Digital Commons Network^™

Network Slicing In 5g: Admission, Scheduling, And Security, Raneem Jassim Alghawi

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

In the past few decades, there was an increase in the number of devices that have wireless capabilities such as phones, televisions, and home appliances. With the high demand for wireless networking, the fifth generation (5G) of mobile networks was designed to support the different services of new applications. In addition, one of the technical issues that 5G would evolve is the increase in traffic and the need to satisfy the user’s experience. With the evolution of wireless networking and 5G, Network Slicing has been introduced to accommodate the diverse requirements of the applications. Thus, network slicing is the concept …

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 …

Evaluating The Validity And Reliability Of Textile And Paper Fracture Characteristics In Forensic Comparative Analysis, Zachary Bailey Andrews

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

In a comparative forensic analysis, an examiner can report that a physical fit exists between two torn or separated items when they realign in a manner unlikely to be replicated. Due to the common belief that it is unlikely that two unrelated fractured objects would match with distinctive characteristics, a physical fit represents the highest degree of association between two items. Nonetheless, despite the probative value that this evidence could have to a trier of fact, few studies have demonstrated such assumptions' scientific validity and reliability. Moreover, there is a lack of consensus-based standard protocols for physical fit comparisons, making …

Healing Gardens For Assisted Living Facility At Cortland Acres, Thomas, Wv, Pooja Keshav Pawar

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

The affection humans feel for nature is called biophilia. Connecting with nature helps in healing. The connection with nature can be established by incorporating biophilic elements like air, water, plants, and views of nature into the design. (Kellert,2018). According to Kaplan’s Attention Restoration theory, exposure to nature improves focus and the ability to concentrate. (Kaplan,1989)

Connecting with nature provides to be helpful in health care facilities for frail elderly, people with Alzheimer’s and Other Dementias, Hospice care facilities, Mental and Behavioral Health Facilities, and Assisted living facilities. (Marcus,2013)

The aim of this project is to create comfortable, safe, and accessible …

Finite Element Method Calculation Of A Prestressed Self Consolidating Concrete Beam, Vladyslav Machulsky

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

In this study, a prestressed concrete box beam produced for the Stalnaker Run Bridge (SRB) replacement project using self-consolidating concrete (SCC) was simulated using finite element method (FEM) numerical technique. ANSYS, a commercial FEM software, was used to build the prestressed SCC box beam model. The FEM model was developed to understand the behavior of concrete and steel under prestressing loads, long-term effects, and superimposed loads. The SOLID65 and REINF264 element types were chosen to simulate the behavior of concrete and steel materials. Experimentally measured mechanical properties of concrete from the SRB project were used in the analysis allowing for …

Stormwater Sensitivities To The Climatic And Land Cover Drivers In A Heavily Urbanized Coastal Basin Along The Northern Gulf Of Mexico, Usa., Md Faisal Razy

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Stormwater runoff response in a complex coastal-urban basin varies with the changes in climatic and land cover drivers. This thesis aims to assess the runoff responses to variation in climatic and land cover variables and perform a sensitivity analysis in complex coastal-urban basins. The Buffalo San Jacinto Basin (BUSJ) of southeast Texas, USA was considered a pilot study area for this research. BUSJ is a heavily urbanized coastal basin, draining an area of 3132 km² through the City of Houston, Texas into the northern Gulf of Mexico, USA. A process-based hydrological model was developed with fine spatio-temporal resolutions for …

Identification Of Sesquiterpenes In Wild Tomato Accessions With Activities Against The Potato Aphid And Their Tissue-Specific Engineering In Cultivated Tomato, Fumin Wang

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

The potato aphid (Macrosiphum euphorbiae Thomas) poses a serious problem in the commercial production of horticultural crops including tomato, since it causes damage by stylet feeding and the transmission of viruses for which it serves as the vector. Application of conventional pesticides being the fundamental tactic in the control of the aphid is increasingly considered insufficient and problematic due to emerging pest resistances and biosafety issues, highlighting the continuing need to develop new efficient and sustainable approaches. Alternatively, glandular trichomes of plants are well-known epidermal hairy tissues producing various secondary metabolites that involve in plant-insect interactions, while the terpene …

Identifying And Minimizing Sources Of Variability Within Modern Spectroscopic Techniques For The Forensic Analysis Of Glass, Oriana Christy Ovide

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Broken glass is a trace material frequently found at crime scenes such as hit-and-runs, burglaries, assaults, and homicides. Existing research encompassing the forensic analysis of glass evidence is vast. Published studies cover the analysis and interpretation of various types of glass. However, organizations such as the National Institute of Justice (NIJ), National Institute of Standards and Technology Organization of Scientific Area Committees (NIST-OSAC), and American Society of Trace Evidence Examiners (ASTEE) continue to identify glass-specific research needs to strengthen the scientific foundations of the field. Current gaps within the forensic glass community involve understanding modern glass formulations, re-evaluating the performance …

Discussing Changes In Historical Human–Environmental Dynamics Through Ecosystem Services Interactions And Future Scenarios In A Rural-Mining Region Of Central Appalachians, Vincenzo Cribari

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

The aim of this dissertation was to investigate how recent processes of land-change induced by humans contributed to the shaping and alteration of the current landscape in a headwater system of Central Appalachians in West Virginia (US), to understand the interactions and tradeoffs among ecosystems services and address potential solutions for targeting more sustainable human-environment interactions in a region that is deeply grounded on extractive economies. The multitiered objective was addressed through different research phases in order to unfold and disentangle a series of complex problems that the study area presents. Three main phases were used; they corresponded to distinct …

Minimizing Cr-Evaporation From Balance Of Plant Components By Utilizing Cost-Effective Alumina-Forming Austenitic Steels, Lingfeng Zhou

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

A solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) is a clean and efficient energy conversion device. The development of intermediate-temperature SOFCs has made it preferable to use metallic interconnects (MICs) to greatly reduce the cost and significantly increase the efficiency compared to ceramic interconnect materials. However, gaseous chromium species will evaporate from the chromium-containing layer formed on the surface of commonly used MICs and balance of plant (BoP) components. Volatile chromium species have been shown to form solid deposits which poison the cathodes of SOFCs, causing drastic cell performance degradation and thereby limiting commercialization. In order to alleviate the Cr poisoning and …

Designing And Achieving Airness: Theatrical Lighting Design Of Airness By Chelsea Marcantel, Colleen Marie Doherty

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

This is the account of the lighting design process for Airness by Chelsea Marcantel. This show was designed using all my learned skills and the equipment available. This account will take the reader through an analysis of the play, the design process, research, technical process, and it concludes with a self-evaluation. This thesis is supported by outside sources, images, and documentation.

Chemical Characterization Of Clastic Cave Sediments And Insights Into Particle Transport And Storage In Karst Aquifers, Jill L. Riddell

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Abstract

Chemical characterization of clastic cave sediments and insights into particle transport and storage in karst aquifers

Jill L. Riddell

Cave sediments can be divided into two groups: precipitates and clastics. Precipitates are speleothems, or lithologic or mineral features that are chemically precipitated in the cave environment. Clastic cave sediments are frequently described by depositional facies, sorting, and particle size (Bosch and White, 2004). Robust analytical chemical analyses of these sediments to quantify their physical and chemical components is rarely performed although some chemical characterization of mineralogy and paleomagnetism has become prevalent in recent years (Chess et al., 2010; Sasowsky …

Analysis Of Forensically Relevant Evidence Using Electrochemistry, Spectroscopy, And Mass Spectrometry Tools, Colby Edward Ott

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Forensic science relies on the use of multiple techniques in the assessment of evidence to increase the accuracy and reliability of the results. However, with the rapidly changing drug landscape due to the introduction of novel psychoactive substances, many traditional screening methods are no longer sensitive or selective enough for use. Additionally, many screening methods such as chemical color tests are prone to false positive and negative results and are subjective. Therefore, the goal of this dissertation was to develop a novel analytical scheme that can provide a more efficient, rapid, and sensitive method that will facilitate adoption in the …

Direct Ink Writing Printability – Ashby-Like Plots For Guided Design, Domenic Cipollone

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Direct Ink Writing (DIW), an extrusion-based 3D printing technique, offers a broad application space. As such, the technique continues to find use in biomedical, flexible electronic, ceramic, and energy device applications, among others. With this broad application space comes an expanding material library of inks with diverse rheological and microstructural properties. This begs the question: what constitutes a printable ink? How does one define printability? And how does one design for printability?

Researchers currently have a broad understanding of what constitutes a printable ink. However, time and time again, inks with unique rheological properties and formulations are printed. Currently, ink …

Mechanical Response Of Vartm Infused Frp Composites, Andrew Kenney

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Mechanical Response of VARTM based FRP composites

Andrew Kenney

The United States Department of Transportation (USDOT) recently created two new design specification for rail tank cars. These new types of classification, DOT-117 and DOT-117R, are designed with additional safety precautions to prevent hazardous chemicals from leaking out in case of a derailment. Features such as a thicker outer steel wall, head shield, and top and bottom valve protections provide additional protection compared to the current DOT-113 tank cars at the cost of additional weight. The WVU-CFC proposes a multifunctional, composite jacket that could be used in place of current tank …

Assessment Of User Environmental Perceptions Associated With Gray's Reef National Marine Sanctuary, Marieke Johanna Lemmen

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Resource management in marine protected areas is confronted with the challenging conflict of use and conservation of resources. Increased visitation in marine environments has led to the need of management due to negative ecological and social impacts. Understanding environmental values, attitudes, and perceptions is important to the success of environmental protection. Using online surveys sent via Qualtrics asking questions regarding the users’ knowledge, attitudes, and perceptions of ocean resources, goods and services, this research is focusing on identifying user profiles and understanding their environmental perception associated with Gray’s Reef National Marine Sanctuary, an offshore marine protected area, and surrounding coastal …

Living On The Edge: Trans* Exclusion, Survival, And Resistance, Rayna E. Momen

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

ABSTRACT

This dissertation focuses on the criminalization and victimization of transgender people, broadly defined as people whose gender identity does not align with their assigned birth sex, using a queer criminological and intersectional lens. The introduction offers background and context for this examination, and includes the purpose, theoretical approach, methodology, research questions, contributions, and overviews of the substantive chapters. Chapter two explores what we know and what we do not know about transgender people’s pathways into the criminal legal system, how they experience state surveillance, and how they navigate the system. Chapter three explores violence against transgender people in various …

Physical Educators’ Socialization And Self-Efficacy Toward The Behavior Management Of Students With Disabilities, Amelia Chloe Simpson

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Intro: Although studies have evaluated how physical educators learn behavior management, little effort has been made to identify the socializing experiences and sources of self-efficacy that influence how physical educators approach the behavior management of students with disabilities (SWD).

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to understand how physical educators develop self-efficacy toward the behavior management of SWD throughout the phases of occupational socialization theory.

Method: Data for the mixed-method study included 85 U.S. public (K-12) physical educators who completed a survey that collected demographic information and responses to the Teaching Students with Disabilities Efficacy Scale (Solomon & Scott, …

Cycle Decomposition For Integral Current Homology, Kristin Julia Duling

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

A standard graph theoretical result states that every element of the cycle space of a graph has a cycle decomposition. Georgakopoulos expands this result to a primitive decomposition and minimal representation of each element in a modified 1-dimensional singular homology. We modify the m-dimensional integral current homology in order to ensure a primitive decomposition for each element.

An Action Research Evaluation Of An Online Inclusive Sport Peer Coach Training, Margaret Roberts Condon

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Background: Trained peer tutors are a proven pedagogical technique that can help eliminate barriers to inclusion in physical education and extracurricular sport, including a reported lack of training and experience of professionals. When adequately trained, peer tutors can encourage social interactions, provide constant feedback, and increase active learning and engagement. While recommendations for training peer tutors have been provided, there are currently no known studies examining a peer tutor training in an online format for middle and high school-aged students participating in an inclusive sport program.

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of an …

Developing Teaching Adaptability In Pre-Service Teachers Using Practice-Based Teacher Education, Kyuil Cho

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

The purpose of this study was to examine how pre-service teachers (PSTs) develop their teaching adaptive competence through teaching rehearsal and repeated teaching, which is one of the focused teacher education strategies in practice-based teacher education (PBTE). This study was conducted in an introductory teaching methods course of a physical education teacher education (PETE) program. A total of 22 PSTs participated in the study. Fourteen were male, and eight were female. The PSTs had varied coaching experiences ranging from little to no coaching in limited recreational sports settings, and none had teaching or coaching experience in the school setting.

A …

Development Of A Machine Learning Model To Characterize The Performance Of A Selective Catalytic Reduction On Filter After-Treatment System For A Heavy-Duty Diesel Engine, Samuel A. Okeleye

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Particulate matter (PM) and Oxides of Nitrogen (NOx) are the major pollutants in diesel engines, an attempt to control one leads to an increase in the other, a phenomenon known as PM-NOx trade-off in diesel engine emission control. Currently, these two pollutants are controlled by the Diesel Particulate Filter (DPF) and the Selective Catalytic Reduction (SCR) after-treatment system respectively, in addition to the Diesel Oxidation Catalyst (DOC) which helps to provide 1:1 split of NO/NO₂ and helps with raising exhaust gas temperatures. Today, heavy-duty diesel engines feature a DPF, a primary SCR and a secondary SCR. Despite this complex …

Implementation Of An Advanced Training Program To Increase Nurses’ Knowledge Of Continuous Renal Replacement Therapy Management, Shane M. Brost

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Background: Continuous renal replacement therapy (CRRT) is a complex, life-preserving treatment for unstable patients who require hemodialysis in the intensive care unit (ICU). Nurses responsible for managing the CRRT machine in this large academic medical center’s cardiovascular ICU (CVICU) complete a one-hour basic training course focused on setting up the machine, responding to basic alarms, and changing out the CRRT circuit when necessary. Staff nurses, advanced practice providers (APPs), and nursing administrators agree that training is insufficient. Research evidence supports rigorous staff training as essential to improving the quality of CRRT delivery. Purpose: This Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) project …

An Anesthesia-Based Quality Improvement Initiative To Decrease Opioid Administration Via Esmolol Administration, Fredrick J. Hanna

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Background: Laryngoscopy and endotracheal intubation are routine procedures that occur within the surgical setting. Fentanyl is currently administered for attenuating the hemodynamic response to intubation. Opioid-sparing alternatives have been identified with aims of improving patient outcomes, such as esmolol. Purpose: The project’s purpose was designed to improve anesthesia provider familiarity, perception, and consideration of esmolol as a non-narcotic alternative for attenuating the hemodynamic response to intubation and prompt an increase of esmolol administration within this setting. Interventions: Surveys were conducted before and after an educational in-service, offered to anesthesia providers, demonstrating esmolol as an efficacious alternative to fentanyl. Additionally, an …

Monitoring The Systemic Immune System To Understand And Improve The Efficacy Of Immunotherapy For Metastatic Osteosarcoma, Justin Edward Markel

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Osteosarcoma (OS) is a complex tumor with no effective targeted therapies due to its genomic heterogeneity and pleomorphism. The immune response it creates, particularly against metastatic lesions, is considerable; however, various suppressive mechanisms induced by the tumor prohibit its effectiveness. The presence of infiltrating lymphocytes suggests that therapeutic disinhibition through checkpoint blockade could increase antitumor immunity, though none have been successful in clinical trials. The complexities of the immune response to OS tumors have yet to be unraveled; however, there is evidence to suggest that cell-mediated immunity (CMI, specifically T cells, Natural Killer [NK] cells, and myeloid-lineage cells [MLCs]) plays …

Implementation Of A Nonverbal Scrub Cap Identification System To Improve Communication And Perception Of Patient Safety Among Unfamiliar, De-Identified Staff Members In The Operating Room., Keri Ann Roskowinski

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Background: Operating room (OR), professionals deliver patient care with brief introductions, and roles were not always identified, and although team members wear identification (ID) badges, they were usually covered by sterile gowns and other routine personal protective equipment (PPE). Purpose: The aim of this Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) project was to determine if a simple intervention to apply the individual’s name and role to a scrub cap could improve identification, OR team communication, and consequently, patient safety. The participants in this project consisted of nurses, physicians, anesthesia providers, scrub technicians, students, medical sales representatives, and those that identified as …

Seeing Our Voices: Using Photovoice With Trauma-Affected Black Women College Students Within A Pwi To Explore Success And Persistence, Dariane B. Drake

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

The number of students reporting or seeking assistance for trauma has steadily risen over time. Research suggests that between 67% and 84% of students in college will experience a potentially traumatic event (PTE) in their lifetime. This percentage increases for women and for Black students. As the number of PTE exposure rises so too does the need to understand how trauma impacts education, learning, and personal development. Researchers have expressed a growing concern over the needs of trauma-affected students in recent decades. There is a dearth of research on the experiences of trauma-affected students and their overall inability to persist …

Scaling Theory Of 3d Magnetic Reconnection X-Line Spreading, Milton Arencibia

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Magnetic reconnection is fundamental process in plasmas that converts magnetic energy into kinetic and thermal energy via a change in magnetic topology. Magnetic reconnection is known to mediate eruptive solar flares, geomagnetic substorms that create the Northern lights, heating and particle acceleration in controlled fusion devices, and is thought to be an important process in numerous settings in high-energy astrophysics. Classical models of reconnection are two-dimensional (2D), but naturally occurring reconnection is three-dimensional (3D), and a manifestation of the 3D nature is that the x-line where the magnetic field topology changes has a finite extent in the direction normal to …

Enhanced Sampling Techniques Reveal Key Information About Membrane Active Peptides, Nicolas Charles Frazee

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Membrane active peptides (MAPs) show promise in terms of future drug development. Whether it be adapting macrocycles for use in targeting protein-protein interactions or adopting cell-penetrating peptides (CPPs) to cause lysis in target cells, the field is burgeoning with possibilities for designer drugs. The following work encompasses the exploration of three such peptides. The pH-Low Insertion Peptide (pHLIP) is a membrane-active peptide that spontaneously folds into a transmembrane $\alpha$-helix upon acidification. This activity enables pHLIP to potentially act as a vector for drugs related to diseases characterized by acidosis such as cancer or heart ischemia. First, we explored the conformational …

Autonomous And Non-Autonomous Requirements For The C-Jun N-Terminal Kinase Signaling Pathway In Early Forebrain Development, Jessica G. Cunningham

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

The cerebral cortex is responsible for a wide variety of high-level functions including cognition, sensory perception, fine motor control, and the orchestration of body movements. The cortex is comprised of cortical excitatory neurons and inhibitory interneurons, which are arranged in a highly organized fashion into different layers and regions. These two types of cells operate in a delicate balance between excitation and inhibition, which is critical for proper cortical circuitry. In order for the cortex to execute its numerous functions, it must both send and receive input to other brain regions through axonal connections. The organization within the cortex and …