Digital Commons Network^™

Maid In Voyage: Maid Marian And Female Heroism In Twentieth Century Retellings Of The Legend Of Robin Hood, Evelyn Mooar Perry

Open Access Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Solar Ultraviolet Radiation In The Sea And Photoinhibitory Effects On Natural Phytoplankton Populations, Jennifer Eileen Prentice

Open Access Dissertations

No abstract provided.

The Effect Of Solar Ultraviolet Radiation On Marine Planktonic Ciliate Survival And The Penetration Of Ultraviolet Irradiance On Georges Bank, Elena Berneita Martin-Webb

Open Access Dissertations

No abstract provided.

The Recent Asian Financial Crises: Possible Lessons And Implications For South Africa, Joseph J. Norton

Faculty Journal Articles and Book Chapters

No abstract provided.

Teen Pregnancy: A Cross-Cultural Phenomenon But A Western Problem?, Tina Brown

Nebraska Anthropologist

Teen pregnancy (broadened to "premarital pregnancy" for research purposes) was investigated cross-culturally. Using the electronic Human Relations Area Files and literature review, attitudes toward premarital pregnancy, the incidence of premarital pregnancies, and outcomes of premarital pregnancies were compared in "African" and "Eurasian" social systems (as defined by Goody, 1976). Despite considerahle variance, there were no significant differences in approval or disapproval of premarital sex or pregnancy in African and Eurasian systems. There was no difference in incidence rates of premarital pregnancy in African and Eurasian systems; however. not taking marital status into consideration. developing countries have higher rates of adolescent …

A Comparison Of Dental And Skeletal Changes Between Rapid Palatal Expansion And Nickel Titanium Palatal Expansion., Christopher Ciambotti

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Expansion of the maxilla is used to correct skeletal and dental transverse discrepancies between the maxilla and mandible. These discrepancies are corrected through a combination of skeletal expansion (separation of the maxillary midpalatal suture) and dental expansion ( lateral tipping of the maxillary posterior teeth). A recently introduced temperature-activated, nickel titanium (NITI) palatal expander is claimed to produce a light, continuous force which is capable of expanding the maxilla and correcting molar rotations. The skeletal and dental effects of the NITI expander on the maxilla have not been scientifically evaluated. The purpose of this study was to evaluate and compare …

A Gis Design For Honeybee Management Prototype And Assessment., Jesse Peter Bellavance

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

The objective of this thesis project is to design and develop a Geographic Information System (GIS) operation for the primary purpose of managing apiary site information by the state honeybee inspector for West Virginia. Presently, information related to each apiary site is recorded through the use of registration forms, which are mailed and later stored in file cabinets. At this point the flow of information concerning the practice of beekeeping is stymied. Using these filed registration forms as a useful database of information is unwieldy, if not impossible. The purpose of this study is to determine whether a GIS system …

Bacterial Adherence To Orthodontic Brackets: An In Vitro Study., Lawrence Joseph Kalaskey Iii

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Different orthodontic appliances possesses distinct surface characteristics that enhance bacterial colonization therefore, increasing the risk for caries. The objectives in this study were to evaluate three bracket types by first, to optimize two bacterial indicators strain concentrations and incubation times, and, second, to determine the differences in adherence to these brackets, in vitro. 54 metallic(M), polycarbonate(PC) and ceramic(C) brackets, respectively were used with Streptococcus mutans (ATCC 25175) and Lactobacilli casei (ATCC 393) as the bacteria. The indicator strains were incubated for 48-72hrs at 37C /CO2 then colony forming units(CFU’s) per ml. were counted in triplicates and measured by JSM-6400 S.E.M. …

The Development Of A Benchtop Composting Reactor For Bioremediation Of Pesticides., Christopher Edward Prigge

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

There has been an increased interest in composting because of the benefits provided to both farmer and industry. These benefits include reductions in pesticides, water pollutants such as nitrogen in water runoff, volume reductions of manure and other waste products, a reduction in harmful pathogens, and cost reductions associated with normal disposal methods. With local, state, and national regulations becoming stricter on how waste is disposed of, it is obvious that composting is the best and most cost effective alternative. Once the compost is completely cured it can be sold to cover expenses of equipment, and laborers. Often, if done …

An Analysis Of The Trends In Energy Conservation Studies Of The Iac Program., Nithya Sundararajan

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Small and medium-sized manufacturing plants (those with fewer than 500 employees) represent more than 98 percent of the more than 374,000 establishments in the U.S. manufacturing industry, 64 percent of employees in the total manufacturing labor force, and more than 42 percent of total manufacturing energy consumption. In 1976 the federal government started funding industrial energy audits for small and medium sized manufacturing firms under the auspices of the Industrial Assessment Centers (IAC) that are spread throughout the U.S. The data collected from the hundreds of energy audits that are conducted each year is collected in a database maintained by …

Texpert: Expert System For Evaluating Product Design For Worker's Safety And Health., Vikram V. Venneti

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Today, there is an increasing emphasis on the safety and health of a worker. Optimum resources are invested to ensure worker's safety. Most of the regulations, and other measures as suggested by NIOSH, OSHA and other leading safety organizations concentrate towards the steps that a worker needs to take to use a product safely. Instead, if the product itself is designed to be safe, and if the manufacturer of the product knows about the product's safety before usage, it would reduce a great deal of wastage of resources. This research is an attempt to implement the above ideology. The objective …

Backcalculation Of Pavement Layers Moduli Using Three-Dimensional Nonlinear Explicit Finite Element Analysis., Gergis W. William

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

After reviewing the existing literature on FWD testing and backcalculation algorithms, a new backcalculation approach based on Three Dimensional Finite Element Modeling (3D FEM) was developed. This approach accounts for the transient dynamic nature of FWD load, the three dimensional geometry of the pavement structure, and the friction and bonding characteristics of pavement layers interfaces. The 3D FEM backcalculation approach was used to backcalculate the layers moduli of flexible, rigid, and composite pavement sites located in West Virginia. The layers moduli of each site were also evaluated using three widely used backcalculation algorithms: MODULUS, EVERCALC, and MODCOMP. Comparison of their …

Compliance-Gaining In The Classroom: The Effects Of The Use Of Behavior Alteration Techniques And Power., Randall P. Gonyea

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

This study examined the relationship between teachers’ use of behavior alteration techniques and power, and students’ compliance. Participants rated their teachers’ BATs (pro-social or anti-social) and power (coercive, reward, legitimate, referent, or expert), along with their degree of compliance to specific teacher requests. After dividing the teachers into two groups (pro-social BATs and expert or referent power, or all other combinations), an ANCOVA was run to test the relationship between the two groups and student compliance. Contrary to the hypothesis, the groups were not found to differ on their compliance. This finding was mainly due to the co-variates (teacher nonverbal …

An Examination Of An Interpersonal Dominance Construct., John Griffin Cole

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

This study examines the validity and reliability of an interactional measure of Interpersonal Dominance. The study employed surveys from 202 college students, and examined self-report data with regards to two temperament measures (the Eysenck Personality Inventory and the Five-Factor Model of Personality), several trait communication variables (Socio-Communicative Orientation, Communication Apprehension, Self-Report of Immediacy, Shyness, and Verbal Aggression), and the interactional measure of Interpersonal Dominance as advanced by Burgoon, Johnson, and Koch (1998). The study determined that the Interpersonal Dominance measure advanced by Burgoon et al. may in fact be measuring trait communication variables, and not necessarily interaction. This study also …

Electron Paramagnetic Resonance And Electron Nuclear Double Resonance Study Of Niobium(5+) Hole Center In Cadmium Tungstate., Catalina I. Dorin

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR ) and electron nuclear double resonance (ENDOR) techniques have been used to characterize the Nb5+ hole center in CdWO4 In this center , a hole in trapped on an oxygen ion adjacent to a Nb5+ ion substituting for a W6+ Hyperfine and nuclear quadrupole interactions associated with the niobium nucleus (100% abundant, I = 9/2) dominate the EPR spectra. The measured g matrix confirms that Nb5+hole center is indeed a holelike defect. The ENDOR results provided a direct measure of the gNβN value for the nucleus responsible for the hyperfine, and served to confirm that a …

Development Of Expert Systems In Heating, Ventilating And Air-Conditioning (Hvac): An Energy Approach., Raghavendra Srinivas Chillarige

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

The recent rapid escalation of fuel costs, the instability of supplies and predicted future limitations have focussed attention on the need for a complete “re-think” on fuel and energy usage, with particular emphasis on energy conservation. Heating, Ventilation and Air-Conditioning systems are the major energy consuming equipment in any industry after the Process equipment. The design and use of HVAC systems is therefore an important decision making step in Industry. The Evaluation of heat recovery, the estimation of heating and cooling loads form the basis for using available energy efficiently. The estimation of space loads is vital for the sizing …

Uneven Development Of Nature: An Historical Geography Of Ohiopyle State Park., Richard James Hoch

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

This thesis examines the use of nature in the uneven development of Ohiopyle State Park, located sixty miles to the southeast of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The production of this park resulted from a complex system of socio-spatial relationships that existed between Ohiopyle and Pittsburgh during the city's industrialization. The thesis has two objectives: (1) to demonstrate that the park is a space of produced nature, resulting from decades of human activity; and (2) to illustrate the various ways in which the production of this park is an extension of the production of the Pittsburgh industrial space. The thesis addresses these objectives …

Managing Disruptive Behavior In Elementary Classrooms: Relative Contribution Of Time-Out When Added To A Whole-Class Token Economy., Amy Diane Herschell

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Teachers consistently report that student misbehavior and classroom management are among the most difficult and disturbing aspects of teaching (Clarizio, 1976; Peter D. Hart Research Associates, 1995). The current study was conducted to assess the behavior of four children in a regular education classroom to evaluate the effectiveness of three classroom behavior management approaches: (a) strategies already employed by the teacher, (b) the AD/HD Classroom Kit, (Kit) (McNeil, 1995) and (c) the Kit with a time out component. These three approaches were evaluated using an A-B-C-B sequence where each was employed for 17 days. Behaviors were assessed using behavioral observations …

The Effect Of The Electrode Composition On Electron Transfer Through An Electroactive Monolayer., Kwansik Yoon

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

This thesis describes the development of methods for determining the rate constants between a single type of an electroactive self-assembled monolayer on four metals: Au, Pt, Ag, and Hg. Marcus density-of-states theory predicts that the standard rate constant is proportional to the density of states (DOS) of the metal. The DOS increases by a factor of ten for the four metals above. Tafel plots are obtained from which the standard rate constant and the reorganization energy are extracted. Within experimental uncertainty, the standard rate constant is the same on Au, Pt, and Ag. Surprisingly, the reorganization energy is half as …

Microstructure And Electron Emission Characterization Of The Initial Stages Of Diamond Growth On Silicon(100)., Vikram Lilo Tolani

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Atomic force and scanning tunneling microscopes have been used to characterize the microstructure and electron emission properties of diamond films grown on Si(100). In particular, we have focussed on the evolution of these film characteristics as diamond and SiC nucleate on Si(100) at 800°C by reaction with C2H4 gas under 5x10-5torr pressure. Under these conditions, there is possibly a brief period of 2-D layer-by-layer growth, but there is a tendency for the film to rapidly convert to a 3-D growth mode marked by the persistence of small primary nuclei ~400-600Å wide and ~5-6 lattice steps high. The in-air electron emission …

"No Matter Where You Go, There You Are" But How Do We Find You? Location Determination Technologies For Cellular Enhanced 9-1-1 Service., Wendy Sue Geary

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Recently there has been an explosive growth in the use of cellular telephones. Many people purchase "cell phones" specifically for the safety factor, expecting the same type of Enhanced 911 service they receive from landline phones. However, the only 911 service currently available for cellular callers in most areas is Basic 911, which means that emergency response time may be less than optimal. A recent Federal Communications Commission regulation promotes the provision of Enhanced 911 service for wireless customers. A key component of this Enhanced service is "Automatic Location Information" ("ALI"), a computerized report of caller location that allows calls …

The Ecg Signal Processing By Adsp-21062 Digital Signal Processor., Limin Wang

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

About 350,000 people die each year due to sudden cardiac death. The use of the Implantable Cardioverter / Defibrillator (ICD) makes it possible for an emergency defibrillation system to be always available to those patients that in high risk of sudden cardiac death. For this kind of technique, real-time detection and identification of arrhythmia automatically is important. Detection of arrhythmia usually involves complex algorithmic calculations, reducing the ability to provide immediate therapy. In this project, Analog Device’s ADSP-21062 digital signal processor is introduced as a candidate for the main processor of ICD. Cross-correlation, a method for detecting arrhythmias, is used …

An Evaluation Of Avhrr Ndvi Data For Monitoring Western Spruce Budworm Defoliation., Zainal Abdul Majeed

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

This thesis is an evaluation of the possibility of using NOAA Advanced Very High Resolution Radiometer (AVHRR) satellite imagery to map defoliation by the western spruce budworm in Washington and Oregon. The AVHRR data was obtained as Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) maximum value composites from the USGS. Additional data sets included ten years of defoliation data (1989-1998), an EPA ecoregion map, a USFS forest type group map, and a digital elevation model. A biogeographical analysis of the distribution of the defoliation and its potential habitat showed that defoliation was most extensive over the altitude ranges over which the habitat …

A Case Study For Building An Automated Damage Detection System., Eduard S. Sazonov

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Non-destructive damage detection using vibration techniques provides a valuable tool in identification of damage and monitoring of structural integrity in structures. Earlier research had shown that use of strain energy mode shapes allows identifying and locating damage. A highly qualified expert is required in order to analyze acquired mode shapes and recognize damage locations.

This research investigates several aspects of building an automated damage detection system utilizing the method of strain energy mode shapes. Such a system would replace a human expert at the most critical part of damage detection process. The study had been conducted using a FE model …

Assertion Seeding: Development Of Program Instrumentation Through Iterative Formal Analysis., Vikram Nagulakonda

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Model Checking has been successfully used for validating the requirements of concurrent systems, but validating requirements does not guarantee a sound implementation. We combine the power of model checking with source code assertions to verify concurrent systems. Assertions have been used for detecting software faults during debugging and for run-time checking in production releases of software. We developed the Model-based Assertion Generator and Extraction Tool (MAGET) to extract a PROMELA state model from an assertion-annotated Java program. The extracted model is then validated against properties specified in linear temporal logic (LTL) and the results of the validation process are used …

The Application Of Finite Difference Method And Matlab In Engineering Plates., Bohe Wang

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

The biharmonic equation is used to model the deflections arising in two dimensional rectangular orthotropic symmetric laminate plates. The plate can be subjected to external perpendicular forces and one is interested in the resulting deflections. Various boundary conditions can be applied to the problem. The edges can be simply supported, clamped, or free. In this work, an automatic procedure is defined which produces the difference equations for each edge boundary case. The procedure is illustrated, using MATLAB, with numerical results for problems with and without exact analytical solutions.

Neural Networks For Control Signal Reconstruction In Non-Linear Systems With An Application To Aircraft Dynamics., Stelios Pantelis Pispitsos

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

In recent years, general, commercial and military aviation has been plagued by the occurrence of several crashes, in which faulty control surfaces appeared to be the cause, or one of the possible causes. Typically, the National Transportation and Safety Board (NTSB) begins its investigation by analyzing the wreckage along with the flight data recorder (FDR) and cockpit voice recorder (CVR). In most instances this combination of information is enough for the NTSB to discover the cause of the crash, but unfortunately this is not always the case. From this the argument can be made that there is a need for …

The Evolution Of Adult Literacy For Learners With Special Needs., Susie A. Huggins

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

This thesis looks at the evolution of adult education over the last 340 years and includes a discussion on Moonlight Schools and Operation Alphabet. The educational abilities of men and women are discussed. The evolution of adult education is reviewed through the legislation that effected the school system. The history of Literacy Volunteers of America (LVA) and the role of the Monongalia County LVA affiliate are reviewed. A survey of the MCLVA is conducted to research educational attainment of parents, adult learners and children of adult learners. Finally, the WV driver’s license exam process is reviewed. Many adult learners have …

The Relative Efficacy Of Computer Assisted Instruction., Dane Edward Huxford

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

This manuscript examines the relative efficacy of computer assisted instruction (CAI). A review of literature is examined with regard to the positive and negative aspects of the use of CAI in the university classroom. An experimental design was outlined incorporating the use of 3 teachers instructing 3 separate sections of volunteer students on a topic. The design measured the differences between affective learning, cognitive learning and student perceptions of teacher nonverbal immediacy. Participants were randomly assigned to a class, which utilized either: lecture, handout or the use of CAI. Results showed significant differences between teachers and a slight difference in …

The Agglomeration Of Cement To Facilitate Transportation., Huma E. Hakim

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

The objective of this research was to develop a technique to agglomerate cement powder. This was done to facilitate its transportation and to prevent problems faced in conveying cement powder such as cement dusting as well as respiratory problems for workers coming in contact with cement dust. The final agglomerates formed were required to produce concrete with properties as close as possible to that of concrete formed from untreated cement. The agglomeration was carried out in a blender by adding a binder solution. A number of binder-solvent combinations were tested. Successful formation of granules was achieved and subsequently these were …