Digital Commons Network^™

Legitimacy, Procedural Justice, And Neighborhood Dynamics: Thoughts On Police Reform, Robert Lyle Nicewarner

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Currently, there is much debate about how to alleviate tensions between communities and police. These tensions do not illustrate the full scope of the problem, but show us symptoms of a larger, more structural issue. Many scholars point to procedural justice tactics as a way to increase the legitimacy of the police; thus, creating a safer environment where citizens do not fear the police but respect, obey, and defer to them. However, not every neighborhood is the same and not every neighborhood needs the same kind of policing style. Drawing on theories of collective efficacy and social cognition I propose …

Framing Effects On Fear Of Terrorism And Willingness To Sacrifice Civil Liberties, Ellory Ruth Dabbs

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

The purpose of this research was to determine whether differences in the way the media frames an act of violence leads to different reactions by consumers. In particular, it was hypothesized that the ideology and race of the perpetrator would lead to differences in perceptions of whether or not the attack was terrorism. A vignette-style experiment was performed using respondents recruited via MTurk. Four versions of the vignette were evenly distributed to 441 respondents, changing whether the frame contained a photo, the ideology, and the name of the perpetrator. Using measures of fear from this data it was then investigated …

Comparing Measures Of Physical Activity Intensity, Duration, And Frequency Using Receiver Operator Characteristic Curve Analyses, Abigail M. Nehrkorn-Bailey

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

The United States Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) recommends adults to engage in weekly moderate- or vigorous-intensity physical activity based on its association with various physical and psychological health benefits (HHS, 2008; Schoenborn, Adams, & Peregoy, 2013). These physical activity recommendations contain important information for three physical activity components: intensity, frequency, and duration. The current physical activity literature contains gaps, with a lack of specificity for which components are being studied. Although some of the literature does describe the physical activity components, there are many discrepancies in the level of agreement across subjective and objective measures, along with …

Sediment Provenance Study Of The Lower Hamilton Group: An Analysis Of The Organic-Rich Facies And Its Depositional History, Luke Patrick Fritz

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Currently, insufficient geological models exist to explain the variability and distribution of TOC in the Marcellus Shale, within the Hamilton Group. TOC is one of the several limiting factors for natural gas production within the Marcellus Shale basin. One possible explanation for the low TOC regions is that detrital dilution was variable across the basin, with different sediment sources contributing detritus to low TOC areas, compared to surrounding regions with higher TOC. This hypothesis is tested by analyzing the source composition of inorganic detritus, using elemental and mineralogical proxies, with two cores in the Hamilton Group. The Armstrong #1 core …

Compound-Specific Isotope Analysis Of Amino Acids In Biological Tissues: Applications In Forensic Entomology, Food Authentication And Soft-Biometrics In Humans, Mayara Patricia Viana De Matos

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

In this work we demonstrate the power of compound-specific isotope analysis (CSIA) to analyze proteinaceous biological materials in three distinct forensic applications, including: 1) linking necrophagous blow flies in different life stages to their primary carrion diet; 2) identifying the harvesting area of oysters for food authentication purposes; and 3) the ability to predict biometric traits about humans from their hair.

In the first application, we measured the amino-acid-level fractionation that occurs at each major life stage of Calliphora vicina (Robineau-Desvoidy) (Diptera: Calliphoridae) blow flies. Adult blow flies oviposited on raw pork muscle, beef muscle, or chicken liver. Larvae, pupae …

Wish4campus: Evaluating College Food Insecurity And Promoting Solutions For Student Wellbeing, Rebecca L. Hagedorn

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Introduction: Interest in college food insecurity has increased in previous years, however, little research focuses on the Appalachian and Southeastern regions of the United States resulting in limited understanding of food insecurity’s impact on college students in these regions. Additionally, resources to help food insecure students are often sparse with universities lacking evidence-based programming to implement for student benefit.

Aims: This dissertation aims to (1) investigate the correlates and behavioral consequences of food insecurity on college students at an Appalachian university, (2) expand college food insecurity research to a regional investigation in the Appalachian and Southeastern regions, and (3) develop …

Bridging The Gap: Utilizing Socratic Inquiry Facilitation In Cross-Cultural Communication And Conflict Exploration, Mikaela G. Zimmerman

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

The objective of this research is to explore the possibilities for improving governmental relations (local, national, and international) using microcosms of cross-cultural dialogues facilitated with Socratic Inquiry methodology and their potential to project situational similarities into more formal political conversation. Using twenty-five recorded dialogues from The Pennsylvania State University’s Center for Public Diplomacy (World in Conversation), I have broadly observed the role of Socratic Inquiry facilitation in cross-cultural dialogues whose content varies across a span of contentious social topics. By generally accounting for a range of relevant social factors such as gender, body language, conversational tools, and proxies for empathy, …

An Assessment Of Farmer Participation In The United States Department Of Agriculture, Natural Resources Conservation Services’ Conservation Technical Assistance Program In West Virginia, Matt D. Oliver

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Food and fiber production on America’s farmlands have a major influence on the environment, therefore, soil and water conservation practices are critical. NRCS has provided no-fee technical assistance for nearly 100 years through the Conservation Technical Assistance (CTA) program. The CTA program is essential because it provides technical knowledge directly to farmers for planning and implementing conservation practices that are proven to benefit environmental health and on-farm production. CTA program funds support NRCS staff and training and are thereby the local service delivery vehicle for all NRCS programs. However, in recent years, funding for CTA has remained relatively constant while …

Apple Pomace As A Novel Aid For Western Diet-Induced Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease In Young Female Sprague Dawley Rats, R. Chris Skinner

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Apple pomace is a “waste” byproduct of apple processing that causes environmental pollution and is costly to dispose of. Yet, apple pomace is rich in dietary fibers and antioxidants. Analysis of apple pomace’s nutritional profile indicates suitability as a potential dietary treatment for non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) and the more severe non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH). NAFLD is the most prevalent liver disease in the world with prevalence and severity expected to increase in both adults and children. Currently, there is no approved drug treatment for NAFLD and therefore, dietary intervention is the primary treatment. The study objectives were to determine …

Judged Facial Attractiveness Of Extraction And Non-Extraction Orthodontic Treatment In Repose And Smiling, Nicolette R. Chahin

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Background and Objectives: More so than ever, the public is becoming exceedingly aware of esthetics, and will evaluate their treatment outcome based upon the improvement to their smile and overall enhancement of their facial appearance. There exists a debate in orthodontics, as to whether or not extractions harm the profile. The aim of this study was to determine if facial attractiveness is harmed in subjects having completed orthodontic treatment involving the extraction of four premolars both in repose and smiling when viewed in lateral profile. Another objective is to identify any impact upper incisor retraction has on facial attractiveness. …

Regulation Of The Long Non-Coding Rna Fam83h-As1 By Human Papillomavirus In Cervical Cancer, Jamie Ann Barr Ph.D.

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Non-coding RNAs (NcRNAs), such as long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) and microRNAs (miRNAs), have been found to be involved in a variety of critical biological processes, and dysregulation of ncRNAs have been involved with several human diseases including cancer.

High-risk human papillomavirus (HPV) infection is one of the first events in the process of carcinogenesis in cervical and a subset of head and neck cancers. The expression of the viral oncoproteins E6 and E7 is essential in this process by inactivating the tumor suppressor proteins p53 and Rb, respectively, in addition to their interactions with other host proteins and regulation of …

Using Social Media To Combat Opioid Epidemic, Yiming Zhang

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Opioid addiction has become one of the largest and deadliest epidemics in the United States. To combat such deadly epidemic, there is an urgent need for novel tools and methodologies to gain new insights into the behavioral processes of opioid abuse and addiction. The role of social media in biomedical knowledge mining has turned into increasingly significant in recent years. The data from social media may contribute information beyond the knowledge of domain professionals (e.g., psychiatrists and epidemics researchers) and could potentially assist in sharpening our understanding toward the behavioral process of opioid addiction and treatment.

In this thesis, we …

The Food Bank Fix: Hunger, Capitalism And Humanitarian Reason, Joshua David Lohnes

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Drawing on a five-year institutional ethnography of Humanitarian Food Networks (HFNs) in West Virginia, this dissertation explores the moral, political and economic place of the food bank in the corporate environmental food regime. I develop the concept of the food bank fix to theorize the paradoxical relationships between the state, the shadow state, food corporations, local charities and food banks that tie HFNs across the United States together through humanitarian reason. I argue that food banks damp the grinding contradictions of a society awash in food surpluses even as a significant proportion of the population remains at risk of hunger. …

Role Of Extracellular Vesicles In Neuroinflammatory Progression And Mitochondrial Functional Alterations, Ashley E. Russell

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Inflammation within the central nervous system (CNS), termed neuroinflammation, is a defining characteristic of many neuropathological conditions, including Alzheimer’s disease (AD) and stroke. Certain inflammatory mediators activate the transcription factor NF-κB, which induces transcription of many pro-inflammatory genes, including miR-34a and miR-146a. Several target candidate genes of these miRNAs encode for proteins of the mitochondrial electron transport chain. In our studies, we demonstrate that in response to inflammatory stimuli, such as TNF-α, the expression of miR-34a and -146a is significantly increased in several CNS cell types, and in their secreted extracellular vesicles (EVs). Exposure to TNF-α-derived EVs significantly increases cellular …

Probability Discounting Of Lewis And Fischer 344 Rats: Strain Comparisons At Baseline And Following Acute Administration Of D-Amphetamine, Jenny E. Ozga

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Risky choice can be defined as choice for a larger, uncertain reinforcer over a smaller, certain reinforcer when choosing the smaller alternative maximizes reinforcement. Risky choice is studied using various procedures in the animal laboratory; one such procedure is called probability discounting. There are many variables that contribute to risky decision-making, including biological and pharmacological determinants. The present study assessed both of these variables by evaluating dose-response effects of d-amphetamine on risky choice of Lewis (LEW) and Fischer 344 (F344) rats. The probability-discounting procedure included discrete-trials choices between one food pellet delivered 100% of the time and three food …

Investigation Of Heat Exchanger Effectiveness Using A Surface Coating Technology, Allen Duffy

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Diesel engine manufacturers continue to improve engine performance through increased thermal efficiency and reduced regulated emissions. The aftercooler located between the turbocharger air outlet and intake manifold experiences a wide range of operating conditions. Improving the heat transfer characteristics in the aftercooler can lead towards improved engine performance through increased charge air density. A surface coating has been proposed to enhance the heat transfer characteristics for a marine-based application on the water - side of the heat exchanger. To evaluate the efficacy of the coating, the rate of heat transfer with and without the coating was quantified in a controlled …

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 …

A Descriptive Analysis Of Pete Master’S Programs In The U.S. And Their Alignment With Advanced Teaching Standards, Jamie K. Gilbert

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Background: This study provided a descriptive analysis of PETE master’s degree programs in the United States. Program demographics and curriculum alignment with SHAPE America’s three advanced teaching standards and four guiding principles were the focus of this research.

Methods: This research utilized a non-experimental, cross-sectional descriptive research design and a two-phase approach to collect data. The quantitative survey component analyzed the demographics of programs (n=13) using descriptive analysis. Phone-based semi-structured interviews were conducted to collect data from program affiliates (n=4) concerning program adherence to three advanced PETE standards and four guiding principles.

Results: Public universities granting …

Pedagogical Thoughts On Album Des Six: A Piano Set By Les Six To Represent French Nationalism, Dipendra Sunam

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Les Six, formally established in 1920, included a group of young French composers: Georges Auric (1899-1983), Louis Durey (1888-1979), Arthur Honegger (1892-1955), Darius Milhaud (1892-1974), Francis Poulenc (1899-1963) and Germaine Tailleferre (1892-1983). The primary motivation for their formation was the reaction against foreign influences, especially German Romantic music, in French music. Jean Cocteau, inspired by Erik Satie’s style, proposed a new French musical aesthetic: simplicity, directness, clarity, and terseness. Les Six followed these ideals in their formative years. Their artistic association was short-lived, but while it lasted it produced Album des Six, their sole joint production, a published …

Scaling Analysis And Experimental Investigation Of A Rotating Detonation Engine, David Thomas Billups

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Pressure gain combustion (PGC) technologies, specifically rotating detonation engines (RDEs), are poised to provide the next big leap in gas turbine engine advancement, significantly increasing the thermal. RDEs make use of thermodynamic advantages of isochoric as opposed to isobaric combustion. Theorized to increase thermal efficiency by up to 7% [1], the RDE would have significant impact on reducing anthropogenic carbon emissions. In addition to efficiency gains, the RDE also provides mechanical simplicity and reduced size advantages compared to it’s traditional counterparts and PGC competition.

The United States (U.S.) Department of Energy (DOE) National Energy Technology Laboratory (NETL) maintains and operates …

Shear Stress Estimates In The Approach And Bridge Section By Using Various Formula, Jun Seon Lee

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Shear stress is the resistance force on top of the contact surface caused by moving flow and is one of the important variable in fluid mechanics. Thus, a lot of researches have been conducted to predict accurate value of shear stress. However, calculating shear stress with existing equations has several limitations because only gradually varied flow and/or uniform flow was considered in their studies. Therefore, direct applying those methods into complex flow type, such as around a bridge, to predict shear stress is questionable.

Thus, laboratory experiments were carried out in a laboratory flume to attack the objective of this …

Pharmaceutical Scheduling Using Simulated Annealing And Steepest Descent Method, Bryant Jamison Spencer

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

In the pharmaceutical manufacturing world, a deadline could be the difference between losing a multimillion-dollar contract or extending it. This, among many other reasons, is why good scheduling methods are vital. This problem report addresses Flexible Flowshop (FF) scheduling using Simulated Annealing (SA) in conjunction with the Steepest Descent heuristic (SD).

FF is a generalized version of the flowshop problem, where each product goes through S number of stages, where each stage has M number of machines. As opposed to a normal flowshop problem, all ‘jobs’ do not have to flow in the same sequence from stage to stage. The …

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 …

Roses & Thorns, Stephanie Alaniz

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

This written thesis has been created alongside the thesis exhibition shown in the Laura Mesaros Gallery at West Virginia University (displayed March 18th to March 22nd). The work presented consisted of drawings, bookmaking, and various forms of printmaking and collage. This body of work is meant to create an analysis of insecurities and body positivity we associate with our physical selves. This work is a collective experience that has been a collaboration with over 80 participants. The number of participants help to create a larger overall collective voice. By creating this collective voice, we can experience these feelings together and …

Optimization Of Engineered Super Donor Strains Of Cryphonectria Parasitica To Reduce Canker Expansion In A Forest Setting, Amy Michelle Metheny

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Chestnut blight, caused by the non-native fungus Cryphonectria parasitica, has decimated American chestnut (Castanea dentata) populations throughout the eastern U.S. over the last century. Biological control of blight, termed hypovirulence, has emerged naturally in the form of a debilitating hypovirus transmitted through hyphal anastomosis among vegetatively compatible C. parasitica strains. Six unlinked vegetative incompatibility (vic) loci regulate hyphal anastomosis and thus, hypovirus transmission, which has limited biocontrol efficacy in genotypically diverse communities. Recently, four of six vic loci have been disrupted to engineer two “super donor” or SD strains. In combining these strains, enhanced transmission …

Confirmation Of Data-Driven Reservoir Modeling Using Numerical Reservoir Simulation, Al Hasan Mohamed Al Haifi

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Data driven reservoir modeling, also known as Top-Down Model (TDM), is an alternative to the traditional numerical reservoir simulation technique. Data driven reservoir modeling is a new technology that uses artificial intelligence and machine learning to build full-field reservoir models using field measurements (data - facts) instead of mathematical formulations that represent our current understanding of the physics of the fluid flow through porous media. TDM combines all field measurements into a comprehensive reservoir model to predict the production from each well in a field with multiple wells.

There are many opinions, speculations and criticism about not using the physics-based …

Evaluating Design Criteria For High Hazard Dams In A Changing Climate, Aaron Read Sutton

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

With changes in climate, there is the potential for future flooding events to vary in frequency and magnitude. These changes may stress the 432 high hazard dames in West Virginia. The 100-year flowrate is an important design criterion for emergency spillways of high hazard dams. Emergency spillways are designed to be reached only by 100-year flow and above. This work quantified how changes in the 100-year flowrate may affect emergency spillway activation. Peakflow data from the Central Appalachian Ecoregion in WV, taken from 24 USGS gages, were used to analyze changes in the 100-year flowrate.

Flow frequency analysis revealed that …

Boundaries And Policing: Space, Jurisdictions, And Roles In The Collection Of Official Crime Data, Cynthia Suzanne Barnett-Ryan

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

The Uniform Crime Reporting (UCR) Program is a law enforcement statistical system open to unreported information due to its voluntary nature. As such, there need to be a valid and accepted means to estimate official reports of crime for those different levels of geography where reporting may be incomplete. Current methods of imputing and modeling UCR data, which have not been updated since the 1960s, are based upon conceptualizations of law enforcement agencies that may no longer be valid. These older models do not appropriately represent the law enforcement assessment of space and place and its effects on discretionary recording …

Adoption And Impact Of Telemental Health On Healthcare Outcomes In The United States, Xiaohui Zhao

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Mental health conditions (MHCs) are the most expensive conditions in the United States (US). The high MHC prevalence coupled with continued undertreatment of MHC has contributed significantly to this high economic burden. Despite policy changes to increase mental health parity and integrate mental and physical healthcare, the shortage of mental health providers remains a significant barrier to mental health (MH) treatment. Telemental health (TMH) has emerged as an alternative care delivery approach to meet the growing demand of MH care and shortages of MH providers. Understanding the adoption of TMH among mental health facilities is critical for informing the broad …

Discerning The Diets Of Sweep-Feeding Eurypterids Through Analyses Of Mesh-Modified Appendage Armature, Emily Samantha Hughes

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Eurypterids were a group of aquatic chelicerates that lived throughout most of the Paleozoic. While swimming eurypterids are generally considered to be active predators, the benthic stylonurine eurypterids appear to have had a mode of life similar to modern horseshoe crabs with the exception of two clades, the Stylonuroidea and the Mycteropoidea, both of which independently evolved modifications for sweep-feeding on their anterior appendages. Among extant suspension feeders, it has been shown that there is a linear correlation between the average spacing of feeding structures and prey sizes. This relationship was extrapolated to the sweep-feeding stylonuroid and mycteropoid eurypterids in …