Digital Commons Network^™

Mathematics Professional Development Needs Of General Education And Special Education Teachers, Kathryn L. Servilio

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

The Mathematics Professional Development Inventory (MPDI) was designed to assess the teachers' rating of areas they need math content knowledge, professional development need of mathematics content knowledge, an academic area in which they need more knowledge, an academic area in which they feel they do not need more knowledge, their ability to teach mathematics, professional development need for teaching mathematics, their need for more strategies for teaching mathematics, and an area in which they do not need more strategies for teaching mathematics. This quantitative study used a non-parametric test to examined the relationship between variables of teacher demographics (mathematics teachers …

The Effect Of Different Road Load Implementation Strategies On Fuel Economy Of Usps Step Vans, Seiar Ahmad Zia

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

West Virginia University (WVU) is continuously improving and updating their testing quality, procedures and goals. As tests are conducted on the Transportable Heavy Duty Vehicle Emissions Testing Laboratory (THDVETL), real world implementation is crucial in order to compare and contrast vehicles within fleets, use of exhaust aftertreatment devices and hybridized vehicles. WVU implements road loads on the chassis dynamometer using a method described in 40 CFR §86.1229-85. The proposed method requires three variables from the vehicle: maximum height, maximum width and vehicle weight. The issue with this method arises due to the fact that it does not cover a wide …

Estimating Economic Risk Using Monte Carlo Enterprise Budgets, Edward Barrow Rayburn

Faculty & Staff Scholarship

Discusses how to construct and use a monte carlo budget to evaluate economic risk.

Methodological Note: On Using Personal Digital Assistants (Pdas) For Survey Administration In The Study Of Youth Development, Mona M. Abo-Zena, Amy Eva Alberts Warren, Sonia S. Isaac, Dan Du, Erin Phelps, Richard M. Lerner, Robert W. Roeser

Psychology Faculty Publications and Presentations

Applied developmental scientists face the challenge of identifying research methods that enable the efficient collection of data from youth of diverse social backgrounds (e.g., ethnic. racial, religious, economic) and varying levels cognitive-linguistic and attentional skills. In addition, because access to youth during school time is often limited by educators’ desire to preserve instructional time, finding methodologies to collect data from youth that are highly efficient, and also those that are feasible in less structured settings, are needed. This article outlines some of the benefits and limitations of using a voice enhanced survey delivered on a personal digital assistants (PDA) as …

Functional Interleukin-17 Receptor A Is Expressed In Central Nervous System Glia And Upregulated In Experimental Autoimmune Encephalomyelitis., Jayasri Das Sarma, Bogoljub Ciric, Ryan Marek, Sanjoy Sadhukhan, Michael L. Caruso, Jasmine Shafagh, Denise C. Fitzgerald, Kenneth S. Shindler, Am Rostami

Department of Neurology Faculty Papers

BACKGROUND: Interleukin-17A (IL-17A) is the founding member of a novel family of inflammatory cytokines that plays a critical role in the pathogenesis of many autoimmune diseases, including multiple sclerosis (MS) and its animal model, experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE). IL-17A signals through its receptor, IL-17RA, which is expressed in many peripheral tissues; however, expression of IL-17RA in the central nervous system (CNS) and its role in CNS inflammation are not well understood.

METHODS: EAE was induced in C57Bl/6 mice by immunization with myelin oligodendroglial glycoprotein. IL-17RA expression in the CNS was compared between control and EAE mice using RT-PCR, in situ …

Joint Advertising And Brand Congruity: Effects On Memory And Attitudes, Sang Y. Lee

Faculty & Staff Scholarship

This research examined how brand congruity in joint advertising affects individuals’ processing of advertising messages. An experiment was conducted whereby ads promoting two congruent or incongruent brands were presented to subjects under low versus high processing load. Results showed that advertising messages for congruent brands were better remembered under both high and low processing loads. However, ads with congruent brands led to positive attitudes only when subjects’ processing resources were constrained. These findings suggest congruent brands that appear in joint ads have a clear advantage over incongruent brands. The results have both practical and theoretical implications.

A Collaborative Approach To Information Literacy: First-Year Composition, Writing Center, And Library Partnerships At West Virginia University, Laura Brady

Faculty & Staff Scholarship

No abstract provided.

Construction Of A Transgene To Analyze The Function Of The 3’Utr Of The Hdc Gene On Spatial Expression Of Histidine Decarboxylase In Drosophila Melanogaster, Embriette Hyde, Martin G. Burg

Student Summer Scholars Manuscripts

Histamine has been shown to be an important neurotransmitter used in the nervous system of Drosophila melanogaster. Histidine decarboxylase (HDC) is the enzyme that catalyzes the synthesis of histamine. All genetic information necessary for Hdc gene expression has been shown to be present in a 9.4kb genomic DNA fragment. A previous study fused the 5'-UTR of Hdc to the gene encoding eGFP. Microscopic analysis of flies transformed with the pHdc-eGFP transgene showed a weak pattern of eGFP expression in the nervous system as compared to histamine localization, indicating that another genomic region may be necessary for robust Hdc expression. Studies …

Modeling Problem Solving: Creating And Evaluating, Kaitlin M. Downey, Nathan Barrows

Student Summer Scholars Manuscripts

The purpose of this project was to create novice-level screencasts and to investigate students’ perceptions and usage of them. A survey of 61 general chemistry students revealed polarity, Lewis structures, molecular geometry, and bond polarity to be topics of greatest concern. Over 25 screencasts were created using Camtasia Studio software and a Dell TabletPC. A blog (http://mi-chemed.net) was created to host the tutorials and monitor student usage. After students registered and logged in to the blog, their viewing patterns were recorded. They were encouraged to comment on the content and technical features of the videos (e.g. animations). Online comments and …

Outlook Magazine, Winter 2009

Outlook Magazine

No abstract provided.

Outlook Magazine, Summer 2009

Outlook Magazine

No abstract provided.

The Role Of Siblings In The Habilitation Of Families With Children Who Are Deaf Or Hard-Of-Hearing, Lyndsey Jalvia

Independent Studies and Capstones

Siblings play a vital role in the health of a family as they adjust to having a child who is deaf or hard-of-hearing. In this project, a series of workshops has been designed for the siblings of children with a hearing loss to help better understand hearing loss and foster healthy sibling relationships.

Spelling Errors In Children Who Are Deaf, Laura Ann Houston

Independent Studies and Capstones

This is a descriptive study that analyzes the spelling abilities as well as a specific spelling error made by children between the ages of 5 and 9 who are deaf and wear cochlear implants.

The Influence Of Siblings On The Development Of Social Skills In Children Who Are Deaf Or Hard Of Hearing, Lindsay Poole

Independent Studies and Capstones

A study observing the influence of siblings or lack thereof, birth order and vocabulary skills on social skills of adolescent cochlear implant recipients using ratings from their parents.

Developing Language While Out In The Community, Anne Leblanc

Independent Studies and Capstones

This is an informal study centering on the needs of parents of children who are deaf or hearing impaired. The information analyzed and obtained focused on the role of parents in their children’s lives.

Using Love And Logic At Home: A Workshop For Parents Of Children Who Are Deaf Or Hard Of Hearing, Brittany Barney

Independent Studies and Capstones

Research supporting a workshop about using Love and Logic techniques at home, tailored for parents of children who are deaf or hard of hearing.

Teaching Written Language To Students Who Are Deaf Or Hard Of Hearing, Elizabeth Giddens

Independent Studies and Capstones

This Independent Study looked into the effectiveness of the Interactive Writing program in teaching writing to students who are deaf or hard of hearing. The students' writing was assessed based on writing samples and teacher observations.

Predicting Music Enjoyment In Cochlear Implant Users, Rose Bradley

Independent Studies and Capstones

Most cochlear implant (CI) users perceive music poorly. Little is known, however, about the musical enjoyment received by CI users. The author examined possible relationships between musical enjoyment and music perception tasks through the use of 1) multiple musical tests, and 2) two groups of listeners: normal-hearing (NH) listeners with a CI-simulation and actual CI users. The two groups’ performances are compared to determine whether NH participants listening to music via CI-simulation software are a good model for actual CI users for perceiving music.

Role Of Alpha Synuclein In Noise Induced Hearing Loss, Melissa Mooney

Independent Studies and Capstones

The recent discovery of the contribution of alpha synuclein in the auditory system prompted further investigation of its functional role. Auditory brainstem response (ABR) and gap detection testing were completed on wild-type and transgenic M83 mice to assess the role of alpha synuclein in noise-induced hearing loss and central auditory function.

Resources For Non-English Speaking Parents Of Children Who Are Deaf Or Hard Of Hearing And Learning English As Their Primary Language, Jennifer Olumba

Independent Studies and Capstones

This study examined culturally and linguistically diverse families with deaf and hard of hearing children. A literature review consisted of looking at the rate of immigration to the United States, English speaking parents of children who are deaf and hard of hearing, bilingual education, and the obstacles bilingual parents of children who are deaf and hard of hearing may face. The data obtained was used to compile a list of resources for parents of children who are deaf and hard of hearing available in languages other than English in order to assist these families.

An Exploration Of The Role Of Narrative Skills In Higher-Level Reading Comprehension Of Teenagers With Hearing Loss, Anita New

Independent Studies and Capstones

This Study examines the relationship between scores on adolescents’ self-generated narratives and standardized reading-comprehension scores. This relationship is also compared with the more simple language metrics: vocabulary and syntax.

Evaluation Of Different Signal Processing Options In Unilateral And Bilateral Cochlear Freedom Recipients Using R-Space Background Noise, Alison Brockmeyer

Independent Studies and Capstones

Understanding speech in the presence of noise is a difficult task for cochlear implant patients. This study examines the real-world effectiveness of different signal processing approaches available in the Cochlear Nucleus Freedom device to enhance speech perception in noise for cochlear implant recipients.

Optimal Dose Of Kanamycin For Protection From Noise Induced Hearing Loss, Mary Elizabeth Rybak Rice

Independent Studies and Capstones

Young CBA/J mice were injected with kanamycin under varying schedules then exposed to noise in order to determine the boundary conditions for cochlear protection against noise.

Marginal Cell Density In Young And Old Cba/J And Cba/Caj Mice, Ashley Dahl

Independent Studies and Capstones

The goal of the present study was to compare aging characteristics of the cochlear lateral wall in inbred mouse strains (CBA/J and CBA/CaJ) having very different endocochlear potential (EP)-versus-age profiles to see which anatomic differences might predict their EP differences.

Investigation And Literature Review Of Unilateral Hearing Loss, Patricia Eckels

Independent Studies and Capstones

Literature and research were gathered and analyzed to determine the impact UHL has on a child’s education, speech and language development. The effects of early intervention and amplification were also analyzed.

Utilizing Hearing Assistive Technology (Hat) To Assess Speech Recognition: Comparison Of Word Recognition Scores Obtained By Hearing Instrument Users, Stephanie Schutzenhofer

Independent Studies and Capstones

The ability for individuals with hearing loss to accurately recognize correct versus incorrect verbal responses during traditional word recognition testing across four different listening conditions was assessed.

What It Takes: Issues In Implementing Electronic Portfolios, Kristen Steele

Independent Studies and Capstones

The purpose of this study was to investigate the issues in implementing electronic portfolios as a school-wide innovation, and to provide a resource guide for the future use of electronic portfolios at Central Institute for the Deaf.

Recognizing Emotion In Illustrations And Photographs: Comparing Responses Of Children Who Are Deaf Or Hard Of Hearing With Those Of Children With Normal Hearing, Sarah Sisk

Independent Studies and Capstones

Recognizing emotions are something children do everyday, whether it is identifying that mom is sad because she lost her job or that a character in a story is mad because no one will listen to him. The purpose of this study is to find out if recognizing emotions is easier to do with realistic photographs or illustrations.

Autonomic Dysfunction In Patients With Migrane Associated Dizziness (Mad), Lauren Tegel

Independent Studies and Capstones

The goal of this project is to identify what effect vestibular stimulation has on the reaction of the autonomic nervous system, as measured by blood pressure, blood-oxygen saturation levels, and heart rate monitoring, on subjects with migraine associated dizziness (MAD) as compared to healthy non-MAD subjects.

Evaluating The Efficacy Of Monaural Vs. Binaural Fm Fittings In Children With Auditory Processing Disorders, Kristen Haider

Independent Studies and Capstones

The purpose of this project was to determine whether a monaural FM or binaural FM fitting strategy is more appropriate for children with Auditory Processing Disorders.