Digital Commons Network^™

Exploring The Perceptions Of Produce Processors Operating In Non-Profit Commercial Kitchens In West Virginia, Megan Christine Govindan

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 48 million people get sick, 128,000 are hospitalized and 3,000 die each year from foodborne illness. The Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) shifted the focus of the Food and Drug Administration from response, to prevention of foodborne illness. The FSMA identified seven rules related to food safety prevention measures, including inspection and compliance, response and enhanced partnerships to ensure food safety along the food system, and employee-training compliance measures. Increasing access to healthy, local foods has economic, public health, and environmental benefits. Farm to Institution policies are becoming more popular nationally, …

On-Site Measurement Of The Water-Cementitious Ratio And Heat Of Hydration Of Delivered Concrete, Seyednavid Mardmomen

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

In this study, AASHTO T318-15 was adopted to estimate the water content of fresh concrete mixes and then revised to have better precision. The additional step required sieving out the coarse aggregate after drying the sample in a microwave oven, and it was then used in the calculation of the absorbed water and cementitious material content. Several laboratory batches, as well as on-site water-cementitious (w/cm) ratio tests, were performed on concrete mixes containing ordinary Portland cement, ground granulated blast furnace slag, and Class F fly ash. The results of the experiments indicated that the accuracy of the revised method was …

Impacts Of Bike Sharing On Transit Ridership, Moathe Salah Aljeri

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Biking is an active, environmentally friendly, and sustainable transportation mode that facilitates short utilitarian and recreational trips. As such, cities around the world have been implementing bicycle sharing/renting programs at stations in a wide network so that a traveler can mount one close to their origins and drop it off at a station nearest to their destinations. In addition, bike sharing programs can solve the first-mile and last-mile connectivity problems of transit modes. Such programs also enable short trips that were previously impossible without using transit modes. This research investigated the relationship between New York City (NYC) subway ridership and …

The Museum Of Queer Curiosities, Reba "Feliks" Kay Pyron

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

This paper documents the research, personal motivations, and processes that make The Museum of Queer Curiosities (TMOQC). The installation, exhibited in the Paul Mesaros Gallery, uses the manipulation of traditional techniques in printmaking, sculpture, and craft, to create a space in which authority, labels, confusion, and compassion are discussed. Through the synthesis of familiar visual art installation techniques and museum display, the work attempts to provide a foothold for the viewer to navigate queerness and ephemeral identity. The body of work that occupies TMOQC creates the surreal simulation of a scientific museum, transforming the art gallery into a stage where …

Managing Paradoxes Of Ambidexterity: The Impact Of Exploration And Exploitation On Firm Performance, Lixun Su

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

This dissertation examines the impacts of exploration, exploitation, and ambidexterity on firm performance in three essays. Since exploration and exploitation have their own advantages and disadvantages, there are many debates over their impacts on firm performance. To synthesize the conflicting empirical results, the first essay conducted a meta-analytic study and demonstrates that ambidexterity in the product domain increases firm performance while ambidexterity in the market domain does not significantly influence firm performance. In addition, the results show that it is not necessary for all firms (e.g., resource-constrained firms) to pursue ambidexterity. Thus, the second and third essays examine how to …

The Energy Efficiency And Living Comfort Of A Stabilized Rammed Earth Dwelling In Comparison With A Traditional Stud Frame Building, David C. Johnson Iii

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

During the last several decades, rammed earth construction has received renewed attention due to its many desirable characteristics. For construction, use, and end of life treatment, rammed earth construction has shown in research to reduce the embodied energy of residential building construction by 66-85% compared to building methods that use fired brick and concrete members. Research thus far also indicates that rammed earth construction may indeed be more energy efficient since the building material has a very high thermal inertia, henceforth, the rammed earth walls absorb thermal energy from the sun and release it into the building to reduce the …

Three Essays On “Production And Technical Efficiency”, Douglas Mugabe

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

This dissertation examines production and or technical efficiencies in agricultural and energy systems. The first essay examines production capabilities of smallholder corn farmers following Zimbabwe’s fast track land reform program of 2000. This paper accounts for semi-parametric production frontier to provide more reliable efficiency estimates than can be obtained using traditional parametric methods. The second essay examines efficiency and state level fuel substitution in the US electricity generation sector. I apply the recent fixed effects stochastic frontier estimation to understand the implications of changes in inter-fuel substitution for technical efficiency. The third essay examines the role of drilled but uncompleted …

Review Of Modern Nondestructive Testing Techniques For Civil Infrastructure, Shabnam Khanal

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

The repair and maintenance of aging infrastructures, in the United States alone, are estimated to have backlogs of trillions of dollars. This has posed widespread concerns about the existing and proposed infrastructures to adequately sustain the quality of life in the near future. Efficient and cost-effective approaches, such as nondestructive testing (NDT), are therefore required to better shape our future. Various NDT techniques have been developed over the past two decades with cutting-edge advances towards investigation and condition assessment of civil infrastructures. While the performance of NDT techniques has reached unparalleled heights, limitations remain. On one side, are the instrument …

Exploring The User Experiences Of A Bird Id Mobile App Among College Students In Western India, Jayvijay V. Raol

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

This study explores user experiences of a sample of college age young adults from western India, with a bird ID mobile app. Mobile apps provide an attractive and interactive access to information and their reach and versatility can often bypass challenges of poor infrastructure and lack of access to sources for information. Studies that examine the influence of mobile apps on users’ knowledge and awareness are still in their infancy. Mobile phones and mobile applications have become increasingly prevalent in the educational setting, not only as technology for instructional delivery, but also as a means of improving user experience when …

Associations Between The Adult Adhd Self-Report Rating Scale And The Test Of Differential Inhibition And Attention, Andrew Benton Darling

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) ranks among the most common mental health disorders in adults (APA, 2013). ADHD assessment is complicated by heterogenous symptoms, gender and age differences in diagnosis, variability in symptom manifestation across the lifespan, and comorbidity with other psychiatric disorders and medical conditions (Asherson, 2016; Willcut, 2012; Williamson & Johnston, 2015). The stop-signal task (SST) identifies ADHD clinical groups in children and adults (Lifffijt et al., 2005), yet it remains unclear whether SST performance reflects general deficits in attention (Alderson et al., 2007) or a selective deficit in motor response inhibition (Aron & Poldrack, 2005). Studies of SST often …

Investigation Of Particle Measurement In Different Dilution Ratios With Gasoline Direct Injection And Port Fuel Injection, John Adam Phillips

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Ambient air quality has been a concern in the United States since the mid-1900’s, forcing legislations like the Air Pollution Control Act and Clean Air Act necessary to bring focus on air pollution and quality. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) continues to update the requirements for more efficient vehicles and emissions sampling methods. Today the EPA has implemented regulations on modern spark ignited engines without any major focus on the type of injection technologies being used. While particle matter (PM) is a requirement to measure for a vehicle certification, more research should focus on the particle number (PN) measurements that …

The Impact Of Stress Shadowing With Variations In Cluster Spacing On The Production For Wells Completed In The Marcellus Shale, Joshua R. Dietz

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

The design of the well stimulation treatment has significantly changed over the last decade because of the advancement of hydraulic fracturing. The cluster and stage spacing design component of hydraulic fracturing has been a key factor in enhancing the production from the horizontal wells. Recently, the treatment designs are moving towards lower cluster spacing. The reduction of the spacing alters the in-situ stresses in the formation and begin to impact the propagation of next set of future fractures and the properties of previous fractures. These stress alterations from hydraulic fracturing is referred to as stress shadowing.

The objective of study …

Cerebrovascular Dysfunction And Degeneration In Alzheimer’S Disease Pathophysiology, Dominic Dimitri Quintana

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is a terminal illness and the most common form of dementia, which disproportionately affects the aged population. The pathophysiology of AD is characterized by neurodegeneration that slowly progresses, affecting regions of the brain that are involved in learning, memory, language, and executive function. In patients with the disease, early symptoms include non-disruptive forgetfulness that evolves into the inability to form new memories and ultimately the loss of autonomy at late stages. Histopathological hallmarks in the brain from patients with AD is the presence of amyloid-β (Aβ)-plaques and neurofibrillary tangles (NFT) deposited in the parenchyma. Since the discovery …

Neuromechanical Tuning For Arm Motor Control, Russell Lee Hardesty Jr

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Movement is a fundamental behavior that allows us to interact with the external world. Its importance to human health is most evident when it becomes impaired due to disease or injury. Physical and occupational rehabilitation remains the most common treatment for these types of disorders. Although therapeutic interventions may improve motor function, residual deficits are common for many pathologies, such as stroke. The development of novel therapeutics is dependent upon a better understanding of the underlying mechanisms that govern movement. Movement of the human body adheres to the principles of classic Newtonian mechanics. However, due to the inherent complexity of …

Semi Analytical Approach For Binary Mixture Conductivity In Hydraulic Fracturing, Vuong V. Pham

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

In hydraulic fracturing, a proppant injection schedule practice typically applies a binary proppant mixture (for example: 100 Mesh sand following by 40/70 Mesh sand in well MIP-3H, Marcellus Shale). The former injection agent is finer in size or less resistant to stress, whereas the latter injection agent is coarser in size or more resistant to stress. This practice creates a special region inside the fracture, in which two injected proppant types co-exist and is defined as the mixture zone. This research concentrates on the variability of the mixture zone under impact of different factors, introduces novel semi-analytical modelling approach to …

The Effects Of Intrinsic Foot Muscle Strengthening On Foot Posture, Balance, And Agility In Ice Hockey Players, Rebecca Eve Veltrie

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Context: Research has shown that intrinsic foot muscle strengthening over a 4-week period is beneficial for improvements in dynamic postural control, function, stability and foot posture. Ice hockey is a sport that requires immense levels of balance, stability and performance on the lateral aspect of the skate. With research lacking on the impact of intrinsic foot muscle strengthening on ice hockey athletes’ balance, foot posture and performance, implementation of such a program may be beneficial for ice hockey players. Objective: The purpose of this study was to explore the effects of foot intrinsic muscle strengthening versus a traditional …

The Effect Of Blended Learning On Language Proficiency Of An Efl Class: An Empirical Study, Jamile Sulam Tango Rojas

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

The combination of online learning and face-to-face lessons have become a relevant learning model in English Language Teaching in the last years. The goal of this research study was to investigate the integration of such a blended learning approach in an EFL class in Bolivia. The study was conducted at a binational language institution, and it focused on the effect of blended learning on the students’ overall language proficiency and each language skill individually. Data was collected via a proficiency pre-test at the beginning of the experiment, two quizzes during the module, and a final exam, all of them to …

Clear Aligner Therapy Vs. Traditional Brackets On Smile Arc, Sarah Elizabeth Larue

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Background and Objectives: More so than ever, the public is becoming exceedingly aware of esthetics, and will evaluate their treatment outcome based upon the improvement to their smile and overall enhancement of their facial appearance. Smile arc is considered to be a key component of facial esthetics. Literature has demonstrated that orthodontic treatment mechanics utilizing traditional brackets and wires can cause flattening of the smile arc and that smiles with flatter arcs are judged to be less attractive. The aim of this study was to determine whether clear aligner therapy can help to preserve or improve the smile arc …

Interpretations Of Bicoherence In Space & Lab Plasma Dynamics, Gregory Allen Riggs

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

The application of bicoherence analysis to plasma research, particularly in non-linear, coupled-wave regimes, has thus far been significantly belied by poor resolution in time, and/or outright destruction of frequency information. Though the typical power spectrum cloaks the phase-coherency between frequencies, Fourier transforms of higher-order convolutions provide an n-dimensional spectrum which is adept at elucidating n-wave phase coherence. As such, this investigation focuses on the utility of the normalized bispectrum for detection of wave-wave coupling in general, with emphasis on distinct implications within the scope of non-linear plasma physics. Interpretations of bicoherent features are given for time series from …

Developing A Biophilic City Through Natural Land Transformation Analysis And Geodesign: The Case Of Purbachal New Town, Bangladesh, Udday Shankur Datta

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Dhaka, the capital city of Bangladesh is one of the fastest-growing metropolitan regions in the world. To solve the ever-increasing need for housing and to reduce the pressure of the population from the capital city, the Purbachal satellite city was planned. It is the biggest planned township in Bangladesh with an area of over 25 square kilometers. Purbachal is situated at the confluence of the Shitalakhya and Balu rivers. Historically a low-lying wetland, Purbachal has gone through a rapid transformation in past decades. The water bodies around the area have been filled in to create new developable land. Through remote …

State Regulatory Heterogeneity And Clean Water Act Compliance, Quinn R. Beeson

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

This research evaluates the impact of state regulations regarding Clean Water Act (CWA) compliance on wastewater and drinking water violations in the continental United States from 2007 to 2017. Using data collected from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), community characteristics and state regulations are analyzed for their effects on CWA compliance. We use count data analysis techniques and annual county-level data on CWA and Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA) violations from wastewater and drinking water facilities in the United States. The results show that total violations are higher when an additional state CWA regulation is implemented. One year after a …

Dendroclimatic Analysis And Site Index Modeling Of Central Appalachian Red Spruce, Eric L. Yetter

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Red spruce (Picea rubens) was historically an important and dominant timber species in the central Appalachian mountain range. The tree species is now found in a small fraction of its original home range. Threatened and endangered organisms such as the Cheat Mountain Salamander (Plethodon nettingi) rely on red spruce associated forests for survival. Recent concerns including air pollution and climate change may threaten the health of remaining red spruce populations.

I used dendrochronology data to conduct historic dendroclimatic analyses and construct future growth projections for red spruce throughout the central Appalachians. My research involves the use of tree core data …

Impact Of Particle Injection On Gas Flow At Elevated Pressure: A Numerical Study, Ansan Pokharel

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Modeling of a turbulent two-phase gaseous-solid flow still faces challenges. The present study is devoted to two-phase flow in an annular pipe (hollow cylinder) operating at an elevated pressure of 15 bar and moderate Reynolds numbers of circa 6 x 10³. The influence of the various factors – such as the particle loading, the interaction between the phases, and turbulent dispersion – on the flow dynamics is systematically studied by means of the computational simulation employing the ANSYS FLUENT commercial package. To be specific, particle loading with a volumetric fraction of 1.2 % is defined as high particle …

Trees, Fungi, Insects: How Host Plant Genetics Builds A Community, Sandra Jeanne Simon

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Organisms, such as fungi and insects, can cause millions of acres of agricultural and forest damage, while others provide billions of dollars in ecological services such as education, aesthetic enjoyment, pollination, and gardening. Plant breeding and biotechnology can potentially help establish a balance between the proliferation of detrimental pests and attraction of beneficial insects. Variation in plant physiological and morphological characteristics are extremely important in the ability of host tissues to support many different types of organisms. When that variation is genetically heritable in a plant population, shifts in the underlying genes can have predictable consequences in structuring entire ecosystems. …

Behavior Coaching In Pennsylvania Schools Implementing School-Wide Positive Behavior Interventions And Supports At The Universal Tier One Level, Lisa Anderson

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

School-Wide Positive Behavior Interventions and Supports (SWPBIS) is a multi-tiered system of student support that emphasizes the use of positive behavior strategies for a school’s students. Schools are adopting SWPBIS because it gives staff the opportunity to teach desired behaviors to students and emphasizes the enhancement of instructional time by minimizing disruptions. SWPBIS uses a support framework that includes a building-level behavior coach and a core team made up of an administrator, parent(s), and professional school staff. Staff and student training is bridged with implementation efforts to sustain a positive school climate and prevent student behavior problems. The SWPBIS coach …

A Spatially Distributed Investigation Of Stream Water Temperature In A Contemporary Mixed-Land-Use Watershed, Jason P. Horne

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Stream water temperature is an important physical variable that influences many biological and abiotic water quality processes. The land-use/land-cover (LULC) types and corresponding variability in stream water temperature (Tw) processes in contemporary mixed-land-use watersheds necessitate research to advance management and policy decisions. Water temperature was analyzed from 21 gauging sites using a nested-scale experimental watershed study design. Results showed that forested land use was significantly negatively correlated (α = 0.05) with mean and maximum Tw. Agricultural land use was significantly positively correlated (α = 0.05) with maximum Tw except during the spring season. Mixed development and Tw were significantly correlated …

Development And Implementation Of A Novel Voltage-Free Interface For Capillary Electrophoresis-Mass Spectrometry Separations Of Proteins, Courtney J. Kristoff

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Capillary electrophoresis-mass spectrometry is a powerful technique for high-throughput and high efficiency separations combined with structural identification. Electrospray ionization is the primary interface used to couple capillary electrophoresis to mass analyzers; however, improved designs continue to be reported. A new interfacing method based on vibrating sharp-edge spray ionization is presented in this work to overcome the challenges of decoupling applied voltages and to enhance the compatibility with separations performed at near-neutral pH. The versatility and ease of use of this ionization source is demonstrated using β-blockers, peptides, and proteins. The cationic β-blocker pindolol was injected electrokinetically and detected at concentrations …

Wv Dental Hygienists' Knowledge And Educational Approach For Pregnant Women, Isabella Hope Mcdaniel

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Background: Adverse pregnancy outcomes have become a concern for dental professionals caring for pregnant women with poor oral health. Pregnant women may not be aware of their increased risk of bacterial infections in their oral tissues and how it could relate to adverse pregnancy outcomes such as pre- term birth (PTB) and low birthweight babies (LBW). Dental healthcare professionals need to be well informed of risk related to poor oral health and have confidence to effectively educate pregnant women. PTB and LBW babies account for 1 million infant deaths annually. It is the responsibility of dental healthcare professionals to be …

The Effects Of Instructor Self-Disclosure On Students’ Cognitive Learning: A Live Lecture Experiment, Stephen Michael Kromka

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

The purpose of this dissertation was to examine the causal influences of relevant (and irrelevant) instructor self-disclosure on student affect and cognitive learning. Relevant self-disclosure involves the instructor directly relating personal disclosures to important lesson content, whereas irrelevant self-disclosure involves the instructor’s personal disclosures straying from the lesson topic. Given previous correlational self-disclosure research, the researcher predicted that relevant (compared to irrelevant) instructor self-disclosure would lead to increased reports of affect toward the instructor. The researcher also predicted that instructor self-disclosure relevance (compared to irrelevance) would enhance lesson coherence, and in turn, foster students’ cognitive learning. The researcher conducted a …

Study On The Thermal Properties Of Concrete Containing Ground Granulated Blast Furnace Slag, Fly Ash And Steel Reinforcement, Bekir Erdem Bas

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

In this study, the thermal and mechanical properties of two types of concrete were measured. The first type contained ground granulated blast furnace slag, and the second type contained Class F fly ash. The compressive and splitting tensile strength, static elastic modulus, thermal conductivity, adiabatic temperature rise, shrinkage, and compressive creep of the two concretes were measured. Then, the experimental shrinkage and compressive creep results were compared to ACI 209.2R-08 using the material properties of each mix design. Additionally, two semi-adiabatic designs were made and compared with the adiabatic calorimetry measurements. Also, in this study, the thermal conductivity of concrete …