Digital Commons Network^™

Studies In Pathogenesis Of A Novel Isolate Of Cronobacter Sakazakii Using An In Vitro Blood Brain Barrier Model, Elliott Weston Welker

Microbiological Sciences

Genus Cronobacter is a member of the family Enterobacteriaceae consisting of several opportunistic species. The primary focus of this study was to utilize an in vitro co-culture model of the blood brain barrier to investigate a bovine fecal strain of C. sakazakii to investigate pathogenicity. The strain was found to have the same effect on the barrier’s integrity as the positive Escherichia coli control. Additionally, C. sakazakii strain BAA-894 was found to have the same effect as the negative E. coli control. This study also focused on the development of a site-specific mutagenesis procedure for C. sakazakii. A procedure using …

Climate Change, Consequentialism, And The Road Ahead, Dale Jamieson

Chicago Journal of International Law

In this paper I tell the story of the evolution of the climate change regime, locating its origins in "the dream of Rio," which supposed that the nations of the world would join in addressing the interlocking crises of environment and development. I describe the failure at Copenhagen and then go on to discuss the "reboot" of the climate negotiations advocated by Eric A. Posner and David Weisbach. I bring out some ambiguities in their notion of International Paretianism, which is supposed to effectively limit the influence of moral ideals in international affairs, and pose a dilemma. I go on …

Why Judges Should Not Make Refugee Law: Australia's Malaysia Solution And The Refugee Convention, Anthony Pastore

Chicago Journal of International Law

In a 2011 decision, the High Court of Australia effectively incorporated an international treaty into a domestic statute. The case involved a refugee swap deal, called the "Malaysia Solution," between Australia and Malaysia, which the Australian government hoped would deter asylum seekers from making the dangerous overseas voyage to Australia. However, some of these asylum seekers argued that the Malaysia Solution violated the Migration Act, an Australian immigration statute. The plaintiff proposed an interpretation of the immigration statute that incorporated elements of the Convention Relating to the Status of Refugees, most notably the principle of "non-refoulement." A majority of the …

The Berne Convention's Flexible Fixation Requirement: A Problematic Provision For User-Generated Content, Elizabeth White

Chicago Journal of International Law

The Berne Convention for the Protection of Literary and Artistic Works sets forth an international standard for copyright protection. However, the fixation provision directs signatories to prescribe works subject to a fixation requirement for copyright protection however they choose. This provision of the Convention and the corresponding legislation that has been generated are of particular relevance to the debate over the protection of user-generated content (UGC). UGC, which has become popular on social networking sites like Facebook and Twitter, raises an important question for the fixation standard. Specifically, it is not clear whether or not UGC is fixed, and therefore …

Vegetative Filter Strip: A Best Management Practice (Bmp) For Feedlot Runoff Pollution Control In North Dakota, Md. Atikur Rahman

Agribusiness and Biosystems Engineering

Runoff from animal feeding operations is a major source of water pollution. Vegetative filter strips (VFS) are effective ways to reduce nonpoint source pollution. In this study, vegetative filter strips with different designs and in climatic and management conditions of North Dakota were evaluated. Runoff samples were collected from inflow (before entering VFS) and outflow (after exiting the VFS) locations using automatic samplers. Collected samples were analyzed for solids and nutrients. It was observed that the transport reductions by VFS were ranged from very low to up to 100%. However, soluble nutrients were not as effectively removed as sediment and …

A Systematic Approach For Human Communication, James Wilmot Jensen

Theses and Dissertations

No abstract provided.

National Retail Pork Benchmarking Study: Characterizing Pork Quality Attributes Of Multiple Cuts In The Self-Serve Meat Case, Benjamin Thomas Klinkner

Animal Sciences

The objective of this study was to benchmark fresh pork quality in the retail meat case in the United States. Nationally, 117 retail supermarkets in 67 cities were selected for sampling. Center-cut loin chops were observed in-store to obtain subjective color and marbling scores. Ten loin chop, sirloin chop, and blade steak packages representing each brand and enhancement type were purchased for objective analysis of pH, Minolta color (L*, a*, and b*), and tenderness (WBSF). For L*, enhanced loins were darker (P < 0.05) than non-enhanced. Enhanced loins and sirloins had greater (P < 0.05) pH values than non-enhanced chops. Enhanced loins, sirloins, and blades had lower (P < 0.05) WBSF scores than non-enhanced chops and steaks. This research provides retailers, processors, and other pork industry stakeholders with benchmark values of pork quality, and provides the pork industry with information to help reduce variation and improve pork quality at the retail level.

A Survey Of Journalism Schools' Online Publication Of Student Content, Sarah E. Moore

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Journalism in the digital age has changed dramatically as the needs and demands of journalism consumers have changed. In turn, the institutions preparing journalists to enter the field must adapt their methods. How can a school of journalism effectively integrate the web into their daily practices and equip students for post-graduation employment through the publication of an online magazine? This paper explores the broadly divergent methods and philosophies of three journalism schools and offers suggestions for schools developing their own online publication based on these observations.

Supramolecular Functionalization Of Single-Walled Carbon Nanotubes, Baris Yilmaz

Chemistry and Biochemistry

Single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWNTs) possess extraordinary mechanical strength, thermal and electrical conductivity. These properties make them very attractive in many applications in the fields of nanotechnology, electronics, and optics. However, most of the SWNT syntheses methods result in different types of chiralities, which determine the electronic and optical properties of the sample. Thus, it is important to selectively solubilize and purify carbon nanotubes if one wants to use them in technological applications. Selective separation of SWNTs by chirality has been the research focus of many scientists. Here, a comparative study for the solubility of SWNTs with polyaromatic hydrocarbons and conjugated …

From Nanocontainer To Nanocatalyst: Mechanistic Studies Of [2+2] Photodimerization Of Coumarin Derivatives Within Cucubit[8]Uril, Barry Charles Pemberton

Chemistry and Biochemistry

Controlling photoreactions remains a formidable challenge to chemists who have developed several approaches with varying degrees of success to achieve high reactivity/selectivity. Following nature's footprints, chemists have explored the use of confined media for controlling photoreactions. This thesis explores catalytic aspects of a water-soluble supramolecule known as a cucurbituril. Cucurbituril is a macrocyclic oligomer with a large enough cavity to sequester two guest molecules of appropriate size. The guest molecules explored in this thesis is coumarins. The model investigation involves host-guest complexes between cucurbit[8]uril (CB[8]) and coumarin to study the [2+2] photodimerization in water through various spectroscopic techniques. Our initial …

Stereospecific Photochemical Transformations Involving Axially Chiral Acrylanilides And A-Oxoamides, Anoklase Jean-Luc Ayitou

Chemistry and Biochemistry

Asymmetric photochemical transformations have been under-explored due to the ineffectiveness of conventional methodologies/reagents/catalysts (point chiral auxiliaries and inductors) that were generally employed for thermal reactions. This limitation to use point chiral auxiliaries for asymmetric photochemistry is partly due to the asynchronous behavior of photo-excitation and chiral transfer/induction processes. This dissertation describes a complementary approach to conventional methodologies involving light induced chirality transfer from atropisomeric viz axially chiral molecular reactants (acrylanilides and α-oxoamides) to enantiopure product(s) with point chirality. The study has revealed the importance of rotamers control in the ground state and how it can impact the stereospecificity during light …

Developing Platform Chemicals From Renewable Resources, Kristin Lynn Wojciechowski

Chemistry and Biochemistry

The Department of Energy has listed 5-hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF) and 2,5-furandicarboxylic acid (FDCA) as two of the twelve building blocks derived from cellulosic biomass. HMF can serve as a renewable platform for the production of fuels and chemicals. Our research goal is to develop novel methods for the conversion of renewable resources to feedstock chemicals for polymer synthesis. The Diels-Alder reaction, the cycloaddition of alkenes and dienes, has become one of the most important synthetic methods used in organic chemistry. We were interested in carrying out Diels-Alder reactions with derivatives of HMF. Naphthalene analogs of terephthalic acid were synthesized by reacting …

Old + New, Michael Stark

Architecture Theses

In this thesis the question, how can buildings that no longer serve their original purpose be reused for a new typology in a sustainable way, is worked out and given answers. It will be explored through the typology of a recreational depot. The theoretical premise/unifying idea that pushes the research is that, buildings, when repurposed create less waste and that the buildings create opportunities. The justification for this projects is, when buildings are repurposed the decrease in waste material due to not demolishing the building is good for sustainability. The thesis contains a narrative explaining why reusing buildings is important …

Social Adaptation: Changing The Built Environment, Luke Schneider

Architecture Theses

Social Adaptation examines ways in which a building can adequately respond to the advancement of computing technology and social media dominance. Overwhelming access to computing technology and social media not only changes the way we look at the built environment but continues to persuade and inform our daily life decisions. Because our culture is exploding with these advancements, the character of design needs to reflect the current needs of today’s society. Likewise, with the vast access to social media at our fingertips, we must strive to use this resource as a learning tool rather than a social crutch. Through the …

Engineering The Digital Workplace: The Architecture Of Changing Social Interaction, Eric Lagergren

Architecture Theses

“Engineering the Digital Workplace” explores how meaningful design can inform, and be informed by, social interaction in an increasingly connected and less private society. The thesis proposes to create a model for how productivity can be sustainable in a culture where electronic interconnectedness threatens tangible interaction. This problem is best explored through the architectural creation of the headquarters for a firm designing first generation 3-dimensional holographic communication software on a site in the developed downtown of Sioux Falls, SD.

Litigation-Fostered Bureaucratic Autonomy: Administrative Law Against Political Control, Daniel E. Walters

Faculty Scholarship

The idea of political control dominates our understanding of both what administrative law does and what it should do. This emphasis on political control, however, downplays the important ways that administrative law facilitates resistance to political control in administrative agencies. In this article, I offer studies of two instances in which agencies harnessed the power of seemingly standard administrative law litigation to resist the imposition of policies by political leadership. I classify these kinds of modes of resistance as instances of “litigation-fostered bureaucratic autonomy” and flesh out the mechanisms that drive the process. Acknowledging the role of such modes of …

Urban Individuality, Ryan Fugleberg

Architecture Theses

This thesis explores possible answers to the question, is individualism slowing the growth of dense housing? The Typology used to examine this problem is a dense residential/mixed use complex. The Theoretical Premise/Unifying Idea that the research will be based on is, “For urban housing to grow in popularity, dense residential complexes need to reflect the individuals within them.” The site for this project is located in Wyoming, Minnesota, a small community north of the Minneapolis and St. Paul. The announcement of an expansion for Polaris Industries’ Product Development Center in Wyoming has created a large demand for housing. The city …

Global Governance In The Information Age: The Terrorist Finance Tracking Program, Hannah Bloch-Wehba

Faculty Scholarship

Europe has long been deemed "more protective" of privacy than the United States. In the context of transatlantic cooperation in the war on terrorism, divergences in privacy law and policy have become ever more apparent. As has always been the case, the same technologies that pose new and vital privacy issues with regard to personal information and private data are those that are important sources for government actors, including law enforcement and intelligence agencies. Despite the increasing reliance by national agencies on information flowing from other nations, regulation of information transfer, processing and sharing has been achieved largely outside of …

Supportive Learning: Live, Grow, Virginia Hausladen

Architecture Theses

This thesis is an investigation into how design can facilitate and enhance learning for students with Autism Spectrum Disorders. By designing for groups of people with very specific needs, we learn how architecture can adequately provide for the more general population. In doing so, the research brings into question how best we can educate children with special needs and how design can adapt to provide for the changing needs of students today . Located on the Red River in Fargo, North Dakota, the development of a specialized school for children with ASD allows architecture to become a tool in and …

Successes, Failures, And Remaining Issues Of The Justice System Reform In Japan: An Introduction To The Symposium Issue, Setsuo Miyazawa

Faculty Scholarship

No abstract provided.

Determining Faculty Perception Of Ownership Rights Of Online Course Content In Higher Education, Carrie J. White

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

With the ever increasing growth in the number of online courses offered by institutions of higher education, determining ownership of the content of these courses is becoming an important consideration. Many institutions have intellectual property policies in place that are either vague, outdated or non-existent when determining copyright ownership to online courses. Faculty members who are creating these courses are many times investing their own intellect into the course content, which would traditionally invoke copyright ownership over that content. However, courses being offered to students in an online format have created some confusion as to ownership rights over those courses. …

The Veracity Of Self-Reported Criminal Records Among Ndsu Students, Kelsey Anne Keimig

Criminal Justice and Political Science

Campus safety and security are important concerns for colleges and universities. One way security is addressed is through utilization of self-report questions about criminal backgrounds during the admissions process. The current study evaluates this admissions policy by using a systematic random sample of 1,400 students to compare self-reported criminal backgrounds with criminal records listed in four online databases. Results indicate that two individuals within the sample failed to report their criminal backgrounds which included simple assault, burglary, theft, possession of controlled substance, and drug paraphernalia. While the failed reporting rate appears low, caution should be taken interpreting the results. A …

Coupling Numerical Simulation And Pattern Recognition To Model Production And Evaluate Carbon Dioxide Injection In Shale Gas Reservoir, Amirmasoud Kalantari-Dahaghi

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Massive multi-cluster, multi-stage hydraulic fractures have significantly increased the complexity of the flow behavior in shale. This has translated into multiple challenges in the modeling of production from shale wells.

Most commonly used numerical techniques for modeling production from shale wells are Explicit Hydraulic Fracture (EHF) and Stimulated Reservoir Volume (SRV). Model setup for the EHF technique is long and laborious and its implementation is computationally expensive, such that it becomes impractical to model beyond a single pad. On the other hand, identifying the extent and conductivity of SRV is a challenging proposition. SRV technique is commonly used to simplify …

Evaluation Of A Nitrate-Assimilating Bacterium For Potential Use In Nitrate Bioremediation, Deidra Angeline Lies

Environmental and Conservation Sciences

Increasing levels of nitrate (NO3-N) in water resources have brought about the need to find ever more versatile forms of NO3-N removal from contaminated water. The ability of several microorganisms to transform NO3-N has been embraced as an economical form of bioremediation. Free cell and immobilized forms of Methylobacterium fujisawaense ATCC® No. 35065 (M. fujisawaense) were used in this study for NO3-N removal in batch settings. NO3-N removal results were as high as 100% for freely suspended cells after 96 hours and 95% for immobilized cells also after 96 hours. Statistical analyses found no significant difference in overall NO3-N removal …

Attitude Of Saudi Female Math Teachers Toward Integrating E-Learning In Teaching Math At High Schools In Saudi Arabia, Aishah M. Albalawi

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Leaders in government and education have launched an extensive program to reform general education in Saudi Arabia. This initiative was designed to achieve many goals with a major emphasis being the enhancement of the Saudi curriculum to take advantage of the use of technology to improve education. A goal of this project was for e-learning to be a part of public education in an attempt to improve student learning and to make education accessible to all citizens.;This study was designed to examine high school female math teachers' attitudes toward the use of e-learning in teaching mathematics in selected high schools …

Secondary Coal Seam As A Barrier To Co2 Leakage, Zainab Sahib Jawad

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Geologic formations, such as unmineable or depleted coal seams, are considered to be potential reservoirs for CO2 storage. Coal seams are naturally fractured reservoirs which consist of primary and secondary cleat networks. During production, coalbed methane (CBM) is desorbed from the coal surface and flows through the cleat network. When carbon dioxide (CO2) is injected into a coal seam, large amount of the injected CO2 is sorbed on the coal surface due to the greater affinity of CO2 towards coal than methane. This provides two advantages: potential CO 2 storage and enhanced coalbed methane recovery. Several pilot studies have been …

Swedish Legislation Targeting Trafficking For Sexual Exploitation And The Possibilities For Implementation In Estonia, Jennifer E. Lyall

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Human trafficking is a human rights problem affecting all regions of the world. Various approaches have been utilized in attempts to eliminate the trade in human beings. In 1999, Sweden instituted a law to ban the purchase of sexual services, viewing prostitution as inherently violent and a contributing factor of human trafficking for sexual exploitation. This thesis determines that banning the purchase of sex is a legitimate and effective measure in combatting human trafficking for sexual exploitation. This thesis then discusses the Estonian sex industry and the possibilities for implementation of a similar sex purchase ban. Obstacles include Estonia's historical …

A Study Of Brian Bevelander's "Synthecisms No. 2" For Piano And Pre-Recorded Tape., Wei Tuck Chan

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

The mid-twentieth century marks an important time for electroacoustic music. The availability and commercialization of reel-to-reel magnetic tape changed the broadcast and recording landscape. Accessibility to magnetic tape gave composers easier means to edit pre-recorded sounds by employing various new compositional procedures. Interest in electroacoustic music in America grew after the introduction of works by Vladimir Ussachevsky and Otto Luening in 1952. After that, electroacoustic music studios began being established throughout the country. Works for live instruments plus pre-recorded sounds began appearing in the late 1950s. Many of the works written for piano and pre-recorded sounds showcase various performance settings, …

Understanding The Use Of Social Constructivst Moodle Activities Within The North Dakota University System, Randall John Wald

Education

Online learning is becoming an increasingly important aspect of higher education. Concerns about the effectiveness of online courses have prompted education administrators to look at how different learning theories can best be used to increase student learning. Learning Management Systems (LMS) have become one of the dominant technologies for delivering online education, and the North Dakota University System (NDUS) uses one of the most popular of these LMSs, Moodle. NDUS Moodle is designed and utilizes activities that are based on a learning theory called social constructivism. This research studies the usage of these activities, perceived instructor effectiveness, and the use …

The Use Of Non-Cognitive Constructs To Predict Success Of First-Year Students In A College Of Business, Staci Lyn Pauer

Education

This study examined the relationship between academic hardiness, emotional and social competencies, academic success (as measured by grade point average), and persistence, in a sample of 178 first-year College of Business students at North Dakota State University. Students were administered the Emotional and Social Competency Inventory - University Edition (ESCI-U) and the Revised Academic Hardiness Scale (RAHS) within the context of their first year experience course as part of an on-going assurance of learning project at the College. Additional data was collected at the end of the semester relating to the students cumulative GPA as well as persistence data (did …