Digital Commons Network^™

Think Of An Elephant? Tweeting As "Framing" Executive Power, Fernando R. Laguarda

Scholarly Articles in Law Reviews & Journals

No abstract provided.

Structure Of The Picornavirus Replication Platform: A Potential Drug Target For Inhibiting Virus Replication, Meghan Suzanne Warden

Chemistry & Biochemistry Theses & Dissertations

Picornaviruses are small, positive-stranded RNA viruses, divided into twelve different genera. Members of the Picornaviridae family cause a wide range of human and animal diseases including the common cold, poliomyelitis, foot and mouth disease, and dilated cardiomyopathy. The picornavirus genome is replicated via a highly conserved mechanism involving a presumed cloverleaf structure located at the 5’ noncoding region of the virus genome. The 5’ cloverleaf consists of three stem loops (B, C, and D) and one stem (A), which interact with a variety of virus and host cell proteins during replication. In this dissertation, human rhinovirus serotype 14 (HRV-14) SLB …

Development Of A 300 Kv Dc High Voltage Photogun And Beam Based Studies Of Alkali Antimonide Photocathodes, Yan Wang

Physics Theses & Dissertations

To advance magnetized gun research in the United States, a compact DC high voltage photogun with inverted-insulator geometry was designed, built, and operated reliably at - 300 kV bias voltage using alkali-antimonide photocathodes. This photogun will provide a magnetized electron beam for the future Jefferson Lab Electron-Ion Collider (JLEIC) cooler. This research describes key electrostatic design features of the photogun and evaluates the performance of the in-house fabricated photocathodes and the quality of the electron beams. The thermal emittance of the electron beam was measured with various conditions: different gun bias voltages, different laser spot sizes, and photocathodes with different …

R2h And The Prospects For Peace: An Essay On Sovereign Responsibilities, David Luban

Georgetown Law Faculty Publications and Other Works

This essay examines novel threats to peace – social and political threats as well as military and technological. It worries that familiar conceptions of state sovereignty cannot sustain a legal order capable of meeting those threats, not even if we understand sovereignty as responsibility to protect human rights. The essay tentatively proposes that recent efforts to reformulate state sovereignty as responsibility to humanity – ‘R2H’ for short – offer a better hope. Under this reformulation, states must take into account the interests of those outside their sovereign territory as well as those of the of their own people – in …

The Ferns, Conifers, And Flowering Plants Of The Arcata Marsh & Wildlife Sanctuary, James P. Smith Jr.

Botanical Studies

No abstract provided.

Midterm 2018 And Targeting Latino Community Through Misinformation And Disinformation Online, Manjul Shrestha

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

How has the Latino community been targeted by digital propaganda during the 2018 midterm elections in the US? How might this affect their involvement in and around the election? This thesis starts to answer these questions through a data analysis on two of the most prominent and popular social media platforms for political discussion: Twitter and Reddit. This study analyzed people’s posting patterns over time, the digital traces of the individuals pushing the majority and most popular content, and Latino candidates’ interaction on Twitter. This research provides evidence that on Twitter there are two main actors discussing Latinos and politics: …

Characteristics Of Activated Carbons Produced From Herbaceous Biomass Feedstock, Oluwatosin Jerry Oginni

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Energy security and environmental protection are at the forefront of research due to the forecasted depletion of fossil fuel reserves and the growing concern of its adverse environmental impacts. The use of renewable sources for energy applications has centered on the use of biomass feedstocks and this include from herbaceous, woody, agricultural waste, forest residues and municipal wastes. The thermochemical conversion (pyrolysis) of these biomass feedstocks has potential to produce liquid fuel, a solid residue (biochar) and non-condensable gas. The biochar is primarily composed of renewable porous carbon and other inorganic compounds. The biochar is used for soil amendment, adsorption …

Detection Of Buried Non-Metallic (Plastic And Frp Composite) Pipes Using Gpr And Irt, Jonas Kavi

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

This research investigated alternative strategies for making buried non-metallic pipes (CFRP, GFRP, and PVC) easily locatable using Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR). Pipe diameters up to 12" and buried with up to 4 ft. of soil cover were investigated. The findings of this study will help address the detection problem of non-metallic pipelines and speed the adoption of composite pipes by the petroleum and natural gas industry. The research also investigated the possibility of locating buried pipes transporting hot fluids using Infrared Thermography (IRT).

Results from the study have shown that, using carbon fabric and aluminum tape overlay on non‑metallic pipes …

Unequal Influence: The Impact Of Inequality On Trade Policy, Brian William Fitzpatrick

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Trade was a central issue in the 2016 US presidential election, with both major party candidates debating how trade impacts American workers. However, the current literature on trade policy outcomes and inequality has insufficient measures of public opinion on trade. I examine the varying roles the public and interest groups play in the trade policy formation process as inequality changes in democratic societies. I expect, as inequality increases, the public and mass based interest groups will have less resources to expend on influencing policymakers. Also, as inequality increases economic elites’ and business interest groups’ resources will increase, and they will …

A Test Of Perseverance: Creating The Scenic Design For The Three Musketeers, Lindsay Maiorano

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

This document is an account of the scenic design process for the West Virginia University School of Theatre & Dance's 2018 production of The Three Musketeers by Catherine Bush. It details the entire scenic design process, including script analysis, research, and design meetings, as well as the processes of construction, scenic art, and technical rehearsals. It illustrates the transformation of a series of renderings and models, which ultimately evolved to the finalized version of the scenic design.

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 …

Using Artificial Intelligence And Machine Learning To Develop Synthetic Well Logs, Marwan Mohammed Alnuaimi

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

There has been an increase in the need for energy in the recent past. Oil and gas stand as the source of energy that are widely used. The oil and gas reservoirs are targeted for the purposes of field development. The conventional methods of reservoir characteristics require computing techniques that are unique and complex, some of which are labor and time intensive. Mohaghegh argues that all efforts must be tried and made possible to apply Petroleum Data analytics in production and management of reservoir so as to earn a maximum return (Mohaghegh, Shale Analytics, 2017). Different methodologies have been applied …

Con El Nopal En La Frente, Tessa Lee Martinez

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

This MFA thesis addresses work completed and presented in a thesis exhibition at West Virginia University as well as significant influences and events that relate to process and concept. Con el Nopal en la Frente consists of several ceramic sculptures that reference elements of a landscape typical in southwest Texas. Using symbols and phrases that are common along the Texas-Mexico border, this thesis and supporting exhibition investigates contemporary expressions of xenophobia. During my years away from home, the presence of microaggressions and racist remarks, said both intentionally and unintentionally, was common. This was new to me. Often times, those saying …

Routine Regrets: Over Disclosure And Self-Violations Of Privacy In Social Media Spaces, Matthew P. Hartwell

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

A cognitive application of the theory of ritualized media is applied to computer mediated communication to explain unintended consequences of routinization in social media spaces connected to patterns of use and network growth, creating an increased opportunity for self-violations of privacy. While The unintentional self-violation of a digital user's privacy of information, thoughts, and behavior in part stems from interconnected structural components of a user's networks as well as the situational constraints they experience while utilizing social media. This study found that as networks increased in complexity, both in volume and diversity, SNS users experienced a higher likelihood of posting …

Nanocellulose From The Appalachian Hardwood Forest And Its Potential Applications, Masoumeh Hassanzadeh

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Nanofibrillated cellulose (NFCs) are nanoscale fibers of high aspect ratio that can be isolated from a wide variety of cellulosic sources, including wood and bacterial cellulose. With high strength despite of their low density, NFCs are a promising renewable building block for the preparation of nanostructured materials and composites. To fabricate NFC-based materials with improved mechanical and chemical properties and additional new functionalities for different applications, it is essential to tailor the surface properties of individual NFCs. The surface structures control the interactions between NFCs and ultimately dictate the structure and macroscale properties of the bulk material. This research was …

Creating The Need To Serve: How West Virginia Spontaneous Disaster Relief Volunteers' Motivations And Experiences Influence Their Willingness For Continued Volunteerism*, Erin Hudnall

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Spontaneous volunteerism, or emergent volunteer behavior, is characterized by an individual's actions of impulsively offering volunteer services immediately following the occurrence of a natural disaster or community tragedy, such as a flood or terrorist attack. This type of volunteerism differs from traditional volunteer activities that are usually preplanned and not related to a recent tragedy. It is unclear what types of motivations spur individuals to volunteer after a disaster, whether spontaneous volunteers' experiences lead to willingness for continued volunteerism in the future, and whether motivations and experiences differ significantly by context. To study this phenomenon, spontaneous volunteers who offered help …

Listening For Yes: Consent In The Contemporary Country Love Song, Phoebe E. Hughes

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

This document investigates contemporary country music of the late 2000s to 2010s, looking specifically at how consent is represented in the songs of solo male artists from this time period. Constructing the framework of "Consent Songs," this document provides three different category of Consent Song: Hypothetical, Real-Life, and Breakup. Employing perspectives from popular music studies, as well as gender and sexuality studies, this document looks at representations of masculinity, sexuality, and various methods of authenticity in contemporary country music. In so doing, the lack of consent being represented in this body of music becomes apparent.

Communication In The Workplace: Does Communicating Breastfeeding Needs Affect Breastfeeding Duration For Working Mothers?, Madison Sara Millner

Health Nutrition and Exercise Science

The purpose of this study was to identify if employer interpersonal communication and support are factors that reduce breastfeeding duration. An online, 85-item questionnaire was completed by employed breastfeeding mothers in the state of North Dakota. Of the 502 respondents, responses of a subset of 214 mothers who had concluded breastfeeding were analyzed. Shorter breastfeeding duration was seen in mothers who reported not being confident in combining breastfeeding and working. This was further seen in shorter breastfeeding duration among mothers who did not feel comfortable asking for accommodations or taking breastfeeding breaks. Mothers who were unsure about manager’s support of …

Delineating Root System Architecture In Rapeseed/Canola (Brassica Napus L.) Through Molecular And Transcriptomic Approaches, Muhammad Arif Uz Zaman

Plant Sciences

Root system architecture of plant plays a key role in water and nutrient uptake from the soil, provides anchorage and acts as a storage organ. In this current research, we have focused on the molecular and physiological basis of root system variation in canola (Brassica napus L.). Genome wide association mappings in a diverse canola germplasm panel with ~37,500 and ~30,200 single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) markers were conducted under greenhouse and field conditions, respectively. A total of 52 significant SNP markers associated with different root architectural traits were identified in the greenhouse study. Majority of the markers were distributed on …

Legal Realism And The Controversy Over Campus Speech Codes, Richard Delgado

Articles

No abstract provided.

Wrongful Living, Alberto B. Lopez, Fredrick E. Vars

Essays, Reviews, and Shorter Works

Executing an advance directive that specifies a patient's wishes regarding end-of-life medical care is an exercise of self-determination--a conscious choice about the degree and type of medical intervention one wishes to receive under end-of-life circumstances. Empirical studies, however, consistently report that healthcare professionals fail to comply with advance directives; violations of a patient's interest in self-determination are alarmingly common. From a practical perspective, the conduct of either patients or healthcare professionals may make an advance directive unavailable, which results in noncompliance. Legally, courts have historically rejected claims for “wrongful living” associated with the prolongation of life that results from unwanted …

Sustainable Eating: Opportunities For Nutrition Professionals, C. Pettinger

School of Health Professions

No abstract provided.

The Revised Four-Factor Motivational Thought Frequency And State Motivation Scales For Alcohol Control, David J. Kavanagh, Nicole Robinson, Jennifer Connolly, Jason Connor, Jackie Andrade, Jon May

School of Psychology

No abstract provided.

Applying Daubert To Flaubert: Standards For Admissibility Of Testimony Of Writing Experts, Heidi K. Brown

Articles & Chapters

No abstract provided.

Baseline Screening For The Presence Of Antimicrobial Resistance In E. Coli Isolated From Kuwait's Marine Environment, Ha Al-Sarawi, Awadhesh N. Jha, Craig Baker-Austin, Ma Al-Sarawi, Brett P. Lyons

School of Biological and Marine Sciences

No abstract provided.

Transformation Of C60 Fullerene Aggregates Suspended And Weathered Under Realistic Environmental Conditions, Josep Sanchís, Yann Aminot, Esteban Abad, Awadhesh N. Jha, James W. Readman, Marinella Farré

School of Biological and Marine Sciences

No abstract provided.

Rising Levels Of Temperature And Co2 Antagonistically Affect Phytoplankton Primary Productivity In The South China Sea., Yong Zhang, Tifeng Wang, He Li, Nanou Bao, Jason M. Hall-Spencer, Kunshan Gao

School of Biological and Marine Sciences

Coastal and offshore waters in the South China Sea are warming and becoming acidified due to rising atmospheric levels of carbon dioxide (CO2), yet the combined effects of these two stressors are poorly known. Here, we carried out shipboard incubations at ambient (398 μatm) and elevated (934 μatm) pCO2 at in situ and in situ+1.8 °C temperatures and we measured primary productivity at two coastal and two offshore stations. Both warming and increased CO2 levels individually increased phytoplankton productivity at all stations, but the combination of high temperature and high CO2 did not, reflecting an antagonistic effect. Warming decreased Chl …

Infragravity Waves: From Driving Mechanisms To Impacts, X Bertin, Ma Davidson

School of Biological and Marine Sciences

No abstract provided.

Partial Replacement Of Cement For Waste Aggregates In Concrete Coastal And Marine Infrastructure: A Foundation For Ecological Enhancement?, Ryan S. Mcmanus, Nicholas Archibald, Sean Comber, Antony M. Knights, Richard C. Thompson, Louise B. Firth

School of Biological and Marine Sciences

The effects of climate change and an expanding human population are driving the need for the expansion of coastal and marine infrastructure (CMI), the development of which is introducing hard substrate into the marine environment on a previously unseen scale. Whilst the majority of previous research has focussed on how physical features affect intertidal macrobiotic communities, this study considered the effects of differences in the chemical composition of concrete on subtidal biofilm and macrobiotic communities. Two commonly used cement replacements, pulverised fly ash (PFA) and ground granulated blast-furnace slag (GGBS), were used in a combination of proportions to assess how …

Turning The Tide On Trash: Empowering European Educators And School Students To Tackle Marine Litter, Bonny L. Hartley, Sabine Pahl, Matthew Holland, Iro Alampei, Joana M. Veiga, Richard C. Thompson

School of Biological and Marine Sciences

Marine litter is a global environmental problem, and working with educators and school students has much potential to facilitate greater public understanding of the solutions and to enable action. This research examined two new educational activities designed to empower European educators and school students to engage with the topic of marine litter, particularly focusing on behavior and on known determinants of behavior rather than knowledge alone. In Study 1, 120 educators participated in an online training course on marine litter, and completed a pre- and post-course questionnaire to assess change. After participating in the course, educators felt significantly more skillful …