Digital Commons Network^™

Ccl2 Suppression In Lewis Lung Carcinoma Model Enhances Host Survival And Immune Response In The Tumor Microenvironment, Nivedita Biswas

Theses and Dissertations

CCL2, a chemokine also referred to as monocyte chemoattractant protein 1 (MCP-1) and small inducible cytokine A, is chemotactic for monocytes. CCL2-induced recruitment of CCR2+Ly6C(hi) monocytes increases vascular permeability CCR2+ endothelium aiding the escape and migration of tumor cells. CCL2 is produced by cancers of varied immunogenicity and augments tumor proliferation and metastasis. Elevated CCL2 expression by tumor cells is linked to poor prognosis.We have previously shown that two bacterially derived superantigens, Staphylococcal enterotoxin G and I (SEG/SEI) stimulate large numbers of T cells in an antigen-independent fashion and promote enhanced survival in the poorly immunogenic B16-F10 melanoma model. Conversely, …

Integrating Environmental Education Into Teacher Preparation Programs, Jenny Bladow

Theses and Dissertations

The United States Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) (1978) suggests that every citizen has the right to receive environmental education. Compared to previous generations, children today spend less time outdoors interacting with nature and all it offers. The current leisure trends are encompassed in technology as it becomes more accessible to children in the form of social media platforms or streaming on-demand TV shows. Perhaps there is a way to bring back the importance of nature and intertwine environmental education concepts into teacher preparation programs. In that case, there is hope for future generations of children to reap the …

Applying Human Error Framework To Explore Prevention Strategies For Wrong Surface Events, William Bowers

Theses and Dissertations

Wrong surface events are a serious and ongoing risk to aviation safety in the United States National Airspace System. A wrong surface event occurs when an aircraft lands, departs or attempts to land or depart from a surface other than the intended landing or takeoff, also including aircraft landing at the wrong airport. This research examined the contextual factors that contributed to human error ultimately leading to wrong surface events, assessed the efficacy of technology that can be used to prevent, and aviation professional’s awareness of wrong surface events in order to determine prevention strategies that can reduce occurrences in …

Tribo-Mechanical Behavior Of Cold Rolled And Directed Energy Deposited Niti Alloy For Space Applications, Hyunsuk Choi

Theses and Dissertations

The manufacturing industry is constantly looking for ways to improve processes and reduce costs while maintaining or enhancing material properties. Nickel-Titanium (NiTi) alloy, also known as Nitinol, has unique properties such as shape memory and superelasticity, which make it a valuable material for various applications in the medical and aerospace industries. However, due to its high toughness, strength, and ductility, NiTi is difficult to form and machine, leading to severe tool wear and high cutting energy. Conventional manufacturing processes have limitations in producing complex or porous designs, restricting NiTi's potential applications. Additive manufacturing techniques have been explored as a way …

United States Coast Guard Aviation Safety Climate Assessment Instrument, James Robert Cooley

Theses and Dissertations

The United States Coast Guard (USCG) implemented an aviation safety survey prior to this research (ver. 0). Cooley (2019) uncovered opportunities to improve the survey’s validity, creating a psychometrically-sound safety climate instrument. Inconsistencies with what and how to measure safety climates still exist in the corpus of literature. More attention is needed on safety management systems’ (SMS) predictive metrics, particularly for Coast Guard aviation outfits throughout the world. This research study used an exploratory sequential mixed methods design followed by an additional phase of quantitative research methods. Extensive deliberation with USCG stakeholders produced survey research questions, guiding the survey design …

Religion-Justified Childhood Maltreatment And Adult Psychological Maladjustment, Hannah Doctor

Theses and Dissertations

The perpetrator of religion justified child abuse relies on spiritual beliefs (religious texts, context, or authority) to justify acts of maltreatment. This form of abuse can be manifested in many different contexts including infamous scandals of sexual abuse committed by catholic priests and the physical/sexual/emotional maltreatment occurring at Native American or other boarding schools for troubled youth. Parents and caretakers often claim "to spare the rod is to spoil the child”. Previous research has suggested that maladjustment outcomes after traumatic events are less severe among victims with strong religious beliefs. This study hypothesized that religious justified abuse would be associated …

Using Electroencephalographic (Eeg) Measures Of Working Memory In The Context Of Binge Drinking: Analyzing Theta/Gamma Ratios, Michelle Jeanne Duffy

Theses and Dissertations

Neuronal degeneration resulting from excessive alcohol use, such that occurs with binge drinking behavior, is proposed to be linked to both impairment in neuronal functioning and corresponding psychological deficits in executive functioning such as working memory. A total of 73 undergraduate students (mean age = 19) completed a series of questionnaires assessing drinking behaviors and mental health. Upon completion, subjects were assigned to one of two groups based on their reported drinking behavior. Subjects completed a series of psychomotor tasks that required working memory demands under temporal processing conditions from the Senaptec Sensory Station tablet as well as two traditional …

Soil Bacteria Composition In Conservation Reserve Program Grasslands Of The Great Plains, Lydia M. Kantonen

Theses and Dissertations

The Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) is a grassland restoration program that allows landowners to remove degraded land from crop production, seed it with a perennial seed mixture, and leave it fallow for the remainder of the contract, which usually ranges from 10-15 years. While some ecosystem functions quickly improve upon CRP enrollment, soil organic carbon is slow to return to pre-agricultural levels. One explanation is that particulate organic matter left by litter takes several years to degrade even with a full bacteria community. Alternatively, it is possible that different chemical components of organic matter require different bacteria communities for full …

Enhancing Resin Composite Using Nanoparticle Embedded Jute Fiber And Exploring Plant Polymer For Biomedical Applications, Md Sultan Mahmud

Theses and Dissertations

The severe detrimental effect of nondegradable and toxic synthetic materials on the environment in the last couple of decades has led researchers to focus more on eco-friendly products such as building materials, medical instruments, sports, textile, and automobile industries. Lignocellulosic plants and their fibers are the first choices for both material and biological science researchers due to their chemical structure, abundance, low cost, and nontoxic nature. These plants are composed of three major biopolymers such as cellulose, hemicellulose, and lignin. Cellulose is the most abundant polymer. In the recent past natural fibers have attracted substantial importance as potential structural materials …

The Impact Of The Authority Gradient Created By Rank Imbalance On The Role Effectiveness Of U.S. Coast Guard Safety Officers, James Bernard Mccormack

Theses and Dissertations

Coast Guard air station commands have three department heads referred to as the Tri-P, consisting of the safety officer, operations officer, and engineering officer. The safety officer is generally junior in rank to the other members of the Tri-P despite what is advertised as an equal position within the command structure. The purpose of this study was to explore rank imbalance for Coast Guard safety officers at air stations throughout the United States by examining their perceptions in a quantitative survey. All current Coast Guard safety officers were eligible for participation in the survey. The survey revealed that safety officers …

Remote Sensing Of Chlorophyll-A In Small And Medium Lakes In The Minnesota Northern Forest Ecoregion, Jacob Alan Moll

Theses and Dissertations

Algae blooms have become increasingly common in many bodies of water and are occurring in more and more new locations. Past methods have relied on in-situ sampling to determine Chl-a concentrations and can be time and cost intensive. With the use of NASA’s Harmonized Landsat imagery existing methods of index calculation can be implemented, with the added benefit of an increase in temporal resolution. This increase in temporal resolution allows for more detailed spatial and temporal analysis such as hot spot analysis. Harmonized Landsat imagery was proven sufficient in spatial and temporal resolution for detection of Chl-a in small and …

“Blue” Hydrogen & Helium From Flare Gas Of The Bakken Formation Of The Williston Basin, North Dakota: A Novel Process, Martin R. Leipzig

Theses and Dissertations

Is it possible to curtail flaring in the Williston basin while simultaneously sequestering carbon dioxide, harvesting economic quantities of natural gas liquids, helium and other valuable products? Utilizing a novel approach described here, diatomic hydrogen and elemental helium, as well as other products, can be profitably extracted from the gas streams produced from horizontal, hydraulically-fractured Middle Bakken Member wells, in the Devonian-Mississippian Bakken Formation of the Williston Basin, North Dakota, USA.However, there are two vastly different methods employed to extract these gasses. Hydrogen is harvested from the gas stream by physically reforming methane (CH4) through the application of one or …

Exploring Organizational Recidivism With A Focus On Federal Environmental Crime, Isaac M. Mvula

Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation explores the recidivism rates of organizational offenders convicted of federal environmental crimes. Individual recidivism has received considerable attention from re-searchers over the years. This is not so with organization recidivism. This dissertation aims at put-ting greater light on this subject. The study focuses on environmental crime because of the critical need to preserve the earth’s ability to sustain life. Federal environmental criminal prosecution da-ta maintained by the EPA was the study population. The population included prosecutions of organizational offenders from 1994 to 2013. The total number of organizational prosecutions was 73625 and the total number of organizational offenders …

A Data Driven Approach To Optimize Re-Fracturing Operations In The Williston Basin, Joshua Kroschel

Theses and Dissertations

Because of the recent paradigm shift focusing heavily on cost minimization, many operators are now re-developing existing assets at much lower costs instead of developing newly drilled wells. Although it may seem that the hydraulic fracturing process on a well would be easier after initial stimulation, this is not usually the case and is often more difficult. Being able to identify high margin effects of treatment parameters will help engineers design hydraulic fracturing treatments to minimize average STP (STP) and minimize costs. This research develops a feature engineered multivariate regression model that identifies several high margin areas for STP reduction. …

Serving Their Communities By Preserving And Explaining Their Past: North Dakota County And Local Museums, Austin Allen Olson

Theses and Dissertations

Museum scholars and professionals continue to debate the purpose of museums and their relationships to the public. These contentious debates revolve around the institution’s roles within contemporary societal issues. The purpose of this study is to analyze the expanding roles of county and local museums in North Dakota have in their communities with the goal to understand how these museums can thrive and provide positive outcomes to the communities they serve. This thesis argues that local and county museums must undertake an active role in their local communities to continue to positively preserve and interpret the area’s history. Utilizing interviews …

Survey Of National Junior College Athletic Directors On The Top Things They Wish They Knew During Their First Year: First-Year Athletic Director Manual For Success, Jayden Olson

Theses and Dissertations

The responsibilities of being a first-year athletic director have never been greater. Although being an athletic director may seem like a simple, common job, no two people with the title of athletic director have the exact same responsibilities or tasks required of them. Furthermore, many athletic directors come from a variety of backgrounds. Due to these factors, a manual could be beneficial to all first-year athletic directors. A survey consisting of demographic questions, and questions relating to the top 10 most important things to know as a first-time athletic director, job preparedness, resources relating to the job of an athletic …

Determining The Optimum Ground Coal Bottom Ash Content For Sustainable Concrete Infrastructure, Sandip Poudel

Theses and Dissertations

Cement production requires a high amount of energy and natural resources which has a high impact on the environment due to harmful gas emissions. Coal bottom ash (CBA) or Coal Boiler Slag (CBS) is the byproduct of coal-fired power plants that has pozzolanic properties. CBA or CBS can be mechanically ground to obtain Ground Coal Bottom Ash (GCBA) or Ground Coal Bottom Slag (GCBS). GCBA has the potential to replace cement in concrete which will reduce the waste in landfills, make economic benefits, preserve natural resources, and reduce health hazards. This research was performed to determine the optimum GCBA or …

Natural Fractals And Facial Emotion Recognition, Nathaniel Joseph Pagel

Theses and Dissertations

The psychological benefits that come from visually processing natural imagery have been widely studied. The components of natural imagery that provoke positive responses are not fully understood. This study uses a mixed design approach to identify if the acute exposure to statistical fractal imagery, of both a high-range or mid-range complexity, affects cognitive workload, physiological arousal, and gaze patterns in the recognition and identification of emotions through facial expressions. Participants were undergraduate students fulfilling a partial course requirement (N = 87). Eye-tracking metrics were used to compare exposure to fractal complexities. Participants were randomly assigned to either be exposed to …

Understanding How North Dakota Teachers' Knowledge, Beliefs, And Confidence Are Constructed In An Asynchronous Professional Development Course, Mckenzie Rabenn

Theses and Dissertations

Many researchers have argued that teachers are the most important school-related factor to increasing a student’s academic performance. In turn, schools often turn to professional development (PD) to strengthen educators’ performance and knowledge levels. Indeed, PD can be a prime tool to improve school performance. However, its efficacy is determined by how it is perceived by teachers.

This study examines the experiences of North Dakota elementary teachers who, in response to statewide legislation, enrolled in an online PD and how their experiences shape their knowledge, beliefs, and confidence. Research has demonstrated that these three constructs (knowledge, beliefs, and confidence) have …

Application Of Dynamic Techno-Economic Assessment: A Case Study In Rare Earth Element Extraction, Michael Ryder

Theses and Dissertations

Rare earth elements are critical materials for many technologies driving the energy industry forward. However, there is increasingly low security and lack of sustainability of current supplies. New sources and processing methods are needed and are being intensely investigated among U.S. energy leaders such as rare earth extraction from lignite coal in North Dakota. A critical need is to confirm the technological and economic viability of these approaches, aspects which are inherently interconnected, would benefit from a dynamic approach. The current approach is Techno-Economic Assessments (TEAs). TEAs evaluate the economics of the process and commercialization of the technology for viability …

Faculty Experiences Of Implementing Co-Teaching Strategies, Krystie Lynn Seese

Theses and Dissertations

Co-teaching is defined as two or more certified teachers working together to meet the needs of the diverse learners in their classroom, especially students with disabilities. Co-teaching is a widely implemented method used in public schools to educate children with and without disabilities in the general education setting to comply with state and national legislation requirements. There are six commonly used co-teaching strategies and approaches: one teach, one observe; one teach, one assist; parallel teaching; station teaching; alternative teaching; and team teaching. The research questions asked and answered were: What approach is most widely used and most effective at the …

When The Verdict Is Not So Black And White: Juror Perceptions And Judgments Of Biracial Defendants, Mariah Sorby

Theses and Dissertations

Racial disparities are a persistent issue within the United States criminal justice system. Past research has investigated how defendant characteristics (e.g., race and phenotype) and juror attitudes and beliefs (e.g., stereotypes and prejudice) influence mock juror case judgments and perceptions. This literature has primarily investigated outcomes for monoracial defendants. However, there is a significant need for research investigating outcomes of multiracial defendants. The purpose of this project was to investigate the influence of phenotype, crime stereotypes, and juror attitudes on case judgments and perceptions of Black-White Biracial defendants compared to White and Black defendants. Participants were randomly assigned to view …

Exploration Of Early Career Teachers’ Perspectives On Preservice Training, Classroom Experiences, And Retention, Ashley Smalley

Theses and Dissertations

To promote the advancement of teacher recruitment, retention, and reduce attrition, K-12 teachers need to be fully prepared for the complex nature of being in a classroom, a classroom filled with students of all types. There is a unique nature to education and one must recognize the complexity of each individual student. The context of this study explores early career teachers’ perspectives on their preparedness for teaching. This research examines teachers’ perspectives in their first to fifth years of teaching who graduated from a North Dakota college. Each participant answered 13 questions regarding their perspectives on the preparation they received …

Effect Of Deicing Chemicals And Fly Ash On Durability And Mechanical Properties Of Concrete, Joseph M. Useldinger-Hoefs

Theses and Dissertations

Deicing chemicals, such as Sodium Chloride (NaCl), lowers the freezing point of water, resulting in less skidding, less hydroplaning, and more friction on roadways. NaCl has limitations regarding its deicing capabilities; therefore, a supplement should be used to decrease corrosion and aid in lowering the freezing point of water. Incorporating AMP in NaCl brine aids in bonding to the road’s surface and further lowers the water’s freezing point. This study was conducted to explore the optimum solution of AMP and Sodium Nitrite (NaNO2) and the impact 20% fly ash has on durability. Hardened properties were used to compare the impact …

Childhood Adversity And The Millon Clinical Multiaxial Inventory, Fourth Edition (Mcmi-Iv), Jenna Marie Wolff

Theses and Dissertations

The Millon Clinical Multiaxial Inventory, 4th edition (MCMI-IV; Millon et al., 2015) is a reliable and valid personality assessment based on Theodore Millon’s biosocial learning theory of personality. Millon’s theory evolved to include 15 personality constructs that vary in adaptive and maladaptive response patterns. In his most recent book (Millon, 2011), he presented hypotheses about biological and environmental factors that contribute to development of each personality construct. Many of these hypotheses specify particular adversities in childhood that differentially contribute to each construct. This study is the first to evaluate Millon’s hypotheses about how childhood adversities may contribute to development of …

Evaluating The Size Distribution Of Submicron Particles In Seawater, Yuanheng Xiong

Theses and Dissertations

Particles of sizes < 1 µm or submicron particles in seawater can contribute up to 60% of optical backscattering that reflect sunlight measured by remote sensors. Better understanding of their optical effect in ocean color requires the knowledge of their particle size distributions (PSDs). However, data on PSDs of submicron particles is limited. We examined an instrument, ViewSizer 3000, for its capability of measuring PSDs of submicron particles. The working theory of the instrument is to track the Brownian motion of particles and relate the diffusivity of each particle to its size. A Monte Carlo simulation was conducted to prove that the instrument can be used to quantify PSDs of naturally occurring particles. Calibrations in the lab using NIST-traceable microbeads indicates two corrections are needed: (1) the sample volume varies with the size of particles and (2) particles of sizes <250 nm cannot be estimated reliably due to their low signal-to-noise ratio. With the corrections, the instrument can resolve submicron particles of sizes >250 nm with a mean absolute error of 3.9% in size and 38% in concentration. The ViewSizer 3000 was deployed in two NASA EXPORTS field campaigns in the North Pacific Ocean in August 2018 and the North Atlantic Ocean in May 2021. A total of 373 water samples were collected from 5 m to 500 m and measured in the ship’s lab for their PSDs. The PSDs of submicron particles at different depths and waters exhibit up to 3 orders of magnitude variations at each size bin, with the mean concentration in NA 30% greater than that …

The Design And Preparation Of High-Performance Silicon/Carbon Composite Anode For Lithium-Ion Batteries, Xin Zhang

Theses and Dissertations

The increasing demand for high-performance energy storage devices has driven extensive research into developing advanced lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) for various applications, including electric vehicles, portable electronics, and grid energy storage. Anode materials play a critical role in determining the overall performance of LIBs. In this dissertation, the investigation of silicon-based anode materials synthesis, characterization, and electrochemical performance was conducted for high-performance lithium-ion battery (LIB) applications. Four projects (Chapter 3 through 6) will be included in this dissertation. Chapter one includes the background and motivation of developing high-performance anode material for LIBs, followed by the hypothesis, scope of work, and significance …

Tele-Mental Health For Rural Children With Cancer And Their Families, Heather Adame

Theses and Dissertations

Youth and Families from rural areas face different circumstances and challenges when managing a pediatric cancer diagnosis. Challenges such as this include lower access to both physical and mental health care (Janicke & Davies, 2011; Wallings et al., 2019). There is a significant need to investigate how to implement best Telemental health for rural families with pediatric cancer (Ros-DeMarize et al., 2021; Timones, 2019). Due to the limited research on this topic, the purpose of this study was to explore expert opinions on best practices for Telemental health services in pediatric oncology settings and rural families living with pediatric cancer. …

Capital Trial Facets: Juror Perceptions Of Expert Testimony, Prior Record, And Mental Health, Madison Elizabeth Adrian

Theses and Dissertations

Capital trials introduce several emotional components beyond what occurs within a typical trial. Furthermore, in cases where a defendant’s mental state has been called into question, there is additional layer of bias and stereotyping toward the defendant, particularly when diagnosed with schizophrenia or psychopathy. Additionally, expert testimony frequently enters the court as mitigating evidence to persuade jurors against the death penalty, yet prior research has found mixed results regarding which types of experts are most effective. On the other hand, prior criminal record may be utilized as an aggravating factor, yet its scope in differing crime contexts, such as a …

The Use Of Cyber Media In Hybrid Warfare: Narrative Stories From The Front Lines; Proposing A New Gatekeeping Theory, Hussain Almalki

Theses and Dissertations

This study used a qualitative narrative approach to investigate the experiences of journalists operating in the context of hybrid warfare across several global regions. The objective of this study is to ascertain the many problems and hazards encountered by numerous journalists who are subjected to pursuit, censorship, harassment, abduction, incarceration, or fatality daily. Furthermore, the objective of this study is to comprehend the ethical and individual incentives that have driven journalists to venture into and remain in regions of violence. Lastly, this study aims to comprehend the utilization of cyber media by journalists in reporting on instances of violence and …