Digital Commons Network^™

Emerging Adults In College: Assessing Expectations And Perceptions, Diane J. Wolter

Theses and Dissertations

This study uses qualitative methods to investigate the expectations and perceptions of freshmen at a regional university. Research suggests that stratification in American higher education has resulted in differing student populations at different types of institutions, and that regional universities and their students are underrepresented in the literature. The study examines the utility of Arnett's emerging adults model to describe how freshmen at a regional university perceive the role of college in their lives. Application of metaphor theory reveals that students view college as either a commodity to be exchanged for a desired future outcome, or as one of a …

Formal Insertion Reactions Of Stannylenes And Germylenes Into Phosphorus-Halogen Bonds: A Structural And Mechanistic Investigation, Joseph Kent West

Theses and Dissertations

Insertion reactions of Group 14 carbenoids, divalent species of the form (R₂N)₂M (M = Ge or Sn) into the P-halogen bond of halophosphines have been known for some time. However, very few examples have been reported and no evidence has been presented regarding the mechanism by which these reactions take place. Comparatively, insertion of the same or analogous carbenoid species into C-halogen bonds have been

thoroughly explored for scope and application, and the mechanism has been investigated multiple times.

In this dissertation, numerous new examples of insertion products of Group 14 carbenoids into P-halogen bonds are …

Experimental Investigation Of Fatigue Behavior Of Carbon Fiber Composites Using Fully-Reversed Four-Point Bending Test, Ali Amiri

Theses and Dissertations

Carbon fiber reinforced polymers (CFRP) have become an increasingly notable material for use in structural engineering applications. Some of their advantages include high strength –to–weight ratio, high stiffness-to-weight ratio, and good moldability. Prediction of the fatigue life of composite laminates has been the subject of various studies due to the cyclic loading experienced in many applications. Both theoretical studies and experimental tests have been performed to estimate the endurance limit and fatigue life of composite plates. One of the main methods to predict fatigue life is the four–point bending test. In most previous works, the tests have been done in …

Statistical Analysis Of Diffusion Bonding Nickel Using Brass Interlayers, Erik Dale Anderson

Theses and Dissertations

The goal of this project is a statistical study of diffusion bonding of commercially pure Ni with a brass interlayer. Four factors were investigated; time, temperature, surface finish, and foil thickness. A Box-Behnken design was selected to analyze the system for composition and strength of the bonded joints. Bonding of the materials was successful. The composition results proved to provide a good model with a fairly low standard error that can accurately predict the composition of the system across the diffusion bond area. The strength model provided two significant terms, and had a very high standard error. This meant that …

High Grade Carbon From Crop Oil Tars, Nathan Bosquez

Theses and Dissertations

Current research at the University of North Dakota studies the conversion of crop oils into fuels such as diesel and jet fuel. A by-product of this conversion process is a high molecular weight tar, which can be further processed into carbon products such as carbon black, coke, activated carbon, and carbon fibers. This research focuses on converting the tar into high purity carbon. Currently coal and petroleum tars are used to make carbon products and are important nonrenewable sources to replace by the use of crop oil tars.

Lab-scale experiments have shown that the tars produced during crop oil cracking …

Effects Of An Intervention To Promote Stair Use In A University Building, Bethany Anne Marie Brandvold

Theses and Dissertations

Wellness programs have been implemented by companies and other organizations for various reasons since before the 1970s, and many have focused on the promotion of physical activity as a health-promoting behavior. Promoting physical activity via stairwell prompting at the workplace has become very popular in recent years. This study tested an intervention based upon motivational signage placed in the stairwells of a University administrative building, as well as daily emails sent to the employees in the building. Key concepts from Self-Determination Theory (SDT) and a sub-theory of SDT, Organismic Integration Theory (OIT) were integrated into the messages of the posters …

Community College Faculty Satisfaction Teaching Online: Does Using Prepared Curriculum Materials Matter?, Ryan Michael Long Brovold

Theses and Dissertations

Community colleges are offering online coursework at a rapidly increasing rate; however, the growth of online coursework is not the result of new enrollments, but rather currently enrolled students' shifting from a face-to-face modality to an online modality. This shift presents some challenges because previous studies of college faculty satisfaction regarding online teaching have indicated that faculty members (faculty) are frustrated, particularly with two primary issues: the technology used to teach online and the time it takes to develop and administer an online class. Nonetheless, community college faculty are increasingly expected to teach online classes in spite of the previous …

Narratives Of Nigerian Educated Women Pursuing Higher Education Degrees In Western Universities, Vincent Hassan Bulus

Theses and Dissertations

The impetus for conducting this research is near and dear to my heart along with desiring to make a change for the better. In conducting interviews of Nigerian women's experiences, struggles and accessibility to secondary education, the research shows significant barriers to secondary education in their narrative experiences that their male counterparts do not experience. Specifically, the experiences of these selected Nigerian women who have shared their aspirations, goals and accomplishments through narrative form can be generalized to the women of Nigeria as a whole. The cultural background is an overwhelming obstacle which, although seems to be slowly eroding, the …

The Impact Of The External Environment On Person-Environment Fit In The Selection Of New Housing Professionals, Melissa Burgess

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to examine the concept of "fit" with housing/residence life professionals at colleges and universities using Werbel and Gilliland's (1999) framework/ model of describing person-environment fit and then determine how/if this fit may be impacted by individual or institutional demographics. This purpose aligned well with the emerging interest in student affairs competencies (ACPA & NASPA, 2010) as well as the literature around person-environment fit as a factor for satisfaction and retention of new professionals. The work of Werbel and colleagues (Werbel & Gilliland, 1999; Werbel & DeMarie, 2005) provided a useful model to use in …

Measurement And Analysis Of Turbulence Response Near The Stagnation Region Of Large Diameter Cylindrical Leading Edges With Aftbody, Md. Nafiz H. K. Chowdhury

Theses and Dissertations

The stagnation region of a turbine vane is a critical area for assessing heat transfer. The heat loads at that region are influenced by many factors such as the turbulence intensity, length scales, interaction of the turbulent eddies, vortex stretching and rapid straining of the fluid streamlines. In such a situation, it becomes difficult for gas turbine designers to accurately predict the heat transfer rate at leading edge stagnation region.

The purpose of this study is to investigate the response of high intensity free stream turbulence (FST) near the stagnation region of two different diameter leading edge cylinders in order …

Native American Women Perceptions In Pk-12 Administrative Positions In North Dakota Public Schools, Lanelia I. Decoteau

Theses and Dissertations

Historically Native American women have experienced barriers in their rise to Pk-12 educational leadership positions. There is limited research available on Native American women in educational leadership. Therefore, the purpose for this survey study was to discover what inspired current Pk-12 Native American women educational leaders to choose and accept these positions, common leadership attributes they share, and any barriers they may have encountered.

Currently in North Dakota, there are 42 licensed Native American administrators, 22 male and 20 female. Ten of the 20 females are employed as Native American superintendents, assistant superintendents, principals, and assistant principals in North Dakota …

Identifying Locations Of Highly Eroded Agricultural Land In The Devils Lake Basin, Nd Using Gis Terrain Analysis Modeling, Matthew J. Dinger

Theses and Dissertations

Soil erosion modeling using terrain analysis holds great potential due to the simplicity of the models, and the ease in running the analysis in a GIS. Terrain analysis of the upper Devils Lake basin was conducted using a 3-meter Light Detection and Ranging-derived digital elevation model. Portions of the Mauvais Coulee and Calio Coulee watersheds in the basin were analyzed to evaluate soil erosion potential and determine if terrain analysis was an accurate tool for modeling erosion in this fairly flat landscape. The analysis used slope, flow accumulation, and stream power index (SPI) within a GIS to identify highly eroded …

Presidents, Politics, And Policy: How The Apollo And Shuttle Decisions Shaped Nasa, Marc Antony Fusco

Theses and Dissertations

The two most important decisions in the history of NASA after its founding have been John Kennedy's decision to send humans to the moon and Richard Nixon's decision to develop the space shuttle. This study examines the nature of each decision, and illustrates how each decision resulted from a confluence of world events, presidential personalities, and domestic political pressures.

This examination of both primary and secondary historical and policy source materials demonstrates that the individual personalities of each president, especially how each reacted to domestic and international political and economic pressures, played a major role in the formulation of these …

Stellar Spectral Classification Of Previously Unclassified Stars Gsc 4461-698 And Gsc 4466-870, Darren Moser Grau

Theses and Dissertations

Stellar spectral classification is one of the first efforts undertaken to begin defining the physical characteristics of stars. However, many stars lack even this basic information, which is the foundation for later research to constrain stellar effective temperatures, masses, radial velocities, the number of stars in the system, and age. This research obtained visible-λ stellar spectra via the testing and commissioning of a Santa Barbara Instruments Group (SBIG) Self-Guiding Spectrograph (SGS) at the UND Observatory. Utilizing a 16-inch-aperture telescope on Internet Observatory #3, the SGS obtained spectra of GSC 4461-698 and GSC 4466-870 in the low-resolution mode using an 18-μm …

Professional Learning Community Implementation: A Comparison Of General Educators' And Specialists' Perceptions, Jeffrey Roland Holm

Theses and Dissertations

Do teachers assigned to specialized areas, such as special education, Title I, counseling, or other unique assignments feel empowered by efforts to implement professional learning communities (PLCs)? The purpose of this quantitative study was to examine differences in teachers' perceptions of PLC implementation in the Minot Public School District. The study addressed teachers' overall perceptions of PLC implementation; based on their assignment to general education or specialized teaching assignments, based on demographics, and based on which dimensions of PLC implementation may require more attention.

The Professional Learning Communities Assessments-Revised (PLCA-R) instrument was utilized to measure teachers' perceptions. Originally, the Professional …

Tools For School: Student Fluency And Perception Of Cell Phones Used For Learning, Mary Beth Humble-Thaden

Theses and Dissertations

Technology is changing the way society interacts, communicates, collaborates, and learns. Improved cell phone capabilities and an ever increasing amount of cell phone applications allow individuals to connect globally and afford almost instantaneous access to information inside and outside the classroom. The majority of students today possesses and uses cell phones and cell phone technology in most every aspect of their daily lives. Most schools enforce current policies banning cell phone use within classrooms during the school day.

The purpose of this study was to investigate current high school junior and senior academic standing students' mobile cell phone technology use, …

2012 Aasu Women's Tennis Statistics, Armstrong State University

Armstrong Athletics: Women's Tennis Records (Archived)

No abstract provided.

Separation And Use Of Oxygenated Byproducts From Non-Catalytically Cracked Triglycerides And Their Methyl Esters, Benjamin Travis Jones

Theses and Dissertations

The world is dependent on petroleum as its main source of fuels and chemicals. Supply limitations and global warming have generated a great deal of interest in research to reduce this dependence through renewal fuels and chemicals.

Non-catalytic cracking and subsequent distillation of triacylglyceride (TAG) oils and methyl esters derived from these oils (TMEs) produces an organic liquid product (OLP) that is rich in potential fuels and chemicals. A major fraction of the OLP is made up of oxygenated compounds, either short chain fatty acids (SCFAs) if TAG oil is cracked, or short chain methyl esters (SCMEs) if TMEs are …

Communication Challenges Associated With Voyageurs National Park: A Discourse Analysis, Charlotte Lord Klesman

Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation analyzed interviews conducted with three key people who described their personal connections to Voyageurs National Park and the adjoining communities. These ethnographic details add insights expressed in the voices of community members who have demonstrated interest in and commitment to the park through their association with the staff and their interactions with the park ecosystems. These insights are valuable because the park mandate requires public involvement in management decisions as part of the public land stewardship but engaging public involvement proved to be complex. After the park was established a rift developed between local community members and those …

Modal Testing And Analysis Techniques And Their Application On A Small Uas, Kaci Jo Lemler

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis focuses on experimental structural analysis using contemporary testing techniques. This includes modal testing topics such as data acquisition, data processing, sensor placement, and multiple excitation methods. It also presents a novel sensor placing procedure that uses a laser vibrometer to identify key sensor locations. These techniques are applied in a case study on a small unmanned aerial system, (UAS). The airframe, the BTE Super Hauler, is a small UAS used by the Unmanned Aircraft Systems Engineering (UASE) Laboratory at the University of North Dakota as a test platform for flight testing multiple payloads. An antenna system, designed for …

Desire And Influence: Male Self-Realization And Film Progression Due To The Influential Women In The Films Of Wes Anderson, Erin Ann Meiers

Theses and Dissertations

My thesis is an analysis arguing that the roles of women in three of Wes Anderson's films, Rushmore (1996), The Royal Tenenbaums (2001), and The Life Aquatic(2004), are vital in influencing the men that surround them to come to a self-realization and in the progression of the film as each character finds closure, despite critic's claims. Critics Jesse Mayshark and Greg Carlson examine Anderson's films to be basically about men stuck in arrested development that as they rival each other they grow and mature, and discount the roles of women as simply a side note. I build upon their analysis …

A Case Study Of The Perceived Effects Of Change In Principal Leadership In An Upper Midwest Middle School, Theresa Ann Meyers

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to describe the perceived problems that precipitated principal leadership change at the end of the 2008-2009 school year at an upper Midwest middle school and to describe the effects from the perspective of system participants. Using a case study approach, the research focused on the perceived effects of principal leadership change and its' impact on the perception of the school's culture and student success.

Three sources of data were triangulated and used to answer the research questions: pre-existing data from focus groups facilitated by an external consultant, open-ended interviews with eight participants from within …

The Effects Of Static Stretching Warm-Up Versus Dynamic Warm-Up On Sprint Swim Performance, Michael Patrick Moran

Theses and Dissertations

Recent research has revealed that static stretching (SS) warm-ups may attenuate power performance compared to other warm-up protocols, but most studies have focused on dry land modalities. PURPOSE: To examine the effects of an SS warm-up versus a dynamic warm-up (DW) on sprint performance in competitive swimmers. Specifically, it was hypothesized that SS prior to a 50-meter sprint would attenuate results compared to DW. METHOD: Sixteen NCAA Division 1 swimmers (5 female, 11 male) participated. These swimmers had recently completed their collegiate season. In a randomized order crossover design, the participants swam a 50-meter freestyle sprint after two different warm-up …

Experiences Of Female Faculty With Maternity Leave At Four-Year Universities In An Upper Midwest State, Audra Dawn Myerchin

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this mixed methods study was to explore female faculty members' experiences with maternity leave, while working as a career academic in higher education. Participants consisted of women currently employed in an upper Midwest state at six four-year institutions. An online survey was completed by 121 women, and 30 of these women also participated in face-to-face or telephone interviews. Survey participants completed both open and closed-ended questions. Face-to-face interviews were audio recorded and transcribed, then analyzed for codes, categories, and themes.

Four themes emerged from the analysis of the data: there was a lack of information on maternity …

Examining The Likelihood Of Readmission To Inpatient Pulmonary Rehabilitation Using A Variety Of Predictors, Allison Jean Neil

Theses and Dissertations

This study involved examining 5 years of existing medical records for patients previously in pulmonary rehabilitation, producing 333 subjects (180 female). The purpose of this study was to determine if any variables could significantly predict readmission, so a better pulmonary rehabilitation programs could be designed. Thus reducing the cost for the health care system as well as the patients themselves, and for in the patients future it would reduced illness, pain, and human suffering. A discriminant analysis was conducted in order to determine the likelihood of readmission into pulmonary rehabilitation using the independent variables of 6MWT difference, PEFR difference, BMI …

Tornadogenesis And Tornadogenesis Failure In Numerically Simulated Supercells, Jason Naylor

Theses and Dissertations

Simulations were performed in an idealized cloud model to study the processes responsible for tornadogenesis and tornadogenesis failure. The simulations were initialized with supercell proximity soundings taken from the Rapid Update Cycle (RUC) model. Because of the large number of simulations performed, several objective techniques were developed and tested to assist in the simulations--including automated supercell and tornado detection. In addition, the vast majority of the RUC soundings contained capping inversions, and thus the traditional `warm bubble' convective initiation technique was unsuccessful. A new sustained convective initiation technique was tested to determine which configuration produced the strongest, longest-lived supercells.

Twenty-one …

Introducing Astronomy Into High School Physics Curriculum Through The Use Of The University Of North Dakota Observatory, Caitlin Marie Nolby

Theses and Dissertations

Astronomy education is currently lacking in the secondary level classroom. Many programs have been created to remedy this, including research opportunities for students and training workshops for educators. These reach only a small fraction of the population however, while remaining students still lack the opportunity to learn astronomy at the secondary level. This research addresses the creation of a program that will make astronomy education a recurring option for students across North Dakota through implementation of a two-week astronomy course at Grand Forks Central High School (GFCHS) in a class of 19 physics students. During ten class periods from April …

Evaluation Of A Low Corrosion Method To Increase Mercury Oxidation And Scrubber Capture, Shuchita Sanjay Patwardhan

Theses and Dissertations

The taconite industry located in the Mesabi iron range has been identified as one of the major contributors of the atmospheric mercury in the Lake Superior basin by the Lake Superior Lakewide Management Plan (LaMP). Mercury is a leading concern among air toxic metals due to its volatility, persistence and bioaccumulation as methylmercury in the environment, and its neurological health impacts.

Previous research work performed at taconite processing plants by Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) identified the taconite ore as the main source of mercury during the taconite processing. Magentite iron ore pellets are produced by balling moist concentrates …

Pilot-Scale Evaluation Of Advanced Solvents For Co2 Capture From Coal-Fired Utilities, Brandon Michael Pavlish

Theses and Dissertations

In 1992, international concern about climate change (a change to Earth's climate, especially those produced by global warming) led to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). The ultimate objective of that convention was the "stabilization of greenhouse gas concentrations in the atmosphere at a level that mitigates anthropogenic interference with the climate system" (1). There has been a growing concern about global climate change which scientists believe is (arguably) caused mainly by anthropogenic emission of greenhouse gases (GHGs) into the atmosphere. The overall goal of this work was to evaluate next generation solvents at a pilot scale …

The Impact Of Time Of Day, Sleep, And Nutrition On Age-Related Changes In Cognitive Performance, Jaclyn Reckow

Theses and Dissertations

The present study examined how sleep, nutritional intake, and time of day moderate age-related cognitive changes. Research indicates there are cognitive changes associated with healthy aging. Many studies comparing young and older adults have tested participants at the same time of day. More recently, research has revealed certain cognitive tasks produce a synchrony effect, in which participants perform better during their preferred time of day. Older adults tend to prefer morning activities while younger adults prefer afternoon or evening. Forty-eight young adults, ages 18-35 (M = 20.7) and 25 older adults, ages 60-84 (M= 71.4) completed the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality …