Digital Commons Network^™

Adolescent Emotion Expression, Emotion Regulation, And Decision-Making In Social Context, Tennisha N. Riley

Theses and Dissertations

Adolescents engage in risk behaviors at an alarming rate, and particularly when they are with peers. Despite efforts to develop prevention and intervention programs, rates of risk-taking among adolescents is still relatively high. Adolescents continue to engage in physical fights and aggressive behavior, use substances such as alcohol and illicit drugs, and make decisions that impact driving and motor vehicle incidents. The regulation of emotions plays a significant role in adolescents’ decisions to engage in such risk behaviors.Examining adolescents’ emotion expression and regulation is therefore critical to identifying ways to support positive development.

This dissertation project explored important regulatory mechanisms …

What Lies Beneath, Meg Wachs

Theses and Dissertations

What is the very first thing you notice about a person? Appearance? What if the first thing you saw was everything that they were trying to hide? We would see every flaw but we would also see every truth. What Lies Beneath is an exploration of interior and exterior and an exposure to the dark and abject inside all of us; the parts we keep hidden and the things that build up until they have no place else to go. Rooted in an examination of the human psyche, my thesis explores the difference between the facade we project to the …

Skin-Tone And Academic Achievement Among 5-Year-Old Mexican Children, Selamawit Hailu

Theses and Dissertations

Skin-tone based social stratification has been characterized as an enduring part of the U.S. racial landscape (Hunter, 2002). Despite the plethora of research that examines the racial disparities in education (e.g., Reardon & Portilla, 2015), and an emerging literature finding that lighter skin-tones are associated with higher educational attainment among adults (Hunter, 2002) few studies have examined whether similar processes emerge during early childhood. Thus, grounded in Garcia Coll and colleagues’ (1996) integrative model, we tested whether skin-tone predicted children’s academic achievement, and whether these relations were modified by children’s ethnic-racial identification (i.e., positive ethnic-racial attitudes and centrality). Consistent with …

Stat3 In The Regulation Of Brown Adipocyte Differentiation, Marc Cantwell

Theses and Dissertations

Thermogenic fat is a promising target for new therapies in diabetes and obesity. Understanding how thermogenic fat develops is important to develop rational strategies to treat obesity. Previously, we have shown that Tyk2 and STAT3, part of the JAK-STAT pathway, are necessary for proper development of classical brown fat. Using primary preadipocytes isolated from newborn mice we demonstrate that STAT3 is required for differentiation and robust expression of Uncoupling Protein 1. We also confirm that STAT3 is necessary during the early induction stage of differentiation and is dispensable during the later terminal differentiation stage. Without STAT3, the brown preadipocytes have …

Understanding The Role Of Phosphoinositide 3-Kinase And Its Function As A Driving Force Behind The Er Stress Response In Fibrostenotic Crohn’S Disease-Affected Ileal Smooth Muscle Cells, Prashant Yadav

Theses and Dissertations

Crohn’s disease (CD) affects about 780,000 people in the United States alone, and it is estimated that 6-15 per 100,000 persons will receive a diagnosis of this disease each year. There currently is no cure for Crohn’s disease, and available medical therapies simply serve to alleviate the inflammation. This does not help treat fibrostenosis that Crohn’s disease patients may develop, which can only be treated surgically. Finding alternatives to treat CD requires an understanding of mechanisms at the biochemical level. In this thesis, we attempted to gain a better understanding of certain pathways found to be active in Crohn’s disease-affected …

Evaluating The Effects Of A Flipped Classroom Compared To A Traditional Classroom On Retention Of Information And Course Engagement In A Radiation Safety Course, Stephanie A. Mchugh

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to compare the flipped and traditional classroom pedagogies in relation to retention, critical thinking skills, and student engagement as measured by the multiple choice and short answer questions on the final exams, course evaluations, and CUCEI scores. Radiologic technologists, nuclear medicine technologists, and radiation therapists play vital roles in both diagnostic and therapeutic applications in patient care. Employers today are seeking graduates who know more, are better able to apply this knowledge, and solve more challenging problems (McLean, et al., 2016). This quasi-experimental study aimed to compare the flipped and traditional classroom pedagogies at …

Advanced Imaging Analysis For Predicting Tumor Response And Improving Contour Delineation Uncertainty, Rebecca N. Mahon

Theses and Dissertations

ADVANCED IMAGING ANALYSIS FOR PREDICTING TUMOR RESPONSE AND IMPROVING CONTOUR DELINEATION UNCERTAINTY

By Rebecca Nichole Mahon, MS

A dissertation submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy at Virginia Commonwealth University.

Virginia Commonwealth University, 2018

Major Director: Dr. Elisabeth Weiss,

Professor,

Department of Radiation Oncology

Radiomics, an advanced form of imaging analysis, is a growing field of interest in medicine. Radiomics seeks to extract quantitative information from images through use of computer vision techniques to assist in improving treatment. Early prediction of treatment response is one way of improving overall patient care. This work …

8917: Athletic Training Student Application Of Quality Improvement During Clinical Education: A Report From The Athletic Training Clinical Education Network, B. C. Jones, C. E. Welch Bacon, J. M. Cavallario, S. E. Walker, R. C. Bay, B. L. Van Lunen

Rehabilitation Sciences Faculty Publications

Context: A component of quality improvement (QI) is the ability to reflect on the effectiveness of one's practice. Past research has demonstrated that QI is more frequently implemented in patient encounters (PEs) in which athletic training students (ATSs) are assisting the preceptor. As one of the core competencies, QI will be a required curricular content component in all professional athletic training programs in 2020.

Objective: To assess whether ATSs are integrating concepts of QI during PEs as a part of their clinical experiences.

Design: Multisite, panel design.

Setting: Three Commission on Accreditation of Athletic Training Education-accredited professional athletic training programs …

2018-00-00 Water Quality Report, Morehead State University. Water System Office.

Staff Congress Records

Water quality report for Morehead State University for 2018.

2018 Msu Benefits Guide, Morehead State University. Office Of Human Resources.

Staff Congress Records

2018 Morehead State University Benefits Guide.

Protestantization Of The Roma From Southeastern Serbia, Dragan Todorović

Occasional Papers on Religion in Eastern Europe

The Protestantization of the Roma refers to the recent process of mass involvement of Serbian Roma in small religious communities of Protestant provenance.

The research was conducted using the deep interview method on the basis of a structured questionnaire with baptized believers of Roma nationality belonging to the Christian Baptist Church, Jehovah’s Witnesses, Christian Adventist Church, and Evangelical Pentecostal Church in the territory of Southeastern Serbia. The sample included both Roma and non-Roma high clergy of the abovementioned religious communities, as well as religious leaders of major religions of the region (Serbian Orthodox Church and Islamic Community).

This paper describes …

Creating Space For Belonging Within The West Virginia Progressive Movement, Roger A. Jennette

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

With the 2016 Presidential election come and gone, political activism within the United States has garnered more attention as political actors on the Progressive Left oppose the actions of the new administration. The West Virginia progressive movement is used as a case study of the national push towards progressive politics. Using participant diaries and a series of longitudinal interviews, this thesis explores the creation of spaces belonging within an activist organization to foster sustained involvement. The analysis points to the importance of creating a sense of belonging and the desire to ‘strive for better’ in a state that is often …

Spatial And Temporal Analysis Of Surface Water Quality In Relation To Marcellus Shale Gas Development In The Northern Panhandle Of West Virginia, Rachel Yesenchak

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Pre-existing water chemistry data available from the West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection were used to examine temporal changes in surface water quality related to the onset of Marcellus Shale gas drilling activity in the state of West Virginia. Drilling is concentrated in the northwestern portion of the state. Watersheds were delineated for twelve discrete stream sampling locations in the Upper Ohio-Wheeling HUC-8 sub-basin, where shale gas drilling is prevalent. Kruskal-Wallis tests were deployed to compare pre- and post-drilling concentrations of conductivity, chloride, and total suspended solids for each location. Increased concentrations of these parameters are associated with surface water …

Medical Celebrity In Eighteenth-Century Britain, Katherine Richards

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Medical Celebrity in Eighteenth-Century Britain argues that the cultural mechanisms responsible for creating and sustaining celebrity culture helped create and sustain commercialized medicine in eighteenth-century Britain. I identify the process by which celebrity and medical culture impact one another as a sociocultural phenomenon that I term medical celebrity. The following chapters present four case studies of how medical celebrity impacted the development of the medical profession, the medical market, cultural representations and perceptions of health and illness, and the patient experience. I engage with the work done by scholars in contemporary and early celebrity studies to shed light on the …

Qualitative And Quantitative Analysis Of Carbonate Waters In The Peters Mountain Region Of Monroe County, Wv, Emily A. Bausher

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Water in Monroe County, WV is used extensively for public and private supply and requires quantification, chemical analysis, and assessment for contamination susceptibility. Over 250 springs were previously identified in the eastern side of Monroe County on or near Peters Mountain; 14 were continuously monitored in this study. Springs were grouped based on geologic and spatial distribution: interbedded clastic-rock springs on the mountain flanks, carbonate springs in the valley, and a thermal spring associated with the St. Clair thrust fault. Clastic and carbonate springs have calcium-magnesium-bicarbonate chemistries, neutral pHs and high alkalinities; the thermal spring has calcium-magnesium-sulfate-carbonate chemistry, low pH, …

Tire-Derived Geo-Cylinders And Polymer Products For Enhancing The Properties Of Base/Sub Base Materials In Pavement Systems, Justin Scott Smith

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

As a critical part of the transportation network, pavements offer a safe means for vehicular traffic. Pavements are subjected to many forms of stress during their service life, and they are susceptible to environment related cracking and failures. Failures can be attributed to poor subgrade, freeze-thaw variations, and fatigue under repetitive axle loadings. Reinforcement products such as tire-derived geo-cylinders (TDGC) which make-up mechanical concrete and geo-polymers have been utilized in civil engineering practice, and this research aims to understand the potential life of tested pavement system components set at displacement limitations when reinforced with TDGCs and geo-polymers from exposure to …

Cortactin Phosphorylation By Casein Kinase 2 Regulates Actin Related Protein 2/3 Complex Activity And Invadopodia Function, Steven Michael Markwell

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Malregulation of the actin cytoskeleton enhances tumor cell motility and invasion. The actin-binding protein cortactin facilitates branched actin network formation through activation of the actin-related protein (Arp) 2/3 complex. Arp2/3 complex activation is responsible for driving increased migration and extracellular matrix (ECM) degradation by governing invadopodia formation and activity. While cortactin-mediated activation of Arp2/3 complex and invadopodia regulation has been well established, signaling pathways responsible for governing cortactin binding to Arp2/3 are unknown. In this dissertation we identify casein kinase (CK) 2α phosphorylation of cortactin as a negative regulator of Arp2/3 binding. CK2α directly phosphorylates cortactin at a conserved threonine …

The Principles And Rhetoric Of Autarky: Debate And Decision-Making In Early Colonial Kenya, Ian Michael Ferguson

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

This study seeks to understand the decision-making process of the colonial government of the East Africa Protectorate by articulating the principles of autarky: financial independence, development, and effective occupation. The principles of autarky, which are both goal and process for the colonial government, strove to bring that government to a state of self-sufficiency, or autarky. These principles created their own rhetoric within official correspondence which dominated the decision-making process. By looking at three different periods, Foreign Office control, the transition to Colonial Office responsibility, and the Soldier Settlement Scheme of 1919, the importance of the principles and rhetoric of autarky …

Three Essays On Tourism Demand And Economic Development In The United States, David Naab Aratuo

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

The global tourism industry has experienced sustained growth over the years even in the face of economic shocks. International travel for tourism purposes continues to grow albeit at different rates in developed and developing countries. The trend is suggestive of the significant impact of tourism on the global economy and social phenomena since the last century. A similar trend is observed in the United States as tourism contributes to the economy by generating revenues and creating jobs. The United States is a significant player in global tourism, being the largest exporter and the second largest importer of tourism. It is …

Best Practices For Sepsis Patients: A Quality Improvement Project, Kevin Mark Smith Jr

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Sepsis is a complication caused by the overwhelming and life-threatening response of the body to an infection. Sepsis can lead to tissue damage, organ failure, and death (Center for Disease Control and Prevention, 2016). Sepsis is the leading cause of death in U.S. hospitals. Mortality from sepsis increases 8% for every hour that treatment is delayed. Each year, 258,000 people die from sepsis in the U.S. As many as 80% of sepsis deaths could be prevented with rapid diagnosis and treatment (Sepsis Alliance, 2016). This project seeks to improve the ability of the transfer unit to screen patients, improve early …

Morphological, Genetic And Biochemical Characterization Of The Anti-Malarial Herb, Artemisia Annua Germplasm Collection At West Virginia University, Delini K. Samarasinghe

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Malaria is one of the deadliest diseases in human history. Nearly half of the world’s population, is at the risk in 106 countries. Only in 2016, this disease killed about 445,000 people, 72% of them being children under age five. It also accounts for US $12 billion dollars of direct costs in Africa alone. Five different species of Plasmodium cause malaria but P. falciparum is the most detrimental one, causing 50% of all malaria cases and is considered as the deadliest parasite in humans. Artemisinin (ART), a 15 C sesquiterpenoid is currently the only precursor to the most effective anti-malarial …

Cyber Threats And Healthcare Organizations: A Public Health Preparedness Perspective, Lauren Elizabeth Branch

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Healthcare in the United States, heavily reliant on digital technology in service provision, has recently seen an increase risk of cyberattacks. Coordinated electronic medical records, imaging, pharmaceutical services, lab services and even treatment devices all rely on electronic connectivity and represent critical services that must be secured from cyber threats. Hospitals have become increasingly complex systems, and this often makes the organization more vulnerable to failure. Planning for these events is often hard for hospitals because their main charge is to provide life-saving care to patients as they need it. This is a relatively new threat to healthcare organizations, and …

Association Of Diet Quality And Body Mass Index With Serum Ceramides In Middle-Aged Adults, Margaret Ann Drazba

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is one of the leading causes of death worldwide and identifying CVD risk is important for determining and implementing appropriate intervention strategies. Ceramides are a class of sphingolipids that are implicated in the pathogenesis of obesity and CVD. However, their relationship to diet quality, a modifiable risk factor for CVD, is largely unknown. The purpose of this cross-sectional study was to determine the association of an a priori diet quality index and body mass index (BMI) with circulating ceramides in middle-aged adults (n=96). Dietary intake was assessed using three 24-hour recalls and Nutrition Data System for Research …

Plasmon-Enhanced Optical Sensing By Engineering Metallic Nanostructures, Peng Zheng

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

The world’s booming population projected to reach 10 billion by 2050 causes enormous stresses on environmental safety, food supply, and healthcare, which in return threatens human civilizations. One of the most promising solutions lies at innovating point-of-care (POC) sensing technologies to conduct detection of environmental hazards, monitoring of food safety, and early diagnosis of diseases in a timely and accurate manner. The discovery of surface-enhanced spectroscopy in the 1970s has significantly stimulated research on light-matter interaction which gives rise to enhanced optical phenomena such as surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS), plasmon-enhanced fluorescence (PEF), and particularly, they have found enormous applications in …

Coaching Life Skills Through Sport: An Application Of The Teaching Personal And Social Responsibility Model To Youth Sport In Eswatini, Zenzi Huysmans

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Adolescence is a formative developmental period where youth learn the life skills and values needed to become compassionate and civically-engaged young people and navigate increasingly challenging global environments. Youth in eSwatini face major context-specific challenges that impede their healthy development as well as limited engagement with government initiatives intended to support their development. This feasibility study aimed to employ youth sport as a creative and engaging context to facilitate life skills development in underprivileged youth in eSwatini. Specifically, this study explored the youth participation experiences, positive youth outcomes, and implementation successes and challenges of a sport program for underprivileged youth …

The Effect Of Asymmetry On Pregnancy-Related Pain In The Postpartum Period, Krista G. Meder

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Nearly 50% of women experience back pain and other lower extremity pain during pregnancy, with many reporting lasting pain postpartum. Pregnant women experience changes to their pelvis and lower extremities that do not always return to pre-pregnancy baseline. Not much is known of the lingering effects of pregnancy related asymmetry and its relationship to pain. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to assess asymmetries of the pelvis and lower extremities to determine whether malalignment is related to areas of pain at the low back, hip, thigh, knee, leg, and foot/ankle. Methods: Seventeen postpartum women and seven nulliparous controls were …

Roofing Practices And Fall Prevention In The Construction Industry, Hadi A. Shishtar

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Roofing is an important profession in the construction industry yet there is a lack of understanding of its safeness. It is generally believed that roofing is an occupation that can be easily practiced by anyone. However, there are many key factors that are associated with roofing, which may impact the lives of roofers who often face major risks at work. According to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), roofing is one of the leading causes of falling deaths among construction workers. The Bureau of labor statistics has reported that roofers are highly exposed to non-fatal injuries. They have also …

Growth Media Alternatives For Mine Refuse Cap And Cover Systems, Sitraka Jean D'Annie Rabemanjakasoa

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

In 1999, Royal Scot Minerals based in Greenbrier County, West Virginia, USA went bankrupt and abandoned a 47-acre coal refuse pile, which currently presents environmental and economic issues. The primary objective of this problem report is to identify an effective approach to create a growth layer that establishes a sustainable vegetation on this pile. Using available data in the relevant literature, this report evaluates topsoil substitutes using three materials: papermill sludge, sewage sludge and lumber mill waste application for coal refuse piles. Like papermill sludge, sewage sludge reduces erosion/sedimentation by improving the soil water holding capacity and decreases the surface …

Forecasting Future Energy Production Using Hybrid Artificial Neural Network And Arima Model, Maryam Khodaverdi

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

The objective of this research is to obtain an accurate forecasting model for the amount of electricity (in kWh) that is generated from different primary energy sources in the U.S. In this research, Artificial Neural Network (ANN) and hybrid ARIMA and ANN algorithms were developed that can be used for forecasting the amount of energy production in the short, as well as, in the long run. Based on the inferences made from the available data provided by Energy Information Administration from January 2004 to December 2014, two different forecasting models for each primary energy source were constructed. These two models …

Nondestructive Evaluation Of Frp Composite Bridge Componenets Using Infrared Thermography And Digital Tap Tesing, Ruben Mangal Joshi

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Aging of civil infrastructures is one of the major problems faced by the engineering industry today, with the concrete structures cracking and the steel reinforcement corroding due to exposure to deicing chemicals, resulting in shorter service life. An alternative to the degrading infrastructures made of concrete and steel is the use of Fiber Reinforced Polymer (FRP) composites, which are noncorrosive. Use of FRP as structural components such as bridge decks and retrofitting jackets can solve the problem of aging with enhanced durability in future constructions. But, proper installation of newer material in structurally important infrastructure requires a reliable method of …