors (TFs) …

Applications Of An Unmanned Aircraft Vehicle And Remote Cameras For Studying A Sub-Arctic Ecosystem, Andrew Barnas

Theses and Dissertations

The midcontinent population of lesser snow geese (Anser caerulescens caerulescens) has increased dramatically since the 1960’s due to changing agricultural practices in their southern wintering areas. The destructive foraging and continued population growth of lesser snow geese has resulted in cascading negative impacts on northern ecosystems. Studying remote sub-Arctic ecosystems is logistically challenging, but the advent of remote sensing technologies (such as drones and remote cameras) may assist ecologists in understanding snow goose ecology. Before these tools can be integrated into snow goose research programs, precursor “proof-of-concept” studies are required to validate tool use. The objectives of this study were …

Tissue Specific Gene Expression In Chelydra Serpentina, Jasmine Carly Kasanke

Theses and Dissertations

Epigenetic regulation has been studied in mammals, but research in reptiles is lacking. Knowing where specific genes are expressed is the first step to examining epigenetic regulation of tissue specific and cell-type specific gene expression. Differences in gene expression allude to differences in gene regulation and gene function and will require further study. In order to address the question of tissue specific gene expression, we review literature on embryonic development, sex determination, and specific genes that display tissue specific or cell-type specific expression patterns. Next, we review what is known about regulation of gene expression in reptiles. We then outline …

The Impact Of Historical Trauma On Alcohol Use And Academic Outcomes In American Indian College Students, Elizabeth Luger

Theses and Dissertations

Issues regarding substance use, particularly alcohol use, and academic outcomes are two factors that are vital to examine when researching the quality of life and academic success of American Indian (AI) college students. Because AI college students comprise a relatively small percentage of the general college population, the majority of research conducted using college student samples tends to focus on Caucasian (CA) subjects or all ethnicities combined – neither of which directly pertain to furthering understanding surrounding issues specific to AI college students. One factor that has been shown to predict alcohol use among AIs is historical trauma, which is …

Development Of Graphene And Polymer Based Nanomaterials For Analytical And Biological Applications, Xiao Liu

Theses and Dissertations

Graphene-based nanomaterials are novel emerging materials with their superior physical, chemical and mechanical features that have applications in a broad diversity of fields. Their excellent properties include: 1) Superior biocompatibility compared to the traditional QDs because they are free from toxic heavy metals. 2) Large surface area and easy covalent/chemical modification which makes them convenient as drug delivery carriers, in comparison with liposomes. 3) High light absorption in the near infrared (NIR) region. Compared to metal nanoparticles, which gives them better photothermal properties. 4) Strong quenching efficiency; graphene-based nanomaterials were able to quench various fluorophores through fluorescence resonance energy transfer …

Evolutionary Ecology Of Ribosomal Rna Copy Number: Studies In Soil Prokaryote And Nematode Communities, Mark R. Williamson

Theses and Dissertations

Enrichment of ecosystems with excess nutrients often results in microbial communities with an overabundance of just one or a few species, such as algae in eutrophic waters, or micro- invertebrates in organically amended soils. To explain this, the Growth Rate Hypothesis postulates that rapid growth rates are constrained by cellular ribosome concentrations and that nitrogen and phosphorous act as limiting nutrients. However, the genetic mechanism to the Growth Rate Hypothesis has not been clearly identified. The objective of this work is to test the hypothesis that rRNA copy number variance is the causative genetic mechanism of the Growth Rate Hypothesis …

Effects Of Locomotion Methods Under Simulated Reduced Gravity Conditions On Muscles And Joints Of The Leg, Sophie Orr

Theses and Dissertations

Past research efforts have focused on the energy difference between altered locomotion methods in fractional gravity at different speeds, suggesting that skipping is energetically more efficient than walking and running in these environments. While skipping may be more beneficial from an energy standpoint, the full range of reasons behind the gait transition and locomotion selection have not been researched. This includes damage to the muscles of the leg, which is partially prevented by a transition from walking to running. In a space environment, these factors will play a role in astronaut health and injury prevention. For this study, participants walked, …

On Satyrs: Brutes, Monsters, And Demons: Of Their Nature And Worship: François Hédelin's Des Satyres As A Defense Of God And Humankind, Danielle Skjelver

Theses and Dissertations

Best known for his 1657 La Pratique du Theatre, François Hédelin was a cleric with a keen interest in the stage. As the abbé d’Aubignac, he wrangled in debate with the most respected scholars of his day, and Hédelin’s contacts extended to the crown itself. His Des Satyres, brutes, monstres et démons is an attempt to do with a species what he did with the stage - to bring disorder and immorality to heel.

This dissertation provides historical context, analysis, and translation of François Hédelin’s 1627 Des Satyres, brutes, monstres et démons. De leur nature et adoration Contre l'opinion de …

Paleoecology Of Northern Great Plains Bison: Inferences From Stable Isotopes And Dental Calculus, Gaimi Lynn Davies

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study is to infer Northern Great Plains bison (Bison bison) paleoecology through the analysis of stable isotopes and dental calculus from bison skeletal remains. Bison used to roam in the millions throughout most of North America but today they are primarily kept in confined and isolated populations. Little is known about their ancestral ecology. The abundance of bison in the archeological record provides a unique opportunity to study their remains on a broad temporal and spatial scale. This research uses the archeological record of bison in North Dakota to study bison diet and environment from the …

An Examination On The Progression Of Students Assigned To Developmental Or College Level Math At A Tribal Community College, Rhonda Blanche Gustafson

Theses and Dissertations

It has been agreed that postsecondary credentials are critical in contributing to the economic and global demand that the U.S. produces well-educated and credentialed citizens in or to ensure that the country remains economically competitive in the world. The problem is when admitted and after being assessed, older students and far too many graduating high school students are arriving underprepared for college-level work, and college readiness can often be the greatest obstacle to students’ success, in particular mathematics. With high dropout or stop-out rates in conjunction with low retention and graduation rates, American Indian student success is threatened.

Various explanations …

Characterization Of Dopamine Transporter Amino Terminal Palmitoylation And Neurotoxic Substrate Activity, Daniel Jacob Stanislowski

Theses and Dissertations

The projects described in this dissertation revolve around the functional consequences experienced by the transport protein for the neurotransmitter dopamine resulting from alterations to its palmitoylation condition or exposure to Parkinson disease-inducing transport substrates. This membrane-resident transport protein, pragmatically termed the dopamine transporter, relocates dopamine from extracellular areas of receptor sites of action to intracellular sequestration; the dopamine transporter is a powerful mediator of dopamine signaling. As such, genetic, toxicant, or chronic breakdown of dopamine transporter function is associated with multiple psychological abnormalities. Biomedical research has produced several pharmacotherapies for maladies like depression, attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder, and addiction, some of …

Manganese Catalysis In The Activation Of Si-H And B-H Bonds And Synthesis Of Degradable Poly(Silylether)S From Renewable Resources, Srikanth Vijjamarri

Theses and Dissertations

In recent years, significant efforts have been made regarding the development and synthesis of degradable and thermally stable polymers from renewable feedstock due to the sustainability concerns caused by petroleum-based chemicals and materials. The present dissertation describes the synthesis, structural studies, degradation, and thermal stabilities of various poly(silylether)s prepared from biomass-based chemicals.

An air-stable manganese salen nitrido complex [MnVN(salen-3,5-tBu2)] (Mn-1) was found to be an effective catalyst for the synthesis of poly(silylether)s via dehydrogenative coupling and hydrosilylation reactions. The catalytic activity of the manganese catalyst was initially examined in the protection of hydroxyl and carboxylic groups of alcohols and carboxylic …

Preparing Doctoral Students For The Professoriate Through A Formal Preparatory Course, Mohammed Saleh Alkathiri, Myrna R. Olson

Teaching, Leadership & Professional Practice Faculty Publications

Aim/Purpose: This study aimed to investigate doctoral student preparation for the professoriate through a formal course entitled “The Professoriate.”

Background: Many studies addressed the need for improved graduate preparation, however, the study of doctoral student experiences in preparation courses, designed as part of the doctoral academic programs, has received less attention.

Methodology: Eleven doctoral students (one withdrew from the study) were enrolled in a formal course that was designed to prepare them for the professoriate. The study was conducted using an ethnographic case study approach with multiple data collection methods that included observation, interviews, member checking, and examination of related …

The Impact Of Flipped Learning On Student Academic Performance And Perceptions, Mark J. Dusenbury, Myrna R. Olson

Teaching & Learning Faculty Publications

The purpose of this study was to explore if flipped learning has an impact on aviation students perceptions and academic performance in a human factors course. A total of 81 students from a large Midwestern university participated. The Course Evaluation Survey (CES) was used to measure student perceptions, while course exams were used to measure academic performance. To analyze the data, the researchers use paired sample t-tests, independent sample t-tests, and a MANCOVA. Findings show students in the flipped classroom did not perform better than the lecture classroom. In addition, students in the lecture group had significantly higher overall course …

Presence And Characterization Of Microplastics In Drinking (Tap/Bottled) Water And Soft Drinks, Mansurat Golden Abdulmalik Ali

Theses and Dissertations

This study investigates the presence of microplastics in human consumable products using 33 samples; Fifteen tap water samples, nine bottled water and nine soft drink samples, collected and purchased in Grand Forks, ND.

Tap water analysis confirm all samples contain microplastics, majority of which were fibres and fragments with 48.6% and 41.8% abundance. The average concentration was 182 mpp/L (range 66 mpp/L – 472 mpp/L) with 2.5 µm – 3 mm size range. Bottled water and soft drinks were also contaminated with microplastics with an average of 101 mpp/L (range 49 mpp/L – 166 mpp/L) and particle size ranging from …

Review Of Sex Determination In Fish And Reptiles And Estimation Of Sex Ratio Heritability In The Common Snapping Turtle, Kyle Hilliard

Theses and Dissertations

Sex-determining mechanisms in fish and reptiles are incredibly diverse. We first review sex-determination in these groups, including approaches that can be used to identify sex-determining genes and the large body of research showing genetic variation for sex ratio in species with temperature-dependent sex determination (TSD). We then show that sex ratio variation among clutches is due to additive genetic effects in one TSD species, the common snapping turtle. This finding contradicts previous claims that non-genetic maternal factors such as yolk steroid hormones are driving sex determination in this species. Heritable variation for sex determination in the snapping turtle may allow …

A Systematic Analysis Of Temporal Trends In The Sit-Ups Performance Of 9,939,289 Children And Adolescents Between 1964 And 2017 Representing 31 Countries, Tori Kaster

Theses and Dissertations

Objective: To estimate national and international temporal trends in the sit-ups

performance of children and adolescents, and to examine relationships between trends in sit-ups performance and trends in health-related and sociodemographic indicators. Methods: Data were obtained in three ways: (a) through a systematic electronic database search of studies reporting on temporal trends in the handgrip strength of apparently healthy 9–17 year-olds, (b) by pearling reference lists, topical systematic reviews and personal libraries, and (c) by examining large country-level fitness datasets suitable to temporal trends analysis. Sample-weighted temporal trends (expressed as percent and standardized trends) were estimated at the country-sex-age level …

The Influence Of Media Bias Perception On Space Publications, Benjamin Robert Raback-Schink

Theses and Dissertations

In an ideal world, scientific research and news would be published and reported through non-bias outlets and readers would view those sources favorably. However, that is an unrealistic expectation of our current society in which many believe that any publication will contain some bias. This thesis aimed to discover three factors on the topic. One was to see whether members of the space community view various news sources as biased, and to what degree they do if so. The second factor was to see how the general public viewed those same sources. These data were then used to compare the …

A Presidential Leadership Process For Higher Education In Small, Rural Institutions And Settings, Teresa Caplinger Spaeth

Theses and Dissertations

A qualitative research study was conducted to explore leadership competencies of presidents of public universities with enrollments of less than 7,000, located in small rural communities and distant locations in the Upper Midwest. The context of higher education is constantly evolving. Internal pressures from faculty and students, as well as external factors such as finances, new technologies, and stakeholder demands play a role in determining the future of academic institutions and the success of their leadership.

Much literature has been written regarding higher education leadership, best practices for success, and future changes that should be made to maintain sustainable institutions, …

Risk-Taking Behaviors As Predicted By (Mal)Adaptive Functioning In College Students: A Look Into Emotional Adjustment, Hillary Smith

Theses and Dissertations

Risk-taking behaviors emerge, increase, and peak during adolescence and have shown to continue into late adolescence. Research has begun to explore how some forms of risk-taking may be normative and adaptive. The aim of this study is to look at how social, academic, and occupational functioning are related to risk-behaviors, as measured by risk-favorability and reported risk-taking history, and emotional adjustment in a college sample (N=314). Risk was assessed using self-report and an implicit task, both of which were moderately correlated. Both risk measures were negatively correlated with self-report measures of adaptive functioning and emotional adjustment.A series of mediation analyses …

Endolysosome Dysfunction And Inter-Organellar Signalling: An 'Iron-Ic' Story, Peter Halcrow

Theses and Dissertations

Endosomes and lysosomes (endolysosomes) are acidic organelles that are important both physiologically and pathologically. Implicated in the physiological and pathophysiological processes regulated by endolysosomes are readily releasable stores of cations including ferrous iron (Fe2+); an essential cofactor for the generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS). In determining the extent to which and mechanisms by which Fe2+ released from endolysosomes affects cellular functions it was important to determine levels of Fe2+ in endolysosomes. In some cells and by other researchers, FeRhoNox-1 was found to detect Fe2+ in acidic organelles known as Golgi. Here, using U87MG astrocytoma cells and primary cultures of …

The Relationship Of Physical Activity And Perceived Fatigue In Men Receiving External Beam Radiation Therapy For Non-Metastatic Prostate Cancer, Timothy Charles Flory Fuss

Theses and Dissertations

Nature of the Problem/Study

Prostate cancer is the second most common cancer in men in the United States, with 2.9 million men diagnosed with prostate cancer alive today (American Cancer Society, 2017). Given the rate of survival and substantial number of men living with prostate cancer, addressing symptoms and quality of life in these men is increasingly important.

Fatigue is reported to be the most distressing side effect of radiation therapy (RT), negatively effecting physical function and quality of life (Minton et al., 2013). Finding measures to predict, treat and help prevent fatigue can improve long term outcomes in cancer …

Relationships Between Sibling Physical Abuse And Lifetime Aggression Using Statistical Controls For Poly-Victimization, Ani Celine Mangold

Theses and Dissertations

Sibling abuse, as a potential contributor to lifetime aggression, is under-represented in the childhood maltreatment literature and minimized in American society. A contemporary survey study conducted using a large college sample (King et al., 2017) established significant relationships between sibling abuse (i.e., acts of physical abuse, threats of violence, and heated verbal conflict) and a range of lifetime aggression indicators after controlling for variance attributable to physical, sexual, intimate partner, and peer abuse. The present study examined sibling physical abuse and established these same relationships using a national sample after controlling for variance due to childhood physical abuse, observed violence …