Digital Commons Network^™

College Adjustment Experiences Of First -Year Students: Retired Athletes, Non -Athletes, And Current Varsity Athletes, John R. Lubker

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Research investigating the disengagement experiences of high school athletes and their subsequent adjustment to the college environment has been limited at best. The purpose of this investigation was to examine the differences in college adjustment patterns and reported athletic identity of first-year college males and females (N=317). Three status groups were used in this study: retired high school senior athletes ( n=125), high school senior non-athletes (n=106), and current college varsity athletes (n=78). Significant differences were observed between the three athletic status groups where retired high senior athletes had significantly different athletic identity scores than both college athletes and high …

A Delphi Study To Identify Teaching Competencies Of Teacher Education Faculty In 2015, Sonhwa Na

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

The purpose of this study was to reach consensus on future course delivery modes and recommended teaching competencies that would be required for teacher education faculty in future course delivery environments. A three-round, online modified Delphi study was used to answer the following research questions (RQs): (a) RQ1: What course delivery modes will teacher education faculty of traditional colleges and universities be using in 2015?, and (b) RQ2: What competencies will teacher education faculty of traditional colleges and universities need to teach using these delivery modes? Course delivery modes and general teaching competencies were determined as a result of consensus …

Thermal Conductivity Characterization Of Composite Materials, Bhyrav Mutnuri

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Thermal conductivity of a polymer composite is a function of resin type, fiber type and architecture, fiber volume fraction, direction of heat flow, and service temperature. Recognizing the thermal responses in Fiber Reinforced Polymer (FRP) composite decks play a critical role in their performance, accurate thermal measurements of FRP decks are essential.;The objective of the research is to attain better understanding of global and local thermal behavior of a composite structural system through fundamental understanding of thermal conductivity properties. The literature reveals that a major focus has been placed on measurements of thermal conductivity in through-the-thickness direction of a FRP …

Livestock And Dairy Producers' Knowledge Of Quality Assurance Issues, Andrea L. Flanagan

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

The purpose of this study was to determine the level of knowledge and use of quality assurance practices by dairy and beef producers in West Virginia and to determine if differences in the level of use existed between D/BQA certified producers and non-certified producers. The population consisted of 125 West Virginia dairy producers identified on a Health Department list of regulated dairy farms within the state and 2,720 West Virginia beef producers from a database comprised of WV BQA certified producers and the South Branch and Buckhannon Stockyards mailing lists. A random sample of 92 dairy producers and 340 beef …

Oxidative Stress In Skin Induced By Chemical And Physical Agents, Ashley Rebecca Murray

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Free radicals threaten various tissues and are involved in the development and progression of many pathological states and diseases. More than other tissues, the skin is exposed to a variety of chemical, environmental, and physical agents which are capable of inducing radical formation resulting in the development of oxidative stress. The skin possesses an elaborate antioxidant network to deal with reactive oxygen species (ROS); however, excessive exposure and/or radical production can overwhelm the antioxidant capabilities of the skin causing oxidative damage to proteins, DNA, and lipids. The central hypothesis of these studies is that exposure to oxidizible chemicals and/or environmental …

Effects Of Environmental Factors On The Paternal Brood Pouch And Sound Production In Two Sympatric Pipefish Species From The Chincoteague Bay, Virginia, Jennifer L. Ripley

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Pipefishes and seahorses of the family Syngnathidae are important inhabitants of diminishing grass beds threatened by excessive nutrient loads, sedimentation, and chemical contaminants. This research examined the influence of these environmental factors on two sympatric pipefishes from the Chincoteague Bay, Virginia. Syngnathids are characterized by a unique mode of reproduction in which the male carries developing embryos in a placenta-like ventral brood pouch until the fry are free-swimming. Interspecific comparisons revealed differences in parental nutrient allocation to embryos. In Syngnathus fuscus, females produce nutritionally poor eggs and males implant developing embryos adjacent to blood vessels. The loose connection between eggs …

A Comprehensive Analysis Of The Determinants Of State Medicaid Prescription Drug Expenditures, Sanjoy Roy

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Prescription drug payments are the fastest growing and most widely varying expenditures across state Medicaid programs. To aid health policy efforts, this study identified determinants of drug utilization and expenditures using Andersen's Behavior Model of Health Services Utilization. A Structure Equation Model was built using five-year data for 48 states, to test relationships among the latent constructs of policy, access, predisposing characteristics, enabling resources, and need for healthcare; and, their influence on drug utilization. Only predisposing characteristics and enabling resources showed significant effects on drug utilization. Cluster Analysis classified state Medicaid programs into eight groups that differ on federal matching, …

The Comparative Effects Of A Six-Week Balance Training Program, Gluteus Medius Strength Training Program, And Combined Balance Training/Gluteus Medius Strength Training Program On Dynamic Postural Control, Vincent J. Leavey

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Little is known about proprioception, gluteus medius strength, or combination training programs for improving dynamic balance. The purpose of this study was to assess the outcome of six weeks of gluteus medius strength training, proprioception training, and a combination of the two on dynamic balance. The study was a 2x4x8 and a 2x4 factorial design with three experimental groups and a control group. This study included 48 healthy, physically active, college-aged subjects. The six-week protocol for the experimental groups was conducted following a specific program three times a week for an average of 30-minutes. The proprioception training program included a …

Perceptions Of Faculty And Students Toward The Obstacles Of Implementing E -Government In Educational Institutions In Saudi Arabia, Salah J. M. Alharbi

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

The purpose of this study was to examine the perceptions of faculty members and students towards the obstacles of e-government implementation in educational institutions in Saudi Arabia. To collect data, the researcher developed two surveys and employed a quantitative research technique. The research population involved 101 faculty members and 305 students from the IPA, KSU and IMBSIU. Descriptive statistics, frequency and percentage were conducted for each variable. Means and standard deviations for all Likert-type scale variables were calculated. Testing for the equality of groups' means was conducted using t-test or Analyses of Variance (ANOVA). The level of significance was 0.05 …

Detection And Analysis Of Deck Cracks In A Long Span Empirically Designed Bridge Deck Through Embedded Sensory Systems, Mourad Y. Riad

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Bridge decks exhibit premature longitudinal and transverse cracks leading to dramatic decrease in their service lives. Because of safety concerns, state highway agencies are overburdened by conducting annual visual inspections to detect signs of distresses in bridge elements and to provide continuous records of the conditions of such bridges. Those inspections are time consuming, and have multiple limitations which often yield controversial outputs. In this study, an instrumentation based system is designed and implemented on the Star City Bridge near Morgantown WV, to provide more sophisticated, and accurate methods to assess the structural performance of bridge elements, and hence provide …

The Development Of A Typology For Interracial Relationships, Juan M. D'Brot

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

The purpose of this study was to determine whether Foeman and Nance's (1999) model of interracial relationship development could be adapted into a generalizable interracial relationship typology and whether there would be distinct differences in the affective, cognitive, and behavioral dimensions of each stage. Long-table analysis of four focus group interviews confirmed differences among the four stages of Foeman and Nance's model. Further examination of focus group transcripts revealed differences between the affective, cognitive, and behavioral dimension of each stage, but few differences between the affective and cognitive dimensions across stages. Implications for the study of relationship development, limitations, and …

A Translator For Automated Code Generation For Service-Based Systems, Sanjib (Sean) Banerjee

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Service based systems are playing a major role in industry today, everything from the verification of credit cards to booking airplane reservations are using some form of a service based approach. This unfortunately brings up a really big problem, how do we know that these services are actually doing what they are supposed to? Or, how do we know the service based system doesn't get somehow compromised when handling sensitive information.;A collaborative project involving Arizona State University and West Virginia University began in 2004 to first create a language, called alpha-calculus. We can prove that the code written in alpha-calculus …

Investigation Of Techniques And Effects Of Diesel Particulate Filter Cleaning, Nathaniel Moles

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

As the emissions standards placed on diesel engine exhaust become more stringent, the use of exhaust aftertreatment devices such as diesel particulate filters has become a more attractive means to meet those standards. During the use of these filters some of the particulate captured, usually ash, begins to restrict the flow through the filter. This increases the backpressure in the exhaust system and requires routine cleaning maintenance. This study reviewed engine technology used to reduce particulate emissions and investigated the effects of off-line cleaning of diesel particulate filters using compressed air and water flowing in the reverse direction of the …

The Framing Effect And Breast Cancer Treatment Options: Do Individual Characteristics Play A Role?, Kelly L. Schuller

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

The effect of frame, or the way in which options are worded, has been shown to influence decisions in many domains; however, the literature lacks studies that examine the effect of age and other individual characteristics on susceptibility to the framing effect. Sixty-eight college-aged women ( M age = 19.10 years, SD = 1.54) and sixty-six women over the age of 60 years (M age = 70.76 years, SD = 7.10) were presented with breast cancer vignettes that varied by frame (i.e., gains option worded in terms of number of women who would be cured and loss option worded in …

College Dating And Social Anxiety: Using The Internet As A Means Of Connecting To Others, Sarah B. Stevens

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

With the advent and widespread use of the Internet, various online media are being used to connect and maintain social relationships in individuals of all ages. Social relationships are vital to healthy development, and individuals with social and/or dating anxiety may have marked difficulty in establishing appropriate, supportive relationships due to fear of negative evaluation by others. For these individuals, the Internet may open up avenues of communication, and provide an outlet through which relationships can be formed and preserved. This study investigated the characteristics of computer and Internet use in young adults, to determine whether individuals who were high …

Database Anonymization Services, Chad B. Meador

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

The progress of technology and the development of powerful databases have made it possible to store and easily access continually increasing amounts of sensitive data about people. Since personal information is becoming common in many different databases, it is vital that this data be hidden to ensure privacy of the individuals whose records are stored in these repositories. Database anonymization is the key to securing these databases by ensuring that database users will be unable to reveal sensitive personal information by intelligently structuring their queries.

We analyzed the structure of the BiomData database which contains images and sound recordings of …

A Qualitative Study Of Mcdowell County West Virginia: Exploring Technological Determinism, Technophobia, And Fear As Deterrents Of The Utilization Of Computer Technology In Rural Communities., Christopher Ryan Walls

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Computers play an important role in our everyday lives. Rural areas are being left behind the digital divide due to the lack of money, infrastructure, and educational resources. The current study will explore the role of fear among individuals who do not utilize computer technology. It will try to better understand the psyche of individuals in rural communities and their opinions about computers. This research will also try to provide solutions on how to narrow the digital divide in rural areas such as McDowell County, West Virginia. This research included an in-depth interview along with a survey regarding computer use …

Identifying Spatial Clusters Within United States Organic Agriculture., Daniel C. Eades

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Although the organic market has experienced rapid growth in recent decades, growth in production has not been distributed evenly across the country, instead concentrating in certain regions. Employing measures of spatial concentration and association, we identify those counties in which organic production is clustered or represents a proportion of the agricultural economy greater than would be expected by national trends. Results show that spatial clustering of organic agriculture does exist. Large location quotients for organic production were most often found for the western U.S., the Great Plains states, and New England. Clusters measured by the local Moran’s I statistic followed …

Classification Of Dental X-Ray Images, Usman Qureshi

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Forensic dentistry is concerned with identifying people based on their dental records. Forensic specialists have a large number of cases to investigate and hence, it has become important to automate forensic identification systems. The radiographs acquired after a person is deceased are called the Post-mortem (PM) radiographs, and the radiographs acquired while the person is alive are called the Ante-mortem (AM) radiographs. Dental biometrics automatically analyzes dental radiographs to identify the deceased individuals. While, ante mortem (AM) identification is usually possible through comparison of many biometric identifiers, postmortem (PM) identification is impossible using behavioral biometrics (e.g. speech, gait). Moreover, under …

The Effects Of Interactive Video (Ddr) On Heart Rate, Perceived Exertion, Step Count, Self -Efficacy, And Enjoyment In Elementary School Children, Barbara J. Olmsted

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Rising levels of obesity continue to challenge physical educators to engage their students in activities sufficiently vigorous to accrue health-related benefits. Physically active video games are now recognized as a way to enhance physical activity levels in children. A school-based intervention in fifth- and sixth-grade participants (N=33) compared six lessons each of Dance Dance Revolution (DDR), volleyball, and an exercise video (Tae-Bo) according to the following dependent variables: heart rate, step count, active time, rate of perceived exertion, enjoyment, and self-efficacy. Repeated measures within-subjects comparisons revealed significant main effects for activity type across five dependent variables, and significant interactions for …

Shoeprint Analysis: A Gis Application In Forensic Evidence, Michael Anthony Walnoha Jr.

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

The overall intent of this study is to illustrate how GIS and crime mapping methods can be applied to forensic evidence to better understand and comprehend spatial patterns that exist in these data. This study bridges common crime mapping principles such as hot spot mapping, exploratory data analysis, and spatial statistics to spatial forensic evidence investigation. In particular, forensic shoeprint evidence is examined and spatial relationships are analyzed using both exploratory and confirmatory statistical analysis. It is found that crime mapping principles can be indirectly related to shoeprint evidence mapping. Exploratory spatial data analysis is extremely helpful in breaking up …

Adolescent Religiosity And Conformity To Parents: Is Sex A Moderator?, Rebecca Kim Summers

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

This study examines relations between adolescent reports of conformity to their parents and religiosity and if these are moderated by the sex of the adolescent and parent. Self-report data was collected from 121 ninth and tenth graders enrolled in three non-metropolitan high schools. Religiosity was measured by Schumm et al.'s (1991) modified version of Gorsuch and Venable's (1983) scales. Conformity to Parents was assessed using Peterson's (Peterson, Rollins, & Thomas, 1985) Conformity to Parents scales. Four regressions were used. Results indicate that females: (a) report higher levels of conformity to parents and religiosity than males and (b) that when adolescent …

Model And Software Development For Predicting Fish Growth In Trout Raceways, Yin-Han Wang

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

A software program was built using Visual Basic for Applications (VBA) in MicrosoftRTM Excel. The purpose of the software is to allow users to manage their raceways more efficiently by providing a tool to simulate the performance of an existing raceway or to predict the behavior of a raceway under a wide variety of operating scenarios. The program considers the behavior of a system of multiple raceways arranged both in series and parallel configurations, and allows for the addition, removal and combination of different cohorts at different times in different raceways. Input data required include properties of the incoming water …

An Economic Analysis Of Food Stamp Participation In West Virginia, Ahadu T. Tekle

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Poverty and food insecurity are challenging socio-economic problems that policy makers are trying to address for a long time. Among other things, providing financial and in-kind assistance are some of the initiatives taken to improve food security for low income households. Food Stamp Program is an important assistance program that serves to meet this goal. The objective of this study is to examine the implication of economic and policy variables on food stamp participation in West Virginia. To understand the current and lagged impact of economic variables on current food stamp participation, static and dynamic econometric models are used. These …

Comparison Between Human Perception Of Risk Of Injury And Niosh Wpg For Lifting Tasks, Viviana Carolina Baggio

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Low back injuries are highly prevalent in industry, recreational environs and in work at home. It is believed that humans are not able to judge the biomechanical risk of injury inherent with performing lifting tasks. This experiment studies the impact of lifting geometry (e.g., the horizontal, vertical and travel distances of a lift), frequency, gender and age upon an observer's perception of injury risk when looking at a task before attempting a lift. Subjects completed a questionnaire with a series of 54 pictures showing different lifting tasks; subjects then ranked their perceived risk of injury on a scale of 0 …

The Effects Of Residual Trees On Regeneration Dynamics Following A Diameter Limit Harvest, Travis J. Deluca

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Ten years after diameter-limit cutting, shading from residual trees had a negative effect on regeneration growth in three Appalachian hardwood stands. Regardless of shade tolerance, saplings growing outside the crown shading of residual overstory trees had higher densities and were taller and larger in diameter. Most shade-intolerant and mid-tolerant species decreased in total height and diameter as overstory basal area increased. Black cherry height (p<0.0001) and diameter (p=0.0002) had a significant negative relationship with increasing overstory basal area. Total height of shade-tolerant species was not affected and diameter showed a positive relationship. Red maple diameter had a significant positive relationship (p<0.0001) with increasing overstory basal area. Rehabilitation of stands after diameter-limit cutting requires silvicultural release operations to reduce competition in the new cohort.

The Transtheoretical Model And Psychological Skills Training: Application And Implications With Elite Female Athletes, Linda Ann Keeler

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

There is abundant empirical evidence supporting the benefits of psychological skills training (PST) on performance (Vealey, 1994). Despite evidence of how PST can help athletic performance, some athletes still do not readily adopt its use (Gould, Tammen, Murphy, & May, 1989). Rather than ignoring individuals that are not interested (Weinberg & Williams, 2001), one possible method of approach would be to apply the transtheoretical model of behavior change (TTM) to the use of PST (Grove, Norton, Van Raalte, & Brewer, 1999). This model suggests that behavior change is a progression through a series of stages (Prochaska & DiClemente, 1983). There …

Theory Of Mind And The Assessment Of Suggestibility In Preschoolers, Aryn C. Karpinski

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Researchers have been examining the relation between theory of mind and suggestibility with mixed results. Recently, researchers have suggested that theory of mind is not a dichotomous construct, but instead develops in a sequence (Wellman & Liu, 2004). This view, when combined with an examination suggestibility, may clarify the relation. The purpose of this study was to validate the Video Suggestibility Scale for Children (VSSC; Scullin & Ceci, 2001) and a theory of mind scale as predictors of suggestibility in an interview about an experienced and a non-experienced event. Ninety-one preschoolers, ages 3 to 5 years old, completed the 3-week …

Enlightened Defense: The National Security *Policy Of Thomas Jefferson, Robert R. Leonhard

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

The triumph of Thomas Jefferson and the Democratic Republicans in 1800 left the deposed Federalists aghast at what this Francophile, anti nationalist, reputedly atheistic president might do to the country. Despite Jefferson's impulses toward pacifism, national isolation, the diffusion of political power, and healing faction, the eight years of his two administrations were destined to be as calm as a hurricane. The turbulent situation in Europe had already made a mockery of Washington's advice to avoid entanglement, and during Jefferson's presidency, the dangers only increased.;Jefferson's ideas on national security were diametrically opposed to those of Alexander Hamilton and the Federalists. …

Field Perceptions Of The Vision Initiative For Children's Preschool Vision Screening Training Model, P. Kay Nottingham Chaplin

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Because lay vision screeners rarely receive formal training in how to screen vision and because older children were seen in clinic with vision disorders that should have been detected earlier through vision screening, a pediatric ophthalmologist and the researcher created the Vision Initiative for Children (VIC) in 2001 as a statewide program of the West Virginia University Eye Institute. VIC has trained, equipped, and provided ongoing support to lay individuals who are mandated or want to screen preschoolers' vision. This program evaluation study explored, from the perspective of Head Start personnel, whether VIC prepares Head Start personnel to screen preschoolers' …