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Modeling Sediment Movement In Forested Watersheds Using Hill-Slope Attributes, Gregory W. Hamons
Modeling Sediment Movement In Forested Watersheds Using Hill-Slope Attributes, Gregory W. Hamons
Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports
The amount of sediment delivered to stream channels and the determination of the topographical attributes responsible for the origination and transfer of sediment were investigated in a central Appalachian mixed hardwood forest from 2002 through 2005. Two study watersheds were chosen within the Indian Run watershed in north central West Virginia. One remained undisturbed (control) and the other underwent road construction and tree harvesting operations (treatment). Sediment samples were collected from silt fences which were installed along both sides of the stream channels in both watersheds to ensure all sediment material delivered from adjacent hill-slopes was captured and collected. Sediment …
Estimation Of Skin Factor By Using Pressure Transient Testing Results Of A Single Rate Well Test, Delal Gunaydin
Estimation Of Skin Factor By Using Pressure Transient Testing Results Of A Single Rate Well Test, Delal Gunaydin
Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports
About one-fifth of the natural gas used by Americans each winter comes from natural gas storage sites. Gas storage is the primary means for the gas industry to manage fluctuations in supply and demand. Natural gas can be stored in a variety of ways. Most commonly, it is held in underground formations, in depleted oil or gas reservoirs, or in natural aquifers.;Many gas storage wells show a decline in deliverability as a function of time due to several damage mechanisms. The remedial operations such as stimulation and workovers are used to restore the loss in deliverability and to enhance the …
Accessibility Of Wvu Websites For Individuals With Vision Impairments, Sarah Jacobin
Accessibility Of Wvu Websites For Individuals With Vision Impairments, Sarah Jacobin
Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports
Recently, several major corporations have been sued because their websites are inaccessible to individuals with disabilities. For a website to be accessible, people with disabilities should be able to navigate and interact with the site. Individuals who are blind or have vision impairments have difficulty accessing websites because they commonly use assistive technology to interpret content. This study is the first comprehensive study assessing the accessibility of WVU websites for individuals with disabilities, specifically individuals with visual impairments and comparing those results to those of two comparable universities in other areas of the country. Compliance with specifications of website accessibility …
Stand Dynamics Of An Old-Growth Hemlock-Hardwood Forest In West Virginia, Nathan R. Beane
Stand Dynamics Of An Old-Growth Hemlock-Hardwood Forest In West Virginia, Nathan R. Beane
Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports
Cathedral State Park (CSP) is a 54-ha, old-growth, hemlock-hardwood forest located in the central Appalachian Mountains of West Virginia. Trees larger than 100 cm diameter at breast height (dbh) and 35 m tall are common. Hemlock woolly adelgid (HWA) (Adelges tsugae Annand) is an exotic insect that currently threatens eastern hemlock (Tsuga canadensis (L.) Carr.) throughout its native range, and was found in CSP in 2002. In 2006, field plots established in 2000 were remeasured to assess adelgid-induced changes to forest structure and species composition. The herbaceous plant community was also measured during the 2006 growing season to describe how …
Bus Transit Equity Among Demographic Groups Considering Monetary And Travel Time Costs, Leonel Medellin
Bus Transit Equity Among Demographic Groups Considering Monetary And Travel Time Costs, Leonel Medellin
Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports
The generalized cost of a transit user depends mostly on time and money spent per trip. On the other hand, time and distance determine most of the transit agency's cost to provide service. These are important factors to consider in determining the equity performance of service provided to users of different demographic groups. The purpose of this study is to determine significant statistical differences in resources spent by bus users in two metropolitan areas. The study measures inequality among different socioeconomic groups of users in terms of travel time and money consumed per mile in using the service. Inequality is …
Determination Of The Nutritional Value, Protein Quality And Safety Of Krill Protein Concentrate Isolated Using An Isolelectric Solubilization/Precipitation Technique, Joseph Christopher Gigliotti
Determination Of The Nutritional Value, Protein Quality And Safety Of Krill Protein Concentrate Isolated Using An Isolelectric Solubilization/Precipitation Technique, Joseph Christopher Gigliotti
Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports
Despite its abundance and nutritional value, krill has not been widely utilized for human consumption due to the lack of proper technology for protein recovery. The study objectives were to isolate krill protein concentrate (KPC) and to determine the nutritional value, health benefits, and safety of KPC for human consumption. Proximate analysis indicated KPC on a dry basis is composed of ∼78% protein and ∼8% fat of which ∼27% are omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (o-3 PUFAs). The amino acid composition of KPC indicated that all nine essential amino acids were present in amounts that met the requirements for adult humans …
Attitudes Of 4-H Club Leaders Toward Volunteer Training In West Virginia, Jennifer Post
Attitudes Of 4-H Club Leaders Toward Volunteer Training In West Virginia, Jennifer Post
Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports
Volunteers are essential to the 4-H program. This study was conducted to determine why individuals volunteer for 4-H, how volunteers feel towards the training they are offered, what the training needs of 4-H volunteers were, and the methods 4-H volunteers prefer to receive training. A questionnaire was sent to 260 volunteer club leaders in 27 counties in the state of West Virginia. 4-H volunteers have multiple reasons for being a volunteer club leader including helping people and working with youth. 4-H volunteer club leaders feel that training is important in becoming a leader and that training is for everyone regardless …
Stream Water Quality And Benthic Macroinvertebrate Ecology In A Coal-Mining, Acid-Sensitive Region, George T. Merovich Jr.
Stream Water Quality And Benthic Macroinvertebrate Ecology In A Coal-Mining, Acid-Sensitive Region, George T. Merovich Jr.
Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports
Acid mine drainage (AMD) and acid rain are important sources of impairment to streams in the Tygart Valley and Cheat River basins in north central West Virginia, USA. Due to a network of abandoned mined lands and bond forfeiture sites in this coal-mining region, AMD represents severe, but rather localized impacts to water quality. AMD is a consequence of the chemical oxidation of reduced geological minerals (sulfides) usually associated with coal during mining operations. The reactions produce aqueous solutions high in sulfates and dissolved metals when the minerals are exposed to the oxic environment through land disturbance. In addition, the …
Expression Profiling Of Oocyte Specific Genes, Transcription Factors And Micrornas During Early Embryonic Development In Rainbow Trout (Onchorhyncus Mykiss), Raghuveer K. Ramachandra
Expression Profiling Of Oocyte Specific Genes, Transcription Factors And Micrornas During Early Embryonic Development In Rainbow Trout (Onchorhyncus Mykiss), Raghuveer K. Ramachandra
Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports
Genes specifically expressed in oocytes are important for the development of oocytes and early embryos. By analyzing ESTs from a rainbow trout oocyte cDNA library, we identified a novel EST sequence that does not show homology to any sequences in the GenBank. Analysis of tissue distribution by RT-PCR revealed that this gene was only expressed in unfertilized oocytes. Sequencing of the EST clone identified a cDNA of 3163 bp. Northern blot analysis showed the novel gene has a single transcript of 3.4 kb. Additional 5' sequence was obtained by 5' RACE, extending the novel cDNA to 3333 bp. Analysis of …
Sociodemographic And Health -Related Risks For Loneliness And Outcome Differences By Loneliness Status In A Sample Of Older U.S. Adults, Laurie A. Theeke
Sociodemographic And Health -Related Risks For Loneliness And Outcome Differences By Loneliness Status In A Sample Of Older U.S. Adults, Laurie A. Theeke
Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports
Background. Loneliness is a prevalent problem for older adults and has been shown to be associated with negative physical, psychological, and social variables. There has been limited research focusing on the relationship of loneliness to health. There is a gap in the literature when it comes to understanding how the problem of loneliness relates to the health of older adults in the United States.;Purpose. The purpose of this study was to address this gap in the literature through the testing of two models, the first model represented the postulated risks for loneliness and the second model represented the postulated outcomes …
Nonlinear Approximation Using Blaschke Polynomials, Daniel Van Vliet
Nonlinear Approximation Using Blaschke Polynomials, Daniel Van Vliet
Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports
This dissertation, entitled Nonlinear Approximation Using Blaschke Polynomials, is motivated by questions arising from Empirical Mode Decomposition (EMD). EMD is a signal processing method which decomposes input signals into components called intrinsic mode functions (IMFs). These IMFs often have the desirable property that the instantaneous frequency of their analytic signals is positive. However, this is not always the case.;The first two chapters are introductions to approximation in general, and Empirical Mode Decomposition, respectively.;The third chapter presents a characterization of which analytic signals have the property of non-negative instantaneous frequency. These 'analytic signals with non-negative instantaneous frequency' (ASNIFs) are described using …
Three Essays On Corporate Liquidity, Financial Distress And Equity Returns, Fang Wang
Three Essays On Corporate Liquidity, Financial Distress And Equity Returns, Fang Wang
Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports
The three essays in this dissertation study the impact of corporate liquidity on a firm's value, how corporate liquidity affects the probability of financial distress and equity returns, and whether corporate liquidity represents an idiosyncratic risk, or serves as a priced risk factor.;The first essay examines the relationship between corporate liquidity and equity returns for individual firms. It is found that firms holding more liquid assets have significantly higher equity returns. This positive relationship between corporate liquidity and equity returns is more pronounced among firms with financial constraints. In addition, firms expecting volatile cash flows stock more cash for precautionary …
Dna Damage Response Activated By Anti-Cancer Agent, Irofulven, Timothy D. Wiltshire
Dna Damage Response Activated By Anti-Cancer Agent, Irofulven, Timothy D. Wiltshire
Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports
The DNA damage response is a complex network of signals that coordinate to protect cells from accumulating mutations that lead to the development of cancer. Upon the introduction of DNA damage from either environmental or endogenous sources, the DNA damage response coordinates the control of cell cycle with DNA repair mechanisms to ensure genomic integrity within the cell. Mutations in proteins in this pathway lead to genomic instability and early onset of cancer. BRCA1 is a protein that plays a critical role in response to DNA damage caused by ionizing radiation and is responsible for approximately 50% of inherited breast …
User Habitation In Keystroke Dynamics Based Authentication, Qi Cheng
User Habitation In Keystroke Dynamics Based Authentication, Qi Cheng
Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports
Most computer systems use usernames and passwords for authentication and access control. For long, password security has been framed as a tradeoff between user experience and password security. Trading off one for the other appears to be an inevitable dilemma for single password based security applications. As a new biometric for authenticating access, keystroke dynamics offers great promises in hardening the password mechanism. Our research first investigate the keystroke dynamics based password security by conducting an incremental study on user's habituation process for keystroke dynamics analysis using two distinct types of passwords. The study shows that (1) long and complex …
Evaluation Of Heavy-Duty Engine Exhaust Hydrocarbon And Non-Methane Hydrocarbon Analysis Methods, Abishek Muralidharan
Evaluation Of Heavy-Duty Engine Exhaust Hydrocarbon And Non-Methane Hydrocarbon Analysis Methods, Abishek Muralidharan
Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports
The harmful environmental and health effects of automobile exhaust constituents have necessitated their regulation in many countries. The constituents of concern from diesel fueled engines are oxides of nitrogen (NOx), hydrocarbons (HC), carbon monoxide (CO) and particulate matter. Hydrocarbons combine with the oxides of nitrogen in a photochemical reaction, aided by sunlight, to form ozone which is a major constituent of smog. However methane does not aid in smog formation and is excluded from the present United States on-road hydrocarbon regulation.;Flame ionization detectors (FID) are the preferred detectors for hydrocarbon measurement from compression ignition internal combustion engines. Regulatory requirement for …
Application Of A Reflective Optical Probe To Measure Solids Fractions In A Circulating Fluidized Bed, Steven M. Seachman
Application Of A Reflective Optical Probe To Measure Solids Fractions In A Circulating Fluidized Bed, Steven M. Seachman
Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports
A novel method of extracting localized solids volume fractions from reflective multi-fiber optical probes was developed. The fiber optic probes were originally designed by Vector Scientific, Inc. to measure local solids velocities. The probe measures reflected light from a particle medium which is converted into a voltage. Development of this new method yields two valuable solid flow parameters from a single probe system. The method involves a formulated model with empirical calibrations and three physical bases. The three physical bases are the Conservation Law, Beer-Lambert's Law, and the reflected light intensity from the particle medium. A novel bed depth calibration …
Creating A Gis Database For Nursing Home Evacuation Planning In Virginia Beach, Virginia, Randall S. Dawson
Creating A Gis Database For Nursing Home Evacuation Planning In Virginia Beach, Virginia, Randall S. Dawson
Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports
The focus of this project is planning for the evacuation of the nursing homes of the city of Virginia Beach, VA in response to a hurricane risk. The population of nursing homes, hospitals and assisted living communities need special assistance when evacuating an area, requiring medications, equipment, and specialized transportation. Previous studies for Virginia Beach have provided generalizations for the population as a whole yet have provided very little data for specific communities such as nursing homes. A GIS database is created for nursing home establishments including road networks, bridges and tunnels, elevation, estimated facility population, and recently modeled storm …
Color Space Analysis For Iris Recognition, Matthew K. Monaco
Color Space Analysis For Iris Recognition, Matthew K. Monaco
Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports
This thesis investigates issues related to the processing of multispectral and color infrared images of the iris. When utilizing the color bands of the electromagnetic spectrum, the eye color and the components of texture (luminosity and chromaticity) must be considered. This work examines the effect of eye color on texture-based iris recognition in both the near-IR and visible bands. A novel score level fusion algorithm for multispectral iris recognition is presented in this regard. The fusion algorithm - based on evidence that matching performance of a texture-based encoding scheme is impacted by the quality of texture within the original image …
Comparative Study In Stereographic Reading, Alberto E. Santiago
Comparative Study In Stereographic Reading, Alberto E. Santiago
Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports
Viewing a Single Image Random Dot Stereogram (SIRDS) or autostereogram picture requires careful concentration from the viewer. The concentration necessary to perceive depth may affect the performance of the reading process. We are studying if information perceived by way of a stereogram is better retained in memory compared to normal reading without stereo vision. To measure subject's memory performance we administered a questionnaire after a stereographic experience containing a readable story. We discovered that exposing subjects to stereographic information has a slight advantage on the ability to remember precise details of the information read.
Three-Dimensional, High Resolution, Computerized Ionospheric Tomographic Imaging And Computational Modeling Of An Artificial Ionospheric Cavity, Craig A. Selcher
Three-Dimensional, High Resolution, Computerized Ionospheric Tomographic Imaging And Computational Modeling Of An Artificial Ionospheric Cavity, Craig A. Selcher
Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports
Tomographic techniques use line integral measurements to reconstruct local values of the measured parameter. These techniques have been applied to the ionosphere by using radio transmissions to measure the integral of electron density between a satellite and a chain of ground-based receiving stations. The resultant reconstructions form a two-dimensional map of the electron density in the plane of the satellite/receiver chain. Insufficient quantity of receivers and not having a complete range of accessible look angles with the available receivers are responsible for the non-uniqueness in the reconstructions. The limited look angle problem can be alleviated by making use of alternative …
Experimental Studies Of Electromagnetic Signals To Enhance Radio Imaging Method (Rim), William D. Monaghan
Experimental Studies Of Electromagnetic Signals To Enhance Radio Imaging Method (Rim), William D. Monaghan
Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports
Safety and production of coal mining operations could be greatly affected by geologic anomalies such as faults, sandstone intrusions, dykes, fracture zones, sudden thinning and severe undulation of the coal seam. Since most of these geologic anomalies in coal seams effect the attenuation rate of electromagnetic signal that passes through them, the radio imaging method (RIM), using a signal in the kilohertz range, is capable of locating the zones of geologic anomalies in underground coal mines with the help of tomographic reconstruction programs. RIM technology is a promising geophysical tool for exploring the geologic anomalies ahead of modern longwall faces, …
Exploring The Use Of Human Metrology For Biometric Recognition, Nikhil Mallikarjun Reddy Burri
Exploring The Use Of Human Metrology For Biometric Recognition, Nikhil Mallikarjun Reddy Burri
Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports
This thesis explores the possibility of incorporating human body measurements in a biometric framework. While metrological features have been used for identifying persons in the late 19th century, there is limited work in automating this process for surveillance applications. We first establish the relevance of using metrological features in biometric systems by studying two anthropometric data-sets (NASA and NHANES). We then propose a technique to automatically extract a subset of these measurements from a video sequence. A robust segmentation technique (HMMF) to detect moving pixels corresponding to human objects is used in the first stage. Next, we use Active Contours …
Fractal Analysis Of Fingerprints, John C. Deal
Fractal Analysis Of Fingerprints, John C. Deal
Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports
Current methods for comparing fingerprints have weaknesses that have opened them to criticism. Current methods concentrate on the comparison of minutia in the print either manually or with the assistance of a computer algorithm. This causes these methods to depend highly on the presence of minutia and their relationship to one another. Absence or rotations of minutia can prevent current methods form making accurate comparisons. The goal of this process is to develop a new method for analyzing fingerprints that addresses many of the concerns with current methods.;The developed process uses an iterated function sequence (IFS) to convert the image …
Quality Of Iris Segmentation As A Predictor Of Verification Performance, Syvale Lee
Quality Of Iris Segmentation As A Predictor Of Verification Performance, Syvale Lee
Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports
In this thesis, the accuracy of iris segmentation algorithms will be compared using quality measures based on both homogeneity and heterogeneity of the resulting image regions. After calculation of the quality measures, Principal Component Analysis (PCA) is performed. The resulting pairwise distances between the genuine pairs are compared to the hamming distance scores of the iris templates. The relationship between the two samples will be examined, and curve fitting by least squares regression is shown to be an adequate method of prediction for genuine Hamming distance score. The work proposes a segmentation quality metric that is highly correlated with the …
Design And Real-Time Control Of Shipboard Power System Testbed, Pradeep Pant
Design And Real-Time Control Of Shipboard Power System Testbed, Pradeep Pant
Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports
The objective of this thesis is to design and test a small scale testbed for the all-electric shipboard power distribution system. Shipboard power system is increasingly becoming more reconfigurable, and multi-agent systems are developed to automate routine operation and emergency reconfiguration. Underlying algorithms of these systems have been verified using software simulation tools. However, these simulators run in soft realtime by using simple mathematical models to represent the physical system. These models do not incorporate every aspect of the physical system. A testbed provides a cost effective physical environment to verify these algorithms and control techniques in the real world. …
Dot Matrices, Kelly Suzanne Sipes
Dot Matrices, Kelly Suzanne Sipes
Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports
My thesis work is the production and mapping of painterly space using particular methods of formal abstraction, in contrast with common pattern. I construct these paintings in several layers, embellishing gestural atmospheres with idiosyncratic shapes and patterns in alternating rhythms. My focus is on the development of improvisational processes, creating a less ceremonious context for the measure of abstract painting as an idea, a visual language, and as an autonomous object. My technique of mapping is established to consider a territory for a reformed autonomous identity that is in opposition to the pluralist excesses of the postmodern. This paper will …
Methods Of Season Extension For Market Gardeners, Natalie R. Bumgarner
Methods Of Season Extension For Market Gardeners, Natalie R. Bumgarner
Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports
Season extension methods have been used in many climates and crops for centuries on all scales of vegetable production. Our research compared the effect of six season extension methods on soil and ambient temperatures and yields of warm and cool season vegetables in organic production. The methods under investigation in field plots were row cover, row cover with water tubes, low tunnel, low tunnel with water tubes, and a control for comparison, which were all replicated three times in field plots. The cold frame, and cold frame with water buffer treatments were replicated once in separate structures. Radishes, lettuce, peppers, …
Reproductive Consequences Of Exposure To Sediment Extracts From The South Branch Of The Potomac River On Japanese Medaka (Oryzias Latipes), Seth R. Davis
Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports
An intersex condition, defined as the presence of oocytes in the testes of male gonochoristic fish, has been observed in smallmouth bass in the South Branch of the Potomac River, West Virginia, which indicates exposure to exogenous estrogens. Endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDC's) are generally hydrophobic and would tend to be found within the sediment of aquatic environments. Few studies have attempted to show the effects of exposure to EDC's on fish using sediment chemical extracts. We have developed a mass sediment extraction technique using 2 solvents (hexane, ethyl acetate:acetone 50:50) to determine the effects of extracted chemicals from three sites …
Synthetic Seed Production For Germplasm Storage Of Hydrastis Canadensis L. (Goldenseal), Satyaprakash R. Settipalli
Synthetic Seed Production For Germplasm Storage Of Hydrastis Canadensis L. (Goldenseal), Satyaprakash R. Settipalli
Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports
Goldenseal (Hydrastis canadensis L.) is an important medicinal plant, native to Canada and Eastern United States, used as an antibiotic, anticonvulsant and in treatments for inflammations and dyspepsia. Over collection of wild population and native habitat destruction has lead the species to be listed as an endangered species in the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES), Appendix II. This brought a revived interest in conservation of germplasm.;Calcium alginate solid and hollow bead encapsulation protocols were evaluated. Shoot and callus propagules were encapsulated in calcium alginate solid bead (supplemented with stage II nutrient media) …
Use Of Native Seed Mixtures To Improve Erosion Control And Wildlife Habitat On Log Landings Following Timber Harvest In The Upper Elk Watershed Of West Virginia, Lisa R. Tager
Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports
Foresters in West Virginia follow BMP guidelines by reseeding retired log landings with inexpensive grasses that quickly provide erosion control. However, these grasses typically are not native nor do they provide high quality forage for wildlife. I developed 3 native seed mixtures for log landing reclamation that would maintain sediment control, as well as enhance wildlife habitat. These mixtures included an erosion control mixture, a wildlife mixture, and a wildflower mixture. I assessed sediment control, biomass production, vegetation structure, forage quality, and small mammal usage of my native mixtures and a commonly used, nonnative traditional mixture in 2005 and 2006. …