Digital Commons Network^™

The Strength Of Multidimensional Item Response Theory In Exploring Construct Space That Is Multidimensional And Correlated, Steven Gerry Spencer

Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation compares the parameter estimates obtained from two item response theory (IRT) models: the 1-PL IRT model and the MC1-PL IRT model. Several scenarios were explored in which both unidimensional and multidimensional item-level and personal-level data were used to generate the item responses. The Monte Carlo simulations mirrored the real-life application of the two correlated dimensions of Necessary Operations and Calculations in the basic mathematics domain. In all scenarios, the MC1-PL IRT model showed greater precision in the recovery of the true underlying item difficulty values and person theta values along each primary dimension as well as along a …

Identification Of Proteins Involved In Chloroplast Dna Replication, Matthew G. Lassen

Theses and Dissertations

Chapter 1

Chloroplast nucleoids (ct-nucleoids) are DNA/protein complexes involved in compacting the chloroplast genome, and may play a role in regulating DNA replication. Ct-nucleoids were isolated from young soybean plants and separated by 2-D gel electrophoresis. Gel spots were excised and analyzed by MALDI-ToF mass spectrometry, resulting in several protein identifications. The proteins identified all have functions unrelated to DNA replication. While some of these proteins may be due to contamination, it is possible that some of these proteins are dual-functional, playing direct roles in the regulation of DNA replication.

Chapter 2

A 28 kDa soybean protein was isolated by …

Distribution Of Chemistry And Sexual Fecundity In The Lichenized-Fungi, Xanthoparmelia Cumberlandia And Xanthoparmelia Coloradoensis On Boulder Mountain, Aquarius Plateau, Ut, Heather Bird Jackson

Theses and Dissertations

Three aspects of Xanthoparmelia cumberlandia and Xanthoparmelia coloradoënsis populations found at two elevations are explored: clustering of secondary chemicals and the resulting implications for taxonomic distinctions, the usefulness of thallus size as an indirect measure of sexual fecundity, and the frequency of sexual reproduction.

First, we use clustering of 46 chemicals produced by X. cumberlandia and X. coloradoënsis to evaluate the adequacy of the current taxonomic distinction between them. Using principal components analysis and UPGMA, we find that the currently recognized species boundaries indicated by the presence of stictic acid in X. cumberlandia and salazinic acid in X. coloradoënsis are …

Wind Tunnel Investigation Of The Static Stability And Control Effectiveness Of A Rotary Tail In A Portable Uav, Jose R. Rivera Parga

Theses and Dissertations

The Air Force Research Lab, Munitions Directorate, Flight Vehicles Integration Branch (AFRL/MNAV) developed a man-portable, carbon-fiber matrix UAV with a flexible rectangular wing of 24" span and 6" chord, 18.2" length. There is a need for the development of smaller and lighter UAV's to perform certain missions. The objective of this experimental study was to determine the behavior and the aerodynamic characteristics of rotary tails. The bird-inspired rotary tail mechanism studied enabled control of two degrees of freedom and was configured to provide elevator deflection and rotation. Its effects on the static stability and control effectiveness were measured using the …

Hydrogeologic Model Of A Leachate Plume In An Unconfined Coastal Plain Aquifer And Chemical Transport Mechanisms Of Metals And Dense Non-Aqueous Phase Liquids, Thomas Lindblad

Theses and Dissertations

Groundwater contamination is of increasing environmental concern as many aquifers across the globe have experienced a decrease in water quality in recent time. The growth of the world's population over the last couple of decades has caused a dramatic increase in the rate of groundwater use. One potential source of groundwater contamination is waste material in landfills. The 1 st Division Road Sanitary landfill at Fort Benning Military Reservation was studied to evaluate the potential effect on local groundwater and a leachate plume was recognized using data from 16 groundwater monitoring wells located around the facility. The study site is …

Emotional Intelligence And Performance In Graduate School Counseling Program, Gregory J. Gibson

Theses and Dissertations

Emotional Intelligence has been described in the popular literature as being a better predictor of life success than cognitive ability or personality (Gibbs, 1995). In recent years, there has been a plethora of emotional intelligence workshops, books, seminars, and web pages dedicated to education and training in the development of emotional intelligence in the workplace and in other life areas. Despite this trend, there is a considerable amount of discrepancy regarding the measurement and description of what emotional intelligence represents. Not surprisingly, there has also been inconsistency in the literature regarding its predictive value with job and academic success. Moreover, …

The Characteristics Of Effective Fund Raising In Higher Education, Elizabeth Morken Tollefson

Theses and Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Assessing The Perceptions And Attitudes Of Black Students In A Midwestern Predominantly White Institution, Matsimela Changa Diop

Theses and Dissertations

Black students at a predominantly White institution (PWI) were assessed regarding their attitudes toward their experiences at a Midwestern research university. Questionnaires were sent to all enrolled students who indicated that their racial background was Black. A return rate of 44% (42 respondents) was received. Over 75% of the respondents were male, reflecting the predominant number of males among Black students at this PWI.

The students were divided into two groups, voluntary minority status Blacks and involuntary minority status Blacks (those from the adjoining two states of North Dakota and Minnesota). The voluntary minority status Blacks generally were more positive …

Population Dynamics Of Three Amphibian Species Across The Sheyenne National Grassland Of Southeastern North Dakota, Bartholomew L. Bly

Theses and Dissertations

Concerns over worldwide declines of amphibians, including some to extinction, has increased the urgency for understanding how amphibians interact within local environments and across regional landscapes. Hypotheses for declines include anthropogenic destruction and fragmentation of amphibian habitat, introduction of exotic predators and competitors, increased ultraviolet (UV-B) irradiation, acid precipitation, environmental contamination by pollutants, harsh climatic conditions, over harvesting, and infectious disease. Three different types of models were developed for the northern leopard frog (Rana pipiens), gray tiger salamander (Ambystoma tigrinum diaboli), and gray tree frog (Hyla versicolor/chrysoscelis complex) populations inhabiting the Sheyenne National Grassland (SNG) in southeastern North Dakota. The …

Psychological Distress Between American Indian And Majority Culture College Students Regarding The Use Of The Fighting Sioux Nickname And Logo, Angela Laroque

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of the study was to investigate to what extent, the “Fighting Sioux” Nickname and Logo affects American Indian and Majority Culture college students emotionally. This study compared American Indian and Majority Culture students’ differences of emotional reactions and distress to twc different slide presentations using images of the “Fighting Sioux” Nickname and Logo found around the campus of the University of North Dakota (UND). The main focus was to examine the possible psychological side effects.

Participants consisted of 36 Majority Culture and 33 American Indian College students in attendance at UND. Each participant filled out an informed consent …

Phosphorylation Of Skeletal Muscle Acetyl-Coa Carboxylase By Ampk Enhances Palmitoyl-Coa Inhibition, Dustin S. Rubink

Theses and Dissertations

Acetyl-CoA carboxylase (ACC) catalyzes the formation of malnoyl-CoA, which in turn controls the rate of fatty acid metabolism. ACC beta or 2 has been shown to be localized on the mitochondria in close proximity to carnintine palmitoyl transferase 1 (CPT-1), the enzyme responsible for the influx of acyl-CoA into the matrix where beta oxidation takes place. CPT-1 is inhibited by malonyl-CoA produced by ACC. It has been well documented that AMP activated kinase (AMPK) when activated phosphorylates and inactivates ACC. ACC is controlled allosterically by citrate, which activates, and by palmitoyl-COA, which inhibits. In this study, we asked the question, …

The Effects Of Exposure To Images Of The Male Muscular Ideal On Body Image And Muscularity Concerns In Men, Jason Alan Mccray

Theses and Dissertations

Though body-image has been well-researched in women for more than 40 years, theoretical discussions and empirical investigations addressing male body-image have only recently began to emerge. Work by Pope, Phillips and Olivardia (2000) has begun to identify the dynamics of male body-image distortions and the role media depictions of muscular men may play in their pathogenesis. The empirical literature is curiously devoid of experimental investigations of male responses to media and advertising depictions of muscular men.

The present study was designed to parallel the well-established literature examining women’s responses to fashion images in terms of changes in body-image and mood …

Annotation Manager: An Automated Web-Based Content Management System For Digital Libraries With Annotated Bibliographies, Frenny Thomas

Theses and Dissertations

With the expansion of the World Wide Web in the 90s, individuals (especially students) are always on a quest for information resources especially in the form of Web sites. Yet many of them are overwhelmed when faced with deciding which site will best suit their research needs. As a result, these individuals may select a resource for less than optimal reasons. To ease some of the burden, libraries have made great advances to provide a place to organize information resources. Such places are called library portals, and they typically provide a gateway to web resources by categorizing and annotating them …

A Cognitive-Behavioral Treatment For Depression In Native American Middle-School Students, Lori B. Listug-Lunde

Theses and Dissertations

Depression and suicide are serious conditions among Native American adolescents. Despite the need for effective treatment approaches in this population, there continues to be a dearth of empirical research in this area. Intervention studies examining Native American adults at risk for depression and Native American youth at risk for suicide have found effectiveness utilizing group skill-based interventions. Group cognitive-behavioral therapy has demonstrated effectiveness among Caucasian adolescents; however, its effectiveness has never been examined with Native American youth experiencing depressive symptoms.

The current study modified, implemented, and evaluated a cognitive-behavioral intervention for depression among Native American middle-school students. A modification of …

Offender Treatment: An Evaluation Of A Cognitive Restructuring Program, Randy L. Telander

Theses and Dissertations

The United States is first among industrialized nations in the rate at which we imprison offenders. With ever-increasing numbers of incarcerated offenders and continued high recidivism rates, many institutions have begun implementing treatment programs in attempts to combat crime and reduce recidivism rates. With high costs to all of society (including victim losses and costs to prevent, convict, and imprison offenders), it is important for correctional officials to know the extent to which programs are facilitating or inhibiting offender change. However, despite many reported program evaluations being published in the literature, many have identifiable flaws and few, if any researchers …

Modeling The Spread And Prevention Of Malicious Mobile Code Via Simulation Cs-2004-15, Christopher Brian Shirey

Theses and Dissertations

Malicious mobile code causes billions of dollars every year in damages, and that cost keeps increasing. Traditional signature-based anti-virus software is a reactive solution that can not detect fast spreading malicious code quickly enough to prevent widespread infection. If we hope to prevent widespread infection of future malicious mobile code, new prevention techniques must be developed that either stop a new infection completely, or at least limit the spread until signature-based anti-virus software can be updated. Simulators exist that model the spread of malicious mobile code, but none currently exists that can efficiently model host-based and network-based spread prevention techniques …

Ip Algorithm Applied To Proteomics Data, Christopher Lee Green

Theses and Dissertations

Mass spectrometry has been used extensively in recent years as a valuable tool in the study of proteomics. However, the data thus produced exhibits hyper-dimensionality. Reducing the dimensionality of the data often requires the imposition of many assumptions which can be harmful to subsequent analysis. The IP algorithm is a dimension reduction algorithm, similar in purpose to latent variable analysis. It is based on the principle of maximum entropy and therefore imposes a minimum number of assumptions on the data. Partial Least Squares (PLS) is an algorithm commonly used with proteomics data from mass spectrometry in order to reduce the …

Evolution And Phylogeny Of Basal Winged Insects With Emphasis On Mayflies (Ephemeroptera), Thomas H. Ogden

Theses and Dissertations

Ephemeroptera (mayflies) is a monophyletic group of semi-aquatic pterygote insects, comprising 3083 species, 376 genera, and 37 described families and are present on all continents, excluding Antarctica, being associated with freshwater and brackish water habitats. The order is unique among pterygote insects in possessing functional wings at the penultimate molt (subimago stage), prior to the full development of genitalia; in all other insects the presence of functional wings occurs only after the final molt. The purpose of this dissertation is to use molecular and morphological data, in order to investigate the position of the order Ephemeroptera among other insect orders, …

Density Effects On Growth, Survival And Diet Of June Sucker (Chasmistes Liorus): A Component Allee Effect In An Endangered Species., David Barrett Gonzalez

Theses and Dissertations

Density-dependence is considered one of the most important regulators of population growth, and it has been documented across a wide variety of species. Typically, population growth rate and components thereof decline with increasing density (i.e., negative density-dependence); however, in species that exhibit high population densities and social behavior, positive density-dependence (i.e., Allee effect) may occur at low density. June sucker, a federally endangered lake sucker endemic to Utah Lake, Utah, USA, occurred historically at high density, and it exhibits coordinated feeding behavior. These characteristics indicate a potential for the existence of an Allee effect at current low population densities. To …

Polarimetric Temperature Sensor Using Core-Replaced Fiber, Benjamin L. Ipson

Theses and Dissertations

Optical fibers are increasingly being used to create sensing devices. The D-fiber has an elliptical core and exhibits birefringence. This birefringence can be used to create a polarimetric sensor. The elliptical core supports two orthogonal modes that have separate effective indices of refraction. The indices of refraction change with a change in temperature. Since the effective indices of refraction change differently for the two modes, the birefringence also changes. This change in birefringence can be seen as a change in detected power through the fiber through the use of polarizers. The fiber then becomes a temperature sensor. The sensitivity of …

A Case Study In The Treatment Approaches And Outcomes Of Adjustment Disorder, Tobiellen Care

Theses and Dissertations

This case study evaluated the effectiveness of cognitive-behavioral therapy in the treatment of an adolescent female in a community agency. The client was diagnosed with adjustment disorder mixed with anxiety and depression. A psychosocial history of the client was presented emphasizing the psychosocial stressors that contributed to the adjustment disorder. A review of empirically supported treatment approaches for adjustment disorders was conducted. The Beck Depression inventory and the Trait Anxiety scale were used as outcome measures. Pre and post comparisons of both measures indicated clinically significant decreases in both anxiety and depression. However, further treatment was needed to extend the …

A Study Of The Factors Of Home Life That Are Common Among Students In Special Education Which May Influence Behavior Problems In School, Jenise R. Hillian

Theses and Dissertations

The two purposes of this study were to (a) determine if there are factors of home life that are common among students in special education which may influence behavior problems in school; and (b) evaluate possible solutions to help to decrease the behavior problems. Twelve students in special education at a high school in New Jersey were selected to be the subjects of the study based on their consistent occurrences of disciplinary problems. The parents of the students completed a questionnaire concerning home life and quality time spent on certain activities with the family. The results from the survey revealed …

Network-Layer Selective Security, Casey T. Deccio

Theses and Dissertations

The Internet and other large computer networks have become an integral part of numerous daily processes. Security at the network layer is necessary to maintain infrastructure survivability in the case of cyber attacks aimed at routing protocols. In order to minimize undesired overhead associated with added security at this level, the notion of selective security is proposed. This thesis identifies elements in network topologies that are most important to the survivability of the network. The results show that the strategic placement of network security at critical elements will improve overall network survivability without the necessity of universal deployment.

Bioinformatic Analysis Of A Mammalian Bip Gene For Insertion Into Green Algae And Comparison Of Its Possible Effects On The Synthesis Of A Mammalian Antibody, Katrina Ghazanfar

Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation describes a study utilizing bioinformatics to analyze homologues of a molecular chaperone, glucose-regulated protein 78 (grp 78), also known as BiP. The selected homologous proteins originate from organisms of infinitely diverse genera. Comparisons of protein sequence yielded the first clues of a common ancestry among these proteins. Furthermore, protein molecular weights, isoelectric points, N-terminal amino acids and half-lives of a known homolog and a non-homologous protein were examined. Additionally, electroporation, a state-of-the-art plasmid insertion technique, was explored using Chlamydomonas reinhardtii, a green alga, as the recipient of a parent plasmid, pSP124S. Distinctive hypertonic solutions and three separate field …

The Effects Of Selenium On Estrogen-Regulated Gene Expression In Lncap Prostate Cancer Cells, Tory L. Parker

Theses and Dissertations

Prostate cancer is the most frequently diagnosed cancer in American men and the second leading cause of cancer deaths. Supplementation with Se has reduced the incidence of prostate cancer and Se status is inversely correlated with prostate cancer risk. One molecular mechanism by which high Se concentrations may affect cancer risk is by catalyzing disulfide bond formation or otherwise complexing with reactive sulfhydryl groups in cellular proteins. The estrogen receptor (ER) contains cysteines in zinc (Zn) fingers that are susceptible to oxidation and internal disulfide formation, which can prevent DNA binding. We examined ER binding to its DNA response element …

Variance In Percent Body Fat Between And Within Families As Measured By Dual-Energy X-Ray Absorptiometry, Laurel Anne Kelsey

Theses and Dissertations

Objective: To determine the variance in percent body fat between and within families as measured by dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry (DXA). Methods: Percent body fat (%BF) assessed in 95 females, 120 males (included 54 sets of biological siblings) using DXA. Physical activity questionnaire used to assess current physical activity habits in each participant. Results: Variance in %BF between and within families is similar. Amount of television viewing and levels of physical activity can affect %BF. Discussion: A model such as the one derived in this study can be a useful tool in intervention programs implemented to decrease obesity.

Marriage Moments: An Evaluation Of An Approach To Strengthen Couples' Relationships During The Transition To Parenthood, In The Context Of A Home Visitation Program, Kimberly Ann Rose Lovejoy

Theses and Dissertations

This study evaluates the efficacy of a self-guided, low-intensity curriculum, Marriage Moments, based on Fowers' (2000) virtues model of marital quality that emphasizes friendship, generosity, justice and loyalty. The Marriage Moments program consists of a guidebook and a video that were designed to strengthen marriages during the transition to parenthood and is used in the context of a home visitation program for first-time parents. Participants in the study included 119 married couples who had recently given birth to their first child. They were assigned to either a treatment, comparison or control group. The treatment group received the Marriage Moments curriculum …

Evaluation Of Chromium Mobility In An Electrokinetic Environment, Christopher Michael Fetters

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this research was to determine the potential effect indigenous ions may have on the effectiveness of electrokinetic remediation of chromium contaminated soils. A synthetic soil matrix was tested in conjunction with four common ion pairs found in soils and ground water. The results of this study indicate that the interaction of the indigenous ions is sufficient to inhibit the effectiveness of the electrokinetic remediation process. The mobility of chromium through the soil was altered in the presence of high concentrations of the indigenous ions. Further study in this area will be required to address the effect of …

Methanogenic Generation Of Biogas From Synthesis-Gas Fermentation Wastewaters, Katherine Ann Taconi

Theses and Dissertations

As societies around the world become increasingly more dependent on fossil based fuels, the need to investigate alternative fuel sources becomes more pressing. Renewable, biomass-based carbon sources obtained from the biosphere can be gasified to produce synthesis gas, which can in turn be fermented to produce fuel-grade ethanol. A byproduct of ethanol production via fermentation is acetic acid. An optimized ethanol fermentation process should produce a wastewater stream containing less than 2 g/L of acetic acid. This is not enough acid to justify recovery of the acid; however it is a high enough concentration that treatment of the stream is …

In-Situ Lead Immobilization Using Phosphate Based Binders, Jason Ellis Darnell

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to determine the optimum phosphate treatment method to stabilize lead contaminated soil from a firing range. Seven different phosphate sources at five different concentrations were added to soil collected from a firing range on a military base. A series of tests were performed to determine a generic phosphate treatment method. The selected generic phosphate treatment was compared to an untreated control soil sample and to four commercially available treatments provided by invited vendors selected from industry. The four vendors processes, control, and generic treatments were subjected to a series of physical and chemical tests …