Digital Commons Network^™

(In)Competent Communication And Depression : Understanding The Correlation Between Deficient Communication Skills And The Healthcare Provider, Sharon M. Cline

Theses and Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Differences Between The Health Seeking - (Promoting) Behaviors Of Rural, Rural - Urban And Urban Women, Patricia M. M Morka

Theses and Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Slab-Geometry Molecular Dynamics Simulations: Development And Application To Calculation Of Activity Coefficients, Interfacial Electrochemistry, And Ion Channel Transport, Paul S. Crozier

Theses and Dissertations

Methods of slab-geometry molecular dynamics computer simulation were tested, compared, and applied to the prediction of activity coefficients, interfacial electrochemistry characterization, and ion transport through a model biological channel-membrane structure. The charged-sheets, 2-D Ewald, corrected 3-D Ewald, and corrected particle-particle-particle-mesh (P3M) methods were compared for efficiency and applicability to slab-geometry electrolyte systems with discrete water molecules. The P3M method was preferred for long-range force calculation in the problems of interest and was used throughout.

The osmotic molecular dynamics method (OMD) was applied to the prediction of liquid mixture activity coefficients for six binary systems: methanol/n-hexane, n-hexane/n-pentane, methanol/water, chloroform/acetone, n-hexane/chloroform, methanol/ …

Evidence For Signal Transduction Effect Upon Simian Virus 40 Uncoating, Christopher W. Patterson

Theses and Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Determination Of Protein Profile And Presence Of Antibodies In Llama Seminal Plasma (Llama Glama), Francisco Flores Lópes

Theses and Dissertations

Internationally, Bolivia has the largest llama population followed by Peru. This makes our country a power in this renewable resource for working and generating economic development. This is mainly because of the quality of llama meat, which has nutritional properties superior to other animal species. The development and research in our country of llamas is not very significant. But in other countries advanced studies have been done for years, specifically in the area of reproduction, which represents problems for intensive repopulation because of singular characteristics of semen and copulation. The present research work was done at the UAC in Tiahuanacu …

A Study On The Meaning Of Whiteness, Carolyn A. Loe

Theses and Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Characterization Of Experimental Polychondritis In Aged Hla-Dq Transgenic Mice, Allison T. Thiele

Theses and Dissertations

No abstract provided.

A Gis Model Estimating The Effects Of Land-Use On Fish Community Structure, Anne Marguerite Coyle

Theses and Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Apoptosis In The Ames Dwarf Mouse : Studies Of Basal Apoptotic Protein Levels And In Vitro Apoptosis Induction, Melissa A. Kennedy

Theses and Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Compliance With Title Ix Of The Education Amendments : How Do North Dakota Public Schools Measure Up?, Carol Ann Reed

Theses and Dissertations

No abstract provided.

A Teaching Evaluation Plan For The Office Of Medical Education At The University Of North Dakota, Maureen D. Ramsett

Theses and Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Creation Of Three Nutritional Mixes Based On Amaranth (Amaranthus Caudatus) And Other Andean Crops For School-Aged Children (Cochabamba-Bolivia), Sandra Carola Delgadillo Barriga

Theses and Dissertations

In Bolivia we have three very valuable Andean grains: amaranth (Amaranthus caudatus), quinoa (Chenopodium quinua), and canihua (Chenopodium pallidicaule), which combined with cereals and legumes can become a complete and balanced food in order to combat the malnutrition that is so widespread in our region. In this study, various nutritional mixes were formulated, based on amaranth and other Andean crops, and the three best were chosen according to nutrition, palatability, and cost. They were: Andean Baby Food, Mixicereal, and Amaranth Cookie, which have an amino acid complement between 79% and 100% and give satisfactory amounts of protein, energy, and minerals …

The Effects Of An Aquatic Intervention Program On The Discomforts Of Pregnancy, Sheila Anne O'Hanlon Smith

Theses and Dissertations

Approximately 50% to 80% of pregnant women complain of low back pain, edema, and other discomforts. Although exercise programs have been recommended to decrease the discomforts of pregnancy and improve body image. There is a paucity of research in this area. There is very little research on exercise in water, despite theoretical and empirical advantages of such activity.

This study’s aims were to determine the impact of an aquatic exercise intervention program on pregnant women’s body image, self-efficacy, perception of barriers to health-promoting behaviors, health-promoting behaviors, mobility, and discomforts. Pender’s Health Promotion Model (1996) served as the framework for the …

Working Length Determination In Palatal Roots Of Maxillary Molars, Melanie A. Kim-Park

Theses and Dissertations

The aim of this study was to determine if a buccal curvature in the palatal roots of maxillary molars affected the clinician’s ability to accurately determine working length. Twenty-seven extracted, human maxillary molars were sorted by palatal root curvatures as J- and C-type and the angle of curvature was determined. Straight-line access was made and a #20 file was placed into the canal until the tip was visible at the apical foramen then withdrawn. The file, tooth and calibration wire were radiographed on one image using the RVG. Actual (file) and radiographic (tooth) lengths were determined using the RVG ruler. …

Motivations And Gratifications For Selecting A Niche Television Channel: Byu Television, Diena L. Simmons

Theses and Dissertations

The growth of direct broadcast satellite television distribution to the home as a viable competitor to cable and terrestrial broadcast has fostered the availability of special interest or niche channels and therefore provided greater choice to the viewer. This study, based on uses and gratifications theory, examined the relationships among ritual and instrumental viewing motivations and satisfactions, viewer religiosity, and viewing attentiveness as they related to the selection of a niche television channel, Brigham Young University Television.
The uses and gratification approach provides an appropriate framework for studying "media consumption, the interrelated nature of television user motives, and the relationships …

Airs: A Resource Limited Artificial Immune Classifier, Andrew B. Watkins

Theses and Dissertations

The natural immune system embodies a wealth of information processing capabilities that can be exploited as a metaphor for the development of artificial immune systems. Chief among these features is the ability to recognize previously encountered substances and to generalize beyond recognition in order to provide appropriate responses to pathogens not seen before. This thesis presents a new supervised learning paradigm, resource limited artificial immune classifiers, inspired by mechanisms exhibited in natural and artificial immune systems. The key abstractions gleaned from these immune systems include resource competition, clonal selection, affinity maturation, and memory cell retention. A discussion of the progenitors …

Evaluation Of Chitosan As A Cell Scaffolding Material For Cartilage Tissue Engineering, Dana Lynn Nettles

Theses and Dissertations

Current articular cartilage tissue engineering endeavors, using synthetic polymers as scaffolds, have been somewhat successful. However, the use of these materials has not yielded a satisfactory, functional replacement for articular cartilage. Therefore, this project focuses on an alternative to these materials, chitosan, which is a naturally occurring biopolymer. The first project objective was to fabricate and analyze bulk, porous chitosan scaffolds, based on total porosity, average pore diameter, mechanical integrity, and degradation susceptibility. Secondly, scaffolds were evaluated in terms of their ability to support neochondrogenesis, including assessments of cell attachment and viability, cell morphology, and the biosynthesis of proteoglycan and …

Evaluation Of An Attached Growth Organic Media Bioreactor For Swine Waste Treatment And Odor Abatement, Allison Paige Kirkpatrick

Theses and Dissertations

The objective of this study was to determine if an organic media attached growth bioreactor could effectively be used as a means of odor control for swine waste. The pilot-scale attached growth bioreactor system was evaluated against a standard pit recharge system, which served as the control. Performance was based on water quality testing, odor assessments by a human sensory panel, and air phase measurements of ammonia and hydrogen sulfide. The affect of aeration on the system was also evaluated, along with various types of organic media (kenaf, hardwood mulch, and corncobs). Overall, the bioreactor systems were effective in reducing …

Air Vehicle Path Planning, Jeffrey M. Hebert

Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation explores optimal path planning for air vehicles. An air vehicle exposed to illumination by a tracking radar is considered and the problem of determining an optimal planar trajectory connecting two prespecified points is addressed. An analytic solution yielding the trajectory minimizing the received radar energy reflected from the target is derived using the Calculus of Variations. Additionally, the related problem of an air vehicle tracked by a passive sensor is also solved. Using the insights gained from the single air vehicle radar exposure minimization problem, a hierarchical cooperative control law is formulated to determine the optimal trajectories that …

Genetic Dissection Of Behavioral And Neurogenomic Responses To Acute Ethanol, Aaron Wolen

Theses and Dissertations

Individual differences in initial sensitivity to ethanol are strongly related to the heritable risk of alcoholism in humans. To elucidate key molecular networks that modulate ethanol sensitivity we performed a systems genetics analysis of ethanol-responsive gene expression in brain regions of the mesocorticolimbic reward circuit (prefrontal cortex, nucleus accumbens and ventral midbrain) across the BXD RI panel, a highly diverse family of isogenic mouse strains before and after treatment with ethanol. Acute ethanol altered the expression of ~2,750 genes in one or more regions and 400 transcripts were jointly modulated in all three. Ethanol-responsive gene networks were extracted with a …

The Speech And Language Characteristics Of One Child With Brachmann-De Lange Syndrome, Kelli Mickelson

Theses and Dissertations

Brachmann-de Lange syndrome is a dysmorphogenic disorder that has been characterized by multiple congenital abnormalities. Individuals with this syndrome commonly have mild to severe cognitive involvement. Commonly, speech and language presents a challenge to this population.

One individual diagnosed with Brachmann-de Lange syndrome has been administered a battery of speech, language, and hearing assessments to determine his communicative understanding, intent, and ability. The parents of this individual volunteered and willingly agreed to participate in the study.

Results of this study help to provide some common speech and language characteristics of one child with Brachmann de Lange syndrome. Expressive and receptive …

The Attitudes And Behaviors Of Native American Patients With Diabetes And Their Relationship To Seeking Health Care, Madonna Azure

Theses and Dissertations

Diabetes Mellitus is a major health problem for Native Americans. There has been an increase in the prevalence rate of Type 2 diabetes among this population. The increase in Type 2 diabetes has been attributed to major lifestyle changes such as decreased physical activity and a diet high in fats. The number of diagnosed patients with diabetes has almost doubled over a ten-year period on the Fort Berthold Indian Reservation.

The purpose of this study was to assess the attitudes and behaviors of Native American patients with diabetes and their relationship to patients' seeking health care services. The variables studied …

The Analysis Of Selective Information Processing And Neuropsychological Functioning In Individuals At-Risk For Eating Disorders: The Use Of A Pictorial Adaptation To The Stroop Paradigm, Using Print Media Advertisements, Kristine L. Lokken

Theses and Dissertations

There is evidence that women with bulimic symptoms are characteristically impulsive and have difficulty inhibiting various behaviors. Neuropsychological profiles of women with bulimic symptoms show patterns of impulsivity, inefficient problem solving ability, and an inability to inhibit irrelevant information. Women with bulimic symptoms also express substantially greater acceptance and internalization of sociocultural mores of thinness, and are more vulnerable to negative influence from laboratory exposure to stimuli representing “thin ideal” stereotypes. The present study examined a possible common link between the characterological and neuropsychological features of women with bulimic symptoms and their susceptibility to negative influence from mass media representations …

A Comparison Of Intellectual Test Performance Across Native American And European American Children, Austin P. Keith

Theses and Dissertations

Differential scoring across Native American and European .American groups on the Wechsler Intelligence Scales for Children - Third Edition (WISC-IIi) was examined while controlling for Full Scale IQ and age. Comparisons were made across the groups on Verbal IQ and Performance IQ, individual subtests, individual subtest items and two composite index scores. Results indicated no significant scorino differences between the two groups on Performance IQ or, on the Perceptual Organization Index, Significant scoring differences were also not evident on the Coding, Picture Arrangement, Arithmetic, Block Design, Vocabulary-, Object Assembly and Comprehension subtests. Significant scoring differences were found across the groups …

Neuropsychological Functioning And Family Environment Of Children With Attention-Defecit/Hyperactivity Disorder And Comorbid Oppositional Defiant Disorder/Conduct Disorder, M. Catherine Yeager

Theses and Dissertations

Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is hypothesized to be a disorder of executive functioning; however, results of studies comparing ADHD with control children using executive functioning measures are inconsistent, with some studies showing group differences while others do not. One limitation of these studies has been the failure to control for frequently occurring comorbid psychiatric conditions, such as Oppositional Defiant Disorder (ODD) and Conduct Disorder (CD), in the ADHD groups. Previous studies have demonstrated that children with ADHD and comorbid CD or severe ODD perform significantly better on tests of cognitive/executive functioning when compared to children with ADHD only. Based on these …

Modeling And Analysis Of Social Networks, Robert S. Renfro Ii

Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation develops new methods for the modeling and analysis of social networks. Social networks describe the complex relationships of individuals and groups in multiple overlapping contexts. Influence in a social network impacts behavior and decision making in every setting in which individuals participate. This study defines a methodology for modeling and analyzing this complex behavior using a Flow-Model representation. Multiple objectives in an influencing effort targeted at a social network are modeled using Goal Programming. Value Focused Thinking is applied to model influence and predict decisions based on the reaction of the psychological state of individuals to environmental stimuli. …

The Human Immunodeficiency Virus Envelope Protein Gp120: Effects On The Hepatic Growth Hormone-Insulin-Like Growth Factor Axis., Zachery Thomas Resch

Theses and Dissertations

A significant number of individuals diagnosed with acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS) develop AIDS wasting syndrome (AWS). In these individuals, weight loss and endocrine dysfunction has been described. We previously developed a rat model for the study of a minor subset of the AWS population described as having an apparent growth hormone (GH) deficiency (Type I AWS) using the human immunodeficiency virus (HTV) envelope protein. gpl20, as the mediator. My goal was to develop a rat model for the study of the far more common form of AWS (Type II), which is characterized by a GHresistant state. Cultured, primary hepatocytes …

A Comparison Of Three Rapid Evaluation Procedures For Pine Savanna Wetlands, Cynthia Joan Henderson

Theses and Dissertations

Inception of the Clean Water Act in 1972 resulted in regulation of activities in wetlands through Section 404. Regulatory agencies like the Mississippi Department of Marine Resources (MDMR) have tried to find methods to rapidly evaluate wetlands. This study compares three rapid evaluation methods, Hydrogeomorphic Approach (HGM), Wetlands Rapid Assessment Procedure (WRAP), and Wetland Evaluation System (WES), based on their scoring of a group of reference and mitigation wetland sites. Repeatability was studied by scoring a group of sites twice. The non-parametric Spearman?s correlation was used to compare the three methods. In this study, HGM was most repeatable followed by …

The Design And Implementation Of An Image Segmentation System For Forest Image Analysis, Zhiling Long

Theses and Dissertations

The United States Forest Service (USFS) is developing software systems to evaluate forest resources with respect to qualities such as scenic beauty and vegetation structure. Such evaluations usually involve a large amount of human labor. In this thesis, I will discuss the design and implementation of a digital image segmentation system, and how to apply it to analyze forest images so that automated forest resource evaluation can be achieved. The first major contribution of the thesis is the evaluation of various feature design schemes for segmenting forest images. The other major contribution of this thesis is the development of a …

Watershed Based Analysis Of Fecal Coliform Within The Back Bay Of Biloxi And Its Surrounding Streams, Matthew Edward Renick

Theses and Dissertations

In the development of the watershed, hydrodynamic, and water quality models for Back Bay of Biloxi in Mississippi, the Better Assessment Science Integrating Point and Nonpoint Sources (BASINS 2.0) - Nonpoint Source Model (NPSM) was selected as the watershed model. The hydrodynamic and water quality models DNYHYD5 and EUTRO5 were selected as the tidally influenced bay models. The watershed model simulated nonpoint source flow and pollutant loadings for all sub-watersheds, routed flow and water quality, and accounted for all major point source discharges in the Back Bay of Biloxi watershed. Time varying output from the watershed model was applied directly …