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Endovascular Treatment Of Acute Type B Dissection Complicating Aortic Coarctation, Seyed Ebrahim Kassaian, Kyomars Abbasi, Mehdi Mousavi, Mohammad Sahebjam

The Texas Heart Institute Journal

Surgical treatment poses a high risk to patients with concomitant aortic coarctation and dissection, and an interventional approach could be an alternative. We describe the case of a 52-year-old man with a long history of untreated hypertension and aortic coarctation who emergently presented at our institution with an acute Stanford type B dissection. The patient's elevated serum creatinine level, perfusion deficit in the right lower limb, and hypertension did not respond to medical therapy, and he did not consent to surgery. By endovascular means, we used a self-expandable stent-graft to cover the entry point of the dissection; then, we deployed …

Emerging Modifiable Risk Factors For Cardiovascular Disease In Women: Obesity, Physical Activity, And Sedentary Behavior, Ann Smith Barnes

The Texas Heart Institute Journal

No abstract provided.

Coronary Artery Diameter Related To Calcium Scores And Coronary Risk Factors As Measured With Multidetector Computed Tomography: A Substudy Of The Accuracy Trial, Yasmin S Hamirani, Khurram Nasir, Emil Avanes, Jigar Kadakia, Matthew J Budoff

The Texas Heart Institute Journal

Arterial remodeling, an early change of atherosclerosis, can cause dilated arterial diameter. We measured coronary artery diameter with use of noncontrast 64-slice multidetector computed tomography (MDCT), and studied its association with coronary artery calcium levels and traditional coronary risk factors.

We included 140 patients from the ACCURACY trial whose noncontrast MDCT images showed measurable coronary arteries. Using 3 measurements of left main coronary artery (LMCA) and right coronary artery (RCA) diameters within 3 mm of the ostium, we associated the results with traditional coronary risk factors and calcium scores.

The prevalence of LMCA and RCA calcium was 22% and 51%, …

Feasibility Of Temporary Biventricular Pacing After Off-Pump Coronary Artery Bypass Grafting In Patients With Reduced Left Ventricular Function, Daniel Y Wang, Lauren A Kelly, Marc E Richmond, T Alexander Quinn, Bin Cheng, Michelle D Spotnitz, Santos E Cabreriza, Yoshifumi Naka, Allan S Stewart, Craig R Smith, Henry M Spotnitz

The Texas Heart Institute Journal

In selected patients undergoing cardiac surgery, our research group previously showed that optimized temporary biventricular pacing can increase cardiac output one hour after weaning from cardiopulmonary bypass. Whether pacing is effective after beating-heart surgery is unknown. Accordingly, in this study we examined the feasibility of temporary biventricular pacing after off-pump coronary artery bypass grafting.

The effects of optimized pacing on cardiac output were measured with an electromagnetic aortic flow probe at the conclusion of surgery in 5 patients with a preoperative mean left ventricular ejection fraction of 0.26 (range, 0.15–0.35). Atrioventricular (7) and interventricular (9) delay settings were optimized in …

Apothecary And Other Stories: A Short Fiction Collection, Alissa Brianne Cornick

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

Apothecary and Other Stories: A Short Fiction Collection is a collection of six short fiction pieces.

Neutrophil In Viral Infections, Friend Or Foe?, Brandon D. Drescher, Fengwei Bai

Faculty Publications

Polymorphonuclear leukocytes or neutrophils are the first immune cells to the site of injury and microbial infection. Neutrophils are crucial players in controlling bacterial and fungal infections, and in particular secondary infections, by phagocytosis, degranulation and neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs). While neutrophils have been shown to play important roles in viral pathogenesis, there is a lack of detailed investigation. In this article, we will review recent progresses toward understanding the role of neutrophils in viral pathogenesis. (C) 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Geophysical Investigation And Assessment Of The Rye Patch Known Geothermal Resource Area, Rye Patch, Nevada, Mark Richmond Mcdonald

Theses and Dissertations

A gravity and ground-based magnetic survey was conducted at the Rye Patch Known Geothermal Resource Area located at Rye Patch, Nevada. The purpose of the study was to attempt to further delineate the geothermal reservoir and/or to identify potential drilling targets. The survey consisted of collecting data at 264 new stations to augment data from 203 stations collected in 2008. Information from previous seismic, aeromagnetic and geochemical investigations was also examined and incorporated. Filtering methods including removal of a polynomial trend surface and wavelength filtering were utilized on the gravity data to remove the strong regional overprint caused by the …

Geomechanics And Elastic Anisotropy Of The Bakken Formation, Williston Basin, Mehdi Ostadhassan

Theses and Dissertations

Many of the earth’s rocks exhibit anisotropic characteristics. Anisotropy is particularly common in many sedimentary rocks, such as shales. Anisotropy is defined as the spatial alignment of mineral grains, layers, fractures and stresses which causes elastic wave velocity and other elastic properties to vary with direction. There are two types of anisotropy: intrinsic and stress-induced. Intrinsic anisotropy is caused by beddings, microstructures or aligned fractures formed during deposition. Stress-induced anisotropy is caused by strain associated with external stresses. Intrinsic anisotropy originates in the absence of external stresses, while stress-induced anisotropy results from tectonic and overburden stresses. The style of earth …

Rural North Dakota's Oil Boom, The Impact On Social Services, And The Implications For The Social Work Profession, Julia C. Geigle

Theses and Dissertations

Technological developments within the oil and gas industry (namely horizontal drilling and hydraulic fracturing, or "fracking") combined with record-high average oil prices have propelled North Dakota into the midst of the nation's largest oil boom in decades. Information about the boom has been dominated by the media, while scholarly attention--especially about the social impacts--has been unfortunately limited. Accordingly, the author (an MSW student) and two professors with the Department of Social Work at the University of North Dakota conducted a focus group with the state's county social service directors to explore the pressures and challenges faced by the social service …

Microwave Tomography Using Stochastic Optimization And High Performance Computing, Michael William Holman

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis discusses the application of parallel computing in microwave tomography for detection and imaging of dielectric objects. The main focus is on microwave tomography with the use of a parallelized Finite Difference Time Domain (FDTD) forward solver in conjunction with non-linear stochastic optimization based inverse solvers. Because such solvers require very heavy computation, their investigation has been limited in favour of deterministic inverse solvers that make use of assumptions and approximations of the imaging target. Without the use of linearization assumptions, a non-linear stochastic microwave tomography system is able to resolve targets of arbitrary permittivity contrast profiles while avoiding …

Effects Of Instructor Continuity On A Large-Scale Pilot Training Program, Erik Michael Goff

Theses and Dissertations

In a large-scale pilot training program, like those run by the United States Air Force, Navy or many civilian colleges, quality of instruction is a very important question. These programs will have large numbers of instructors and students, but the effect of flying a student with a large number of different instructors is unknown. This paper will use continuous performance and failure data to see if there is a relationship between flying with too many instructors and failing or scoring poorly on a checkride. Multiple regression, difference in differencing, and probit analysis will be used to explore this question.

A Country Of Giants, Benjamin Mace Greenlee

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis, A Country of Giants, consists of four short stories which explore the borderland between youthful innocence and adult understanding. This borderland is often considered in "coming of age" tales, a literary genre that investigates the growth of youthful characters. Through my four stories I examine themes including a loss of innocence, claiming one's identity, independence, and sexual understanding. In addition to those themes I present situations where adults lose their experiential understanding, digressing into a more innocent and uninformed state. I tend to write realistic stories, and it is my hope this use of realism develops well-rounded characters …

The Impact Of Positive Thinking, Optimism, Empathy, And Just World Beliefs On Social Perceptions Of Cancer, Kelly Marie Jones

Theses and Dissertations

When witnessing a difficult event, such as a health crisis, a common initial response is to ask why it happened. The answer to this question then influences the observers' reaction, in that their attitudes and beliefs influence how they respond to the person who suffered the health crisis. In this way, social perceptions of cancer can have a tremendous influence on a patient's illness experience and that influence can be either beneficial or unintentionally detrimental. Within the current study an attribution-based theoretical framework was applied and the social phenomena of positive thinking (PT) was considered, in an attempt to understand …

Does Time Matter? An Examination Of Sentence Length, Time Served And Probation Outcomes, Michael P. Mcgrath

Theses and Dissertations

There remains some uncertainty as to whether or not probation supervision can influence the behaviour of offenders as intended and thereby protect the public. Within the growing body of probation literature is support for a number of theoretically relevant variables and probation outcomes (Morgan, 1993; Gendreau, Little & Goggin, 1996). Some of the probation studies include a measure of time (Sims & Jones, 1997; Green & Winik, 2010), although it has never been exclusively studied in probation research. In the studies that do include a time measure, sentence length is the most frequently used and is often related to failure …

A Model Of Nontraditional College Student Motivation And Success, Masela Anyango Obade

Theses and Dissertations

Despite the increase in their college enrollment, nontraditional students in U.S. postsecondary institutions are less likely to stay in college until they earn their degree. What could explain nontraditional student high attrition rates and overall success beyond what their demographic characteristics reveal? The purpose of this study was to examine the role of achievement motivation in predicting nontraditional student college success using the expectancy-value theory (Eccles et al., 1983) and achievement goals theory (Dweck, 1986; Maehr, 1989; Nicholls, 1984). A Model of Nontraditional College Student Motivation and Success was tested using a sample of undergraduate students enrolled in various majors …

Education: Where It Pays, Nathan William Orwick

Theses and Dissertations

Post-secondary education is one of the most important decisions a student is faced with when leaving high school. There have been numerous studies as to whether the additional education is worthy of one's time and attention but what has not been addressed where is important. If one plans to live in a certain area it would be extremely beneficial to know whether your education is going to benefit one's financial situation or not. Utilizing incomes as the dependent variable and Ordinary Least Squares as the econometric method, this paper concludes having advanced degrees in the metropolitan areas are very beneficial …

The Utilization Of Local History In Teaching American Religious History: A Gilded Age And Progressive Era North Dakota Case Study, Christopher Neal Price

Theses and Dissertations

Teachers of college-level courses on American religious history generally leave out the importance of local and regional histories when telling the story of religion in America. The study of local history provides a fertile ground for understanding broad national trends in a local context. This dissertation focuses upon a little-studied religious body in North Dakota to see how Anglo settlers on the prairie viewed their religious experience in a Gilded Age and Progressive Era context. By emphasizing the records of the North Dakota Baptist State Convention at the North Dakota State Archives in Bismarck and the First Baptist Church of …

Epileptic Seizure Detection And Prediction From Electroencephalogram Using Neuro-Fuzzy Algorithms, Ahmed Fazle Rabbi

Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation presents innovative approaches based on fuzzy logic in epileptic seizure detection and prediction from Electroencephalogram (EEG). The fuzzy rule-based algorithms were developed with the aim to improve quality of life of epilepsy patients by utilizing intelligent methods. An adaptive fuzzy logic system was developed to detect seizure onset in a patient specific way. Fuzzy if-then rules were developed to mimic the human reasoning and taking advantage of the combination in spatial-temporal domain. Fuzzy c-means clustering technique was utilized for optimizing the membership functions for varying patterns in the feature domain. In addition, application of the adaptive neuro-fuzzy inference …

Life History Strategy And The Role Of Self-Regulation In Cheating Behavior, Joshua Reynolds

Theses and Dissertations

The current study examined cheating behavior, the role of self-regulation, and if the distal causal framework of life history theory could illuminate the relationships between self-regulation and cheating behavior. Participants in the experimental condition had their state self-regulation taxed (compared to the control condition); participants had an opportunity to cheat, which was recorded unbeknownst to participants. Additionally, participants completed questionnaires and tasks assessing individuals' life history strategy, trait self-regulation, and mood. It was hypothesized taxed state self-regulation, lower trait self-regulation, and a faster life history strategy would increase cheating behavior and a faster life history strategy would predict lower trait …

Wendell Berry's Philosophy Of Education: Lessons From Port William, Jane Margaret Schreck

Theses and Dissertations

In the midst of a proclaimed crisis in higher education, in the clamor and clamber to leverage technology for such innovations as mass open online courses and differentiated learning modules, in the speculative frenzy of preparing students for the careers of a fantasy future, and in the swirl of angst about funding accountability and economic relevance, Wendell Berry's philosophy of education declares that the essential element missing from most current discussions and considerations of education is love. As explained in his essays and revealed in his fiction and poetry, Berry's philosophy centers on love as the best animator of learning: …

A Case Study Of Elementary Teachers' Conceptions Of Environmental Literacy In Relationship To A Tall Grass Prairie Restoration Project, Teresa Jayne Shume

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this qualitative case study was to describe seven elementary teachers' conceptions of environmental literacy in relationship to a tall grass prairie restoration project and to explore ways in which the tall grass prairie restoration project for third grade contributed to enhancing educational learning experiences. The research questions were: 1. What are teachers' conceptions of environmental literacy for third grade students? 2. How does the prairie restoration trip contribute to teachers' capacity to teach for environmental literacy of third grade students? 3. What is the pedagogical value of the prairie restoration project? The theoretical frameworks underpinning this study …

Communication Channels For Cancer Survivorship: Addressing Information Dissemination, Clinical Trial Recruitment And Social Networking, Carly Elizabeth Steen

Theses and Dissertations

More people are surviving cancer than ever before due to early detection and advances in treatment (Kazanjian, Smillie, Howard, Ward and Doll, 2009). With a growing group of cancer survivors, a group expected to grow to 18 million by 2020, additional informational resources must be put in place (Cancer Survivorship Training, 2013). This study seeks to better understand 1) where cancer patients and survivors are finding cancer resources, 2) what computer-mediated communication channels they use and prefer and 3) who they trust the most to educate and recruit them for clinical trials. Twenty in-depth interviews were conducted and analyzed with …

International Students' Confidence And Academic Success, Nicola Miky Telbis

Theses and Dissertations

Research shows that the international student population is showing significant growth. Studies also show that foreign students are encountering difficulties such as social adaptability, language barriers, academic ability, and financial need. There is compelling evidence that establishes a correlation between a person's self-efficacy and his or her level of achievement. This study used quantitative analysis to determine if there is an association between international students' resources and their academic success. Analysis revealed that international students attending the University of North Dakota who scored high on their confidence levels in completing their programs of study also scored high on their confidence …

Influence Of Gender And Race On Self-Objectification, Kaylee M. Trottier

Theses and Dissertations

The current study examined how men's expectations and references in women's body type (the study attempts to examine the effects of men's expectations by manipulating the gender and race of the present research assistant) may affect how heterosexual women value and judge themselves. This was explored through a manipulation of the experimenter's race and gender. The researcher manipulated the experimenter's race and gender; assuming that the participants have a stereotypical expectation of what men prefer (a more slender body type) in feminine body types. The experimenters interviewed the participants on their confidence, self-esteem, and body-image. The research is important to …

The Impact Of Continuous Prenatal And Early Postpartum Maternal Vitamin D Supplementation On The Vitamin D Status Of Exclusively Breastfed Infants, Doria K. Thiele

Theses and Dissertations

In the United States, at least 50% of breastfeeding mothers are vitamin D deficient, increasing risk for vitamin D deficiency in exclusively breastfed infants. A gap in knowledge exists regarding best practices in maternal vitamin D supplementation during pregnancy and lactation that will yield adequate infant vitamin D levels. The objective of this study was to identify the combined effect of maternal prenatal and postnatal vitamin D supplementation on vitamin D transfer to exclusively breastfed infants. Additionally, due to the immune modulating effects of vitamin D, maternal pro- and anti-inflammatory cytokines were measured across pregnancy and the postpartum. A double-blind, …

Perceptions Of Parental Success: Implications For Family-To-Work Conflict And Family-To-Work Enhancement, Tami J. Vigesaa

Theses and Dissertations

Recent studies have indicated an increased occurrence of dual-earner households, with the U.S. Bureau of Labor and Statistics reporting that as of 2001, 64% of couples with children were dual-earners. This trend means less free time for working parents, resulting in many parents expressing concerns about finding adequate time for work and family (Galinsky, 2000). This is especially true for mothers, as evidenced in the additional pressures entailed in the prevailing ideology of intensive mothering (Hays, 1996). As such, these worries and concerns might impact parents while they are working, with people's feelings about their parenting potentially shaping their experiences …

Putting The Cart Before The Horse: Understanding The Family Assessment Process In Early Intervention, Kristen Michelle Votava

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to gain an understanding of six state-wide policies and procedures used in the family assessment process within early intervention services. This study looked at the administrative understanding of the family assessment federal regulations, state policies and procedures, and local implementation from the perspective of the Part C coordinator in his or her state.

This qualitative study utilized methodologies associated with a grounded theory approach through in-depth interviews. The participants in this study included six state Part C coordinators. Based on the findings of this study, two broad conclusions are offered:

1. There was a …

Online Self-Injury Forums, Social Support, And Psychological Distress, Kirsten Louise Williams

Theses and Dissertations

Non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI) is a behavior being seen with increasing frequency among clinicians and the general population. Internet forums where people who engage in the behavior may discuss topics related to NSSI have become widespread. The effects of those websites on people who engage in the behavior have not been researched. This study used structural equation modeling to better understand the relationship between identification with these groups, time online, comfort discussing NSSI, social support, and psychological distress. The final model suggests a complicated relationship between Internet use and offline effects. Identification with such an online group appears to lead to …

Is There A Disconnect? Comparing North Dakota And National Geography Standards, Lori Jean Young

Theses and Dissertations

In 1994, Geography for Life was published. From this publication the national geography and state geography standards were developed. These national standards were the basis of the state standards.

North Dakota Studies is a Grade 9-12 course offered in North Dakota high schools. This course is offered under mandate in North Dakota high schools, so a broad range of data could be obtained by contacting those teachers.

Prior research has shown that students exposed to 3-D geographic technologies have better spatial abilities than students without a technologic background. A recent study showed that adults wanted to know more about geography …

Risky Behavior, Urgency, And Anonymity: What Sex, Drugs, And Eating Disorders Have In Common, Mary Zander

Theses and Dissertations

A variety of risky behaviors have been found to be related to the tendency to act rashly in the presence of strong emotions, a trait known as urgency. However, whether this extends to a multitude of risky behaviors and what other traits may modify this risk, is unknown. Because individuals may be reluctant to admit to engaging in risky behaviors due to perceived social or legal consequences, these relationships are difficult to study. Current data collection techniques that provide anonymity to participants have serious limitations. This study aimed to test a new method of data collection, the Remote Response Method …