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Essays On The Effects Of Womens Rights On Female Brain Drain., Maryam Naghsh Nejad

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

This dissertation investigates the effects of gender discrimination, proxied by a women's rights index, on the female high-skilled migration rates relative to that of male (the female brain drain ratio). First, by developing a model of migration choice I find non-linear effects of gender discrimination on the female brain drain ratio as a result of effects of gender discrimination on both costs and benefits of migration. At low levels of women's rights, increases in the index lead to increases in the female brain drain ratio. At very low levels of women's rights, it is often prohibitively costly for females to …

Degradation Studies Of Flexible Optoelectronic Device Electrodes, Theodros S. Bejitual

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Flexible transparent electrodes offer significant advantages, such as low cost, large area, light weight, conformability, robustness, and ease of roll-to-roll manufacturing and processing. They are routinely used as anodes in organic light emitting diodes, liquid crystal displays, touch panels, solar cells, solid state lightings, energy harvesting, and biomedical applications to name a few examples. However, the electromechanical and corrosion issues involved when the device is stressed and/or in contact with acid containing components both during manufacturing and/or in service conditions have to be investigated in order to improve, and predict reliability.;The primary objective of this research is to investigate the …

Occupational Risk Factors In Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease, Bent C. Doney

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Introduction: Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) causes increased disability and mortality in the U.S. population. Approximately 15% of cases of COPD can be attributed to occupational exposure. There are gaps in the knowledge of the relationships between occupational exposure and COPD and further investigation can provide information helpful in improving COPD preventive strategies in the workplace. The objective of this project was to assess COPD prevalence in population based studies and characterize the relationship between COPD and occupational exposure.;Methods/Results: Three separate U.S. population-based cross-sectional studies of COPD were conducted. In the first study, a COPD job exposure matrix (JEM) was …

Gas-Phase Reactions Of Methamphetamine With Hydroxyl Radicals And Ozone, Crystal D. Forester

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Gas-phase reactions involving methamphetamine, the hydroxyl radical (OH·), and ozone (O3) at (297 +/- 3) K and 1 atmosphere total pressure were investigated. A bimolecular rate constant, kOH·+methamphetamine, (960 +/- 100) x 10 -12 cm3molecule-1s-1, was measured using the relative rate technique for reactions of methamphetamine with OH·. Pseudo first-order techniques were used to measure the bimolecular rate constant, kO3+methamphetamine , (2.7 +/- 0.5) x 10-17 cm3molecule -1s-1 for reactions of methamphetamine with O 3. Product studies to determine the degradation of methamphetamine in the gasphase were conducted and the products of these reactions were identified. The positively identified methamphetamine/OH· …

Microfluidic Impedance-Metric Biosensor For Monitoring Carbon Nanotube-Induced Epithelial Permeability, Zhouchun Huang

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Carbon nanomaterials, including carbon nanotubes (CNTs) gain increasing interest in commercial and biomedical applications. Adverse health effects of engineered CNTs may result from either direct exposure during production, inadvertent exposure during use of by-products, and/or release of these materials into the environment. Recent studies have shown that CNTs can induce cytotoxicity, apoptosis, DNA damage, and tumor formation in animals, suggesting their potential toxicity in humans. To address the current needs in developing in vitro cell assays for assessment of the adverse health effects of CNTs in lung respiratory, we have developed a microfluidic impedance-metric biosensor for investigation of multi-walled CNTs …

Development Of Synthetic Pathways For Carbon Nanohoops, Yiwei Huang

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

A synthetic pathway was developed for the preparation of a precursor of a [6]cycloparaphenylene derivative, which represents the shortest repeating carbon nanohoop segment of an armchair (6,6) carbon nanotube. As a key intermediate of the synthetic sequence, trans,trans-1,4-di(4-bromophenyl)-1,3-butadiene was synthesized by using the Homer-Wadsworth-Emmons reaction between 4-bromocinnamaldehyde and diethyl 4-bromobenzylphosphonate reported in the literature. The use of BF3˙OEt2 as a Lewis acid for the Lewis acid-catalyzed Diels-Alder reaction between trans,trans-1 ,4- di(4-bromophenyl)-1,3-butadiene and 1,4-benzoquinone was successful in producing cis-5,8-di(4-bromophenyl)-5,8-dihydro-1 ,4-naphthalenediol. The Diels-Alder reaction ensures that the two 4-bromophenyl substituents are cis to each other in the sixmembered ring, which is …

A Comparison Of Responses And Exteroceptive Stimuli As Time Markers, Adam E. Fox

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Time markers are events that are predictive of when future events will occur. Different events can serve as time markers that initiate intervals in schedules of reinforcement. Pigeons were exposed to fixed-interval (FI) schedules in which the onset of the interval was signaled by the illumination of a key light, initiated by a peck to a lighted key, or a combination of both events. In these variations of fixed-interval schedules, food was delivered contingent on the first response after the interval elapsed. In Experiment 1, three pigeons were exposed to a multiple schedule. One component was a standard FI schedule; …

Characterizing The Variability In Particulate Mass Emissions From Current Model Year Diesel And Natural Gas Engines, Pragalath Thiruvengadam Padmavathy

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

The objective of this study is to discern and characterize the factors contributing to the variability in Particulate Matter (PM) mass emissions from current model year diesel and natural gas engines observed during in-use chassis dynamometer testing and compare it with an alternate method of mass measurement involving instantaneous particle size distribution and number count. The study involves the analysis of engine and chassis dynamometer data collected from different engine technologies and chassis dynamometer test cycles in order compare the variability in gravimetric PM mass as well as the PM mass estimated by number-concentration.;PM and oxides of nitrogen (NOx) have …

Stress And Obesity: Facilitation Of Neuroendocrine And Autonomic Nervous System Recovery From Stress While Eating Comfort Foods?, Paula R. Prentice

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Obesity and dysfunctional eating are prevalent and costly concerns in the United States and throughout the world (CDC, 2007; Mathus-Vliegen et al., 2008). Research into the etiology of these conditions points to problems regulating eating, particularly during times of stress. The animal literature suggests that eating during and following stress may lead to a more immediate physiological recovery from stress (e.g., Bulwalkda et al., 2001; Pecoraro et al., 2004). The present study was designed to test this phenomenon in humans; that is, to determine if eating a favorite food immediately after stress would lead to enhanced physiological recovery from stress; …

Performance Enhancement Of Automatic Generation Control By Developing A Detailed Load Frequency Control Model And An Adaptive Performance Index Criterion, Kaveh Rahimi

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

The imbalance between electrical loads and power supplied by the system generators causes the frequency deviations in a power system. Maintaining the frequency close to its nominal value as well as in its allowed deviation range is the first objective of the automatic generation control (AGC). Nowadays, in interconnected power systems, several control areas are connected to each other by tie-lines and power is transferred between control areas based on a specific schedule. The second objective of automatic generation control is to keep the tie-lines power flow close to their secluded values.;An accurate and realistic load frequency control (LFC) model …

Systematic Analysis Of Carbon Nanotubes Toxicity In Cellular Systems, Gabrielle Rogers-Nieman

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

As the applied use for carbon nanotubes (CNTs) increases across engineering and biomedical sectors, a clear understanding of the deleterious effects surrounding CNT-induced toxicity, namely genotoxicity, is required. Currently, the exact genotoxic mechanisms that surround CNT-induced mitotic disruption that result in aneuploidy are not completely understood. Thus, there is a need for clear mechanical models to be formulated. Herein a comprehensive overview of the nanotube toxicity is provided insisting on the aspects related to CNTs genotoxicity.;In Chapter 1, I am providing a review of the current research in the CNT-s induced toxicity. I start by defining these members of the …

The Modernist Sublime: Parenthood And The Intersubjective Sublime Subject In Faulkner, Forster, Lawrence, And Woolf, Erin K. Johns Speese

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

This project explores how the modern novel restructures traditional conceptions of the Romantic sublime through complex depictions of parenthood. Using related strategies of representation, William Faulkner, E.M. Forster, D.H. Lawrence, and Virginia Woolf rewrite the traditional sublime as an intersubjective experience, dependent upon the recognition of social objectification and an ethics of reciprocal sympathy between mothers and fathers. Ultimately, The Modernist Sublime contributes to modernist scholarship by exploring the dynamics of modernist representations of parenthood and by focusing attention on how modernist authors reconsider the function of the sublime in the modern world.;Juxtaposing traditional aesthetics and Slavoj Žižek's concept of …

Investigating The Effect Of Humor Communication Skills Training On Pro-Social And Anti-Social Humor Styles, Cognitive Learning, Self-Efficacy, Motivation, And Humor Use, Lori E. Vela

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Humor is an important aspect of interpersonal interactions as it is linked to the development and maintenance of relationships (Merolla, 2006). The purpose of this dissertation was to test the effect of a humor communication skills training program on the ability to minimize anti-social humor (i.e., aggressive, self-defeating) and enhance pro-social humor (i.e., affiliative, self-enhancing) in interpersonal interactions. Working from the framework of Social Cognitive Theory (Bandura, 1986, 2001), the effect of the humor skills training on self-efficacy, motivation, positive and negative humor use, and cognitive learning were also examined. Data were collected at baseline, post-training, and at a two …

Beef Heifer Growth And Reproductive Performance Responses Following Two Levels Of Fall Stockpiled Forage Allocation, Bobbi Lynn Bailey

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Recent research on heifer development systems has been conducted primarily in dry-lot settings and limited information exists comparing systems which utilize standing forage (Larson and Funston, 2011). Objectives of the research presented here include: 1) comparing heifer growth and reproductive performance in response to two levels of stockpiled fall forage allocation: daily herbage DM allocation of 3.5 (LO) or 7.0 (HI) % of BW; and 2) assessing the seasonal dynamics of forage quality, herbage mass, and botanical composition of naturalized pastures containing mixed cool-season species in response to two different fall stocking rates (HI vs LO). Treatments were replicated 3 …

Surfaces Modulate Β-Amyloid Peptide Aggregation Associated With Alzheimer's Disease., Elizabeth Anne Yates

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

A hallmark of Alzheimer's disease, a late onset neurodegenerative disease, is the presence of neuritic amyloid plaques deposited within the brain composed of β-amyloid (Aβ) peptide aggregates. Aβ can aggregate into a variety of polymorphic aggregate structures under different chemical environments, specifically affected by the presence of differing surfaces. There are several point mutations clustered around the central hydrophobic core of Aβ (E22G Arctic mutation, E22K Italian mutation, D23N Iowa mutation, and A21G Flemish mutation). These mutations are associated with hereditary diseases ranging from almost pure cerebral amyloid angiopathy to typical Alzheimer's disease pathology with both plaques and tangles. To …

Costume Design For Lend Me A Tenor., Alexandria Vazquez

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

In Ken Ludwig’s Lend Me a Tenor, the audience is transported to the year 1934 and is given a glimpse of the behind-the-scenes antics that the employees of the Cleveland Grand Opera Company experience while preparing for a momentous performance of Otello with the famous Italian Tenor ‘Il Stupendo’, Tito Merelli. The study of this play’s historical context helped serve as the springboard for an original costume design to support the spirit of a farcical production at West Virginia University’s School of Theatre & Dance. Through an analysis of the social context, styles, and fashions of the time period and …

Chopped, Dropped & Rolled., Michael F. Loop

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

This thesis, in support of my exhibition, encompasses two of my passions; art and automobiles. In conjunction with my background in automotive restoration and backyard tinkering, I transform industrial materials, inherent to working on vehicles, (Bondo, automotive paint, hand-formed steel) into processes for art making. The pieces in this exhibition serve as an investigation into the process of making, while also paying homage to the canon of Modern and Postmodern art theories and practices, specifically Minimalism, Color Field painting, and Abstract Expressionism.

Do Forensic Interviewing Methods Or The Presentation Of Research Findings Effect Juror's Perceptions Of Child Witnesses?, Pamela Tessier

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

It is not uncommon for children to be called to testify as eyewitnesses in court cases. In cases of child sexual abuse, children are often the only witness to the crime and are thus relied upon for truthful testimony in the case. Given a number of different forensic interviewing techniques, jurors may find themselves looking at some interview techniques as more credible and truth-inducing than others. This study aimed to find how much, if any, influence the type of interview used with the child has on the individual juror. It also aimed to assess the effect that presenting research findings …

Improvement Of The Dielectric Breakdown Strength And Leakage Currents Of Nano-Sized Cfo Pzt Particulate Composite Thin Film With High Particle Loadings By Controlled Percolation For Magnetoelectric Applications., Tomas Ignacio Muchenik Cena

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Magnetic and electric properties of a nano-sized particulate composite thin film consisting of non-percolating 11 nm superparamagnetic CoF e2O4 (CFO, Cobalt Ferrite) particles dispersed in a pure perovskite P b[Zr0.52T i0.48]O3 (PZT, Lead Zirconate Titanate) matrix have been studied. The main objective of the study was to fabricate a composite with high particle loading conserving good dielectric breakdown strength (DBS) and leakage currents, which are commonly decreased at high loadings levels due to percolation. In this work, a composite with 38 vol% particulate loading showing no sign of percolation was prepared and characterized by DBS, leakage and polarization measurements. This …

Attitude Of Saudi Female Math Teachers Toward Integrating E-Learning In Teaching Math At High Schools In Saudi Arabia, Aishah M. Albalawi

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Leaders in government and education have launched an extensive program to reform general education in Saudi Arabia. This initiative was designed to achieve many goals with a major emphasis being the enhancement of the Saudi curriculum to take advantage of the use of technology to improve education. A goal of this project was for e-learning to be a part of public education in an attempt to improve student learning and to make education accessible to all citizens.;This study was designed to examine high school female math teachers' attitudes toward the use of e-learning in teaching mathematics in selected high schools …

Evaluation Of The Effects Of Aggregate Gradation And Compaction Effort On The Voids In Mineral Aggregate In Asphalt Concrete, Logan Bessette

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Asphalt concrete should resist short-term rutting, provide resistance to thermal cracking, and maintain structural integrity through the design life of the structure. Balancing these factors is achieved by ensuring adequate asphalt binder in a strong aggregate structure. The design asphalt content is decreased by applying additional compaction effort in the form of increased gyrations in the Superpave Gyrator Compactor. The mixes that undergo increased compaction effort present decreased fatigue life, although they resist short-term rutting. Mixes that undergo less compaction effort contain more binder and have long fatigue lives, although they are susceptible to rutting.;Two hypotheses were tested to determine …

An Exploration Of Master's Degree Field Study And Teacher And Student Behavior In P.E, William J. Davis

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

This study analyzed two teacher and their corresponding student behavioral systems to determine whether discipline-specific ongoing education may play a role in gaining expertise in physical education. Field systems analysis (FSA) was used to analyze an all-encompassing categorical system, which was created by induction and then used to deductively analyze the two teachers and their corresponding students. Interview data were used as well, in conjunction with FSA, to understand more completely what role each teacher's ongoing education may have played in their behavioral systems. Both teachers received training from the same undergraduate physical education program and were of the same …

Survival, Injury, And Antibiotic Resistance Patterns Of Cronobacter Sakazakii And Escherichia Coli Resulting From Exposure To Low-Temperature Ground Water, Alisha L. Dailey

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Bacteria are constantly being exposed to changing conditions in the environment. Exposure to adverse conditions such as pH, temperature, and desiccation may cause stress to the bacteria, potentially resulting in loss of viability and growth. Cronobacter sakazakii and Escherichia coli were exposed to cold temperature (4°C) and room temperature (24°C) nutrient-limiting groundwater. As a function of time (0 to 15 days), samples were removed from the stress and analyzed. Response of stressed cells was evaluated by three approaches: (i) traditional viable cell counts (nonselective and selective media), (ii) substrate utilization patterns (BIOLOG GN microplates), and (iii) antibiotic resistance patterns (modified …

Identification Of Conserved Protein Kinase Ck2 And 14-3-3 Target Sites In Neurogenic Transcriptional Regulators, Lucas Matthew Jozwick

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

In the decades following the identification of CK2 as the first 'phosphotransferase', a great deal has been learned regarding its biological importance. In one developmental context, CK2 regulates cell fate decisions during Drosophila neurogenesis by activating the E(spl)M8 repressor, a terminal effector of the Notch pathway. The finding that CK2 is intimately involved in retinal cell determination propelled a search for additional neurogenic factors regulated by CK2. Here, using bioinformatics and biochemical assays, the transcription factors E(spl)Mgamma, Extramacrochaetae, and Sine Oculis were identified and characterized as targets of CK2. Significantly, each of these factors is expressed at distinct time points …

Secondary Coal Seam As A Barrier To Co2 Leakage, Zainab Sahib Jawad

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Geologic formations, such as unmineable or depleted coal seams, are considered to be potential reservoirs for CO2 storage. Coal seams are naturally fractured reservoirs which consist of primary and secondary cleat networks. During production, coalbed methane (CBM) is desorbed from the coal surface and flows through the cleat network. When carbon dioxide (CO2) is injected into a coal seam, large amount of the injected CO2 is sorbed on the coal surface due to the greater affinity of CO2 towards coal than methane. This provides two advantages: potential CO 2 storage and enhanced coalbed methane recovery. Several pilot studies have been …

Swedish Legislation Targeting Trafficking For Sexual Exploitation And The Possibilities For Implementation In Estonia, Jennifer E. Lyall

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Human trafficking is a human rights problem affecting all regions of the world. Various approaches have been utilized in attempts to eliminate the trade in human beings. In 1999, Sweden instituted a law to ban the purchase of sexual services, viewing prostitution as inherently violent and a contributing factor of human trafficking for sexual exploitation. This thesis determines that banning the purchase of sex is a legitimate and effective measure in combatting human trafficking for sexual exploitation. This thesis then discusses the Estonian sex industry and the possibilities for implementation of a similar sex purchase ban. Obstacles include Estonia's historical …

Brief Assessment Of Distress And Pain, Laura L. Quentin

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Pain has been conceptualized as a mixture of physical and psychological factors that are indicative of actual or potential damage to one's physical being. The experience of pain is a complex interaction of somatic, behavioral, affective, and cognitive components. Of particular interest is the growing body of literature regarding the roles that negative psychological states such as anxiety, fear, and depression have in the contribution of poorer outcomes for individuals suffering from painful conditions. Specifically, these psychological concerns can exacerbate the overall experience of pain and lead to higher rates of dysfunction and disability. Given the importance of these variables, …

Characterization Of Fate And Biological Degradation Processes Attenuating Imx-101 Munition Constituents In The Environment, Thomas Richard

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

As trinitrotoluene (TNT) is replaced with insensitive munition formulations (i.e., IMX-101) that are safer to handle in military mortars, the potential release of IMX-101 munition constituents to the environment is likely to increase. IMX-101 is a composition of 2,4-dinitroanisole (DNAN), 3-nitro-1,2,4-trizole-5-one (NTO), and 1-nitroguanidine (NQ). Currently there is little data on transport and fate of DNAN and NTO in the environment. Reported herein is an evaluation of various attenuation processes that explosives are commonly subject to in the environment, specifically: 1) rainfall driven dissolution of munition fragments, 2) adsorption of dissolved munitions onto soils, 3) biological degradation of munitions, and …

Modeling Of High Pressure Confined Inflatable Structures, Jerry C. Wong

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Safety of transportation tunnels is a top priority among transportation agencies and public administrators and a very important aspect in the daily operation of a tunnel system. However, it is always a challenge to create and integrate protection systems in existing tunnels to prevent or at least mitigate the occurrence of hazardous events such as spread of smoke or noxious fumes, flooding, among others. Typically there two ways for preventing or mitigating the occurrence of hazardous events: one is the implementation of permanent solutions and, the second one, is the use of temporary solutions. Permanent solutions usually have relatively high …

The Health Sciences And Technology Academy (Hsta): A Case Study Of The Community Impact Of A 9th Through 12th Grade After School Pipeline Program, Catherine Morton-Mcswain

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

This is a qualitative case study designed to examine the viewpoints community members have about the after-school Health Sciences Technology Academy (HSTA) pipeline program for students in grades nine through twelve. The program is designed to foster success and improve the college going rate of under-represented students or what one colleague described as "kids on the bubble." There is little existing literature that examines community impact from the outside or gives voice to community members.

Health Sciences and Technology Academy (HSTA) has been in existence for 19 years in 26 of the 55 counties in West Virginia. It requires a …