Digital Commons Network^™

The Memory Wars: Debates On The Holocaust And The Legacy Of Anti-Semitism In Poland, Jonathan Andrew Bergquist

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

The process of Vergangenheitsbewaltigung, or mastering the past, is often slow and painful. All too often nations have a tendency to celebrate their past triumphs while forgetting or marginalizing the most traumatic episodes of their histories. The case of Poland is particularly interesting---especially in connection to the disappearance of the country's minority Jewish heritage. Poland, of course, was the primary site of the Holocaust, and the nearly complete destruction of the country's once vast Jewish population, which had been the largest in the world, has left a troublesome legacy behind. How had such horrific crimes taken place on Polish soil? …

The Effectiveness Of A Chart Audit And Feedback Intervention To Improve Cardiology Provider Delivery Of Heart Failure Self-Care Education, Dorothy Murphy

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Heart failure is a challenging disease process that presents a high risk of mortality, frequent hospitalizations, and an overwhelming economic burden to the health system. Patient self-care education has been shown to decrease unplanned hospitalizations, emergency room visits, hospitalized days, costs, and mortality rates. However, only 61% of adults with HF receive self-care education within a 12-month period.;Under the framework of the Iowa Model for Evidence-Based Practice, the purpose of this project was to implement an electronic health record audit and written and verbal provider feedback intervention with the aim of improving provider delivery of heart failure self-care education to …

Erbium Alloyed Aln Thin Films: Structural, Piezoelectric And Magnetic Properties, Vishal Narang

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

This research was undertaken to determine the effect of Erbium in Erbium-alloyed AlN thin films on their structural, piezoelectric and magnetic properties. For this purpose, Erbium-alloyed AlN thin films with Er concentration of 0, 1, 3 and 4 atomic percent were deposited on (001) p-type Si substrates by reactive magnetron sputtering. The samples were characterized by x-ray diffraction (XRD), x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and Variable Angle Spectroscopic Ellipsometry (VASE). XRD measurements showed that Er alloying leads to preferential c-axis film deposition with a decrease in grain size and an increase in the lattice constant. XPS analysis was used to determine …

The Online Lamodel User's & Training Manual Development & Testing, Christopher R. Newman

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

In order to better inform and train industry professionals, as well as engineering students and new users, an electronic user's manual and comprehensive online training course for LaModel has been developed in an open online learning environment. The online user's manual provides widespread access to detailed information on the installation, proper use, and troubleshooting procedures through a combination of: written documentation, voiced-over and captioned software simulations and slide presentations, and relevant academic articles. Some of the online LaModel material has also been organized into a set of progressive, self-paced training modules using a number of the slide presentations and software …

Evaluation Of The Antidepressant Potential Of Dextromethorphan, Linda Nguyen

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Depression affects more than 350 million people and is the leading cause of disability worldwide. Major challenges in the management of depression remain the 4-12 weeks of delayed efficacy and 30% of patients who are resistant to the therapeutic effects of current pharmaceutical treatments. We herein examined whether dextromethorphan (DM) may be able to take on these challenges, because 1) it has overlapping pharmacology with ketamine, which has shown rapid (within 24 hours) antidepressant effects, even in treatment-resistant individuals; 2) unlike ketamine with its notable abuse liability and adverse effects, DM is an over-the-counter antitussive with a high safety margin; …

Pyrolytic Fate Of Synthetic Cannabinoids, Corey Andrew Nida

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Since the introduction of herbal incense products into the illicit drug market, one of the most concerning factors has been the uncertainty regarding their health effects. Side effects such as anxiety/agitation, increased heartbeat, hallucinations, and suicidal tendencies are commonly reported with the use of products containing synthetic cannabinoid. However, a largely unknown toxicity and pharmacology is still associated with synthetic cannabinoids and long-term health effects have yet to be discussed.;Prior scientific studies have not focused on the big-picture in terms of the pyrolysis of traditional drugs of abuse that are smoked or the relatively new synthetic cannabinoids. Numerous agencies and …

Old War, New Deal: Commemorative Landscapes, The National Park Service, And The 75th Anniversary Of The Civil War, Rebekah N. Oakes

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

The 75th Anniversary of the American Civil War was both the last major anniversary influenced by living Civil War veterans, and the first commemoration to occur with a number of key Civil War battlefields under the administrative control of the National Park Service. Although largely overlooked by historians, remembrance of the Civil War in the 1930s represented a key transition from commemoration primarily for the veterans of the conflict to a wider commemoration, finding from the Civil War a usable past and a landscape of national memorialization. Through this process, administrative and interpretive shifts changed the very purpose of Civil …

Sexual Assault On The College Campus: A Partial Test Of Male Peer Support Theory, Falak Ojjeh

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Researchers have identified a number of variables that influence sexual assault on college campuses; peer influence being one of them. According to the sexual assault literature, more than a quarter of victims of sexual assault report their offender was a fraternity member. Additionally, the literature shows that in many sexual assault cases, both the victim and the offender were intoxicated. In applying Walter DeKeseredy's theory of Male Peer Support -- all-male groups that legitimate women abuse -- to on-campus fraternity organizations, this study examines the link is between the drinking and rape cultures promoted by fraternities, specifically, the use of …

Communicating To Resolve The "Mommy Wars": Testing Communicated Stereotypes And The Common Ingroup Identity Model With Stay-At-Home And Working Mothers, Kelly G. Odenweller

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Toward empirically validating motherhood as an intergroup context and uncovering communicative solutions to resolving the cultural "mommy wars," the goal of this dissertation was to test foundational intergroup communication theories with stay-at-home mothers (SAHMs) and working mothers (WMs) across two independent experiments. In Study One, participant SAHMs and WMs (N = 529) reported on their outgroup attitudes, affective responses (i.e., contempt, admiration, envy, and pity), behavioral responses (i.e., active/passive facilitation, active/passive harm), intergroup anxiety, and willingness to communicate after viewing a description of a target SAHM or WM designed in accordance with the most prevalent stereotypes of SAHMs and WMs …

Dimensions Of Political Reasoning: Associations Among Informational Assumptions, Sociopolitical Values, And Domain-Specific Judgments About Laws, Benjamin Oosterhoff

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Adolescents' beliefs about laws are a critical component of their emerging political reasoning, which is hypothesized to guide political decisions in adulthood. Laws serve a variety of purposes by restricting certain social behaviors. However, little is known about the types of laws adolescents view as important and obligatory to obey, or the amount of punishment that should be received for breaking different laws. Identifying individual differences in these beliefs may help elucidate the developmental origins of political attitudes. Therefore, the current study had three primary goals. The first goal was to utilize social domain theory to assess adolescents' judgments and …

Preconception Maternal And Paternal Exposure To Persistent Organic Pollutants And Birth Size: The Life Study, Candace A. Robledo, Edwina H. Yeung, Pauline Mendola, Rajeshwari Sundaram, Jose Maisog

School of Medicine Publications

Background: Persistent organic pollutants (POPs) are developmental toxicants, but the impact of both maternal and paternal exposures on offspring birth size is largely unexplored.

Objective: We examined associations between maternal and paternal serum concentrations of 63 POPs, comprising five major classes of pollutants, with birth size measures.

Methods: Parental serum concentrations of 9 organochlorine pesticides, 1 polybrominated biphenyl (PBB), 7 perfluoroalkyl chemicals (PFCs), 10 polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs), and 36 polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) were measured before conception for 234 couples. Differences in birth weight, length, head circumference, and ponderal index were estimated using multiple linear regression per 1-SD increase in …

Evaluation Of A Practice Change Using Cope (Creating Opportunities For Parent Empowerment) To Address Maternal Anxiety, Depression And Expectations Related To Preterm Birth And Subsequent Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (Nicu) Admission, Dennelle Parker

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Background: Nearly half a million premature infants are born in the United States each year. The majority of infants born prematurely are admitted to neonatal intensive care units (NICU) for specialized care. Clinical problems related to parental stress due to preterm birth and NICU admission extend beyond feelings of simple stress by parents to that of helplessness, insufficient knowledge, decreased bonding, depression, and the potential development of Post Partum-Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. Furthermore, these clinical problems can extend to the child. Decreased bonding can cause the child to have clinical and subclinical anxiety disorders; and may further equate to future …

Aerodynamic Response Of A Pitching Airfoil With Pulsed Circulation Control For Vertical Axis Wind Turbine Applications, Chad C. Panther

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Vertical Axis Wind Turbines (VAWTs) have experienced a renewed interest in development for urban, remote, and offshore applications. Past research has shown that VAWTs cannot compete with Horizontals Axis Wind Turbines (HAWTs) in terms of energy capture efficiency. VAWT performance is plagued by dynamic stall (DS) effects at low tip-speed ratios (lambda), where each blade pitches beyond static stall multiple times per revolution. Furthermore, for lambda<2, blades operate outside of stall during over 70% of rotation. However, VAWTs offer many advantages such as omnidirectional operation, ground proximity of generator, lower sound emission, and non-cantilevered blades with longer life. Thus, mitigating dynamic stall and improving VAWT blade aerodynamics for competitive power efficiency has been a popular research topic in recent years and the directive of this study.;Past research at WVU focused on the addition of circulation control (CC) technology to improve VAWT aerodynamics and expand the operational envelope. A novel blade design was generated from the augmentation of a NACA0018 airfoil to include CC capabilities. Static wind tunnel data was collected for a range of steady jet momentum coefficients (0.01≤ Cmu≤0.10) for analytical vortex model performance projections. Control strategies were developed to optimize CC jet conditions throughout rotation, resulting in improved power output for 2≤lambda≤5. However, the pumping power required to produce steady CC jets reduced net power gains of the augmented turbine by approximately 15%. The goal of this work was to investigate pulsed CC jet actuation to match steady jet performance with reduced mass flow requirements. To date, no experimental studies have been completed to analyze pulsed CC performance on a pitching airfoil.;The research described herein details the first study on the impact of steady and pulsed jet CC on pitching VAWT blade aerodynamics. Both numerical and experimental studies were implemented, varying Re, k, and +/-alpha to match a typical VAWT operating environment. A range of reduced jet frequencies (0.25≤St≤4) were analyzed with varying Cmu, based on effective ranges from prior flow control airfoil studies. Airfoil pitch was found to increase the baseline lift-to-drag ratio (L/D) by up to 50% due to dynamic stall effects. The influence of dynamic stall on steady CC airfoil performance was greater for Cmu=0.05, increasing L/D by 115% for positive angle-of-attack. Pulsed actuation was shown to match, or improve, steady jet lift performance while reducing required mass flow by up to 35%. From numerical flow visualization, pulsed actuation was shown to reduce the size and strength of wake vorticity during DS, resulting in lower profile drag relative to baseline and steady actuation cases. A database of pitching airfoil test data, including overshoot and hysteresis of aerodynamic coefficients (Cl, Cd), was compiled for improved analytical model inputs to update CCVAWT performance predictions, where the aforementioned L/D improvements will be directly reflected.;Relative to a conventional VAWT with annual power output of 1 MW, previous work at WVU proved that the addition of steady jet CC could improve total output to 1.25 MW. However, the pumping cost to generate the continuous jet reduced yearly CCVAWT net gains to 1.15 MW. The current study has shown that pulsed CC jets can recover 4% of the pumping demands due to reduced mass flow requirements, increasing annual CCVAWT net power production to 1.19 MW, a 19% improvement relative to the conventional turbine.

Static Code Analysis: On Detection Of Security Vulnerabilities And Classification Of Warning Messages, Andrei M. Perhinschi

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

This thesis addresses several aspects of using static code analysis tools for detection of security vulnerabilities and faults within source code. First, the performance of three widely used static code analysis tools with respect to detection of security vulnerabilities is evaluated. This is done with the help of a large benchmarking suite designed to test static code analysis tools' performance regarding security vulnerabilities. The performance of the three tools is also evaluated using three open source software projects with known security vulnerabilities. The main results of the first part of this thesis showed that the three evaluated tools do not …

Health Resource Availability, State Policy, And Cardiovascular Health In U.S. Adults, Courtney S. Pilkerton

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Introduction: Despite advances in treatment and decreases in risk factors, more than 80 million Americans are living with cardiovascular disease and it remains the cause of 1 in 3 deaths in the United States. A thorough understanding of health determinants requires inclusion of factors at multiple levels of proximity to individuals. The overall objective of this project is to determine the associations between cardiovascular health and socioeconomic and demographic factors, health resource availability, and state health resource policies. The central hypothesis of this project is that higher cardiovascular health is associated with having evidence-based policies that promote the availability of …

An Assessment Of Recreational Use: The Wenaha Wild And Scenic River, Umatilla National Forest, Oregon, Ashley R. Popham

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

The purpose of this study was to provide data to the US Forest Service about summer recreational use of the Wenaha Wild and Scenic River in eastern Oregon, and to determine if use and use levels were appropriate according to relevant legislation and policies. The Umatilla National Forest is the administrative authority of the river and is required to complete a Comprehensive River Management Plan for this river. At the time of data collection this Draft Environmental Analysis (EA) was being developed. The Final EA was implemented July, 2015.;Recreation surveys were collected at trailheads and other developed and undeveloped recreation …

Digital Eye Modification A Countermeasure To Automated Face Recognition, Domenick Poster Iii

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

This thesis describes and assesses a series of subtle digital eye modification techniques and their impact on automated face detection and recognition. The techniques involve altering the relative positioning of a person's eyes in a photograph using a variety of horizontal and vertical movements local to the eye regions. Testing with Eigenfaces, Fisherfaces, and Circular Local Binary Pattern face recognition algorithms on a database of 40 subjects and over 4000 modified images shows these subtle geometric changes to the eyes can degrade automated face recognition accuracy by 40% or more. Certain modifications even lower the chance a face is detected …

The Effects Of Parameter Tuning On Machine Learning Performance In A Software Defect Prediction Context, Benjamin N. Province

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Most machine learning techniques rely on a set of user-defined parameters. Changes in the values of these parameters can greatly affect the prediction performance of the learner. These parameters are typically either set to default values or tuned for best performance on a particular type of data. In this thesis, the parameter-space of four machine learners is explored in order to determine the efficacy of parameter tuning within the context of software defect prediction.;A distinction is made between the typical within-version learning scheme and forward learning, in which learners are trained on defect data from one software version and used …

Impact Of Chronic Conditions On Treatment, Cancer-And Non-Cancer Outcomes Among Elderly Men With Incident Prostate Cancer, Amitkumar Dineshchandra Raval

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Prostate Cancer is the most commonly observed non-skin cancer among the elderly men aged 65 years and older in the United States. Nearly one third of elderly men diagnosed with incident prostate cancer have pre-existing chronic conditions. Therefore, among elderly men with prostate cancer, management for cancer and chronic conditions should be optimized to improve healthcare outcomes. Previous literature majorly focused on the risk and management of cancer in the presence of number of conditions, although, it is known that more than 70% of chronic conditions among men diagnosed with prostate cancer were either cardio-metabolic, respiratory or mental health conditions. …

The Relationship Between The Distributed Leadership Readiness Of West Virginia Principals And Their Perceptions Of Selected School-Based Committees, Patrick L. Riddle Ii

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

The purpose of this study was to determine the relationship between the distributed leadership readiness of West Virginia principals and their perceptions of selected school-based committees which influence leadership in their schools. Six hundred seventy four West Virginia principals were invited to participate in this study by responding to an online survey that included the Distributed Leadership Readiness Scale (DLRS), demographic items, and items from the researcher developed School-Based Committee Influence Survey. There were 198 West Virginia principal respondents to the survey (29.3%). The results of this study showed that West Virginia principal respondents were ready for distributed leadership and …

Quantitative Assessment Of The Discrimination Potential Of Class And Randomly Acquired Characteristics For Crime Scene Quality Shoeprints, Nicole Richetelli

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Footwear evidence has tremendous forensic value; it can focus a criminal investigation, link suspects to scenes, help reconstruct a series of events, or otherwise provide information vital to the successful resolution of a case. When considering the specific utility of a linkage, the strength of the connection between the source footwear and an impression left at the scene of a crime varies with the known rarity of the shoeprint itself, which is a function of the class characteristics, as well as the complexity, clarity, and quality of randomly acquired characteristics (RACs) available for analysis. To help elucidate the discrimination potential …

What Shadows We Pursue: Death, Democracy, And Disunion In Antebellum America, Joseph M. Rizzo

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

This dissertation examines the ways Americans registered concerns about antebellum democratic political culture through their mourning of national leaders. A "eulogizing class" consisting of clergymen, politicians, lawyers, and educators was especially prominent in shaping how contemporaries remembered the dead. As a class, the eulogists were conflicted about democracy and partisanship, and conveyed their concerns through the potentially demagogic form of the eulogy---the practice of glorifying the "great man." Through an examination of eulogies, sermons, and newspaper editorials after the deaths of William Henry Harrison, Andrew Jackson, John Quincy Adams, John Calhoun, Henry Clay, and Daniel Webster, this dissertation reveals the …

The Anti-Imperialist Empire: Soviet Nationality Policies Under Brezhnev, Jason A. Roberts

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

This dissertation argues that the Soviet Union functioned as an empire despite its decidedly anti-imperialist rhetoric. Beginning in the 1920s, Bolshevik policies transformed the former Russian Empire into a new type of empire that was based on Marxist-Leninist ideology. Moreover, the Bolshevik policy of korenizatsiia as well as Marxist-Leninist rhetoric promoted the development of a decolonization process among the non-Russian peoples of the USSR in the 1920s and 1930s. Although Stalin abandoned korenizatsiia in the 1930s in favor of greater emphasis on Russification, the decolonization process continued into the Brezhnev period of the 1960s and 1970s. This decolonization process quickly …

Illustrating Appalachia: The Sketchbooks And Publications Of David Hunter Strother, 1833 To 1887, Alee Robins

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

In the mid-nineteenth century, one of the most popular American magazine illustrators was David Hunter Strother, a native of Martinsburg, Virginia (now West Virginia). Using the pseudonym "Porte Crayon," Strother published semi-fictional accounts of his travels which he often illustrated as well as authored. The West Virginia & Regional History Center offers a digital collection of 730 of the artist's sketches and paintings. Additionally, the Walters Art Museum presents eight of Strother's sketches online. To provide a method for studying Strother's artworks, a database was created to show connections between the artist's works based on date, location, and thematic content. …

Analysis And Optimization Of A Dual Free Piston, Spring Assisted, Linear Engine Generator, Matthew C. Robinson

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

The free piston linear engine (FPLE) generator has the potential to displace existing crankshaft driven engine technology because of its relative simplicity, higher efficiency, and increased power density. Continued interest in hybrid-electric vehicles for transportation and tightening emissions regulations has created a challenging market for conventional piston engines. Combined with rising market interest in localized power generation means there are exciting opportunities for innovative technologies that can satisfy both regulatory and commercial demands. Many groups around the world are currently working to advance the state of the FPLE, and recent success at West Virginia University will lead to a working …

The Use Of Cultural Memory In Reinforcing Contemporary Russian Patriotism: A Case Study Of The Film "Stalingrad" (2013), Laura Roop

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

According to cultural memory theory, cultural tools such as texts and symbols transmit the knowledge of meaningful historical events to groups. These cultural tools reproduce history by cultivating narratives that are relevant in a given time, and thus reflect the ongoing concerns over memory. The purpose of communicating significant turning points in a nation's history is to create a system of values, a self-image and the continuity of a nation. Films are considered to be both textual and visual representations of cultural memory. Since memory and commemoration of the Second World War have gone through many changes, one has to …

Performance And Stability Of Large Planar Solid Oxide Fuel Cells Using Phosphine Contaminated Hydrogen Fuel, Timothy B. A. Ross

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

The objective of this work was to investigate how fuel utilization and method of fuel delivery for a large planar fuel cell with co-flow configuration will affect the degradation rate and mechanism of phosphine poisoning of a solid-oxide fuel cell (SOFC). Coal syngas, a potential fuel source for SOFCs, contains gas phase impurities such as PH3, which rapidly degrade Ni-based SOFC anodes. Researchers have shown significant reconstruction of Ni-anodes in button cell configurations with ~0.5 mV hr-1 degradation rates, but it is not evident that these rates will occur in actual stack applications. A singular planar stack repeat unit was …

Against The Thalassocracy: Sacred Geography, Nationhood And Perennial Traditionalism In Alexander Dugin's Neo-Eurasianist Philosophy, Jonathan Rushbrook

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

This thesis discusses the ideological makeup of the Russian right wing philosopher Alexander Dugin's and his conceptualization of race and nation in his Neo-Eurasianist imperial project. Tracing Dugin's ideological influences from early Eurasianism, the European New Right and esoteric religious beliefs such as Perennial Traditionalism, the thesis then goes on to place Dugin's body of thought within a larger debate on defining fascism and whether Dugin can be considered a fascist. Ultimately this thesis contests some scholars' interpretations of Dugin's worldview as a fundamentally ethnocentric or even racist Russian nationalism. Rather, by examining Dugin's writings on nation through an ethno-symbolist …

An Ideal Role, Twenty Years Too Soon: A Young Actor's Journey Through The Role Of Leonard In "Seminar", Nicholas Ryan

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Through our production of Seminar, unique challenges were uncovered for an actor performing the role of Leonard. My goal is to examine some of the most difficult and interesting challenges that arose from an unrealistic casting of a realistic play. Issues discussed will be the age gap between Leonard and the students, and what contextually needs to be researched from the script. This examination also addresses the balance of comedy versus drama in regards to Leonard's character relationships with the students, and Leonard's place as a stock character in contemporary theater.

Use Of Wireless, Ad-Hoc Networks For Proximity Warning And Collision Avoidance In Surface Mines, Venkata Raghava Siva Naga Shashank Sabniveesu

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Despite the record of progress achieved in the United States with respect to reducing fatal and non-fatal injuries in surface mines, both the number and severity of these injuries remain unacceptable. A large fraction of these injuries in surface mines are caused by collisions involving large haulage equipment such as trucks, dozers, and front-end loaders. There are two main contributing factors for these collisions: (i) the massive size of these vehicles, which causes several blind spots surrounding the vehicle for the driver, and (ii) the sheer momentum of these vehicles, which makes it hard to maneuver these vehicles and often …