Digital Commons Network^™

Exploring The Anticipatory Socialization Stage Of Division I Student-Athletes: The Content, Characteristics, And Functions Of Memorable Messages, Gregory A. Cranmer

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

The purpose of this dissertation was to explore the socialization of Division I student-athletes prior to their arrival on campus via the framework of organizational socialization and assimilation stage models, and by specifically examining the content, characteristics, and functions of the memorable messages they receive during their anticipatory stage of socialization. Using first cycle, initial coding and second cycle, pattern coding, results indicated that the content of student-athletes' memorable messages include 10 topics that can be categorized as either addressing the characteristics or experiences of collegiate student-athletes. The results of frequency counts regarding the characteristics of memorable messages indicate that …

Plasmonic Enhancement Mechanisms In Solar Energy Harvesting, Scott K. Cushing

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Semiconductor photovoltaics (solar-to-electrical) and photocatalysis (solar-to-chemical) requires sunlight to be converted into excited charge carriers with sufficient lifetimes and mobility to drive a current or photoreaction. Thin semiconductor films are necessary to reduce the charge recombination and mobility losses, but thin films also limit light absorption, reducing the solar energy conversion efficiency. Further, in photocatalysis, the band edges of semiconductor must straddle the redox potentials of a photochemical reaction, reducing light absorption to half the solar spectrum in water splitting. Plasmonics transforms metal nanoparticles into antennas with resonances tuneable across the solar spectrum. If energy can be transferred from the …

Bolted Connection Strength In Pultruded Glass Fiber Reinforced Polymer Structural Shapes, Kayla Danielle Weimert

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

With the drive for high strength, lightweight component design, the desire for composite materials for structural applications has been increasing in recent years. High strength-to-weight ratio, high stiffness, high fatigue and impact resistance, corrosion resistance, and ease of fabrication are just a few of the advantageous properties of pultruded fiber reinforced polymer (FRP) composites. The various structural applications of pultruded materials typically require the joining of composites either to composites or to metals. Despite introducing high stress concentrations in the composite material, bolted joints are the most practical connection for civil engineering applications. Bolted connections in glass FRP composites have …

A Descriptive Study Of Ncaa Life Skills Programs In The Big Ten Conference, Marc Joseph Williams

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

The purposes of this study were: (1) To determine if Life Skills Programs exist in all of the 14 Big Ten Schools, (2) To determine if the NCAA Division I-A Life Skills Commitment Statements were utilized at all the Big Ten Schools and (3) To determine how Big Ten administrators perceived Life Skills Programs are across all 14 Big Ten Universities.;It was anticipated that all Big Ten colleges had a Challenging Athletes' Minds for Personal Success Life Skills Program on their campus. All Big Ten Life Skills administrators perceived their programs to be effective.;A written questionnaire based on the literature …

Evaporative Techniques For Stormwater Runoff Alleviation, Allison M. Arnold

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Current climate changes have led to a projected steady increase in rainfall over the next several decades, notably in the Greater Pittsburgh Area. Even without this predicted increase the urbanization of many regions has altered local natural environments, which in the past stored, shed and evaporated this runoff water effectively, maintaining balance within the water table. These added rainfall forecasts, combined with America’s growing trend to develop and expand the urbanization of our natural earth, has resulted in a growing surplus of stormwater runoff water affecting these cities and their suburbs, leaving many sanitation departments unable to meet the heightened …

Evaluation Of A Generalized Basal Area Stand Table Projection Model For Appalachian Hardwoods Growth And Yield Systems, Aaron M. Holley

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

A generalized stand table projection algorithm was used to disaggregate species group level data for the Fernow Experimental Forest in the Allegheny Front physiographic region of the Central Appalachian Hardwoods region. The generalized stand table projection method has proved effective in projecting multi and uni-modal distributions in single species stands. Exploration into the potential for use in mixed species Central Appalachian Hardwoods thinned and unthinned stands proved promising. When compared to basal area projections using SILVAH, generalized stand table projection outperformed SILVAH at the plot level. Generalized stand table projection produced smaller errors on non-overlapping growth projections for both thinned …

Russian Soft Power Cultivation In The United States Of America: A Media Content Analysis Of "Russia Beyond The Headlines", David Evans

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

The relationship between Russia and the United States of America has been a dominant feature of the international relations landscape for much of the last century. Following the collapse of the Soviet Union, this relationship has been significantly altered. Over the last decade, a resurgent Russia has begun to exert its influence on the global stage once again. This effort has been characterized by a mixture of traditional "hard power" and a relatively new form of "soft power." The government of the Russian Federation has developed a broad strategy for engaging the rest of the world with the intention of …

Assessment Of Professional Behavior In Students: Thoughts And Opinions Of Occupational Therapy Faculty, Diana R. Davis

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Professionalism and professional behavior of students has been a growing concern in the health professions for the past two decades (Aguilar et al., 2013; Davis, 2009; Swick, 2000). As a result multiple professions have identified core values and the professional behaviors that are a reflection of these in practice; and have begun to integrate assessment of student professional behaviors into educational standards. Occupational therapy has a history of publication dating back to 1995 regarding assessment of the professional behaviors of students but no profession wide expectations have been established.;This study attempted to describe the thoughts and opinions of faculty in …

Plasmonic Nanostructures For Biosensor Applications, Akshitha Gadde

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Improving the sensitivity of existing biosensors is an active research topic that cuts across several disciplines, including engineering and biology. Optical biosensors are the one of the most diverse class of biosensors which can be broadly categorized into two types based on the detection scheme: label-based and label-free detection. In label-based detection, the target bio-molecules are labeled with dyes or tags that fluoresce upon excitation, indicating the presence of target molecules. Label-based detection is highly-sensitive, capable of single molecule detection depending on the detector type used. One method of improving the sensitivity of label-based fluorescence detection is by enhancement of …

Modeling Phosphorus Environmental Thresholds On A Watershed Scale, Sara L. Jones

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Anthropogenic eutrophication of surface waterways is a major environmental concern as it leads to the decline of aquatic resources and degradation of water. Phosphorus is the most limiting nutrient in freshwater systems and, therefore, an important factor in the control of eutrophication. Identifying the natural P thresholds in soils using the relationship between soil P and potential P losses can help determine areas with a high risk of P loss to waterways via leaching. Twenty-three sites covering a range of land uses were sampled by the USDA-NRCS in the Potomac Watershed in the northeast United States. Four pedons described and …

Collecting Subjectsobjects: The Museum And Victorian Literature 1830-1914, Kayla Kreuger Mckinney

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

This study argues that the museum wielded enough cultural capital to shape not only the content of literature (which picked up themes like collection, hoarding, display, and organization) but also the formal arrangement of such literature into catalogues, taxonomies, and the dense material-based descriptions for which the Victorian novel is often criticized. The museum, it is shown, is far more central to Victorian thought than has been recognized, and its presence in literature has been misread or overlooked in contemporary criticism. This study also provides a narrative of the Victorian preoccupation with the museual, especially as regards the natural history …

Control Design And Performance Analysis For Autonomous Formation Flight Experimentss, Caleb Michael Rice

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Autonomous Formation Flight is a key approach for reducing greenhouse gas emissions and managing traffic in future high density airspace. Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAV's) have made it possible for the physical demonstration and validation of autonomous formation flight concepts inexpensively and eliminates the flight risk to human pilots. This thesis discusses the design, implementation, and flight testing of three different formation flight control methods, Proportional Integral and Derivative (PID); Fuzzy Logic (FL); and NonLinear Dynamic Inversion (NLDI), and their respective performance behavior. Experimental results show achievable autonomous formation flight and performance quality with a pair of low-cost unmanned research fixed …

The Influence Of Accelerometer Cut Points On Determining The Percent Of Preschool-Age Children Meeting Physical Activity Guidelines, Anna Elizabeth Scott

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Reduced physical activity is thought to be a major contributor to energy imbalance and obesity in children and adolescents. A challenge for researchers is selecting a tool that will accurately measure physical activity, especially in young children. A current tool that is used is an accelerometer. This study had two objectives. The first examined if different sets of accelerometer cut points developed for preschool-age children would produce the same physical activity results when identical raw data were run through them. Through the use of accelerometer data the second objective aimed to determine the percent of children who met the physical …

Thermodynamics And Emission Modeling Of Liquefied Natural Gas (Lng) Tanks And Fueling Stations, Cesar Augusto Sandoval Leon

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

In this work a thermodynamics and emissions model of liquefied natural gas (LNG) tanks and fueling stations was developed, allowing for the calculation of methane (CH4) emitted from tanks and the prediction of methane emissions in future scenarios. The detailed dynamic thermodynamic model determined the thermodynamic state (pressure, temperature, specific volume) and properties (enthalpy, internal energy, specific heat, etc.) of the liquid and vapor phase methane in the storage tank in order to determine the rate of LNG boil off and venting. The model employed differential forms of the energy balance and mass balance and thermodynamic property relations and data …

Contemplations Of Otherness And Beauty, Xia Zhang

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

This written thesis is created in conjunction to a thesis exhibition shown in the Paul Mesaros Gallery at West Virginia University (displayed March 16th to April 3rd). The work presented in the gallery consists of installation, photography, performance, sculpture, and video. I create work based on my personal past influenced by my everyday life in search of my individual identity within my external environment. Being a Chinese female living in predominantly White areas, my interactions often are laden with preconceptions of who I ought to be. My daily life is affected by a global past. I intend to discourse my …

Explore The Physical And Chemical Properties Of 1,2,3-Triazole: From Fluorescence Sensor To Ligand In Metal Catalysis, Yanwei Zhang

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

1,2,3-Triazole gold (TA--Au) catalysts were developed by Shi's group and employed in several transformations involving propargyl ester rearrangement. Besides the excellent air, moisture and thermal stability introduced through triazole ligands, unique chemoselectivity was observed for these novel Au(I) complexes. The chemoselectivity allowed the effective activation of the alkyne without affecting the reactivity of the allene ester intermediates. These results led to the investigation of the preparation of allene ester intermediates with TA--Au catalysts under anhydrous conditions. As expected, the desired 3,3-rearrangement products were obtained in excellent yields. Besides the typical ester migrating groups, carbonates and carbamates were also found to …

Influences On Parents’ Decision Making Prior To Youth Sport Program Enrollment, Karl E. Zang

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Current literature has previously reported on the potential benefits of sport participation (Dhurup, 2012; Tomik, Olex-Zarychta, & Mynarski, 2012), which are also some of the main motivations parents enroll their children in youth sport programs (Kurnik, Kajtna, Bedenik, & Kovac, 2013). Parents have also been reported as being both gatekeepers (Schwab, Wells, & Arthur-Banning, 2010) and supporters (Holt, Tamminen, Black, Mandigo, & Fox, 2009) in regards to their child’s participation. This study surveyed 135 parents enrolled in participation youth sport programs in order to identify the influential factors on parents youth sport program selection. Assessed influential factors were compared to …

Validating The Representativeness Of Test Samples For Performance Prediction Of Face Recognition, Jason Hooks

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

One of the reasons testing biometric systems is difficult lays in the fact that the test sample available during technology evaluation may not be sufficiently similar to the usage profile that the system will encounter in operations. As the result, performance expectations derived from testing prior to system deployment may not match actual performance after the deployment. A specific instance of this problem occurs when the data from the field in which biometric system will be deployed is sequestered.

In this study, we simulated the stated scenario using two datasets, originally claimed to be similar and adequate for performance prediction; …

Igrow: Developing A Curriculum To Increase Gardening Skills, Culinary Competence, And Family Meal Time In Youth And Their Caregiver, Jade Alana White

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Objective: To develop a curriculum using evidence based programs to increase gardening skills, cooking competence, and family mealtime for youth (pre and early adolescent years) and their caregiver (dyad pair) using community-based participatory research.

Methods:

Using the Social Cognitive Theory, an inter-disciplinary team (N=3) including child development, nutrition and horticulture expertise: a curriculum was developed by integrating evidence-based curricula from iCook 4-H, Junior Masters Gardener curriculum Health and Nutrition from the Garden and Essential Elements of 4-H Youth Development Programs, with additional resources from USDA’s My Plate, and garden-based recipes. The community based participatory research approach and process was utilized …

Lateral Torsional Buckling Response In Glass Fiber Reinforced Polymer Composite Beams And Comparison With Ansys Modeling & Design Equations, Santosh Vangala

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Glass fiber reinforced polymer (GFRP) composites have the potential to replace the existing conventional materials in Civil Engineering like steel and concrete. Such potential can be attributed to the numerous advantages GFRP composites have over conventional materials. Some of the advantages are: high strength-to-weight ratio, corrosion resistance, low life cycle cost and maintenance, nonmagnetic and electronic transparency. As the application of GFRP is on the rise, the need for developing accurate design equations for these materials has been imperative. The GFRP composites are manufactured through pultrusion and although they have numerous advantages they are less stiff than similar profiles made …

Economic And Environmental Analyses Of Biomass Utilization For Bioenergy Products In The Northeastern United States., Weiguo Liu

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

A mixed-integer programming model was developed to optimize forest carbon sequestration considering carbon price, biomass price, harvest area restriction, and harvest method. The model was applied to examine the harvest scheduling strategies and carbon sequestration in a mixed central Appalachian hardwood forest. Sensitivity analyses were conducted over a range of carbon and biomass to timber price ratios, harvest area limitations and harvest methods. The results showed that the carbon sequestration rate of the central Appalachian hardwood forests could gradually increase as the carbon to timber price ratio changed from 0.0 to 1.0 with an average sequestration rate of 0.917 Mg·ha …

Facilitating Dialogue Through Design To Create Positive Social Change In Rural Communities, Lauren B. Schiefelbein

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Social Design is a progressive field that continues to gain momentum across the nation and the world. Its value and validity is especially noteworthy when design is used as a vehicle to create positive change in today's society. Many rural communities lack the necessary infrastructures or resources to remain relevant in a 21st century world, and face unique sets of barriers to progress and creative problem-solving.;Effective communication, for example, is one area that design thinking can efficiently address, often generating collaborative solutions. Facilitating dialogue in the rural community requires special attention and planning. A carefully-tailored strategy of design interaction while …

Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome In West Virginia: Trends, Risks, And Effectiveness Of In Utero Exposure Detection, Meagan E. Stabler

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

This dissertation examined neonatal abstinence syndrome (NAS) in West Virginia (WV). Specifically, three studies were conducted that investigated state and regional trends, risks related to NAS, and effectiveness of in utero exposure detection. The first study described regional incidence rates, trends of antenatal drug class-specific exposures, and NAS diagnoses in WV between 2007 and 2013. The findings indicated a 4-fold increase in WV statewide incidence rates of NAS during this time period, which was three times the national annual average. The second study identified the risk of NAS, risk of NAS requiring pharmacologic treatment, and odds of NAS controlling for …

Impact Of The Nanopore Size On Estimation Of Gas-In-Place For Marcellus Shale Gas Reservoirs, Alexandra Power Stockdale

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Nanopores, pores less than 10 nanometers as defined for this study, have significant impact on the flow, production, and storage potential. These impacts, in turn, effect gas-in-place calculations and overall reservoir estimations.;This research studies a dry-gas reservoir in the Marcellus Shale. A dry-gas reservoir exhibits the same behavior as a wet gas reservoir under confinement effects of nanopores. Therefore, the published correlation for estimating the impact of nanopore size on the critical hydrocarbon properties are utilized in this study.;By use of the gas compositional analysis, the effects on the gas-in-place calculations of the confined pores were compared to the traditional …

Familial Caregiving And Timing Of Retirement: A Gendered Cohort Analysis, Rachel R. Stoiko

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Retirement timing has been linked to a host of outcomes for individuals, families, and communities. Well-known predictors of retirement timing include health, wealth, and cognitive capacity; a few studies have also linked gender and family caregiving to retirement timing. In the present study, data from the Health and Retirement Study were used to create profiles of pre-retirement family caregiving (operationalized as time and financial transfers to participants' aging parents and adult children). These profiles, as well as participant gender and cohort, were used to predict later retirement timing. All profiles retired, on average, earlier than their full eligibility for Social …

The Effect Of Tert-Butylhydroquinone, An Nrf2-Are Signaling Pathway Inducer, On Oxidative Stress-Related Neurodegeneration, Jiahong Sun

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Oxidative stress is actively involved in stroke pathogenesis; however, almost all the antioxidants that have been applied into the clinical trials fail to improve ischemic stroke outcomes. We note that most drug candidates have very limited diversity of antioxidative activities. tBHQ is a food additive, which is considered to be safe for human consumption. As both an antioxidant and an Nrf2-ARE signaling pathway inducer, tBHQ can directly eliminate ROS and activates the expression of all the antioxidative genes under Nrf2-ARE regulation. My dissertation investigated the potential clinical application of tBHQ for ischemic stroke treatment by using both in vitro glutamate-induced …

Enhancement Of Rna Splicing By The Nutrient-Regulated Splicing Factor Srsf3, Amanda L. Suchanek

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Nutritional status is a powerful regulator of intracellular function. Dietary status can increase or decrease the rate of RNA splicing, thereby affecting gene expression; however, few molecular mechanisms have been identified that are responsible for this type of regulation.;The glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PD) gene has provided a useful tool for the study of nutrient-regulated splicing because accumulation of G6PD mRNA is dependent solely on changes in the rate of mRNA splicing in response to nutritional stimuli, consistent with its enzymatic role of converting dietary energy to fatty acids. Treatment of primary hepatocytes in culture with insulin or feeding a high-carbohydrate, low …

Role Of Interference And Computational Complexity In Modern Wireless Networks: Analysis, Optimization, And Design, Salvatore Talarico

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Owing to the popularity of smartphones, the recent widespread adoption of wireless broadband has resulted in a tremendous growth in the volume of mobile data traffic, and this growth is projected to continue unabated. In order to meet the needs of future systems, several novel technologies have been proposed, including cooperative communications, cloud radio access networks (RANs) and very densely deployed small-cell networks. For these novel networks, both interference and the limited availability of computational resources play a very important role. Therefore, the accurate modeling and analysis of interference and computation is essential to the understanding of these networks, and …

Setting The Right Tone: Benefits Of Music-Based Instruction In The Esl Classroom, Mollie Talada

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Research has shown a definitive link between the cognitive processing of language and of musical sound. Music has also been shown to be an effective teaching tool in the ESL classroom. Despite the theoretical studies that draw connections between musical aptitude and linguistic ability, few studies have shown the efficacy of using music to improve student motivation and self-confidence, as well as students' perceptions of learning. The aim of this thesis was to bridge the gap between research and pedagogy and to provide student perceptions of the use of musical tasks in three aspects of their learning: (1) student self-confidence …

Impacts Of Various Boundary Conditions On Beam Vibrations, Ye Tao

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

In real life, boundary conditions of most structural members are neither totally fixed nor completely free. It is crucial to study the effect of boundary conditions on beam vibrations . This thesis focuses on deriving analytical solutions to natural frequencies and mode shapes for Euler-Bernoulli Beams and Timoshenko Beams with various boundary conditions under free vibrations. In addition, Green's function method is employed to solve the close-form expression of deflection curves for forced vibrations of Euler-Bernoulli Beams and Timoshenko Beams.;A direct and general beam model is set up with two different vertical spring constraints kT1, k T2 and two different …