Digital Commons Network^™

Summer Habitat Use, Home Range, And Effect Of Catch And Release Mortality On The Trophy Potential Of Muskellunge, (Esox Masquinongy, Mitchill, 1824), In A Southern Reservoir Population, Peter Isaac Jenkins

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Research on Muskellunge (Esox masquinongy, Mitchill, 1824) catch-and-release mortality has been historically focused on the Midwest, Great Lakes, and Ontario. In the southern portion of their range, which we consider to be the portion of the species distribution south of the Mason-Dixon Line (~40°N), Muskellunge, may experience significantly warmer temperatures than those in previous studies and anglers have expressed concern about summer catch-and-release mortality. As part of a broader study to quantify catch-and-release summer mortality in the southern range of Muskellunge, we utilized radio telemetry and active tracking to verify individual movement and survival of Muskellunge in Stonewall …

Synthesizing Realistic Substitute Data For A Law Enforcement Database Using A Python Library, Anthony Carrola

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

In many databases, there is private or sensitive data that should not be accessible to any but a few individuals, such as HIPAA (Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act) protected or LE (law enforcement) data. However, there is often a need to work with the data or change it for proper and thorough testing, especially for the developers . In some cases, the developers may be authorized to access and view the data, but it is rarely allowable for that data to be changed. Further, it is unlikely, especially on a large project, that all of the developers will have …

Application Of Artificial Intelligence For Co2 Storage In Saline Aquifer (Smart Proxy For Snap-Shot In Time), Marwan Mohammed Alnuaimi

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

In recent years, artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) technology have grown in popularity. Smart Proxy Models (SPM) are AI/ML based data-driven models which have proven to be quite crucial in petroleum engineering domain with abundant data, or operations in which large surface/ subsurface volume of data is generated. Climate change mitigation is one application of such technology to simulate and monitor CO2 injection into underground formations.

The goal of the SPM developed in this study is to replicate the results (in terms of pressure and saturation outputs) of the numerical reservoir simulation model (CMG) for CO2 injection into …

An Exploration Of The Effects Of Mindfulness On Pain: The Role Of Pain Catastrophizing, Ilana Haliwa

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Chronic pain is a complex global public health concern associated with a host of negative outcomes, including loss of productivity, decreased quality of life, and greater likelihood of developing a mental health disorder. Initial evidence indicates that mindfulness-based interventions (MBIs) improve pain symptomatology. However, most MBIs are time and resource intensive, and it is unclear how mindfulness may improve the pain experience. The purpose of the present set of studies was to test the effects of a brief, app-based MBI on pain experience, and to examine whether pain catastrophizing was a statistical mediator of any effect. Two studies were conducted …

Combinatorial Approaches For Effective Design, Synthesis, And Optimization Of Enzyme-Based Conjugates, Jordan Scott Chapman

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

The specificity and efficiency with which enzymes catalyze selective chemical reactions far exceeds the performance of traditional heterogeneous catalysts that are predominant in industrial applications such as conversion of commodity chemicals to value-added products, fuel cells, and petroleum refinement. Moreover, biocatalysts exhibit exceptionally high product turnover at ambient conditions with little health and environmental burden. These advantageous qualities have led to the prolific use of enzyme catalysis in pharmaceutical, detergents, and food preservation industries wherein their use has greatly reduced waste generation, Unfortunately, the full slate of benefits that enzymes can impart to a broader range of chemical processes is …

Investigating The Marketing Language Among Online Retailers Of Violin Strings To Determine The Implied Aesthetic, Kira Kay Browning

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

The aim of this research is to determine if language in the advertising of violin strings is acting as an exclusionary tool in favor of a Western art music “sound” produced by “classical” violinists. It posits that the marketing of strings to violinists is a topic laden with unacknowledged biases and values of musicians within Western art music. The aesthetic values attached to playing Western art music for the violin in the United States are passed on through pedagogic practice and acculturation of language. Product descriptions for strings in the United States employ language which adheres to these cultural values …

Study Of Resonantly Stabilized Radicals In Combustion Environments, James H. Lee

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Resonantly stabilized radicals (RSRs) play an important role in combustion environments due to their high stability resulting from resonance. Many RSRs such as the propargyl, allyl, or benzyl radicals are precursors to the formation of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), which can aggregate to form soot. Due to their stability, these RSRs can accumulate in combustion environments in significant quantities. The primary way these radical species are consumed in flames or by reactions with other abundant radicals, by self-recombination of propargyl to form benzene, or in the form of other abundant radicals such as the hydroxyl radical. Experimentally determining the pathways …

Methodology For Enhanced Filtration And Dewatering Of Fine-Grain Amd Precipitate Using Geocomposites For Rare Earth Elements Recovery, Iuri Lira Santos

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Research performed by the West Virginia Water Research Institute (WVWRI) in partnership with the Department of Energy (DOE) has identified that coal mining by-products contain significant amounts of Rare Earth Elements (REEs). REEs currently are in high demand, and extraction from coal mining reject presents a potential for commercialization if extraction is feasible. The coal mining reject include Acid Mine Drainage (AMD) in the aqueous phase and sludge from AMD treatment. A novel two split selective precipitation method was implemented to remove gangue metals, increasing the concentration of REEs in the sludge.

This process presents a two-fold benefit: 1) treatment …

Development Of A Thermal Desalination System Using Low Quality Thermal Energy, Takudzwa C. Chipunza

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Abstract

Development of a Thermal Desalination System Using Low Quality Thermal Energy

Takudzwa Chipunza

The blowdown water from the cooling tower of the power plant and the produced water from shale gas industry cannot be disposed directly to the environment as they may contain dissolved solids that are harmful to the environment. A detailed physical and chemical process to remove the mineral and organic solids has been developed in West Virginia University. Such a process includes running the blowdown and produced water through a softening tank, activated carbon tank, and a reverse osmosis (RO) system. The RO reject contains a …

In Darkness There Is Light: Designing For The Insect Play, Seret Teresa Cole

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

This serves as documentation of my scenic design process for the School of Theatre & Dance at West Virginia University’s production of The Insect Play by Karel Čapek. This thesis includes a plot summary, text analysis, and historical context. It also contains conversations with the director and design team, as well as a description of my design process befitting the needs of the play. The design aspects will be presented through research photos, models, drafting plates, and execution photos. It will conclude with a self-reflection of the overall production process.

Tax Avoidance, Corporate Governance, And Corporate Policies, Yang Yang

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

This dissertation includes three essays examining the interactions between tax avoidance, corporate governance, and corporate policies. The first essay exploits corporate governance shocks induced by cross-listing in the U.S., and find that firms tend to engage in less tax avoidance after cross-listing. This effect is more pronounced for firms that experience significant improvements in corporate governance, and for firms from countries with weaker shareholder protection and disclosure requirements. Taken together, the results indicate that cross-listing in the U.S. helps align the interests of managers and shareholders and reduces managerial diversion.

The second essay examines the importance of tax avoidance to …

The Exposome, Metabolic Dysfunction And Silicosis: A Pulmonary And Pathophysiology Study, Janet A. Thompson

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

The exposome encompasses the concept that an individual’s health is a combination of genetic, environmental, and occupational exposures. A worker’s exposomal profile could potentially influence their susceptibility to hazardous occupational exposures. Over 35% of adults in the United States have metabolic dysfunction (MetDys), yet interactions between MetDys and hazardous occupational exposures are generally unknown. MetDys is associated with HFWD-consumption and obesity and induces a chronic low grade systemic inflammation and alters serum adipokine profiles. Silicosis, a progressive inflammatory lung disease, results from occupational inhalation exposure to respirable crystalline silica particles. This research tests the hypothesis “Inflammation resulting from HFWD-induced …

Appalachian Broadcast News Coverage Of The Coronavirus: A Content Analysis Of Media Framing In The Midst Of A Health Crisis, Jensen M. Mills

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Media framing of broadcast news is more than identifying an issue, but rather interpreting and explaining the issue for others to better understand. Previous framing scholarship in broadcast news, as well as COVID-19 specifically, has focused mostly on national or international news, so this research explores broadcast coverage from a local perspective in a rural location. During the health crisis of COVID-19, the specific use of media frames can impact how people made sense of the pandemic. Through a content analysis of 165 newscast scripts from five different local news stations in Appalachia, this study contributes to the understanding of …

Calcite Depression In Bastnaesite-Calcite Flotation System Using Organic Acids, Emmy Muhoza

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Bastnaesite is the primary source of light REEs, namely cerium (Ce), lanthanum (La), praseodymium (Pr), neodymium (Nd), to name a few. Bastnaesite is typically concentrated using the froth flotation beneficiation method. Flotation of bastnaesite suffers from high reagent consumption due to the similar surface characteristics of bastnaesite and associated gangue minerals, including calcite. Additionally, complex stages of high-temperature conditioning are often required to suppress the detrimental impact of dissolved calcium ions on the flotation of bastnaesite. This research seeks to investigate the capabilities of organic acids in the bastnaesite-calcite flotation systems to selectively depress calcite minerals and effectively chelate calcium …

Expanding The Capabilities Of Firearm Investigations: Novel Sampling And Analytical Methods For Gunshot Residue Evidence, Courtney Helen Vander Pyl

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

During firearm-related incidents, the accurate collection and detection of gunshot residues (GSR) are crucial for reconstructing events and providing investigative leads. Regardless of the strong scientific foundations in the discipline, the standard practice for GSR can benefit from increased confidence in the results and the adoption of reference standard materials and screening tools that can lead to faster turnaround times and improved efficiency. Moreover, the implementation of comprehensive interpretation approaches requires strengthening the current body of knowledge on the transfer and persistence of inorganic and organic GSR compounds (IGSR, OGSR). As a result, the overall objective of this project was …

Possible Paths Forward For A Practice-Based Teacher Education Centered On Justice, Joshua Harlan Karr

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

This dissertation seeks to address limitations of Practice-Based Teacher Education (PBTE) in relation to (1) narrow conceptions of practice and teacher learning, and (2) peripheralization of equity and justice. After aiming to understand the landscape of limitations in PBTE, this study situates itself within specific manifestations of these limitations that exist in common conceptualizations of teacher learning and practice-based pedagogies. To (re)emphasize the situated nature of practice and center equity and justice in PBTE, I theorize an expanded notion of teacher learning, develop design features for contextually situated pedagogies of practice (Grossman et al., 2009), and implement the design with …

Assessment Of Electronic Cigarette User Terminology And Knowledge Using Mixed Methods, Margaret G. Childers-Kakos

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Electronic cigarettes (ECIGs) have evolved rapidly over the past several years, and it is unclear if terminology used when assessing ECIG knowledge and use behavior has objective and well-understood definitions between consumers, as well as between consumers and the research community. The purpose of this study was to use semi-structured interviews to obtain a better understanding of ECIGs from the perspective of regular ECIG users. One-hour interviews consisted of both open- and closed-ended questions. Questions probed the terminology used by participants to describe both individual and combination device features, as well as ECIG use behaviors. Qualitative data was used to …

Investigating The Interplay Of The Immune System, Skin Barrier, And Microbiome Following Dermal Exposure To Triclosan, Rachel Baur

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Triclosan is an antimicrobial chemical used in healthcare products that are applied to the skin. However, exposure to triclosan has been positively associated with food allergy, aeroallergy, and asthma severity in humans. In mice, dermal triclosan exposure, although not directly sensitizing, has been shown to augment the allergic response in a model of asthma. Furthermore, exposure to triclosan on mouse skin has been demonstrated to be immunomodulatory through the activity of thymic stromal lymphopoietin and S100 calcium-binding protein A8. The skin barrier and microbiome are known to interact with the immune system and disruptions in barrier integrity and the microbiome …

Ero1Α Promotes Tumorigenesis In Egfr Driven Nsclc, Brennan D. Johnson

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer (NSCLC) is a pulmonary malignancy most commonly associated with smoking, or exposure to asbestos or Radon. Approximately, 1.6 Million deaths occur each year due to lung cancer. Lung Cancer is categorized by two main types, Small Cell Lung Cancer (SCLC) and NSCLC. NSCLC accounts for approximately 85% of all lung cancer cases and is subdivided into three sub-categories: Adenocarcinoma, the most common and leading cause of death in the United States; Squamous Cell Carcinoma (SCC), and Large Cell Carcinoma. Though NSCLC treatment regimens have shown increasing clinical benefit over the last two decades with targeted therapies. …

Integration Of Spectroscopic And Mass Spectrometric Tools For The Analysis Of Novel Psychoactive Substances In Forensic And Toxicology Applications, Travon Cooman

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Analytical methods aiming for the detection of novel psychoactive substances are continuously revised due to their utility in the seized drug and toxicology realms. One method frequently employed for the preliminary identification of illicit materials is portable Raman spectroscopy. Even when a substance in possession of an offender is identified, conclusive evidence that it may have been consumed requires additional confirmatory work and further toxicological evaluation of a biological specimen. Many times, the substance consumed may not be detected in the analyzed specimen due to its extensive metabolism. It is therefore challenging to rule out the identity of the drug …

Fashion Compatibility Prediction Using Ensemble Learning, Nathan Utzman

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Fashion is important both financially and for self-expression. There are many tasks in the fashion domain which can be addressed with artificial intelligence. The task of fashion compatibility prediction is to determine how well a set of items work together to form an outfit. Two main tasks are typically used to evaluate the performance of a fashion compatibility prediction model – Outfit Compatibility Prediction and Fill in the Blank.

In this work, a compatibility prediction model, which is based on the graph autoencoder, is evaluated. This same model is then used in a homogeneous ensemble learning approach, proposed to improve …

Learning Mathematics While Black In Rural Appalachia: Black Students' Counterstories And Freedom Dreams About Mathematics Education, Sean P. Freeland

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

This dissertation aims to illuminate and uncover the experiences of Black students’ learning mathematics in rural Appalachia and specifically West Virginia. The focal theory for this study is Critical Race Theory (CRT) which centers the experience of Black students and their voices. The intersection of race, mathematics education, and the context of rural Appalachia contribute to the analysis of these experiences in specific ways. Participants for this study included six Black high school students from various communities throughout West Virginia. Through interviews and mathematical autobiographies, these students shared their experiences learning mathematics across their schooling experiences and also considering their …

Geotextile Design And Performance For Dewatering Of Rare Earth Element Sludge Produced From Acid Mine Drainage, Cory J. Nasiadka

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Acid Mine Drainage (AMD) is an environmental legacy of mining operations that forms when sulfide minerals within the earth are exposed to water and oxygen and has significant harmful effects on the environment when left untreated. Researchers at West Virginia University found large concentrations of REE/CMs (Rare Earth Elements and Critical Minerals) in AMD treatment sludge. REE/CM consist of a group of 17 elements that are crucial to the production of advanced technologies. Due to an extremely low domestic supply of REE/CM in the United States, domestic sources and production of REE/CM are being investigated. This research investigates geotextile design …

Hot-Carrier Dynamics And Transport Mechanisms In Inas/Alassb Multiple Quantum Wells, Herath Pathiranage Janaka Chathuranga Piyathilaka

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Semiconductor photovoltaics convert light into electricity through the extraction of photo-excited charge carriers. Among the most important parameters for a photovoltaic cell are good optical absorption in the desired region of the electromagnetic spectrum, and sufficient excited-state lifetimes and mobilities of the photocarriers to allow for charge separation and extraction before recombination. For solar cell applications there are significant challenges to overcome to improve the efficiency of the light-to-electricity conversion. The cells are most commonly made of silicon, which has a nearly perfect bandgap for absorbing the most solar radiation, an indirect bandgap to give a long photocarrier lifetime and …

Three Essays In Healthcare Economics And Policy Analysis, Tuyen Pham

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

This dissertation research consists of three essays on healthcare economics and policy analysis. Chapter 1 investigates and explains the failure of a proposition on limiting dialysis clinic profits in California in 2018. The proposition would have required dialysis clinics to issue refunds to patients or their payers for revenue that exceeds 115% of the direct cost of treatment. In this chapter, a conceptual framework of how voters weigh costs and benefits is developed and two different empirical approaches, simple OLS and Double Post LASSO, are employed to identify key determinants of the voting outcome. The empirical results suggest that counties …

Using Landsat-Based Phenology Metrics, Terrain Variables, And Machine Learning For Mapping And Probabilistic Prediction Of Forest Community Types In West Virginia, Faith M. Hartley

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

This study investigates the mapping of forest community types for the entire state of West Virginia, USA using Global Land Analysis and Discovery (GLAD) Phenology Metrics analysis ready data (ARD) derived from the Landsat time series and digital terrain variables derived from a digital terrain model (DTM). Both classifications and probabilistic predictions were made using random forest (RF) machine learning (ML) and training data derived from ground plots provided by the West Virginia Natural Heritage Program (WVNHP). The primary goal of this study is to explore the use of globally consistent ARD data for operational forest type mapping over a …

Development Of Capillary Vibrating Sharp-Edge Spray Ionization For Improving Continuous Flow Mass Spectrometry Analysis, Chong Li

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Capillary Vibrating Sharp-Edge Spray Ionization (cVSSI) is new ionization technique developed in the year of 2018. This ionization technique has attractive features such as simplicity, compactness, ease of manipulation, low costs, compatible with continuous flow, etc. However, the development of high performance cVSSI for mass spectrometry analysis is a process that needs unremitting optimizations. In this dissertation, I demonstrate the development of cVSSI for improving continuous flow mass spectrometry analysis. The chapter 2 focuses on improving the ionization efficiency of cVSSI through reducing the droplet size. Three strategies were tested to reduce the droplet size of VSSI. The most effective …

Navigating Abrupt Shifts In Contextual Discourses During A Pandemic And Lack Of Mentorship: A Preservice Teacher’S Journey Developing Critical Pedagogical Discourses, Casey L. King

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

This study is centered on one English language arts (ELA) preservice teacher’s development of her critical pedagogical discourses (CPD) with the contextual discourses of a school placement for preservice teaching and later shift to a full-time teacher before the placement was complete during a pandemic and in the midst of implementing online learning. Data is drawn from a 4-month interpretive qualitative case study that included classroom observations and semi-structured interviews. The objective for this study included how a preservice teacher uses their beliefs and identity about instruction amid changing contextual discourses in a pandemic and with a lack of mentorship. …

Deep Radio Observations And The Role Of The Cosmic Web In Galaxy Evolution, Nicholas M. Luber

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

A current open question in the evolution of galaxies, is what are the physical mechanisms that cut off galaxies from their primordial gas reservoirs, resulting in the end of their star-formation capabilities? Recent observational programs have shown that the properties of galaxies show dependencies on their placement within the large-scale structure (LSS) of the universe. These observations have motivated recent developments in theoretical work that have shown how a galaxy's interaction with the LSS may impact its connection to primordial gas supply, and ability to continue to accrete gas, the fundamental ingredient in star-formation.

In order to investigate the role …

Getting To The Root Cause: The Genetic Underpinnings Of Root System Architecture And Rhizodeposition In Sorghum, Farren Smith

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Plants are some of the most diverse organisms on earth, consisting of more than 350,000 different species. To understand the underlying processes that contributed to plant diversification, it is fundamental to identify the genetic and genomic components that facilitated various adaptations over evolutionary history. Most studies to date have focused on the underlying controls of above-ground traits such as grain and vegetation; however, little is known about the “hidden half” of plants. Root systems comprise half of the total plant structure and provide vital functions such as anchorage, resource acquisition, and storage of energy reserves. The execution of these key …