Digital Commons Network^™

Elucidating Disease Dynamics In The Biocontrol Of Ailanthus Altissima While Confirming The Host Specificity Of The Vascular Wilt Pathogen Verticillium Nonalfalfae, Kristen L. Wickert

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Ailanthus altissima is a highly invasive exotic tree species entrenched throughout the United States. Since the discovery of a vascular wilt disease of Ailanthus in 2002, caused by the fungus Verticillium nonalfalfae, many studies are investigating its potential as a biocontrol focusing on efficacy, host specificity and disease transmission. This study addresses: the reproductive potential of Ailanthus; if V. dahliae alters Verticillium wilt progression; if hardiness zones influence the individual contributions of two Verticillium spp.; can a unique habitat affect biocontrol efficacy; and can the fungal proteome of V. nonalfalfae allow us to explain differences in host …

Adaptation Of The Streptococcal Collagen-Like Protein 1, Scl1, Of Group A Streptococcus To Recognize Fibronectin Type Iii Repeats, Dudley H. Mcnitt

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Background: Group A Streptococcus (GAS) is responsible more than 700 million infections worldwide each year. Most of these infections start with initial colonization of the throat and skin, which is augmented by surface adhesins. The streptococcal collagen-like protein 1 (Scl1) is a major adhesin expressed by GAS that contains an N-terminal sequence-variable (V) domain, protruded away from the cell surface by the collagen domain. The Scl-V domain is comprised of three pairs of anti-parallel α-helices interconnected by surface-exposed loops. For attachment, GAS adhesins require a portal of entry, such as a wound or breach in the epithelium, to enter …

A Critical Assessment On The Resources And Extraction Of Rare Earth Elements From Acid Mine Drainage, Christopher R. Vass

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Rare earth elements (REEs) are crucial to many modern products used in both civilian and defense applications. Currently, a reliable supply of these elements is uncertain with the clear majority of REE production and refining occurring predominately in China. Furthermore, domestic ore deposits with commercially attractive concentrations of REEs are uncommon in the United States. As a result, the identification of a domestic supply of these technology metals is essential not only for manufacturing consumer merchandise but also for national security. Recently, one promising source of REEs has been identified: coal and coal-byproducts. One of those is acid mine drainage …

A Framework For Energy Optimization Of Small, Two-Stroke, Natural Gas Engines For Combined Heat And Power Applications, Mahdi Darzi

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

This research was focused on the development of a framework for the energy optimization a natural gas engine for small combined heat and power (CHP) applications operating with low-pressure natural gas (NG) available at homes. The required targets of the ARPA-E GENSETS program for 1 kW electric power generation and previous GENSETS simulation at West Virginia University, suggested a design space for the engine which is currently dominated by simple two-stroke designs. Hence this research focused on screening, modeling, and experimentally evaluation of cost-effective technologies to achieve a system design that maximized thermal efficiency and utilization factor, while reducing emissions. …

Role Of Sox9 In Cancer Stem Cell Regulation In Lung Cancer Chemoresistance And Particle-Induced Carcinogenesis, Maria Voronkova

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Lung cancer is a leading cause of cancer-related death worldwide. Every year it claims more lives than other common malignancies, breast, prostate, and colorectal cancers, combined. And despite recent improvements in disease diagnostics and treatment, drug resistance and tumor relapse remain major contributors to low patient survival. Both issues have been largely attributed to the existence of cancer stem-like cells (CSCs) or tumor initiating cells (TICs). CSCs are a small cell population within heterogeneous tumors that is inherently resistant to apoptosis, chemo- and radiation therapy. Thus, it is critical to elucidate CSC-specific signaling pathways and identify early biomarkers for therapeutic …

Modeling And Development Of The Dynamic Environmental Simulation Chamber (Desc) For Calibration Of Air Quality Monitoring Sensors, Filiz Kazan

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

The thesis describes the development steps for the dynamic environmental simulation chamber (DESC) and carbon dioxide sensor calibration by using DESC. The sensors are Figaro, COZIR and K30 CO2 sensors

Utilizing Lipid Biomarkers To Understand The Microbial Community Structure Of Deep Subsurface Black Shale Formations, Rawlings Akondi

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

The deep subsurface environment has been known to host microbes as early as 1926 and has also been suggested to potentially account for as much as 50% of the Earth`s biomass. Researchers have shown that microbes alter their membrane lipid components in response to physiological stress, producing stress indicative lipid biomarkers. However, little effort has been made to understand the subsurface microbial community of the shale ecosystem which is increasingly being exploited and altered by addition of drilling and hydraulic fluids to meet our growing energy needs. Phospholipid fatty acids (PLFAs) are microbial lipid biomarkers and are found in all …

Application Of Lidar To 3d Structural Mapping, Bertrand Gaschot

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

The rugged, densely forested terrain of the West Virginia Appalachian Valley and Ridge Province has made it difficult for field-based studies to agree on the structure of the highly deformed Silurian-Devonian cover strata. In this study, we demonstrate a 3D approach to geologic mapping utilizing the structural information revealed in a “bare-earth” 1-m Lidar DEM of the Smoke Hole Canyon. The completed 3D map was integrated with kinematic forward modeling carried out in MOVE^TM to provide information on the parameters required to form the major structures observed. Additionally, land surface attributes generated using geomorphometric analysis of the Lidar allowed …

Petrophysical And Geomechanical Characterization Of The Marcellus Shale In The Appalachian Basin, Yixuan Zhu

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

In recent years, more and more attention is paid to shale gas and hydrocarbon liquids exploration and exploitation in unconventional reservoirs. With the development of horizontal drilling and hydraulic fracturing, production from unconventional reservoirs has been greatly increased. However, not all wells, regions and basins harbor highly successful shale gas and liquids producers. In order to improve the production efficiency and reduce the cost of projects, detailed analysis needs to be undertaken to characterize the reservoir. As opposed to conventional reservoirs, extraction of gas in the unconventional reservoir is dependent not only on the reservoir quality, but also on completion …

Minimizing Trihalomethane Formation Through Source Water Monitoring And Optimizing Treatment Practices, Nashid Mirza

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Trihalomethanes, a family of halogenated disinfection byproducts, are prevalent in finished drinking water. According to USEPA’s Disinfectants and Disinfection Byproducts Rules (DBPRs), the regulatory standard of the total trihalomethanes (TTHMs) is 80 μg/L, and water treatment plant operators are required to closely monitor TTHMs in the finished water on a quarterly basis. Although total organic carbon (TOC) has been identified as a precursor for the TTHMs, knowledge gaps still exist in how specific water and treatment related factors (e.g., intake water quality, seasonal variation, contact time, and treatment train) affect TTHMs formation. Focusing on water treatment plants in southwestern Pennsylvania, …

Tie Strength, Optimal Connections, And Distance In Social Networks, David Anthony Buch

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Social network analysis seeks to understand the structure of relationships in networks of actors. As researchers identify structural properties of interest (e.g. vulnerability to network cuts) they introduce measures to quantify the expression of those properties in observed networks. In fact, it is not uncommon that multiple measures are introduced purporting to evaluate a single property. Relative merits of competing measures are not self-evident but the corresponding inferences can conflict, encouraging arbitrary choice among measures and endangering the validity of conclusions. We argue (i) that multiplicity of measures is a necessary consequence of the de rigueur practice of conflating different …

Effect Of Metacarpal Gloves On Pinch And Grip Strength, Aaron Anthony Fonner

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Hand Injuries are common in industrial settings. In 2014 alone, there were 137,440 total cases of hand injuries in the United States that required days away from work. Hand injuries can be classified into six general categories: lacerations, fractures and dislocations, soft tissue injuries and amputations, infections, burns and high pressure injuries. Some of these injuries can be prevented with proper personal protective equipment. In recent times, metacarpal gloves are widely used to protect the workers against hand/metacarpal injuries in various industries including mining. The benefits of wearing metacarpal gloves for protection are unquestionable, but little is known about how …

Design Of Experiment And Analysis Techniques For Fuel Consumption Data Using Heavy-Duty Diesel Vehicles And On-Road Testing, Sarah Ann Mills

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Chassis dynamometer and on-road testing are usually employed to test vehicle operation. Testing on a chassis dynamometer reduces data variability compared to on-road testing due to the controlled environment but it does not account for other important variables that affects real-world vehicle operation. This study used on-road testing to investigate the differences between two test fuels under real-world conditions. Three heavy-duty diesel vehicles were driven on different routes for a period of three months. Each vehicle was instrumented with flow meters to gather fuel consumption data, which was then compared to the fuel rate broadcasted by the engine control unit …

Impact Of Natural Fracture Induced Elastic Anisotropy On Completion And Hydraulic Fracturing Designs, Emre Can Dundar

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Shale has been usually recognized as a transverse isotropic (TI) medium in conventional geomechanical log interpretation due to its laminated nature. However, when natural fractures (NFs) exist in the rock body, additional elastic anisotropy can be introduced, converting Shale to an orthorhombic (OB) medium. Previous study illustrates that treating the naturally fractured shale rock as a TI medium by ignoring the NF-induced anisotropy can cause the erroneous estimation of the geomechanical properties (i.e. Young’s modulus, Poisson’s ratio, brittleness index, and etc.) and in-situ stress. In this paper, the study is extended to quantify the impact of NF-induced elastic anisotropy on …

Intelligent Transportation Systems, Hybrid Electric Vehicles, Powertrain Control, Cooperative Adaptive Cruise Control, Model Predictive Control, Hadi Kazemi

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Information obtainable from Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS) provides the possibility of improving the safety and efficiency of vehicles at different levels. In particular, such information has the potential to be utilized for prediction of driving conditions and traffic flow, which allows us to improve the performance of the control systems in different vehicular applications, such as Hybrid Electric Vehicles (HEVs) powertrain control and Cooperative Adaptive Cruise Control (CACC). In the first part of this work, we study the design of an MPC controller for a Cooperative Adaptive Cruise Control (CACC) system, which is an automated application that provides the drivers …

Queen Louise Of Prussia: Gender, Power, And Queenship During The Sattelzeit Era, Samantha Sproviero

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Louise of Meckelburg-Strelitz was born on March 10, 1776 and died just thirty-four years later. In her short time as the queen consort of Prussia, she would give birth to nine children, command her own dragoons, negotiate with Napoleon, and eventually become a complex and celebrated German historical figure. Immensely popular in life, her early death was considered a national tragedy, and commemorations of her life only solidified her role as a new type of Prussian queen. Using Louise as a case study, this work will examine how the role of queen changed, not only in Prussia, but also between …

Textured Contact Lens Based Iris Presentation Attack In Uncontrolled Environment, Daksha Yadav

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

The widespread use of smartphones has spurred the research in mobile iris devices. Due to their convenience, these mobile devices are also utilized in unconstrained outdoor conditions. At the same time, iris recognition in the visible spectrum has developed into an active area of research. These scenarios have necessitated the development of reliable iris recognition algorithms for such an uncontrolled environment. Additionally, iris presentation attacks such as textured contact lens pose a major challenge to current iris recognition systems.

Motivated by these factors, in this thesis, a detailed analysis of the effect of textured contact lenses on iris recognition in …

Comparison Of Drag Area Estimation Using Natural Coast Down And Constant Speed Test Methods, Cem Baki Mr

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Currently in US, more than 26 percent of the total GHG emissions comes from transportation and mostly from heavy duty vehicles. Similarly, the European Council stated that 25 percent of the emissions comes from heavy duty transportation and they expect it to be further increased in the future. However, with the new coming regulations US EPA and European Council aiming to reduce the emissions by 80 percent in US and 60 percent in EU. In order to keep track and control the emissions, both authorities published new regulations and testing methods for certifying the new vehicles.

Aerodynamic testing is one …

Short Beam Shear Strength Evaluations Of Gfrp Composites: Correlations Through Accelerated And Natural Aging, William Todd Barker

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Fiber Reinforced Polymers (FRP) composites have been materials of interest in replacing or reinforcing steel, wood, and concrete, but lack of understanding of degradation under physical and chemical aging is a main concern. Through many years of research, the understanding of aging or durability of GFRPs has improved. To be able to evaluate aging related degradation rates, an accelerated aging methodology under varying environments is introduced. Accelerated aging is a concept used to age composites in a lab controlled environment under varying pH conditions (2 to 13) and temperatures (~ -20° to +160°F). Once acceleratedly aged testing is completed, Arrhenius …

Retaining Wall System With Soldier Pile And Composite Resin Infused Lagging Elements, Shane Phillip Moore

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Retaining walls are used as an alternative to installing drainage and soil reinforcement, depending on site conditions. This report discusses the design of a retaining wall with steel soldier piles and lagging elements for rocky slopes. The design consists of six different options, three options with a span of eight feet and three options with a span of ten feet between soldier piles. The three options for both spans are the same concept but designed for different load conditions. These options include: timber with glass fiber reinforced polymers (GFRP) wraps, reinforced concrete with GFRP wraps, and an FRP Prodeck system …

The Structural Information Filtered Features Potential For Machine Learning Calculations Of Energies And Forces Of Atomic Systems., Jorge Arturo Hernandez Zeledon

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

In the last ten years, machine learning potentials have been successfully applied to the study of crystals, and molecules. However, more complex materials like clusters, macro-molecules, and glasses are out reach of current methods. The input of any machine learning system is a tensor of features (the most universal type are rank 1 tensors or vectors of features), the quality of any machine learning system is directly related to how well the feature space describes the original physical system. So far, the feature engineering process for machine learning potentials can not describe complex material. The current methods are highly inefficient …

Student-Instructor Out-Of-Class Communication: A Media Multiplexity Approach, Cathlin V. Clark-Gordon

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

The present set of studies examined media multiplexity theory (MMT; Haythornthwaite, 2005) in the context of student-instructor out-of-class communication (OCC) in two samples: undergraduate and graduate students. It was predicted that student-instructor tie strength (closeness) would lead to a greater number of modes used for OCC, and subsequently, the number of modes used for OCC would predict positive classroom outcomes, including communication satisfaction, cognitive and affective learning, and motivation. It was also predicted that the effect of closeness on the number of modes used for OCC would be moderated by student’s enjoyment of online communication, insofar as it would suppress …

Nuanced Narratives: Reporting With Critical Race And Feminist Standpoint Theories, Emily Margaret Pelland

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

The Google Expedition titled WWI Era Through the Eyes of the Chicago Defender explores African American experiences during the early years of the Great Migration (1910-1970). Conventional journalism relies on the false idea that journalists are meant to be, and can be, objective, outside observers. This report provides tools for journalists to create more nuanced, thorough storytelling endeavors. This report describes the theoretical framework and intent of the Virtual Reality (VR) project for students in grades 8 and above. It utilizes Feminist Standpoint Theory (FST) and Critical Race Theory (CRT) to cultivate a VR experience that acknowledges particular, overlooked aspects …

Deep Learning For Image Restoration And Robotic Vision, Yixin Du

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Traditional model-based approach requires the formulation of mathematical model, and the model often has limited performance. The quality of an image may degrade due to a variety of reasons: It could be the context of scene is affected by weather conditions such as haze, rain, and snow; It's also possible that there is some noise generated during image processing/transmission (e.g., artifacts generated during compression.). The goal of image restoration is to restore the image back to desirable quality both subjectively and objectively. Agricultural robotics is gaining interest these days since most agricultural works are lengthy and repetitive. Computer vision is …

Experimental Design, Testing, And Evaluation Of Methods To Improve The Efficiency And Reduce Emissions From A Small Two-Stroke Natural Gas Engine, Christopher Joseph Ulishney

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Decentralized power generation is a research area of interest due to possible improvements in electrical generation efficiency and grid resilience. Two-stroke engines are simple, inexpensive, power dense systems that could serve as the prime-movers for combined heat and power (CHP) systems. In addition, such systems could be fueled on natural gas (NG) that is readily available to serve as a reliable fuel source in most households. However, most two-stroke engines are inefficient and produce excessive emissions. This research focused on methods to simultaneously improve engine efficiency and decrease emissions from a 34 cc air-cooled, two-stroke engine retrofitted to operate on …

Implementation Of A State-Of-The-Art Gnss Receiver Autonomous Integrity Monitoring Technique, Shannen Daly

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

No abstract provided.

Development And Evaluation Of An Economic Model For A Libyan Oil Field Development With An Epsa Agreement, Mohamed S Benzeglam

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

No abstract provided.

Processing, Stability And High-Temperature Properties Of Transition Metal Silicide-Refractory Oxide Composites For Electrical Applications, Gunes Alp Yakaboylu

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Many common electrical materials used in the current sensing applications suffer from structural and functional issues related to high operating temperatures (750°-1600°C), alternating reducing/oxidizing atmospheres, high pressures and corrosive environments. Therefore, there is a need for development of new materials, which are capable to operate under high-temperature and harsh-environments to provide real-time, accurate sensing during industrial processes such as coal gasification and power generation. In this study, electroconductive ceramic composites were fabricated by incorporating the 20-90 vol% of transition metal silicides (MoSi2, WSi2, NbSi2, TaSi 2, CrSi2) within refractory oxides (Al2O 3, ZrO2, Cr2O3), followed by sintering at 1370°-1600°C in …

Pilot Testing Of A Geomorphic Landform Design Reclamation Using A Vegetative Layer With Short Paper Fiber Amendment On An Abandoned Coal Refuse Pile In Appalachia, Levi Cyphers

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Over 3,000 abandoned mine lands in the Appalachian regions of West Virginia, Pennsylvania, and Kentucky and are in need of reclamation. This research tested an alternative cap and cover reclamation design using short paper fiber as a soil amendment in a coarse coal refuse vegetation layer. Short paper fiber is the solid residuals extracted from the paper manufacturing process, and treated as waste. Short paper fiber is a nutrient dense material that has been successfully tested as a soil amendment in soils. The intent of the vegetation layer was to support grass growth and persistence, stabilize the site, and reduce …

Gas County: A Case Study On How West Virginia's Recent Gas Boom Is Transforming A County, Egill Karlsson

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

A case study on horizontal hydraulic fracturing through the eyes of Doddridge County, WV; how it's affected the residents and various stakeholders in different ways, from economy to health and environment.