Digital Commons Network^™

Solidarity Forever: A Call For Inclusive Holocaust Memory And Coalition Building Amid Forgetting & Denial, Elisabeth Fricker

History, Philosophy, and Religious Studies

According to a recent survey, less than half of American Millennials can name a Holocaust concentration camp, and more than two-thirds of the respondents did not know the number of Jewish people the Nazis killed in the camps. This lack of knowledge is happening in a world where some people do not even admit the Holocaust event happened. This thesis will first lay out the current state of Holocaust remembrance in education, memorialization, and popular culture, particularly in America. Particular attention is given to how these remembrances overlook or silence certain victims of the Holocaust, such as LGBTQ+ victims. The …

“Only As Strong As We All Make It:” The Limitations Of Fargo’S Civil Defense During The Early Cold War (1950-1964), Aaron Rudebusch

History, Philosophy, and Religious Studies

In this thesis, I argue that civil defense failed to take hold in the United States because it required local communities to take responsibility for protective measures. Fargo, North Dakota provides a case study for this analysis. The first section examines how Fargo adopted many practices from federal, state, and municipal civil defense organizations in the early 1950s, but struggled to implement them due to volunteer shortages. The second section explains how the hydrogen bomb forced officials to revise civil defense policies. It also details efforts by congressional and private bodies to increase federal responsibility for civil defense. The third …

A History Of North Dakota's Petroleum Industry, 1917-2017, Clarence Anthony Herz

History, Philosophy, and Religious Studies

North Dakota’s petroleum industry can be traced back to 1917, when Arthur Blum found a small amount of oil in a well drilled to water his cattle. The unsuccessful exploration for oil continued from 1917 until 1951, when on April 4, oil was produced, in commercial quantities, from the Clarence Iverson #1 well. The discovery well initiated the state’s first boom, and after several other wells began production, the state began construction of industry infrastructure. This discovery boom lasted until 1966, when a global oil glut reduced exploration and production slowed. In the 1970s, as a result of OPEC’s manipulation …

Can Californian Households Save Money On Transportation Costs By Living In Transit-Oriented Developments (Tods)?, Hongwei Dong

Mineta Transportation Institute

Many residents in large Californian metropolitan areas are heavily burdened by housing costs. Advocates, researchers, and elected officials in California are debating whether transit-oriented development (TOD) could be an effective tool to mitigate the housing affordability problem by increasing housing supply and reducing transportation costs in transit-rich neighborhoods. This study contributes to this debate by estimating how much Californian families can save on transportation costs by living in transit-oriented developments (TODs). By utilizing the confidential version of the 2010–2012 California Household Travel Survey, this study evaluates the impact of TOD on household transportation expenditures by comparing TOD households with two …

The Fluidity Of Gender Roles On The Northern Great Plains 1890-1950, Stefanie Michele Pililani Aulner

History, Philosophy, and Religious Studies

The relative infancy of the Northern Great Plains social environment compared to the well-established social systems of the United States east of the Mississippi fostered growth and allowed the redefinition of women’s gender roles. Without the strict social policing of women’s roles within the frontier society, women could redefine their gender roles. Women not only redefined their gender roles but made independent decisions based on their current situations and navigated within the already assigned societal gender roles. In this instance, women, often oppressed and constrained by societal expectations and obligations, simultaneously possessed the choice to navigate and make decisions within …

Settler Colonizers’ Sense Of History On The Northern Plains Before And After The Turn Of The Nineteenth Century, Aaron Loren Barth

History, Philosophy, and Religious Studies

This dissertation argues that it is time to push the understanding of the US Oceti Sakowin wars in different directions, particularly in the direction that stops obsessing and constantly revisiting the officer and soldier accounts. More particularly, it is argued, it is time to push in the direction that looks at how and why settler colonizers – scholars, artists, historians, poets – before and after the turn of the nineteenth century contemplated and argued over various ways to interpret the 1854- 1891 US Oceti Sakowin wars. Through this, they infused a sense of history into the landscape of the northern …

In Situ Treatment Technologies For Pit Latrines To Mitigate Groundwater Contamination By Fecal Pathogens: A Review Of Recent Technical Advances, Shray Saxena, Walter Den

Water Resources Science and Technology Faculty Publications (Archived)

On-site sanitation systems such as pit latrines are extensively used around the world, while there is a growing number of evidence documenting the impact of pit latrines on groundwater quality that may affect human health. Hence, this paper summarizes the various safe-sanitation technologies by broadly categorizing them into fecal pathogen disinfection methods (anaerobic digestion, chemical disinfection, biological additives, solar pasteurization and vermicomposting) and capturing methods (pit lining and permeable reactive barriers, the latter of which simultaneously capture and sanitize fecal sludge in pit latrines). While some of the reviewed technologies have been widely practiced for mitigating microbial contamination of the …

Exploration Of Intercollegiate Student-Athletes’ Athletic Identity, Leah C. Oldham

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Student-athletes encounter experiences that can cause their identity process and self-concept to be disturbed. Even though athletic identities are strong among intercollegiate athletes, some encounter identity-threatening events that interrupt their identity process, negatively affecting their athletic identity. The present study adds to current research on the athletic identity of student-athletes by examining the athletic identity and self-esteem of student-athletes to determine if a redshirt season is a positive (identity-enhancing) or negative (identity-threatening) event. The intersectionality of age, race, gender, and ethnicity are examined to understand if multiple identities influence the experience of a redshirt season. Results reveal that a redshirt …

Wetland Mitigation Performance Standards: The Intersection Of Science, Practice, And Policy, Jessica Anne Bryzek

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Wetland ecosystem spatial extent and integrity have declined due to conversion to anthropogenic land uses. Wetland mitigation offsets the impact on wetlands encountered during development by restoring a previously degraded wetland or creating new wetlands. This activity creates an ecosystem service market where wetland impacts (debits) are offset by wetland restoration/creation (credits). Mitigation aims to replace functions provided by aquatic resources lost during development. Post-restoration monitoring criteria known as performance standards are used to evaluate and verify restored wetland functionality and regulate mitigation credit release. Therefore, performance standards are vital in ascertaining wetland restoration techniques and mitigation processes. In Chapter …

A Novel Computational Network Methodology For Discovery Of Biomarkers And Therapeutic Targets, Qing Ye

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Lung cancer has the second highest cancer incidence rate and the top cancer-related mortality worldwide. An estimate from the American Cancer Society shows that, in 2022, there will be about 236,740 lung cancer cases (117,910 men and 118,830 women) in the US. To date, there are no prognostic/predictive biomarkers to select chemotherapy, immunotherapy, and radiotherapy in individual non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients. There is an unmet clinical need to identify patients with early-stage NSCLC who are likely to develop recurrence and to predict their therapeutic responses. This dissertation developed a novel computational methodology for modeling molecular gene association networks …

Comparison Of Maintenance Cost Of Medium And Heavy-Duty Alternative Fuel And Diesel Vehicles, Isaac C. Boyce

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Abstract

Comparison of Maintenance Cost of Medium and Heavy-Duty Alternative Fuel and Diesel Vehicles

Isaac Boyce

This study was conducted to provide an in-depth analysis of the differences in maintenance cost with the use of alternative fuel and diesel in medium (MD) and heavy-duty (HD) vehicles. With the push toward lower emissions from transportation vehicles for a cleaner future, the United States of America (US) has incentivized the conversion from the use of conventional fossil fuel, diesel, to lower carbon alternatives. With the increased potential for the use of alternative fuels, an investigation is warranted to understand the differences. This …

Review Of Innovative Rehabilitation Techniques For Reinforced Concrete Buildings, Demetrius Karoubas

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Building rehabilitation encompasses the act of repairing damaged structural elements, as well as the upgrading of older buildings to bring them up to modern standards. In recent years, due to the extreme economic and environmental cost of new construction, building rehabilitation is gaining ground as the most viable solution to the problem posed by damaged or substandard buildings. With the constant development of new materials with favorable properties and the improvement of our understanding of earthquakes, new rehabilitation techniques are being developed, improving on the efficiency and effectiveness of older ones. Reinforced Concrete (RC) buildings are a type of building …

Implementation Of Stress Management And Resiliency Training To Address Nursing Burnout In A Neuroscience Critical Care Unit, Jessica May Marie Hughes

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

In the United States, over one-third of nurses experience symptoms of burnout (Reith, 2018). If left unchecked, poor stress management and resiliency skills can contribute to nursing burnout, leading to costly employee turnover. Stress management and resiliency training (SMART) provides the tools necessary to develop resiliency, improve stress management and decrease burnout (Resilient Option, 2020). Nursing staff under the age of 36, who work in a Neurosciences Critical Care Unit (NCCU) demonstrate lower resiliency scores and a higher risk of burnout. This project aimed to evaluate: (a) the effects of a SMART program on the wellbeing of nursing staff in …

Evaluating The Performance Of Emergency Medical System In The Us, Zhila Dehdari Ebrahimi

Transportation Logistics and Finance

New and exciting opportunities are emerging for operational researchers to create and use models that provide managers with solutions to enhance the quality of their services as the importance of the service sector grows in industrialized countries. The key to this process is the creation of time-dependent models that analyze complicated service systems and produce efficient staff schedules, allowing organizations to strike a balance between delivering high-quality services and avoiding unnecessary personnel costs. There is a need, particularly in the healthcare sector, to encourage effective management of an EMS, where the likelihood of survival is strongly correlated with the response …

Three Essays On Railroad Safety Analysis Using Non-Parametric Statistical Methods, Neeraj Dhingra

Transportation Logistics and Finance

he FRA mandated railroad companies to install a new monitoring system known as Positive Train Control (PTC). This system overlays sensors, signals, and transponders over existing track and other wayside infrastructure. Technologists designed the system to prevent accidents mainly caused by human negligence and communications. However, PTC will not address track-related defects, which is the second dominant cause of accidents. A new track monitoring system called Railway Autonomous Inspection Localization System (RAILS) was proposed to address track-related accidents. RAILS is based on low-cost sensor technology that identifies defect symptoms, ranks their severity, classifies defect types, and localizes their positions. So, …

Predictions Of Produced Water Quality And Recycled Water Optimization For Spatially-Distributed Wells In Point Pleasant Formation, Armel Quentin Mbakop

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

The treatment of produced water as a fracturing fluid is becoming an increasingly important aspect of water management surrounding the booming of the unconventional oil and gas industry. Two main problems facing the oil and gas industry are the availability of water for well drilling and completion and disposal of the produced water. Unconventional well drilling and completion in the Utica shale requires large amounts of water. The wastewater that results after production—containing high levels of organic and inorganic matter— is usually disposed of through deep well injection. A new approach reuses this produced water as part of subsequent fracturing …

Uav Position Estimation Using A Lidar-Based 3d Object Detection Method, Uthman Oladipo Olawoye

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

LiDAR-based object detection methods have drawn sufficient attention from academia and industry due to the increase in the use of the LiDAR sensor for autonomous driving. Insensitivity to light and the ability to capture high spatial information of the encircling environment coupled with the steady reduction in purchase cost are features that make the LiDAR appealing for autonomous driving. The detection methods can process and evaluate the sensor data to identify objects and calculate the relative position of the objects to the sensor. While these methods are currently applied to autonomous driving, they could also be used in robotics for …

Evocations Of Nature In Selected Piano Works By Debussy, Heah Zi-Ling

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

The connection between nature and the music of Claude Debussy is unique and fascinating, with nature serving as a source of influence and inspiration for Debussy. Debussy looked upon nature with veneration and this viewpoint helped to form the musical ideals that he pursued while breaking with the traditional forms of music. References to nature appear in the descriptive titles of many works by Debussy, but this research focuses on selected piano works from his two books of Images. Debussy’s sense of connection to nature in his music, especially when viewed through the lenses of the Impressionist and Symbolist movements, …

Efficacy Of Reported Issue Times As A Means For Effort Estimation, Paul Phillip Maclean

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Software effort is a measure of manpower dedicated to developing and maintaining and software. Effort estimation can help project managers monitor their software, teams, and timelines. Conversely, improper effort estimation can result in budget overruns, delays, lost contracts, and accumulated Technical Debt (TD). Issue Tracking Systems (ITS) have become mainstream project management tools, with over 65,000 companies using Jira alone. ITS are an untapped resource for issue resolution effort research. Related work investigates issue effort for specific issue types, usually Bugs or similar. They model their developer-documented issue resolution times using features from the issues themselves. This thesis explores a …

Information Theoretical Analysis Of The Uniqueness Of Iris Biometrics, Katelyn M. Hampel

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

With the rapid globalization of technology in the world, the need for a more reliable and secure online method of authentication is required. This can be achieved by using each individual’s distinctive biometric identifiers, such as the face, iris, fingerprint, palmprint, etc.; however, there is a bound to the uniqueness of each identifier and consequently, a limit to the capacity that a biometric recognition system can sustain before false matches occur. Therefore, knowing the limitations on the maximum population that a biometric modality can uniquely represent is essential now more than ever. In an effort to address the general problem, …

Combustion Feature Characterization Using Computer Vision Diagnostics Within Rotating Detonation Combustors, Kristyn B. Johnson May

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

In recent years, the possibilities of higher thermodynamic efficiency and power output have led to increasing interest in the field of pressure gain combustion (PGC). Currently, a majority of PGC research is concerned with rotating detonation engines (RDEs), devices which may theoretically achieve pressure gain across the combustor. Within the RDE, detonation waves propagate continuously around a cylindrical annulus, consuming fresh fuel mixtures supplied from the base of the RDE annulus. Through constant-volume heat addition, pressure gain combustion devices theoretically achieve lower entropy generation compared to Brayton cycle combustors. RDEs are being studied for future implementation in gas turbines, where …

Up In Flames: Using Anthropology To Analyze The Increasing Cremation Rates In North Dakota, Natalie Anne Basta

Sociology and Anthropology

Cremation rates within North Dakota, and the greater US, have been rapidly increasing over the recent decades. Funeral directors, coroners, and death investigators alike have noticed the increase; however, nobody has made a positive determination for why the increase was occurring. Using an anthropological lens, I evaluated the state of cremation with North Dakota and with the use of GIS analysis and interviews with local funeral directors, I was able to determine that there is not one specific reason for the rising cremation rates. Instead, there are multiple factors at play, one of which is cost.

Framing Fashion Sustainability In Fashion Magazines, Kristen Ann Mohammadi

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

This study explores the framing, dominant frame, story focus, and tone of sustainable fashion coverage in prominent fashion magazines, Vogue and Refinery29, seeking to understand if the publications frame their coverage differently and if the framing changes after the emergence of COVID-19. To do so, this study uses a sample consisting of articles from summer months (May-August) spanning three years (2019, 2020, and 2021), as COVID-19 was first discovered in the United States in 2020. This study uses content analysis methodology to analyze a total of 206 articles. This kind of research is important, as environmental and social issues stemming …

Red Spruce Ecological Sites, Ecological States, And Restoration Pathways Quantified Through Soil Organic Carbon, James Edward Leonard

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Tools used by agencies and organizations like the Forest Service (FS), the Natural Resource Conservation Service (NRCS), the Nature Conservancy (TNC), and the Central Appalachian Spruce Restoration Initiative (CASRI) to help guide red spruce (Picea rubens) ecosystem restoration within Central Appalachia could better address outcomes from management practices implemented in terms of soil organic carbon (SOC) stock changes. These high-elevation landscapes have a natural capacity to produce diverse ecosystem services that affect humans, animals, and plants alike. Ecological site descriptions (ESD) are an important tool used to restore impacted landscapes and provide detailed management prescriptions specific to red spruce ecological …

Enhancing Natural Capital To Improve Mental Health And Well-Being In Rural Communities In Minnesota, Ashley Zidon

Sociology and Anthropology

This paper explores how green space can aid in improved mental health outcomes for individuals who live in rural communities in greater Minnesota. The mental health landscape across the state is complex and layered, complicated by access, insurance, broadband, and employment. At the local level, built and natural policy have the ability to directly impact physical and mental health outcomes for people; positively or negatively. Unfortunately, little literature exists in rural context; shadowed by its urban counterpart. By exploring how broader partnerships and policy can be strengthened, local and county government play a critical role in how communities can support …

Does Social Capital Always Affect Immigrant Employment? Analyzing The Mediating Effect Of United States’ Cultural Context On The Relationship Between Social Capital And Immigrant Employment, Debarati Kole

Sociology and Anthropology

The paper investigates if culture mediates the relation between immigrants’ social capital and the likelihood of employment in a host country. It applies Social Capital Theory to predict potential effects of culture and then, conducts statistical tests on data for two distinct periods in United States history. Results are consistent with prior findings that social capital enhances the likelihood of employment for immigrants. In general, culture did not affect the efficacy of social capital on increasing the likelihood of immigrant employment, though there was an effect of culture on the quantity of bridging capital and immigrants’ trust in members of …

Growing Green Finland: A Short-Term Study Abroad Program With A Sociological Focus, Natasha Ann Cary-Waselk

Sociology and Anthropology

This paper is an example of theory-based practice in the field of international education through program and course design. Environmental sociology will be the focus of the class readings, discussions, and course work as well as on-ground programming. This topic ties specifically to the on-ground programming in Finland. Students will take the knowledge learned in the course surrounding sustainability, wellbeing practices, and sociology and learn more about these topics through immersion and community interaction. Through specific course design, students will not only learn about environmental sociology, but will have continuous learning experiences through course work, excursions, reflection, peer-to-peer learning, and …

The Effects Of Feed Additives And The Use Of A Novel Wood Boiler Heat Exchanger On Litter Quality, Broiler Performance, And Immune Status, Victoria Ayres

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Experiments were conducted to investigate the effects of varying feed ingredients and heating systems on boiler performance metrics. Chapter Two investigated the effects of two corn-expressed phytases, differing in enzyme concentration within the grain (3,000 or 9,677 FTU/g), on broiler performance and tibia mineralization, when used as a component in pelleted feed. Dietary treatments included a positive control (PC), with industry-recommended levels of calcium and phosphorous, and a negative control (NC), lower in calcium and non-phytate phosphorous. Six diets containing corn-expressed phytase at high or low grain concentrations, formulated to 3,000, 6,000, or 9,000 FTU/kg, were …

Performance Of Sensor Fusion For Vehicular Applications, Nikola Janevski

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Sensor fusion is a key system in Advanced Driver Assistance Systems, ADAS. The perfor-
mance of the sensor fusion depends on many factors such as the sensors used, the kinematic
model used in the Extended Kalman Filter, EKF, the motion of the vehicles, the type of
road, the density of vehicles, and the gating methods. The interactions between parameters
and the extent to which individual parameters contribute to the overall accuracy of a sensor
fusion system can be difficult to assess.
In this study, a full-factorial experimental evaluation of a sensor fusion system based
on a real vehicle was performed. …

Population Characteristics Of Three Black Bass Species In The Upper Ohio River Drainage, Levi Foster Brown

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

In West Virginia, species of black bass are economically and ecologically important and support popular fisheries. In the state’s large, navigable river systems, recent information suggests that anglers consider these fisheries diminished relative to their historic stocks. This study sought to describe the population characteristics of Largemouth, Smallmouth, and Spotted Bass in the upper Ohio River drainage and evaluate possible management actions. Low relative abundances coupled with poor growth estimates for Largemouth and Spotted Bass suggests that a suite of environmental and anthropogenic factors may be reducing the quality of their recreational fisheries. Conversely, demographic estimates produced for Smallmouth Bass …