Digital Commons Network^™

Two Essays On The Role Of Uncertainty In Financial Markets, Raluca Stan

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

No abstract provided.

Evaluation And Testing Of Eye, Nose, And Mouth Protection For Biological Hazards To Support A Consensus Standard, Jeremy R Gouzd

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

No abstract provided.

Phenomenology And Geographic Information Science: Experiencing Landscape Through Geospatial Technologies And Higuchi-Style Indices, L. Jesse Rouse

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Research conducted on cultural landscapes is often divided into two approaches comprising a qualitative description or quantitative measure. The separation is often driven by the difference in the approach and methods utilized. Phenomenology has often been used as the framework with which to consider the experience and quality of a landscape. The descriptive and personal nature of phenomenology seeks to separate the observer from their personal biases to yield a qualitative narrative. Conversely, Geographic Information Science (GIScience) is seen as a set of methods and tools to capture, map, and analyze the quantifiable features of a landscape. However, it is …

Hydrogeology And Water Management In The Arkwright Underground Coal Mine, Pittsburgh Seam, Northern West Virginia, Bryant D. Mountjoy

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Arkwright #1 is a closed underground mine in the Pittsburgh coal seam near Morgantown, West Virginia USA. Arkwright shares perimeter boundaries/barriers with three other closed Pittsburgh seam mines (Osage #3, Jordan #93, Federal #1) and is partially overlain by flooded Sewickley seam mines, 25 m above it. This mine is significant primarily because it manages and treats water diverted from nearly 20 other closed mines over a 600 square kilometer area. This study examines water levels, pump records, and mine maps to describe the hydrogeology of Arkwright Mine. After closure in 1995, Arkwright and the adjacent northern Osage mines began …

Protein And Lipid Characterization Of Acheta Domesticus, Bombyx Mori, And Locusta Migratoria Dry Flours, Emily N. Brogan

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Cricket (Acheta domesticus), silkworm pupae (Bombyx mori), and locust (Locusta migratoria) dry flours were obtained to examine the biochemical properties and composition of the flours. This study aimed to characterize the protein and lipid components of three insect species utilizing proximate composition analyses, amino acid composition analysis, protein solubility, SDS-PAGE, fatty acid composition analysis, and thin layer chromatography to determine lipid classes, and lipid extraction efficiency. Kjeldahl determined the cricket, locust, and silkworm flours contained 72.0%, 53.1%, and 71.2% protein, respectively. All proximate composition analyses were significantly (p< 0.05) different between species. Amino acid composition analysis revealed that the flours contained 3.6-3.9% and 0.90-1.5% of lysine and methionine, respectively. Many countries have cereal grains and legumes as a staple in their diet that contain these limiting amino acids. Essential amino acids were 22% of total amino acids. Protein solubility revealed that the three species studied were most soluble in alkaline environments with highest protein solubility occurring at pH 13 at 66% solubility in silkworm. Lowest solubility occurred in more acidic conditions between pH 4-5. SDS-PAGE revealed five major protein fractions with estimated molecular weights of 27 (cuticle proteins), 41 (arginine kinase), which has been identified as an allergen in shrimp, 42 (actin), 71 (hemocyanin), and 220 myosin) kDa. Soxhlet extraction determined cricket, silkworm, and locust flours contained 15.4%, 33.3%, and 11.4% lipid, respectively. The only omega-3 fatty acid found in the flours was α-linolenic acid. Silkworm flour contained the most α-linolenic acid at 33.3% of total fatty acids, followed by locust (13.7%), and cricket (0.6%). TLC resolved lipids for typical lipid classes. The four major lipid classes noted were triacylglycerol, free fatty acid, cholesterol, and phospholipid. Lipid extraction efficiency found that the organic solvents chloroform and methanol had the highest lipid extraction yield in both cricket (69.3%) and locust (93.0%). Methyl-tertiary-butyl ether (MTBE) extracted lipids most efficiently in the silkworm. Proteins and lipids found in insects need to be isolated to further or commercial use.

Meso- And Macro-Scale Facies And Chemostratigraphic Analysis Of Middle Devonian Marcellus Shale In Northern West Virginia, Usa, Thomas J Paronish

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

No abstract provided.

Integrated Circuits For Programming Flash Memories In Portable Applications, Mir Mohammad Navidi

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Smart devices such as smart grids, smart home devices, etc. are infrastructure systems that connect the world around us more than before. These devices can communicate with each other and help us manage our environment. This concept is called the Internet of Things (IoT). Not many smart nodes exist that are both low-power and programmable. Floating-gate (FG) transistors could be used to create adaptive sensor nodes by providing programmable bias currents. FG transistors are mostly used in digital applications like Flash memories. However, FG transistors can be used in analog applications, too. Unfortunately, due to the expensive infrastructure required for …

The Determination And Evaluation Of Pyrolytic Products: A Focus On Synthetic Cannabinoids, Stephen Raso

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Synthetic cannabinoids have become a ubiquitous challenge in forensic toxicology and seized drug analysis. Acute toxic effects associated with these drugs include tachycardia, seizures, depression, possible suicidal tendencies, and the onset of psychotic episodes. Synthetic cannabinoids were initially synthesized for research purposes in understanding the receptor-ligand interactions at the CB1 and CB2 cannabinoid receptors. They are similar to Delta9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and also act as agonists at the cannabinoid receptors. Originally it was hoped that this class of drug would be useful for pain relief, but instead this class of compounds has become widely abused, typically via smoking or heated vapor …

Using Incidental Teaching To Teach Mands To Children With Autism Spectrum Disorder, Katherine S. Robinson

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Children with autism display deficits in three core areas; communication, social interaction, and restrictive and repetitive behaviors. Deficits in communication often manifest in the form of maladaptive behaviors that serve to have the individuals needs and wants met. Additionally, children with autism may have difficulty generalizing learned skills to novel environments and with novel items. Naturalistic teaching procedures, such as incidental teaching, can promote generalization through the use of naturally occurring learning opportunities and reinforcers. The purpose of this study is to evaluate an incidental teaching procedure on the acquisition of both rate of manding behavior as well as a …

Study Of The Resonance Spectrums Of The Flute And The Effect Of Different Stable Vowels On Formant Tuning With Violin And Clarinet, Alyssa M. Schwartz

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

"In the long history of scientific investigation of musical instruments, the flute has been given particular attention, primarily because of its apparent simplicity. Yet many of the physical factors that determine its behavior have not been well documented." This is especially true when it comes to modern understanding of the way in which changes in the shape of the oral cavity affect the resonance spectrum of the flute.;Creating different monophthongs, or stable-vowel positions, while playing the flute changes the spectral slope and strength of the overtones in the flute tone. This affects the ability of the flute to successfully blend …

Personality, Sleep, And Mortality, Shantel Spears

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Personality traits and sleep are associated with health and longevity; however, no investigation has examined whether sleep is a pathway linking personality to mortality risk. Thus, we tested this effect across a 20-year mortality follow-up period in the Midlife Development in the United States (MIDUS) cohort (N = 3,253; M age = 47.03 years, SD = 12.39, range = 20-75), using proportional hazards in a structural equation modeling (SEM) framework. Openness was the only trait predictor of death risk. Daytime sleepiness and short and long sleep duration also emerged as predictors of mortality risk. We found indirect effects for neuroticism, …

Market-Based Aid And Economic Reform, Neron R. Thomas

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

This study examines the empirical links between market-based aid and economic reform in sub-Sahara Africa. My research question: Is market-based aid necessary for economic reform across sub-Sahara Africa? To answer that question, I applied both quantitative and qualitative approaches. Specifically, regression analyses were conducted to determine whether or not causality could be established between my dependent and independent variables. 22 sub-Saharan states were used. In addition, two case studies (Ghana and Senegal) were conducted to help explain some of the cultural nuances that may be missing from the statistical analysis. As a result of the Washington Consensus, International Financial Institutions …

Temporal Bisection And Effects Of D-Amphetamine Administration In Lewis And Fischer 344 Rats, Marissa Turturici

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Temporal control concerns the discrimination of intervals of time. Individuals with various psychological disorders have shown differences in temporal control when compared to control populations. It is unknown whether and how temporal control might be linked with impulsivity, another measure that predicts problem behavior such as attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder. Because Lewis (LEW) rats reliably show greater impulsive choice relative to Fischer 344 (F344) rats, the present study examined responding in these two strains under a temporal-bisection procedure that assesses temporal control. In the temporal-bisection procedure, rats are trained to discriminate between two durations. Intermediate durations are subsequently presented to determine the …

Development Of Enhanced Emission Factor Through The Identification Of An Optimal Combination Of Input Variables Using Artificial Neural Network, Tse-Huai Liu

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

A great deal of attention is being paid worldwide to particulate matter (PM), which is now considered a significant component of air pollution. Specifically, in this thesis, road dust is a primary source of PM that is having a significant impact on human health and air quality. For example, impaired visibility due to road dust can cause more vehicle accidents. Hence, in order to efficiently develop PM control strategies, it is critical to improve the estimation of PM concentration levels generating from paved and unpaved roads. Since 1979, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has developed emission factor equations to …

Preference And User Experience With Powered Air- Purifying Respirators In Healthcare Workers In A Simulated Work Environment: A Pilot Study, Lauren Macdowell

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Powered air-purifying respirators (PAPRs) are protective devices commonly utilized by healthcare workers in environments with infectious airborne diseases. A review of the current PAPR literature indicated a shortage of studies that focus on user experience of PAPRs and the types of PAPRs that healthcare workers prefer. This study focused on three different PAPR models: the MAXAIR CAPR RTM 710, the 3M(TM) Versaflo (TM) TR-600-ECK and the 3M(TM) Air-Mate(TM). A typical hospital patient work environment was simulated at the West Virginia Simulation Training and Education for Patient Safety on West Virginia University's Health Sciences Campus. Eight subjects total were recruited and …

Spatiotemporal Controls And Scaling Of Stream Water Quality Across The East Coast Of U.S.A, Shakil Ahmed

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Stream water quality and ecosystem health are controlled by a multitude of complex, interacting anthropogenic and natural processes. A generalized understanding of stream water quality dynamics under diverse hydro-climatic and biogeochemical conditions therefore still remains elusive, particularly in the context of coastal urban/natural environments. This dissertation focuses to investigate the major spatiotemporal controls of stream water quality, and leverages the knowledge to investigate stream biogeochemical-ecological similitude (parametric reduction), scaling, and emergent patterns across the East Coast of U.S.A. Total nitrogen (TN), total phosphorus (TP), chlorophyll-a (Chla), and dissolved oxygen (DO) were used to represent the stream water quality. Pearson correlation …

Assessment Of Tapered Diamond Bur Cutting Efficiency Of Dental Zirconia, Dhari Alenezi

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Objectives: To evaluate the cutting efficiency, measured by rate, of tapered diamond burs with different grit sizes on sintered yttrium stabilized zirconia.;Methods: Seven types of tapered diamond burs with different grit sizes and with a 1.4 mm diameter were tested against sintered Yttrium stabilized zirconia blocks using an air-turbine handpiece and 0.9 N of cutting force. The burs utilized were: super coarse 181 microm, super coarse 150 microm, coarse 151 microm, coarse 125 microm, medium 107 microm, medium 100 microm and DuraCut 151 microm. Ten samples of each bur type were used. Depth of the cuts was measured by a …

Environmental Controls, Similitude, And Scaling Of Stream Dissolved Oxygen Across The Pacific Coast Of U.S.A, Filmon Araya

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Dissolved oxygen (DO) is a key indicator for water quality and the general health of stream ecosystems. However, the dynamics of stream DO is controlled by myriad interacting environmental drivers. This thesis investigates the major environmental drivers, emergent similitude (similarity leading to parametric reductions), and scaling of stream DO across the Pacific Coast of U.S.A. The research was conducted by assembling a dataset for 1998--2015 at 35 water quality monitoring stations of U.S. Geological Survey and Environmental Protection Agency. Pearson correlation matrix, principal component analysis, and factor analysis were employed to identify the interrelations and groupings of stream DO and …

An Examination Of Cyanotoxins And Environmental Estrogens In The Middle And Upper Potomac River Watershed, Usa, Ryan Patrick Braham

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

The Potomac River is a large tributary of the Chesapeake Bay. Large fish die-offs were reported in the Potomac watershed (specifically the South Branch of the Potomac) in 2002 and 2005, as well as smaller episodic events in recent years which have no clear correlation to any one pathogen or contaminant. Although a variety of pathogens have been identified (such as trematodes, myxozoans, Aeromonas hydrophila, A. salmonicida, Flavobacterium columnare , and largemouth bass virus) in recent die-offs of smallmouth bass Micropterus dolomieu, no clear cause has been derived. Additionally, reproductive endpoints were reported in smallmouth bass and likely associated with …

Recruiting And Engaging Generation Z: An Integrated Marketing Communications Plan For West Virginia University Visitors Center, Kathryn (Kallie) Priscilla Nealis

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

The purpose of this professional project is to provide a guide of marketing and communication strategies for organizations to implement in an effort to succeed in their goals involving improving overall success and awareness of the organization. The main component of this professional project is an integrated marketing communications (IMC) plan designed on behalf of the WVU Visitors Center and their IMC goals. Examined and outlined in this IMC plan is the target audience (Generation Z), as well as overall campaign objectives, creative strategies, media objectives and evaluation procedures that are grounded in and seek to expand upon the theoretical …

Regulatory And Financial Influence Of Federal Government Activities On Local Economies: A Three Essay Approach, Brianne Renee Firth

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

This dissertation examines the effects of federal government activities on local economies. Three research questions are addressed: How do federal environmental regulations influence local economic growth?, What regional factors influence the spatial distribution of federal conservation programs?, and How does location-based federal funding effect economic resilience within the targeted region? Regional economic analysis, spatial analysis, and spatial econometric techniques are implemented to answer these questions.

The first essay examines the effects of the air pollution standards on county level economic growth. The results illustrate, in the long run, the impacted regions have adapted to the changes in the pollution standards. …

Boundization, Closure And Convergence For The Ultra Extended Complex Banach And Hilbert Spaces With Applications, Salah Hamad

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

We study Boundization, Closure and Convergence of Complex Banach and Hilbert spaces. We augment a Banach space with elements “infinity” and turn the augmented set into a metric space by appropriate distance functions. This new metric space is called the Ultra Extended Banach Space. A new family of bijections, motivated by nonlinear projections, take an Ultra Extended Banach Space into bounded subsets of a “larger” Banach space. We compare the family of new metrics induced and show which ones are equivalent and which ones are unexpectedly not equivalent. Some applications are provided.

Multi-Telescope Radio Observations For Low Frequency Gravitational Wave Astrophysics, Megan L. Jones

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

The North American Nanohertz Observatory for Gravitational Waves (NANOGrav) has the principal goal of detecting gravitational waves (GWs) in the nanohertz part of the spectrum using pulsar timing. This thesis presents results from radio campaigns at frequencies from 322 MHz to 10 GHz aimed at both multi-messenger constraints on GW sources and improving the timing sensitivity. The primary expected source of GWs at the nanohertz frequencies to which pulsar timing is sensitive are supermassive black hole (SMBH) binaries. We investigate a purported SMBH displaced from the galactic photocenter in NGC 3115. We explore the possibilities that the source is a …

A Comparison Of Child Abuse Potential Inventory And Parenting Stress Index With Families In The Parent-Child Interaction Therapy And Treatment As Usual Groups, Keri B. Whitacre

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

This study compared Parent-Child Interaction Therapy (PCIT) in a group format to a Treatment as Usual (TAU) group format within a community setting. PCIT is typically conducted individually with caregiver and child in a clinical setting. Results showed decreases on the Parenting Stress Index (PSI-SF), for both treatment groups over time with the PCIT group reporting less parental stress than the TAU group. However, there was no difference between groups over time on the Child Abuse Potential Inventory (CAPI). This study provides preliminary evidence for the efficacy of delivering PCIT in a community setting. The implication for child welfare clinicians …

Factors Related To The Career Intentions Of Senior Athletic Training Students Approaching Graduation, Rae Lee Emrick

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

This research inquiry examined the factors that influence soon-to-be graduating senior athletic training major’s decisions on their career intentions. Two research questions guided this study: What are the factors, experiences, and/or circumstances that contribute to senior athletic training students approaching graduation planning to persist in or pursue the athletic training profession? and What are the factors, experiences, and circumstances that contribute to senior athletic training students approaching graduation leading to displacement and students not planning to seek employment in the athletic training profession? Qualitative research methods employed a multiple case approach examining four different CAATE accredited athletic training programs …

Remotely Sensed Hydroclimatic Variability For Water Security In An Agricultural Basin, Ashish Kondal

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

The Indus Basin has supported agricultural practices since the Harappan civilization (3000-1500 BC). Abundance of water has always supported agriculture in the region and built the Indus Basin as one of the major agriculture based economies of the world. The obvious dependency of agriculture on weather and the vagaries of climate emphasizes the necessity of a comprehensive hydro-climate study of the region. The role of climate change in the Indus Basin has always been a contentious issue. Groundwater depletion is evident in the region, and its steady and alarmingly declining rate has brought concerns for the future of agriculture in …

The Integration Of Extrinsic And Intrinsic Neuromodulators In The Olfactory System, Kristyn M. Lizbinski

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Neuromodulation is a ubiquitous feature of neural systems, allowing flexible, context specific control over network dynamics by adjusting the biophysical and synaptic properties of neurons. Neuromodulation was first described in invertebrate motor systems and early work established a basic dichotomy for neuromodulation as having either an intrinsic origin (i.e. neurons that participate in network coding) or an extrinsic origin (i.e. neurons from independent networks). Although this dichotomy has been thoroughly considered in motor systems, it has received far less attention in sensory systems. Furthermore, nervous systems are continually subject to a dynamic cocktail of both intrinsic and extrinsic modulators. However, …

Nickel-Catalyzed Oxidative Decarboxylative (Hetero)Arylation Reactions, Aaron P. Honeycutt

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Transition-metal-catalyzed decarboxylative coupling reactions have gained considerable attention over the past decade as an efficient route to form heterobiaryls. However, current methods for oxidative decarboxylative (hetero)arylation with unactivated C-H bonds have been limited by poor substrate scope, control of regioselectivity, and chemospecificity. This thesis describes the development of a new nickel-catalyzed oxidative decarboxylative coupling (ODC) with unactivated C-H bonds. The first chapter discusses the development of the new nickel-catalyzed ODC reaction to enable the coupling of a N,N'-bidentate directing group with a broad scope of heteroaromatic carboxylates and ortho-substituted benzoates, a scope that has not been achieved in previous …

100 Days In Appalachia: Publication Building Toolkit, Kassandra Taylor

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

This is an analysis of the multimedia news outlet 100 Days in Appalachia. It is an attempt to examine the publication in order to further understand the purpose, the successes and the contributions it has made to journalism. 100 Days in Appalachia is delivering groundbreaking journalism from the heart of the region Appalachia, to help change perceptions about a part of the country that is widely misunderstood. This analysis will use 100 Days in Appalachia as a guideline to develop a journalists' toolkit for other communities throughout the United States to create a publication. It will also use information and …

Effects Of Pre-Breeding Management On Ewe Lamb Fertility, Sarah Nancy Carr

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Ewe lambs comprise 30% of the breeding flock; however, fertility is 20-30% lower than that of an adult ewe. Lower fertility has been correlated with lower ADG, liveweight, and body composition prior to breeding and research suggests that it can be improved with proper nutritional management. The objective of this research was to evaluate the effects of pre-breeding management practices on ewe lamb fertility.;In replicate 1, 313 Dorset X Texel (DT) and 74 Katahdin (KT) ewe lambs were assigned to a high (0.68 kg/head/day) or low (0.23 kg/head/day) grain supplementation for two months prior to breeding. Liveweights were recorded bi-weekly …