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Lubrication And Wear At Metal/Hdpe Contacts, Aydar Akchurin

Mechanical Engineering and Applied Mechanics

In the thesis lubrication and wear at metal/HDPE contacts was addressed. In particular this type of contact occurs in artificial joint replacements. Wear of HDPE was recognized as a major factor limiting device performance. In the thesis, fully implicit fully coupled numerical approach was developed to simulate lubrication and wear. Approach allows solving stationary and transient problems for rough surfaces in a wide range of parameters. Wear coefficients were estimated from experimental data. Wear particles formed in wear process were investigated. Particles were found to be approximately 100 nm in diameter and spherical in shape. Considering theoretical solutions, it was …

The Physico-Chemical Investigation Of Interfacial Properties In Natural Fiber/Vinyl Ester Biocomposites, Shanshan Huo

Mechanical Engineering and Applied Mechanics

Bast fibers are one of most widely used types of cellulosic natural fibers. Flax fibers, a specific type of bast fiber, have historically been used as reinforcements in composites because they offer competitive advantages, including environmental and economic benefits, over mineral-based reinforcing materials. However, the poor interfacial properties due to the hydrophilicity of flax fibers and the hydrophobicity of most polymer matrices reduce the mechanical performance of flax thermoset composites. On the other hand, the structure of flax fiber is more complex than synthetic fibers, which causes most of traditional mechanical tests from the transverse direction to evaluate the interfacial …

Brucellosis Epidemiology, Virulence Factors, Control And Molecular Targets To Prevent Bacterial Infectious Diseases, Robert Mugabi

Microbiological Sciences

Brucellosis is a bacterial zoonosis that infects both professional phagocytic and nonphagocytic cells in the hosts. Brucella intracellular survival is important for its virulence. In a study to establish the seroprevalence and risk factors of brucellosis in livestock in Kazo and Buremba sub-counties of Kiruhura district, Uganda, fifty goat and 112 bovine serum samples were tested for Brucella antibodies. The prevalence of Brucella antibodies in goats and cattle was 26.0% and 38.4% respectively, while individual seroprevalence rates by livestock breeds were 10.7% (cross-breed goats), 45.5% (local goat breeds), 49.1% (cross-breed cattle), 31.0% (local cattle breeds), and 17.4% (exotic cattle breeds) …

Emerging Infectious Diseases With Limited Treatment Options: The Case Of Ebola Hemorrhagic Fever In Uganda And Shiga Toxin Producing Escheria Coli In The United States, Rahel Dubiwak Gemmeda

Microbiological Sciences

Emerging infectious diseases are diseases that newly emerge in a population or change the frequency or spatial distribution of their occurrence. Ebola Hemorrhagic Fever (EHF) and Shiga Toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC) infections are among diseases that emerged in the 1970s. The two diseases have limited treatment options with no vaccines. This paper is based on two case studies. The first case study utilized data from the 2007/2008 EHF outbreak in Uganda and investigated the epidemiological and clinical aspects of the outbreak. The second case study was based on a study done on STEC isolates collected from beef cattle at the …

Drivers Of Infectious Disease Outbreaks: How Climate, Environment And Disease Control Programs Influence Occurence Of Infectious Disease Outbreaks, Michael Muleme

Microbiological Sciences

This research study described the factors driving infectious disease outbreaks using Foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) in Uganda and Lyme disease in North Dakota (ND), Minnesota (MN) and Wisconsin (WI) as case studies. Retrospective data on FMD vaccines and outbreaks in Uganda (2001 – 2010) and Lyme disease in ND, MN and WI (1990 – 2011) was used. The time (7.5 weeks) taken to respond to FMD outbreaks, limited serotyping/subtyping (9/121) of outbreaks and the low percentage of cattle vaccinated (2.1 – 21.2%) portray ineffective control programs. Similarly, increase in fall temperature (P = 0.0189) and annual precipitation (P = 0.0250) were …

Nathan Richardson And The Editions Of The New Method For The Pianoforte, Sarah Kaye Prigge

Music

Those studying music during the mid-nineteenth century in the United States began to experience music education through many of the models of pedagogy that are still in use at the present time. The use of a method book for music study was a new concept. A few more serious piano students traveled to Europe to study with the major performing artists of the day. As the number of homes with pianos increased, so did piano method books for home use. Women of the gilded age were encouraged to pursue music, most often for the purpose of playing at home and …

Chasing The Double-Bottom Line: Fair Trade And The Elusive Win–Win, Curtis Child

Faculty Publications

Social enterprises embody a problematic proposition. They are premised on the idea that it is possible to create simultaneously social and economic value in a direct, explicit way, yet it would seem that each of these goals is in some amount in consequential tension with the other. The argument of social enterprise is nevertheless that one outcome – financial or social returns – need not be seen as the eventual by-product of focusing on the other, but rather that both can be productively pursued in an immediate sense. Scholars have only started to examine in detail how social enterprises accomplish …

Household Labor, Gender Roles, And Family Satisfaction: A Cross-National Comparison, Renata Forste, Kiira Fox

Faculty Publications

Due to the interrelation of work and family domains recent scholarship has been devoted to determining the impact of women's rising employment in the home. More specifically, research has focused on what happens to the division of domestic labor in the wake of mother's paid employment and how the new arrangements are determined. In general, women have responded by dedicating less time to housework and men have responded by increasing their participation in unpaid labor. That said, male contributions do not compensate for the decrease in time by women in the home, and women still maintain responsibility for the majority …

Northern Eclecta - Volume 6 : 2012

Northern Eclecta

No abstract provided.

Global Representation In Psychiatric Research, Bruce L. Brown, Michael Zhang, Dawson W. Hedges

Faculty Publications

To monitor global representation in the psychiatric literature, we compared publication rates in the ten psychiatric journals with the highest impact factors in 1998 and 2008 by world regions. In both 1998 and 2008, North America, Northern Europe, Western Europe and Oceania produced the majority of psychiatric research papers published in these journals, despite representing only a small fraction of the world’s population. This suggests that much of the world’s population continues to be underrepresented in highly influential psychiatric journals.

Association Between C-Reactive Protein And Cognitive Deficits In Elderly Men And Women: A Meta-Analysis, Bruce L. Brown, Dawson W. Hedges, Thomas J. Farrer

Faculty Publications

Abstract

Background: Certain risk factors for cognitive decline appear modifiable. A potentially modifiable marker of inflammation, C-reactive protein may be associated with cognitive deficits, although not all studies have found a relationship between C-reactive protein and cognitive ability. Further, few research papers have examined whether gender may affect any association between C-reactive protein and cognitive deficit.

Methods: To better understand the association between C-reactive protein, cognitive deficit, and gender in elderly people, we meta-analyzed cross-sectional studies that reported cognitive ability assessed by the Mini-Mental State Examination or an equivalent measure, C-reactive protein concentrations, and gender.

Results: While we identified no …

Examining A Brief Suicide Screening Tool In Older Adults Engaging In Risky Alcohol Use, Scott R. Braithwaite, Jessica D. Ribeiro, Jon J. Peaff, Thomas E. Joiner

Faculty Publications

Alcohol misuse increases risk of suicidal behavior in older adults. TheDepressive Symptom Inventory-Suicidality Subscale (DSI-SS; Metalsky & Joiner,1997) and its relation to suicide attempt history was examined to see if it differedfor older adults as a function of their alcohol use. Structural equation modelingwas used in a sample (N= 1,061) of older adult outpatients to examine the scale’smeasurement invariance and population heterogeneity and its relation to suicideattempt history. Analyses supported the equivalence of the DSI-SS in risky andnonrisky drinkers. The DSI-SS significantly predicted past suicide attempts. Find-ings support the viability of the DSI-SS as suicide screening tool for older adults.

Subliminal Activation Of Social Ties Moderates Cardiovascular Reactivity During Acute Stress, Wendy C. Birmingham, Mckenzie Carlisle, Bert N. Uchino, David M. Sanbonmatsu, Timothy W. Smith, Matthew R. Cribbet, Kathleen C. Light, Allison A. Vaughn

Faculty Publications

Objective—The quality of one’s personal relationships has been reliably linked to important physical health outcomes, perhaps through the mechanism of physiological stress responses. Most studies of this mechanism have focused on whether more conscious interpersonal transactions influence cardiovascular reactivity. However, whether such relationships can be automatically activated in memory to influence physiological processes has not been determined. The primary aims of this study were to examine if subliminal activation of relationships could influence healthrelevant physiological processes, and to examine this question in the context of a more general relationship model that incorporates both positive and negative dimensions. Method—We randomly assigned …

Psychological Pathways Linking Social Support To Health Outcomes: A Visit With The “Ghosts” Of Research Past, Present, And Future, Wendy C. Birmingham, Bert N. Uchino, Kimberly Bowen, Mckenzie Carlisle

Faculty Publications

Contemporary models postulate the importance of psychological mechanisms linking perceived and received social support to physical health outcomes. In this review, we examine studies that directly tested the potential psychological mechanisms responsible for links between social support and health-relevant physiological processes (1980s to 2010). Inconsistent with existing theoretical models, no evidence was found that psychological mechanisms such as depression, perceived stress, and other affective processes are directly responsible for links between support and health. We discuss the importance of considering statistical/design issues, emerging conceptual perspectives, and limitations of our existing models for future research aimed at elucidating the psychological mechanisms …

Specific Dimensions Of Perceived Support And Ambulatory Blood Pressure: Which Support Functions Appear Most Beneficial And For Whom?, Wendy C. Birmingham, Kimberly S. Bowen, Bert N. Uchino, Mckenzie Carlisle, Timothy W. Smith, Kathleen C. Light

Faculty Publications

Perceived support has been related to lower cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. However, little is known about the specific functional components of support responsible for such links. We tested if emotional, informational, tangible, and belonging support predicted ambulatory blood pressure (ABP) and interpersonal interactions (e.g., responsiveness), and if such links were moderated by gender. In this study, 94 married couples underwent 12 h of ABP monitoring during daily life which included a night at home with their spouse. They completed a short-form of the interpersonal support evaluation list that provides information on total (global) support, as well as specific dimensions of …

Knowing Your Partner Is Not Enough: Spousal Importance Moderates The Link Between Attitude Familiarity And Ambulatory Blood Pressure, Wendy C. Birmingham, Bert N. Uchino, David M. Sanbonmatsu

Faculty Publications

Close relationships have been linked to cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. More research is needed, however, on the social and biological processes responsible for such links. In this study, we examined the role of relationship-based attitudinal processes (i.e., attitude familiarity and partner importance) on ambulatory blood pressure during daily life. Forty-seven married couples completed a questionnaire regarding their own attitudes, perceptions of their partner’s attitudes, and perceptions of partner importance. They also underwent a 1-day ambulatory assessments of daily spousal interactions and blood pressure. Partner importance was related to better interpersonal functioning (e.g., partner responsiveness) and lower ambulatory systolic blood pressure. …

Spaces For Developing Sociocultural Capital: A Case Study Of Community Gardens In An Agrarian Community, Jessica Rae Brown

Sociology and Anthropology

Common themes growing out of current research on community gardens center on issues in large urban areas including community-based responses to more healthful food options, local sustainability efforts, and combating urban crime. One area of research that is lacking is how sociocultural capital is generated in smaller metropolitan communities though community gardening. This thesis addresses this void as a means to begin understanding of how the sociocultural networks between community organizations and community gardeners form a symbiotic relationship of interconnected capital production within cities found in historically agrarian regions. This research includes a specific set of methods for investigating Fargo-Moorhead …

Nature’S Best: An Analysis Of A Lactation Education Needs Assessment, Ashley Rae Wiertzema

Sociology and Anthropology

This thesis explores the perceptions of nurses regarding the importance of breastfeeding, the need for lactation education, and the barriers that may be preventing nurses from obtaining lactation education. Nurses working in Minnesota, North Dakota, or South Dakota were the focus. Secondary data from a lactation education needs assessment was used to explore the perceptions and barriers in these states. It was determined that 290 surveys were useable. The Health Belief Model was used to explore the relationship between the nurse's characteristics, perceived breastfeeding importance, perceived need for lactation education, likelihood to take action to obtain lactation education, and perceived …

Assessing Changes In Within Individual Variation Over Time For Nutritional Intake Data Using 24 Hour Recalls From The National Health And Examination Survey, Kyal Scott Brandt

Statistics

Nutritional surveys often use 24 hour recalls to assess the nutritional intake of certain populations. The National Health and Examination Survey (NHANES) collects two 24-hour recalls for each individual in the study. This small sampling can lead to a great deal of variation due to day-to-day differences in an individual’s intake, making it difficult to assess “usual intake.” The ISU method is implemented in the PC-Side software package, breaking our observed variation into two components: within individual variation (WIV) and between-individual variation (BIV). In this paper, we will use the PC-Side software to get WIV estimates for several different age, …

Social Variability In The Emergence Of The Pueblo World, Richard Wilshusen, Gregson Schachner, James R. Allison

Faculty Publications

Between A.D. 650 and 950, there was a near total reorganization of society in the northern Southwest. In some areas, intensive agriculture, high population growth rates, and large villages appeared. In others, diverse mixes of subsistence strategies enabled the creation of aggregated communities and semi-sedentary settlements within the same landscape. A third pattern of high mobility and seasonal use of smaller settlements defined much of the periphery. In many areas, people pursuing more than one of these patterns resided simultaneously. We propose that the patterns established by A.D. 800 were integral in the shaping of later Pueblo history.

Electropalatographic Measures Of Stop Consonants In Speakers With And Without Apraxia Of Speech On Repeated Sampling Occasions, Christopher Dromey, Shannon C. Mauszycki, Julie L. Wambaugh

Faculty Publications

Apraxia of speech (AOS) is an acquired motor speech disorder characterized by difficulty producing speech sounds caused by deficits in motor planning. Various tools exist to examine the physiologic aspects of articulation. Unfortunately, very few physiologic studies of AOS have been conducted. Electropalatography (EPG) is one method for examining the tongue's role in articulation by measuring tongue-to-palate contact. However, there is limited research examining the articulatory changes that are attributable to repeated exposure with wearing the pseudopalate as well as desensitization to the pseudopalate. The purpose of this investigation was to examine the impact of repeated measurement using EPG with …

The Measure Matters: Language Dominance Profiles Across Measures In Spanish–English Bilingual Children, Lisa M. Bedore, Elizabeth D. Pena, Connie Summers, Maria D. Resendiz, Kai Greene, Thomas M. Bohman, Ronald B. Gillam

Faculty Publications

The purpose of this study was to determine if different language measures resulted in the same classifications of language dominance and proficiency for a group of bilingual pre-kindergarteners and kindergarteners. Data were analyzed for 1029 Spanish–English bilingual pre-kindergarteners who spanned the full range of bilingual language proficiency. Parent questionnaires were used to quantify age of first exposure and current language use. Scores from a short test of semantic and morphosyntactic development in Spanish and English were used to quantify children’s performance. Some children who were in the functionally monolingual range based on interview data demonstrated minimal knowledge of their other …

Social Relationships And Mortality, Julianne Holt-Lunstad, Timothy B. Smith

Faculty Publications

Social relationships benefit not only mental health but also physical health. This review addresses the following questions: (1) What is the overall magnitude of the effect of social relationships on risk for premature death? (2) How generalized is the effect and are there factors known to influence this association? (3) What are the likely pathways by which social relationships influence longevity? The article concludes by discussing the implications of these findings for potential interventions aimed at reducing risk for mortality.

Has The Regulation Of Pro Forma Reporting In The Us Changed Investors’ Perceptions Of Pro Forma Earnings Disclosures?, Dirk E. Black, Ervin L. Black, Theodore E. Christensen, William G. Heninger

Faculty Publications

We explore whether investors’ perceptions of pro forma earnings numbers have changed following the regulation of pro forma reporting imposed by the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 (SOX). First, we find that investors appear to pay more attention to pro forma earnings disclosures in the post-SOX period, consistent with the notion that they perceive that regulation generally renders these disclosures more credible. Second, the results indicate that investors discount aggressive pro forma earnings reports in both periods. However, they appear to discount at least some potentially misleading pro forma earnings disclosures more in the post- SOX period. Finally, our results imply …

Measuring Life Skills: Standardizing The Assessment Of Youth Development Indicators, Mat D. Duerden, Peter A. Witt, Mariela Fernandez, Marie Jolliff Bryant, Daniel Theriault

Faculty Publications

While the development of life skills (e.g., communication, problem solving, etc.) is a commonly targeted youth program outcome, the lack of standardized conceptualizations and instrumentation make it difficult to compare impacts across programs and develop validated best practices. In order to promote a more unified approach to life skill development, literature reviews were conducted for 10 life skill domains to identify common definitions and, if available, appropriate outcome measures. Data were then collected from an ethnically diverse sample (N = 758) of elementary, middle, and high school aged youth for the 10 identified instruments. Analyses were conducted to ascertain the …