Digital Commons Network^™

Response To The Loss Of A Romantic Relationship: Differences By Time Since The Loss, Gender, And Attachment Style, Charles J. Dahlstrom

Theses and Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Stress And Its Correlates: An Empirical Investigation Among North Dakota Peace Officers, Eric Mark Anderson

Theses and Dissertations

The mission of the present investigation was to expand the limited body of knowledge regarding stress among rural peace officers. While a number of studies have focused on large, easily sampled departments, the empirical literature evidences neglect toward officers serving rural populations. The present study seeks to ascertain how North Dakota officers compare with other, more urban populations, and what differences may exist between a stratified sample of North Dakota police, sheriffs and Highway Patrol officers.

A randomized sample of 311 North Dakota officers were selected to receive a 300 question anonymous survey questionnaire which assessed personal demographic information in …

Self-Reported Risk Behaviors And Sexual Behaviors In North Dakota High School Juniors And Seniors, Vicki Wessman Downey

Theses and Dissertations

Adolescents engage in many risk-taking behaviors, and these behaviors have significant potential for adverse medical and social outcomes. Risk taking among adolescents may or may not be deliberate. One theory of problem behavior suggests that alcohol use, drug use, delinquency, and sexual intercourse constitute a syndrome of deviate behaviors preceded by a psychosocial pattern of conventional attitudes. Because adolescence is a period of life characterized by constant change, rapid physical growth, emotional turmoil, and parental conflict, there are tendencies to experiment, seek independence, and indulge in adult privileges without the responsibilities.

Research suggests a direc relationship between risktaking and sexual …

Mobility Training For Preschoolers, Karen R. Youngerman

Theses and Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Analysis Of The Air Force's Clean Water Act Notice Of Violations As A Managerial Tool In Achieving Compliance, Sandra J. Beneway

Theses and Dissertations

In 1988, the General Accounting Office released the report Water Pollution: Stronger Enforcement Needed to Improve Compliance at Federal Facilities. The report claimed Federal Facilities were in noncompliance of environmental statutes at twice the rate of nonfederal facilities. The Air Force chain of command, from Chief of Staff to Commander and Chief, emphasize environmental compliance is expected at all Air Force Facilities. To enhance the Air Force's Clean Water Compliance Program, past noncompliance violations were compiled and an analysis performed assessing the value of the past violation trends as managerial tools in achieving compliance. The database chosen for the analysis …

Use Of Infrared Spectrometry To Determine The Effect Of Temperature On The Description Rates Of Trichloroethylene From Plastic Clay 98b, Abdellatif Fares

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis investigated the influence of temperature on the desorption rated of trichloroethylene (TCE) from plastic clay. It was expected that an increase in temperature will cause an increase in both the desorption rates of TCE and in the desorbed quantity. Previous studies on other chemicals indicated a faster decrease in the remaining sorbed concentration with an increase in temperature. This research made use of the infrared optical absorption technique. IR spectroscopy was used to measure the concentration of the vapor TCE that desorbed from the soil. The soil was exposed to liquid TCE for 2 days then placed inside …

Analysis Of The Potential For Plant Uptake Of Trichloroethylene And An Assessment Of The Relative Risk From Different Crop Types, Roy-Alan C. Agustin

Theses and Dissertations

This research expands our limited knowledge on the influence of plants on the fate and effects of trichloroethylene (TCE), providing a screening tool on which to base decisions regarding the need for actual sampling of plants. First, physicochemical properties of TCE--vapor pressure, Henry's Law constant, water solubility, octanol-water partition coefficient, molecular weight, and half-life--were screened against relationships reported in literature to evaluate TCE plant uptake potential. This screening approach indicated TCE may be transferred to plants via retention by root surfaces, root uptake and translocation, and foliar uptake. Next, the PLANTX model developed by Trapp and others was applied to …

Spatio-Temporal Pattern Recognition Using Hidden Markov Models, Kenneth H. Fielding

Theses and Dissertations

A new spatio-temporal method for identifying 3D objects found in 2D image sequences is presented. The Hidden Markov Model technique is used as a spatio-temporal classification algorithm to identify 3D objects by the temporal changes in observed shape features. A new information theoretic argument is developed that proves identifying objects based on image sequences can lead to higher classification accuracies than single look methods. A new distance measure is proposed that analyzes the performance of Hidden Markov Models in a multi-class pattern recognition problem. A three class problem identifying moving light display objects provides experimental verification of the sequence processing …

Subgrouped Real Time Recurrent Learning Neural Networks, Jeffrey S. Dean

Theses and Dissertations

A subgrouped Real Time Recurrent Learning (RTRL) network was evaluated. The one layer net successfully learns the XOR problem, and can be trained to perform time dependent functions. The net was tested as a predictor on the behavior of a signal, based on past behavior. While the net was not able to predict the signal's future behavior, it tracked the signal closely. The net was also tested as a classifier for time varying phenomena; for the differentiation of five classes of vehicle images based on features extracted from the visual information. The net achieved a 99.2% accuracy in recognizing the …

Genetic, Structural, And Two-Dimensional Protein Electrophoretic Characterization Of Normal And Dek23 Mutant Embryogenesis In Maize (Zea Mays L.), Guy E. Farish

Theses and Dissertations

Embryogenesis in maize (Zea mays L.) is a genetically regulated process that gives rise to a large embryo with shoot and root apical meristems, a large scutellum, and five or six leaf primordia. An embryo-lethal defective kernel mutation dek23, located on chromosome arm 2L, affects the formation of the shoot apical meristem, coleoptilar ring, and leaf primordia in mutant embryos. Comparison of mutant and normal embryo development at the structural and biochemical levels should give insight into the role of the dek23 normal gene product in normal development. Fresh dissection, light microscopy, and transmission electron microscopy of normal and mutant …

Foster Care Training In North Dakota: A Foster Parents' Perspective, Todd L. Nordquist

Theses and Dissertations

The major purpose of this study was to evaluate the level of satisfaction with training as reported by foster care providers in North Dakota. A secondary purpose of this exploratory study was having foster providers identify their foster child care responsibilities and major benefits of training.

Providers of each of the two major types of foster care in North Dakota, general foster care and therapeutic foster care, evaluated training received. This was done separately due to the different training objectives and procedures of each. Half of the 884 foster care households in North Dakota were randomly included in this study. …

The Impact Of Cowbird Parasitism On A North Dakota Population Of Clay-Colored Sparrows, Gregory P. Romig

Theses and Dissertations

The study was conducted from early May to late July, 1992 at Oakville Prairie, Grand Forks Co., North Dakota. The clay-colored sparrow (Spizella pallida) was the most common breeding bird at the site. Also abundant at Oakville was the brown-headed cowbird (Molothrus ater) , an obligcite brood parasite. The main objectives of the study were to assess the impact of cowbird parasitism on the reproductive success of this clay-colored sparrow population, and to examine some factors that may influence the probability that a given nest will be parasitized.

Forty-two clay-colored sparrow nests were found, and of these, 16 (38%) were …

Mitochondrial Dna Variation Within The Western-Clark's Grebe Complex (Podicipedidae: Aechmophorus), Bruce Alan Eichhorst

Theses and Dissertations

The Western Grebe (Aechmophorus occidentalis) and Clark's Grebe (A. clarkii) are considered to be closely related .. Until recently, they were regarded as color phases of one species--the Western Grebe. I assessed mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) variation within and between the Aechmophorus color phases. I also evaluated the plausibility of two vicariance models that have been. proposed to explain the evolution of the color phases. Grebes were collected from seven breeding sites, representing three geographic regions of the United States-Canada breeding range. Restriction-enzyme analysis of a total sample of 109 grebes was conducted. Estimates of nucleotide divergence ( dxy, da), nucleotide …

Functional Aspects Of Mitochondria In Copper-Deficient Rats., Jeannine Marie Matz

Theses and Dissertations

Morphological observations indicate that dietary copper deficiency causes structural damage to cardiac mitochondria. Even though marked structural changes have been observed in copper deficiency, a correlation between abnormality of mitochondrial structure and function has not been apparent in previous studies. The objective of the present project was to examine various aspects of cellular and mitochondrial function in copper deficient rat hearts; especially, (1) changes in mitochondrial function defined as respiration and ATP production, (2) the susceptibility of the mitochondria from copper deficient rat hearts to uncouplers and inhibitors of oxidative phosphorylation and electron transport, and (3) alterations in the activity, …

Secondary School Science Teaching In North Dakota: A Study Of Teacher Perceived Needs For The Improvement Of Instruction., Charles Moore Deremer

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to investigate the perceived needs of secondary public school science teachers in North Dakota. In addition to the content and pedagogical knowledge teachers perceived as needs for additional learning, this study investigated the perceived impediments to effective instruction. Demographic data about the respondents were also collected.Surveys were sent to the 704 secondary science teachers in North Dakota. The questionnaire consisted of 116 multiple response items and one open response question. The usable response rate of returned questionnaires was 60%.The data were presented in tables of frequency. Each of the items in the content knowledge, …

The Effect Of Traditional Versus Multimedia Augmented Instruction On Exposure Time Determination., Kathy Ann Smart

Theses and Dissertations

In introductory black-and-white photography course work, variables in laboratory methods for determination of exposure data often lead to low quality projection prints. Correct laboratory procedures are essential for results of minimization of error in print density. The purpose of this study was to compare the effectiveness of traditional instruction, and traditional instruction augmented by a multimedia module for psychomotor learning and to determine if academic level and previous experience had an effect on accuracy of density determination for photographic print.The experimental design of this study was a repeated measures post-test only design. The repeated measures effect had three levels, density …

Enlistment Response To Changes In Monetary Incentives: Improving The U. S. Army Enlistment Incentive Review And Allocation Process, Chester A. Char

Theses and Dissertations

This research proposes an analytical approach for assessing efficiency and effectiveness of the Army’s Enlistment Incentive Review and Allocation Process. In this research, the author applies multiple regression- techniques to observations of monthly enlistment contracts for the time period covering October 1987 through July 1993. Bonus contracts, ACF contracts and total contracts were regressed against level of enlistment bonus, availability of the Army College Fund, unemployment rate, and state of U.S. involvement in overseas conflict. The author then used the estimated regression relationships to estimate bonus amounts required to stimulate enlistment and compared performance of true incentive levels against predicted …

A Genetic Algorithm Approach To Automating Satellite Range Scheduling, Donald A. Parish

Theses and Dissertations

Satellite range scheduling involves scheduling satellite supports in which a satellite and a specific remote tracking station communicate with each other within a specified time window. As the number of satellite supports continue to increase, more pressure is placed on the current manual system to generate schedules efficiently. Previous research efforts focused on heuristic and mixed-integer programming approaches which may not produce the best results. The objective of this research was to determine if a genetic algorithm approach to automating the generation of 24 hour schedules was competitive with other methods. The goal was to schedule as many supports as …

A Hermeneutic Analysis Of Childhood Verbal, Physical, And Sexual Abuse And Women's Identity Development., Sandra Marie Deraney-Reilly

Theses and Dissertations

Seventy-four women who were concurrently receiving mental health services, were administered a structured interview which explored childhood verbal, physical and sexual abuse, and the perceived effects associated with each type of abuse. It was common for one type of abuse to be found in unison with another type. The interview questions also asked the respondent to describe themselves as children, their parental relationships, and patterns in adult relationships. Interpretive content analyses were used to organize the responses and summarize the findings. Sexual abuse particularly affected later sexual relationships, but also created a pervasive sense of mistrust that impacted relationships in …

A Fortran Based Learning System Using Multilayer Back-Propagation Neural Network Techniques, Gregory L. Reinhart

Theses and Dissertations

An interactive computer system which allows the researcher to build an optimal neural network structure quickly, is developed and validated. This system assumes a single hidden layer perceptron structure and uses the back- propagation training technique. The software enables the researcher to quickly define a neural network structure, train the neural network, interrupt training at any point to analyze the status of the current network, re-start training at the interrupted point if desired, and analyze the final network using two- dimensional graphs, three-dimensional graphs, confusion matrices and saliency metrics. A technique for training, testing, and validating various network structures and …

A Comparison Of Variable Selection Criteria For Multiple Linear Regression: A Third Simulation Study, Ertem Mutlu

Theses and Dissertations

The goal of this thesis research is to introduce and study a modification of Millers Method which we call the Modified-Millers method MM method, study two step subset selection procedures, these of which apply Millers Method in the first step and employs another method Minimum MSE or Minimum Sp or Minimum Cp in the second step and these of which employ another method Minimum MSE or Minimum Sp or Minimum Cp in the first step and applies Millers Method in the second step. The results of all techniques will be compared including the results of the previous simulation studies done …

An Investigation Of Simulated Annealing Applied To Structural Optimization Problems, Richard C. Mceachin

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis investigates the feasibility of using Simulated Annealing SA in structural optimization problems. The investigation involves solving benchmark structural optimization problems with an SA algorithm, and comparing its solutions to those found by four other optimizers. Overall, the analysis shows that SA has limited applicability in structural optimization. Two primary factors were found to adversely impact the performance of the SA algorithm in these problems. These factors are high dimensionality, and high levels of constraint. The difficulty involved in solving these problems with a random search increases exponentially with the number of dimensions. The number, and non-linearity, of the …

Review Of The P53 Tumor Suppressor Gene And Its Role In Gliomas, James Dearing Christian

Theses and Dissertations

The following review of the p53 tumor suppressor gene will be discussed with particular attention to its role in human gliomas, as well as the various advances that have brought this molecule to the forefront of cancer research. A review of tumorigenesis focuses on the molecular mechanisms that convey neoplastic characteristics upon a normal cell. It is discussed how the coordinate advances in chromosome analysis and molecular techniques enabled the p53 gene to be categorized as a "tumor suppressor gene" and applied to various forms of cancer, including colorectal and lung carcinoma. The focus of the review will be on …

Characterization Of Fibroblasts With A Unique Defect In Processing Antigens With Disulfide Bonds, Brian J. Merkel

Theses and Dissertations

A Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) fibroblast, transfected with murine major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class II genes, inefficiently simulated CD4+ Th cells specific for ovalbumin (OVA), hen egg lysozyme (HEL), and pork insulin which contains disulfide bonds. However, the fibroblasts elicited a T cell response to λ-repressor, which lacks disulfide bonds, and efficiently presented synthetic peptides. A somatic cell hybrid WALC, generated by fusing the hamster fibroblast with a murine L cell fibroblast, very efficiently processed OVA and HEL, suggesting that impaired processing was genetically complemented, suggesting that the processing defect is a recessive trait. Three distinct processing phenotypes were observed …

Prolactin-Glucocorticoid Interactions In Rat Nb2 Node Lymphoma Cells, Han-Qian Liang

Theses and Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Medical Examination Gloves As Barrier Protection For Health Care Workers : A Retesting Of Quality, Debra D. Jellison

Theses and Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Artificial Intelligence As It Applies To Industrial Process Control, Robert G. Strain

Theses and Dissertations

No abstract provided.

The Prevalence And Patterns Of Substance Abuse In Nurse Anesthetists, Robin E. Herrmann

Theses and Dissertations

No abstract provided.

The Predictive Value Of Family Dynamics, Attitudinal, And Situational Measures In Assessing Proclivity To Sexually Aggress In College Males, Margo R. Norton

Theses and Dissertations

No abstract provided.

The Social Support System During Aftercare Following Outpatient Treatment For Alcohol/Drug Dependency, Vincent Rene Llanas

Theses and Dissertations

No abstract provided.