Digital Commons Network^™

Design, Fabrication, Operation And Aspen Simulation Of Oil Shale Pyrolysis And Biomass Gasification Process Using A Moving Bed Downdraft Reactor, Hassan Golpour

Doctoral Dissertations

"Energy is the major facilitator of the modern life. Every developed and developing economy requires access to advanced sources of energy to support its growth and prosperity. Declining worldwide crude oil reserves and increasing energy needs has focused attention on developing existing unconventional fossil fuels like oil shale and renewable resources such as biomass. Sustainable, renewable and reliable resources of domestically produced biomass comparing to wind and solar energy is a sensible motivation to establish a small-scale power plant using biomass as feed to supply electricity demand and heat for rural development. The work in Paper I focuses on the …

Multi-Level Evolutionary Algorithms Resource Allocation Utilizing Model-Based Systems Engineering, Bhanuchander Reddy Poreddy

Doctoral Dissertations

"This research presents an innovative approach to solve the resource allocation problems using Multi-level Evolutionary Algorithms. Evolutionary Algorithms are used to solve resource allocation problems in different domains and their results are then incorporated into a higher level system solution using another Evolutionary Algorithm to solve base camp planning problems currently faced by the U.S. Department of Defense.

Two models are introduced to solve two domain specific models: a logistics model and a power model. The logistic model evaluates routes for logistics vehicles on a daily basis with a goal of reducing fuel usage by delivery trucks. The evaluation includes …

Development Of Implants Composed Of Bioactive Materials For Bone Repair, Wei Xiao

Doctoral Dissertations

"The purpose of this Ph.D. research was to address the clinical need for synthetic bioactive materials to heal defects in non-loaded and loaded bone. Hollow hydroxyapatite (HA) microspheres created in a previous study were evaluated as a carrier for controlled release of bone morphogenetic protein-2 (BMP2) in bone regeneration. New bone formation in rat calvarial defects implanted with BMP2-loaded microspheres (43%) was significantly higher than microspheres without BMP2 (17%) at 6 weeks postimplantation. Then hollow HA microspheres with a carbonate-substituted composition were prepared to improve their resorption rate. Hollow HA microspheres with ~12 wt. % of carbonate showed significantly higher …

The Behavioral, Biochemical And Genetic Effects Of Sleep Deprivation In Zebrafish (Danio Rerio), Jade Catherine Boykin

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

Vertebrate sleep is a universal phenomenon and encompasses an array of conserved behavioral and physiological characteristics. Studies of sleep in humans have shown that sleep deprivation leads to adverse effects to human health and additional stress. Teleosts have emerged as a useful model species to study the vertebrate stress response, given its stress axis has high levels of homology with the mammals, including humans. For this study, the behavior of zebrafish (Danio rerio) subjected to acute (24 hours) and chronic (20 days) extended light exposure was monitored and whole-body cortisol was analyzed as an indication of activation of …

The Effects Of Thermal Opportunity And Habitat On Physiological Performance In Ecologically Distinct Populations Of The Florida Scrub Lizard Sceloporus Woodi, Lauren K. Neel

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

An ectotherm’s ability to thermoregulate affects many physiological traits. Therefore, thermal factors are paramount when considering behavior, activity time, body temperatures, energy budget, and performance capabilities. The Florida scrub lizard (Sceloporus woodi) is a ground-dwelling lizard that occupies longleaf pine and sand pine scrub habitats in the Ocala National Forest. Here, this species’ habitat is maintained by either clear-cut logging in scrub stands, or prescribed burning in long leaf pine stands. These habitat types differ in their dominant vegetation, canopy cover, and availability of vertical perches and thus are ecologically different. I used biophysical models to measure the …

Determining Unique Agents By Evaluating Web Form Interaction, Ben Cooley

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

Because of the inherent risks in today’s online activities, it becomes imperative to identify a malicious user masquerading as someone else. Incorporating biometric analysis enhances the confidence of authenticating valid users over the Internet while providing additional layers of security with no hindrance to the end user. Through the analysis of traffic patterns and HTTP Header analysis, the detection and early refusal of robot agents plays a great role in reducing fraudulent login attempts.

Modification Of The Fundamental Properties Of Light Through Interaction With Nanostructured Materials, David W. Keene Ii

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

The field of photonics has been growing rapidly over the last few decades as it has endeavored to harness the potential of nanostructured materials to utilize the energy and momentum of electromagnetic radiation on the nanoscale. Using metal nanostructures provides the ability to take advantage of the sub-field of plasmonics which holds the promise of opening the world to vast increases in computational power by circumventing the limitations of conventional current that plague today’s processors. With a thorough understanding of this subject we also get one step closer to increasing the efficiency of solar technology, developing a finer scale of …

Perfectionism And Eating Disordered Psychopathology: Examination Through A Stress Generation Perspective, Sarah A. Mello

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

Current research on eating disorders identifies a close correlation with perfectionism. However, little is understood about the complexities of this relationship, and some studies have demonstrated a stronger relationship between these variables when compared to others. This research sought to investigate the role of stress, in particular adverse life events, as a mediator in order to more robustly explain the relationship between eating disorder features and self-evaluative perfectionism, a higher order component of perfectionism consisting of concern over mistakes, need for approval, rumination, and perceived parental pressure. Three hundred and five college women volunteered to complete a series of self-report …

A Phenomenological Study Of Teachers' Perceptions Of Kindergarten Retention: Are Standards To Be Blamed?, Ginger Delaigle

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

Currently there are a number of Kindergarten students who are being retained for not mastering Common Core State Standards. One of the methods that teachers can use to support Kindergarten students in achieving these standards are Developmentally Appropriate Practices. The exploration of the perceptions of teachers who have experienced the phenomenon of retaining Kindergarten students served as the goal for this qualitative, phenomenological study. The results provided data for examination of the perceptions the teachers had with retaining Kindergarten students and their perceptions of the developmental appropriateness of the Common Core State Standards. Four Kindergarten teachers participated in three interviews …

Examining Cognitive Vulnerability Models To Borderline Personality Features In A Sample Of Emerging Adults, Danielle E. Seal

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

Borderline personality disorder (BPD) is a chronic condition that warrants further empirical investigation. Considering the potentially lethal consequences and therapeutic challenges associated with features of BPD, it is important for researchers to explore pathways that will advance theory, assessment, and interventions that target BPD symptoms. One interactive theory that may predict variation in BPD symptoms is the cognitive-vulnerability model. Examining the cognitive vulnerability model in the context of BPD symptoms is the overall goal of the dissertation project. Specifically, the current study examined the mediator effects of maladaptive schemas on the adverse event-BPD symptom relationship. Four hundred and fifteen undergraduate …

Sources, Distribution, And Fate Of Microscopic Plastics In Marine Environments, Richard C. Thompson

School of Biological and Marine Sciences

No abstract provided.

Individual And Population-Level Responses To Ocean Acidification, Ben P. Harvey, Niall J. Mckeown, Samuel P.S. Rastrick, Camilla Bertolini, Andy Foggo, Helen Graham, Jason M. Hall-Spencer, Marco Milazzo, Paul W. Shaw, Daniel P. Small, Pippa J. Moore

School of Biological and Marine Sciences

No abstract provided.

Flaviviruses As A Cause Of Undifferentiated Fever In Sindh Province, Pakistan: A Preliminary Report, Erum Khan, Joveria Q. Farooqi, Kelli L. Barr, Dhani Prakoso, Amna Nasir, Akbar Kanji, Sadia Shakoor, Faisal Riaz Malik, Rumina Hasan, John A. Lednicky

Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine

Arboviral diseases are expanding worldwide, yet global surveillance is often limited due to diplomatic and cultural barriers between nations. With human encroachment into new habitats, mosquito-borne viruses are also invading new areas. The actual prevalence of expanding arboviruses is unknown in Pakistan due to inappropriate diagnosis and poor testing for arboviral diseases. The primary objective of this study was to document evidence of flavivirus infections as the cause of undifferentiated fever in Pakistan. Through a cooperative effort between the USA and Pakistan, patient exposure to dengue virus (DENV), West Nile virus (WNV), and Japanese encephalitis virus (JEV) was examined in …

A Radiological Survey Of Two Bruker D8 Advance Xrd Instruments Located In Separate Quality Control Laboratories, Justin Anthony Meador

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

A Radiological Survey of Two Bruker D8 Advance XRD Instruments Located in Separate Quality Control Laboratories By Justin Meador In October 2016, XYZ Laboratories requested assistance with conducting a radiological survey of each of their Bruker D8 Advance XRD instruments to determine compliance with Title 64 West Virginia Legislative Rule, Department of Health, Series 23, Radiological Health Rules (64CSR23) and 10 CFR Part 20 – Standards for Protection Against Radiation in regards to the X-Ray radiation being emitted during operation of the units. A review of ionizing radiation, sources of radiation, biological effects, unit descriptions, Federal and State standards, description …

Cholesterol Diet-Associated Changes In The Hippocampus - A Prelude To Alzheimer's Disease?, Sylwia W. Brooks

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

High serum cholesterol levels in midlife have been associated with an increased risk of developing Alzheimer's disease (AD) later in life. This thesis investigates a possible mechanism linking dietary cholesterol, which cannot pass the blood brain barrier, and AD-like hippocampal neuropathology. The first study tested the hypothesis that a high cholesterol diet increases the flux of the cholesterol metabolite 27-hydroxycholesterol (27-OHC) into the hippocampus. We found that a high-cholesterol diet increased levels of 27-OHC, a biologically active circulatory breakdown product of cholesterol, in hippocampal tissue. 27-OHC has been identified as an endogenous selective estrogen receptor modulator (SERM) that affects estrogen …

Supplementing Art Therapy With Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (Cbt) And Dialectical Behavior Therapy (Dbt) During Treatment Of Childhood Anxiety Disorders: A Pilot Study, Rachel Cecil

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

A qualitative research study presents a thorough examination of one therapist's methods of supplementing art therapy with cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) and dialectical behavior therapy (DBT) during the treatment of children impaired by a variety of anxiety disorders---i.e. generalized anxiety disorder (GAD), obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), and posttraumatic stress disorder (PSTD). A review of the existing literature was used to inform the current study. The researcher created an exploratory case study, through the utilization of a pilot study, to gain a better understanding of the topic from an expert in these therapeutic fields. Through the gathering of data and analysis, the …

Young Adult Daughters And Their Parents: Communication About Workcareer And Family, Rita Daniels

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Employing adult daughters' (N = 254) perspectives of their communication, relational quality, and identities with and surrounding their relationships with parents, I bridge organizational and family communication's scholarship realms to address family socialization regarding work/career and family. Specifically, I examine: (a) the content and context of memorable messages about work and/or family; (b) the connection between daughters' closeness to parents and daughters' likelihood to transmit these messages; and (c) the impact of mothers' socialization messages about work/career and family on daughters' personal, relational, and enacted identities (identity layers within the Communication Theory of Identity (CTI; Hecht (1993)). Using both online …

Revealing Judy Chicago's "The Dinner Party": An Analysis Of The Curatorial Context, Sally Deskins

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Research on Judy Chicago's The Dinner Party, (1974-79; completed with the assistance of more than 400 volunteers), is abundant and generally focuses on the monumental table of thirty-nine place settings acknowledging the contribution of women throughout Western history. Scholars have examined, praised and criticized the installation from various feminist and formal aesthetic perspectives. By contrast, this thesis considers what has essentially been overlooked until now, Judy Chicago's curatorial framework for the entire The Dinner Party exhibition experience. Using my own interviews with the artist, team members, and contemporary curators, as well as consulting the artist's installation manuals from Harvard University …

Compressing Genome Resequencing Data, Aliya Farheen

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Recent improvements in high-throughput next generation sequencing (NGS) technologies have led to an exponential increase in the number, size and diversity of available complete genome sequences. This poses major problems in storage, transmission and analysis of such genomic sequence data. Thus, a substantial effort has been made to develop effective data compression techniques to reduce the storage requirements, improve the transmission speed, and analyze the compressed sequences for possible information about genomic structure or determine relationships between genomes from multiple organisms.;In this thesis, we study the problem of lossless compression of genome resequencing data using a reference-based approach. The thesis …

An Exploration Of The Relationships Between Chronic Pain, Inflammation, And Herbal Medicine, Termeh Feinberg

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Introduction: Inflammation is often a component of chronic pain, yet its potential role in fibromyalgia syndrome (FMS) remains inconclusive. FMS is a complex chronic pain condition affecting ~2% of the population; management is challenging and treatment options remain limited. Many herbs contain anti-inflammatory properties, and herbs indicated for analgesia and rheumatic conditions have traditionally been used in Appalachia. Despite the popularity of herbs in the US, determinants and patterns of herbal use with regard to pain management have not been well studied, particularly in Appalachia, where prevalence of chronic pain and related comorbid conditions is high and access to medical …

The Influence Of Dams On Downstream Larval And Juvenile Fish And Benthic Macroinvertebrate Community Structure And Associated Physicochemical Variables, R. Daniel Hanks

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

The Influence of Dams on Downstream Larval and Juvenile Fish and Benthic Macroinvertebrate Community Structure and Associated Physicochemical Variables R. Daniel Hanks The influence of dams on downstream biotic and abiotic components of aquatic ecosystems has been largely studied within the context of the River Continuum (RCC) and Serial Discontinuity Concepts (SDC). Few of these studies have sufficiently studied how these variables change along the longitudinal gradient below the impoundments in a systematic manner, comparing equal distances below both epilimnetic and hypolimnetic dams to a reference condition. This is especially true of early life stages of fish (i.e., larval and …

Diamond Bur Cutting Efficiency Of Dental Zirconia, Shelby Allison Alexander

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Objectives: To monitor the rate of diamond bur cutting through sintered yttria stabilized zirconia. Through this observation, we intend to determine which bur(s) exhibit the greatest cutting efficiency and if a decline exists over time.;Methods: Seven dental diamond burs were used in an air-turbine hand piece to cut sintered Yttria Stabilized Zirconia blocks (3Y-TZP) at a constant 0.9N force for five minutes. The distance traveled was measured by a Linear Variable Differential Transformer (LVDT) and recorded per time by a data acquisition device. Time was divided into 100-second intervals for comparison. Individual effects of bur, time periods, and depth on …

Analysis Of Data Stratification In A Multi-Sensor Fingerprint Dataset Using Match Score Statistics, Loukhya Kakumanu

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Biometric data is an essential feature employed in testing the performance of any real time biometric recognition system prior to its usage. The variations introduced in the match performance critically determine the authenticity of the biometric data to be able to be used in an everyday scenario for the testing of biometric verification systems. This study in totality aims at understanding the impact of data stratification of a such a biometric test dataset on the match performance of each of its stratum. In order to achieve this goal, the fingerprint dataset of the West Virginia University's 2012 BioCOP has been …

Beyond High And Lonesome: A Comparative Analysis Of Early Male And Contemporary Female Bluegrass Vocal Styles, Hillary C. Kay

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

This thesis is a comparative analysis of the bluegrass vocal styles of early male performers of the 1940s and 50s and contemporary female performers actively performing between 2001 and 2016. Four songs were selected from the standard bluegrass repertoire, each one having been recorded by both an early male performer and a contemporary female performer. The three body chapters of the study draw comparisons between the male performers, between the female performers, and then between the two groups. The aims of this study are to better understand 1) How bluegrass singing, which is rooted in male vocal production, is performed …

Dietary Administration Of A Commercial Mixed-Species Probiotic Improves Growth Performance And Modulates The Intestinal Immunity Of Tilapia, Oreochromis Niloticus, B. T. Standen, D. L. Peggs, M. D. Rawling, A. Foey, S. J. Davies, G. A. Santos, D. L. Merrifield

School of Biological and Marine Sciences

No abstract provided.

Making Doctrinal Work More Rigorous: Lessons From Systematic Reviews, William Baude, Adam S. Chilton, Anup Malani

Coase-Sandor Institute for Law & Economics Research Paper Series

No abstract provided.

Decolonizing Revelation: A Spatial Reading Of The Blues, Rufus Burnett Jr.

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Decolonizing Revelation: A Spatial Reading of the Blues demonstrates that the cultural phenomenon of the blues is an indigenous way of knowing that offsets the hidden logic of racialized dominance within modern Christian understandings of revelation. In distinction from the Christian, Religious, and racialized understandings of the blues, this dissertation focuses on the space in which the blues emerges, the Delta Region of the United States. By attending to space, this dissertation shows how critical consideration of geography and region can reveal nuances that are often veiled behind racialized and theologized ways of understanding the people of the Delta Region. …

Tsai Today (2016), Southern Methodist University, Dedman School Of Law, Tsai Center For Law, Science And Innovation

Tsai Today

No abstract provided.

Distribution Of Hepatitis C Virus Genotypes Among Intravenous Drug Users In The Çukurova Region Of Turkey, Enver Üçbi̇lek, Bahri̇ Abayli, Mahmut Bakir Koyuncu, Durdane Midikli, Süveyda Gözüküçük, Alper Akdağ, Osman Özdoğan, Engi̇n Altintaş, Orhan Sezgi̇n

Turkish Journal of Medical Sciences

Background/aim: The most common hepatitis C virus (HCV) genotype in Turkey is genotype 1. However, there has not been a study about the distribution of HCV genotypes among intravenous drug users (IVDUs) in the Çukurova region of Turkey. This study was planned to understand if there is a difference between IVDUs and the normal population. Materials and methods: Between May 2010 and May 2014, anti-HCV positive IVDUs who applied to the 6 hospitals in the Çukurova region of Turkey were included in this study. Their HCV genotypes were studied. Results: Ninety-seven anti-HCV positive IVDUs were screened in terms of HCV …

Introgression Lines Obtained From The Cross Between Triticum Aestivumand Triticum Turgidum (Durum Wheat) As A Source Of Leaf And Stripe (Yellow)Rust Resistance Genes, Naimat Ullah, Muhammad Asif, Hussain Badshah, Tasmia Bashir, Abdul Samad Mumtaz

Turkish Journal of Biology

Introgression lines (ILs) were produced from crosses of common hexaploid bread wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) (AABBDD) cultivars with tetraploid durum wheat (Triticum turgidum) (AABB). These ILs were checked against diversity of crop-damaging fungal diseases and especially for leaf and stripe rusts, proved to be the most damaging biotic enemies in the world and especially in South Asia and the southern region of Pakistan. Microsatellite markers (STRs) were used to determine the frequency of translocations found on different chromosomes during the localization of durum wheat (Triticum turgidum). Two independent loci for stripe and leaf rust resistance were found on 2B and …