Digital Commons Network^™

Operability-Based Design Of Energy Systems: Application To Natural Gas Utilization Processes, Juan C. Carrasco-Moraga

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Process operability emerged in the last decades as a powerful tool for the design and control of complex chemical processes. The design of such processes is a challenging task as they are represented by nonlinear models with large numbers of differential and algebraic equations that demand high computational effort for their solution. In particular, process operability was proposed as a method for verifying the ability of a process design, defined by the available input set, to reach an achievable output set that considers production targets. However, existing operability methods for nonlinear systems are limited by the problem size that they …

Nonword Repetition Task To Evaluate Syllable Stress As A Motor Class, Emily R. Cobun

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Current speech therapy methods and theories are based on generalized motor program (GMP) theory (Schmidt, 1975). GMP theory states a single GMP, or motor program, directs multiple movements of speech (Maas et al., 2008). Additionally, GMP theory asserts these similar muscle movements are part of the same motor class, which allows a GMP to direct performance on novel, untrained patterns of movements (i.e., what is termed "transfer performance"; Chamberlin & Magill, 1992; Schmidt, 1975). Alternatively, movements outside of a learned motor class will be more difficult to perform because a different GMP is controlling these movements. Currently, syllable stress patterns …

Modeling And Simulation Of A Direct-Write Manufacturing Process, John Cordonier

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Additive manufacturing (AM) is of great interest since complex geometry with varying composition and functionalities can be developed for a multitude of applications based on desired performance criteria. However, consistency of the products must be ensured. Operating conditions can be used as degrees of freedom so that the desired dimensions, geometries, and composition can be tightly controlled. In this project, direct writing of an ink composed of a conductive material dispersed in a polymer medium is used to create conductive pathways for use in flexible electronic devices.;To develop an efficient controls system, the parameters that affect the printed fluid must …

Identification Of Nitric-Oxide Degradation Products Of Ascorbic Acid, Sushant Satyanarayan Kolipaka

Dissertations, Master's Theses and Master's Reports

Nitric oxide (NO) has been shown to possess many Anti-inflammatory effects. Ascorbic acid which is naturally present in human body is known to react with S-nitrosothiols (RSNO) directly to reduce RSNO to NO and produce free thiol groups, if present in more than millimolar concentration. Higher concentration of ascorbic acid is required because the reduction of RSNO is not caused by ascorbate instead, but instead a decomposed product of ascorbic acid. S-Nitroso-N-Acetylpenicillamine is used as an NO donor. An HPLC method is used for determination of the degradation product of ascorbic acid and simultaneously identifying the compound responsible for NO …

Implantable Wireless Sensor Networks: Application To Measuring Temperature For In Vivo Detection Of Infections, Praharsh Madappaly Veetil

Dissertations, Master's Theses and Master's Reports

It is has been proven that infection in the body cause a local temperature increase due to localized inflammation. Therefore, a method to provide early diagnostic or long-term tracking of this infection will provide great benefits to patients with diabetic foot ulcers or sickle cell disease, and those receiving hemodialysis where they suffer from a weakened immune system. The goal of this project is to develop an implantable wireless temperature sensor based on a wireless sensor network system for monitoring infections in situ. The analog signals from the thermistors are digitized and wirelessly transmitted to a computer with an ez430-rf2500 …

Pyschometric Evaluation Of The Musculoskeletal Pain Questionnaire For Musicians And The Musculoskeletal Pain Intensity And Interference Questionnaire For Musicians, Brian Matthew Schmidt

Health Nutrition and Exercise Science

There is currently no standard method to measure the incidence and prevalence of musculoskeletal injury among musicians. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the validity and reliability for the Musculoskeletal Pain Questionnaire for Musicians (MPQM) and the Musculoskeletal Pain Intensity and Interference Questionnaire for Musicians (MPIIQM) in collegiate musicians. Participants completed a packet containing the MPQM and MPIIQM, with two baseline instruments (SF-36 and QuickDASH). Convergent validity was evaluated using a correlation between the scores of the baseline instruments and the MPQM and MPIIQM. Reliability was evaluated using the split-half method and Cronbach’s alpha. The readability was evaluated …

Vulnerability Assessment Of Interdependent Power And Communications Networks Under Varying Level Of Interdependency, Rahul Banothu

Industrial and Manufacturing Engineering

Maintaining a continuous and robust supply of power could be challenging task, because power networks depend on proper communication to coordinate and schedule supply, as well as recognize and mitigate failures; communication networks depend on power to function. This interdependency is a cause for greater failure risks due to the rapid cascading of failures from one network to the other. The objective of this work is to investigate the vulnerability of interdependent networks under various scenarios and coupling assumptions. To do so, we employ heuristic techniques to detect critical nodes in either network which lead to the maximum number of …

The Effects Of A Mini-Band Warm-Up, A Medicine Ball Warm-Up And Static Stretching On Lower Body Power, Kelly Jean Lopez

Health Nutrition and Exercise Science

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of four different warm-up conditions on vertical jump performance. The warm-ups included a static stretching routine, dynamic medicine ball routine, mini-band routine, and a 5-minute jog, which was the control. The subjects were 23 NCAA Division 1 women’s soccer players from North Dakota State University who performed three vertical jumps on an Advanced Medical Technology Inc. (AMTI) Force Plate after each of the four warm-up routines. The subjects were randomized into four groups for the study and rotated between the four warm-up routines, completing one routine each day in a …

Evaluation Of A Nutrition And Physical Activity-Based Curriculum On Children’S Lifestyle Choices, Alyssa Justine Carlson

Health Nutrition and Exercise Science

This study assessed the effectiveness of the “On the Move to Better Health” program, specifically whether it promoted 4th to 6th grade North Dakota students, as well as their families, to make healthier lifestyle choices. “On the Move,” NDSU Extension Service’s five-lesson nutrition and physical activity-based public health intervention program, was taught in 211 elementary school classrooms throughout North Dakota. Both students and parents were given presurveys at the beginning of the program and postsurveys at the end. Students increased their fruit intake, vegetable intake, and amount of time spent being physically active over the course of the 5-week program. …

Evaluating Network Test Scenarios For Network Simulators Systems, A. Zarrad, Izzat M. Alsmadi

Computer Science Faculty Publications (Archived)

Networks continue to grow as industries use both wired and wireless networks. Creating experiments to test those networks can be very expensive if conducted on production networks; therefore, the evaluation of networks and their performance is usually conducted using emulation. This growing reliance on simulation raises the risk of correctness and validation. Today, many network simulators have widely varying focuses and are employed in different fields of research. The trustworthiness of results produced from simulation models must be investigated. The goal of this work is first to compare and assess the performance of three prominent network simulators—NS-2, NS-3, and OMNet++—by …

A Model To Predict Matriculation Of Concordia College Applicants, Kaylin Pavlik

Statistics

Colleges and universities are under mounting pressure to meet enrollment goals in the face of declining college attendance. Insight into student-level probability of enrollment, as well as the identification of features relevant in student enrollment decisions, would assist in the allocation of marketing and recruitment resources and the development of future yield programs. A logistic regression model was fit to predict which applicants will ultimately matriculate (enroll) at Concordia College. Demographic, geodemographic and behavioral features were used to build a logistic regression model to assign probability of enrollment to each applicant. Behaviors indicating interest (campus visits, submitting a deposit) and …

Power Analysis To Determine The Importance Of Covariance Structure Choice In Mixed Model Repeated Measures Anova, Taylor J. King

Statistics

Repeated measures experiments involve multiple subjects with measurements taken on each subject over time. We used SAS to conduct a simulation study to see how different methods of analysis perform under various simulation parameters (e.g. sample size, autocorrelation, repeated measures). Our goals were to: compare the multivariate analysis of variance method using PROC GLM to the mixed model method using PROC MIXED in terms of power, determine how choosing the incorrect covariance structure for mixed model analysis affects power, and identify sample sizes needed to produce adequate power of 90 percent under different scenarios. The findings support using the mixed …

Recalibration Of Soil Potassium Test For Corn In North Dakota, John Steven Breker

Soil Science

Corn (Zea mays L.) production has greatly increased in North Dakota since the 1990s; yet, potassium (K) fertilizer recommendations for corn in North Dakota still date from the late 1970s and early 1980s when corn grain yields were comparatively lower and native soil K fertility was sufficient for most crop K requirements. To update K fertilizer recommendations for modern corn production and lower soil K levels, corn grain yield response to K fertilization, various soil K testing methods, and seasonal soil K variation were investigated in a two-year (2015 and 2016) study. The standard soil K testing method of NH4OAC …

Numerical Investigation Of Vibration In A Steam Turbine Control Valve, Luke Michael Novak

Mechanical Engineering and Applied Mechanics

A numerical analysis is performed at North Dakota State University to investigate and resolve steam inlet control valve vibration in a Minnkota Power Cooperative turbine. Pressure fluctuations resulting from an unstable flow pattern are found to cause vibration. Multiple valve disc and seat design modifications to stabilize the flow are made and tested. The full scale geometry is used with steam as the working material. Both steady-state and transient analyses are completed. Analytical calculations are used for verification. Investigation of all modifications is discussed. Results from the original valve configuration show vortex shedding off of the disc. A currently installed …

Biomechanical Evaluation Of A Growth-Friendly Rod Construct., Sarah Galvis, Josh Arnold, Erin Mannen, Benjamin Wong, Hadley Sis, Eileen Cadel, John Anderson, Dennis Anderson, Paul Arnold, Elizabeth Friis

Manuscripts, Articles, Book Chapters and Other Papers

BACKGROUND: Distraction-type rods mechanically stabilize the thorax and improve lung growth and function by applying distraction forces at the rib, spine, pelvis, or a combination of locations. However, the amount of stability the rods provide and the amount the thorax needs is unknown.

METHODS: Five freshly frozen and thawed cadaveric thoracic spine specimens were tested for lateral bending, flexion/extension, and axial rotation in displacement control (1°/sec) to a load limit of ±5 Nm for five cycles after which a growth-friendly unilateral rod was placed in a simulated rib-to-lumbar attachment along the right side. The specimens were tested again in the …

Military-Related Ptsd And Working With Couples In Private Practice: Emotion-Focused Therapy, Psychoeducation, And Evolutionary Perspective, Sabina De Vries

Counseling and Guidance Faculty Publications (Archived)

The aim of this article is to provide information and treatment suggestions to mental health services providers who work with couples with trauma-related problems. Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) treatment dropout rates, evolutionary perspective of PTSD, emotion-focused therapy (EFT), emotionally focused couples therapy, and psychoeducational strategies are discussed. A hypothetical case example is provided to illustrate how psychoeducation and information pertaining to trauma responses and evolution can be integrated with emotion-focused therapy to work with traumatized persons/couples in a private practice setting.

Studies Of The Venerable Bede, The Great Famine Of 1315-1322, And Libraries In Prisoner Of War Camps, Trista Stephanie Raezer-Stursa

History, Philosophy, and Religious Studies

This paper includes three studies about the Venerable Bede, the Great Famine of 1315-1322, and libraries in prisoner of war camps. The study of the Venerable Bede focuses on his views on and understanding of time, especially its relation to the Easter computus. The second study is a historiography of the Great Famine of 1315-1322, with an emphasis on the environmental aspects of the catastrophe. The third paper is a study of the libraries that were provided for German soldiers in prisoner of war camps in the United States during World War II, which includes an analysis of the role …

American Thought, Culture, And Neo-Noir In The Era Of Postmodernity, Thomas Quist

History, Philosophy, and Religious Studies

The rise of postmodernism, following the fall of modernism after WWII, brought about new modes of thinking, understanding, and living in America. Postmodernity is often neglected or glanced over by historians. Those who mention it do it either in passing or use it as a pejorative, yet it has had huge effects and ramifications on American culture during the second half of the 20th century. By exploring the thought, culture, and film of a postmodern America a deeper connection between history and postmodernism is formed. The transitions from noir to neo-noir films (which mirrors the transition from modernity to postmodernity) …

Forecasting Batter Performance Using Statcast Data In Major League Baseball, Nicholas Christopher Taylor

Statistics

2015 saw the release of the Statcast camera system within Major League Baseball ballparks, which provided statisticians with new data to analyze. One statistic, average exit velocity, is of particular interest. We would like to see if a batter’s average exit velocity can significantly explain the variation in his slugging percentage and batting average on balls in play (BABIP) when taken into account with other, more traditional baseball statistics. These two statistics are of particular interest within advanced baseball data analysis. We found that a player’s average exit velocity can significantly explain the variation in both his slugging percentage and …

Identification Of Differentially Expressed Genes When The Distribution Of Effect Sizes Is Asymmetric In Two Class Experiments, Ekua Fesuwa Kotoka

Statistics

High-throughput RNA Sequencing (RNA-Seq) has emerged as an innovative and powerful technology for detecting differentially expressed genes (DE) across different conditions. Unlike continuous microarray data, RNA-Seq data consist of discrete read counts mapped to a particular gene. Most proposed methods for detecting DE genes from RNA-Seq are based on statistics that compare normalized read counts between conditions. However, most of these methods do not take into account potential asymmetry in the distribution of effect sizes. In this dissertation, we propose methods to detect DE genes when the distribution of the effect sizes is observed to be asymmetric. These proposed methods …

The Reproduction Of Hypermasculinity, Misogyny And Rape Culture In Online Video Game Interactions, Katherine Mary Bullock

Sociology and Anthropology

Playing video games is a popular past time for many, and the introduction of online gaming allows people of various backgrounds to interact with one another. Yet, it is clear in the wake of incidences such as Gamergate which saw threats directed towards women, that gaming is still considered a male space that is hostile towards women. Through content analysis of online spaces, this research sought to understand how violence towards femininity manifests in gaming. Through Louis Althusser’s (1972) concept of Ideological State Apparatuses (ISAs) I explore how hypermasculine and misogynistic ideologies are reproduced in online gaming culture. It was …

Money And Ill Fame: Interpreting A Prostitution Hierarchy In Fargo, North Dakota’S Historical Red-Light District, Anna Marie Munns

Sociology and Anthropology

Many inhabitants of early Fargo sought economic opportunities in the local sex trade, and the intersectionality of class, gender, sexuality, and race was central to their varying degrees of success. Police Magistrate Court dockets, Sanborn maps, and Census records offer valuable datasets for linguistic and spatial analyses of prostitution-related crimes, revealing a hierarchy of sex work that differentiated between brothel, crib, and street prostitution. Gender inequalities also persisted within the hierarchy; male clientele were often charged and fined differently from female sex workers. GIS analyses reveal two distinct red-light districts, and highlight brothel differences and racial segregation within the red-light …

#Nofilter: Exploration Of Instagram And Individuals’ Conception Of Self, Danielle Moray Seehafer

Sociology and Anthropology

For this study, I sought to explore the use of Instagram and to understand how an individuals’ self-concept is portrayed on Instagram through Goffman’s (1959) theoretical frameworks of impression management and performance. Qualitative research in the form of interviews was completed. Eleven women ages 18 to 27, who were active users, were interviewed. The interview transcripts were used with the intent to research the following questions: How do individuals manage their self-presentation on Instagram? What role does impression management play on Instagram? I found that presentations are managed through content of the photo, the photo itself, filters, and captions to …

Transitions Of Care In The Veteran Population And The Effects Of Patient Education On Patient Outcomes: A Systematic Literature Review, Tuula Elina Kallioniemi

Nursing

The main focus of this systematic literature review was to assess research on care transitions in the veteran population as well as the effects of patient education interventions. A variety of care transition interventions were discovered in the literature. The majority of the interventions described in the research were based upon earlier research by Coleman, Parry, Chalmers and Min - The Care Transitions Intervention (2006), and Naylor and Keating - Transitional Care Model (2008). The large variety in patient populations, heterogeneity of interventions, and lack of protocols hinders direct comparisons between the care transition interventions. Apparent assessment methods for patient …

Mindful Instruction: Metacognitive Activities In The Developmental College Reading Classroom, Tasha A. Vice

Reading Faculty Publications (Archived)

No abstract provided.

Discovering Design Principles For Health Behavioral Change Support Systems: A Text Mining Approach, Mohammad Al-Ramahi, Jun Liu, Omar F. El-Gayar

CAHIT

No abstract provided.

Applying The Situational Judgment Test Method To Assess Individual Differences In Health Competence, Michelle Ruth Persich

Psychology

People regularly make decisions about their health, yet they clearly differ in their ability to successfully make healthy decisions. We sought to understand this important individual difference by developing a scenario-based measure of health competence (HC) modeled from the Situation Judgment Test (SJT) method. People were required to judge certain responses to health-related scenarios in terms of how healthy the response was and the likelihood that they would enact the response. In study 1, we showed that those with high HC scores tended to participate in less risky health behaviors and more protective health behaviors. In study 2, we used …

Are You A Good Partner? Using The Situation Judgment Test Method To Identify And Measure Romantic Competence, Ian B. Penzel

Psychology

We devised a measure seeking to assess competency within romantic relationships using a scenario-based paradigm that was informed by the situation judgment test (SJT) and emotional intelligence literatures. Pilot data revealed positive correlations between romantic competence (RC) and romantic relationship outcomes such as satisfaction and self-efficacy within romantic relationships. To further research of this type, we conducted a study examining daily romantic behaviors, feelings, and motivations, while also collecting partner and peer reports. Results revealed that RC was a significant predictor of romantic success as quantified by self-perceptions and peer reports, and some of these relationships remain significant when controlling …

Dual Effects Model Of Social Control: Extending The Model To 24-Hour Health Behavior, Michael P. Mead

Psychology

The Dual Effects Model of Social Control suggests that partners can positively and negatively influence the health behaviors of their partner. However, the model fails to consider the impact of control on non-targeted health behaviors, such as sleep. The current study sought to expand this model by including sleep continuity and duration as outcomes related to control efforts targeting diet and exercise. Partner control and objective sleep data were collected via daily sleep diaries and Fitbit Charge HR. Regression models were used to test the direct and indirect effects of control on sleep duration and continuity and the extent to …

Augmenting Fungicidal Activity Of Tetraconazole With Chemosensitization Agents For Cercospora Leaf Spot Management, Nicholas James Metz

Plant Pathology

Cercospora beticola (Sacc.) is the causal agent of Cercospora leaf spot (CLS). CLS is considered to be one of the most destructive foliar diseases of sugar beet in the world. CLS is managed in part through resistant cultivars, crop rotation, and cultural practices, but timely fungicide applications are necessary to manage disease effectively. Heavy reliance on fungicides to manage CLS has led to the development of resistance to multiple classes of fungicides. The most widely used class of fungicides is the demethylation inhibitors (DMIs). DMI-resistant C. beticola isolates have been increasing in incidence over the past decade. Chemosensitization agents (CAs) …