Digital Commons Network^™

Urban Exile: City Poetry By Modern American Women, Hatley Clifford

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Urban Exile: City Poetry by Modern American Women examines women's experience of urbanism in the early twentieth century, as depicted in the poetry of four modernist American women writers: Edna St. Vincent Millay, Amy Lowell, Evelyn Scott, and Lola Ridge. I bring to light a common experience of urban exile: a persistent state of insecurity, displacement, damage, and marginalization of women in cities. My work brings women and American women's poetry into the critical conversation about city literature, a conversation that has mostly focused on the experience of men in cities told by male writers. Recuperating the theme of urban …

Real-Time Energy Visualization Solutions For Light Commercial Businesses., Nathaniel Smith

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

In recent years, several real-time Energy Visualization (EV) systems have emerged in the market with specific applications for large industrial and commercial facilities and residential buildings. However, light commercial businesses have been neglected with only a few attempts for EV solutions. The purpose of this study was to develop and test a system that could provide a cost effective and flexible EV solution for light commercial businesses. The system consisted of monitoring hardware and three energy visualization dashboards. Testing and validation of the system was conducted using a focused group of participants consisting of energy managers, engineers, and other typical …

Automotive Crisis: Volkswagen's Emissions Scandal & Response Strategies., Kelsey Plute

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

The purpose of this study is to explore the use of crisis communication strategies (i.e. Coomb’s Situational Crisis Communication Theory and Bradford & Garrett’s Communicative Response Model) by examining Volkswagen’s key messages in U.S. commercial ad campaigns, individual vehicle commercials, and print ads before, during and after the emissions scandal. The content analysis also identified these specific crisis response strategies in the company’s 2015 through 2018 annual reports, press releases and letters to the company shareholders.

Exploring The Use Of Sport As A Platform For Health Promotion With Youth In Africa: A Scoping Review., Adam H. Hansell

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

According to the World Health Organization, Africa has the highest rates of disease and child mortality in the world. Previous research suggests that sport may be an effective vehicle to enhance health knowledge and behaviors among at-risk youth. The primary purpose of this review was to analyze and synthesize published interventions exploring the use of sport or physical activity for health promotion with children and youth in Africa. A total of 916 articles were retrieved from ten electronic bibliographic databases with 28 meeting inclusion criteria. Targeted health outcomes in sport-based interventions included HIV-related knowledge and behaviors, essential health practices, physical …

Canal Transportation After Instrumentation Utilizing Different Endodontic Access Design; A Comparative Study With Micro-Ct., Travis Moore

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Introduction Access cavity design is known to affect theefficiency of instrumentation. Canal transportation occurs primarily in the apical region and to the outside of curvature when dentin is removed in a single direction. The goal of all cleaning and shaping procedures is to preserve the original root canal anatomy while removing sufficient amounts of injured pulp tissue, microorganisms, toxins and instrumentation byproducts. It is understood that the desired shape of the finished root canal is a continuous tapering funnel from the coronal to the apex. The aim of this study is to construct detailed three-dimensional images of root canal systems …

A Quality Improvement Project To Increase Hepatitis A And B Vaccination In Adults With Hepatitis C In A Federally Qualified Health Center, Virginia M. Selanik

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Problem Statement: Despite long-standing recommendations for vaccination against hepatitis A virus (HAV) and hepatitis B (HBV) in persons with chronic liver disease and hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection and the life-threatening complications suffered from cirrhosis and hepatocellular cancer (HCC), vaccination rates for HAV and HBV in adults are suboptimal in clinical practice.;Theoretical Framework: Based upon published clinical guidelines and performance measures for optimal care of HCV-infected persons, a quality improvement project was implemented guided by Kotter's eight-step change model. Strategies adopted from the 4 Pillars(TM) Practice Transformation Program, including staff/provider education, standing orders, immunization champions, open access/walk-in vaccination during office …

Three Essays On Nonlinear Effects In Development Economics: An Applied Semiparametric Approach, Jinjing Tian

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

The first chapter studies the finance-growth nexus with firm-level data to examine the impact of debt on firms' productivity growth in Chinese industrial firms, utilizing a newly-developed nonparametric threshold regression. It shows that while debt is overall positively related with productivity growth in Chinese industrial firms, each sample group exhibits a significant threshold effect of debt, beyond which the firms' debt exhibits diminishing returns on productivity growth. Also, the magnitude of both the estimated threshold levels and partial effects of debt is heterogeneous across ownership types and regions, with state-owned enterprises (among ownership types) and firms in the western region …

Examination And Characterization Of Brook Trout Ecology Before And After A Broad Scale Disturbance Event In Headwater Streams Of West Virginia, Usa, Ross Gilbert Andrew

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

No abstract provided.

Ecology And Management Of Golden-Winged Warblers (Vermivora Chrysoptera) And Associated Avian Species In The Allegheny Mountains Of West Virginia, Kyle R. Aldinger

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

No abstract provided.

Practical Oxygen Carrier Development Of Unique Trimetallic Oxide For Chemical Looping Combustion Of Carbonaceous Fuels, William J Benincosa Iii

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

No abstract provided.

Automatic Detection Of Cybercrime-Suspected Threads In Online Underground Forums, Jian Liu

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

No abstract provided.

A Numerical Investigation Of Natural Gas-Diesel Dual Fuel Engine Combustion And Emissions Using Cfd Model, Yu Li

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

No abstract provided.

Dimensions Of Diversity In Sustained Eating Disorder Recovery In Females: A Study Of The Predictive Power Of Hope, Resilience, And Spirituality, Chelsey L Morgan

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

No abstract provided.

The Margins Of Myddle: Poverty And Community In A Shropshire Parish, C. 1601-1800, Betsy L. Morgan-Cutright

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

No abstract provided.

Perpetrators Vs. Auditors: Factors That Influence The Occurrence Of Fraud And Audit Interventions, Alyssa Sui Jing Ong

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

No abstract provided.

From Service Member To Student: Predictors Of Psychological Help-Seeking Attitudes In Student Servicemembers And Veterans, Melissa A Noble

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

No abstract provided.

The Effects Of Maternal Emotion Socialization Of Disappointment On Prosocial Behavior In Preschool Aged Children, Alexandria Svolos

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

The purpose of the present study was to examine the maternal socialization of disappointment and its impact on prosocial behavior. In a structured laboratory observation, sixty-five preschool aged children and their mothers underwent a disappointment task. The mothers (M = 34.27 years) completed two questionnaires to assess response to disappointment and children's frequency to prosocial behavior. Maternal observed behaviors of negative affect were positively associated with higher maternal reports of prosocial behavior in children. Also, mothers who reported using problem-focused responses to children's disappointment reported having children who were more prosocial. There were also significant gender differences. Mothers of sons …

Predicting Frac Hits Using Artificial Intelligence; Application In Marcellus Shale, Ryan Tyree

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

This work introduces a process of using AI neural networks, for analyzing complex datasets, in order to achieve a higher prediction accuracy in regards to frac hits, at the individual stage level, in the Marcellus Shale when compared to traditional linear methods.;We examined 63 producing wells (parent) along with 79 completed wells (child) to determine the best predictors for accurate frac hit predictions. Our dataset consists of 959 records with 77 predictors and a single binary output (YES or NO) for a frac hit occurrence. Linear methods make analyzing these 77 predictors, along with their interactions, difficult. Neural networks, specifically …

The Impacts Of Energy Development On Agricultural Land Values In North-Central West Virginia, Adama Sileye Warr

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

This study presents an empirical model that explains the impact of energy development activities on agricultural land values in north-central West Virginia. Based on the methodology and the data description, seven different models (linear and logs) are estimated and the results are analyzed to understand the contributions of each energy variable used in the models to the overall values of farmlands. We have examined 311 parcel-level sales of farmlands in 16 counties in the north-central of the state of West Virginia from January 2013 to July 2016. The results suggest that the selected model is statistically different from zero (prob …

Reducing Spatial Stochastic Models Of Membrane Receptors To Approximately Equivalent Chemical Reaction Networks Through Coarse Graining, Christopher Short

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Computational models are necessary for understanding how biological functionality emerges from a complex network of molecular interactions such as in cell signaling. Due to the complexity of biological systems, the normal scientific method of hypothesizing then testing predictions is becoming increasingly difficult. The large number of processes limits the level of modeling detail; signaling models typically adopt a non-spatial representation where each molecular process is characterized by a few parameters.;However, modern microscopic imaging of receptors on cell membranes reveals an intricate structure of microdomains. Receptors, such as epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR), vascular endothelial growth factor receptor (VEGFR), and others, …

Integrating Microscale Enzyme And Lectin Reactions Using Nanogel Assisted Capillary Electrophoresis, Srikanth Gattu

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Protein glycosylation is one of the most prevalent post-translational modifications which plays an important role in determining the structure, stability, and function of proteins. Changes in glycosylation patterns are a hallmark of cancer and other diseases. Characterizing glycosylation is difficult because these structures vary in their linkage and monomer sequence, which gives rise to vast microheterogenity that could affect the function of the molecule. A novel method using capillary gel electrophoresis by integrating microscale enzymes and lectin reactions in the capillary was developed to verify glycan structure by analyzing monosaccharides. Capillary electrophoresis (CE) improves upon conventional methods of glycan structure …

When Sports Mattered: An Examination Of Sports In Mainstream Media, David Statman

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Over the last few decades, the fields of sports media and mainstream news media have grown and evolved proportionally to one another, occupying different areas of the same field but having fundamentally different priorities and serving fundamentally different audiences. In recent years, however, a number of high-profile events have caused sports media and news media to blur together, creating an overlap that has not often been analyzed. This study is an examination of how mainstream news media covers stories traditionally covered by sports media, which sports stories mainstream media covers, and the differences between how sports media and mainstream news …

Delay Discounting And Cannabinoid Enzyme Inhibitors, Devin Andrew Galdieri

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Delay discounting is a measure of impulsive choice that is correlated with maladaptive behavior and psychological disorders. Disruptions to serotonin and dopamine pathways can cause changes in delay discounting, as can lesions to the prefrontal cortex and nucleus accumbens. The endocannabinoid system modulates other neurotransmitter systems, including dopamine and serotonin pathways. Cannabinoid receptors type 1 are found in relatively high concentrations in the nucleus accumbens and the prefrontal cortex. These receptors are activated by endogenous cannabinoids, which are synthesized on demand and broken down by catabolic enzymes. The action of these enzymes can be inhibited by a class of drugs …

Explanatory And Causality Analysis In Software Engineering, Yasser Ali Alshehri

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Software fault proneness and software development efforts are two key areas of software engineering. Improving them will significantly reduce the cost and promote good planning and practice in developing and managing software projects. Traditionally, studies of software fault proneness and software development efforts were focused on analysis and prediction, which can help to answer questions like `when’ and `where’. The focus of this dissertation is on explanatory and causality studies that address questions like `why’ and `how’.

First, we applied a case-control study to explain software fault proneness. We found that Bugfixes (Prerelease bugs), Developers, Code Churn, and Age of …

Understanding The Novice Decision-Making Process In Forensic Footwear Examinations: Accuracy And Decision Rules, Madonna A. Nobel

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

The reproducibility of experienced-based forensic pattern interpretation is founded on the notion that domain-specific knowledge can be successfully distributed and applied among experts within a group. This assumption persists, even when the examination is complicated by variations in case circumstances, such as impression clarity and totality, as well as media, substrate, collection mechanism and enhancement. While it is further theorized that many of these factors (as well as additional confounding factors) are at play during an examination, the manner and extent to which these sources of variability affect the examination of footwear evidence remain unclear. In order to explore this …

Flexor Dysfunction Following Unilateral Transient Ischemic Brain Injury Is Associated With Impaired Locomotor Rhythmicity, Kiril Tuntevski

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Functional motor deficits in hemiplegia after stroke are predominately associated with flexor muscle impairments in animal models of ischemic brain injury, as well as in clinical findings. Rehabilitative interventions often employ various means of retraining a maladapted central pattern generator for locomotion. Yet, holistic modeling of the central pattern generator, as well as applications of such studies, are currently scarce. Most modeling studies rely on cellular neural models of the intrinsic spinal connectivity governing ipsilateral flexor-extensor, as well as contralateral coupling inherent in the spinal cord. Models that attempt to capture the general behavior of motor neuronal populations, as well …

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

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

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

Parametric Study Of Coal Liberation Behavior Using Silica Grinding Media, Adewale Wasiu Adeniji

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

This study evaluates the coal liberation behavior using silica as the grinding media by assessing the effects of four operating factors including nominal feed size, media size, shaft speed and grinding time, each of three levels on two response variables, the product P₈₀ and the specific energy. The coal material used in this study was mixed-phase particles commonly referred to as middlings, sampled from dense medium circuit at the Leatherwood preparation plant in Kentucky. One-third fractional factorial design of resolution III was implemented. Since silica was obtained in three standard size ranges as per manufacturer’s design, media size was …

Production And Economic Analyses Of Woody Biomass Utilization For Energy, John Edward Vance

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

A mechanized harvest system combined with whole-tree chipper producing mixed hardwood chips was investigated on two harvesting sites in the central Appalachian region, USA. Production and machine rate data of the operations were collected through time-motion study, with chipping time elements categorized into feeding, chipping, and loading. Chipping cycles averaged 21.5 minutes to produce 23.54 green tons per truckload, providing an hourly rate of 65.82 green tons/PMH (41.1 dry tons) by the whole-tree chipper. Total cycle time including truck delivery averaged 183 minutes, giving an hourly rate of 7.7 green tons/PMH (4.8 dry tons/PMH). The hourly cost of the harvesting …

Schmick’S Frontier: Native American And Moravian Community Building In Colonial Pennsylvania, 1753-1765, Megan Trent Mcgee

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

This dissertation explores community building during times of violence. I argue that the intense violence in Colonial Pennsylvania during the 1750s and 1760s did not prevent the Moravians from building multi-ethnic communities, even as other groups (French, British, and Iroquois) pursuing their own political gains sought to tear such communities apart. The project focuses on community building and cohesion during a time of violence. Both the Moravians and the Native Americans were marginalized outsiders in mid-eighteenth-century Pennsylvania. The Moravians were outsiders because they were Europeans who failed to integrate culturally with their European neighbors. The Delaware, Mohicans, and smaller Native …