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Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

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Development Of The Dynamic Evaluation Model To Significantly Advance Autism Research, Dana Cihelkova Jan 2014

Development Of The Dynamic Evaluation Model To Significantly Advance Autism Research, Dana Cihelkova

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

In my dissertation effort I suggested new directions in order to significantly advance Autism Research. I moved from identification of the problem (Stagnation of Autism Research) to offering one possible explanation for the problem (Conceptualization of Autism as a Complex Phenomenon) to one possible solution for the problem. I developed the Dynamic Evaluation Model which is a five dimensional evaluation system to (a) effectively evaluate Autism interventions, (b) uncover Autism symptoms dynamics, and (c) identify what child with what symptoms characteristics will benefit the most from what currently available treatments. And finally I tested the prototype of the Dynamic Evaluation …

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Choice Between Reinforcers With And Without Delayed Shock, Aaron D. Dumas Jan 2014

Choice Between Reinforcers With And Without Delayed Shock, Aaron D. Dumas

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Some problematic human behaviors can be conceptualized as choice of a large immediate reinforcer followed by a delayed aversive event, in lieu of a small immediate reinforcer and no delayed aversive event. For example, a night of binge drinking may result in ample social reinforcers and other fun in the short-term, but it is followed the next day by an intense hangover. Alternatively, opting for moderate alcohol consumption might not produce as intensely pleasing of an evening, but it avoids the aversive hangover. The aim of the present experiment was to develop an animal laboratory model for studying such choice …

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Transforming Traditional Classrooms Into Student-Centered 21 St Century Classrooms: A Developmental Process For Professional Development, Monica Mccartney Jan 2014

Transforming Traditional Classrooms Into Student-Centered 21 St Century Classrooms: A Developmental Process For Professional Development, Monica Mccartney

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

This design-based action research study utilized a model of design, implementation, and evaluation across four school semesters to improve the professional development provided to teachers in a new one-to-one computing environment. Data sources collected across all semesters helped guide changes to the design and implementation phases of the professional development. This study had one guiding research question: What are the appropriate professional development sessions and process for designing professional development in order to meet the needs of teachers as they to transform traditional classrooms into student-centered 21 st century classrooms?

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Inhibition Of Arterial Kdr Channels By Dpo-1 And Activation Of Cloned Human Bk Channels By Bpa-Ms, Ibra S. Fancher Iv Jan 2014

Inhibition Of Arterial Kdr Channels By Dpo-1 And Activation Of Cloned Human Bk Channels By Bpa-Ms, Ibra S. Fancher Iv

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

The following documents our attempt at answering a fundamental question in vascular smooth muscle: Which K+ channels control membrane potential, and thus, vascular tone? A number of groups have approached this question and great strides have been made; however, uncertainty remains as to which specific K+ channel(s) underlies this physiologically important current. Previous studies using nonselective pharmacological inhibitors of voltage-dependent K+ (KV) channels, particularly delayed rectifier K+ (KDR) channels, indicate membrane depolarization, Ca2+ influx, and vasoconstriction. Importantly, however, there are more than 40 genes known to encode KV channel subunits. We hypothesize that KDR channels composed of KV 1 subunits …

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The Role Of The Error Correction Journal On The Written Performance Of Foreign Language Students, Budimka Uskokovic Tenney Jan 2014

The Role Of The Error Correction Journal On The Written Performance Of Foreign Language Students, Budimka Uskokovic Tenney

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

This study focuses on the effects of error recording and analysis in the form of an Error Correction Journal (ECJ) on the linguistic accuracy of students of German and on their motivation to learn the language. It focuses on three groups of students, one that completed the ECJ, one that received coded feedback, and one that was given direct correction. The goal of the study was to check for improved accuracy and increased motivation based on the use of a journal to analyze and to raise awareness about errors. Through the use of the ECJ, students became more aware of …

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Copperheads And Blacksnakes: Divided Loyalty In Eastern Pennsylvania, Chuck Welsko Jan 2014

Copperheads And Blacksnakes: Divided Loyalty In Eastern Pennsylvania, Chuck Welsko

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

This is a study of people, politics, and rhetoric during the American Civil War. The people are eastern Pennsylvanians, the ordinary men and women from Berks, Bucks, Lehigh, and Northampton counties. The narrative traces the failure of these people to unify in the Civil War. Instead, citizens used a rhetoric of loyalty to fuel the bitter divide between Democrats and Republicans. Historians have studied the concept of loyalty extensively in the past, but only with the purpose of identifying which political or ethnic subgroups of the population were "loyal." Copperheads and Blacksnakes moves beyond the issue of who and focuses …

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Neutral Hydrogen In The Local Group And Around The Milky Way, Spencer A. Wolfe Jan 2014

Neutral Hydrogen In The Local Group And Around The Milky Way, Spencer A. Wolfe

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Galaxies in our universe must acquire fresh gas to continue forming new stars. A likely source of this material may be the gas that resides between galaxies. We do not, however, have a clear understanding of the specifics, such as its distribution. The first claimed detection of this "cosmic web" of material directly in emission was published a decade ago using the Westerbork Synthesis Radio Telescope in the Netherlands while surveying neutral hydrogen in the Local Group of galaxies. Later evidence, in the form of stellar surveys and test particle simulations, showed that a tidal origin of the gas was …

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Preparation Of Solid Oxide Fuel Cell Cathodes And Analysis By Impedance Spectroscopy, Juwana Hennadige Lalanthi Kaushalya De Silva Jan 2014

Preparation Of Solid Oxide Fuel Cell Cathodes And Analysis By Impedance Spectroscopy, Juwana Hennadige Lalanthi Kaushalya De Silva

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

The solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) is a promising energy conversion device with high efficiency, fuel flexibility and less pollution. The requirement for high operating temperatures limits its applications due to high cost and the need for compatible cell components. Therefore, it is important to design SOFCs that operate in intermediate temperatures; which have cathodes with improved microstructures to enhance the oxygen reduction reaction. However, designing novel cathode structures needs a fundamental understanding of cell processes. Impedance spectroscopy is a very powerful tool for studying SOFCs which yields useful yet complex data due to overlapping impedance related processes. Therefore, we …

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Catchment Streamflow Response To Climate Change Conditioned By Historic Alterations Of Land-Use: Forest Harvest, Succession, And Stand Conversion, David Young Jan 2014

Catchment Streamflow Response To Climate Change Conditioned By Historic Alterations Of Land-Use: Forest Harvest, Succession, And Stand Conversion, David Young

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Forest management practices and climate change can alter streamflow in headwater catchments by changing the balance between precipitation and factors that control evapotranspiration. To understand how water resources are changing, the impacts of climate change and forest disturbance must be isolated. Toward this end the Budyko decomposition method is applied to quantify the impacts of climate change and forest disturbance on catchments of the Fernow Experimental Forest. The Budyko framework provides the theoretical basis for the methodology and assumes variation in streamflow can be attributed to the principal controls governing climate (precipitation and potential evapotranspiration) and catchment water balance (precipitation …

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A Content Analysis Of Celebrity-Endorsed Cosmetic Products In Fashion Magazines, Caroline Szwed Jan 2014

A Content Analysis Of Celebrity-Endorsed Cosmetic Products In Fashion Magazines, Caroline Szwed

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

While there have been many studies examining celebrity-endorsed advertisements, few have studied the relationship between race and ethnicity and body types found in celebrity-endorsed advertisements. A sample of 265 celebrity-endorsed advertisements was collected from both Cosmopolitan and ELLE magazine during the first quarter of the year (January, February, March) between 2008-2013. A content analysis was constructed in order to determine the race and ethnicity of each celebrity found in the advertisement as well as their body type. The results suggest that there has been a tendency to use non-minority celebrities in celebrity-endorsed advertisements than non-minority celebrities. Furthermore, the findings demonstrate …

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Extent Of Hydraulic Fractures In A Multilayered Geologic Media, Carter L. Hulcher Jan 2014

Extent Of Hydraulic Fractures In A Multilayered Geologic Media, Carter L. Hulcher

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

In this report, the vertical extent of hydraulic fractures in a layered geological formation was investigated. In reality, the geology of the earth is heterogeneous, and therefore fracture growth will be significantly different. Fracture growth was simulated by using numerical models with relevant geomechanical, fluid flow and proppant transport properties. Results show the horizontal stress gradient plays an important role in fracture propagation. Lower horizontal stress contrasts between layers allow for greater fracture propagation in the vertical direction. Higher fluid viscosities tend to increase the fracture height and width, while decreasing the fracture length. Several other geomechanical properties such as …

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An Old Tool For A New Generation: Using The Star Power Simulation To Teach Social Inequality, Barbara Prince Jan 2014

An Old Tool For A New Generation: Using The Star Power Simulation To Teach Social Inequality, Barbara Prince

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Students today are unique. They are the first generation to be "growing up digital" and are distinctly different from their baby boomer parents. As a result, this net generation does not fit well within the passive nature of the standard format of classes. One technique, employed by a growing number of faculty within the field of teaching and learning, to facilitate experiential learning is the use of simulations. One example is the simulation Star Power, which simulates the use/abuse of power, stratification, and inequality. Simulations such as Star Power can be a vital tool for teaching core sociological concepts, including …

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"Busy Mischievous Ffellows": Imperial Agency In Pennsylvania During The Seven Years' War, Benjamin G. Scharff Jan 2014

"Busy Mischievous Ffellows": Imperial Agency In Pennsylvania During The Seven Years' War, Benjamin G. Scharff

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

This project explores British colonial interaction with imperial authority in mid-eighteenth century Pennsylvania. The goal is to show that reactions to this authority proved much more complicated than previously identified. This has been done by examining the personal interactions of Pennsylvanians with Britons in political, economic, diplomatic and inter-colonial affairs. Upon examination of these exchanges, it becomes clear that Pennsylvanians differed greatly in their support of British authority depending on their personal place in society and the particular issues they were most personally connected to. By demonstrating the variety of reactions, this research highlights the importance of studying colonial opposition …

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Refined Computational Modeling Of Sofcs Degradation Due To Trace Impurities In Coal Syngas, Hayri Sezer Jan 2014

Refined Computational Modeling Of Sofcs Degradation Due To Trace Impurities In Coal Syngas, Hayri Sezer

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

The Solid Oxide Fuel Cell (SOFC) is a good alternative for clean and efficient power generation. These cells can be operated directly on a wide variety of fuels including biogas, hydrocarbon fuels and synthesized coal gas (syngas), which is a promising avenue for utilization of coal with much less environmental impact. One of the challenges in this technology is poisoning of SOFC anodes by trace impurities contained in coal syngas. One such impurity, phosphine is known to cause catastrophic failure of SOFC anode even at <10ppm concentrations. Fuel impurity degradation patterns can vary by different operating conditions such as humidity, applied current, temperature and anode thickness.;In the present study, more detailed models are developed to predict the typical degradation behaviors observed in SOFC anode due to phosphine by extension of an in-house one-dimensional computational code. This model is first used to predict the effect of steam concentration on phosphine induced degradation in anode supported SOFCs. The model is refined based on the experimental observation, which indicate that the phosphine degradation is less severe in the absence of steam. Simulations results showed good agreement with experimental data. Then, a sensitivity analysis, using dual numbers automatic differentiation (DNAD) is performed to investigate the influence of empirical model parameters on model outputs, electrical potential, ohmic and polarization losses. Further, the refined one-dimensional model is extended to a three-dimensional model to study the phosphine induced performance degradation in relatively large planar cells operating on hydrogen fuel. The empirical model parameters are calibrated using button cell experiments and sensitivity analysis as a guide. These parameters are then used in planar cell simulations. The results from the three dimensional model show that the contaminant coverage of nickel and fuel distribution inside the anode is highly non-uniform. These non-uniform distributions are caused by the geometrical alignment of gas channels and current collectors, as well as the variation of gas concentration along the flow direction. The non-uniform deactivation of anode gave rise to the altering of current distribution inside the planar cell such that the cell can still produce current even when some regions of the anode are partially inactive. In addition, to assess the overall cell performance at any given degradation stage, additional simulations are performed to evaluate the electrochemical behavior (polarization and impedance) of the cell. The simulation results are assessed in comparison to experimental observation whenever possible. Finally, a physics based transport model for nickel migration is formulated based on experimentally observed elemental redistribution in a SOFC anode and it is integrated into refined one-dimensional phosphine degradation code. Simulations show that the proposed mechanism of Ni diffusion driven by secondary phase formation, the electrical force, and humidity can explain the experimentally observed accumulation of Ni and secondary phases on the SOFC anode surface.;Keywords: Keywords: Solid Oxide Fuel Cells, Contaminant Degradation, Automatic differentiation, Sensitivity Analysis, Impedance, Polarization, Nickel migration, Electro-migration..

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Formation Of 2-Halomethylene-4-Cyclopentene-1,3-Diones Andor 2-Halo-1,4-Benzoquinones, Total Synthesis Of Methyl Linderone And Wacker-Type Oxidation Of Aryl-Substituted Alkenes, Hong Yin Jan 2014

Formation Of 2-Halomethylene-4-Cyclopentene-1,3-Diones Andor 2-Halo-1,4-Benzoquinones, Total Synthesis Of Methyl Linderone And Wacker-Type Oxidation Of Aryl-Substituted Alkenes, Hong Yin

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

We have discovered a practical general method for the preparation of diverse 2-halomethylene-4-cyclopentene-1,3-diones and/or 2-halo-1,4-benzoquinones. An in-depth study of the reactions of 4-(ethynyl)-4-hydroxy-2,3-substituted-2-cyclobuten-1-ones with N-bromo- or N-iodosuccinimide is described. This reaction was used in a short total synthesis of methyl linderone. Also, a series of facile, palladium catalyzed, direct, and regiospecific Wacker-type oxidations has been developed to yield various alpha-arylated ketones from aryl-substituted internal alkenes.

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An Ecological Assessment Of Restoration Efforts Developed To Recover An Intensively Mined Appalachian Watershed, Andrew S. Watson Jan 2014

An Ecological Assessment Of Restoration Efforts Developed To Recover An Intensively Mined Appalachian Watershed, Andrew S. Watson

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Assessments of watershed-based restoration efforts are rare. Monitoring of projects pre- and post-treatment are essential for the science of stream restoration ecology to advance. We took an experimental approach, following adaptive watershed management principles, to evaluate the effectiveness of watershed-based restoration efforts developed to maximize the ecological recovery of acid mine drainage (AMD) impaired streams. We sampled water chemistry, physical habitat, and benthic macroinvertebrate and fish community structure in 3 stream types: AMD (14 streams), AMD-treated (13 streams), and unimpaired reference (4 streams). Treatment technology implemented on impaired streams included in-stream active treatment dosers, limestone sand applications, and an at-source …

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Effectiveness Of Community-Delivered Parent-Child Interaction Therapy Compared To Treatment As Usual, Jocelyn Stokes Jan 2014

Effectiveness Of Community-Delivered Parent-Child Interaction Therapy Compared To Treatment As Usual, Jocelyn Stokes

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Parent-Child Interaction Therapy (PCIT) is a "probably efficacious" treatment for children with disruptive behavior disorders (Eyberg, Nelson, & Boggs, 2008). However, many of the characteristics of the efficacy studies (e.g., therapy conducted in university-based clinics, graduate student therapists, supervision and feedback on integrity to the model, recruited families, homogeneous samples) supporting PCIT may limit the generalization of the results to the community setting where most families receive treatment (e.g., Weisz, Jensen-Doss, & Hawley, 2006). Few studies of PCIT have examined the effectiveness of PCIT implemented by community therapists, and these studies have many methodological limitations including no reliability of observational …

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Fluid Inclusion Study Of Gypsum Precipitated In Acid Saline Waters: Salar Ignorado, Northern Chile, Francis John Karmanocky Iii Jan 2014

Fluid Inclusion Study Of Gypsum Precipitated In Acid Saline Waters: Salar Ignorado, Northern Chile, Francis John Karmanocky Iii

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Salar Ignorado is situated at high elevation in the Andes Mountains of northern Chile in an extremely arid, small, intervolcanic basin and contains pools of acid (pH 3.3 -- 4.1) saline (5 -- 30 ppth) water that are precipitating gypsum crystals. Gypsum crystals trap acid saline water from the pools as fluid inclusions. Little research has been conducted on fluid inclusions in gypsum. At Salar Ignorado two types of bottom-growth gypsum form from the surface pools: large bladed and tiny needle-like crystals. Salar Ignorado gypsum contains primary fluid inclusions of three distinct morphologies, oriented parallel to crystal face. Petrography and …

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Timing And Survival Of American Eels Migrating Past Hydroelectric Dams On The Shenandoah River, Sheila M. Eyler Jan 2014

Timing And Survival Of American Eels Migrating Past Hydroelectric Dams On The Shenandoah River, Sheila M. Eyler

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Hydroelectric dams can impact downstream migrating American Eels ( Anguilla rostrata) through migratory delays and turbine mortality. I used radio telemetry to determine the timing and survival of American Eels migrating downstream past five hydroelectric dams on the Shenandoah River in Virginia and West Virginia and through a portion of the Potomac River in Maryland. The five hydroelectric dams implemented a seasonal nighttime turbine shutdown period to protect downstream migrants. The shutdown period was conducted from September 15 to December 15 annually, from 18:00 to 06:00 hours daily. During the fall months from 2007 to 2009, large American Eels were …

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Mau Mau Crucible Of War: Statehood, National Identity And Politics In Postcolonial Kenya, Nicholas Kariuki Githuku Jan 2014

Mau Mau Crucible Of War: Statehood, National Identity And Politics In Postcolonial Kenya, Nicholas Kariuki Githuku

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

The postcolonial African state has been the subject of extensive study and scrutiny by various scholars of great repute such as Colin Legum, Crawford Young, Robert H. Jackson and Carl G. Rosberg, Pierre Englebert and Jean-Francois Bayart to name but a few. Crawford Young's work is especially interesting because of the manner in which he treats the process of state formation. Crawford Young traces the process to the early beginning of European colonization and focuses on the legacy of the colonial state after independence. Colonial appendages of old European states were, for some metropolises, no longer economically viable or sustainable …

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Integrated Motor Protein Based Nanodevices For Biomolecular Transport, Yongkuk Lee Jan 2014

Integrated Motor Protein Based Nanodevices For Biomolecular Transport, Yongkuk Lee

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

A living cell can be considered as a miniaturized device, which carries out complicated tasks such as reproduction, energy conversion and molecule transport. Many cellular functions are highly efficient and mostly performed at nanoscale, which is pursued in fields of Micro total analysis system (&mgr;-TAS) or lab-on-a-chip. Due to unique mechanical functions performing micro/nano transport with high efficiency of the chemo-mechanical energy conversion in cells, motor proteins have been emphasized to perform laboratory functions such as delivery, assembly, detection, and micro/nano-engines. However, several issues ranging from in vitro stability of motor proteins to understanding their functionalities with inorganic materials remain …

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In Vitro Recapitulation Of Functional Microvessel Using Microfluidic Platform, Xiang Li Jan 2014

In Vitro Recapitulation Of Functional Microvessel Using Microfluidic Platform, Xiang Li

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Microfluidic technologies have enabled in vitro studies to mimic in vivo microvessel environment with sufficient complexity. However, there are still existing knowledge gaps and lack of convincing evidence to demonstrate and quantify key features of a functional microvessel. In this dissertation, a physiologically realistic microvessel model was developed with a stable and mature endothelium for studying complex vascular phenomena, such as endothelial cell signaling and barrier functions with the microscopic resolution at individual cellular levels. With advanced micromanufacturing and microfluidic technologies, two types of cost-efficient, easy to operate and reproducible microchannel network devices were fabricated, and the fabricated microchannels mimicked …

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Exploring Perceptions Of Fighting On The College Campus Through A Gendered Lens, Hannah Liebreich Jan 2014

Exploring Perceptions Of Fighting On The College Campus Through A Gendered Lens, Hannah Liebreich

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

This thesis explores gender and fighting on the college campus. Recent studies that focus on the behavior of college students establish that risky behaviors, such as fighting, occur and are often normalized by students on college campuses (Armstrong and Hamilton, 2013; Kimmel, 2008; Weiss, 2013; Wechsler and Wuethrich, 2002). While these studies concentrate primarily on the role alcohol plays in social situations and in a variety of risky behaviors, they focus more broadly on college student behavior. Using a micro level analysis within the context of gender and aggression on the college campus, this thesis aims to explore the way …

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An Optimization Approach Coupling Rockfall Simulation And Slope Stability Analysis For New Rock Cut Profiles, Justin Pentz Jan 2014

An Optimization Approach Coupling Rockfall Simulation And Slope Stability Analysis For New Rock Cut Profiles, Justin Pentz

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

In this report investigation and identification of the elements of bench cut bedrock slopes that affect the rockfall characteristics was performed in order to create alternatives for highway bedrock cut slope design for the state of West Virginia. The scope of this research was to determine what geometric and material parameters effect rockfall on bench cut bedrock slopes and present design suggestions for increasing rockfall retention. Additionally as a means developing alternative slope designs a new design methodology involving slope stability and rockfall behavior was established.;In order to analyze rockfall behavior in West Virginia geology, a three dimensional version of …

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Lace: Supporting Privacy-Preserving Data Sharing In Transfer Defect Learning, Fayola Peters Jan 2014

Lace: Supporting Privacy-Preserving Data Sharing In Transfer Defect Learning, Fayola Peters

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Cross Project Defect Prediction (CPDP) is a field of study where an organization lacking enough local data can use data from other organizations or projects for building defect predictors. Research in CPDP has shown challenges in using ``other'' data, therefore transfer defect learning has emerged to improve on the quality of CPDP results. With this new found success in CPDP, it is now increasingly important to focus on the privacy concerns of data owners.;To support CPDP, data must be shared. There are many privacy threats that inhibit data sharing. We focus on sensitive attribute disclosure threats or attacks, where an …

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Investigating The Potential Of Waste Heat Recovery As A Pathway For Heavy-Duty Exhaust Aftertreatment Thermal Management, Saroj Pradhan Jan 2014

Investigating The Potential Of Waste Heat Recovery As A Pathway For Heavy-Duty Exhaust Aftertreatment Thermal Management, Saroj Pradhan

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Heavy-duty diesel (HDD) engines are the primary propulsion source for most heavy-duty vehicle freight movement and have been equipped with an array of aftertreatment devices to comply with more stringent emissions regulations. In light of concerns about the transportation sector's influence on climate change, legislators are introducing requirements calling for significant reductions in fuel consumption and thereby, greenhouse gas (GHG) emission over the coming decades. Advanced engine concepts and technologies will be needed to boost engine efficiencies. However, increasing the engine's efficiency may result in a reduction in thermal energy of the exhaust gas, thus contributing to lower exhaust temperature, …

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Mothers' Adaptation To Caring For A New Baby, Darcey N. Powell Jan 2014

Mothers' Adaptation To Caring For A New Baby, Darcey N. Powell

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

To date, most research on parents' adjustment after adding a new baby to their family unit has focused on mothers' initial transition to parenthood. This past research has examined changes in mothers' marital satisfaction and perceived well-being across the transition, and has compared their prenatal expectations to their postnatal experiences. This project assessed first-time and experienced mothers' stress and satisfaction associated with parenting, their adjustment to competing demands, and their perceived well-being longitudinally before and after the birth of a baby. Additionally, how maternal and child-related variables influenced the trajectory of mothers' postnatal adaptation was assessed. These variables included mothers' …

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Characterization Of Heavy Duty Engine Fuel Maps Used For Model Based Simulation Tools, Nitin Rana Jan 2014

Characterization Of Heavy Duty Engine Fuel Maps Used For Model Based Simulation Tools, Nitin Rana

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Characterization of fuel consumption is of critical importance for framing or modifying federal regulations for trucking industry. Due to its complexity, fuel consumption is often only known for a few test cycles which generally represent limited types of vehicle activity. It is known that vehicle fuel consumption strongly depends on the vehicle activity, chassis design and engine model year (MY), and hence poses a significant challenge while predicting fuel consumption of heavy-duty vehicles over real-world vehicle activity.;Upcoming Greenhouse Gas (GHG) regulation for 2017, engine manufacturers are required to assess heavy-duty engine fuel economy using vehicle simulation tools. With recent focus …

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The Development And Psychometric Analysis Of An Instrument To Measure A Woman's Experience Of Childbirth, Elizabeth Viens Rini Jan 2014

The Development And Psychometric Analysis Of An Instrument To Measure A Woman's Experience Of Childbirth, Elizabeth Viens Rini

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

This paper describes the development and testing of the Women's Experience in Childbirth Survey (WECS). Although many qualitative and quantitative studies of the childbirth experience have been published, there is no comprehensive instrument that measures the physical, emotional, cognitive, and social aspects of the experience. Forty nine Likert-type items were generated from review of the literature and feedback from mothers participating in two pilot studies. Content validity was analyzed with both pilot studies. For this study, the WECS was administered to 305 inpatient post-partum women at two community hospitals. A sub sample of women completed the WECS at least two …

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Development Of A Mechanical Vapor-Compression Distiller Incorporating Concentrated Solar Power, Garrett Tyler Rinker Jan 2014

Development Of A Mechanical Vapor-Compression Distiller Incorporating Concentrated Solar Power, Garrett Tyler Rinker

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

The demand for a reliable energy supply has promoted the development of the Marcellus Shale gas industry in the past few years. However, the produced water from hydraulic fracturing (also known as fracking) poses a hazard to human and environmental health because of its dissolved solid, hydrocarbon, and heavy metal content. This research proposes to develop a portable solar power assisted water distiller which can process produced water on-site for natural gas wells.;The distillation technology developed is a small scale mechanical vapor-compression (MVC) distillation unit. The thermal energy for the evaporation of the water is provided by the solar energy, …

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