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Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

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Data Mining Framework For Monitoring Attacks In Power Systems, Prem T. Alluri Jan 2015

Data Mining Framework For Monitoring Attacks In Power Systems, Prem T. Alluri

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Vast deployment of Wide Area Measurement Systems (WAMS) has facilitated in increased understanding and intelligent management of the current complex power systems. Phasor Measurement Units (PMU's), being the integral part of WAMS transmit high quality system information to the control centers every second. With the North American Synchro Phasor Initiative (NAPSI), the number of PMUs deployed across the system has been growing rapidly. With this increase in the number of PMU units, the amount of data accumulated is also growing in a tremendous manner. This increase in the data necessitates the use of sophisticated data processing, data reduction, data analysis …


Father Involvements Influence On Mother's Perceptions Of Parenting In An Appalachian Sample, Kalynn B. Amick Jan 2015

Father Involvements Influence On Mother's Perceptions Of Parenting In An Appalachian Sample, Kalynn B. Amick

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Father involvement in parenting can have a positive influence on both children and mothers. During times of economic stress it may also add to the resources available and make a positive contribution to mothers parenting practices. In this study it was considered how father involvement may influence mother's perceptions of parenting. Specifically, this study looks at father involvement in an Appalachian sample. Five participants completed questionnaires which answered questions about mothers' present perceptions of parenting and father involvement. No significant associations were found between father involvement and mother's perceptions of parenting. Limitations include small sample size and a lack of …


Spatial And Temporal Distribution Of Hemlock Woolly Adelgid (Hemiptera: Adelgidae) Ovisac And Its Associations With The Environment, Sunghoon Baek Jan 2015

Spatial And Temporal Distribution Of Hemlock Woolly Adelgid (Hemiptera: Adelgidae) Ovisac And Its Associations With The Environment, Sunghoon Baek

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Eastern hemlock, Tsuga canadensis (Pinales: Pinaceae) is an important tree species in eastern North America ecosystems. During the past 65 years, eastern hemlock stands have been threatened by the hemlock woolly adelgid, Adelges tsugae Annand (Hemiptera: Adelgidae). The goal of this research was to determine the spatial and temporal distribution of A. tsugae populations. First, the appropriate sample unit for A. tsugae was determined based on within-branch and -tree distribution of A. tsugae. The results of this study showed that A. tsugae ovisacs were more frequently found at the tip of a branch and no significant (P > 0.05) differences in …


Telemonitoring To Change Standard Diabetes Education And Management In A Rural Healthcare Practice, Kendra L. Barker Jan 2015

Telemonitoring To Change Standard Diabetes Education And Management In A Rural Healthcare Practice, Kendra L. Barker

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Background: Type II Diabetes is associated with increased morbidity and mortality. Intense education and positive behavior reinforcement by healthcare professionals has been shown to enhance personal glycemic control for patients with Type II diabetes. However, limitations often prevent patient attendance at diabetes education classes. The purpose of this change project was to assess the efficacy of a telemonitoring intervention on glycemic control. Kotter's change process served as the conceptual underpinning for the project.;Objective: The overall objective was to implement a telemonitoring intervention based on Kotter's change process in a sample of adults with Type II diabetes who obtained care at …


I Support Clean Energy: A Test Of The Eppm And Psychological Reactance Theory, Lindsey Beall Jan 2015

I Support Clean Energy: A Test Of The Eppm And Psychological Reactance Theory, Lindsey Beall

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

The purpose of this study was to test components of the extended parallel process model (Witte, 1992) and psychological reactance theory (Brehm, 1966) using environmental hazards as a primary threat, rather than a personal health threat. In addition, this study examined the effect that response costs, ego involvement, and personal connection had on individuals' self-efficacy to perform a behavior. Participants (N = 157) watched a short video that emphasized the environmental and health risks of coal as well as the benefits of using clean energy sources. One group of participants saw a recommended response encouraging them to contact a state …


Parameterized Strings: Algorithms And Applications, Richard Beal Jan 2015

Parameterized Strings: Algorithms And Applications, Richard Beal

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

The parameterized string (p-string), a generalization of the traditional string, is composed of constant and parameter symbols. A parameterized match (p-match) exists between two p-strings if the constants match exactly and there exists a bijection between the parameter symbols. Historically, p-strings have been employed in source code cloning, plagiarism detection, and structural similarity between biological sequences. By handling the intricacies of the parameterized suffix, we can efficiently address complex applications with data structures also reusable in traditional matching scenarios. In this dissertation, we extend data structures for p-strings (and variants) to address sophisticated string computations.;We introduce a taxonomy of classes …


Intimate Empire: Women's Travel Writing And U.S. Imperialism 1880-1920, Andrea Bebell Jan 2015

Intimate Empire: Women's Travel Writing And U.S. Imperialism 1880-1920, Andrea Bebell

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

This dissertation examines how several turn-of-century U.S. women journalists and travel writers represent U.S. imperialism in a range of locales, trafficking in prevailing discourses of gender and race to represent colonized Others and as they engage in a comparative analysis to evaluate women's status in the U.S. In doing so, I suggest that these women, largely overlooked in critical discourses on U.S. imperialism, nonetheless contributed to the U.S. imperial imaginary. By recuperating the work of "newspaper ladies" Margherita Hamm, Nellie Bly, and Mary Krout, and through a reconsideration of Edith Wharton's travel writing, I consider the complex ways that white …


Phylogenetic Relationships Among Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungal Species In The Deeply Rooted Archaeosporales (Glomeromycota), Robert J. Bills Jan 2015

Phylogenetic Relationships Among Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungal Species In The Deeply Rooted Archaeosporales (Glomeromycota), Robert J. Bills

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) in the phylum Glomeromycota are globally distributed biotrophic fungi that form symbiotic associations with a majority of terrestrial plants. Their global beneficial role in plant and soil ecology warrants a better understanding of their evolutionary history and taxonomic relationships. This project focused on species relationships in two deeply rooted families Ambisporaceae and Archaeosporaceae. In one study, analysis of morphology and 28S ribosomal DNA (LSU) sequences resulted in two major changes that redefined Ambispora to include only species that were dimorphic for both acaulosporoid and glomoid spore types. First, species described as producing only glomoid spores (Am. …


Parishioner Labor In The Late Medieval Parish Of Ashburton, Lacey Bonar Jan 2015

Parishioner Labor In The Late Medieval Parish Of Ashburton, Lacey Bonar

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Parishioners in the late medieval parish of Ashburton used physical labor to create, maintain, and repair their parish church itself and its contents. Of the fourteen men featured in this study some worked on the church's seating, book collection, and organs while others labored on two extensive projects concerning the repair of the church's spire and the construction of the roodloft. The parish's extensive set of churchwardens' accounts provides record of the labor that these men completed and their compensation, allowing for a detailed analysis of their contributions. With most parish studies focusing on parishioner participation through fundraising efforts, monetary …


Emotion Socialization And Autism Spectrum Disorder: The Role Of Disability Severity And Parental Attributions In Predicting Parents' Emotional Responses, Hilary R. Bougher Jan 2015

Emotion Socialization And Autism Spectrum Disorder: The Role Of Disability Severity And Parental Attributions In Predicting Parents' Emotional Responses, Hilary R. Bougher

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

The importance of parents in emotion socialization is highly established among children who are typically developing (Sheffield Morris, Silk, Steinberg, Myers, & Robinson, 2007). Child characteristics, such as child temperament and emotional reactivity, have been found to influence parenting (Bell & Chapman, 1986; Belsky, 1984). However, little is known about the emotion socialization practices of parents of children with special needs and how disability severity may influence these practices. Participants included 68 parents of children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) (ages 3-11). Parents reported on three dimensions, using three questionnaires: disability severity via the Vineland Adaptive Behavior Scales, 2nd edition …


Variable Data Collection Rate System For A Wildlife Behavior Monitor, Sheldon Blackshire Jan 2015

Variable Data Collection Rate System For A Wildlife Behavior Monitor, Sheldon Blackshire

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Behavior monitors typically collect data, and consequently spend energy, at fixed intervals. For devices that utilize energy harvesting, a fixed data collection interval may result in inefficient battery usage due to variability in available solar radiation. Work was performed for a system capable of adjusting a data collection rate, proportional to changes in battery charge, such that data obtained was maximized without sacrificing battery energy sustainability. Energy consumption, of an actual behavior monitor, was modeled to aid in design and evaluation of a changeable data collection rate system. Model validation was performed by comparing simulated to empirical data for battery …


A Journey In Magic And Realism Performing The Role Of Titania From William Shakespeare's "A Midsummer Night's Dream", Mya Brown Jan 2015

A Journey In Magic And Realism Performing The Role Of Titania From William Shakespeare's "A Midsummer Night's Dream", Mya Brown

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

This document consists of a detailed account of my process in developing my thesis role and the pedagogical experiences which have contributed to my artistry. The purpose of this thesis role was to allow exploration of the character Titania, from William Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream. Titania was an interesting character to portray due to the fact that I had previously performed this role. My study consisted of applying acting methodology to Shakespeare's play in order to realistically present a fresh characterization of the role. A detailed interpretation of the text along with the engagement of my imagination provided the …


Gendering Labor: How Foreign Direct Investment Affects State Behavior Towards Female Labor In South And Southeast Asia, Ritu Dhungana Jan 2015

Gendering Labor: How Foreign Direct Investment Affects State Behavior Towards Female Labor In South And Southeast Asia, Ritu Dhungana

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

This study examines the partnership between foreign capital (FDI) and state in manipulating women's labor. In this dissertation I have two research questions: My first research question is to determine whether the interaction between states and FDI renders workers vulnerable and unprotected. Other scholars have shown that states have been willing to relax labor laws (and offer non labor-related incentives) in order to attract FDI. My hypothesis is that cultural patriarchy intensifies this relationship between states and FDI, and further weakens the labor laws. My second research question is to identify the causal factors that bring about change in the …


A Comparative Study Of E-Tail Service Quality Scale In Usa And India, Usha K. Geddam Jan 2015

A Comparative Study Of E-Tail Service Quality Scale In Usa And India, Usha K. Geddam

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

The purpose of this research is to measure the e-tail service quality of online retailers by considering survey responses from two different geographical locations, USA and India. This research focuses primarily on (i) Collecting data and performing factor analysis to refine initial scale items, developed by Qianqian, followed by reliability tests for checking the scale's validity by considering responses received from survey participants in two different geographical regions; (ii) Testing of hypothesis based on the construct of the scale items of the initial scale and the scale obtained in this research; (iii) Performing regression analysis to demonstrate the impact of …


Clustering By Academic Major At Historically Black Colleges And Universities (Hbcus), Aaron Goodson Jan 2015

Clustering By Academic Major At Historically Black Colleges And Universities (Hbcus), Aaron Goodson

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Follow-up studies of clustering by academic major, the dynamic of 25% or more of the student-athletes on a roster pursuing the same academic major, indicate that it still occurs in revenue-generating sports (Fountain & Finley 2009, 2011; Otto, 2012). Clustering challenges the notion that student-athletes have control over their collegiate academic experience and reveals that their educational pursuits may not align with their professional goals or provide a meaningful educational experience (Sharp & Sheilley, 2008). Research on clustering is absent in member institutions of different NCAA divisions, institutions with unique missions and history (such as Historically Black Colleges and Universities …


"The Whistling Wife": Women And Popular Song In The Postbellum American South, Melanie J. Green Jan 2015

"The Whistling Wife": Women And Popular Song In The Postbellum American South, Melanie J. Green

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

This study discusses the practice of music-making by middle and upper class women in the nineteenth-century American South, and the ways in which the practice was continued in the decades following the Civil War amid changing class and gender politics. The study examines two sheet music collections, one from the South and one from the North, dating from the 1880s and 1890s. An examination of the content of these collections reveals differing attitudes over changing class and gender politics and acceptable practices for music-making in the North and South. A discussion of these young women and their families tells their …


Design Of Oxy-Coal Reactors For Calcium Carbide Production Using Cfd, Albio Gutierrez Jan 2015

Design Of Oxy-Coal Reactors For Calcium Carbide Production Using Cfd, Albio Gutierrez

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Oxy-coal combustion with recirculating flue gas is a promising technology in CO2 capture. This technology is intended to reduce emissions of CO2 and other pollutants, such as NOx and SO2. Since the CO2 concentration in flue gas is higher than in conventional air operation, CO2 capture is easier. Other unique applications of oxy-coal combustion are now possible due to the very high temperatures (circa 2000-2500°C) that can be generated with char/ O2 /CO 2 mixtures which in turn can be used to activate chemical reactions which can lead to high valued chemical products. This for example can be an economical …


Essays On Aesthetics Of Food, Marya Alhelaili Jan 2015

Essays On Aesthetics Of Food, Marya Alhelaili

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

This thesis is comprised of three essays that explore the aesthetics of food in contemporary food and table setting design. The essays are: (1) Aesthetics of Food (2) Food Design (3) Table Setting Design.;Food is an everyday necessity. With advancements in production and a plentiful supply in developed countries, the preparation of food and its consumption has developed socially and artistically. There is increased emphasis being placed on how to make and present food in nontraditional ways to enhance aesthetic appeal. Yet, there is not consensus about the aesthetic dimensions of food. The viewpoint that food should be considered a …


Erionite Studies In Custer National Forest, Daniel Farcas Jan 2015

Erionite Studies In Custer National Forest, Daniel Farcas

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Chapter 1. Introduction to erionite. Erionite is an emerging naturally-occurring carcinogen that through continued and frequent exposure can lead to mesothelioma. Erionite exposure is mostly environmental and it affects individuals that live in areas where a natural deposit of the mineral exists.;Chapter 2. What is mesothelioma? Why should I should be afraid? How do you calculate the risk of mesothelioma? What are the results? Mesothelioma, a rare cancer and the most dreaded asbestos-related disease affects the lining of the chest cavity and extremely debilitating and terminal. Rates of Malignant Mesothelioma (MM) are dependent on exposure times, concentrations, smoking, age of …


Does Self Love Lead To Spying On Ex-Partners On Facebook? The Examination Of Ego Factors In Facebook Stalking, Brittany Furbee Jan 2015

Does Self Love Lead To Spying On Ex-Partners On Facebook? The Examination Of Ego Factors In Facebook Stalking, Brittany Furbee

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

This study aims to identify predictable personality traits that can influence ones likelihood to stalk an ex-partner on Facebook. Particularly, the study focuses on the traits related with self-concept, given that motivations of using social network sites (SNS) are highly associated with self-concept. This includes self-esteem, two types of narcissism (grandiose and vulnerable narcissism), and self-efficacy. Furthermore, in order to better assess the predictability of these factors, this study considers other control variables while assessing predictability of personality traits, such as Facebook usage, length of the relationship, and time since the break- up, drawing from both social psychology and SNS …


Fault Tolerance Analysis Of L1 Adaptive Control System For Unmanned Aerial Vehicles, Kiruthika Krishnamoorthy Jan 2015

Fault Tolerance Analysis Of L1 Adaptive Control System For Unmanned Aerial Vehicles, Kiruthika Krishnamoorthy

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Trajectory tracking is a critical element for the better functionality of autonomous vehicles. The main objective of this research study was to implement and analyze L1 adaptive control laws for autonomous flight under normal and upset flight conditions. The West Virginia University (WVU) Unmanned Aerial Vehicle flight simulation environment was used for this purpose. A comparison study between the L1 adaptive controller and a baseline conventional controller, which relies on position, proportional, and integral compensation, has been performed for a reduced size jet aircraft, the WVU YF-22. Special attention was given to the performance of the proposed control laws in …


Reciprocity With The Researcher: An Experimental Manipulation To Increase Help-Seeking In Adults 60 And Older, Elizabeth C. Price Jan 2015

Reciprocity With The Researcher: An Experimental Manipulation To Increase Help-Seeking In Adults 60 And Older, Elizabeth C. Price

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Seeking help is one way that individuals can maintain and achieve goals, but older adults may be reluctant to ask for help if they feel they cannot give anything in return. Men or individuals who endorse traditional beliefs about masculine behavior may be less likely than other individuals to ask for help. The first aim of the present study was to determine if a brief experimental manipulation based on the norm of reciprocity could increase help-seeking behavior and improve attitudes toward seeking help in older men and women. A second aim was to examine the relation between traditional beliefs about …


Perceptions Of Wood Product Supply And Demand For Affordable Building And Green Construction Markets, Gregory D. Estep Jan 2015

Perceptions Of Wood Product Supply And Demand For Affordable Building And Green Construction Markets, Gregory D. Estep

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Decreased housing starts between 2005 and 2012 have caused decreased demand for wood-based products such as flooring, cabinetry, and moulding produced from Appalachian hardwoods. However, there may be opportunities to increase demand for these products as demand in the green building sector increases within the United States. Due to this increased demand in green building, wood product manufacturers are presented with an opportunity to further diversify their sales portfolios. The overall goal of this research was to identify wood product opportunities within the affordable and green building industries. Through surveying techniques and spatial analysis of existing commercial green building projects, …


Piece-Wise Linear Support Vector Machine To Classify Distributed Data, Nafiseh Salmani Niyasar Jan 2015

Piece-Wise Linear Support Vector Machine To Classify Distributed Data, Nafiseh Salmani Niyasar

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Support Vector Machines (SVMs) is a popular and highly performing classification model with a very good generalization ability for many classification applications. This method uses kernels to classify data that are not linearly separable. The added complexity of the kernels that map data to a higher dimensional space degrade the SVM classifier performance when dealing with large datasets. Moreover, classifying a dataset by choosing an appropriate kernel and finding the best set of its parameters is challenging. Failing in this process can easily cause to an overfit problem.;In this thesis we propose the Piece-wise Linear SVM (PWLSVM) using MagKmeans clustering …


Assessing And Meeting Residents' Needs: An Evaluation Of Residence Hall Programming, Michael J. Beck Jan 2015

Assessing And Meeting Residents' Needs: An Evaluation Of Residence Hall Programming, Michael J. Beck

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

In this qualitative study, I examine how programming in college residence halls does and does not meet the needs of residents and resident assistants. Using focus group and individual interview data, I structure my analysis using Maslow's (1954) hierarchy of needs. I suggest that residence hall programming---academic, social, or a hybrid of the two---is most valuable for its ability to meet residents' needs related to belongingness but that residence hall staff must place more explicit emphasis on residents' growth needs in order for self-actualization to be supported.


An Assessment Of Recreational Use: The Wenaha Wild And Scenic River, Umatilla National Forest, Oregon, Ashley R. Popham Jan 2015

An Assessment Of Recreational Use: The Wenaha Wild And Scenic River, Umatilla National Forest, Oregon, Ashley R. Popham

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

The purpose of this study was to provide data to the US Forest Service about summer recreational use of the Wenaha Wild and Scenic River in eastern Oregon, and to determine if use and use levels were appropriate according to relevant legislation and policies. The Umatilla National Forest is the administrative authority of the river and is required to complete a Comprehensive River Management Plan for this river. At the time of data collection this Draft Environmental Analysis (EA) was being developed. The Final EA was implemented July, 2015.;Recreation surveys were collected at trailheads and other developed and undeveloped recreation …


An Examination Of Households' Willingness-To-Pay For Wetlands Biodiversity Conservation In The United States: A Benefit Transfer Approach, Rajendra Prasad Poudel Jan 2015

An Examination Of Households' Willingness-To-Pay For Wetlands Biodiversity Conservation In The United States: A Benefit Transfer Approach, Rajendra Prasad Poudel

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

This research paper provides a benefit transfer model of willingness-to-pay (WTP) for wetlands' biodiversity conservation in the United States. The validity of the estimated wetland's willingness-to-pay values is also examined. While valuation of the services provided by wetlands may be challenging due to their non-market nature, estimation of values is important. Conducting a primary study is the best option for precise results. However, researchers may recommend the benefit transfer approach in wetland valuation when there are limited time, budgetary constraints, and administrative urgency.;The benefit transfer approach involves transferring of value estimates from study sites (where research was already undertaken) to …


The Anti-Imperialist Empire: Soviet Nationality Policies Under Brezhnev, Jason A. Roberts Jan 2015

The Anti-Imperialist Empire: Soviet Nationality Policies Under Brezhnev, Jason A. Roberts

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

This dissertation argues that the Soviet Union functioned as an empire despite its decidedly anti-imperialist rhetoric. Beginning in the 1920s, Bolshevik policies transformed the former Russian Empire into a new type of empire that was based on Marxist-Leninist ideology. Moreover, the Bolshevik policy of korenizatsiia as well as Marxist-Leninist rhetoric promoted the development of a decolonization process among the non-Russian peoples of the USSR in the 1920s and 1930s. Although Stalin abandoned korenizatsiia in the 1930s in favor of greater emphasis on Russification, the decolonization process continued into the Brezhnev period of the 1960s and 1970s. This decolonization process quickly …


The Use Of Cultural Memory In Reinforcing Contemporary Russian Patriotism: A Case Study Of The Film "Stalingrad" (2013), Laura Roop Jan 2015

The Use Of Cultural Memory In Reinforcing Contemporary Russian Patriotism: A Case Study Of The Film "Stalingrad" (2013), Laura Roop

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

According to cultural memory theory, cultural tools such as texts and symbols transmit the knowledge of meaningful historical events to groups. These cultural tools reproduce history by cultivating narratives that are relevant in a given time, and thus reflect the ongoing concerns over memory. The purpose of communicating significant turning points in a nation's history is to create a system of values, a self-image and the continuity of a nation. Films are considered to be both textual and visual representations of cultural memory. Since memory and commemoration of the Second World War have gone through many changes, one has to …


Optical Spectroscopy Of Nanoscale And Heterostructured Oxides, Tess R. Senty Jan 2015

Optical Spectroscopy Of Nanoscale And Heterostructured Oxides, Tess R. Senty

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Through careful analysis of a material's properties, devices are continually getting smaller, faster and more efficient each day. Without a complete scientific understanding of material properties, devices cannot continue to improve. This dissertation uses optical spectroscopy techniques to understand light-matter interactions in several oxide materials with promising uses mainly in light harvesting applications. Linear absorption, photoluminescence and transient absorption spectroscopy are primarily used on europium doped yttrium vanadate nanoparticles, copper gallium oxide delafossites doped with iron, and cadmium selenide quantum dots attached to titanium dioxide nanoparticles.;Europium doped yttrium vanadate nanoparticles have promising applications for linking to biomolecules. Using Fourier-transform infrared …