Digital Commons Network^™

Comparing Performance Of Anova To Poisson And Negative Binomial Regression When Applied To Count Data, Ibrahim Soumare

Statistics

Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) is the easiest and most widely used model nowadays in statistics. ANOVA however requires a set of assumptions for the model to be a valid choice and for the inferences to be accurate. Among many, ANOVA assumes the data in question is normally distributed and homogenous. However, data from most disciplines does not meet the assumption of normality and/or equal variance. Regrettably, researchers do not always check whether the assumptions are met, and if these assumptions are violated, inferences might well be wrong. We conducted a simulation study to compare the performance of standard ANOVA to …

Minocycline As A Treatment For Traumatic Brain Injury-Induced Impulsive And Attentional Deficits, Kristen M. Pechacek

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Traumatic brain injury (TBI) impacts millions worldwide and can cause lasting psychiatric symptoms. Chronic neuroinflammation is a characteristic of post-injury pathology and is positively associated with psychiatric conditions such as ADHD and bipolar disorder. Therefore, the current study sought to treat TBI-induced impulsivity and inattention using minocycline, an antibiotic with anti-inflammatory properties. Rats were trained on the five-choice serial reaction time task (5CSRT), a measure of motor impulsivity and attention. After behavior was stable on the 5CSRT, rats received either a bilateral frontal TBI or sham procedure. Minocycline was given at either 1 h post-injury or beginning at 8 weeks …

Silver-Mediated Decarboxylation Reactions: Expanding Reaction Scope Through Kinetic Analysis, Robert Anthony Crovak

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Transition metal-catalyzed decarboxylative coupling reactions have received considerable attention in recent years as a method to obtain biaryl compounds. However, the oxidative version of this reaction class is still in its infancy, limited to specific substitution patterns on the benzoic acids – ortho-substitution - used in these transformations. This thesis describes our attempts to understand the key decarboxylation step of this important class of reactions. The first chapter of this thesis discusses an introduction into cross-coupling reactions, decarboxylative cross-coupling reactions, and outlines relevant physical organic parameters. The following chapter details the synthesis of a series of (1,10-phenanthroline)silver(benzoate) complexes. This chapter …

Examining Provider-Patient Communication And Family Knowledge Of Treatment In Pediatric Asthma Care, Thomas W. Ewell

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Asthma knowledge is an essential factor in being able to consistently and effectively manage asthma symptoms over time, which in turn reduces asthma morbidity and improves quality of life. The way in which certain provider factors, such as communication strategies or techniques, may differentially impact pediatric patients and their caregivers has little in the way of prior investigation. The current study involves a secondary analysis from a larger project. This larger study included 45 pediatric asthma patients (ages 8-17 years; M = 11.79) and their primary caregiver recruited from pediatric asthma and allergy clinics within the WVU Medicine system to …

Examining The Career Pathways For Women Administrators At A Land-Grant University, Meridith A. Balas

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

This feminist-centered, narrative study focuses on the troubling gender gaps in higher education leadership by exploring the career paths and lived experiences of current women administrators at a large, public land-grant institution. This research identifies specific supports and barriers women face throughout their careers that might enable or prevent them from attaining or accessing high-level leadership roles in academic and non-academic administration. The study leans on feminist theory to position perceptions of women in leadership roles across many disciplines in the university setting while observing it as a critical lens to analyze gender inequality in the career pipeline for women …

Mechanistic Analysis Of Reductive Boracarboxylation Using Low Valent Copper And Co2, Notashia Nicole Baughman

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

The synthesis of organoboron compounds is of contemporary importance in the chemistry community given their utility in subsequent functionalization reactions as well as their growing therapeutic potential in the treatment of human disease. This, coupled with the ubiquity of carboxylic acid functional groups in pharmaceuticals and fine chemicals, has led to interest in one-pot difunctionalization reactions using CO₂ and a boron source. An (ICy)copper(I)-catalyzed boracarboxylation reaction was recently developed wherein CO₂ and a pinacolboryl group is added across the double bond of vinyl arenes was recently developed, providing access to α-aryl-β-boryl propionic acid derivatives. A subsequent publication detailed …

"Treading On The Footprints Of History": American Catholic Pilgrimage As Public History, Charlotte Vester

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

In this thesis, I demonstrate how Catholic pilgrimage is a public history phenomenon. I define public history as public engagement, understanding, and use of the past. While I assert that pilgrimage is a public history phenomenon both in the past and in the present, my thesis will focus on American Catholic pilgrimage at the turn of the twentieth century. Each individual chapter will demonstrate that through pilgrimage, the faithful are engaged in public history in its various forms. Catholics actively took part in past-making and identity-construction in their roles as pilgrims. Through pilgrimage, Catholics were involved in the preservation and …

Solutions To Some Mine Subsidence Research Challenges, Jian Yang

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

The objective of this work is to address three challenging topics, (1) effects of overburden key strata on subsurface subsidence; (2) effects of longwall subsidence on interstate highways and highway bridges; and (3) effects of dewatering mine water on surface subsidence over inactive room-and-pillar mines, in mine subsidence and to continue improvement of mine safety and health by reducing mine-subsidence related hazards.

Surface and subsurface subsidence events induced by underground mining activities are often capable of causing significant disturbances not only to surface structures, but also to subsurface structures. In this work, models and techniques to study three challenging topics …

Design And Development Of A Multi-Nodal Methane Detection System For Longwall Coal Mining, Amber P. Barr

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Methane (CH4) explosions pose significant dangers in longwall mining that may lead to injuries and fatalities. Safety is improved through diligent monitoring of CH4 concentration. Currently, regulations require a CH4 monitor be placed on the shearer, downwind of the cutting head. Portable monitor measurements must be taken at various times and locations. If any CH4 monitor measures a concentration greater than 1%, a warning signal must be given. Based on previous research and the location of the CH4 monitor mounted on the shearer (closest monitor to the face), if 1% methane is measured, the concentration at the face may be …

Terrain Aware Traverse Planning For Mars Rovers, Gabrielle Hedrick

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

NASA is proposing a Mars Sample Return mission, to be completed within one Martian year, that will require enhanced autonomy to perform its duties faster, safer, and more efficiently. With its main purpose being to retrieve samples possibly tens of kilometers away, it will need to drive beyond line-of-sight to get to its target more quickly than any rovers before. This research proposes a new methodology to support a sample return mission and is divided into three compo-nents: map preparation (map of traversability, i.e., ability of a terrain to sustain the traversal of a vehicle), path planning (pre-planning and replanning), …

Comparison Of The Batch And Individual Log Study Methods For Use In Determining Log Breakeven Pricing, Levi Eric Sisler

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Understanding log yields and overrun is critical to a profitable sawmill operation. Lumber yield and overrun data can be gathered through one of two types of sawmill studies: batch studies or individual log studies. Little to no research has previously been conducted to determine if one method provides more reliable results than the other method. For this effort, 16 batch studies were conducted. Individual log studies were also conducted on the same logs, allowing a direct comparison of the results from both study types. A breakeven analysis was conducted for each study type, which determined the amount of variability in …

Evaluation Of Object Attributes To Study Speed-Accuracy Trade-Off Of Gloves Using Iso 9241-411 Standard, Isha Gaut

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Selection of appropriate gloves plays an important role in the overall comfort and productivity of workers. Currently, there are no standards and/or guidelines available to systematically evaluate the glove performance based on speed-accuracy trade-off. The ISO 9241-411 standard which is based on Fitts’ Law has been extensively used in the literature to measure speed-accuracy trade-off in terms of throughput in the virtual environments. This study was aimed at developing guidelines for implementing ISO 9241-411 standard in the physical environment so that it can be used to estimate (and compare) throughputs of safety gloves. Specifically, the various physical attributes of objects …

The Effects Of Membrane Physicochemical Properties On Huntingtin Membrane Association And Downstream Aggregation, Maryssa Beasley

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Huntington’s Disease (HD) is a fatal neurodegenerative disorder caused by an expanded glutamine repeat region (polyQ) within the huntingtin protein (htt). As a result of the expanded polyQ domain, htt associates into a variety of toxic aggregate species. The polyQ domain of htt is flanked at the N-terminal end by 17 amino acids (Nt17) that adopt an amphipathic α-helical structure in the presence of binding partners such as lipid membranes. In addition to comprising a lipid binding domain, the Nt17 amphipathic α -helix has been directly implicated in htt aggregation initiation via self-association with other Nt17 α -helices. Due to …

Rail-To-Rail Operational In Low-Power Reconfigurable Analog Circuitry, Jared Dale Baker

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Analog signal processing (ASP) can be used to decrease energy consumption by several orders of magnitude over completely digital applications. Low-power field programmable analog arrays (FPAA) have been previously used by analog designers to decrease energy consumption. Combining ASP with an FPAA, energy consumption of these systems can be further reduced. For ASP to be most functional, it must achieve rail-to-rail operation to maintain a high dynamic range. This work strives to further reduce power consumption in reconfigurable analog circuitry by presenting a novel data converter that utilizes ASP and rail-to-rail operation. Rail-to-Rail operation is achieved in the data converter …

C-Jun Nh2-Terminal Kinase Signaling Controls Cellular Mechanisms Of Guided Cortical Interneuron Migration, Skye Eleanor Smith

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

The cerebral cortex is an intricately organized brain structure responsible for high-level functions including sensory perception, movement, memory, language, and cognition. During corticogenesis, cortical excitatory neurons and inhibitory interneurons migrate from their respective progenitor zones into the developing cerebral cortex, deposit in the correct cortical layer, and establish connections with their appropriate synaptic partners. The balance between excitation and inhibition is critical for cortical circuitry development and function. Aberrant migration of inhibitory interneurons can alter the formation of cortical circuitry and lead to several neurodevelopmental disorders including epilepsy, autism spectrum disorder, and schizophrenia. Therefore, elucidating the mechanisms responsible for inhibitory …

Green Completion As A Mitigation For Btex Exposure In Gas Flaring: Nigeria Case Study (Exposure Assessment And Cost Model), Akintunde S. Akinyemi

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Gas flaring is an essential part of the oil and gas industry safety and waste management procedures; however, it presents a potential exposure to BTEX compounds, a group of Non-Methane Volatile Organic Compounds (NMVOC), within up to a 10-mile radius of the flare point. The physical and the psychological cost of the journey to work, make employees live close to the workplace. This study examined the perceived exposure of oil and gas industry workers to possible carcinogenic emissions outside the workplace. It looked at the outcomes of the exposure to BTEX through gas flaring drawing on archival data and using …

Mapping Surficial Geology In The New River Gorge National River And Bluestone National Scenic River, West Virginia, Using Lidar-Derived Digital Elevation Data, Marla K. Denicola

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

The purpose of this thesis was to determine if the surficial geology of Bluestone National Scenic River (BLUE) and New River Gorge National River (NERI), two areas of similar geology, can be mapped using visual interpretation methods applied to digital elevation models (DEMs) derived from light detection and ranging (LiDAR) data. Surficial geology in BLUE was field mapped using GPS, following definitions and characterizations for surficial geology units established with the guidance of Dr. J. Steven Kite. A 2m x 2m LiDAR-derived DEM was used for BLUE and most of NERI using US Army Corps of Engineers (USCOE) LiDAR data, …

Effect Of Binder Modification And Aggregate Size On Modulus And Fatigue Of Asphalt Concrete, Elizabeth Bashiti

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Asphalt concrete is one of the main ingredients used in the paving of roadways across the globe. These roadways have been deteriorating from overuse, under design, and a lack of understanding of the engineering properties. In the asphalt community, it is agreed upon that polymer modifiers and aggregate size have comparable impacts on the performance of a pavement, such as, low creep at high temperatures, high ductility at low temperatures, high toughness, resistance to moisture and temperature, high cohesive and adhesive strength. With all of these advantages, it has been often assumed that polymer modifiers extend/improve the expected life of …

Comparison Of Condensation Nuclei Counter And Controlled Negative Pressure Methods Under Different Environmental Conditions Tested With A Mannequin And Human Subjects, Olanrewaju John Fadairo

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Continuing concern about exposure to respiratory hazards at various workplaces and prevalent pandemics such as H1N1/09 influenza and COVID-19, have necessitated a need for more research regarding respirators. Quantitative fit testing (QNFT) is a critical component of an OSHA compliant respiratory protection program. QNFTs are often performed in environments where temperature and relative humidity (RH) vary. However, no study has investigated the possible effects of these parameters on penetration and QNFT results.

This comparative study utilized condensation nuclei counter (CNC) and controlled negative pressure (CNP) methods to quantitatively determine simulated mannequin fit factors (SMFFs) and human fit factor (HFFs) using …

Transitioning Out Of Leadership: Is There Life After Higher Administration?, Christina M. Frederick, Alvin Y. Wang, Jane S. Halonen

Publications

This article showcases the case histories of three former higher education administrators who stepped down from their responsibilities to rejoin the faculty. From their collective experiences, they extracted the variables that tend to influence the change in professional trajectory. The authors explain how an assortment of cognitive biases can influence the success or failure of downward transitions. We conclude the article with suggestions regarding how to make a successful transition from academic administration back to faculty status.

Estimates Of Red Drum Mortality Via Acoustic Telemetry, T. Reid Nelson, Sean P. Powers

University Faculty and Staff Publications

Subadult (age < 3) Red Drum Sciaenops ocellatus support a valuable recreational fishery, and mortality estimates for young Red Drum are needed for proper management. To obtain these estimates, age-1 and age-2 Red Drum were implanted with acoustic transmitters and external Floy tags in two coastal Alabama rivers (Fowl and Dog rivers). Fates of tagged fish were inferred from stationary receiver detections and active relocations over 1 year. These fates were used in a Bayesian multistate model to estimate instantaneous monthly and annual mortality and emigration rates for each river and overall from both rivers. Instantaneous monthly fishing mortality (F) ranged from 0.001 to 0.112 (annual F = 0.414) in Dog River, from 0.001 to 0.126 in Fowl River (annual F = 0.309), and was 0.001–0.054 (annual F = 0.337) overall. Instantaneous monthly natural mortality (M) ranged from 0.001 to 0.002 (annual M= 0.069) in Dog River, from 0.001 to 0.036 (annual M= 0.178) in Fowl River, and from 0.001 to 0.017 (annual M= 0.090) overall. The overall annual estimate of instantaneous total mortality (Z) was 0.435. The median escapement percentage was estimated at 36.3% (95% posterior credible interval = 19.5–56.0%) using M and Z from the overall model. Unfortunately, the error on this estimate was large and inconclusive as to whether the 30% escapement goal for juvenile Red Drum to the adult population from Dog and Fowl rivers is being met. Monthly residency estimates were typically greater than 0.90, and overall annual residency was estimated at 0.716. Fishing mortality estimates from the current study are higher than recent catch curve estimates that did not include young Red Drum. These results demonstrate that young Red Drum need to be accounted for when generating mortality estimates and provide needed data for the Red Drum recreational fishery.

Choice Of Law As Extraterritoriality, Carlos Manuel Vázquez

Georgetown Law Faculty Publications and Other Works

This contribution to Resolving Conflicts on the Law: Essays in Honour of Lea Brilmayer (published under the title Choice of Law as Geographic Scope Limitation) argues that the choice-of-law question commonly addressed by state and foreign courts is conceptually identical to the question addressed by federal courts in determining whether a federal statute applies to a dispute having foreign elements. The latter question is clearly understood today to relate to the statute’s territorial scope. State courts have long conceptualized the choice-of-law question in the same way. Faced with a state statute addressing the issue before it and phrased in …

Promise, Agreement, Contract, Gregory Klass

Georgetown Law Faculty Publications and Other Works

It is natural to wonder about contract law’s relationship to the morality of promises and agreements. This Chapter distinguishes two ways to conceive of that relationship. First, parties’ agreement-based moral obligations might figure into the explanation of contract law—into an account of its functions or justifications. Contract law might serve to enforce parties’ first-order performance obligations, to enforce second-order remedial obligations, to support the culture of making and keeping agreements more generally, or at least to do no harm to that culture or to people’s ability to act morally. Second, contract can be understood as the legal analog to promise. …

Conventional Science Will Not Do Justice To Nonhuman Interests: A Fresh Approach Is Required, Becca Franks, Christine Webb, Monica Gagliano, Barbara Smuts

Animal Sentience

Treves et al. (2019) make a convincing case that conservation efforts need to go beyond an anthropocentric worldview. Implementing that vision, however, will require human advocates to represent nonhuman interests. Where will the knowledge of those interests come from? How can humans know what is in the best interest of another animal, a plant, or an ecosystem? We discuss how the values embedded in current scientific practices may be ill-suited to representing nonhuman interests and we offer some ideas for correcting these shortcomings.

Just Preservation, Trusteeship And Multispecies Justice, Francisco J. Santiago-Ávila, Adrian Treves, William Lynn

Animal Sentience

We are grateful to all the commentators who engaged with our target article. Some commentators have offered important insights into our proposed design and methods for legally intervening on behalf of futurity. Others have focused on theoretical considerations central to our proposal for multispecies justice and trusteeship. All have inspired modifications and further elaboration of our initial proposal. In this Response, we engage with the commentaries, integrating their suggestions, striving for convergence and complementarity, but also discussing points of divergence with our proposed framework where necessary. There is substantial overlap in the points of view of the three co-authors, but …

Prevalence And Types Of Incivility In Occupational Therapy Fieldwork, Deborah J. Bolding, Travis Dudley, Adrienne Dahlmeier, Lauren Bland, Aimee Castro, Adrianna Covarrubias

Faculty Research, Scholarly, and Creative Activity

Civility between health professions students and fieldwork educators enhances positive learning outcomes, while incivility can lead to stress, loss of confidence, mistakes, disengagement, and decreased patient outcomes. A survey of recent graduates of occupational therapy programs (N = 247) explored the prevalence and types of incivility and bullying experienced during their Level II fieldwork experiences. Respondents reported that incivility in fieldwork education was widespread, with more severe experiences of bullying reported by 16% of respondents. Occupational therapy programs and fieldwork educators must take an active role in prevention and management of uncivil behaviors, and promote positive academic and patient care …

Effectiveness Of Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation Over Protective Athletic Equipment As Performed By Certified Athletic Trainers, Kaitlyn Colleen Skaro

Health Nutrition and Exercise Science

Certified Athletic Trainers (ATCs) are expected to perform cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) on athletes experiencing cardiac arrest, regardless of whether the athlete is wearing protective athletic equipment. The goal of this research was to determine if ATCs were able to deliver high-quality CPR over and under football shoulder pads. Forty-one ATCs completed CPR according to 2015 AHA guidelines over and under shoulder pads fitted on a manikin. CPR quality was measured with the Resusci Anne Wireless SkillReporter. Data were analyzed to compare CPR performed over and under the shoulder pads. Overall CPR score, chest compression depth, and ventilation volume were statistically …

The Effects Of Remote Post-Exercise Ischemic Conditioning On Recovery From Strenuous Exercise, Thomas Jonathan Lillquist

Health Nutrition and Exercise Science

BACKGROUND: Strategic limb occlusion applied after exercise (PEIC) may expedite recovery, not just in directly affected tissue, but over the entire body via circulating factors. METHODS: Twenty active college-age males took part in a single-blind randomized crossover design. Participants underwent intervention and SHAM treatments after strenuous exercise sessions. Peak Torque production and soreness measures were gathered directly before and 24-hours after two exercise sessions. STATISTICAL ANALYSES: A 2 x 2 repeated measures analysis of variance with sidak corrections (significance of p<0.05) was used to analyze peak torque and VAS scores. RESULTS: Significance was not observed between any associated pre- and post-peak torque test (p > 0.05). Post-treatment VAS scores were statistically higher than pre-treatment for all conditions except pre-and post-intervention in the direct leg …

The Elephant And The Felon: A Look At Criminal Sentencing And Treatment Through The Lens Of Jonathan Haidt's Moral Matrices, Samantha Horkott

Graduate School of Professional Psychology: Doctoral Papers and Masters Projects

Criminal sentencing in the United States has shifted over the years. This paper outlines the current role morality plays in the sentencing and punishment of criminals. Recent work in moral psychology points the way to a better approach. Jonathan Haidt’s moral matrices, from his book The Righteous Mind: Why Good People Are Divided by Politics and Religion, provide a signpost for more efficacious treatment of those on parole or under community supervision, overall contributing to the reduction of recidivism. In sum, Haidt’s work in moral psychology could lead to fairer sentencing and more effective treatment.

The Dangers Of Disclosure: How Hiv Laws Harm Domestic Violence Survivors, Courtney K. Cross

Articles

No abstract provided.