Digital Commons Network^™

Survival Analysis Of Treatment Effect For Brain Cancer Based On The Surveillance, Epidemiology, And End Results Database, Madison Jane Mathiason

Statistics

Cancer is one of the leading causes of death in the United States. The Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) data from the National Cancer Institute is a population based cancer registry, which geographically covers 34.6% of the US population. The SEER database was used to model surivial time for 21,524 patients with primary malignant brain tumors. The Kaplan-Meier surivial curves and the logrank test were used to compare the effect of treatment in each grade. The Cox Proportional Hazard Model was used to show the simultaneous effect of treatment, sex, and age on the risk of death for patients …

Nonparametric Test For Nondecreasing Order Alternatives In Randomized Complete Block And Balanced Incomplete Block Mixed Design, Mamfe Osafo

Statistics

Nonparametric tests are used to test hypotheses when the data at hand violate one or more of the assumptions for parametric tests procedures. The test is an ordered alternative (nondecreasing) when there is prior information about the data. It assumes that the underlying distributions are of the same type and therefore differ in location. For example, in dose-response studies, animals are assigned to k groups corresponding to k doses of an experimental drug. The effect of the drug on the animals is likely to increase or decrease with increasing doses. In this case, the ordered alternative is appropriate for the …

Delivering Psychological Services To Military Members, Karen C. Kalmbach, Bret A. Moore

Psychology Faculty Publications (Archived)

Since 2001, less than half of one percent of the American public have volunteered to serve in the United States Armed Forces. With high-tempo repeated deployments and unconventional warfare, the Post 9/11 military has been exposed to unique trauma and stressors during an unprecedented two-decade long conflict. In voluntarily taking on this role, members are immersed in the total institution of military culture and required to make countless personal sacrifices, often experiencing trauma or other stressors that most in a civilian population will never face. Prevalence rates of mental health problems in active duty as well as veteran populations suggest …

Skin Cancer Screening With The Use Of Dermoscopy In Primary Care, Gretchen Anne Peters

Nursing

According to the American Cancer Society (ACS) (2018), skin cancer is the most common type of cancer in the United States. Though rare, melanoma is the skin cancer linked with the highest mortality rate (The Skin Cancer Foundation, 2019). However, skin cancer screenings fall well below levels of other routine cancer screenings and over half of patients who were referred to a dermatologist for a suspicious lesion were eventually diagnosed with skin cancer in a location other than the referral site (Bruner & Schaffer, 2012; Kownacki, 2014). Compared to naked eye examinations, dermoscopy has led to earlier detection of melanoma …

Lung Cancer Screening: Identification Of High-Risk Patients And Shared Decision-Making, Teresa Dianna Formo

Nursing

Lung cancer is the most common cause of cancer-related deaths in the United States. Prevention and early detection of lung cancer are imperative in decreasing lung cancer mortality. Screening for lung cancer with low-dose computed tomography (LDCT) decreases lung cancer by 20%. Several organizations introduced lung cancer screening (LCS) guidelines in 2013, including Centers for Medicare and Medicaid (CMS) and the United States Preventive Services Task Force. However, LCS participation for eligible patients remains low, due in part to the complexity of the LCS process. The goal of this practice improvement project was to increase the knowledge of rural primary …

You Shall Not Pass: How Facial Variability And Feedback Affect The Detection Of Low-Prevalence Fake Ids, Dawn R. Weatherford, William B. Erickson, Jasmyne Thomas, Mary E. Walker, Barret Schein

Psychology Faculty Publications (Archived)

In many real-world settings, individuals rarely present another person’s ID, which increases the likelihood that a screener will fail to detect it. Three experiments examined how within-person variability (i.e., differences between two images of the same person) and feedback may have influenced criterion shifting, thought to be one of the sources of the low-prevalence effect (LPE). Participants made identity judgments of a target face and an ID under either high, medium, or low mismatch prevalence. Feedback appeared after every trial, only error trials, or no trials. Experiment 1 used two controlled images taken on the same day. Experiment 2 used …

Implementation Of A Diabetes-Related Distress Scale In A Primary Care Clinic, Lisa Michelle Vaca

Nursing

Individuals with diabetes face many multifaceted issues when integrating their plan of care into their daily lives, which can become burdensome and lead to inadequate diabetes control. Due to the persistent demands of diabetes management, screening for psychosocial factors that can impact control, such as depression, anxiety, and diabetes-related distress (DRD) should occur routinely (American Diabetes Association [ADA], 2017). DRD is distinctly different from depression in that the focus is on the burden experienced due to the rigorous treatment regimen associated with diabetes. DRD focuses on the self-management demands, complications, comorbidities, and lack of perceived social support (ADA, 2019). DRD …

Opioids: Implementation Of Opioid Prescribing Education And Policy In A Primary Care Center, Jaclin Dee Seeberg

Nursing

Many healthcare providers report not feeling confident when prescribing opioids, which represents an educational gap in the clinical setting that must be addressed to improve patient care and outcomes (Dowell, Haegerich, & Chou, 2016b). Healthcare providers attribute this lack of confidence in opioid prescribing to insufficient training on the tools provided to them to ensure safe prescribing habits. Thus, healthcare providers do not feel confident in managing patients’ chronic pain. A healthcare provider’s time spent with their patient is limited and therefore, needs to be utilized efficiently. In order to achieve effective time management, healthcare providers need to be experts …

Gdom: Granulometry For The Detection Of Obfuscated Malware, John A. Aruta, N. Paul Schembari

Journal of Cybersecurity Education, Research and Practice

We describe the results of a master's thesis in malware detection and discuss the connection to the learning goals of the project. As part of the thesis, we studied obfuscation of malware, conversion of files into images, image processing, and machine learning, a process of benefit to both the student and faculty.

Malware detection becomes significantly more difficult when the malicious specimen is obfuscated or transformed in an attempt to avoid detection. However, computer files have been shown to exhibit evidence of structure when converted into images, so with image processing filters such as granulometry, it is possible to generate …

Improving The Diagnosis And Management Of Benign Paroxysmal Positional Vertigo In A Rural Healthcare Setting, Liya Rodovskaya

Nursing

Benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (BPPV) is a condition characterized by brief spinning episodes that occur with a rapid change in head position. Although considered benign, BPPV can have many personal, social, health, and financial implications. Yet, providers in a variety of settings are frequently mismanaging the condition leading to incomplete resolution of symptoms, decreased quality of life, reduced productivity, and increased healthcare spending. This study sought to better understand why providers fail to follow current evidence-based BPPV guidelines and the impact BPPV-specific education could have on improving their practices. Questionnaires assessing BPPV-specific knowledge as well as inquiring about provider barriers …

Evidence Of Memory From Brain Data, Emily R. Murphy, Jesse Rissman

Faculty Scholarship

Much courtroom evidence relies on assessing witness memory. Recent advances in brain imaging analysis techniques offer new information about the nature of autobiographical memory and introduce the potential for brain-based memory detection. In particular, the use of powerful machine- learning algorithms reveals the limits of technological capacities to detect true memories and contributes to existing psychological understanding that all memory is potentially flawed. This article first provides the conceptual foundation for brain-based memory detection as evidence. It then com- prehensively reviews the state of the art in brain-based memory detection research before establishing a framework for admissibility of brain-based memory …

The Theory Of Planned Behavior And Sleep Opportunity: An Ecological Momentary Assessment Of Intra-Individual Variability, Michael Phillip Mead

Psychology

Insufficient sleep duration is associated with poor physical and mental health outcomes, and many Americans report that they are not meeting sleep duration recommendations. Many individuals choose to restrict their own sleep, yet little is known about the source of this sleep deficit. Recent research efforts have used the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) to predict sleep health behavior. However, this research is limited in that it fails to measure volitional sleep behavior and focuses exclusively on between-person differences. This study addressed these limitations by using an intensive longitudinal design to test how constructs of the TPB relate to nightly …

Investigating The Mechanism Driving Near-Tool Visual Biases, Robert Ryan Mcmanus

Psychology

Previous research has shown that when observers hold a tool, they experience action-oriented visual biases in the area around this tool that are similar to visual biases that exist around the hands. Some researchers have theorized this effect is due to the tool being incorporated into the body schema following active tool use, while others argue that this effect may simply be due to the tool’s visual salience. The goal of the present study was to test these competing explanations of near-tool visual biases. In the first experiment, participants completed a target detection task under one of three conditions: 1) …

Psychological Stress, Stress Reactivity And Blood Glucose Metabolization During Pregnancy, Anna Marie Strahm

Psychology

Gestational diabetes mellitus impacts between 3-10% of pregnancies, and increases the risk of pregnancy complications and lifelong health effects for mother and child (Bellamy, Casas, Hingorani, & Williams, 2009; Ross, 2006; Ryser Rüetschi et al., 2016). About half of cases occur without an evident risk factor (American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG), 1994; Dode & Santos, 2009). The present study was designed to examine possible psychophysiological connections linking psychological stress and stress reactivity, the magnitude of an individual’s response to stress, to blood sugar metabolization during mid-pregnancy between 24-28 weeks gestation. Participants were recruited from Sanford Health in Fargo, …

Understanding Escherichia Coli And Water Quality In Stormwater Retention Ponds And Detention Basins In Fargo As Part Of The Red River Watershed, Erika Leigh Olson

Natural Resources Management

Little is known about the spatial and temporal changes in water quality and E. coli throughout stormwater systems. The objectives of this study are to: 1) assess surface water within detention basins and retention ponds and adjacent groundwater to determine E. coli movement within the system; 2) determine how precipitation events impact water quality and E. coli; and 3) genetically source track E. coli and pathogens to better understand the impact on humans. Methods of this study include sampling surface water during major storm events, followed by sampling of groundwater and surface water one week later. Additional samples were taken …

Characterizing Humidity, Sex, And B-Cell Gene Regulation In Fungal Allergic Asthma, Emma Claire Kusick

Microbiological Sciences

Asthma is a debilitating lung disease that affects nearly 300 million people worldwide. Environments with high humidity and subsequent mold exposure often trigger allergic asthma. Sex differences have been reported in the incidence, prevalence, and severity of asthma. B-lymphocytes are recruited in high numbers to the allergic lung in response to the inhalation of Aspergillus fumigatus mold spores (conidia). In this work, we used a mouse model of allergic fungal asthma to assess environmental humidity, sex, and B-lymphocytes in an inhalational model of allergic fungal asthma. Our results showed that animals sensitized in low humidity conditions had no airway hyperresponsiveness …

Experimental Studies Of Pulsatile Flow Passing Side Wall Biological Cavities And Flow Enhancement Using Hydrophobic Surfaces, Benjamin Kirk Eichholz

Mechanical Engineering and Applied Mechanics

Understanding the hemodynamics of the cardiovascular system and associated diseases is important for mitigating health risks. We applied flow diagnostic techniques to investigate pulsatile flow characteristics past sidewall cavities, which have implications to two biomedical problems in the cardiovascular system: sidewall aneurysms and the left atrial appendage. Superhydrophobically-coated mesh diverters and synthetic slippery surfaces were studied for their effects on flow diversion and cavity flow enhancements. The study of pulsatile flow over a coated mesh diverter showed that the formation of the primary vortex was prevented which prevents flow stagnation and downwash flow in the cavity. The second study indicates …

Generation And Analysis Of Streamwise Vortices From Vortex Tube Apparatus, Bailey Mckay Carlson

Mechanical Engineering and Applied Mechanics

A pressurized vortex tube is used to generate streamwise vortices in a wind tunnel and the resulting flow behavior is analyzed. The apparatus is intended to verify computational data from the AFRL by offering a method of conducting real-world counterpart experiments. The apparatus design process and other considered approaches are discussed. The vortex tube is operated at pressures of 20, 30 and 40 psi while the wind tunnel is operated at 3, 5, 10 and 20% capacity. Flow measurements are performed using particle image velocimetry to observe vortices and freestream interactions from which velocity and vorticity data is comparatively analyzed. …

#Science: The Potential And The Challenges Of Utilizing Social Media And Other Electronic Communication Platforms In Health Care., Violette Gijsen, Michele H. Maddux, Adam Lavertu, Graciela Gonzalez-Hernandez, Nilam Ram, Byron Reeves, Thomas Robinson, Victoria Ziesenitz, Valentina Shakhnovich, Russ Altman

Manuscripts, Articles, Book Chapters and Other Papers

Electronic communication is becoming increasingly popular worldwide, as evidenced by its widespread and rapidly growing use. In medicine, however, it remains a novel approach to reach out to patients. Yet, they have the potential for further improving current health care. Electronic platforms could support therapy adherence and communication between physicians and patients. The power of social media as well as other electronic devices can improve adherence as evidenced by the development of the app bant. Additionally, systemic analysis of social media content by Screenome can identify health events not always captured by regular health care. By better identifying these healthcare …

The Effects Of Agricultural Factors On Foodborne Bacterial Pathogen Isolation, Attachment, And Survival, Autumn Lea Kraft

Microbiological Sciences

The pathogens enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli (EHEC), Salmonella enterica, and Listeria monocytogenes are prominent causes of foodborne illness. If they reach the pre- or post-harvest environment of produce, they can survive for extended periods of time and transfer to post-harvest processing to reach consumers. There are a multitude of factors that influence this survival, bacterial attachment, and isolation, which have been identified for pre- and post-harvest conditions. However, how these pathogens respond to the changes in these systems requires more work to inform effective control methods. To compare the efficacy of an isolation method in different types of matrices, we used …

A Brief Overview Of Lung Disease Caused By Environmental Microorganisms, Aspergillus Fumigatus And Saccharopolyspora Rectivirgula, Missy Ann Berry

Microbiological Sciences

People often take breathing and respiratory health for granted, but our lungs are constantly inundated with damaging agents, making them highly vulnerable to injury and infection. Globally, respiratory diseases are a leading cause of morbidity, mortality, and disability. Many respiratory diseases are preventable; however, avoidance of ubiquitous microorganisms is not realistic. The aim of this paper is to discuss how two environmental microorganisms, Aspergillus fumigatus and Saccharopolyspora rectivirgula, affect cellular activity and cause lung disease. Prevention, control, and cure of respiratory disease is the ultimate goal and understanding the mechanisms of disease progression is the first step.

The Rehearsal Plan And The Preparation Of Brazilian Art Songs: An Autoethnographic Study In Collaborative Piano, Elisama Da Silva Gonçalves Santos

Music

The objective of this research was to investigate the effectiveness of the rehearsal plan in the preparation of Brazilian art songs. This disquisition proposes a rehearsal plan model based on the concept of the class plan used in the field of education. The rehearsal plans were applied in a series of rehearsals with two singers at North Dakota State University in which we worked on four art songs composed by the Brazilian composer Francisco Mignone (1897-1986). This qualitative study adopted the autoethnography as research method. In this autoethnographic research I worked both as researcher and as pianist in the rehearsals. …

Proposed Methods For The Nondecreasing Order-Restricted Alternative In A Mixed Design, Badr Suliman Alnssyan

Statistics

Nonparametric statistics are commonly used in the field of statistics due to their robustness when the underlying assumptions are violated for the usual parametric statistics. In this dissertation, we proposed eight nonparametric methods to test for nondecreasing ordered alternative for a mixed design consisting of a combination of completely randomized design (CRD) and randomized complete block design (RCBD). There were four nonparametric tests, based on the Jonckheere-Terpstra test and modifications of it, employed to propose these nonparametric methods. A Monte Carlo simulation study was conducted using SAS program to investigate the performance of the proposed tests under a variety of …

A Longitudinal Examination Of Biomechanical Balance And Quantitative Multidomain Assessments During Recovery Following Sport-Related Concussion, Moira Kate Pyrhoda

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Sport-related concussion is an inherent risk to athlete health in contact and collision sports. Both short- and long-term risks are associated with the injury. Short-term, athletes may develop post-concussion syndrome (PCS), the persistence of cognitive, physical, and emotional symptoms for weeks or months after injury. Athletes who return to play (RTP) prematurely are at increased risk for lower extremity injury and repeated concussion injuries. Long-term, history of multiple concussions have been linked to neurodegenerative diseases. Due to these risks, concussion assessments must be sensitive to the injury and useful in the diagnosis, recovery, and RTP phases of the injury.

Sideline …

Comparing Performance Of Anova To Poisson And Negative Binomial Regression When Applied To Count Data, Ibrahim Soumare

Statistics

Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) is the easiest and most widely used model nowadays in statistics. ANOVA however requires a set of assumptions for the model to be a valid choice and for the inferences to be accurate. Among many, ANOVA assumes the data in question is normally distributed and homogenous. However, data from most disciplines does not meet the assumption of normality and/or equal variance. Regrettably, researchers do not always check whether the assumptions are met, and if these assumptions are violated, inferences might well be wrong. We conducted a simulation study to compare the performance of standard ANOVA to …

Minocycline As A Treatment For Traumatic Brain Injury-Induced Impulsive And Attentional Deficits, Kristen M. Pechacek

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Traumatic brain injury (TBI) impacts millions worldwide and can cause lasting psychiatric symptoms. Chronic neuroinflammation is a characteristic of post-injury pathology and is positively associated with psychiatric conditions such as ADHD and bipolar disorder. Therefore, the current study sought to treat TBI-induced impulsivity and inattention using minocycline, an antibiotic with anti-inflammatory properties. Rats were trained on the five-choice serial reaction time task (5CSRT), a measure of motor impulsivity and attention. After behavior was stable on the 5CSRT, rats received either a bilateral frontal TBI or sham procedure. Minocycline was given at either 1 h post-injury or beginning at 8 weeks …

Design And Development Of A Multi-Nodal Methane Detection System For Longwall Coal Mining, Amber P. Barr

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Methane (CH4) explosions pose significant dangers in longwall mining that may lead to injuries and fatalities. Safety is improved through diligent monitoring of CH4 concentration. Currently, regulations require a CH4 monitor be placed on the shearer, downwind of the cutting head. Portable monitor measurements must be taken at various times and locations. If any CH4 monitor measures a concentration greater than 1%, a warning signal must be given. Based on previous research and the location of the CH4 monitor mounted on the shearer (closest monitor to the face), if 1% methane is measured, the concentration at the face may be …

Comparison Of The Batch And Individual Log Study Methods For Use In Determining Log Breakeven Pricing, Levi Eric Sisler

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Understanding log yields and overrun is critical to a profitable sawmill operation. Lumber yield and overrun data can be gathered through one of two types of sawmill studies: batch studies or individual log studies. Little to no research has previously been conducted to determine if one method provides more reliable results than the other method. For this effort, 16 batch studies were conducted. Individual log studies were also conducted on the same logs, allowing a direct comparison of the results from both study types. A breakeven analysis was conducted for each study type, which determined the amount of variability in …

Rail-To-Rail Operational In Low-Power Reconfigurable Analog Circuitry, Jared Dale Baker

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Analog signal processing (ASP) can be used to decrease energy consumption by several orders of magnitude over completely digital applications. Low-power field programmable analog arrays (FPAA) have been previously used by analog designers to decrease energy consumption. Combining ASP with an FPAA, energy consumption of these systems can be further reduced. For ASP to be most functional, it must achieve rail-to-rail operation to maintain a high dynamic range. This work strives to further reduce power consumption in reconfigurable analog circuitry by presenting a novel data converter that utilizes ASP and rail-to-rail operation. Rail-to-Rail operation is achieved in the data converter …

C-Jun Nh2-Terminal Kinase Signaling Controls Cellular Mechanisms Of Guided Cortical Interneuron Migration, Skye Eleanor Smith

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

The cerebral cortex is an intricately organized brain structure responsible for high-level functions including sensory perception, movement, memory, language, and cognition. During corticogenesis, cortical excitatory neurons and inhibitory interneurons migrate from their respective progenitor zones into the developing cerebral cortex, deposit in the correct cortical layer, and establish connections with their appropriate synaptic partners. The balance between excitation and inhibition is critical for cortical circuitry development and function. Aberrant migration of inhibitory interneurons can alter the formation of cortical circuitry and lead to several neurodevelopmental disorders including epilepsy, autism spectrum disorder, and schizophrenia. Therefore, elucidating the mechanisms responsible for inhibitory …