Digital Commons Network^™

Valuation Of Potential Pumped Hydro Energy Storage Projects Based On Known Economic And Service Criteria, Seth Lykins

Theses and Dissertations

Clean and sustainable energy sources must comprise a greater share of the global energy portfolio in the future, in order to support a growing population while reducing the anthropogenic effects of traditional energy production. Solar and wind-based generation methods, frontrunners of the energy transition, are intermittent by nature. This presents a challenge in the effort to replace dispatchable fossil fuels with a chiefly renewable energy portfolio. Yet this challenge can be met with appropriate storage, which must be scalable, reliable, sustainable, and financially feasible through implementation of multiple services. Pumped hydro energy storage systems (PHESS), with its colossal scale and …

Cognitive Decay And Memory Recall During Long Duration Spaceflight, Terry E. Rector

Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation aims to advance the efficacy of Long-Duration Space Flight (LDSF) pre-flight and in-flight training programs, acknowledging existing knowledge gaps in NASA's methodologies. The research's objective is to optimize the cognitive workload of LDSF crew members, enhance their neurocognitive functionality, and provide more meaningful work experiences, particularly for Mars missions.The study addresses identified shortcomings in current training and learning strategies and simulation-based training systems, focusing on areas requiring quantitative measures for astronaut proficiency and training effectiveness assessment. The project centers on understanding cognitive decay and memory loss under LDSF-related stressors, seeking to establish when such cognitive decline exceeds acceptable …

The Effects Of Demographic And Nutritional Variables On Anxiety And Depression Symptoms In Usa And Non-Usa Adults, Jonathan Santiago

Theses and Dissertations

The present study investigated the effects of demographic variables (e.g. country of residence and socioeconomic status) and nutritional variables (e.g. dietary diversity and micronutrient content) on anxiety and depression symptoms, as well as subjective health self-rating. Prior research suggests that a variety of demographic and nutritional factors influence chronic stress, which can cause systemic inflammation and lead to various cardiovascular-related diseases. Participants (USA=41; Non-USA= 58) were recruited via an online platform and completed demographic questionnaires and a 24-hour dietary recall. Results indicated that food accessibility emerged as the strongest predictor, and was associated with anxiety, depression, and combined mood symptoms. …

Application Of Blockchain Technology And Integration Of Differential Privacy: Issues In E-Health Domains, David Isie

Theses and Dissertations

A systematic and comprehensive review of critical applications of Blockchain Technology with Differential Privacy integration lies within privacy and security enhancement. This paper aims to highlight the research issues in the e-Health domain (e.g., EMR) and to review the current research directions in Differential Privacy integration with Blockchain Technology.Firstly, the current state of concerns in the e-Health domain are identified as follows: (a) healthcare information poses a high level of security and privacy concerns due to its sensitivity; (b) due to vulnerabilities surrounding the healthcare system, a data breach is common and poses a risk for attack by an adversary; …

Self-Identification From The Professional And Social Perspectives Of Flight, Carly Lane Crockett

Theses and Dissertations

The development of one’s identity is connected to the level of effort willing to be committed to goal achievement. Per Velleman (2006), what someone cares about, determines what they must do for survival (p.336). While identity has been dissected, the applicability of connection for social and professional ties within aviation has not been thoroughly processed. General aviation flying and that of airline pilots has been compared regarding skill and safety association, but not in identity construction. A population of airline pilots was researched, that may or may not have been actively participating GA, with attempt to establish factor recognition of …

3d Geologic Modeling Of Rare Earth Element Concentrations In Lignite Coal, Ian Kelly Feole

Theses and Dissertations

Rare-earth elements (REE) are a set of elements with unique consumer applications that consist of the lanthanide series of elements which have the atomic numbers from 57 to 71 plus yttrium (Y) and scandium (Sc). Because of their unique properties, REEs are used in a wide array of consumer goods, energy system components, and military defense applications, but currently the United States is 100% import-reliant on these critical materials, and the REE supply chain is considered an issue of national security. Coal and coal by-products have been identified as a promising alternative resource and a focus of much recent research …

Core Values In Higher Education: Students, Faculty, Staff, And Administrator Alignment At A Midwestern Research University, Rodney Deshan Lewis

Theses and Dissertations

A growing body of research exists on core values. However, limited scholarly research exists on core values in higher education institutions that operate in volatile, uncertain, complex, and ambiguous (VUCA) environments. And yet, society entrusts higher education with our nation’s most important resource—our future leaders. University adopted core values serve as guideposts for institution stakeholders. Core values are important for an organization’s identity by providing concise and powerful guidelines for collective stakeholder action. Core values provide a true north values vector, especially when ambiguity and uncertainty exist. This, in turn, helps increase judgement and decision-making skills that are clearly aligned …

Women Of Asian Descent’S Experiences Of Racism And Sexual Objectification: An Examination Of Racially Expanded Sexual Objectification Model, Hohyung Choi

Theses and Dissertations

Introduction: Despite of the apparent mental health disparities in the U.S. women of Asian descent population, less is known about the compounding effects of their experiences of gendered racism and sexism on their mental health. The majority of the existing literature, albeit limited, hinges on a nomothetic framework, overlooking the intra-group differences and the intersectionality of gender and racial identities. Objective: The overarching aim of the present study was to examine a racially expanded sexual objectification model in effort to understand women of Asian descent’s racialized and gendered experiences in relation to their overall subjective well-being. Method: A community sample …

A Generalized Approach To Partitioning Weighted Points In A Plane, Jacob Denault

Theses and Dissertations

A theorem commonly known as the Discrete Pancake Theorem states that for two finite disjoint sets S and T of points in a plane where the union of S and T contains no three collinear points, there exists a line that simultaneously bisects |S| and |T| within an error of at most one. This thesis considers a more general situation in which each point is assigned two non-negative weights and, instead of simply bisecting the plane to obtain a balance in the number of points, we prove there exists a line that simultaneously balances weight one and weight two accumulations …

Computational Framework For Neuro-Optics Simulation And Deep Learning Denoising, Cecilia Ling

Theses and Dissertations

The application of machine learning techniques in microscopic image restoration has shown superior performance. However, the development of such techniques has been hindered by the demand for large datasets and the lack of ground truth. To address these challenges, this study introduces a computer simulation model that accurately captures the neural anatomic volume, fluorescence light transportation within the tissue volume, and the photon collection process of microscopic imaging sensors. The primary goal of this simulation is to generate realistic image data for training and validating machine learning models. One notable aspect of this study is the incorporation of a machine …

Let’S Groove: A Dance Program Designed For Children With Disabilities, Michayla Burckhard

Occupational Therapy Capstones

Children with disabilities face limited opportunities to participate in the occupation of dance when compared to opportunities available for their non-disabled peers. Barriers to their participation include lack of class opportunities, cost, and knowledge about programs (Carrion et al., 2018). Many dance studios offer integrated or non-specialized classes, but participation by a child with a disability in this type of class is sometimes limited by parental or child fears, or other barriers such as lack of accommodations (Lucas, 2017).

Best Practice Occupational Therapy Interventions For Addressing Trauma And Posttraumatic Stress Disorder: A Practitioner Guide, Madison Kay Ertelt

Occupational Therapy Capstones

Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) impacts approximately 3.6% of adults and 5% of adolescents in the United States and has pervasive impacts on occupational performance (National Institute of Mental Health, n.d.). Occupational therapy practitioners (OTPs) likely encounter clients with PTSD frequently due to this widespread prevalence in addition to trauma being comorbid with a variety of mental and physical health conditions. Despite the widespread prevalence of trauma, many OTPs find that trauma-informed care is not adequately implemented in practice (Holman et al., 2022). There is a gap in the literature regarding occupational performance deficits experienced among clients with trauma, knowledge of …

A Physician’S Journey: The Memoir Of Robert A. Kyle, Robert A. Kyle

Digital Press Books

Regrettably, I did not know three of my four grandparents.

So begins A Physician’s Journey, a quintessential modern memoir. Beginning in the tradition of the prairie reverie with snow-filled winters and single room school houses and ending with a litany of late-life accolades, Dr. Robert Kyle details his life from the farm, to smoke jumper school, to the University of North Dakota, to Northwestern Medical School, the US Air Force and eventually a career at Minnesota’s Mayo Clinic.

At the Mayo Clinic he met his wife, Charlene, pioneered new treatments for cancer, and started his family. The story as …

Does Race Matter? An Experimental Vignette Study On Harm Severity, College Student Discipline, And Restorative Justice, Terrill O. Taylor

Theses and Dissertations

Research suggests individuals’ support for harsher sanctions for wrongdoers increase in association with the perceived severity of the harm caused. To date, however, research has focused mostly on retributive modes of punishment and has less often addressed restorative sanctions. Furthermore, research has documented racial disparities in conduct sanctioning, especially within elementary and secondary school-based settings, with research suggesting that students of color (e.g., Black students) are sanctioned harsher than White students. Surprisingly, racial disparities in student conduct sanctions within higher education settings have rarely been examined. The present study therefore sought to fill a void in the literature by examining …

The Impact Of Sensory Deprivation And Sensory-Based Intervention For Incarcerated Adults Over The Age Of 65, Kyara G. Crowley, Connor N. Fuchs, Sydney L. Johnson

Critically Appraised Topics

This critically appraised topic (CAT) focuses on sensory-based interventions for improving the quality of life for older adults who are incarcerated in the United States. There are many aspects to this topic; sensory deprivation in the prison system is addressed first, followed by the importance of sensory-based interventions, and finally the relationship between occupational therapy and quality of life.

Relationships Matter: A Narrative Analysis Of Agenda Setting And Policy Perspectives That Influence Higher Education In North Dakota (1990-2020), Billie Jo Lorius

Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation is about North Dakota’s political structures and culture spanning the past 30 years through a case study approach examines the modern identity of politics that derive meaning into how policies are decided upon, and ultimately, the dynamics of those policies for the state’s system of higher education. Individual interviews and narrative inquiry analysis of the participants’ perspectives shed light on the social and political context in which key policy influencers play their role in the direction of policy deliberation and the ways that these policies influence decisions and lawmaking for the state. Agenda setting theory informs a conceptual …

Mitigating Global Temperature Change Through Industrial Sector Improvements: A Case Study In Automotive Manufacturing, Alec Joseph Ernst

Theses and Dissertations

Manufacturing is an integral part of our country’s flow of products and people and a top contributor to carbon emissions, promoting global temperature rise. During processing, toxic substances are emitted across the value chain. These emissions account for nearly 25% of all greenhouse gas emissions in the United States and the World. Until 2023, an accessible pathway for manufacturing companies to transition to net-zero emissions hasn’t been made readily available. The current research was conducted to determine if reducing carbon emissions in manufacturing facilities through efficiency improvements, process optimization, and technology advancements can mitigate global temperature change.This quantitative, mixed-method approach …

The Predictiveness Of Gendered Racism On The Well-Being Of Women Of Color, Mallika Chakrabarti

Theses and Dissertations

Research suggests a reduced sense of well-being in women of color who have been experiencing discrimination based on gender or race. Surprisingly, the intersectional discrimination of both gender and race, termed as Gendered Racism, on women of color has received much less attention than the individual variables. The present study seeks to fill a void in literature by offering to examine some effects of gendered racism on aspects of well-being in this population. This study examines the predictiveness of intersectional discrimination based on race and gender – called Gendered Racism - on the well-being of women of color. Well-being was …

Matlab-Based Simulation Of A Hybridized Tri-Generation Geothermal-Wind-Solar System In Bowman County, North Dakota, Moones Alamooti

Theses and Dissertations

Bowman County, North Dakota, currently relies on coal for over half of its electricity, contributing to significant greenhouse gas emissions. This study employs advanced MATLAB-based modeling to assess the feasibility of transitioning to a hybrid renewable energy system. The designed system includes capacities of 85.7 MW for wind, 24.4 MW for solar PV, 2.03 MW for geothermal, and 195 MWh for storage, tailored to meet the county's growing daily energy demands. Simulations confirm the system's ability to fulfill over 90% of projected daily loads by 2040, with a competitive levelized cost of $105.226/MWh over 15 years. This customized solution reduces …

Conducting Fog Research And Abatement Using Unmanned Aircraft Systems (Uas), Michael Douglas Willette

Theses and Dissertations

The tremendous safety and monetary impacts of long-duration fog events continue to spur interest in its anthropogenic dissipation. With the emergence of the Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) platform and the development of miniaturized atmospheric sensors, more efficient methods of fog research and anthropogenic fog dispersal may be achieved. The feasibility of a supercooled fog dispersal project in the Red River Valley and the efficacy of using the UAS platform to acquire in-situ fog microphysical data are explored. A 30-year climatology of the Red River Valley indicates increased supercooled fog potential between early November through early April, peaking in March. Five …

Religion-Justified Childhood Maltreatment And Adult Psychological Maladjustment, Hannah Doctor

Theses and Dissertations

The perpetrator of religion justified child abuse relies on spiritual beliefs (religious texts, context, or authority) to justify acts of maltreatment. This form of abuse can be manifested in many different contexts including infamous scandals of sexual abuse committed by catholic priests and the physical/sexual/emotional maltreatment occurring at Native American or other boarding schools for troubled youth. Parents and caretakers often claim "to spare the rod is to spoil the child”. Previous research has suggested that maladjustment outcomes after traumatic events are less severe among victims with strong religious beliefs. This study hypothesized that religious justified abuse would be associated …

Exploring Organizational Recidivism With A Focus On Federal Environmental Crime, Isaac M. Mvula

Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation explores the recidivism rates of organizational offenders convicted of federal environmental crimes. Individual recidivism has received considerable attention from re-searchers over the years. This is not so with organization recidivism. This dissertation aims at put-ting greater light on this subject. The study focuses on environmental crime because of the critical need to preserve the earth’s ability to sustain life. Federal environmental criminal prosecution da-ta maintained by the EPA was the study population. The population included prosecutions of organizational offenders from 1994 to 2013. The total number of organizational prosecutions was 73625 and the total number of organizational offenders …

The Design And Preparation Of High-Performance Silicon/Carbon Composite Anode For Lithium-Ion Batteries, Xin Zhang

Theses and Dissertations

The increasing demand for high-performance energy storage devices has driven extensive research into developing advanced lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) for various applications, including electric vehicles, portable electronics, and grid energy storage. Anode materials play a critical role in determining the overall performance of LIBs. In this dissertation, the investigation of silicon-based anode materials synthesis, characterization, and electrochemical performance was conducted for high-performance lithium-ion battery (LIB) applications. Four projects (Chapter 3 through 6) will be included in this dissertation. Chapter one includes the background and motivation of developing high-performance anode material for LIBs, followed by the hypothesis, scope of work, and significance …

The Use Of Cyber Media In Hybrid Warfare: Narrative Stories From The Front Lines; Proposing A New Gatekeeping Theory, Hussain Almalki

Theses and Dissertations

This study used a qualitative narrative approach to investigate the experiences of journalists operating in the context of hybrid warfare across several global regions. The objective of this study is to ascertain the many problems and hazards encountered by numerous journalists who are subjected to pursuit, censorship, harassment, abduction, incarceration, or fatality daily. Furthermore, the objective of this study is to comprehend the ethical and individual incentives that have driven journalists to venture into and remain in regions of violence. Lastly, this study aims to comprehend the utilization of cyber media by journalists in reporting on instances of violence and …

A Measure Predicting Treatment Outcome For Sexual Offenders, Kaitlin Alyssa Guston

Theses and Dissertations

Researchers generally agree that treatment reduces the likelihood of sexual offender recidivism. However, studies show attrition rates of up to 85% in some treatment programs for sex offenders. Because many risk factors for recidivism and treatment attrition are the same, the present study used gold-standard risk assessments to predict which sex offenders would not complete a community treatment program. The Static-99r, Stable-2007, and URICA assessed static risk factors, dynamic needs, and responsivity to treatment for 289 sex offenders. Pre-treatment scores from the sex offenders in the sample indicated that these assessment instruments could predict treatment attrition for sex offenders in …

How Abortion Status Predicts Stigmatizing Beliefs: Measuring Enacted Stigma Using The Stereotype Content Model, Jenna Nichole Laurin

Theses and Dissertations

Enacted stigma consists of active discrimination or negative treatment towards an individual who has received an abortion. Further, stereotypes of individuals typically fit within perceptions of competence and warmth, however these stereotypes have not been measured about women who have received an abortion despite the fact that they can indicate stigmatizing beliefs. Additionally, enacted stigma may present differently between men and women. The purpose of the current study was to measure perceptions of competence and warmth as a form of stigma about women with and without a history of abortion, as well as women who considered an abortion but did …

Building A Better Teacher Evaluation System, Amanda Melsby

Theses and Dissertations

The teacher evaluation process has been an area of study for decades because of its complexity. Going back to one-room schoolhouses, teaching has always been an isolated profession—usually a room, a teacher, and students. Other colleagues or administrators are not participants in the classroom most of the time, which creates difficulties for effectively evaluating a teacher and providing feedback that will help a teacher grow and develop.This study explored the teacher evaluation process, how it can be more effective to teachers in building their capacity and improving their practice at the secondary level, and how the evaluation process can be …

Factors That Influence Decision-Making In Insanity Cases, Destinye Runions

Theses and Dissertations

The insanity defense has been one of the most hotly debated issues in criminal law for centuries. Jurors are generally hostile to the insanity defense and people with psychological disorders and often fail to find defendants insane even when an insanity verdict is warranted. The current study attempted to determine why jurors are hostile to the insanity defense and people with psychological disorders. Participants read one of two case vignettes depicting a defendant suffering from paranoid schizophrenia who committed murder. The vignettes differed in how sympathetic the defendant is in the vignettes, and how dangerous the defendant is to society. …

Jackpot In The Skies: Overcoming Challenges Of How Faa Part 139 Airports And American Indian Tribes Can Cooperate In The Implementation Of Gaming, Noah Reese Gunter

Theses and Dissertations

This project sought to explore and inform the current gaming use at FAA Part 139 airports and how gaming could be used for other airports across the US. This research also explored the effects of a partnership between American Indian tribes and the airports that would operate gaming within their facilities. To do so, a qualitative method was completed with case studies and narrative research through a variety of data review and physical observations. By looking at current and proposed gaming locations at FAA Part 139 airports and how American Indian tribes near airports could use gaming within airports to …

Empowering Educators: Enhancing Teacher Efficacy In Rural Schools Through Innovative Professional Development For Teachers Of English Language Learners, Jody Lynn Maanum

Theses and Dissertations

The National Center for Educational Statistics’ [NCES] 2021 annual report indicates that there are currently over five million English Language Learners (ELLs) in U.S. schools. Of additional importance to this statistic is that the growing wave of diversity is no longer primarily settling in the larger metropolitan areas, but ELLs and their families are more recently finding themselves in geographically rural areas. The school systems in these rural areas face unique challenges in meeting the needs of the growing diverse populations, with many teachers in these systems lacking best practice knowledge and the confidence and competence needed to meet the …