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Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

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Manifestations Of The Maimed: The Perception Of Wounded Soldiers In The Civil War North, William R. Feeney Jan 2015

Manifestations Of The Maimed: The Perception Of Wounded Soldiers In The Civil War North, William R. Feeney

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

The Civil War produced over 350,000 permanently disabled men, in addition to millions of other types of injuries and diseases. Yet, despite the overwhelming destruction to men's bodies the war also laid the foundation for a number of notable advances. These generative changes include increased collaboration between medical professionals, an estimable reputation for individual surgeons, a budding international reputation for American medicine, nursing opportunities for upper class women, a rise in volunteerism in the north, and a public acceptance of anatomical study and exhibition. For all the prolific effects of the war, however, these transformations all required one thing, the …


Halim El-Dabh's Derabucca Notation And Its Implication On Performance Practice, Ryan Joseph Frost Jan 2015

Halim El-Dabh's Derabucca Notation And Its Implication On Performance Practice, Ryan Joseph Frost

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

The purpose of this document is to aid a performer's interpretation and preparation of Halim El-Dabh's Sonic No. 7 and No. 10, The Miraculous Tale, and Sweet and Prickly Pear. This project highlights the composer's unique method of notating techniques for the derabucca as well as his innovative compositional style in the aforementioned works. The original notational systems employed in these works represent one of the few written attempts to communicate advanced derabucca performance techniques to a classically-trained percussionist in published repertoire. Both prescriptive and descriptive in nature, these notational systems are the most ornate and visual of El-Dabh's writing …


Family Descriptions Of The Influence Of Cultural Factors On Transitions In Serious Illness, Veronica Gallo Jan 2015

Family Descriptions Of The Influence Of Cultural Factors On Transitions In Serious Illness, Veronica Gallo

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Nearly 65 million Americans served as care provider to an ill or disabled adult, and over 1.6 million Americans participated in the care of a family member in hospice. Families experience transitions, or changes, throughout the serious illness trajectory. Throughout transitions in serious illness, families participate in the care, support, and decision-making for their ill family member. Families' lives are often disrupted during this time and families experience emotional, physical and psychological distress during transitions. In spite of this, families are rarely included in care, and little is known about how families make sense of transitions. Culture, and the factors …


A Consensus Based Decentralized State Estimation For Power Distribution Networks, Varun Garaga Jan 2015

A Consensus Based Decentralized State Estimation For Power Distribution Networks, Varun Garaga

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

This thesis presents a new Decentralized State Estimation algorithm using agents directed mainly to distribution power systems. This new algorithm solves problems that occur when one tries to estimate the state of the distribution power systems. By various reasons such as high levels of quality of service, automation capabilities and comparatively less size, those problems do not occur so frequently on the transmission systems. A consensus based static state estimation strategy for radial power distribution systems is proposed in this research. This thesis concentrates on the balanced systems.;There are buses acting as agents using which we can evaluate the local …


Doctoral Students' Relational Communication With Their Advisors: A Dyadic Examination Using Chickering's Theory Of Psychosocial Development, Zachary W. Goldman Jan 2015

Doctoral Students' Relational Communication With Their Advisors: A Dyadic Examination Using Chickering's Theory Of Psychosocial Development, Zachary W. Goldman

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

The purpose of this dissertation was to explore how psychosocial development affects doctoral students' relationships with their advisor and their success in graduate school. Toward this goal, three objectives were identified. The first objective was to integrate Chickering and Reisser's (1993) vectors of psychosocial development into the doctoral education context to understand how mature students maintain their relationships and address conflict with their advisor. The second objective was to investigate the extent to which doctoral students' psychosocial development and communication behaviors affected satisfaction in the student-advisor relationship. The third objective was to examine the effect of psychosocial development on doctoral …


Validation Of An Experimentally Motivated Predictive Model For The Spontaneous Clustering Of Receptors On The Cell Membrane, Emine Guven Jan 2015

Validation Of An Experimentally Motivated Predictive Model For The Spontaneous Clustering Of Receptors On The Cell Membrane, Emine Guven

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Membrane receptors are specialized membrane-bound proteins that facilitate communication be- tween the intracellular and extracellular membrane. They control signal initiation in many im- portant cellular signaling pathways. Cell signaling (or signal transduction) provides the logical inputs individual cells need in order to perform their role in the context of the organism. Signal- ing molecules such as hormones, neurotransmitters or growth factors, are secreted by cells in the organism as a result of certain conditions; the cells receiving the signal change (or maintain) their state in response to the signaling input. The incoming information is processed and the response is formulated …


Investigating Stuttering Attitude Change Of Middle School Students In A Rural Appalachian School, Chelsea D. Kuhn Jan 2015

Investigating Stuttering Attitude Change Of Middle School Students In A Rural Appalachian School, Chelsea D. Kuhn

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Effects of the Stuttering: For Kids, By Kids video on stuttering attitudes was investigated with middle school students in a rural Appalachian middle school in West Virginia. Participants completed the Public Opinion Survey of Human Attributes-Stuttering (POSHA-S) before (PRE) and immediately after watching the video (POST1) to measure attitude change following the intervention. The participants again completed the POSHA-S one month later (POST2) to determine the stability of their attitudes. Tabular and graphic comparisons were generated for each of the three administrations of the POSHA-S. For PRE versus POST1 and POST1 versus POST2 analyses, individual item and combined item ratings …


Assessment Of Molecular Action Of Direct Gating And Allosteric Modulatory Effects Of Carisoprodol (Somartm) On Gaba A Receptors, Manoj Kumar Jan 2015

Assessment Of Molecular Action Of Direct Gating And Allosteric Modulatory Effects Of Carisoprodol (Somartm) On Gaba A Receptors, Manoj Kumar

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Carisoprodol is a centrally acting skeletal muscle relaxant frequently prescribed for the treatment of acute musculoskeletal conditions. Recreational use of carisoprodol is an increasing problem. Recent reports highlight the dangers involved in carisoprodol abuse, including severe withdrawal leading to seizures and death. Indeed, carisoprodol has been placed into schedule IV drug at federal level effective January 11, 2012 considering its alarming abuse rate. Until recently, it was widely accepted that the sedative effects of carisoprodol were due predominantly to its metabolite, meprobamate. Our lab recently concluded, that carisoprodol itself, at low concentrations allosterically modulates and at higher concentrations directly activates …


A Novel Microbial Source Tracking Dna Microarray Used For Pathogen Detection In Environmental Systems, Xiang Li Jan 2015

A Novel Microbial Source Tracking Dna Microarray Used For Pathogen Detection In Environmental Systems, Xiang Li

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Pathogen detection and the identification of fecal contamination sources can be challenging in environmental and engineered treatment systems. Factors including pathogen diversity and ubiquity of fecal indicator bacteria hamper risk assessment and remediation of contamination sources. Therefore, a quick method that can detect and identify waterborne pathogens in environmental systems is needed. In this work, a custom microarray targeting pathogens (viruses, bacteria, protozoa), microbial source tracking (MST) markers, mitochondria DNA (mtDNA) and antibiotic resistance genes was used to detect over 430 selected gene targets in whole genome amplification (WGA) DNA and complementary DNA (cDNA) isolated from sewage and animal (avian, …


Development Of Drilling Control Technology To Reduce Drilling Noise During Roof Bolting Operations, Mingming Li Jan 2015

Development Of Drilling Control Technology To Reduce Drilling Noise During Roof Bolting Operations, Mingming Li

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Noise induced hearing loss is a serious health issue among coal mine workers. The roof bolting operation is one of the noisiest underground mining operations. It is second among all equipment in underground coal mines whose operators exceed 100% noise dosage according to MSHA data. In roof bolting, the noise generated in the roof drilling normally contributes a major proportion to the noise exposure to this particular group of miners. This study is to develop a drilling control technology to reduce noise generated during roof bolting drilling.;Previous research shows that the specific energy consumed in drilling bolt holes is inversely …


The Influence Of Physical Activity On International Students' Cross-Cultural Adjustment: A Qualitative Longitudinal Study, Shuang Li Jan 2015

The Influence Of Physical Activity On International Students' Cross-Cultural Adjustment: A Qualitative Longitudinal Study, Shuang Li

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

International students face multiple challenges due to cross-cultural transition. Physical activity plays a significant role in maintaining health and well-being for college students. Little research has explored how international students' physical activity interacts with their acculturation. Using a longitudinal qualitative approach with individual interviews and non-participant observation, the current study explored how physical activity interacted with new international students' first-year transition to studying in the United States. Nine participants who engaged in regular physical activity were enrolled. Each individual was interviewed twice in the middle and at the end of their first year. Three-month of field work was applied to …


The Impact Of Autonomous Vehicles On Freeway Throughput, Abdullah Maarafi Jan 2015

The Impact Of Autonomous Vehicles On Freeway Throughput, Abdullah Maarafi

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Autonomous vehicles are expected to provide a number of benefits to the individual, road infrastructure and the society from the perspective of safety and efficiency. The use of autonomous vehicles is expected to increase freeway throughput, allowing vehicle groups travelling together with a shorter headway time resulting in a reduction of traffic congestion.;The purpose of this research was to use microsimulation software, VISSIM, to test the impact of autonomous vehicles on freeway throughput, delay, and travel time. A realistic corridor of I-79 and a conceptual corridor were modeled to understand how mixed traffic flow conditions could impact the freeway throughput. …


Identification Of A Critical Gene In The Dihydroergot Alkaloid Pathway, Yulia Bilovol Jan 2015

Identification Of A Critical Gene In The Dihydroergot Alkaloid Pathway, Yulia Bilovol

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Ergot alkaloids, bioactive compounds produced by some species of fungi, have had significant impacts on agriculture and medicine. Claviceps purpurea and Epichloe spp. are ergot alkaloid producers associated with agricultural commodities and negatively affect humans and grazing animals, respectively. Another ergot alkaloid-producing fungus called Aspergillus fumigatus is ubiquitous in the environment; infections arising after inhaling the spores may kill immunocompromised persons. Ergot alkaloids and their derivatives are utilized by the pharmaceutical industry for the development of drugs. Some of these drugs are derived from lysergic acid, whereas others are derived from dihydrolysergic acid. Lysergic acid derivatives have vasoconstrictive properties and …


The Impact Of Model-Lead-Test Coaching On Parents' Implementation Of Reinforcement, Prompting, And Fading With Their Children With Autism Spectrum Disorder, Liyu Chen Jan 2015

The Impact Of Model-Lead-Test Coaching On Parents' Implementation Of Reinforcement, Prompting, And Fading With Their Children With Autism Spectrum Disorder, Liyu Chen

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Parents play an essential role in furthering the development of their children with special needs. They are being trained to be co-therapists for their own children. The goal is to improve the ways they interact with their children in order to create improvements in their children's everyday functioning. If the proper teaching strategies are consistently applied, a learner can significantly improve his/her performance of various life skills, including communication, self-care, social skills, along with other skill sets. Because adults' learning processes differ substantially from children's, it will be critical to utilize the "coaching" method that employs a Model-Lead-Test (MLT) approach …


First Year Biomass Production Following Application Of Various Size Strip Thinnings In A Young Hardwood Stand In West Virginia., Ashlee Martin Jan 2015

First Year Biomass Production Following Application Of Various Size Strip Thinnings In A Young Hardwood Stand In West Virginia., Ashlee Martin

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Strip thinning can reduce stand density to promote better growth of residual trees and has potential to create a woody bioenergy feedstock in addition to enhancing and maintaining early successional habitat for wildlife. However, little research has been conducted on strip thinning within young hardwood stands to determine if these are viable attributes of strip thinning. The goal of this study was to assess the first year biomass production after strip thinning among three different cut strip widths (8 ft, 12 ft, and 16 ft) in a 22-year-old mixed mesophytic hardwood stand. Woody biomass production from stump sprouts and true …


Ethical Diversity In Strategic Communications: The Hiring, Training, And Mentoring Of Millennial Minorities, Rashidah C. R. Mccoy Jan 2015

Ethical Diversity In Strategic Communications: The Hiring, Training, And Mentoring Of Millennial Minorities, Rashidah C. R. Mccoy

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

The purpose of this research is to examine the challenges and opportunities diversity has for Strategic Communications practitioners and scholars. Its primary aim is to more fully understand this growing phenomenon in the industry, without undervaluing its complexity and abundance and to move towards a more inclusive and truly committed investor approach. This study used triangulated research methods to explore these factors. An online survey of people who have experience with Millennial minorities and reverse mentoring in the Strategic Communications industry was conducted. A series of in-depth interviews was conducted with individuals who have unique experiences with cultural diversity. The …


A Study Of Self Consolidating Concrete For Cast In Place Applications: Current Practices, Rapid Wcm Determination, And Stability Effects Of Pumping, Jared Hershberger Jan 2015

A Study Of Self Consolidating Concrete For Cast In Place Applications: Current Practices, Rapid Wcm Determination, And Stability Effects Of Pumping, Jared Hershberger

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Self-Consolidating Concrete (SCC) is a relatively new type of concrete mixture that does not require external compaction during placement. Compared to traditional vibrated concrete (TVC), SCC is much more fluid, which gives it the ability to flow and fill formwork without the need for any external compaction efforts. Although the increased cement content and chemical admixtures found in SCC typically results in a higher material cost, the potential for cost savings in reduced construction time and labor are significant. The potential of this relatively new type of concrete have yet to be realized due to a lack of regulation and …


Clarence Cameron White: Classical Violin Performance And Pedagogy In The African American Community, Alexandra Kori Hill Jan 2015

Clarence Cameron White: Classical Violin Performance And Pedagogy In The African American Community, Alexandra Kori Hill

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

This thesis focuses on the performing and teaching career of the African American classical violinist, Clarence Cameron White. Discussions of recital programming, reviews, pedagogical articles and musical essays written by White will provide a look into African Americans' presence and involvement within classical violin performance and instruction. The racial and cultural signifiers that are tightly woven with many styles and genres in American music have also been applied to Western art music and classical violin, requiring a discussion of racial and cultural stereotypes in American society.


Development Of An Erosion Control Seed Mixture That Includes Native Species, George A. Hilvers Jan 2015

Development Of An Erosion Control Seed Mixture That Includes Native Species, George A. Hilvers

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

The West Virginia Divisions of Highways (WVDOH) utilizes the establishment of grass cover as a temporary and permanent management practice to mediate the effects of erosion on highway construction sites. Current West Virginia regulations include five seed mixtures for permanent applications that include combinations of nine species. Six of these species are identified as invasive, and all nine species are considered introduced or both native and introduced. This research developed alternative seed mixtures that included low threat or native species. The alternative seed mixtures were then evaluated in a field test. The research also examined seedbed preparation techniques, the performance …


A Multi-Agent Design For Power Distribution Systems Automation, M. Jawad Ghorbani Aug 2014

A Multi-Agent Design For Power Distribution Systems Automation, M. Jawad Ghorbani

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

A new Multi Agent System (MAS) design for fault location, isolation and restoration in power distribution systems is presented. In proposed approach, when there is a fault in the Power Distribution System (PDS), MAS quickly isolates the fault and restores the service to fault-free zones. Hierarchical coordination strategy is introduced to manage the agents which integrate the advantages of both centralized and decentralized coordination strategies. In this framework, Zone Agent (ZA) locate and isolate the fault based on the locally available information and assist the Feeder Agent (FA) for reconfiguration and restoration. FA can solve the restoration problem using the …


Comparison Of Color Accuracy Of Commercial Digital Cameras And Cellular Phonecameras For Laboratory Purposes, Adeline W. Yuh Aug 2014

Comparison Of Color Accuracy Of Commercial Digital Cameras And Cellular Phonecameras For Laboratory Purposes, Adeline W. Yuh

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Accurate shade matching of indirect restorations as well as accurate communication of that information to the laboratory technician is one of the most challenging tasks in the dental office. The objective of this study was to compare the color accuracy of commercial digital cameras used in the dental office with cellular phone cameras. Twenty four color patches and 4 shade tabs on a new Vita classic shade guide (A2, B2, C2, and D2) were photographed 3 times with 4 different cameras: The Canon EOS 30D, the Nikon D700, the iPhone 5 and the Galaxy S3. For the light source, a …


Fashion Meets Twitter: Does The Source Matter? Perceived Message Credibility, Interactivity And Purchase Intention, Yijia Wang Aug 2014

Fashion Meets Twitter: Does The Source Matter? Perceived Message Credibility, Interactivity And Purchase Intention, Yijia Wang

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Through an online survey, this study explored the perceived source credibility of fashion industry Twitter messages with varying message sources (the brand itself, celebrity endorser, friend/acquaintance). Online interactivity and purchase intention of potential customers were also assessed to examine if a particular message source and its credibility increase the likelihood of online engagement with the message and customers' intention to purchase.;Findings indicate that of all source types, brands were perceived as most credible overall, as well as on dimensions of expertise, character, and attractiveness. Furthermore, there was a higher probability of respondents searching for additional information based on a tweet …


Disclosure And Perceptions Of Social Support In Male Victims Of Child Sexual Abuse, Abigail Leslie Aug 2014

Disclosure And Perceptions Of Social Support In Male Victims Of Child Sexual Abuse, Abigail Leslie

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Child sexual abuse of males is a serious issue that is largely hidden in the United States because many victims never disclose the abuse. The literature review highlights the prevalence and severity of child sexual abuse of males and the negative effects non-disclosure has on the psychological well-being of the victim. The need to study factors affecting whether or not a male victim discloses is stressed, and social support is proposed to be an influencing factor. This study explored the impact of social support on disclosure status for male victims of child sexual abuse in parts of West Virginia and …


Conceptual Learning: Enhancing Student Understanding Of Physiology, Micah J. Waltz Aug 2014

Conceptual Learning: Enhancing Student Understanding Of Physiology, Micah J. Waltz

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Students are leaving undergraduate science programs without the knowledge and skills they are expected to have. This is apparent in professional programs, such as medical and veterinary school, where students do not possess the critical thinking skills necessary to be successful. Physiology is a required discipline for these professional programs and often before, as a pre-requisite. Physiology classrooms are an excellent place to teach critical thinking skills because the content consists of integrated processes. Therefore, in one study, it was investigated whether focusing on physiological concepts improved student understanding of physiology in both a non-physiological science course, Invertebrate Zoology, and …


Explicit Disclosure In Retail Communication: Impact Of Undetermined Social Network Site Relationships On Branded Identity, Hannah R. Gnegy Aug 2014

Explicit Disclosure In Retail Communication: Impact Of Undetermined Social Network Site Relationships On Branded Identity, Hannah R. Gnegy

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

One of the most impactful technologies to emerge from Web 2.0 developments has been the social network site. In traditional models of branded identity, it is assumed that there is a distinction made between the retailer and consumer (de Chernatony, 1999; Kapferer, 2008). However, social network sites allow for the formation of undetermined relationships in which the underlying role of a party may be unknown.;As social network sites continue to shape retail practices, a gap in knowledge exists regarding how models of branded identity need to be modified to meet the demands of these undetermined social network site relationships. Through …


Development Of A Remote Laboratory With The Integration Of Cloud Applications, Jeremy Thompson Aug 2014

Development Of A Remote Laboratory With The Integration Of Cloud Applications, Jeremy Thompson

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Distance learning has been a mode of education since its inception at Pennsylvania State University in 1892. What started as a simple correspondence course has blossomed into a globally accepted method of education. The need for remote laboratories is growing as more lab-intensive programs of study are searching for a distance learning alternative. The goal of this research is to establish the foundation of a remote laboratory in the Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Department at West Virginia University. The main objectives are to develop simple, easy-to-use graphical user interfaces to enhance the understanding of several concepts presented in the MAE …


Low Frequency Quadrature Detector Design, Simulation And Implementation For Use In Underground Communication, Zenaneh Ashebir Kebede Aug 2014

Low Frequency Quadrature Detector Design, Simulation And Implementation For Use In Underground Communication, Zenaneh Ashebir Kebede

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

The earth does not easily propagate high frequency signals. Low frequency, through the earth, signals would provide better penetration of the earth surface. Extremely low frequency communications has been a challenge for many years because of the underlying limitations such as significant background noise, and large antenna size. This thesis investigates the design of a compact quadrature sampling detector for extremely low frequency through the earth communication. It is hoped that a receiver such as that designed herein could receive signals at frequencies much much less than 10 kHz through the earth. Furthermore, this thesis compares the method of quadrature …


Certified Athletic Trainers' Abilities To Identify And Refer Athletes With Psychological Symptoms, Marc L. Cormier Aug 2014

Certified Athletic Trainers' Abilities To Identify And Refer Athletes With Psychological Symptoms, Marc L. Cormier

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

This study's purpose was to expand the literature based in the area of psychology of injury by assessing certified athletic trainers' (ATs') skills in symptom identification, intended course of action, and intervention identification with athletes experiencing psychological distress. Using a web-based survey protocol, data were collected from 326 (191 female and 132 male) ATs using three case vignettes. AT responses were compared to a panel of experts in psychology of injury and assessed for accuracy. Results indicated that ATs demonstrated high accuracy in symptom identification and making referral decision, but struggled in identifying appropriate interventions for athletes. Stepwise regression analyses …


An Examination Of Job Satisfaction Related To Generational Cohorts And Faculty Status Of West Virginia University Extension Service County Faculty, Susan K. Gamble Aug 2014

An Examination Of Job Satisfaction Related To Generational Cohorts And Faculty Status Of West Virginia University Extension Service County Faculty, Susan K. Gamble

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Retention of county Extension faculty has been identified as a significant challenge facing the Extension Service system across the country (ECOP LAC, 2005). There are several influences that contribute to employee turnover in the Extension Service, including: burnout, dissatisfaction with pay related to the amount of time worked, downsizing, long and abnormal work hours including nights and weekends, balancing work and family, and job stress (Boltes, Lippke, & Gregory, 1995; Bradley, Driscoll, & Bardon, 2012; ECOP LAC, 2005; Ensle, 2005; Fetsch & Kennington, 1997; Kutilek, Conklin, & Gunderson, 2002; Rousan & Henderson, 1996). Within their positions, Extension personnel are required …


The Evaluation Of Emotion Regulation In Caregivers Referred To A Parent-Training Program, Nancy M. Wallace Aug 2014

The Evaluation Of Emotion Regulation In Caregivers Referred To A Parent-Training Program, Nancy M. Wallace

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

In recent years, emotion regulation has become a topic of particular interest to both clinicians and researchers and has been shown to play a significant role in a variety of behavioral and psychological difficulties in both adults and children (Gratz & Tull, in press). However, parents of children referred for parent training may experience significant difficulty regulating their emotions as they attempt to cope with and control their children's misbehavior. The present study explored the role of caregiver emotion regulation in parent training by attempting to understand if (1) parents and children who are referred for parent training have difficulty …