A Randomized Need-Supportive Intervention With U.S. Youth Hockey Coaches, Diane Benish

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Coach behaviors impact several essential athlete factors such as the quality of athlete motivation and psychological functioning and yet, many youth coaches remain untrained in motivation and athlete-centered principles. This study’s aim was to explore the efficacy of a need-supportive intervention on youth hockey coaches’ attitudes toward, and reported use of, need-supportive and/or need-thwarting approaches. Participants included 25 youth hockey coaches randomly assigned to an intervention or delayed control condition. Grounded in Self-Determination Theory, the intervention included four sessions within which coaches learned how to adopt need-supportive coaching strategies and reduce need-thwarting tactics. A mixed-methods approach guided the evaluation of …

Choir Teacher Agency And Culturally Sustaining Pedagogy, Kaitlyn Schramm

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Culturally sustaining pedagogy (CSP) (Paris, 2012) is an educational framework that nurtures and sustains students’ cultural competencies and identities. Scholars have recognized the need for practices that sustain and nurture cultural identities and ways of knowing music in the music classroom (Abril, 2009; Bond, 2014; Good Perkins, 2018; Salvador & Culp, 2022; Shaw, 2016). Culturally sustaining teachers reimagine curriculum entirely and place students' cultural assets at the center “as targets of learning to be sustained” (Lee, 2017, p. 262), explored, honored, extended, and critically problematized (Lee, 2017; Paris, 2012; Samy Alim et al., 2020). In choral classrooms, this often involves …

Site, Seasonality, And Satisfaction: A Tourism Marketing Study In Pocahontas County, West Virginia, Lillian E. Oles

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Tourism in the United States has become a key player in the economy as supported by the National Travel and Tourism Office. Specifically, West Virginia has proven to play its part, with Pocahontas county sitting as one of the top contributors. This rural area, which provides tourism opportunities year-round could fall victim to seasonality, preventing development and growth for the region. The Pocahontas County Convention and Visitors Bureau works to stay on top of this, however, even creating the basis for this study by partnering with researchers at West Virginia University to perform a visitor profile and economic impact analysis. …

Effects Of Commission Errors On Behavior Intervention Plan Outcomes, Olivia Brianne Harvey

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

When implemented well (with fidelity), behavior intervention plans (BIP) improve student outcomes. Teachers tend to implement BIPs with poor overall fidelity, but little is known about the specific errors occurring during BIP implementation or the subsequent impacts these errors have on student outcomes. One possibility is that teachers learn what strategies suppress challenging behavior and implement those strategies regardless of what is written in the formal BIP. These added intervention components, termed commission errors, have not yet been evaluated in the context of BIP implementation. The proposed studies will begin to address these gaps. During Study 1, we …

Evaluating The Impact Of Ergonomic Interventions On Reducing Knee Musculoskeletal Disorder Risks During Residential Roof Shingle Installation: A Phase-Level Analysis, Nazia Zerin

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

The prevalence of knee musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) among roofers due to awkward kneeling postures during shingle installation is a well-recognized concern. While knee-saving interventions like knee savers (KSs) and knee pads (KPs) have shown the potential to reduce MSD risks, their effectiveness across different phases of shingle installation remains unknown. The objective of this study is to assess how interventions of KSs and KPs alleviate the risks of MSDs in the knees during various phases of shingle installation. These phases include (1) reaching for shingles, (2) placing shingles, (3) grabbing a nail gun, (4) moving to the first nailing position, …

Implementation Of Provider In Triage Guidelines To Improve Emergency Department Throughput: A Quality Improvement Project, Benjamin Adam Klos

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Introduction/Background

Emergency department overcrowding is a national problem that causes adverse effects on patients, providers, and healthcare systems. Locally, wait times can be up to six hours. Emergency department census increases yearly without an increase in physical space.

Purpose

The project aimed to improve throughput and provide quality care to patients in an emergency department waiting room.

Intervention

A provider in triage guideline was written to improve emergency department throughout metrics and guide care.

Methods

Pre- and post-implementation statistics were compared. The Logic model was used to guide project implementation.

Results

Door to provider and arrival to discharge times decreased …

Enhancing Reservoir Modeling And Simulation Through Artificial Intelligence And Machine Learning: A Smart Proxy Modeling Approach, Andrew Timothy Jenkins

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

The application of numerical reservoir simulation (NRS) has been a common approach within the oil and gas industry for decades, providing a means to model and forecast dynamic subsurface interactions, as a basis for reservoir management and development decisions. These techniques have expanded to application within carbon capture utilization and storage (CCUS) projects as domestic and global policy shift towards reducing carbon emissions while maintaining the energy needs of our modern society. NRS techniques have become a core process for permitting approval in Class VI (large-scale geological sequestration) wells due to the fundamental similarity of these types of subsurface processes. …

Embedded State Estimation For Optimization Of Cislunar Space Domain Awareness Constellation Design, Thomas Henry Clareson

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

The traffic in cislunar space is expected to increase over the coming years, leading to a higher likelihood of conjunction events among active satellites, orbital debris, and non-cooperative satellites. This increase necessitates enhanced space domain awareness (SDA) capabilities that include state estimation for targets of interest. Both Earth surface-based and space-based observation platforms in geosynchronous orbit or below face challenges such as range, exclusion, and occlusion that hinder observation. Motivated by the need to place space-based observers in the cislunar space regime to overcome these challenges, this paper proposes a cislunar SDA constellation design and analysis framework that integrates state …

Development Of Probabilistic Dynamic Model Building And Bayesian Machine Learning Approaches, Samuel Oladayo Adeyemo

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Abstract

Development of Probabilistic Dynamic Model Building and Bayesian Machine Learning Approaches

Samuel Adeyemo

The recent years have seen a tremendous increase in the use of artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) for the development of data-driven mathematical models needed for performing real-time optimization, model-based control, performance optimization, dynamic data reconciliation, and process performance monitoring. However, the development of data-driven models is faced with some challenges including lack of model interpretability, sensitivity of algorithm to noise in training data, limited extrapolation capabilities and violation of conservation laws. Drawing motivation from these existing gaps, this work aims to develop robust …

The Effects Of Feed Manufacture On Exogenous Enzymes, Starch Gelatinization, And Antinutritional Factors Associated With Soybeans, Kristina M. Bowen

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

This doctorate dissertation consists of four individual studies with the overarching theme of the effect of feed manufacture on exogenous enzymes and antinutrients found in soybeans.

Study 1. Including exogenous enzymes in poultry diets can liberate nutrients that are typically inaccessible to monogastric animals. Phytase feeding research has traditionally been conducted by rearing broilers in raised wire cages, whereas commercially grown broilers are reared on built-up litter. Therefore, cage-based studies may not accurately represent commercial bird performance response to phytase. Birds with access to litter consume it, possibly increasing phosphorus intake leading to suggestions that lower phytase concentrations are required. …

Advanced Techniques In Time Series Forecasting: From Deterministic Models To Deep Learning, Xue Bai

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

This dissertation discusses three instances of temporal prediction, applied to population dynamics and deep learning.

In population modeling, dynamic processes are frequently represented by systems of differential equations, allowing for the analysis of various phenomena. The first application explores modeling cloned hematopoiesis in chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) via a nonlinear system of differential equations. By tracking the evolution of different cell compartments, including cycling and quiescent stem cells, progenitor cells, differentiated cells, and terminally differentiated cells, the model captures the transition from normal hematopoiesis to the chronic and accelerated-acute phases of CML. Three distinct non-zero steady states are identified, representing …

Becoming A Homemaker In Appalachia: Building Bridges In Women's Flat Track Roller Derby, Jessica Lynn Lough

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

This study sought to explore how six women in Central Appalachia negotiated embodied subjectivity and agency across discourses and gendered power relations. Women living in central Appalachia who play roller derby occupy a unique social position in which to position this study, as many are simultaneously challenging traditional gender norms and engaging in a highly physical and competitive sport that involves using their bodies relationally. Specifically, by conceiving women as vehicles of power and women’s flat track roller derby as a public pedagogy, I sought to trace what ‘doing’ a roller derby identity does to transform and advance their knowledge …

Translational Approaches To Address The Metastatic/Resistant (Mr) Phenotype Of Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer Brain Metastases, Kent L. Marshall

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Lung cancer remains the most frequently diagnosed malignant neoplasm shared in men and women worldwide, second only to the sexually dimorphic prostate cancer in men and breast cancer in women. Overall, lung cancer was responsible for 12.5% of new cancer cases globally in the year 2022. Of these cases, 80-85% are non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), a highly genotypically diverse sub-type of lung cancer. Over the past three decades, extraordinary improvement in screening, smoking cessation, early diagnosis and targeted therapy have been made, improving NSCLC survival markedly. However, as patients are surviving their primary disease better, there is a temporal …

An Approach For Robotic Pollination That Utilizes Imitation Learning, Ronald Michael Butts Ii

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

The global decline in pollinator populations poses a significant threat to agriculture, motivating the development of robotic pollination systems. Previous works demonstrated successful robotic pollination of bramble flowers using visual servoing; however, pollination was limited to specific flower orientations. As such, the objective of this work is to develop a robotic pollination system that is capable of pollinating a wider range of orientations.

This research introduces an imitation learning-based framework for robotic pollination that positions the manipulator to view chosen flowers in specific orientations. The developed model leverages object detection (YOLOv8) to identify individual flowers and a convolutional neural network …

The Identification And Characterization Of Novel And Improved Antigens For Next-Generation Pertussis Vaccines, Gage Michael Pyles

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Whooping cough, or pertussis, is a highly infectious respiratory disease caused by infection with the Gram-negative bacterial pathogen Bordetella pertussis. Pertussis affects all age groups and populations; however, it is most severe in infants who are too young to receive vaccinations and remains a global health concern with more than­­­­ 200,000 cases reported globally in 2023. Vaccines against pertussis have been available in the United States since the 1940’s with the development and widespread use of whole cell pertussis vaccines. Following their introduction, the incidence of pertussis was controlled and limited to fewer than 5,000 cases per year. Despite …

Data-Driven Modeling Of Oxygen Kinetics In La0.6sr0.4co0.2fe0.8o3−Δ (Lscf) For High-Temperature Reduction Of Co2 In An Electrolysis Cell, Ferron Campbell

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Electrolysis systems are critical to several societal applications, particularly energy storage and conversion. Developing these systems requires a detailed knowledge of the chemistry and thermodynamics of the materials used in the electrolysis cell. This work focuses on using embedded scientific machine learning as an efficient way to build an interpretable model for the reaction and transport kinetics in the LSCF electrode, whose performance directly influences the electrolysis system’s performance. The models developed in this study are trained using the publicly available machine learning package, FoKL-GP. This package incorporates a robust Gibbs sampler that employs a forward variable selection process to …

Enhancing Robotic Exploration Through Semantically-Guided Sampling Strategies, Christopher Alexander Arend Tatsch

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

From space and deep-sea exploration to disaster response and environmental monitoring, autonomous robots are essential for advancing science, improving safety, and addressing critical challenges. This dissertation introduces a novel open-source strategy for autonomous robotic exploration: the Semantically-Guided Exploration (SGE) framework. Designed for ground vehicles, SGE integrates semantic understanding into the autonomous exploration process, improving decision-making in complex environments. Specifically, the proposed sampling-based approach uses the information from the semantic segmentation of RGB images and depth images to guide the robot's selection of exploration goals. This method enables the robot to steer away from potential dangers such as large rocks and …

Piano Wisdom From Two Great Masters: Heinrich Neuhaus And Walter Gieseking, Xiaohan Hu

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

This dissertation explores the pedagogical insights and piano techniques of Heinrich Neuhaus (1888-1964) and Walter Gieseking (1895-1956), two iconic figures in 20th-century piano performance and education. Through a detailed analysis of their writings and teaching methods, the research highlights their shared focus on the foundational principles of piano technique, as well as their unique contributions to interpretation and musical expression.

Neuhaus’s The Art of Piano Playing provides an in-depth discussion on the importance of artistic imagery, posture, sound production, and emotional depth in performance. Gieseking, along with his former teacher Karl Leimer, emphasizes ear training, mental visualization, and technical precision …

Performance And Physiological Impacts Of Branched-Chain Amino Acid And Tryptophan Ratio Variations In Turkey Starter Diets Utilizing Concentrated Corn Proteins, Emily Blair Estanich

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

In Chapter 2, a study was designed to evaluate the effects of varying dietary branched-chain amino acids (BCAA) ratio in corn and soybean meal-based turkey starter diets. The BCAA leucine, isoleucine, and valine are considered indispensable amino acids needed for energy and stimulation of muscle protein synthesis via the mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) pathway. Imbalanced BCAA ratios can lead to antagonism and degradation of limiting BCAA, particularly in diets with excess leucine. Concentrated corn proteins contain high levels of leucine and can alter BCAA requirements; however, crystalline BCAA may be added to correct these ratios. This study aimed to …

Cell-Type-Specific Effects Of Synaptic Zinc In Mouse Auditory Cortex, Mason Mccollum

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Synaptic zinc signaling modulates synaptic activity and is present in specific populations of cortical neurons, suggesting that synaptic zinc contributes to the diversity of intracortical synaptic microcircuits and their auditory tuning properties. Stimulus-specific adaptation is a hallmark of sensory processing in which a repeated stimulus results in diminished successive neuronal responses, but a deviant stimulus will still elicit robust responses from the same neurons. Recent work has established that synaptically released zinc is an endogenous mechanism that shapes neuronal responses to sounds in the auditory cortex. Here, to understand the role of zinc signaling in the auditory cortex and the …

Overturning Race-Conscious Admissions: Analyzing The History Of Higher Education Affirmative Acton Legal Discourse And Preserving Whiteness, Hiba A. Qari

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Although researchers have investigated Affirmative Action, few have attempted to understand and explain the language mechanisms shaping public opinion and policy. The purpose of this study was to explore the historical context of higher education Affirmative Action legal discourse. This study employed Critical Discourse Analysis and Critical Race Theory to analyze how language and race, as social constructs, maintain White dominance in law and higher education. The thematic concepts included power, White normativity, and diversity rhetoric. This project explored the historical evolution of the U.S. Supreme Court’s decisions on Affirmative Action policy in higher education. The study also investigated the …

Dynamic Exchange-Correlation Functional For Bandgap Optimization: Reparametrization And Machine Learning, Viviana Faride Dovale Farelo

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

This dissertation explores predicting the physical properties of solids using first-principles methods, with a focus on Density Functional Theory (DFT). DFT uses the electronic density within a material to predict its properties, simplifying the treatment of electron-electron interactions and allowing the study of realistic systems with a balanced treatment between accuracy and computational efficiency. Additionally, machine learning (ML) is employed to create correlations between some physical properties of solids and other properties or parameters that are more difficult to calculate.

The main problem addressed in this study is adjusting the parameters in the Strongly Constrained and Appropriately Normed (SCAN) semilocal …

Return To Soil, Lindsay Jo Mccarty

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

This document outlines my artistic research on building a symbiotic relationship with land throughout life and death, eco-philosophy, and the significance of natural decomposition. It explores green burial practices in Western society, delves into the history of basketry, and draws inspiration from the mutualistic effort of returning our organic energy to the Earth. The recontextualization of what “death” is and reciprocal outlooks are central to this work. My aim is to honor this cycle through creations that incorporate plant matter in hopes that, one day, I can create artwork with completely compostable materials.

My art embodies these themes and is …

The Function Of Protein Glutamylation In Vision, Rawaa Aljammal

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Posttranslational glutamylation of protein has emerged as a novel candidate for cellular integrity. In a dynamic process, Tubulin Tyrosine Ligase Like proteins (TTLLs) introduce glutamate groups to their substrates, while Cytosolic Carboxypeptidases members (CCP1-CCP6) remove these glutamate groups. The outcome of this interplay is a wide range of substrates; each is glutamylated to a level crucial for its function.

Protein glutamylation is particularly abundant in neurons and in the axoneme of cilia and flagella. This distribution, along with the correlation between imbalanced glutamylation levels and compromised cellular functions, underscores the significance of protein glutamylation in maintaining cellular viability. However, the …

The Impact Of Normal Growth On The Ap Relationships Of The Jaws And Incisors To The Forehead: A Serial Cephalometric Analysis Of Untreated Individuals, Adam Joseph Rudmann Dr

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Abstract

The Impact of Normal Growth on the AP Relationships of the Jaws and Incisors to the Forehead: A Serial Cephalometric Analysis of Untreated Individuals

Adam Rudmann D.D.S. M.S.

Background and Objectives

Growth of the craniofacial complex is a critical factor to consider when treatment planning an orthodontic case. The ability to predict how the forehead and jaws will change over time depends on the ability to find predictable landmarks either radiographically or clinically, and use them to gauge the relative growth of various facial structures. This data can then be integrated with other diagnostic information such as occlusion and …

Occupational Therapy’S Role In Low Vision Throughout The Lifespan, Ka Ki Tse

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Low vision and blindness significantly affect individuals' engagement in occupational performance. While West Virginia (WV) offers low vision rehabilitation programs to enhance occupational performance, several challenges remain unresolved. This doctoral capstone project aimed to collaborate with low vision professionals to deliver comprehensive low vision services and advocate for the integration of occupational therapy practitioners (OTPs) in the low vision field. A needs assessment and literature review were conducted to identify gaps and develop strategies for addressing the gaps. A qualitative study design was chosen to explore the perspectives of current low vision providers regarding the role of OTPs. The study …

Selected Piano Etudes From The Mid-20th To 21st Centuries: A Catalogue, Min Ji Baek

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Etudes, which initially appeared in the seventeenth century as small collections of exercises, have evolved into significant concert pieces, showcasing the development of virtuosity over time. This study compiles a selected catalog of piano etudes from the mid-20th century to the 21st century, accompanied by brief biographies of each composer. Beginning with a historical overview of piano etudes, this paper catalogs etudes by 50 composers, divided into two chapters that respectively present etudes from the 1940s–1980s and the 1980s–2020s, listed alphabetically by the composer's last name. The final chapter provides a concise summary of the catalogue’s contents, highlighting its potential …

Use Of Interlaboratory Studies For The Development Of Consensus-Based Criteria For The Elemental Analysis Of Electrical Tapes, Lacey M. Leatherland

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Tape evidence is often used in criminal cases involving violent crimes, kidnappings, improvised explosive devices (IEDs), and drug trafficking. This evidence can reveal potential links between suspects, items, or scenes. The forensic examination of electrical tape can provide investigative leads or offer support to alternative hypotheses evaluated in the courtroom. A conventional analytical scheme includes microscopic examination, Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR), Scanning Electron Microscopy Energy Dispersive Spectrometry (SEM-EDS), and Pyrolysis Gas Chromatography Mass Spectrometry (Py-GC/MS). Elemental analysis of electrical tapes is commonly achieved using SEM-EDS; however, recent scientific literature suggests that this analysis can evolve from using SEM-EDS to …

Light Wavelength Modulates Search Behavior Performance In Zebrafish, Matthew Reid Waalkes

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Long-term internal states drive many behaviors in animals. Zebrafish is a common vertebrate model conducive to finding the neural coding to these behaviors. In the Horstick lab, the larval zebrafish light search behavior is central to our research. This behavior, which is the locomotor response to the loss of light in larval zebrafish, is controlled by multiple neural populations that drive different internal states. The sensory neurons initially responsible for this behavior are photosensitive due to the expression of light-absorbing proteins called opsins. Opsins vary in the ranges of wavelengths of light that they absorb, and are expressed in distinct …

A Structured Diabetes Continuous Glucose Monitor Education Program To Improve Patient Knowledge And Self-Efficacy, Krystal Abucevicz-Swick

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Introduction/background: Continuous glucose monitor (CGM) is a recommended method of glucose monitoring for patients living with diabetes who are on insulin or experience documented hypoglycemia. CGM is a tool that can improve patient management of diabetes but works best when paired with education to achieve the maximum therapeutic benefits.

Purpose: The purpose of this project was (1) to develop an evidence-based structured CGM education program toolkit for people with diabetes who are ordered CGM, (2) to implement the CGM education toolkit into the Diabetes Self-Management and Education Services (DSMES) program at the project site, (3) to improve patient knowledge about …