Digital Commons Network^™

It’S Just Muzak: Music, Activism, And Advertising., Avery Brzobohaty

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

This thesis builds on recent scholarship explaining the relationships between music, advertising, and society through a series of focused case studies in the clothing industry. Globally ubiquitous and reaching all socioeconomic strata, the fashion industry offers a useful focus because, in addition products, it also sells identity. Fashion is a means for individuals to create and express identity by associating themselves with certain brands and styles that help express social, political, economic, and ethical standings as well as gender, sexuality, race, and religion. This thesis considers the ways that sound and music influence the aesthetic and mood of recent fashion …

The Idea Of A Citizen: The Role Of Higher Education Institutions In The Development Of Citizens And An Exploration Of Innovative Teaching Techniques To Aid In The Process, Eric Matthew Myers

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

This work seeks to explain how institutions of higher education and political science educators within those institutions can develop students into citizens. Understanding the role of each (institution, educator, and student) within American democracy is important and the focus of this research. As the roles of each are demarcated, it becomes clear that higher education institutions and their political science educators have a unique ability to nurture students into citizens with a strong sense of civic purpose and understanding.

The subsequent chapters in this work explore the use of experiential education and other innovative teaching methods to determine if students …

Grainyhead-Like 2 Sensitizes Cells To Natural Killer Cell Cytotoxicity And Promotes The Interferon Response, Ian Philip Macfawn

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Our research determined that the epithelial master transcription factor Grainyhead-like 2 (GRHL2) promotes sensitivity to Natural Killer (NK) cell-mediated killing, and modulates the interferon I (IFN-I) response of epithelial cells. Immune surveillance by NK cells constitutes a major selective pressure for circulating tumor cells. Epithelial (GRHL2-expressing) cells exhibited significantly higher rates of NK conjugation, a crucial step in direct cell-mediated cytotoxicity. Mechanistically, GRHL2 upregulates expression of intercellular adhesion molecule 1 (ICAM-1), a cell surface molecule critical for NK to target cell synaptogenesis. GRHL2 epigenetically regulates gene expression, and we found that GRHL2 mutant proteins unable to interact with the epigenetic …

Selective Precipitation And Recovery Of Rare Earth Elements From Acid Mine Drainage, Robyn Lauren Christoferson

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

The ability to secure rare earth elements (REEs) in the United States is of concern due to the rapid growth in demand and the monopolistic supply chain. The demand for REEs has skyrocketed in recent years due to the development of many green technologies. The United States and many other countries are currently reliant on China for REEs, who currently control greater than 90% of the global supply. Due to the severe impact of previous Chinese export quotas, it is important to lessen the reliance on importation and explore methods of recycling REEs from secondary sources. A secondary REE source …

Music And Politics In Figure Skating: American And Soviet Nationalism, Cultural Diplomacy, And Identity At The Winter Olympics, 1968–1988, Mary Bridget Golden

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

This thesis situates figure skating, music, and Cold War politics during three separate Winter Olympic Games held in 1968, 1976, and 1988, examining the impact of this intersection on the sport of figure skating. Through a survey of seven Olympic medal-winning figure skating programs in the men’s and women’s single divisions and the pairs’ division, evidence of the relationship between politics and music is examined in the musical selections of the skaters’ programs. This thesis also explores the overwhelming prominence in skating programs of musical selections that appealed to the tastes of an elite majority during the Cold War, while …

The Societal Influence On Individual Identity And The Relationship Of Costume Design In Caryl Churchill’S Cloud 9, Laura Kay Plikerd

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Cloud 9 is a play written by Caryl Churchill in 1978. Act one of the play takes place in 1870, British Occupied Africa and act two takes place in contemporary London. In our production, contemporary London was set in 2018. The dramatic shift in time during the two acts brings attention to the changing societal ideals and practices of each era. The costumes for this production of Cloud 9, illuminated the differences between the times by highlighting the stark differences in societally accepted fashion in the chosen time periods and regions.

In Cloud 9, the costumes create a …

Topics In Cultural And Entertainment Economics, Justin W. Parker

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

During the first 60 years of television broadcasting, prime time programming was dominated by the "Big Three" networks--NBC, ABC, and CBS. Their dominance in the market functioned as an oligopoly, supported by longstanding regulatory structures. Beginning in the 1970s, a wave of deregulation and change from satellite technology swept the industry, making it easier for other firms to enter the market. In 1986, the premiere of FOX saw a viable fourth network break through to compete with the Big Three. This paper analyzes inefficiencies on both the cost and content production side of prime time television, using survival analysis to …

The 2014 West Virginia Elk River Chemical Leak: A Case Study Of Respiratory Health Disparities And Drinking Water Contamination, Maya Nye

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

This case study supplements existing data with original analysis to address environmental pollution burden and health effects not previously examined from the 2014 Freedom Industries Elk River chemical leak in West Virginia. Comparisons were made between the peer-reviewed literature, governmental disaster management practices implemented during the leak, and alternative human health assessment models to determine whether the evidence relied upon for decision-making was adequate for protecting public health, minimizing health disparities and increasing health equity. An emphasis was placed on understanding how the state and federal government approached human health hazard assessment and health outcome reporting, particularly of socially vulnerable …

Accumulation, Erin Mccarty

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

This written Thesis is the supporting documentation for Accumulation, a Master of Fine Arts Thesis Exhibition at West Virginia University. This exhibition creates an environment in which a viewer can enter. This installation environment is created based on formal elements combined with fantastical elements from the imagination of the artist. The formal choices in the work provoke a positive otherworldly and whimsical response in the viewer. The environment is designed to provide relief from problems in the everyday world through patterns, forms, colors and surfaces. These elements are harvested from the natural world and recombined in a fantastical way. …

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 …

The Effects Of Acute Photobiomodulation On Anaerobic Exercise Performance, Jillian Danielle Forsey

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Optimal performance in sport requires a balance between training stress and recovery. Therapeutic modalities that allow athletes to maintain this balance while training hard are in high demand, but many lack research. Photobiomodulation is a red and near-infrared light therapy that is proposed to enhance exercise performance and hasten recovery. The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of acute whole body photobiomodulation, applied pre-exercise, on anaerobic exercise performance.

Forty-eight healthy, active subjects participated in this single-blind, crossover study. Subjects visited the lab three times to complete a repeat Wingate test, with one week between each visit. All …

Becoming The Lion's Historian, Khadija-Awa Diop

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

This professional project examines the ways in which French colonial documentaries were used in conjunction with governmental legislation to enforce dominant narratives and repress marginalized perspectives about the nature of colonialism and the roles of the French and West Africans in its execution. Through the limitations and powers of documentary filmmaking, this project explores the ways in which counter narratives can allow media professionals today to remedy the one sided dominant narratives about marginalized communities that have existed for decades. The culmination of this project is in the creation of a documentary treatment and sizzle reel that will be the …

Seasons Past: Wildcat Strikes And The Smith-Connally Act During World War Ii, Andrew Robert Mccloskey

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

This thesis explores the phenomenon of wildcat strikes during World War II in the United States, the raging public opinion about these wartime strikes, and the passage of the War Labor Disputes Act (popularly known as the Smith-Connally Act) of 1943. Broadly, this thesis examines the wellsprings of working-class anger and frustration which underscored the spontaneous wildcat strikes, the No-Strike Pledge, and the various factions within the public’s perception of these strikes. This thesis furthermore analyzes the congressional debate surrounding the SmithConnally Act and the American public’s reaction to the passage of this restrictive legislation. Finally, this thesis posits that …

Collaborative Entrepreneurship And Building Small Business Communities In The Nigerian Fashion Design Industry, Damilola T. Fasinu

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

A critical part of being an entrepreneur is the ability to work with others. Researchers who explore entrepreneurship acknowledge collaboration and information sharing as key as more obvious skills such as opportunity recognition and determination. Collaboration allows a firm to be entrepreneurial and constantly innovative by exploring new markets. Continuous innovation and market exploration are the foundation of collaboration. Entrepreneurship is a critical factor in the growth of developing countries, as it enables a country to grow economically and encourages sustainable business activity. Therefore, this study explores the collaborative entrepreneurship of communities of some small businesses in Nigeria for their …

Bullets, Breeding, And Biodiversity: An Analysis Of Trophy Hunting In South Africa's Green Wildlife Economy, Dave E. Knieter

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Using a political ecology framework, I explore the relationship between international trophy hunting and South Africa’s private wildlife ranching industry. I interrogate the intersection of colonialism, capitalism, and conservation, which at its nexus are the discourses, policies, and logics that greenwash the production of nature. The proceeding chapters highlight a number of specific themes that problematize the neoliberalization of nature, including (i) the contradictions of imposing a market value to nonhumans; (ii) the operationalization of socioeconomic and environmental frameworks to justify trophy hunting and the breeding of nonhumans for profit; (iii) the use of African landscape and wildlife imagery to …

Addiction Or Disorder? Using The Bias Map Model To Explain The Stigmatizing Effects Of News Media Labels For Opioid Use Disorder, Kylie J. Wilson

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

The stigma surrounding opioid use disorder is often reinforced by the language that the general public and institutions use to talk about people with the disorder. Consistent with labeling theory, contending that labels are vehicles for social categorization and stereotypes, triggering bias, (e.g., Ashford, Brown, Ashford, & Curtis, 2019; Corrigan, Kuwabara, & O’Shaughnessy, 2009; Goodyear, Haass-Koffler, & Chavanne, 2018; Link & Phelan, 1999) but the ingroup based cognitive and emotional process through which these affect public stigma has not been explored in detail. This dissertation employs the Stereotype Content Model (SCM) and the Behaviors from Intergroup Affect Stereotypes (BIAS) Map …

Perceptions Of Asian American Representation In Entertainment Media, Lydia Susan Owens

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

The rise of Asian American representation in entertainment media has brought new questions to the current perceptions of Asian Americans in American culture. Where whitewashing of roles or stereotypes of the Model Minority were once portrayed frequently in the past, there are now more diverse stories being shown. When representational images are being shown in entertainment media, there is need for a media literacy lens to critically analyze these images. With this rise in Asian American representation, what are current perceptions of Asian Americans in American culture and American entertainment media? What are current levels of media literacy? This study …

Interpersonal Influences On Interpretation Of Workplace Sexual Harassment, Rachael E. Purtell

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

The purpose of this thesis is to investigate how women interpret and respond to incidents of sexual harassment at work, in the context of both their romantic relationships and workplace cultures. Incorporating Ambivalent Sexism Theory (Fiske & Glick, 1995) to measure sexist attitudes, I presumed that their own, their partners’ and their presumed workplace’s sexism scores for both subsets would be linked to the women’s perceptions and behavioral intentions in response to being sexually harassed at work. Participants were 145 heterosexual adult women, employed full-time and in self-defined committed heterosexual relationships. Each completed a survey that included the Ambivalent …

Cu-Based Electrocatalysts For Carbon Dioxide Conversion To Value-Added Chemicals, Qingyang Li

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Massive usage of fossil fuel has being causing considerable emission of CO₂, which increases the temperature of the planet and greatly threaten human living environment, such as soil degradation, lower agricultural productivity, desertification, less biodiversity, fresh-water reduction, ocean acidification, ozone sphere destruction, etc. A number of technologies are being developed to reduce the CO₂ amount, however, all existing technologies except utilizing CO₂ as a feedstock, are hardly to essentially close the anthropogenic carbon loop. Currently, considering the economy and operability, electroreduction of CO₂ seems to be the most promising strategy to convert CO₂ to …

Statistical Evaluation Of Randomly Acquired Characteristics On Outsoles With Implications Regarding Chance Co-Occurrence And Spatial Randomness, Nicole Richetelli

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Footwear evidence holds tremendous forensic value, owing to its ability to formulate linkages between victims, suspects and scenes. Naturally, the strength of these linkages is a function of the perceived clarity, quality and rarity of class, subclass and randomly acquired characteristics (RACs), which are the fundamental outsole features used to formulate source associations. In order to reach a conclusion when performing a footwear comparison, forensic examiners must assign value to the observed similarities and differences that exist between questioned crime scene and test impressions. Embedded within this process is an evaluation of the random association between unrelated shoes as a …

'Making It' Through Migration: Success (Im)Mobility And 'Development' In The Gambia, Martin J. Aucoin

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Contemporary scholarly and journalistic literature consistently represents migration from and through The Gambia using the lens of “crisis”. While these representations normally focus on Gambian migration to European states – a movement that is highly politicized – this thesis presents a case study of Gambian migration to a less-politicized destination, North America, in order to explore the relationship between lived experiences and representations of migration absent the discourse of crisis that pervades other scholarly and journalistic works. Drawing on the mobilities paradigm, feminist geographies of migration, critical race theory, transnationalism, and literatures on bordering, humanitarianism and development, I examine, through …

Breast Cancer Associated Muscle Fatigue: Novel Targets To Improve Survival And Quality Of Life, Hannah Elizabeth Wilson

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Women diagnosed with breast cancer (BC) currently represent the largest group of cancer survivors in the United States, accounting for over 20% of those living after a cancer diagnosis. Most BC survivors report an unusual degree of fatigue, which can present prior to diagnosis and continue for many years after treatment cessation. Recent studies show that deficits in muscle function predict shorter survival in cancer, perhaps due to the fact that fatigue is known to reduce a patient’s tolerance to anti-cancer therapies. Therefore, improving muscle function in BC patients has the potential to improve both quality of life and survival …

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 …

Early Black Poetry, Social Justice, And Black Children: Receptions Of Child Activism In African American Literary History, Tabitha Lashay Joy Lowery

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

In spite of the substantial amount of critical work that has been produced on the recovery of early African American literature in the last few decades, our representations of black authors are still limited. Current studies of early African American poets privilege the identification of African American literature with resistance to slavery. This identification has persisted and has made the field one-dimensional. My dissertation provides reception histories of four early black poets—Phillis Wheatley, George Moses Horton, Frances Harper, and Paul Laurence Dunbar—to argue for and present an expansive understanding of African American literature. A thorough examination of these authors’ circulation …

Internalization Of Sociocultural Standards Of Beauty, Perception Of Career Barriers, Depression, And State Physical Appearance Anxiety Among College Women, Adrionia Molder

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Women experience barriers that impede progress in a career and career goals, resulting in reduced career-related outcomes. Although gender discrimination has been identified as a contributing factor to the differential career development of men and women in the United States (U.S.), women’s career-related outcomes may be better explained by unaccounted for career barriers. Most notably, internalization of sociocultural standards of beauty, depression, and anxiety have been found to reduce women’s career-related outcomes. Therefore, the goal of this study was to explore career barriers that currently impact women’s career development in the U.S. Based on Social Cognitive Career Theory (Lent, Brown, …

Joby Talbot’S Path Of Miracles: Musical And Dramatic Analysis, Joseph Stuligross

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

This project investigates Joby Talbot’s choral composition Path of Miracles, focusing on interpretive insight as well as musical and extra-musical understandings related to the subject matter, the pilgrimage to Santiago de Compostela in Spain known as the Camino de Santiago. It explores the sources and methods of generating dramatic intensity and seeks to understand how the composer achieved particular dramatic effects. The project proceeds along two related modes of inquiry. The first involves musical evaluation, particularly of pitch, motive, harmony and rhythm techniques, in a somewhat traditional analysis. The second investigates the ways in which musical techniques generate the …

The Shifting Scheme Of Athletic Fundraising: Investigating Private Giving Under The Tax Cuts And Jobs Act, Kirsten Nicole Brown

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

With a consistent decline in state funding to public higher education, institutions have become more reliant on private funding to institutional support. The shift in government policy through the introduction of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA) (2017) created financial uncertainty within athletic departments and university foundations. The TCJA eliminated the 80 percent tax deduction on season ticket donations and increased the standard deduction. With these policy changes, athletic development officers speculated a decline in donations in 2018 and beyond. Using quantitative methodology and a longitudinal approach, this study examined athletic donations from January 1, 2013 to July 31, …

Making A Dent, Emily Morwood

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

West Virginia’s opioid-related death rates have surpassed any other state since 2014, with projections that it will continue to do so. With the epidemic, largely negative and stereotypical accusations have come, which have led to “othering,” or the concept of making groups ‘other’ due to their differences. This documentary project’s purpose is to address those that have been put in those othered groups through the concept of Standpoint Theory, which argues that insiders to a situation should tell their stories, rather than outsiders. The project aimed to allow the participants to tell their perspectives on the epidemic as insiders in …

Modulation Of Semiconductor Photoconversion With Surface Modification And Plasmon, Joeseph Martin Bright

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Semiconductor devices are the basis of modern technology. Semiconductor-based photoconversion devices that convert light into electrical signals have shown potential for light energy harvesting and conversion, environmental remediation, and sensors for detection of light, chemicals, and biological substances. Despite this potential for use in many applications, semiconductor photoconversion devices need further improvement in the photoconversion performance. This photoconversion improvement may be manifested as increased photoconversion efficiencies for light harvesting devices for power generation such as photovoltaics and photoelectrochemical (PEC) cells or improved photoconversion modulation to increase the sensitivity of semiconductor photoconversion-based sensors. In addition, alternative semiconductor materials to semiconductors that …

Comparative Assessment Of Different Ultra-Low Nox Measurement Instruments For Heavy-Duty Diesel Engines, Diego Bernabe Mejia

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Constant Volume Sampling (CVS) systems are an approved method for emission testing as stated in CFR Title 40 Part 1065 Engine Emission Testing Program. For future near zero emission vehicles, the emission measurement equipment must verify the results with the same accuracy as the limits in the past. The most critical values are the limitations for THC, NO_x and particulate matter.

The objective of this study was aimed at identifying challenges associated with measuring system-out emissions at proposed ultra-low NO_x (ULNO_x) levels - 0.02 (g/bhp-hr) and system robustness. The study compared a variety of existing instrument …