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Analysis Of User Preference With N95 And Powered Air-Purifying Respirators In A Healthcare Work Environment, Brittany Renee Carver

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

For those working in the healthcare field, personal protective equipment is vital. Healthcare workers are often first responders when it comes to dealing with patients who are infected or when a disease outbreak occurs. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) requires all healthcare operations to provide employee protection against blood borne pathogens. With the increase of life-threatening disease outbreaks, such as SARS in 2003 and Ebola in 2014, it is of the upmost importance to make sure respirators are best suited for users and acceptable for long term use. It has been shown through previous studies that due to …

Supporting The Injured Athlete: Coaches’ Perspectives On Providing Social Support, Stefanee Opal Maurice

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Injury is an inevitable facet of sport participation, and injured athletes require support from coaches. However, research on injured athletes highlights a lack of support from coaches. Building on the conceptual model proposed by Maurice et al., this study uses the International Sport Coaching Framework (ISCF) to examine ways contextual coaching knowledge is used to support athletes throughout rehabilitation. Previous research has focused on the knowledge types but has neither addressed the integration of the knowledges in a single study nor examined them in an injury context. A generic qualitative approach was used to examine 13 NCAA DI coaches’ perception …

Numerical Modeling Of Hydraulic Fracture Propagation And Comparison With Microseismic Data At A Field Site, Carter Lawrence Hulcher

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

A hydraulic fracturing site in Morgantown, West Virginia, USA was selected to be a research site for the Marcellus Shale Energy and Environment Laboratory (MSEEL) project which was funded by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE). The overall objective of the MSEEL research project is to evaluate and improve technologies to enhance shale gas recovery with minimal impacts on the environment. The field site has two previously drilled wells and two newly drilled wells for extracting natural gas. A separate exploratory well (or “science well”) was also drilled and includes a geophone array to extract important seismic/microseismic event information, which …

Emily Dickinson's Echology: A Listener's Reconceptualization Of Citizenship, Consciousness, And The World, Beth Ann Staley

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

What I call Emily Dickinson’s “echology” combines the terms “echo” and “ecology” to understand how Dickinson’s work echoes – and is an echo – of the world and how, consequently, her work resides not just in her handwritten documents and their publication in various editions but in an ecology that’s tied to the earth that hosted her, the air that faced her, and the sea kept her listening. To assess the critical value of Dickinson’s echology, this dissertation begins by apprehending how the story of the echo is a story about sound masking, specifically about how the echo that is …

A Critical Assessment On The Resources And Extraction Of Rare Earth Elements From Acid Mine Drainage, Christopher R. Vass

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Rare earth elements (REEs) are crucial to many modern products used in both civilian and defense applications. Currently, a reliable supply of these elements is uncertain with the clear majority of REE production and refining occurring predominately in China. Furthermore, domestic ore deposits with commercially attractive concentrations of REEs are uncommon in the United States. As a result, the identification of a domestic supply of these technology metals is essential not only for manufacturing consumer merchandise but also for national security. Recently, one promising source of REEs has been identified: coal and coal-byproducts. One of those is acid mine drainage …

Health Literacy And Family Factors In The Transition To Adult Care In Adolescents With Type I Diabetes, Ellen M. Manegold

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Successful management of type 1 diabetes (T1DM) in adolescence involves multiple daily tasks, developmental changes, and the expectation of transition to an adult provider. Health literacy is one variable to consider in the context of transition, as studies have demonstrated the correlation of parental health literacy with health behaviors and outcomes, yet not studied adolescent health literacy in T1DM. Family factors (e.g., management responsibility, diabetes-specific family conflict, parental support) also are important to behavior and health outcomes in adolescents with T1DM. Study aims were to: 1) examine the association of adolescent health literacy to transition readiness and health outcome in …

Investigation Of Bovine Conceptus Galectins And The Effect Of Bovine Conceptus Secretory Proteins On The Endometrial Epithelial Transcriptome, Heather Lynn Baldwin

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Pregnancy loss in cattle is greatest in the first 30 days of gestation. Near d15 of gestation, bovine conceptuses elongate and express LGALS1, an immunosuppressive glycan-binding protein believed to be essential for implantation. However, other members of the bovine galectin family, including LGALS3, LGALS4, LGALS7, LGALS8, LGALS9 and a galectin-13-like gene (LGALS13L), also may be expressed by the elongating conceptus. Therefore, galectin expression in elongating, d16 bovine conceptuses and intercaruncular endometrium as well as elongating, d14 ovine conceptuses and intercaruncular endometrium was assessed by RT-qPCR. Angus heifer and Texel ewes underwent estrous cycle synchronization and either inseminated or not bred. …

Time-Dependent Deformation And Associated Failure Of Roof In Underground Mines, Yuting Xue

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

In underground coal mines, roof falls are a major contributor to injuries and fatalities. Studies have related the occurrence of roof fall to weak immediate roof, high horizontal stress, entry orientation, etc. An often-neglected factor in studies on this topic has been the influence of time-dependent behavior of the roof rock on roof falls. The time-dependent roof failure activity involves both intact and failed rocks. Numerical simulation techniques are available that include time-dependent behavior; however, they lack constitutive models that consider both the intact and the failed behavior of rock. In addition, input properties for the creep models only include …

Measuring The Effects Of Interpretive Journalism On Trust And Credibility Perceptions In The Context Of Political News Coverage, Scott William Siker

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

This study examines the effects of interpretive journalism on trust and credibility perceptions. Specifically, this study investigates interpretive journalism in the context of political news coverage and also examines the relationship between political ideology and the aforementioned variables. This study uses a 2 (interpretive journalism; fact-based journalism) x 2 (political ideology: conservative leaning; liberal leaning) between-subjects online experiment to test the proposed hypotheses. Findings illustrate the predictive value of credibility to trust within the context of political news coverage. Additionally, this study shows that individuals exhibit higher perceptions of trust and credibility towards fact-based political coverage as opposed to interpretive …

A Sociopolitical Perspective To Understand When And Why Supervisors Endorse And Implement Employees’ Suggested Changes, Huaizhong Chen

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

When employees make suggestions for changes to their supervisors, they are providing raw materials potentially critical to the organization’s continuous improvement and adaptation. However, research suggests that supervisors do not always react favorably to employee voice behavior. The purpose of this study is to unravel the mediating and moderating mechanisms that can explain when and why employee voice behavior leads to supervisor endorsement and implementation. Specifically, taking a sociopolitical perspective, I argued that supervisor motive attributions for employee voice behavior can explain the extent to which supervisors endorse and subsequently implement employee voice. Furthermore, I argued that the mediating effects …

The Role Of Communication Accommodation In Mother-In-Law/Daughter-In-Law Relationships, Erin Claire Shelton

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

The goal of this thesis was to further the literature on mother-in-law/daughter-in-law relationships by directly employing Communication Accommodation Theory (CAT) to examine relationships between categories of accommodation and relational quality in these relationships. Daughters-in-law (N= 677) were solicited via private Facebook groups to complete an online survey regarding accommodation (their own and their mothers-in-law’s), their feelings of shared family identity, and their relationship satisfaction in their relationship with their mothers-in-law. Results demonstrated relationships between mothers-in-law’s accommodation, overaccommodation, and underaccommodation of their daughters-in-law and daughters-in-law’s feelings of shared family identify and relationship satisfaction. Additionally, relationships were present between daughters-in-law’s …

Promoting Sense Of Belonging And Interest In Geosciences Among Undergraduate Women Through Mentoring, Wenyi Du

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

The purpose of this study is to investigate whether students’ university sense of belonging mediates the relationship between mentor network diversity and students’ interest development among undergraduate women in STEM majors. The sample for this study was consisted of 277 undergraduate women majoring in a STEM discipline with initial interests in geosciences across nine universities within the United States. A regression-based mediation analysis was performed using the Hayes’ (2013) macro to test the indirect effect of mentor support on interest through university sense of belonging. Consistent with our hypothesis, the analysis revealed a statistically significant and positive indirect effect of …

Incentives And Economic Decisions: Evidence From Sports Data, Iuliia Chikish

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

This dissertation presents three essays which demonstrate how sports data can be applied to answer economic questions. Essay 1 explores whether multiple reference points can affect individuals behavior using data from professional figure skating competitions. The second essay examines the role of professional sports facilities and teams in generating local amenities. Using data from eSports tournaments, the third essay aims at understanding whether tournament theory predictions hold in competitions involving mostly mental effort.

The first chapter, ``Incentives and Economic Decisions: Evidence from Sports Data'' studies the effect of multiple reference points on decisions made by professional athletes. Unique design features …

West Virginia Waterscapes: Surface And Mineral Owners’ Perspectives On Groundwater Contamination Due To Natural Gas Extraction, Bethani Turley

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

In the past decade, northwest West Virginia has experienced increasing natural gas extraction from the Marcellus shale. Because water usage for natural gas extraction is high and increasing, there has been a proliferation of concerns about gas extraction’s impacts on surface and groundwaters, especially how hydraulic fracturing and drilling impacts residents’ access to safe household well water. This issue is particularly salient in rural West Virginia, where many residents rely on groundwater wells for household uses. This thesis, based on 30 in-depth interviews with surface and mineral owners, explores resident perspectives and lived experience of natural gas extraction’s impacts on …

The Parent-Child Interaction Therapy Family Experiences And Feedback Study: A Follow-Up Examination Of Attrition In An Evidence-Based Treatment In Community Settings Statewide, Brittany K. Liebsack

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Attrition is a significant problem in child psychotherapy (De Haan, Boon, De Jong, Hoeve, & Vermeiren, 2013) and has serious implications (Barrett et al., 2008). Predictors of attrition include those at the client, therapist, and treatment levels. The current study investigated variables associated with attrition in Parent-Child Interaction Therapy (PCIT), an evidence-based parent training program for families with young children (ages 2.5- to 7-years-old) with disruptive behavior disorders. The sample of 67 caregivers were treated by 25 therapists from 19 different licensed psychiatric outpatient clinics across one state and were part of a larger study (RO1 MH09750; A Statewide Trial …

Modeling And Development Of The Dynamic Environmental Simulation Chamber (Desc) For Calibration Of Air Quality Monitoring Sensors, Filiz Kazan

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

The thesis describes the development steps for the dynamic environmental simulation chamber (DESC) and carbon dioxide sensor calibration by using DESC. The sensors are Figaro, COZIR and K30 CO2 sensors

An Investigation Of The Relation Between Mindfulness And Self-Esteem Stability, Cameron Grant Ford

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Self-esteem stability is the magnitude of the short-term fluctuations in one’s immediate feelings of self-worth (Kernis, 2005). Stable self-esteem is associated with several psychological benefits, such as lower depression (Kernis et al., 1998). However, it is unknown what factors lead to self-esteem stability. Because mindfulness promotes a nonjudgmental orientation whereby thoughts, feelings, and reactions are viewed as transient events that do not necessarily represent objective reality, mindfulness might be associated with more stable self-esteem. Thus, the present research examined the relation between mindfulness and self-esteem stability. Undergraduates (N = 190) were randomly assigned to one of three conditions: mindfulness …

A Video Decision Aid To Influence Advance Care Planning, Angela Petry

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

The best mechanism to achieve successful advance care planning has yet to be identified. A randomized, controlled, experimental study was performed with a sample of 54 men and women who met inclusion criteria and were randomized into the intervention versus the control group in an outpatient clinical setting in rural West Virginia (WV) from December 2018 to March 2019. Participant mean age was 72.4 years. For those who chose to participate (n=42), the intervention group received the usual standard of care, which was a face to face advance care planning (ACP) discussion with the new intervention of a video decision …

Aspect Influence On Productivity When Applying The Deferment Harvest Method In Mixed-Oak Hardwood Forests In West Virginia, Breanne Held

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

The deferment harvest method is a new forest management treatment in central Appalachian hardwood forests. It is intended to primarily improve aesthetics by leaving select residual trees in the forest stand beyond the establishment of the regeneration cohort. However, there are concerns with residual tree quality due to the development of epicormic branches and if the presence of forest canopy influences the species composition and development of the regeneration. Topographic aspect can influence differences in productivity in both the residual and regeneration cohorts. This study examined if residual tree quality for timber value and a desirable species composition of the …

Petrophysical And Geomechanical Characterization Of The Marcellus Shale In The Appalachian Basin, Yixuan Zhu

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

In recent years, more and more attention is paid to shale gas and hydrocarbon liquids exploration and exploitation in unconventional reservoirs. With the development of horizontal drilling and hydraulic fracturing, production from unconventional reservoirs has been greatly increased. However, not all wells, regions and basins harbor highly successful shale gas and liquids producers. In order to improve the production efficiency and reduce the cost of projects, detailed analysis needs to be undertaken to characterize the reservoir. As opposed to conventional reservoirs, extraction of gas in the unconventional reservoir is dependent not only on the reservoir quality, but also on completion …

Choose Your Own Lecture: Students’ Motivational Resources As A Consequence Of Autonomy-Supportive Instruction, James P. Baker

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

The purpose of this dissertation was to extend the self-determination theory literature by investigating the utility of the choose your own lecture method of instruction. This method of instruction allows students to control the direction of a lesson. In line with the theoretical propositions of SDT, the researcher hypothesized that this style of teaching would support students’ inner motivational resources (i.e., autonomy-need satisfaction and intrinsic motivation) and in turn, foster students’ interest in the topic of the lesson, free-choice persistence, cognitive learning, affect for the course, and expressive dissent. A 50-minute live-lecture experiment on environmental communication (climate change, risk communication, …

Using Lidar To Approximate Keystone Structure And Evaluate Management Practices In Potential Habitats Of The Endangered Karner Blue Butterfly (Lycaeides Melissa Samuelis), Brandyn Balch

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Keystone structure is the spatial structure required by a given species, at a scale that is determined by that species’ needs and mobility. The endangered Karner blue butterfly (Lycaeides melissa samuelis, hereafter KBB) has a keystone structure that incorporates trees and bushes to provide the mixture of sun and shade required to fulfil its life functions. Airborne light detection and ranging (lidar) is a potentially invaluable tool for characterizing keystone structures. However, lidar has yet to be utilized to evaluate structural suitability of KBB habitats. Therefore, I investigated the use of lidar for characterizing critical attributes of KBB habitat structure, …

Improving The Care Of Infants With Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome By Implementing Rooming In, Tammi M. Clutter

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Background: Opioid use and drug abuse has led to an increase in fetal exposure to illicit drugs in the United States, putting these infants at risk for developing neonatal abstinence syndrome (NAS). Parental involvement in the care of these infants during their hospitalization has become an essential part of the treatment process

Purpose: The purpose of this project is to implement rooming in for infants with in utero exposure to opioids as a quality improvement practice change.

Methods: A literature search relating to improving the care of infants with NAS was conducted. Educational handouts were provided to staff regarding the …

Canonical Wnt Mechanisms In Neural Crest Induction, Mark Stephen Perfetto

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Canonical Wnt signaling is a pathway that is critical for normal development and the progression of disease. The canonical Wnt signaling pathway was put together carefully by synthesizing decades of research. Over those decades, canonical Wnt signaling was found to be crucial for nearly all aspects of development, but of importance to this thesis, is a key regulatory factor for the development of the highly migratory multipotent stem cells, the neural crest. As our knowledge of the importance of canonical Wnt signaling grew, research is being conducted to further our understanding of how canonical Wnt signaling communicates with other signaling …

Tie Strength, Optimal Connections, And Distance In Social Networks, David Anthony Buch

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Social network analysis seeks to understand the structure of relationships in networks of actors. As researchers identify structural properties of interest (e.g. vulnerability to network cuts) they introduce measures to quantify the expression of those properties in observed networks. In fact, it is not uncommon that multiple measures are introduced purporting to evaluate a single property. Relative merits of competing measures are not self-evident but the corresponding inferences can conflict, encouraging arbitrary choice among measures and endangering the validity of conclusions. We argue (i) that multiplicity of measures is a necessary consequence of the de rigueur practice of conflating different …

Dynamic Discrepancy Reduced Order Modeling For Fischer-Tropsch Synthesis Over Cobalt-Based Catalyst, Jose Miguel Bohorquez

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Advances in carbon capture techniques and demands in alternative fuel sources have increased over the past couple of decades. The Fischer-Tropsch Synthesis (FTS) provides a viable way to produce hydrocarbons from natural gas, coal, CO₂, or biomass. However, current comprehensive models for FTS encompass large number of reacting species, readsorption and conversion of primary products, surface intermediates, and coverage-dependent reaction rates. To accurately predict the products obtained through the process a reduced order model has been developed. By reducing the number of parameters of an existing comprehensive model, uncertainty is introduced. The uncertainty can be quantified by using …

An Empirical Analysis Of An Algorithm For The Budgeted Maximum Vertex Cover Problem In Trees, Mujidat Abisola Adeyemo

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Covering problems are commonly studied in fields such as mathematics, computer science, and engineering. They are also applicable in the real world, e.g., given a city, can we build base-stations such that there is network availability everywhere in the city. However, in the real world, there are usually constraints such as cost and resources. The Budgeted Maximum Vertex Cover is a generalization of covering problems. It models situations with constraints. In this thesis, we empirically analyze an algorithm for the problem of finding the Budgeted Maximum Vertex Cover in undirected trees (BMVCT). The BMVCT problem is defined as follows: Given …

Population Health Of Spotted Salamanders (Ambystoma Maculatum) In Created Vernal Pools: An Integrative Approach, Alice R. Millikin

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Habitat creation is an important tool for conservation to counteract habitat loss and degradation. Vernal pools are susceptible to destruction due to limited detection, protection, and regulation. These wetlands provide fishless breeding habitat for many amphibian species including spotted salamanders (Ambystoma maculatum) in eastern North America. Determining whether created vernal pool habitat is successful is often determined by demographic data of colonizing populations. I suggest that hormone levels, population genetics, and disease prevalence can improve our understanding of population health in created habitat. The goal of this dissertation was to assess the health of spotted salamander larvae in …

Behavioral Impairment Following Gestational Exposure To Titanium Dioxide Nanomaterial Aerosols In Male And Female Rats, Matthew Leland Eckard

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Engineered nanomaterials (ENMs) are beginning to be recognized as hazardous to human and animal health. Titanium dioxide (TiO2) is primarily used as a whitening agent in paints, plastics, and sunscreens. While relatively inert in its bulk form, nano-TiO2 (diameter) can produce prolonged inflammation and oxidative stress in target tissue. Recently, the potential for nano-TiO2 to cause neuroinflammation and damage has heightened concerns about its continued use. One important concern is that nano-TiO2, and other metal oxide ENMs, may affect fetal neurodevelopment. Accordingly, it is imperative to screen ENMs, like TiO2, for possible neurotoxicity following developmental exposures. The current set of …

Design And Implementation Of Overcurrent Protection Relays Test Bench, Khalid Daud Khattak

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

The electrical power simulator in Engineering Sciences Building (ESB) at WVU was dismantled in July 2018. The simulator was used as a teaching tool for EE students to conduct lab experiments. The power simulator employed electromechanical and microprocessor protection relays, manual isolation and industrial circuit breakers, switches, variable autotransformer (VARIAC), voltmeters and ammeters. During the dismantling, a lot of equipment was retrieved for future possible use. This led to the idea of designing and implementing a simple circuit on a test bench that can be used as a lab equipment to demonstrate the operation of overcurrent protection relays. It was …