Digital Commons Network^™

Sedimentological And Geochemical Investigation Of The Origin Of Upper Pennsylvanian Black Shales, East-Central Appalachian Basin, Tyler Hickey

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

In the east-central Allegheny foreland basin, laminated black shales overlying Upper Pennsylvanian Glenshaw Fm. coal seams record paleoenvironmental conditions associated with the termination of peat swamp deposition before, during, and after the Carboniferous Coal Forest Collapse (CCFC), a major paleobotanical evolutionary event during the Late Paleozoic Ice Age (LPIA) that contributed to extinction of lepidodendrons near the Desmoinesian-Missourian boundary (~306 Ma). Previous investigations of the CCFC commonly implicate an episode of aridification during intensification of LPIA glaciation that stressed the lepidodendrons beyond their ecological tipping point; however, the cause of this aridification is unclear. An investigation of Glenshaw Fm. black …

Survival In The Stigmatized Industry (Bitcoin Atm), Brooks Mcadam

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

ii ABSTRACT Survival in the Stigmatized Industry (Bitcoin ATM) Brooks McAdam This paper examines how companies can survive in a stigmatized industry where the same message may attract customers while simultaneously generating skepticism. The study posed the following research question using the Bitcoin ATM industry as the context: Does the message presented on company websites influence the degree of exit risk in a market characterized by moral concerns, exposure to fraud, and unstable regulation? The answer is clear. Messaging is important; however, not every message is equally important. Fee-related messaging emerged as the most consistent predictor of exit risk. Messaging …

Strategic Transition Planning And Post-Graduation Preparedness For Students In Secondary School, Kelsey Renae Armentrout

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

The transition period between high school and post-graduation life can be a challenging time for many students. Young adults may follow different paths, including going into the workforce or attending post-secondary education, as well as learning how to navigate life skills such as paying bills, buying a house or a car, applying for jobs, obtaining insurance, and occupations within the adult life stage. While young adults may learn about these things throughout their high school career, it is likely that the feelings of unpreparedness are continuously relevant. The purpose of this DCE is to develop and implement learning modules for …

Deep-Learning-Based Generation Of Synthetic Contactless Fingerphotos, Christopher Harry Burton

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

The collection of biometric data is a labor-intensive, high-resource process that presents significant logistical, privacy, and cost barriers for researchers and developers. To address these challenges, the biometrics community has increasingly turned to generative models capable of producing synthetic datasets that reflect the statistical properties of real data. While substantial progress has been made in synthetic fingerprint generation for contact-based modalities, the contactless fingerphoto domain has remained largely underserved. This work presents a deep learning-based approach to synthetic contactless fingerphoto generation using a Stable Diffusion model guided by multimodal conditions (text and image). The dataset used for training was collected …

Supply Chain Optimization For Fertilizer Production From Wastewater, Ethan Clement Robey

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

In West Virginia, approximately 27,000 tons of wastewater solids are generated annually, with nearly 75% being landfilled or alternatively disposed of in a non-beneficial manner. Over the past two decades, the amount of these solids being taken for beneficial uses, such as agricultural application, has declined by 25%, while landfilling has increased by more than 30%. This highlights issues related to eutrophication and disposal costs. This study aims to develop a supply chain optimization framework that addresses the conversion of wastewater solids into fertilizers to match local farm requirements, while determining processing facility locations that minimize transportation costs. To determine …

Social Media Addiction And Its Influence On The Physical Social Interactions Among West Virginia University Students, Blessing Ochom Omaleko

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

ABSTRACT

Social Media Addiction and its Influence on the Physical Social Interactions Among West Virginia University Students

Blessing O. Omaleko

This qualitative study investigated social media addiction and its perceived influence on face-to-face interactions among 14 West Virginia University students using an open-ended qualitative survey. Grounded in Griffiths' (2013) behavioral addiction components, salience, mood modification, conflict, and relapse, the data were analyzed using Thematic Analysis (Braun & Clarke, 2006). Findings revealed that while students characterized their social media use as a habit rather than an addiction, their descriptions aligned with multiple addiction components. Students consistently valued in-person interactions over online …

Difficult Tasks And Strained Ties: Irritation As A Mediator For Relationship Quality And Caregiver Distress, Payton Elisabeth Radcliffe

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Caregiving, defined as providing regular unpaid assistance to individuals with chronic illness or disability, is a widespread role associated with both societal benefit and psychological strain (Berg et al., 2021; Schulz et al., 2020). Prior research indicates that perceived caregiving difficulty is a key predictor of caregiver distress, though the mechanisms underlying this association remain unclear (Blom et al., 2024; Gérain & Zech, 2022). Drawing on the Stress Process Model (Pearlin et al., 1990), the present study examined irritation as a mediator linking perceived caregiving difficulty to relationship quality and caregiver distress, while also testing whether caregiver relationship type moderates …

Differences In Dry Matter Intake In Grazing And Drylot Beef Cattle, Tylor John Yost

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Accurate measurement of individual dry matter intake (DMI) in grazing cattle remains a major challenge for evaluating feed efficiency traits in beef production systems. This study evaluated relationships among intake and efficiency traits measured in both pasture and drylot environments and assessed the potential for predicting pasture DMI using water intake and machine learning approaches. A total of 163 beef cattle across four experimental groups were evaluated in one of two grazing seasons (2024 or 2025). Drylot feed and water intake were measured using automated intake monitoring equipment, whereas pasture intake was determined using a long short-term memory …

Effectiveness Of Occupational Therapy-Inspired Educational Sessions For Mothers Accessing Women, Infants, And Children (Wic) Services, Samantha Annette Merew

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

This doctoral capstone project examined the effectiveness of occupational therapy (OT)-inspired group and one-on-one educational sessions designed to support the emotional, mental, and social well-being of pregnant and postpartum mothers accessing Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) services in Onslow County, North Carolina. Grounded in the Model of Human Occupation and Cognitive Behavioral Frame of Reference, the program aimed to address gaps in holistic maternal health support, particularly among low-income and at-risk populations. Eight structured group sessions and five one-on-one sessions were developed, implemented, and evaluated, focusing on topics such as stress management, emotional regulation, self-care, role transition, and self-advocacy. A …

Formation-Based Analysis In Contemporary Saxophone Practice: A Case Study Of Ziwei Shi's The Blue Lotus Bloms, Jiageng Ren

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

This dissertation examines contemporary saxophone repertoire through a formation-based analytical approach, using Ziwei Shi’s The Blue Lotus Blooms as a case study. It is organized into three parts. Part I establishes the conceptual and methodological framework by introducing the concept of “formation-based analysis,” positioning the “condition of musical formation” as its core. Further situating the study within scholarship on practice-based research, cross-cultural theory, and modernism/postmodernism. Part II provides a detailed analytical and performance-based investigation of the work, including the collaborative commissioning process, the application of Thaat as a pitch resource, the role of extended techniques and embodied endurance, and contrasting …

Preference Of Smiling Esthetics By Caucasian And Chinese Orthodontic Professionals, Tamana Spingher

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Background and Objectives: Comprehensive orthodontic treatment aims to achieve optimal facial esthetics, which is guided by established norms that have shown variability across different ethnic and gender groups. There is a paucity of literature comparing the esthetic preferences of Chinese and Caucasian orthodontic professionals regarding smiling esthetics. The purpose of this study was to determine the perceived smiling attractiveness ratings between Chinese and Caucasian orthodontic professionals. Methods: One Chinese and one Caucasian lateral smiling photograph generated by artificial intelligence (AI) were used in this study. The maxillary central incisor position was digitally manipulated to simulate variations in anteroposterior (AP) position …

The Impact Of Caregiver Training And Education On Confidence And Perceived Competence In Facilitating Self-Care Skills In Children, Ryan M. Coen

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Caregivers, especially those residing in rural Appalachia, face significant barriers and hardships that can hinder their ability to promote ADL, IADL, and self-care skill development. These barriers faced include geographic isolation, socioeconomic barriers, and a high prevalence of disabilities. Many caregivers may struggle to facilitate these self-care skills competently and effectively, and a gap is present in the most effective means to teach caregivers in this region the necessary skills. With almost 20% of individuals in West Virginia lacking access to reliable internet and physical isolation, many of these educational materials may not be effectively distributed (West Virginia Department of …

Bridging The Sensory Gap With Occupational Therapy: Program Development For Sensory Integration In Inpatient Rehabilitation For Adults With Central Nervous System Injuries, Callie Marie Honaker

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Objectives: This project aimed to identify sensory processing deficits in adults with central nervous system injuries and to inform the development of sensory-informed program components in an inpatient rehabilitation setting. Participants: A total of 76 adults admitted with diagnoses including cerebrovascular accident, brain injury, and spinal cord injury were included. Methods: A structured sensory screening and mental health questionnaire were administered and compared to prescreening admission documentation and PHQ-9 scores. Descriptive statistics and inferential analyses were conducted. Results: Sensory impairments were highly prevalent, with participants demonstrating an average of three impairments across the sensory domains. Proprioceptive, tactile, and visual deficits …

Effects Of Fluency-Based And Percentage-Based Mastery Criteria On Learning, Maintenance, Application, And Learner Experience In Behavior-Analytic Skill Acquisition, Marisela Alicia Aguilar

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

In behavior analysis, staff are often trained to percentage-based criteria to demonstrate that they have mastered a skill. However, percentage-based mastery criteria may not result in long-term maintenance of the skill. In other areas of instruction, fluency criteria resulted in multiple positive outcomes such as maintenance, endurance, and application of the skill beyond the training context, but these outcomes have not yet been widely demonstrated in the context of teaching behavior support plan (BSP) content and implementation. Across two experiments, we attempted to evaluate the extent to which training individuals to a fluency-based or percentage-based criterion resulted in maintenance and …

Orogenesis, Timothy Ryan Butcher

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

This thesis and accompanying exhibition explore the translation of panenhenic mystical experience and the collaboration with Appalachian natural spaces into abstracted landscape images. This work aims to “map” a sensation of fundamental unity and gesture toward the ineffable by utilizing found-object stamp printing, and automatic mark-making. Inspired by practical mystic traditions and contemporary landscape painting, this body of work, entitled Orogenesis, combines intricate, abstracted ink landscape drawings and photographs to create images suggestive of the mystical patterns in the process.

Lighting The Woods When There Are No Woods, Michael M. Mcginley

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

This thesis will document my own journey into the woods. I will discuss my role as the lighting designer, highlighting my design processes and decisions. The show’s evolution and history from the first design meeting to opening night will be documented and reflected upon. Additionally, I will expand on collaboration with the other design team members, the challenges and struggles that I encountered, and lastly my own reflection on the entire process. I will be using lighting paperwork, research photos, and production photos to illustrate key points and highlight details.

The Resilient Educator: Examining The Role Of Resilience On A First-Year Rural Music Educator’S Job Satisfaction, Isaac Price

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

The future of music education in schools is largely determined by educators' resilience in their positions. Resilience is the process of adapting to adversity by accessing and utilizing intrinsic and extrinsic resources available (Gu & Day, 2007; Squires et al., 2023). Resilience affects various aspects of an educator’s personal and professional life, including job satisfaction (Li, 2023). Job satisfaction can affect teacher health, teacher performance, and teacher retention, which in turn may affect student performance (Huysman, 2008; Lu et al., 2024; Robison & Russell, 2022). The circumstances and events that occur during a teacher’s first year in the profession can …

Operationalizations Of Adverse Childhood Experiences And Health Prediction, Sarah Josephine Miller

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Exposure to adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) has been consistently linked to suboptimal health outcomes and behaviors across the lifespan. As such, there has been widespread adoption of measures like the 10-item cumulative ACEs count measure developed by Felitti and colleagues (1998) across research literature and clinical practice. However, this measure was not developed with consideration of optimal psychometric properties and thus consists of several limitations that inhibit understanding of the specific dimensions of adversity that influence health outcomes. This 3-study dissertation focused on different measurement and statistical techniques to better understand the associations between ACEs and health. In study 1, …

Designing Dracula: A Feminist Revenge Fantasy, Really: A New Take On The New Woman, Spencer T. Lawlor

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

This thesis will document the process of designing the costumes for Dracula: A Feminist Revenge Fantasy, Really, by Kate Hamill. It will detail a close reading of the text and how it differs from its original source material, Bram Stoker’s Dracula, an examination of the research process for this design, as well as an analysis of the design process and execution of costumes for this production. It will explore the challenges I faced as the Costume Designer on this production, including but not limited to: examining the gender dynamics involved in genderbending a well-known piece of literature, working within a …

A Study In The Advanced Manufacturing Of Full Solids Oxide Fuel Cells (Sofcs) Via Aerosol Deposition (Ad) Methods With Macro- And Microstructural Defect Characterization, Davis A. Warmuth

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

The goal of this work is to 3D print a full SOFC layer-by-layer using aerosol deposition (AD) at a resolution of 5 μm. To achieve this goal, several studies were undertaken to develop and optimize an AD system to use ceramic inks. A 130 kHz AD system was developed with 4 material pumps to allow for depositions of individual compositions of the in-situ mixture of multiple solutions to allow for the fabrication of functional gradients in three dimensions. This system was then programmed to deposit air electrode layers containing different material ratios and porous microstructures, comparing their electrochemical performance to …

Multi-Omics Analysis Of Immune-Metabolic Adaptation To Direct-Fed Microbial Supplementation In Newly Weaned Beef Steers, Adekunle Odunayo Ajiboye

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Immune and metabolic disruption during weaning represents a major challenge to health and productivity in beef cattle. This dissertation tested the hypothesis that supplementation with multi-strain direct-fed microbials (DFMs) modulates immune regulation and metabolic pathways associated with adaptation to weaning stress. To address this, whole-blood transcriptomics and plasma metabolomics were used to evaluate molecular and metabolic responses in newly weaned beef steers during the receiving period. Transcriptomic analysis identified differential expressions of genes associated with immune signaling and inflammatory regulation, indicating modulation of immune-related pathways without changes in growth performance. Metabolomic analysis revealed alterations in circulating metabolites related to amino …

Virtual Ensembles_ A Beginner's Guide For Recording Multitrack Audio Projects In Logic Pro, Joseph Walczyk

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

During the COVID-19 pandemic, musicians worldwide were suddenly unable to rehearse and perform for live audiences. This, however, did not stop people from finding ways to continue making music and perform. The idea of a virtual ensemble was not new, but it was a mystery to many. The author’s own virtual ensemble, Cinematic Brass, is one of the many groups that found continued success in producing virtual ensemble projects post-pandemic. This research aims to demystify the process, helping beginners take their first steps towards high-quality virtual ensemble audio recordings. Included are equipment recommendations, examples of file organization and communication, recording …

Evaluation Of Brook Trout (Salvelinus Fontinalis) Thermal Tolerance And Projected Climate Change Effects On Headwater Brook Trout Population Persistence, Cory Bauerlien

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Climate change has been identified as one of the greatest threats to global biota in recorded human history. Consequences are expected to be more pronounced in ectotherms because most of their physiology is controlled by external temperature conditions. Predicting how ectotherms may respond to increasing global temperatures necessitates information about thermal limits of thermal sensitive species and how increasing temperatures may affect individual and population-level fitness. Therefore, the objectives of this research were aimed at gaining a better understanding of the mechanisms that underpin thermal tolerance limits of fish and how those mechanisms may affect fitness and population persistence under …

Treatment Of Birdsong In Selected Works For Solo Piano, Madeline Hoover

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Birdsong-inspired music makes up a small but important part of the classical piano repertoire. This paper reviews birdsong in classical music since the seventeenth century, exploring different techniques for mimicking birdsong and the unique strengths of the piano as an instrument for purveying bird music. In the Baroque and Classical eras, the cuckoo song was sampled often because of its simplicity. Later, composers’ attention turned toward more complicated songs, like that of the hermit thrush. Interest in more complex songs led to experimentation in notation and a push for more accurate transcriptions. In the 20th century, composers included recordings of …

Computational Methods For Identification Of Molecular Signatures, Weijun Yi

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

This work develops computational methods for identifying molecular signatures from high-throughput genomic data and for modeling long non-coding RNA (lncRNA) sub-cellular localization. The response of multiple myeloma to CB-6644, a selective RUVBL1/2 complex inhibitor with potential anti-tumor activity, is analyzed to identify drug-responsive pathways and molecular signatures. Conventional gene set enrichment analysis (GSEA) often excludes low-expression genes. Here, phenotype comparison is reformulated as a supervised machine learning problem: genes most informative for discrimination are first selected using a machine learning approach, and GSEA is then applied to these machine-learning derived gene sets. This framework improves detection of CB-6644-associated pathways. For …

A Constraint-Based Approach To Developing Melodic Improvisational Skills In Intermediate Jazz Piano Students, Alton Xian Rong Wong

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

This study examines the pedagogical value of a constraint-based approach in helping students develop improvisational fluency and coherence by facilitating audiation. Although there are pedagogical texts on jazz improvisation that incorporate exercises shaped by constraint-based thinking, there is neither a systematic framework for their application with students of varying levels and musical backgrounds, nor a clear explanation of their pedagogical purpose. This research investigates how constraint-based pedagogy, through the lens of rhythmic, harmonic, and melodic parameters, can be applied independently or collectively to support the development of improvisational fluency in intermediate level jazz piano improvisers. It argues that musical constraints …

Bridging Physics-Based Modeling And Machine Learning To Predict Material Behavior: Applications In Fatigue Crack Growth And Dielectric Property Characterization, Ansan Pokharel

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

This dissertation integrates physics-based modeling with machine learning (ML) to predict how materials behave under complex thermal and mechanical conditions. A key innovation of this work is the use of finite element analysis (FEA) to supplement experimental data. This approach creates more diverse and representative synthetic datasets, helping to reduce the limitations and biases that arise when training ML models solely on experimental measurements. The research focuses on two applications: improving the prediction of fatigue properties in superalloys and estimating temperature-dependent, high-frequency dielectric properties relevant to microwave-based chemical processing.

In the first study, low-cycle fatigue experiments were performed on the …

Preparing The Professional: Selected Uses Of Digital Audio Workstations In Applied Tuba Studios, Reid Timothy Cox

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

The modern music job market calls for musicians to cultivate and engage with a diverse range of area interests and skillsets. Collegiate music programs provide opportunities to prepare students professionally, yet programs have traditionally fallen behind changes in the job market. One way that music faculty within higher education can help prepare students to succeed after graduation is by teaching students to engage with digital audio workstations, also known as DAWs. Using DAWs, students can gain new practice tools, as well as learn skills that are helpful in a number of musical careers. This is of particular use to the …

Be A Man: Hypermasculinity And Hostile Attribution Bias As Predictors Of Violence, Kaley Nicole Potter

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

In recent years, violence has risen to record-high numbers in communities and correctional facilities, with men perpetrating the vast majority of violent crimes. Hypermasculine values (e.g., power, aggression, and domination) have been linked to aggressive and violent behavior. Hostile attribution bias, which leads individuals to attribute hostile intent to neutral or ambiguous stimuli, has also been linked to aggression.

The current study used structural equation modeling (SEM) to examine hypermasculinity and hostile attribution bias as predictors of proclivity for violence, comprised of aggression and historical violence. The model was iteratively modified to assess changes in model fit and constructs. Male …

Adventures In Black Hole Binary Waveform Modeling, Siddharth Mahesh

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

The modeling of black hole binaries requires accurate descriptions of both their relativistic vacuum dynamics and their interaction with surrounding astrophysical environments. Although these problems are often treated separately, this dissertation develops a unified view: key observables of black hole binary systems can be understood by identifying the dynamical instabilities that control their evolution. In the vacuum problem, the relevant unstable structure is associated with the remnant spacetime and its role in shaping the merger-ringdown gravitational waveform. In the environmental problem, the relevant instability is the epicyclic instability of orbits in the binary potential, which controls the location and evolution …