Digital Commons Network^™

Human Performance Profiles For Planetary Analog Extra-Vehicular Activities: 120 Day And 30 Day Analog Missions, Tiffany M. Swarmer

Theses and Dissertations

Understanding performance factors for future planetary missions is critical for ensuring safe and successful planetary extra-vehicular activities (EVAs). The goal of this study was to gain operational knowledge of analog EVAs and develop biometric profiles for specific EVA types. Data was collected for a 120 and 30 day analog planetary exploration simulation focusing on EVA type, pre and post EVA conditions, and performance ratings. From this five main types of EVAs were performed: maintenance, science, survey/exploratory, public relations, and emergency. Each EVA type has unique characteristics and performance ratings showing specific factors in chronological components, environmental conditions, and EVA systems …

North Dakota State Policy Effects On State Public K-12 Schools' Ability To Offer Effective Professional Development, Stephen Ryan Townsend

Theses and Dissertations

Through research I have identified eight constructs of effective professional development (collaborative, content focused, active practice, inclusive of technology, goal oriented, evaluated, sustained, increases self-efficacy). North Dakota state law requires two days of professional development that are defined by their length of time. The purpose of this quantitative study was twofold: (a) to identify if the eight constructs of effective professional development are embedded in North Dakota public schools' professional development opportunities and (b) whether or not the schools that offer professional development given the restraints of North Dakota state law are offering effective professional development. North Dakota public school …

Songbird Response To Mixed Ungulate Herd Reduction Through Changes In Vegetation At Sullys Hill National Game Preserve, Bethany J. Walters

Theses and Dissertations

Big game management traditionally focused on single species management with less emphasis, until recently, on community interactions. Sullys Hill National Game Preserve (SHNGP) is a 678 hectare preserve where extirpated Plains bison (Bison bison) were reintroduced along with Rocky Mountain elk (Cervus elaphus) and white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus). These large ecosystem engineers have been managed at varying densities within a fenced area of deciduous woods, wetlands, and native prairie since 1918. Grazing, browsing, and rubbing by ungulates, along with additional refuge management prescriptions (e.g. prescribed fire), shape the understory and midstory and in turn …

Effects Of Generic Versus Personally Delivered Education And Self-Disclosure On Elementary School Children's Social Attitudes Towards A Peer With Tourette Syndrome, Erin Lynn Olufs

Theses and Dissertations

Children with tic disorders are at a higher risk for peer rejection and social withdrawn. Children who face peer rejection are at greater risk for internalizing, externalizing, and social problems, and often experience extreme loneliness and a lack of friendships. The impact of educational videos and self-disclosure have been examined in separate studies and have been shown to increase positive attitudes towards those with TS, but the two methods of education have not yet been directly compared to one another with a student population. In the current study, the differential effects of receiving professional TS education, self-disclosure TS education, and …

Novel Approaches Investigating Predisposition For Maternal Group B Streptococcus Colonization, Michelle Lynn Wright

Theses and Dissertations

Group B streptococcus (GBS) is the leading cause of infectious neonatal morbidity and mortality in the United States. Maternal GBS colonization is the primary risk factor associated with neonatal infection. However, maternal risk factors for GBS colonization are ambiguous. A conceptual framework of gene-environment interactions guided the approach for this study analyzing DNA methylation, serum cytokines, and vitamin D levels. The purpose of this study was to identify potential maternal biomarkers associated with GBS colonization. Descriptive statistics were conducted to depict sample characteristics (n=42 pregnant women) and identify potential confounding variables including, but not limited to: medical history, race, weight, …

A Novel Assembly Algorithm That Optimizes For Rna-Seq Data, Yi Yang

Theses and Dissertations

The advent of next-generation sequencing (NGS) technology has shown unprecedented promise for accurately identifying and quantifying genomic variants for living organisms. For species whose genome sequences are unknown, the first step of RNA sequencing data analysis is to assemble all short reads. The de Bruijn graph-based algorithms, such as Oases, are usually used for short reads assembly to resolve the issue of computational complexity. However, de Bruijn graph-based assemblers normally generate high error rates when assembling RNA-Seq data. We have developed a novel assembly algorithm that can be used jointly with any other assembly methods for RNA-Seq short reads. The …

The Interplay Between Aging, Growth Hormone, The Methionine Pathway, And Epigenetic Methylation Marks And Mechanisms, Vanessa Louise Armstrong

Theses and Dissertations

Methylation reactions are important for the establishment and maintenance of epigenetic methylation tags on DNA and histone molecules that are critical for the development and life-long function of an organism. While epigenetics has been studied extensively during embryological development and age-related disease such as cancer, little is known about whether epigenetic methylation enzyme expression change in normally aging or long-living mammals. Because growth hormone (GH) plays an important role in determining the lifespan of many organisms, we have focused our studies on the long-living growth hormone deficient model the Ames dwarf mouse. We focused our studies on epigenetic methylation in …

Minnesota Paraeducators' Perceptions Of The Barriers To Becoming Licensed Special Education Teachers, Joni Burris

Theses and Dissertations

Public schools across the country are facing a critical shortage of licensed special education teachers. For many reasons, paraeducators have been considered strong teacher candidates and have been recruited into the teaching profession intermittently for decades. Paraeducators who decide to obtain their teaching license often experience obstacles to this endeavor: money, time, family obligations, navigating the university system, and academics.

This research study examined and analyzed Minnesota paraeducators' perceptions of the barriers to obtaining their special education teaching license. It also assessed the perceptional differences between Minnesota paraeducators who have completed at least a bachelor's degree and those who have …

Regulation Of Proline-Directed Phosphorylation Site, Threonine 53 On Dopamine Transporter, Sathyavathi Challasivakanaka

Theses and Dissertations

The dopamine transporter (DAT) is a plasma membrane protein that clears extraneuronal dopamine (DA) and thus controls the spatio-temporal dynamics of dopaminergic neurotransmission. Also, DAT is the major target for psychostimulant substrates, amphetamine (AMPH) and methamphetamine (METH), and psychostimulant uptake blocker, cocaine (COC). DAT is a phosphoprotein with both the N- and C-termini facing toward the cytosol, with multiple phosphorylation sites on the N-terminus. DAT has a closely spaced 6-serine cluster on the distal N-terminus that is phosphorylated in a protein kinase C (PKC)-dependent manner and a recently identified proline-directed site, Thr (T) 53, that is phosphorylated in vitro by …

Common Core State Standards: Beware The Trojan Horse, Yee Han Chu

Theses and Dissertations

The Common Core State Standards (CCSS) represent a promise by general education that all students can be college and career ready through the acquisition of essential knowledge, skills, and abilities. These essential elements will be rigorous, supporting the higher-order and independent thinking skills typically associated with the achievement of excellence. CCSS, in short, promises excellence in all students. The needs of those students who demonstrate high ability do not receive any separate mention: (1) how has the concept of excellence been incorporated into the CCSS; and (2) what is the potential impact on high ability students?

These questions are examined …

An Analysis Of Abortion Demand In Pennsylvania 2000 - 2010, Guido Giuntini

Theses and Dissertations

In this paper I expand on previous research of the determinants of abortion demand to examine the demand for abortion in the specific case of Pennsylvania, where precise statistics are available for each county. The data considered is for the years 2000 and 2010, and allows for cross sectional and panel data analysis, specifically, first-difference permitting to look at the effect of changes over time of specific explanatory variables. Careful attention is placed on variable selection techniques to avoid the use of low significance variables. The analysis allows controlling for price, as it is considered to be constant across the …

Therapeutic Igy: Safe, Diverse, And Effective For Use Against Viral Targets, Nicole Noel Haese

Theses and Dissertations

Passive antibody treatments are used to target infectious disease, toxins, venoms, and cancer antigens. Recently, there has been an increased interest in the use of avian-derived antibody treatments such as IgY. IgY is the primary serum antibody isotype present in the avian system, and IgY treatments have already been demonstrated to be effective against a variety of bacterial and viral infectious agents. There are two forms of IgY expressed in anseriformes birds, a full length IgY that is functionally similar to mammalian IgG, and an alternatively spliced IgY, IgY(ÄFc), that is comparable to the mammalian F(ab')2 fragment. The difference in …

Part I: An Approach To The Synthesis Of Plakortethers A-E Part Ii: Rhodium-Catalyzed Intramolecular C-H Insertion On Diazosulfonates And Its Synthetic Applications, Duminda Shiromalee Liyanage

Theses and Dissertations

This research work consists of two independent studies. The first study is the development of a synthetic route to plakortethers A-E along with possible derivatives. The second study focuses on the synthetic applications of rhodium-catalyzed intramolecular C-H insertion on diazosulfonates.

Plakortethers (A-G) represent a set of marine natural products, which contain of a characteristic tetrasubstituted tetrahydrofuran fragment. This group of compounds was isolated from the Caribbean sponge Plakortis simplex. Their selective cytotoxic activity against the RAW 264-7 cell lines (murine macrophage) makes them promising candidates for biological studies and, along with their unusual structure, warrants the synthesis of these natural …

Potential Juror Credibility Evaluations Of Gay And Lesbian Witnesses, Lisa Mae Olson

Theses and Dissertations

This study looked at whether the sexual orientation of a witness has an effect on a potential juror's determination of the witness's credibility, and examined traits such as respondent gender and college major, that may predict high levels of sexual prejudice. The sample consisted of 379 undergraduate students at a medium sized, upper Midwestern university. Results did not reveal an overall link between witness credibility ratings and sexual orientation, with the gay male witness receiving the highest credibility rankings followed by the heterosexual male witness, heterosexual female witness, and lastly, the lesbian female witness. It does not appear that the …

Quantifying Nutrient Cycling And Fate Within An Abandoned Feedlot And Adjacent Wetlands, Prosper Prosper Gbolo

Theses and Dissertations

Feedlot operations over the years have increased revenue and boosted economies of states and countries, but these operations have resulted in elevated concentrations of nutrients in soils, surface water, and groundwater. Feedlot operations generate large quantities of manure and other waste, which when not managed properly can result in environmental problems.

It is hypothesized that nitrogen can cause a short-term contamination of soils and groundwater beneath abandoned feedlots, but phosphorus can cause both short- and long term contamination, especially in well-drained carbonate and iron-rich soils associated with Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations. It is also hypothesized that a spectral vegetation index …

The Effect Of Damaged Bases On The End Joining Of Dna Double Strand Break Ends, Duaa Bafail

Theses and Dissertations

DNA double strand breaks (DSBs ) are extremely toxic to cells because they can lead to genomic rearrangements and even cell death. Two main pathways can repair DSBs: the homologous recombination repair (HRR) pathway and the non-homologous end-joining (NHEJ) pathway. NHEJ is the primary repair pathway in mammalian cells. HRR repairs single strand breaks (SSBs) or DSBs, mostly during late S phase and G2 phase of the cell cycle, by using an undamaged copy of the DNA sequence, and is therefore largely error-free, while the NHEJ pathway repairs DSBs without the requirement for sequence homology, may be error-free or error-prone, …

The Role Of Authoritative Parenting In Type 1 Diabetes Adolescent Outcomes, Zach Radcliff

Theses and Dissertations

Due to psychosocial and hormonal changes, adolescents with Type 1 Diabetes (T1D) are at risk for poorer regimen adherence, quality of life (QOL), and glycemic control (HbA1c). Authoritative parenting (AP) supports youth development during the transition into adolescence. To date, the mechanisms behind authoritative parenting and better HbA1c are yet to be examined. Parent-youth dyads completed measures of authoritative parenting, adherence, and QOL. As hypothesized, more authoritative parenting related to higher socioeconomic status (SES; β = -.13, p = .04) rather than ethnicity. Further, more authoritative parenting related to better glycemic control via the mechanisms of higher youth QOL (β …

The Group Iva Cytosolic Phospholipase A2/C1p Interaction And Its Role In Eicosanoid Synthesis And Inflammation, Jennifer A. Mietla

Theses and Dissertations

In the presented study, we demonstrate that the interaction of group IVA cytosolic phospholipase A2 and ceramide-1-phosphate is crucial for production of eicosanoid synthesis in inflammation. Inflammation is a critical component of many disease states including anaphylaxis, cancer, cardiovascular disease, rheumatoid arthritis, diabetes and asthma. Eicosanoids are well established mediators of inflammation, and the initial rate limiting step in the production of eicosanoids is the liberation of arachidonic acid (AA) from membrane phospholipids by a phospholipase A2 (PLA2). The major phospholipase involved in this liberation of AA during the inflammatory response is group IVA cytosolic phospholipase A2 (cPLA2α). Previous studies …

Expanding Understanding Of Public Policy As A Complex And Pluri-Disciplinary System: Illustrating Possibilities Of Epistemic Pluralism, Cynthia Cors

Theses and Dissertations

Science, and especially the social sciences, has developed as distinct territories, each with its own vocabulary and language-game (Wittgenstein, 1945/1958). Yet understanding and explaining science as a complex and pluri-disciplinary system has important practitioner-oriented as well as research-oriented and other benefits, benefits that can be enhanced through the use of cloud-based technologies. Understanding and explaining public policy in particular as complex can inform and transform the way problems are approached. This is particularly important for an action subject like public policy and administration that can be considered as having been influenced by many disciplines. Public administration (PA) through multiple perspectives, …

Clarissa's Suffering: Theorizing Sympathy And Physical Pain In The Eighteenth Century, Audrey Hungerpiller

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis examines theories of pain in the eighteenth century, and what it meant to sympathize with the pain of another. I begin briefly with the theories of Descartes and his adherents before focusing on David Hartley and John Locke. Physicians and natural philosophers of the period understood pain as a pure mechanism of the nervous system, confined to the tubelike fibers that run through the body. Naturally everyone feels pain by some means, whether illness or injury, so men ought to be able to sympathize with the afflictions of others. Yet, according to Adam Smith in The Theory of …

Phenotypes And Variants In Cases Submitted For X-Linked Intellectual Disability (Xlid) Gene Panel Testing, Michael J. Friez

Theses and Dissertations

Intellectual disability (ID) refers to reduced cognitive function, apparent before the age of 18, that negatively affects a person's learning and adaptive capacity. Approximately 1-3% of the population is affected with ID, males more than females, and most in the mild-to-moderate range. ID creates financial, logistical and psychosocial challenges for affected persons and their families and caregivers. It is estimated that up to 50% of ID has a genetic cause. Molecular genetic diagnosis may help in obtaining services and has important implications for family members, but can be elusive. Genes causing ID are known to be over-represented on the X …

The Effects Of Aeration On Phytoplankton Community Composition And Primary Production In Stormwater Detention Ponds Near Myrtle Beach, Sc, Lauren Hehman

Theses and Dissertations

Stormwater detention ponds are a common approach to managing stormwater runoff in coastal South Carolina. While effective at preventing flooding, they can be sites of intense phytoplankton blooms that result from excess nutrients inputs. This can lead to water quality degradation within ponds from oxygen depletion, fish kills, health concerns from harmful algal blooms (HABs), and water quality deterioration in adjacent coastal waters when pond discharges. The most common management practice to rid the ponds of excess phytoplankton biomass is the addition of copper-based algaecides. While temporarily effective, these algaecides require regular re-application and lead to artificial cycles of productivity …

The Comparative Effectiveness Of Group Prenatal Care On Women's Psychosocial Health, Emily Heberlein

Theses and Dissertations

Background: High rates of adverse birth outcomes persist in the United States despite increased access to individual prenatal care (IPNC). Psychosocial factors influence birth outcomes and affect infant and child development and maternal functioning. Group prenatal care (GPNC) combines individual physical assessments and facilitated group education and support. Studies of GPNC show promising results, including lowered preterm birth rates, but the GPNC psychosocial mechanisms influencing birth outcomes are unclear.

Methods: Surveys at study enrollment (N=248), late pregnancy, and six weeks postpartum assessed psychosocial effects of each PNC model. Multiple regression models and planned moderator analyses tested whether GPNC participants had …

Anthropogenic Ecological Impacts Of 17th And 18th Century Chickasaw Through A Study Of Faunal Remains, Marybeth Harte

Theses and Dissertations

A diachronic analysis of five faunal assemblages from Chickasaw sites is carried out to evaluate their anthropogenic ecological impacts during the colonial time period (A.D. 1650-1750). Change in faunal exploitation, diversity measures and disturbance taxa frequencies are analyzed to gauge these impacts. A comparison with late Mississippian period faunal use provides a benchmark to examine how shifts in the cultural system initiated new ecological impacts. Results from the faunal analysis are also compared with reports of faunal utilization and landscape management practices in the historical record. These reports provide a basis for assessing change in prey preferences according to the …

Arts Entrepreneurship: An Essential Sub-System Of The Artist's Meta-Praxis, Jonathan Gangi

Theses and Dissertations

As the field of Arts Entrepreneurship education continues to grow, the barriers it confronts prevent maximum vitality. Leading scholars and administrators indicate that program development and formal accreditation standards are important components supporting the field's growth. As such, this document explores next steps and examines how to move the field towards academic maturity.

First, notable Arts Entrepreneurship academic programs are compared and contrasted as a representative sample of existing curricular approaches. Second, issues of accreditation are analyzed as barriers preventing growth, followed by recommendations for removing these obstacles. Third, the Artist's Meta-Praxis conceptual framework is presented as a way to …

A Study On Atmospheric And Oceanic Processes In The North Indian Ocean, Clifford Steven Felton

Theses and Dissertations

Studies on oceanic and atmospheric processes in the Indian Ocean are an active and important area of scientific research. Understanding how intraseasonal and interannual variations impact both the ocean and atmosphere will aid in delineating potential feedback mechanisms and global teleconnections. Thanks to recent efforts focused on expanding observational capabilities and developing models for this region, researchers have been able to begin investigating atmospheric and oceanic processes in the Indian Ocean. This study focuses on the impact of the El Niño Southern Oscillation (ENSO) on tropical cyclone activity over the Bay of Bengal (BoB) and on developing a method for …

Best Practices In The Management Of Pediatric Obesity In Primary Care Clinics, Lori Moseley

Theses and Dissertations

Obesity prevalence among children and adolescents has nearly tripled since 1980. Children and adolescents are at risk for developing the comorbidities seen in obese and overweight adults such as hypertension, type 2 diabetes, and sleep apnea. Traditional treatment for obese and overweight children involved counseling children and their families. Current recommendations include a comprehensive staged approach to weight management that includes prevention plus structured weight management, comprehensive multidisciplinary intervention and tertiary care intervention. Unfortunately structured weight management programs have not been widely available, leaving the primary provider with limited options.

The purpose of this project was to analyze the literature …

Approximate Quantum Trajectory Method For Modeling Chemical Reaction Dynamics: Application To Enzymatic Proton Transfer, James William Mazzuca

Theses and Dissertations

Molecular dynamics simulations, providing a detailed picture of the reaction mechanism, is an essential tool for theoretical and experimental chemists. In these simulations the nuclei are typically treated as classical particles, but under some conditions (low energies and temperatures, processes involving multiple electronic states) a classical description is inappropriate. Quantum effects of nuclear motion, such as tunneling and zero-point energy can play an important role in determining a reaction mechanism, yet exact quantum dynamics methods are limited to reactive systems of just 3-4 atoms. Central to this work is the development and implementations of an efficient trajectory-based methodology, in which …

Microfinance And Poverty Reduction: How Risks Associated With Government Policies Affect Whether Microfinance Alleviates Poverty In Latin-America, Brian Warby

Theses and Dissertations

The expansion of financial services to the poor, now widely referred to as microfinance, quickly saw tremendous success in Bangladesh beginning in the 1970's and was exported to a number of other countries. For a time microfinance was spoken of as a panacea, in part because it is more detached from governments than other forms of poverty alleviation. I develop a model based on expected utility theory that looks at how risks associated with government policies and characteristics affect whether this mechanism eases poverty. Using a large N analysis of Latin-American states from 1990-2010 and a case study analysis to …

An Evolutionary Perspective On Infectious And Chronic Disease, John Eberth

Theses and Dissertations

The integration of evolutionary biology with traditional medicine can elucidate novel mechanisms of contemporary disease. Whereas the goal of traditional medicine is to treat and cure the proximate causes, evolutionary biology aims to understand the driving forces behind why humans are susceptible to disease. To form the basis of this hypothesis we postulate that modern man's current genetic information was programmed at a time, and in an environment, that is not relevant to today's human populations. The discordance between these genes of our ancestors and the environment of contemporary humans is thought to be a major reason for the increase …