Digital Commons Network^™

Relationship Of Urinary Incontinence To Hysterectomy And Episiotomy, Elizabeth Oakley, Debra Buchtel, Rachel Atanosian, A. Lynn Millar

Faculty Publications

BACKGROUND: Urinary incontinence (UI) is a problem that affects women of all ages. Research has identified many risk factors for the development of UI but is inconclusive regarding the relationship between episiotomy and hysterectomy and the development of UI symptoms. Physical therapists are emerging as primary care providers which increases the importance of attention to and knowledge of risk factors facilitate timely screening and care for women at risk or who have UI signs and symptoms. PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between episiotomy and hysterectomy and incidence of urinary incontinence. SUBJECTS: The subjects included …

The Dependence Of Dijet Production On Photon Virtuality In Ep Collisions At Hera, S. Chekanov, M. Derrick, J. H. Loizides, S. Magill, S. Miglioranzi, B. Musgrave, J. Repond, R. Yoshida, Margarita C. K. Mattingly, N. Pavel, P. Antonioli, G. Bari, M. Basile, L. Bellagamba, D. Boscherini, A. Bruni, G. Bruni, G. Cara Romeo, L. Cifarelli, F. Cindolo, A. Contin, M. Corradi, S. De Pasquale, P. Giusti, G. Iacobucci, A. Margotti, A. Montanari, R. Nania, F. Palmonari, A. Pesci, L. Rinaldi

Faculty Publications

The dependence of dijet production on the virtuality of the exchanged photon, Q2, has been studied by measuring dijet cross sections in the range 0 ≲ Q2 < 2000 GeV2 with the ZEUS detector at HERA using an integrated luminosity of 38.6 pb-1. Dijet cross sections were measured for jets with transverse energy ETjet > 7.5 and 6.5 GeV and pseudorapidities in the photon-proton centre-of-mass frame in the range -3 < jet < 0. The variable xγobs, a measure of the photon momentum entering the hard process, was used to enhance the sensitivity of the measurement to the photon structure. The Q2 dependence of the ratio of low- to high-xγobs events was measured. Next-to-leading-order QCD predictions were found to generally underestimate the low-xγobs contribution relative to that at high xγobs. Monte Carlo models based on leading-logarithmic parton-showers, using a partonic structure for the photon which falls smoothly with increasing Q2, provide a qualitative description of the data. © Springer-Verlag / Società Italiana di Fisica 2004.

Dissociation Of Virtual Photons In Events With A Leading Proton At Hera, S. Chekanov, M. Derrick, J. H. Loizides, S. Magill, S. Miglioranzi, B. Musgrave, J. Repond, R. Yoshida, Margarita C. K. Mattingly, N. Pavel, P. Antonioli, G. Bari, M. Basile, L. Bellagamba, D. Boscherini, A. Bruni, G. Bruni, G. Cara Romeo, L. Cifarelli, F. Cindolo, A. Contin, M. Corradi, S. De Pasquale, P. Giusti, G. Iacobucci, A. Margotti, T. Massam, A. Montanari, R. Nania, F. Palmonari, A. Pesci

Faculty Publications

The ZEUS detector has been used to study dissociation of virtual photons in events with a leading proton, γ*p → Xp, in e+p collisions at HERA. The data cover photon virtualities in two ranges, 0.03 < Q2 < 0.60 GeV2 and 2 < Q2 < 100 GeV2, with MX > 1.5 GeV, where MX is the mass of the hadronic final state, X. Events were required to have a leading proton, detected in the ZEUS leading proton spectrometer, carrying at least 90% of the incoming proton energy. The cross section is presented as a function of t, the squared four-momentum transfer at the proton vertex, Φ, the azimuthal angle between the positron scattering plane and …

Information Structure In Narrative Texts In Byali (A Gur Language Of Benin), John J. Berthelette

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis is an application of Knud Lambrecht’s 1994 work, Information structure and sentence form, to Byali, a Gur language of northwestern Benin (West Africa). In particular, it concerns an analysis of how the different focus structures are marked in Byali, according to Lambrecht’s framework.

Given that this is an application of a theoretical framework in order to describe a language, the thesis has three purposes: (1) to provide an overview of Lambrecht’s framework; (2) to provide an analysis of Byali data using this framework; and (3) to evaluate the suitability of Lambrecht’s framework for analyzing Byali focus structure.

Wisc-Iii Performance Differences Between Non-Referred Native American And Euro-American Children, Kandi Burr-Selle

Theses and Dissertations

The appropriateness of using standardized intelligence tests with minority populations has become a controversial topic for both researchers and practitioners. It has been suggested that the validity of such instruments is compromised due to biases in content and failure to consider culturally based learning style differences. A number of Familial variables such as socioeconomic status (SES) and cultural identification are also believed to impact performance.

Native American children typically score lower on the verbal scales of the Wechsler tests than non-Native children. Conversely, Native American children have demonstrated average or slightly superior perceptual skills that allow them to score higher …

Changing Patterns Xi: Mortgage Lending To Traditionally Underserved Borrowers & Neighborhoods In Greater Boston, 1990-2003, Jim Campen

Gastón Institute Publications

The present study is the latest in a series of annual updates of the original report, Changing Patterns: Mortgage Lending in Boston, 1990-1993. Beginning in 1998, the reports’ geographic scope was expanded t o include an examination of mortgage lending patterns in 27 cities and towns surrounding the city of Boston. In last year’s report, the geographic coverage was further expanded to include a total of 108 communities.

The text that follows this introduction highlights some of the most significant findings that emerge from the extensive set of tables and charts that constitute the bulk of the report. The …

Changing Patterns Xi: Mortgage Lending To Traditionally Underserved Borrowers And Neighborhoods In Greater Boston, 1990-2003, Jim Campen

Gastón Institute Publications

The present study is the latest in a series of annual updates of the original report, Changing Patterns: Mortgage Lending in Boston, 1990-1993. Beginning in 1998, the reports’ geographic scope was expanded t o include an examination of mortgage lending patterns in 27 cities and towns surrounding the city of Boston. In last year’s report, the geographic coverage was further expanded to include a total of 108 communities.

The text that follows this introduction highlights some of the most significant findings that emerge from the extensive set of tables and charts that constitute the bulk of the report. The …

Predictive Variables For Success On Licensure Examinations For Practical And Registered Nursing Education Graduates, Mary Anne Marsh

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this action research was to examine the relationships of demographic and academic variables to student performance in a laddered practical nursing (PN) and registered nursing (RN) education program. The information gained may be utilized to establish research-based admission, progression and graduation criteria to promote students successful completion of the program and pass the nurse licensure examination.

Descriptive statistics were used to summarize data related to the variables that were measured. Pearson correlations and regression analyses were used to examine various relationships and determine which of the admission demographic and academic variables were related to, or predictive of …

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 …

Nontraditional Students In Associate Degree Nursing: Perceived Factors Influencing Retention And Empowerment, Rebecca J. Rudel

Theses and Dissertations

This qualitative study was conducted to attain a deeper understanding of how nontraditional associate degree registered nursing (ADRN) students experience nursing education. At a time when there is a shortage of nurses in this country, these nontraditional students add significant numbers to the nation's nursing workforce and often receive their education at community colleges. It was of particular interest in this study to understand the factors involved in the retention and empowerment of ADRN students attending a Midwestern community college.

Using phenomenological methods, six nontraditional nursing students from one Midwestern community college were purposefully selected to participate in this study. …

Stress Corrosion Cracking Resistance Of Martensitic Stainless Steels For Transmutation Applications, Phani P. Gudipati

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

The susceptibility of Alloy EP-823 to stress corrosion cracking has been evaluated using smooth and notched cylindrical specimens in neutral and acidic solutions at ambient and elevated temperatures using constant load and slow strain rate testing (SSR) techniques. C-ring and U-bend specimens have also been tested in the acidic solution. The effect of hydrogen on the cracking susceptibility has been evaluated under controlled cathodic potential. While no failures were observed with smooth specimens at constant load, the notched specimens showed failure. The SSR test results indicate that the true failure stress (o'_f), time to failure and ductility parameters …

University Counseling Center Clients' Perspective Of Their In-Session Covert Reactions: A Qualitative Study, Karissa K. Adams

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this qualitative study was to explore university counseling center clients’ experience and perspective of their in-session covert reactions. The Consensual Qualitative Research method was used to analyze the qualitative data. Twelve participants who were seeking services at a midsize West Coast university counseling center participated in the study. Each participant completed a telephone interview and four questionnaires (Working Alliance Inventory-Short Form, demographic questionnaire, Target Concerns Questionnaire, and the Client Feedback Form).

The qualitative analysis revealed several meaningful categories pertaining to clients’ experience and perspective of their covert reactions. All of the participants in this study reported that …

High Stakes Assessment And The American College Test (Act): Relationships Between Two Assessments And High School Coursework, Gaylynn L. Becker

Theses and Dissertations

This study focused on some of the problems school districts face in implementing the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) of 2001. NCLB requires that by the year 2013-2014 all students must score at the proficient level or above in state assessments. This requirement poses unique problems for school districts in achieving 100% of the students scoring at or above the proficient level.

Some of the problems this study examined were: What was the relationship between the number of mathematics courses taken and performance on the North Dakota Mathematics Assessment? What was the relationship between achievement on the North Dakota …

Elizabeth Barrett Browning's Juvenilia And Children's Culture In Georgian England: An Introduction To "Julia Or Virtue", Melissa J. Brotton

Theses and Dissertations

This study examines the early life and writings of Elizabeth Barrett Browning and seeks to explain the development of her literary disposition and the art she created in the light of her culture and society, bringing to print for the first time her juvenile novel, “Julia or Virtue.”

EBB, growing up in late Georgian England, was in many ways influenced by Georgian culture - its customs, manners, styles, and aesthetics. She was subject to its predominant beliefs concerning the education of girls and the codified virtues that attended such an education. Children of the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries occupied a …

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, …

Transitioning From Graduate Nurse To Professional Nurse, Jan M. Kamphuis

Theses and Dissertations

Just as the world is facing many changes and transitions, nursing care delivery systems and nursing education systems continue to struggle with significant transitions in nursing practice. New, or novice nurses, find it increasingly difficult to transition from the role of the graduate nurse to professional nurse. It is, therefore, not surprising that the most stressful time during a nurse's career is the first three months of initial employment or that 35% to 60% of nurse graduates change jobs during the first year of employment. Many of these new nurses suffer from early disillusionment with the profession and often leave …

Undergraduate Academic Success During The Semester Of Reinstatement Following Academic Dismissal, Michael F. Cogan

Theses and Dissertations

This study explored the success patterns of academically dismissed undergraduate students who were subsequently reinstated at a mid-sized research university the following semester. The academic dismissals in this study occurred between the fall of 1999 and the spring of 2003. The university reinstatement policies provided the researcher with a unique opportunity to measure a relatively large sample (N=973).

Two regression techniques were utilized to identify significant predictor variables that could be utilized to make administrative decisions regarding future reinstatement activities. Linear regression results indicated that honor point deficiency accrual during the semester of dismissal was a significant predictor of term …

Turbulent Augmentation Of Heat Transfer Off Pin And Endwall Surfaces In A Staggered Pin Fin Array, Lindsay A. Dvorak

Theses and Dissertations

Pin fin arrays are one of the more common internal cooling features in many turbine vanes and blades. Pin fins increase turbulence of passage flow and internal heat transfer surface area. Most pin fin array designs use empirical correlations to predict heat transfer rates and pressure drop. Previous research suggests computational models for heat transfer and velocity distribution predictions can be improved if the characteristics of turbulence and its response near surfaces such as pins and endwalls are known. Detailed heat transfer and turbulence data are needed to investigate why current turbulence models fail. Improvements can be made by introducing …

Teaching Mathematics: The Stories Of Six Teachers, Kathleen Ann Schreier Champion

Theses and Dissertations

Mathematics is recognized as an area in which we see significant teacher shortages at both the middle and secondary school level. The purpose of this qualitative study was to identify personality characteristics of six mathematics teachers by interviewing those teachers and having them relate traits they perceived in themselves that helped them teach effectively.

The study’s participants were in-service teachers currently practicing in public school settings in North Dakota. Two teachers from the pool of potential participants were chosen for their certification at each of the following grade levels: elementary, secondary, and dual certification in elementary and secondary education. Both …

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 …

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 …

Study Habits Of College Students And Their Perceptions Of The Impact Of Brain-Based Attention Strategies On Their Independent Study Time, Sheryl L. Evans

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this research was twofold. The first part explored the study habits of lower-division undergraduate college students during independent study time, with special inquiry into sustained attention and mental effort. A questionnaire and focus groups answered research questions that explored students' general study practices, their study habits, factors influencing study, the length of sustained attention and mental effort, the strategies used to maintain attention, perceptions about productivity, and the metacognitive strategies used (i.e., self-monitoring, self-regulating, planning, and self-evaluating). The study showed that 1) students do not spend enough time studying, 2) the more time students spent on 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 …

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 …

Why Faculty Use A Course Management System (Blackboard) To Supplement Their Teaching Of Traditional Undergraduate Courses, Lori Anne Swinney

Theses and Dissertations

Use of course management systems (CMS) in higher education has risen dramatically since their development in the late 1990s. This qualitative study investigated the use of a course management system (CMS) by faculty teaching undergraduate, traditional courses in a Midwestern liberal arts university. The focus of the study was on the reasons faculty stated for their adoption of a course management system in their course. Three faculty members were interviewed over a three-month time period. The participants in this study were not mandated to use a CMS by their department or the institution. Initially faculty members were asked questions regarding …

Practices Of Small Learning Communities In Selected Minnesota School Districts, Mary Joanne Schmid

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study is to provide educators with information on the characteristics and practices of small learning communities in elementary schools. A small learning community is a small unit of learners and educators who are members of a larger group of learners. The small learning community operates as a separate entity from the larger whole. For the purpose of this study, a small learning community is defined as an individualized learning unit within a larger school setting housing 400 or fewer students.

The qualitative study examined data collected by the researcher in fall 2003. During an internship with …

Electro-Thermal Model For A Solid Oxide Fuel Cell, Eduardo Hernandez-Pacheco

Theses and Dissertations

An electrochemical-thermal model has been developed to simulate the performance of a solid oxide fuel cell under different operating conditions and geometrical factors. The model was specifically created for a novel manifold design that produces a more uniform thermal distribution inside the cell. Temperature, current, gas distribution and fuel utilization were calculated with the model in the different regions of interest. In addition, the model developed in this research was used to investigate the optimal operating conditions under different gasifier compositions. Accordingly, the model was successfully used to identify the principal operating conditions and geometrical factors that affected the performance …

Thelma Daggs - Recollections Of A "Negro" Teacher At The Fort Totten Indian Boarding School: Pte Wa Uspewicakiyapi (Buffalo Teacher), Patricia R. Maggard

Theses and Dissertations

Black teachers’ unique historical experiences are often completely overlooked or amalgamated with those of White teachers in states such as North Dakota, where the population is predominantly White and the study of African Americans is particularly sparse. This study examines the life experiences of Thelma Bertha Daggs (now deceased), an African American teacher at the Fort Totten Indian Boarding School, Devils Lake, North Dakota from 1949 - 1967. Emphasis was placed on describing and understanding past events and the particular life experiences of Thelma Daggs through collection, evaluation, analysis and interpretation of data, including a range of historical sources from …

Technology Literacy In The 21st Century: Teacher And Student Outcomes Of A Technology Innovation Program Model, Mary Beth Kelley-Lowe

Theses and Dissertations

The study investigated student and teacher outcomes from a Technology Innovation Challenge Grant project, NatureShift Linking Learning to Life (NS), to determine if the project influenced teachers’ work and student learning. The approaches were twofold: (1) to examine the implementation of higher order thinking and relevant use of technology by students and teachers and (2) to understand a teacher’s reactions to and implementation of a teaching model and methodology for Internet delivery and technology use.

A quantitative study examined the student projects and teacher materials created as part of school implementations cf the NS model and curriculum. The sources of …

Growing A Business: An Examination Of Issues Involved With Business Expansion, David M. Raatz

Theses and Dissertations

No abstract provided.