Digital Commons Network^™

Teacher Perceptions Of Facilitated Video Analysis Of Instruction In Teacher Professional Development, Benson Ayang Bakabaka

Theses and Dissertations

This qualitative study investigated inservice teachers’ perceptions of facilitated video analysis of instruction (FAVAI) on teacher professional development. The study borrows from the efficiency video of instruction has provided preservice teachers in previous research. The study made use of a group of five inservice teachers who took a professional development course labeled the Bakabaka Video Pedagogy (BVP). These teachers participated in watching and analyzing videos of instruction. A midcourse anonymous online survey was administered four weeks into the course. At the end of the BVP course, a post-viewing interview was administered to all the participants. The key research questions guiding …

Burnout, Autonomy, And Job Satisfaction In Full-Time Public Community College Faculty Members: A Regional Survey And Analysis, Justin W. Berry

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to determine the perceived levels of burnout, autonomy, and job satisfaction in full-time public community college faculty members; it was also of interest to determine potential relationships between burnout, autonomy, job satisfaction, and demographic factors. Participants in this study were 146 full time faculty members from twelve public community colleges within Minnesota, North Dakota, and South Dakota. Measures in this study assessed perceived levels of burnout, autonomy, and job satisfaction. Independent samples t-tests and Pearson correlations were utilized to analyze data.

Results indicated that full-time public community college faculty members have moderate levels of …

How Distribution Of Commercial Satellite Payloads Between Different Launch Providers Affects The National Space Transportation Policy, Jerra Brown

Theses and Dissertations

How does the distribution of commercial satellite payloads affect the National Space Transportation Policy? Looking at the launch of commercial satellite payloads as a market, providing profit for private ventures, the question was analyzed by linking the economic benefits of the market to policy that it influences. Historical models are used to establish an economic variable and correlate its impact on policy change through time, using the 1994, 2004 and 2013 National Space Transportation Policies. The primary methods used were different comparative text analysis to baseline the changes of the evolving policies as applicable to a growing private space launch …

Examining Identity Of Novice Teacher Educators: A Self-Study, Laura Brudvik

Theses and Dissertations

Novice teacher educators can provide valuable insight into the question of professional identity and how it informs practice. Collaboration through interviews using self-study highlight how the experiences of their novice teacher educator years contribute to their identities. The self-study method provides an integrative approach, bridging research and practice, with the goal of ultimately improving practice. This self-study identifies specific qualities possessed by teacher educators who are former classroom teachers, and analyzes those qualities to determine possible benefits to teacher education. A corollary study is a self-study of my personal construction of professional identity as a novice teacher educator. The self-study …

Quantifying Cure In Industrial Composites Using Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (Ftir), Jason Robert Burns

Theses and Dissertations

A study has been taken to evaluate the utility of two Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopic sampling methods in calculating the degree of cure in an industrial fiberglass-reinforced composite material. Methodologies examined include: attenuated total reflectance (ATR) and diffuse reflectance (DRIFTs), both which utilize the Agilent 4100 ExoScan FTIR platform. As the formulation of the unsaturated polyester resin used in the fabrication of the industrial composite is proprietary a cure model based on the plasticizer, styrene, is proposed. Results of the infrared tests show that neither the resolution of ATR FTIR or DRIFTs is sufficient to monitor cure of the …

The Relationship Of Substance Use, Biological Sex, And Age To Defender Behaviors In Middle And High School Students In Rural Schools, Amanda D'Ottavio

Theses and Dissertations

While there are many studies looking at the characteristic of defenders in bullying situations, the literature regarding defender behaviors and substance use is lacking. In a sample of rural adolescents, the current study aims to examine the relationship between defender behaviors, substance use, biological sex and age. Rural middle and high school youth from six Northern Plains schools in the Midwest (N = 264) completed a self-report survey. Surveys were created to examine defender behaviors and substance use, and a demographic questionnaire collected biological sex and grade level. Grade level was used in place of age. A relationship between defender …

Spirituality And Student Engagement At A Small, Church-Related Private College, Hal Henry Haynes

Theses and Dissertations

The undergraduate collegiate years are filled with growth and development for students. As students experience and progress through their collegiate years, they are often confronted with difficult life questions, such as what is the meaning of life or why am I here? Oftentimes, the question is why do bad things happen? The purpose of this study is to better understand relationship between student engagement and spirituality.

Undergraduate students at a small, church-related private college in the Upper Midwest were surveyed in the Spring 2015 semester using the College Students’ Beliefs and Values Survey (CSBVS).

Alexander Astin’s I-E-O model was utilized …

Using Simian Virus 40 As A Model To Determine The Effects Of Replication And Transcription On Histone Methylation, Les Kallestad

Theses and Dissertations

Simian Virus 40 (SV40) is a well-characterized virus whose small circular DNA genome is organized into chromatin and, as a consequence, undergoes many of the same biological processes observed in cellular chromatin. SV40 early transcription is repressed when the product of early transcription, T-antigen, binds to its cognate regulatory sequence, Site I, in the promoter of the SV40 minichromosome. We have subsequently shown that T-antigen binding to Site I results in the replication-dependent introduction of H3K9me1 into SV40 chromatin late in infection. Since H3K9me2 and H3K9me3 are also present late in infection, we determined whether their presence was also related …

Gata4 Interacts With Hedgehog Signaling Pathway In Regulating Outflow Tract Development, Jielin Liu

Theses and Dissertations

Congenital heart diseases (CHDs) are among the most common type of developmental anomaly affecting 8 in 1000 live births. Approximately 30% of CHDs involve cardiac outflow tract (OFT) malformation which leads to significant morbidity and mortality in both children and adults. Development of OFT is regulated by a complex genetic network including Sonic-Hedgehog signaling pathway, TGF-β and BMP signaling pathway. Mutation of a transcription factor, Gata4, has been known to cause OFT defects including double outlet right ventricle (DORV) in both human and mice for decades. Several transcription targets of Gata4 have been identified such as Mef2c, Ccnd2 and Cdk4, …

Understanding Addiction, Depression, And Autism Spectrum Disorder Through Structure-Function Analyses Of The Dopamine And Serotonin Transporters, Danielle Krout

Theses and Dissertations

The dopamine (DAT) and serotonin (SERT) transporters are monoamine neurotransmitter transporters (MATs) responsible for the reuptake of dopamine (DA) or serotonin (5-HT) from the synapse following vesicular release, effectively regulating synaptic neurotransmission. Blockade of these transporters by antagonists such as psychostimulant drugs or transporter mutations that affect function can compromise DA or 5-HT homeostasis and impact fundamental brain processes including movement, emotion, behavior, motivation, and memory. To address these issues, my dissertation research focused on: (1) identifying and characterizing the cocaine binding site in DAT, (2) determining the influence of membrane depolarization on DAT trafficking, (3) investigating antidepressant metabolite action …

Britain's First War With Kandy: Landscape, Violence, And Conquest In Colonial Sri Lanka, Elizabeth Anne Mjelde

Theses and Dissertations

Accounts of travel to Sri Lanka published during the period of British conquest (1796 through 1818) reveal a consistent yet problematic tendency: despite ongoing military conflict, visual artists constructed representations of the island as a peaceful and orderly place. The contradiction is heightened when travelers’ uniformly tranquil images of Sri Lanka are juxtaposed with documented acts of destruction to land and property, undertaken by troops during Britain’s first war with the inland kingdom of Kandy, a conflict which eventually led to the island’s complete colonization. The present study reconciles this contradiction through analysis of publications by each of five artists …

Parent Understanding Of K-6 Student Mathematics Performance Using Standards-Based Compared To Traditional Report Cards, Jill Ann Olson

Theses and Dissertations

More and more elementary schools are adopting standards-based report cards to report student achievement in an effort to communicate to parents their child’s mastery of standards at each grade level. The effect this has on parent understanding of their child’s achievement is still uncertain. A survey methodology was used in this quantitative study to examine parents’ understanding of their K-6 child’s mathematics performance when reported using standards-based compared to traditional report cards. The researcher sought to determine the effect understanding has on parents’ probability of providing at-home skill building activities in the areas in which the child is not performing …

Public Opinion About Police Use Of Body-Worn Cameras, Deanne Paulsen

Theses and Dissertations

There has been a significant increase in media attention about encounters between police officers and the public which have ended badly, sometimes in injury or death. These events have increased public concern about police conduct. Because of these events and the adverse publicity they have generated, many police departments have begun using body-worn cameras. The police use of body-worn cameras raises many important issues such as their effects on privacy and police-community relations. Because police departments have just recently begun using body cameras, there has been limited research on them. Consequently, the current study examined whether the public favors the …

A Large Scale Inertial Aided Visual Simultaneous Localization And Mapping (Slam) System For Small Mobile Platforms, Ashraf Qadir

Theses and Dissertations

In this dissertation we present a robust simultaneous mapping and localization scheme that can be deployed on a computationally limited, small unmanned aerial system. This is achieved by developing a key frame based algorithm that leverages the multiprocessing capacity of modern low power mobile processors. The novelty of the algorithm lies in the design to make it robust against rapid exploration while keeping the computational time to a minimum. A novel algorithm is developed where the time critical components of the localization and mapping system are computed in parallel utilizing the multiple cores of the processor. The algorithm uses a …

Role Of The Cholesterol Metabolite 27-Hydroxycholesterol In Breast And Prostate Cancer, Shaneabbas S. Raza

Theses and Dissertations

The cholesterol metabolites known as oxysterols play an important role in maintaining cell homeostasis. They play vital roles in inflammation, cell growth, cell signaling, immunity, oxidative stress and aging. Following the discovery that the most abundant oxysterol, 27-hydroxycholesterol (27-OHC) is a Selective Estrogen Receptor Modulator (SERM), it has been implicated in hormonal cancers such as breast and uterine cancer. 27-OHC is a ligand of estrogen receptors (ER), a nuclear hormone receptor involved in cell growth and proliferation. The downstream events followed by 27-OHC-induced ER activation in the context of breast cancer is unknown. Also, the role of 27-OHC in prostate …

The Minnesota Army National Guard And Gender Expectations, Corbin David Routier

Theses and Dissertations

Women have never formally served in U.S. Army combat roles. It was announced in December, 2015 that U.S. Army combat roles would undergo gender integration. The objective of this research was to measure attitudes of current all-male infantry units in the Minnesota Army National Guard (MNARNG). The research was framed using status expectations theory. Surveys were distributed to two MNARNG companies (N = 116). The research examined how infantrymen rated male and female soldiers differently on 14 traits as well as their support for female integration. The results showed that infantrymen rated men higher than women. In addition, men who …

Passing On The Legacy: How Rural Community College Senior Officers Prepare The Next Generation Of Leaders, Linda Thompson Thompson

Theses and Dissertations

Given the significant projected percentages of retirements of community college senior officers, forecasted workforce shortages, and the difficulty of attracting employees to rural community colleges, a qualitative study was undertaken to understand the learning experiences of seven senior officers in developing the competencies to lead at a rural community college. Through the interviews, the senior officers redirected the conversations to describe how they develop the next generation of rural community college leaders. Findings included the descriptive concepts of (a) rural legacies, (b) developing pragmatic competence, and (c) reciprocal development. A grounded theory model provided guidance on preparing the next generation …

Not Your Business: Pedagogical Lessons Of Activist Resistance To Neoliberalism In Canadian Higher Education, Jorunn Thordarson

Theses and Dissertations

The growing power and permeation of neoliberal ideology across all facets of social life has been instrumental in promoting and orchestrating a shift among Canadian post-secondary institutions towards a reductive view of schooling at the expense of a more liberatory vision of education. The aim of this study was to examine the connections between power, education, and democracy in relation to the neoliberal restructuring of higher education in Canada, while simultaneously exploring discourses of resistance to neoliberal hegemony. Using critical discourse analysis, this study begins by establishing the promotion and naturalization of neoliberal ideology within the policy landscape of Canadian …

The Impact Of Anterior Gradient 2 (Agr2) Expression In Models Of Arsenite And Cadmium Induced Breast And Bladder Cancers, Jamie Lynn Van Gieson

Theses and Dissertations

Bladder cancer constitutes one of the most prevalent cancers and is among the leading causes of cancer-related deaths in the United States. This work sought to better characterize and understand the role of the proto-oncogene anterior gradient 2 (AGR2) in bladder cancers. Immunohistochemical analysis of AGR2 expression in a range of bladder cancer specimens indicated that the expression of AGR2 decreases with an increase in the stage and grade of bladder cancers. The environmental carcinogens arsenic and cadmium (Cd2+) have been implicated in various cancers. This laboratory has demonstrated that arsenite (As3+) and Cd2+ can malignantly transform the bladder epithelium …

The Impact Of Power Status On Gender Stereotypes, Sexism, And Gender Discrimination Toward Women In The Workplace And The Career Identity Development Of Women, Juemei Yang

Theses and Dissertations

Women often experience unique barriers at workplace that hinder their career development (Whitley & Kite, 2010). In this study I focused on several of the barriers: gender stereotypes, sexism, and gender discrimination. Specifically, I examined the impact of career-related power, the gender of the perceiver, and the gender of the perceived on the endorsement of gender stereotypes, of sexist attitudes, and of gender discrimination. Significant results indicated that gender stereotypes and sexist attitude are most strongly endorsed by men with high power and women with low power. The largely insignificant results of discrimination also suggested that a climate change might …

Biodegradation Of Lignin By Fungi, Bacteria And Laccases, Fnu Asina

Theses and Dissertations

Lignin, a heterogeneous three-dimensional biopolymer, is one of the building blocks of lignocellulosic biomass. Due to its limited chemical reactivity, lignin is currently processed as a low value by-product in pulp and paper mills. Therefore, valorization of lignin holds great potential as this would provide a readily available source of aromatic compounds for various industrial applications. In this study, indulin AT biodegradation was assessed by comparing the effects of basidiomycetous fungi (Coriolus versicolor and Trametes gallica) and actinobacteria (Mycobacterium sp. and Streptomyces sp.) to those of two commercial laccases, those from T. versicolor (≥ 10 U/mg) and C. versicolor (≥ …

The Invocative Use Of The Bible's Rhetorical Power In The Transcripts Of Anne Hutchinson's Trials, Carolyn D. Baker

Theses and Dissertations

Generally speaking, some Massachusetts Bay Colony Puritans invoke the rhetorical power of the Protestant Old and New Testaments in their writings to specify and dictate certain courses of action, especially during the period known as the Antinomian Controversy. These authoritarian, dogmatic, directive allusions to Scripture-- what I call the invocative use of the Bible's rhetorical power--appear frequently in some specific contemporaneous Massachusetts Bay Colony journals, sermons, and letters. The author employs these uses to establish the literary and interpretive contexts for the rhetorical use of the Bible in the transcripts of Hutchinson's civil and ecclesiastical trials. For example, the author …

Identification And Characterization Of A Putative Populus E3 Ring-H2 Ubiquitin Ligase That When Over-Expressed Is Correlated With Insect Resistance To Orgyia Leucostigma, Justin Burum

Theses and Dissertations

Insect herbivory is a major stress on plants that results in significant economic losses to forest plantations and natural forests. In response, Populus have evolved a suite of constitutive and inducible defenses to deter insect feeding. Despite advances in technologies and the sequencing of the Populus trichocarpa genome, defensive pathways against insect herbivores are poorly understood. With the creation of activation tagged (AT) Populus we can use a forward genetics approach to identify genes involved in insect resistance (IR). To explore the genetic architecture of tree defenses, we conducted a forward genetics screen of AT Populus tremula x Populus alba …

The Effects Of Social Spending On Economic Growth And Standards Of Living Within U.S. States, Derek James Ebeling

Theses and Dissertations

Social spending is a large and controversial program within the United States. Though a number of studies examined its effects on Gross Domestic Product (“GDP”) between countries, very few specifically looked at its effectiveness solely within the United States. By doing so, international political policy deviations are controlled for. Further, most studies neglect the externalities of social spending on living standards. This paper fills these gaps by utilizing two US Census aid datasets – state & local spending and federal aid & transfer payments – for all 50 states to study the effects of social spending on Gross Domestic Product, …

Nesting Behaviors Of Sharp-Tailed Grouse (Tympanuchus Phasianellus) Using Camera Technology, Rebecca Ann Kludt

Theses and Dissertations

Increasing energy development and grassland conversion pose several issues for Sharp-tailed Grouse (Tympanuchus phasianellus) in western North Dakota. Nest attendance patterns can serve as one of the first indicators of stress induced by landscape changes. Nest camera monitoring allows researchers to observe nest attendance patterns; however, little is known about how behavioral responses to cameras influence nest survival. Our study objectives were to determine (1) how characteristics of the hen, nest and landscape influence nest attendance patterns of Sharp-tailed Grouse, and (2) if behaviors resulting from camera monitoring influence daily nest survival rates. Nest attendance was lower at sites with …

Effect Of Nanoclay On Binder Rheology And Hma Rutting Resistance, Daniel David Landrus

Theses and Dissertations

In this study, the change in rheological properties of nanoclay modified asphalt binders was determined in the laboratory. The four performance grade asphalt binders used in this study, PG 58-34, PG 58-28, PG 64-34, and PG 64-28, were modified using Cloisite 20 nanoclay at 1 %, 3%, and 5 % by weight of the asphalt binder. The Dynamic Shear Rheometer (DSR) was used to measure the rheological properties of the unmodified and modified asphalt binders and determine the change in performance properties. The non-modified and modified asphalt binders were also used to create nanoclay modified asphalt specimens using the Superpave …

Measuring Job Satisfaction For Rural Mental Health Providers: A Social Cognitive Career Theory Approach, Erin L. Martin

Theses and Dissertations

The current study employed online collection of self-report demographic data as

well self-report aspects of job satisfaction such as: positive affectivity, self-efficacy,

work-related goal progress, work-related goal support, and work conditions. Each

consenting participant completed the same set of online questionnaires. Several

participants chose to expand upon some of the unique stressors they experience as rural

mental health providers in follow-up emails. Results of path analysis did not find the

expected fit of observed data to the proposed structural model. Multiple regression

analyses provided data about the importance of positive affectivity, work conditions,

work-related goal support, and work-related goal progress …

Exploring The Impact Of Self-Determination On The Political Practices Of The Turtle Mountain Band Of Chippewa Indians: A Critical Content Analysis, Terri Jean Martin-Parisien

Theses and Dissertations

This study examined the Indian Self-Determination and Education Assistance Act (ISDEAA) of 1975 specific to the Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa Indians (TMBCI). The purpose of this study was to provide evidence as to the impact of the ISDEAA on the Tribe as well as if, and how, the Tribe set their own definition of self-determination, above and beyond the definition of the ISDEAA. This study also examined the tensions that exist between the federal government and the TMBCI using federal policies such as the ISDEAA.

Tribal Critical Race Theory (TribalCrit) and Content Analysis were used as the theoretical framework …

Paul Scott's "The Jewel In The Crown": A Novelist's Philosophy Of History And The End Of The British Raj, Kathryn Ann Hughes Nedegaard

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis is a study of Paul Scott’s best-known novel The Jewel in the Crown,

published in 1966. Scott noted that much of the research and writing on the British

Raj that ended in 1947, lacked an adequate understanding of the union that had

endured for more than three centuries. Scott believed too that many interpretations

of why the Raj ended relied too heavily on monolithic categories of “us and them”

and that they over-emphasized the socio-political and economic influences of

empire. He also believed that many scholars of the Raj ignored the love that existed

among all the people …

Perspectives Of Male American Indian Students In A Predominantly White Higher Education Institution, Patricia Ann Queen Jordheim

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this phenomenological study was to explore the perceptions of male American Indian students and their strategies for staying enrolled in school and to determine what issues they were facing while attending a predominantly-White institution (PWI) of higher education in the Northern Plains. Participants consisted of seven male American Indian students attending school during the 2014-2015 academic school year. Resistance theory provided a framework for this research on male American Indian students and their perceptions of cultural dominance and their responses concerning assimilation and the campus cultural climate. The Hypothesis of Transculturation is a bridge to how male …