Digital Commons Network^™

The Roles Of Several Kinases In Mice Tolerant To Delta-9-Tetrahydrocannabinol, Matthew C. Lee

Theses and Dissertations

It has been suggested that the CB1 G-protein-coupled receptor is internalized following agonist binding and activation of the second messenger pathways. The process of desensitization and resensitization is intimately involved with receptor internalization. Phosphorylation alters tolerance to cannabinoids thus contributing to tolerance. It is proposed that phosphorylation enhances the down-regulation of the CB1 receptor. These findings led us to look at which kinase(s) may be involved in cannabinoid tolerance. We therefore hypothesize that by preventing phosphorylation of the CB1 receptor, we may reverse tolerance. We evaluated our hypothesis by testing the role of several kinases in tolerance: protein kinase A …

Correlation Of Visualized Glucocorticoid Receptor And Apoptosis In Individual Clones Of Nb2 Cells, Devang M. Patel

Theses and Dissertations

The Nb2 lymphoma cell line is susceptible to glucocorticoid (GC)-induced apoptosis in the absence of mitogen and this effect is inhibited by the mitogen prolactin (PRL). This process is believed to be mediated by the glucocorticoid receptor (GR) and various downstream signals. The purpose of this study was to use the limiting dilution method to isolate subsets of Nb2 clones which expressed either highly enriched amounts of GR or an absence of GR and to relate the amount of GR to the magnitude of GC induced cytolysis. The presence of GR in these clones was determined by immunocytochemistry (ICC) using …

An Evaluation Of The City Of Danville-Pittsylvania County Annexation, Gerald A. Craver

Theses and Dissertations

An insufficient amount of evaluation research has been conducted on Virginia's annexations. This study helps to fill that void by evaluating the Danville - Pittsylvania County annexation. The thesis attempts to determine if the city of Danville benefited from the annexation and if Pittsylvania County was able to recover from the loss that it suffered as a result of the annexation.

In order to evaluate the annexation, data was collected and analyzed for seven research categories: urban services, planning, demographics, community leadership, local government cooperation, economic development, and public finance. In addition, government documents were reviewed to collect information that …

Higher Education And The Social Contract: Achieving Alignment With The Service Mission In The Liberal Arts/Sciences At Urban Universities, Jackie Cook Elston

Theses and Dissertations

American higher education exists today in an environment of accountability. The public is demanding full participation in addressing the considerable social, health and economic problems facing society. Despite explicit statements of commitment to public service and community outreach however, according to numerous studies conducted over the past twenty years, universities are not articulating this commitment in faculty roles and rewards.

This study advances the discussion of roles and rewards at one particular model of institution — the urban university. The focus is on the behavior and attitudes of academic leaders at these unique institutions to determine the extent to which …

Creating High-Quality Marriages: A Qualitative Study Of Religious Couples, Jerry Lyman Redd

Theses and Dissertations

This study is a qualitative analysis of in-depth interviews with thirty-two couples who have been married for eight years. Although the couples in this sample have similar religious, economic, and cultural backgrounds, the quality of each marriage is quite different. Ten couples have exceptionally high-quality marriages, eighteen have average-quality marriages, three are struggling, and one couple has been divorced. The purpose of this study was to better understand what the ten couples with high-quality marriages are doing to create successful relationships. I conclude that high-quality marriages are created by a couple's participation in a particular process with a specific paradigm …

The Impact Of Religiosity On Coping Among Lds Adolescents, Matthew P. Roper

Theses and Dissertations

This study examines the impact of religiosity on coping in a group of Mormon (Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints) youth. Longitudinal data were gathered from detailed questionnaires administered to 2852 male and female adolescents in 1990 and 1993. Coping was conceptualized as four general dimensions (self-concept, public activities and service, deviance and future plans). Religiosity was also conceptualized multi-dimensionally (religious belief, public religiosity, private religious behavior, and religious experiences). Multiple regression analysis was used to investigate the unique effects of each of the dimensions of religiosity on each dimension of coping. It was hypothesized that religiosity was positively …

Religious Couples' Reported Effects Of Prayer In Conflict Situations, Julie Ann Stout

Theses and Dissertations

For religious couples, the spiritual domain stands alongside the biological, psychological, and systemic domains as an influence upon interaction and mechanism for change. This study is a quantitative expansion of Butler, Gardner, and Bird's (1998) qualitative study, of the change dynamics of prayer. This study attempted to improve the generalizability of the Butler et al. (1998) study through its use of a larger, and religiously and geographically more diverse sample. This study investigated the effects of prayer during times of marital conflict through a quantitative methodology with a survey design. The researchers developed a survey based on the findings of …

The Effect Of Biculturalism On Self-Esteem In Northern Plains Native American College Students, Mary J. Wilkie

Theses and Dissertations

The main purpose of this study was to examine the effect of biculturalism on self esteem in a sample of 51 Northern Plains Native American college students (29 females, 22 males). Subjects completed the Northern Plains Biculturalism Inventory (NPB1; Allen & French, 1994) and the Index of Self-Esteem (ISE; Hudson, 1982). Pearson Product- Moment correlations, independent t-tests, a multiple regression analysis, and an one-way analysis-of-variance was performed using the SPSS statistical package to examine, if any, the relationships between the NPBI subscales and the ISE total scores. This design tested the applicability of the Orthogonal Theory of Biculturalism (Oetting & …

Immediate Feedback Using The "Bug-In-The-Ear" In Counselor Training: Implications For Counseling Self-Efficacy, Trainee Anxiety And Skill Development, Shan A. Jumper

Theses and Dissertations

This investigation examines the delivery of immediate, in-session feedback using the “bug-in-the-ear” (BITE) as an instructional technique in conjunction with live supervision during the counseling practicum. The study was conducted to explore an effective means of supervisor intervention which did not disrupt the counseling session. Few empirical investigations have been conducted in this area, and previous studies on this instructional aid used in models of live supervision were largely narrative in design.

Counseling self-efficacy, trainee anxiety, and counseling performance were examined for twenty graduate student counselor trainees enrolled in the department of counseling at a northern plains university. Ten participants …

Reasons, Goals, And Incentives For Corporate Philanthropy To Arts Organizations, Marsonda Mcnutt Schroeder

Theses and Dissertations

One of the methods employed by corporations to create a favorable relationship with its publics is to use philanthropy to not- for-profit organizations such as the arts. From a communication point of view, this action may be looked upon as a gesture between the corporation, the recipient, and the publics which involves messages both sent and received. Research on this communication gesture is important because arts organizations need to know how the process works in order to help secure philanthropic dollars. Corporations need to understand the results of the process so that they can more effectively achieve the goals for …

Assistive Technology, Tammy Nielsen

Theses and Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Woman's Transition From The Principalship To The Superintendency In North Dakota, Nancy Ann Gjovik

Theses and Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Deinstitutionalization Effects On Medication Use For People With Mental Retardation, Paul D. Kolstoe

Theses and Dissertations

Historically, patterns of psychoactive medication use in institutional settings for people with mental retardation were considered excessive. Service standards substantially reduced levels of such medication use. Similar research in community settings has been limited, but comparisons between the two settings are fraught with complicating variables. Rapid deinstitutionalization in North Dakota provided a unique opportunity to follow the medication use patterns of people who stayed and those who left the institution. Follow up time periods were selected for statewide accreditation (1989) and several years later through which those standards have been consistently met (1995). Psychoactive medication use decreased with the onset …

"Pure Otherness": Directing Sexual Identity In Mac Wellman's Dracula, Darin D. Kerr

Theses and Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Student Satisfaction With The Process Of Transferring To The University Of North Dakota., Mary E. Dalglish Bergstrom

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to examine issues related to the level of satisfaction with selected aspects of the transfer process of the students who had transferred to the University of North Dakota (UND). Research questions addressed several issues including the difficulty experienced in transferring to UND in regard to admission, advisement, and/or acceptance of transfer credit; the respondents' perceptions of the accuracy and understandability of information provided by UND; the ways in which students were satisfied or dissatisfied with the transfer admission process; and the respondents' suggestions for improvements to the transfer admission process.Data were gathered using a …

Test Of Variables Of Attention (Tova) Utility In Differentiating Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder Subtypes, Steven Andrew Westby

Theses and Dissertations

Research has indicated that Continuous Performance Tests (CPTs) can differentiate Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity (ADHD) subjects from controls without any psychiatric illness. However, CPTs have neither accurately differentiated ADHD children from those with other psychiatric disorders—nor differentiated subtypes of ADHD from each other. The Test of Variables of Attention (TOVA), a new CPT, has several advantages over its predecessors which may allow the TOVA to be more effective in this differentiation process.

Data from ADHD subjects was selected from children who were administered the TOVA as part of their evaluation for ADHD at Lakeland Mental Health Center in Moorhead, MN, the Child Evaluation …

Perceived Efficacy Of Support Mechanisms In Higher Education: A Comparison Of Traditional And Nontraditional-Age Female Students., Susan L. Neste

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to identify the perceptions of nontraditional age female students at the University of North Dakota in regard to support mechanisms that have, or have not, enhanced the likelihood of success in their efforts to secure a college degree. Research questions focused on several issues including support mechanisms provided by the University of North Dakota as well as support mechanisms outside the University (i.e., family, job, church, community support). Additionally, the research questions focused on those obstacles which may or may not have impeded students' academic success and on nontraditional age female students' perceptions of …

The Glucose-6-Phosphatase System: Structural Integrity And Physiologic Function., Bartholomew Adam Pederson

Theses and Dissertations

The enzyme glucose-6-phosphatase (Glc-6-Pase) (E.C. 3.1.9.3) plays a major role in the maintenance of blood glucose levels. Besides its classical role of hydrolyzing Glc-6-P, Glc-6-Pase also hydrolyzes mannose-6-phosphate (Man-6-P) and phosphorylates glucose via its biosynthetic activity. The enzyme is routinely studied in rat liver microsomes in the presence and absence of an activating/disrupting agent. The activator histone II-A reportedly increases Glc-6-Pase activity without destroying the microsomal membrane (St.-Denis et al. (1995) Biochem. J. 310, 221-224). We examined whether histone II-A disrupts microsomes by using the inhibitor N-bromoacetylethanolamine phosphate (BAEP). This compound inhibits Glc-6-Pase only in native microsomes. We found that …

Determinants In The Carboxyl Terminus Of The Type I(Alpha) Regulatory Subunit Of Camp-Dependent Protein Kinase That Influence Cyclic Nucleotide Binding., Mark Allen Kapphahn

Theses and Dissertations

The carboxyl terminal 19 amino acids of the type $\rm I\alpha$ regulatory subunit of cAMP-dependent protein kinase were investigated to determine their contribution to cAMP selectivity. The parent $\rm RI\alpha$ subunit contained an Ala-to-Thr mutation at position 334 so that it would bind both cAMP and cGMP with high-affinity. Stop codons were introduced into the parent cDNA construct at positions corresponding to Val-375, Asn-372, Gln-370, and Cys-360. The proteins were expressed in E. coli and purified by affinity chromatography, as were all other proteins in this study. Truncation mutants were initially characterized for cAMP and cGMP dissociation properties. This was …

Can Visuospatial Ability Predict Body Size Estimation Accuracy?, Paulette Marie Stronczek

Theses and Dissertations

The present study tested to see if there were relationships between the ability to estimate body size and other visual-spatial abilities. Fifty female undergraduates at the University of North Dakota who did not have eating disorders (as tested by the Eating Disorders Inventory (Garner, 1990)) were tested. They were asked to estimate the width of their shoulders, waist, hips, and thighs; the width of the shoulders, waist, hips, and thighs of a mannequin; the width of a file cabinet; and the width of a soup can. They did this with the Askevold method of estimation (1975) and the Ruff and …

Effects Of Shiftwork On Air Force Aircraft Maintenance Personnel, Craig A. Campbell

Theses and Dissertations

This study examined the effects of converting a large aircraft maintenance squadron from 8-hour shifts to 12-hour shifts. The squadron studied converted its 24- hour maintenance work force from three 8-hour work shifts to two 12-hour work shifts incrementally, with one section converting to 12-hour shifts in January, 1996, and the remaining section converting in July, 1996. Both sections remained on 12-hour shifts until September, 1997, when both sections converted back to a three shift 8-hour operation. Health and well being, on- and off-duty accident rates, day shift vs. night shift accident rates, and the effects of stress and fatigue …

A Comparison Of 8-Hour Vs. 12-Hour Shifts On Performance, Health And Safety In A Usaf Aircraft Maintenance Squadron, Kelly J. Scott

Theses and Dissertations

This study examined the effects of converting a large USAF aircraft maintenance squadron from an 8- hour shift system to a 12-hour shift system. In 1996, the squadron converted its 24-hour operations from three 8-hour work shifts, to two 12-hour work shifts with compressed work weeks. The squadron maintained 12-hour shifts for 19 consecutive months. A comparison was made of organizational performance, worker health and safety measures before, during and after 12-hour shift implementation. Findings indicated that changing from 8- to 12-hour shifts resulted in a slight increase in aircraft Mission Capability rates. However, this benefit appears to have come …

Outsourcing: An Historical Review For The Projection Of Future Savings, Leslee J. Saleck

Theses and Dissertations

Because of continuing budget and personnel limitations and the need to fund weapons modernization, the Department of Defense has increased its emphasis on outsourcing support activities. Recent studies have suggested that aggressive outsourcing of support activities by the DoD could produce billions of dollars in savings. The overriding purpose behind this research was to determine to what extent projected savings can be substantiated. To explore the potential for savings, this thesis examines the evolution and impact of outsourcing and privatization in both the private and public sectors. Next it looks at the experiences of private and public sectors to identify …

What Exactly Is Inclusion? A Handbook For Parents Of Yound Children Without Disabilities, Dyann Stordahl

Theses and Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Multiple Discourses In Early Mormon Religion, Jon M. Duncan

Theses and Dissertations

The development of early Mormon religion is best viewed in the context of multiple discourses, each of which contained various competing symbols. These discourses shaped the mind and world-view of early Latter-day Saints and determined in part their behavior. Prophetic symbols existed simultaneously with other, more American symbols; and while neither discourse excluded the other, a prophetic discourse gradually came to dominate. At the same time, however, the American discourse in Mormon religion remained intact and continued to influence the behavior and actions of early Mormons.

Meaning In Family Mealtime, Ardyth Gunnell Cannon

Theses and Dissertations

This project asks families what mealtime together means to them. The topic of family mealtime appears comparatively infrequently in academic literature, and any meaning that families associate with mealtime has seldom been studied directly. This particular research investigates meanings of the understudied mealtime event by interviewing three or four generations of family members from five different families. Attention is paid to emerging standards of rigor for qualitative research, namely applicability through the selection of families who have a history of practicing a family mealtime tradition, truth value in faithfully representing the interviewees perceptions, and auditability by including detail of the …

The Relationship Of Perceived Social Support, Health Status, And Quality Of Life In Female Systemic Lupus Erythematosus Patients, Seanne S. Tyson

Theses and Dissertations

This study was designed to explore the relationship among perceived social support, health status, and quality of life in a sample of female systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) patients. A strong positive correlation was found between perceived social support and quality of life. Negative correlations were found between perceived health status and perceived social support, and perceived health status and quality of life. Last, a negative correlation was found between objective health status and quality of life. In multiple regression analyses, perceived social support explained a significant amount of variance in the quality of life variable in conjunction with both observed …

Factors Associated With Client Satisfaction And Perceptions At A University Counseling Center, William R. Walsh

Theses and Dissertations

The attitudes of clients at a university counseling center were studied in order to better understand the counseling process. Attitudes included client satisfaction and perceptions of the counselor on the dimensions of expertness, attractiveness, and trustworthiness. Variables assessed were the change in Global Assessment of Functioning (GAF) scores, the nature of termination of therapy, the level of training of the counselor, and the gender of both client and counselor. The study observes all five variables in an attempt to determine their individual and collective influence on the counseling process. Questionnaires were mailed to students who sought counseling at the University …

The Relationship Between A Dimensional Ratings Of Perceived Exertion Scale And Heart Rate In Young Children, Anita Marie Tougas

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to determine the reliability of a dimensional rating of perceived exertion scale (D-RPE) for young children while exercising. Sixteen boys and girls (ages 6-8 years) peiformed two incremental walking tests on a motorized treadmill. Each subject walked at 3.2 miles per hour until the subject was fatigued or voluntarily stopped the test. The intensity was increased by increasing the treadmill incline 2.5% every two minutes. Heart rate (HR) was monitored at each two minute interval by a heart rate monitor worn across the chest. Either a mouthpiece or oxygen face mask was used to …

The Effects Of Alcohol And Anxiety: Senesitivity On Social Stress In Women, Beth A. Lewis

Theses and Dissertations

The tension reduction hypothesis postulates that consuming alcohol leads to a stress dampening effect. This stress reduction is negatively reinforcing, therefore, individuals learn that consuming alcohol will reduce unpleasant, tension type sensations and cognitions. Several studies have examined the validity of the tension reduction hypothesis as an explanatory model for the development o f alcohol problems, but no clear consensus has been found. As a result, researchers have begun to examine individual difference variables that may interact with the effects of alcohol on anxiety. The present study examined potential individual difference factors (social anxiety and anxiety sensitivity) by randomly assigning …