Digital Commons Network^™

Short Term Observations Of In Vitro Biocorrosion Of Two Commonly Used Implant Alloys, Hsin-Yi Lin

Theses and Dissertations

Orthopedic metal implant materials may mediate a variety of adverse tissue reactions by releasing ions through corrosion. Adverse tissue reactions include inflammation, fibrosis and hypersensitivity. All of these reactions eventually lead to implant failure. The goal of this study was to provide a better understanding of the cellular-material interaction at the metal surface. The hypotheses were that 1. the attachment of cells and their released reactive inflammatory compounds (e.g. hydrogen peroxide H2O2, superoxide O2. and nitric oxide NO.) on the surfaces alter the alloys? corrosion and surface properties and 2. the changes in corrosion and chemical properties of the surfaces …

Adsorption Of Organic Pollutants Onto Natural Adsorbents, Arun Subramani

Theses and Dissertations

In this research, the adsorptive capacities of kenaf, peat moss, hay, and peanut hulls were evaluated for the removal of TNT and 2,4-DCP from aqueous solutions. Adsorbent loading capacities determined by batch studies were verified by continuous column experiments. It was found that the adsorption capacity of the candidate adsorbents were significantly lower than granular activated carbon (GAC). The impact of surface modification techniques, such as surface oxidation, were evaluated to study the effect on adsorption capacity. At lower equilibrium concentrations of the adsorbate (less than 10 ppb), surface oxidation by ozone showed an increase in the adsorption capacity. The …

An Analysis For Evaluating The Cost/Profit Effectiveness Of Parallel Systems, Maria Teran

Theses and Dissertations

A new domain of commercial applications demands the development of inexpensive parallel computing platforms to lower the cost of operations and increase the business profit. The calculation of returns on an IT investment is now important to justify the decision of upgrading or replacing parallel systems. This thesis presents a framework of the performance and economic factors that are considered when evaluating a parallel system. We introduce a metric called the cost/profit effective metric, which measures the effectiveness of a parallel system in terms of performance, cost and profit. This metric describes the profit obtained from the performance of three …

Volute And Diffuser Performance Analysis For High Turning Turbine System, Runsong Xu

Theses and Dissertations

Test results from a rocket turbine test model, called the Oxidizer Technology Turbine Rig (OTTR), are discussed in this paper. The turbine was designed to support the development of advanced turbines for future liquid rocket engines. It is a highly loaded single stage liquid oxygen pump drive turbine which uses inlet and exit volutes to provide optimum performance in a compact configuration. The system design creates high pressure and temperature gradients as well as high Mach number flow. These factors make it especially difficult to accurately measure the flowfield. Test issues such as probe calibration; probe interference, rake blockage, and …

Integration Of Zero-Valent Metals And Chemical Oxidation For The Destruction Of 2,4,6-Trinitrotoluene Within Aqueous Matrices, Rafael Hernandez

Theses and Dissertations

The Department of Defense (DoD) has numerous sites that contain groundwater contaminated with 2,4,6-trinitrotoluene (TNT). The currently applied technologies for treating TNT contaminated waters are carbon adsorption and chemical oxidation. Carbon adsorption is a non-destructive technology, which could create future liability issues and is inefficient at relatively low TNT concentrations. On the other hand, application of chemical oxidation for the treatment of TNT contaminated water generates trinitrobenzene (TNB), a by-product of the incomplete oxidation of TNT. TNB is regulated as strictly as TNT. Additionally, over 70% of the reactor required treatment time for meeting target levels is due solely for …

Evaluation Of The Effectiveness Of Radar Obstacle Detection Systems When Used On Industrial Lift Trucks, Oluwatosin Toluwalase Odetola

Theses and Dissertations

This study addresses the application and the effectiveness of radar obstacle sensors for forklift trucks during reverse travel. Two different discriminating radar obstacle sensors with different outputs are evaluated. This study reviews the safety of human exposure to emissions from these radar sensors; documents the field of view obtained from experiments with the two systems; gives the results from experiments with sensors on lift trucks. The influence of obstacle reflectivity, composition and area on the size and shape of the radar detection zone are discussed. An experimental setup for measuring position and velocity of the obstacle crossing the truck path …

Mandatory Child Abuse Reporting: Behaviors, Attitudes And Beliefs Among Psychologists Regarding Current And Proposed Statutes, Angela Marie Cavett

Theses and Dissertations

Child abuse is a serious societal problem that has occurred throughout history. However, only recently has society begun to formally confront child maltreatment by requiring professionals, including psychologists, to identify children who are being abused or neglected, through formal, mandated reporting. Child abuse reports are general addressed by social workers from Social Service Departments. However, this system is not always effective. Despite the mandates to report, psychologists have chosen to not report some cases, especially cases of mild physical abuse.

Psychologists make decisions regarding whether or not to report. This study elaborates on and extends what is known about psychologists' …

The Antecedents And Consequences Of Body Image Dissatisfaction: A Structural Modeling Analysis And A Controlled Laboratory Task, Dana M. Borowiak

Theses and Dissertations

Recent covariance structural equation modeling investigations have begun to examine factors thought to play a role in body image dissatisfaction and eating disturbance (Thompson et al., 1999). The current investigation extended this line of research using structural equation modeling to examine a tripartite model of body image dissatisfaction. Female participants (N = 200) completed an informed consent, the Survey of Background Information, the Body Comparison Scale, the Restraint Scale, the Three Factor Eating Questionnaire, the Body Esteem Scale-Revised, the Inventory of Peer Influence on Eating Concerns, the Perception of Teasing Scale, the Eating Disorders Inventory, the Parent Involvement Scale, the …

Social Capital And Adolescent Student At-Risk Behaviors, Jeffrey M. Schatz

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to investigate the differences between six at-risk behaviors of adolescent students in relation to levels of social capital of 9–12 grade students. Data were gathered from the Youth Risk and Protective Factors Survey (YRPFS), administered to ninth through twelfth grade students in a school district located in a medium size midwest city. Factor analysis reduced the 114 questions on Survey A and B to two independent factors. Independent Factor I, Family Social Capital, was the sum of issues pertaining to the parents' educational background, rules at home, and educational expectations for their children. Independent …

Personality Factors Associated With Success Or Failure On The United States Medical Licensing Examination Step 1 (Usmle Step 1), Carole Jean Sherva

Theses and Dissertations

Failure of medical students to pass Step 1 of the United States Medical Licensing Examination (USMLE Step 1) can create psychological, academic and financial crises for the students, educational institutions and, ultimately, the public by negatively influencing the cost of health care.

Medical students from the University of Kansas School of Medicine (n = 377) and from varying United States of America medical schools enrolled at the University of Missouri, Kansas City, Institute for Professional Preparation (n = 109) had participated voluntarily in ongoing research data gathering. Results from this voluntary testing with the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI), the Adult …

Experiences Of Older Women Following The 1997 Flood In Grand Forks, North Dakota, Mary Jean Formati

Theses and Dissertations

This study explored the effect of a natural disaster on women 65 years and older. It was a qualitative, open-ended, non-emergent, exploratory study designed to understand the issues faced and the continued responses of older women to natural disaster. Data consisted of individual written narratives and individual interviews. The constant comparison method (Glaser & Strauss, 1967; Lincoln & Guba, 1985) was used to explore emerging themes and sub-themes. The purpose was to discover what difficulties older women experienced, how or if their lives changed, and how or if they continue to be impacted by disaster. Four main themes emerged from …

Family Functioning, Parenting Practices, And Psychological Outcomes In Children With Diabetes As Compared To Children Without Diabetes, Lisa Leadbetter

Theses and Dissertations

The aims of this study were to identify what family environment and parenting practices are related to diabetic adherence and healthy psychological adjustment in children with diabetes as compared to children without diabetes. Participants included 60 families, including 30 families with children with diabetes and 30 age- and gender-matched controls without diabetes. Questionnaires were administered to the target child (the child with diabetes or the control child without) that assessed symptoms of depression, anxiety, self-concept and coping strategies. Additionally, one parent from each family completed questionnaires measuring family environment, parental stress, and parenting practices, as well as symptoms of his …

Developmentally Appropriate Experience In Art With Young Children, Evangeline N. Smith

Theses and Dissertations

No abstract provided.

A Framework For Prognostics Reasoning, Thomas C. Clutz

Theses and Dissertations

The use of system data to make predictions about the future system state commonly known as prognostics is a rapidly developing field. Prognostics seeks to build on current diagnostic equipment capabilities for its predictive capability. Many military systems including the Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) are planning to include on-board prognostics systems to enhance system supportability and affordability. Current research efforts supporting these developments tend to focus on developing a prognostic tool for one specific system component. This dissertation research presents a comprehensive literature review of these developing research efforts. It also develops presents a mathematical model for the optimum allocation …

Transfer Trauma Following A Community Evacuation Of The Institutionalized Elderly, Marlys J. Bratteli

Theses and Dissertations

This study examined the impact of evacuation on the institutionalized elderly following the 1996–97 Greater Grand Forks flood. Older adults, living in two long-term care facilities, were evacuated to temporary shelters. Later moved to other long-term care facilities or to the homes of family members, they experienced multiple moves. In order to learn what impact the evacuation had on the institutionalized elderly, two major questions were studied. These were: (1) What were the experiences of the institutionalized elderly during the evacuation? (2) What were the coping strategies used by the institutionalized elderly?

Data were gathered using triangulation: interviews, observation and …

The Disinhibition Effect: An Experiment Using Chat Technology With Sixty Sixth Graders, Jeremy J. Sims

Theses and Dissertations

No abstract provided.

A Measurement Of Job Satisfaction Indicators Of North Dakota Long Term Health Care Givers, Deborah Moreno

Theses and Dissertations

Long term care facilities in North Dakota and across the nation are experiencing a shortage of Registered Nurses (RNs), Licensed Practical Nurses (LPNs), and Certified Nurse Assistants (CNAs). This shortage is significant as it directly affects the quality of care provided to long term care residents. As long term care is labor intensive, recruitment and retention efforts are critical to these facilities. In a highly competitive labor market, although recruitment is important, retention of current employees is crucial. An integration retention strategy is necessary for the retention of employees. Numerous studies have suggested that job satisfaction is directly related to …

The Relationship Of Nurse Job Satisfaction And Patient Satisfaction With Nurses, Rosanne Schmidt

Theses and Dissertations

The intent of this study is to determine if there is a link between nurse job satisfaction and patient satisfaction with nurses. It is important in health care that nurses employed in a facility are satisfied with their jobs and that patients are satisfied with the care they receive while they are a patient in the hospital. The satisfaction of both nurses and the patients served in hospitals ultimately affects the bottom line of that hospital. The outcome of this study indicates there is evidence that a relationship exists between some aspects of nurse job satisfaction and some types of …

Public Policy Response To The Demand For Broadband Deployment, Anthony T. Clark

Theses and Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Depression And Help-Seeking Behavior Of North Dakota Farmers: The Impact Of The Farm Crisis, Wanda J. Mcsparron

Theses and Dissertations

Little is known about the psychological impact of the current farm crisis. This study examined the incidence of depression and the help-seeking behavior among North Dakota farmers. A secondary purpose was to determine the relationship of economic stress, as well as demographic variables, with levels of depression and help-seeking behavior.

A sample of 500 North Dakota farm operators was randomly selected from Prairie Grains Magazine mailing list and asked to participate in a mail survey. 199 farm operators and 120 spouses/partners responded to the survey. Each participant was asked to anonymously complete and return the Personal Data Questionnaire, Financial Stress …

The Effects Of Disclosing Childhood Sexual Abuse On An Adult Survivors' Sense Of Self-Esteem, Personal Trauma, And Interpersonal Capabilities, Susan E. Rudolph

Theses and Dissertations

Nineteen survivors of childhood sexual abuse who are receiving services from supportive agencies participated in this study. Counselors from crisis centers and university counseling centers distributed questionnaires to possible participants who disclosed childhood sexual abuse. Perceptions of the first experience of disclosure from the participants were examined, along with the duration of abuse, to find a possible correlation between these variables, current self-esteem levels, levels of trauma, and interpersonal capabilities. Instruments used included the Disclosure of Abuse Scale, Rosenberg’s Self-Esteem Scale, Trauma Symptom Checklist - 40, and the Interpersonal Reactivity Index. The hypotheses of the study included 1) perception of …

Wisc-Iii Performance Patterning Differences Between Native American And Caucasian Children, Teton W. Ducheneaux

Theses and Dissertations

Native American children are sometimes inappropriately assessed, diagnosed, and labeled using Western European standardized intelligence measurements. The use of these measures with Native American children leads to questions regarding appropriate placement issues. Many clinicians are unfamiliar with these unique cultural differences. Some studies suggest the possibility of a “Native American Pattern” on the Wechsler Intelligence Scales for Children (McShane & Plas, 1982). Mishra (1982) also found cultural bias with Information, Similarities, and Vocabulary subtests on the WISC-R when comparing Anglo and Navajo children with matching Full Scale IQ's. The present study investigated the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children (WISC-III; Wechsler, …

Longitudinal Predictors Of Weight Fluctuation In Men And Women, Kelly L. Bishop

Theses and Dissertations

Previous literature has indicated that weight loss maintenance represents a major challenge in the management of obesity (Brownell, 1995; Stunkard, 1985). The vast majority of individuals who diet lose and regain weight many times, a pattern often referred to as weight cycling.

The present study was a prospective attempt to understand weight maintenance and fluctuation in a general/normal sample of individuals (n = 315) and in a select group of weight loss maintainers (n = 19). Participants were assessed twice, six months apart, and weight change over this period was correlated with several predictors assessed at Time 1. These predictors …

The Value Of Transcultural Nursing Education: Perceptions Of Nursing Graduates, Jane E. Bergland

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this qualitative study was to determine the value of transcultural nursing education as perceived by eight graduates from Minnesota State University Moorhead's baccalaureate nursing program. Perceptions of nurses' care provision and what influenced those care provision choices where obtained during first interviews when they reflected upon a culturally sensitive fictitious scenario. Second interviews were conducted with each interviewee in which they were given the opportunity to expand on their perceptions and verify conclusions being drawn. Reliability was established when half of the interview transcripts were analyzed by a nursing professor with experience in qualitative research. The study …

The Effects Of Self-Esteem Instruction For Children With Disabilities, James Henderson

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of self-esteem instruction for children with disabilities. Academic achievement, attitudes toward school and learning, and attitudes toward peers were measured prior to ninety days of self-esteem direct instruction. A total of 72 children with disabilities from grade 1 to 3 in 3 elementary schools in the same community participated. They were divided into both control and experimental groups in 3 elementary schools with a total of 3 experiment and 3 control groups. Three special education teachers provided self-esteem direct instruction to the experimental groups according to the same lesson plans …

Antioxidant Defense In Exercised Skeletal Muscle Of The Aging -Delayed Ames Dwarf Mouse., Mark Andrew Romanick

Theses and Dissertations

The Free Radical Theory of Aging is considered to offer a viable explanation for the phenomenon of the aging process. The rate of aging according to this concept depends on an organism’s ability to control oxidative stress within its cellular environment. The experiments in this study center around the Ames dwarf mouse, a mammalian model of aging that has demonstrated both extended life span and heightened antioxidant defense, and skeletal muscle, a tissue whose function is significantly affected under the influence of aging. Hindlimb skeletal muscle from dwarf and wild type mice at different ages was tested for its antioxidant …

A Case Study In The Use Of Cognitive-Behavioral Treatment Of Emotional And Behavioral Symptoms Related To A Traumatic Brain Injury, Urszula Kobylinska

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to examine the effectiveness of cognitive-behavioral therapy techniques with traumatic brain injury (TBI) individuals using a case study format. The subject of this study was a 54-year-old woman who suffered a traumatic brain injury in an automobile accident. For the purpose of this study, she was seen over a six-month period beginning in January 2002. Major emphasis was on reducing depression and anxiety related to TBI and increasing her social and vocational functioning. Anxiety and depression were pre- and post-tested using the Beck Depression Inventory and Sheehan Anxiety Scale. Post-testing suggested significant decreases in …

Gender Equity: Is There A Glass Ceiling In The State Governments Of North Dakota, Minnesota, And Montana, Ellen Paul

Theses and Dissertations

No abstract provided.

An Evaluation Of Facility Maintenance And Repair Strategies Of Select Companies, Christopher L. Sharp

Theses and Dissertations

Although initial construction costs are high, the cost of operation and maintenance over a facilities life-cycle is significantly higher. A common challenge for facility maintenance professionals is balancing the cost of facility Maintenance and Repair (M&R) with the benefits derived from those facilities. This thesis documents how a selection of companies implemented that balance by determining their facilities requirements based on their chosen facility condition level and how they then allocated funds. The research effort consisted of interviews with facility maintenance professionals at each company selected. The data was then used to perform a multiple case study analysis and comparison …

The Marketing Of Major League Soccer, Bruce G. Hummer Jr.

Theses and Dissertations

For the past six years, Major League Soccer has tried to penetrate American homes with its brand of soccer. Television advertisements and in-house surveys have been made to encourage people to view soccer as a spectator sport. The league, though, has been on decline since its first year and the question still remains why soccer has a hard time being a spectator sport in America. This study examined how Youth Soccer parents perceive the league.

The author went to various Youth Soccer games and registrations and used an intercept survey of the soccer parents. The parents were asked if they …