Digital Commons Network^™

Gun Culture 3.0, Andrew Phillip Stover

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

There exist a criminology of firearms and an epidemiology of firearms use, but little in the way of a sociology of U.S. firearm ownership. Most social science study of firearms concerns illicit gun use and the harm that use produces. Compared to this body of work, little has been done to explore the culture of legal gun ownership. A few social scientists have attempted to change this by contributing their own interpretations of what a sociology of U.S. gun ownership might look like. Professor David Yamane, in doing just this, has posited a cultural model of contemporary gun ownership he …

“I Lost Everything I Owned… Now I’M Growing That Back”: Narratives Of Redemption After Meth Immersed Lives, Danielle M. Stoneberg

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

There is a lack of knowledge on how the process of desisting (i.e., maintaining abstinence) works for those leaving immersed drug lifestyles, leaving a need for a better understanding of the role and impact of identity in drug desistance. Through secondary analysis of interview data from a sample of 33 former methamphetamine manufacturers, this study examines the applicability of Maruna’s (2001) redemption narrative framework and identifies other aspects featured in their narratives that signaled identity change. Results found all participants discussed at least one component of the framework in their interviews. Their narrative identities changed over time to recognize that …

Utilizing The K18-Hace2 Mouse Model To Develop Protective Covid-19 Vaccines, Ting Y. Wong

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

The ongoing Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic is caused by the respiratory virus Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). Similar to other respiratory viruses, SARS-CoV-2 is transmitted through inhalation of respiratory droplets and aerosols from infected individuals. Once inhaled, SARS-CoV-2 utilizes the receptor binding domain (RBD) on the spike protein to bind to human Angiotensin Converting Enzyme 2 (hACE2) receptor to gain entrance into host cells to begin viral replication. SARS-CoV-2 infection can result in mild to severe cases of COVID-19 ranging from asymptomatic infections, cold or flu like symptoms to respiratory failure. The onset of the pandemic in …

Essays In Urban And Health Economics, Allyssa Ann Wadsworth

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Chapter 1 analyzes the impact new hospital construction has on neighboring residential real estate prices. In 2017, the Oishei Children’s Hospital was built in downtown Buffalo, New York, representing a new era for women and children’s medical facilities. Individuals working at the old facility now faced the decision of whether to move closer to the new hospital or have a longer commute. Using property sales data, I analyze how Oishei impacts residential property prices with a difference-in-differences hedonic price model while utilizing three unique time treatments and two distance treatments. The opening of Oishei generated a statistically significant percentage increase …

An Examination Of Hip Muscle Activation In Those With Hip-Related Groin Pain During Single-Legged And Double-Legged Squats, Millissia A. Murro

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Approximately 60% of young adults who present with chronic hip pain suffer from hip-related groin pain (HRGP). HRGP causes individuals to experience pain, dysfunction, and have a lower quality of life when compared to healthy individuals. The most severe symptoms in these individuals occur during activities that cause the hip to go through a large range of motion, such as a squat. Hip muscle activation during this task may be altered in these individuals, yet we know little about its role in the disease process and pain level in those with HRGP. Current treatment for these individuals includes surgical and …

Examining The Pulmonary Response To Repeated Vishniacozyma Victoriae Exposure And Its Association With Allergic Airway Disease, Rachael Erin Rush

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Allergic airway diseases such as asthma continue to increase in incidence in industrialized nations like the United States. These diseases are complex inflammatory processes involving numerous cells and mediators and are strongly influenced by fungal exposures. Recent developments in fungal detection methods have highlighted the contribution of Basidiomycota yeast species in indoor environments such as Vishniacozyma (syn. Cryptococcus) victoriae. However, despite the high levels of this yeast detected in indoor environments, very little is known about it or its role in respiratory morbidity. V. victoriae is phylogenetically similar to pathogenic Cryptococcus neoformans but lacks a capsule and is …

Freeze! The Impact Of A Guided Imagery Intervention On Looming Vulnerability And Subclinical Contamination-Ocd Symptoms, Amber Lynn Billingsley

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Looming vulnerability (LV) refers to the tendency to appraise and perceive potential threats as dynamic and increasing in risk. Research suggests that contamination-fearful individuals may have an increased tendency to interpret contamination as growing or spreading (i.e., “looming”), which may hinder habituation to contamination and play a role in the maintenance of contamination-OCD symptoms. Studies have shown that engaging in imagery in which one mentally freezes contamination in place decreases state levels of fear, though little is known about its longer-term effects (e.g., after one week). The present study aimed to experimentally manipulate LV using freeze imagery in a subclinical …

Embodied Energy Geographies: An Exploration Of Fracked Landscapes In The Ohio River Valley, Rachael L. Hood

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Methane gas production has boomed across the United States as a result of the development of fracking technology and its associated infrastructures, including pipelines. This production has provoked resistance over a litany of environmental and social concerns at both global and local scales. These concerns are compounded by a history of extractive economies and degradation in the Marcellus shale region of Appalachia and the Ohio River Valley. To date, there has been limited research at the intersection of extractive industry and emotional geography, especially around pipelines. This research draws on feminist, emotional, and energy geographies and uses semi-structured interviews and …

Targeting Vulnerabilities In Cell State And Calcium Signaling For The Treatment Of Lung Cancer, Clark Jones

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Lung cancer remains the deadliest of all cancers due to the high mutational burden associated with the disease. Combating mutational drivers and drug resistance proves to be essential in the development of novel therapies to improve patient outcomes. A first-in-class cyclic peptide known as MTI-101 has been shown to induce necrotic cell death in a caspase independent manner. MTI-101 was derived from the linear peptide known as HYD1 that was found in a high throughput screen to block cell adhesion with the extracellular matrix. The compound was further optimized and cyclized to the currently used MTI-101 that was found to …

The Impact Of Perceived Daily Racism And Racial Identity Development On Body Dissatisfaction Among Asian American Female College Students, Mary E. Burkhart Polk

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Eating disorders pose a significant health problem for a diverse group of people. However, knowledge regarding their origins and appropriate treatments has not expanded, more specifically for Asian Americans. This study aimed to increase the knowledge surrounding an essential component of disordered eating, body dissatisfaction, and potential factors in its development. Specifically, the impact of experiences of daily racism and racial identity development on body dissatisfaction among Asian American college women were examined. Using a non-experimental, quantitative survey design, this study assessed the relationship between perceived daily racism and the racial identity schema Internalization on the endorsement of body dissatisfaction …

Athlete Attachment Style With Coaches As A Predictor Of Athlete Disordered Eating And Body Image Anxiety, Taylor Allen

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

The coach-athlete relationship has been established as an important and significant relationship within athletes’ lives (Davis & Jowett, 2010; Jowett, 2008). There is also literature that demonstrates the impact of the sport culture environment and the quality of the coach-athlete relationship on disordered eating and body image anxiety in athletes (Galli et al., 2011; Petrie & Greenleaf, 2012; Reel et al., 2010; Shanmugam et al., 2013). However, much of the current literature does not examine this significant coach-athlete relationship from an attachment framework. Current literature supports the significance of the coach-athlete relationship and more recent research supports viewing coaches as …

Methodology For Enhanced Filtration And Dewatering Of Fine-Grain Amd Precipitate Using Geocomposites For Rare Earth Elements Recovery, Iuri Lira Santos

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Research performed by the West Virginia Water Research Institute (WVWRI) in partnership with the Department of Energy (DOE) has identified that coal mining by-products contain significant amounts of Rare Earth Elements (REEs). REEs currently are in high demand, and extraction from coal mining reject presents a potential for commercialization if extraction is feasible. The coal mining reject include Acid Mine Drainage (AMD) in the aqueous phase and sludge from AMD treatment. A novel two split selective precipitation method was implemented to remove gangue metals, increasing the concentration of REEs in the sludge.

This process presents a two-fold benefit: 1) treatment …

Reinforcement Learning For Process Control: Applications To Energy Systems, Elijah Ballard Hedrick

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Reinforcement learning (RL) is a machine learning method that has recently seen significant research activity owing to its successes in the areas of robotics and gameplaying (Silver et al., 2017). However, significant challenges exist in the extension of these control methods to process control problems, where state and input signals are nearly always continuous and more stringent performance guarantees are required. The goal of this work is to explore ways that modern RL algorithms can be adapted to handle process control problems; avenues for this work include using RL with existing controllers such as model predictive control (MPC) and adapting …

Investigation Of Geomechanical Behavior Of Laminated Rock Mass Through Experimental And Numerical Approach, Qingwen Shi

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Roof failure in the Appalachian underground coal fields occurs often in laminated shale. Laminated shale roof in coal mines fails in unique ways, such as cutter failure or delamination failure. Extensive studies have investigated the influential factors that cause laminated roof failure, which include in-situ stress, entry layout, roof span, and roof support. However, cutter failure continues to occur frequently and erratically. This is due to the lack of in-depth understanding of the inherent properties of the laminations, such as bedding plane strength, matrix strength, and bedding plane spacing, which in turn influence the geomechanical behavior of the laminated rock. …

Investigating The Mitochondrial Protein Mitoneet In C. Elegans Models Of Aging And Alzheimer's Disease, Jacob Ryan Boos

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Oxidative stress is an imbalance between reactive oxygen species production and elimination, favoring the former. Reactive oxygen species serve as important signaling molecules for physiological homeostasis. However, when produced in excess, these once important signaling molecules become detrimental, disrupting cellular functions, and ultimately leading to cell death. In aging, reactive oxygen species production is increased, accompanied with reductions in oxidative stress resistance, increasing the risk for developing age-related diseases including cardiovascular disease, cancer, stroke, and neurodegenerative diseases. The outer mitochondrial membrane iron-sulfur cluster containing protein mitoNEET (CISD1; gene CISD1) has shown to be a mediator of mitochondrial function and …

Performance Of Peltier Cooled Technology During Preconcentration Of Volatile Organic Compounds Analyzed By Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry (Gc-Ms) Using Niosh Manual Of Analytical Methods (Nmam) 3900, Elizabeth Ann Fernandez

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Using evacuated canisters for whole-air sampling allows for sampling without specific knowledge of the environment and potential analytes. Evacuated canisters are able to tolerate concentrations ranging from parts per trillion (PPT) to parts per million (PPM). The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has used evacuated canisters for years to sample volatile organic compounds (VOCs) from ambient air using their method TO-15 (LeBouf, et al., 2019). The GC-MS system used for the development of NMAM 3900 used liquid nitrogen to cool sorbent traps in the preconcentrator. Liquid nitrogen allows for cooling of specified points below ambient temperature. An alternative to liquid …

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy For Insomnia (Cbt-I): A Primer, Jamie Walker, Alexandria Muench, Michael L. Perlis, Ivan Vargas

Psychological Science Faculty Publications and Presentations

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Insomnia (CBT-I) is a multi-component treatment for insomnia that targets difficulties with initiating and/or maintaining sleep and is delivered over the course of six to eight sessions. The primary focus of CBT-I is to address the perpetuating factors (according to the three-factor model of insomnia) that contribute to the development of chronic insomnia. Chronic insomnia is the most prevalent sleep disorder, occurring in approximately 6-10% of the population, and is a risk factor for multiple medical and psychiatric disorders. Despite its prevalence and morbidity, the widespread dissemination of CBT-I is not commensurate with insomnia's overall public …

Investigating The Influences Of Ingredients, W/C Ratio And Dispersion Methods For Cnt Modified Smart Concrete, Tofatun Jannat

Civil and Environmental Engineering

Carbon nanotubes (CNT) have excellent electromechanical properties and can be added into cement using appropriate dispersive means to produce CNT-modified cement-based smart materials (CNTCS). This study investigates how the ingredients, W/C ratio and dispersion methods influence the sensing ability of the smart concrete. Three different dispersion methods were investigated: direct mixing, surfactant surface treated with NaDDBS, and the Carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC) surface modification. CMC surface modification method showed consistency for modified cement paste and cement-sand composite material. For CMC surface treatment method, 0.6 w/c ratio was found to be optimal compared to 0.4 and 0.5. Coarse aggregate was added with …

Artificial Intelligence-Empowered Structural Health Monitoring, Damage Diagnosis, And Prognosis Of Metallic Structures, Zi Zhang

Civil and Environmental Engineering

etallic structures are the key backbone of the society and economy, which are often subjected to different types of loadings resulting cracking, corrosion, and other material discontinuity, and affecting structural integrity and safety. Therefore, ultrasonic guided wave (UGW) has been widely used for structural health monitoring (SHM) to gain a deep understanding of structural performance, assess the current state of structural conditions, and avoid potential catastrophic events. Despite advances in technologies and methods in data process, microdamage detection still posts great challenges in their detectability. Different from conventional physics-based methods, artificial intelligence and machine learning (AI/ML) has recently fueled profound …

Surface Modifying Amphiphilic Additives For The Improvement Of Fouling-Release Properties Of Siloxane-Polyurethane Coatings, Jackson Benda

Coatings and Polymeric Materials

Since mankind has navigated the world’s oceans, marine biofouling has been a persistent problem with several negative economic and environmental consequences. In modern times, the buildup of biofouling causes a significant reduction in vessel speed, leading to increased power consumption, higher costs of operation, and an increase in greenhouse gas emissions. Two of the most widely used protection strategies to combat this highly complex and dynamic phenomenon include the application of biocide containing anti-fouling (AF), or more environmentally friendly non-toxic fouling-release (FR) coatings. Traditional FR coatings utilize low surface energy components such as polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS), but often suffer mechanical failure …

Automated Approaches For The Early-Stage Distinguishing Of Palmer Amaranth From Waterhemp, Akhil Venkataraju

Communication

Palmer amaranth is an invasive pigweed species, possessing rapid growth, posing a threat to the economy of crops including corn. Its early detection and mitigation are of utmost importance; however, it is visually similar to waterhemp in the early growth stages. In this study, automated approaches are employed to distinguish palmer amaranth from waterhemp, within two weeks after emergence, from their RGB images. Morphological characteristics of these weeds are estimated and fed to several Machine Learning (ML) models. To improve classification accuracy, RGB images are augmented, and a Convolutional neural network is trained on 16000 images. Validated on images embedded …

Voting Technology, Democracy, And Propaganda: Ontological Considerations For The 2020 Presidential Election, Erik Gustafson

Communication

The 2020 United States Presidential election was considered one of the most tumultuous political contests in the 21st century. During an international pandemic, travel restrictions and social distancing requirements created uncertainty about whether to vote in person or via absentee-mail-in ballot. The present study sought to investigate how voters experience different technologies in the 2020 United States Presidential election. Selected concepts in media ecology supplemented Fox and Alldred’s (2013) framework for new materialist inquiry to explore the technical material characteristics of voting technology and the discursive elements of voter fraud propaganda. By tracing the history of voting technologies and voter …

Activism Challenges Faced By Black Student-Athletes At Predominantly White Institutions, Alexis Pitchford

Communication

For decades, black athletes have used sports as a stage to spread awareness of the injustices that are overlooked in our country. Black student-athletes are treated as ambassadors of the predominantly white universities they represent in their sports. However, they still endure prejudice from students, faculty, and local community members who are supposed to be their supporters. In this study, I investigated the factors influencing black student-athletes’ willingness to speak out on social issues. Through interviews with ten black student-athletes at NDSU, I found the concerning factors, identity issues, and levels of comfortability that black student athletes experience at this …

Sentiment Analysis Of Covid-19 Vaccination Impact On Twitter Tweets Using Nlp Supervised Learning And Rnn Classification Comparison, Tanvir Ahmed

Computer Science

Twitter provides a platform for exchanging information and opinions on global concerns like the COVID-19 epidemic. During the COVID-19 pandemic, we used a collection of around 16,180 tweets to derive inferences regarding public views toward the vaccine impact once immunizations became widely available to the community. We use natural language processing and sentiment analysis techniques to uncover information regarding the public's perception of the COVID-19 vaccine. Our findings demonstrate that people are more pleased about taking COVID-19 shots than they are about some of the vaccines' side effects. We also look at people's reactions to COVID-19 safety measures after they …

#Feas Unfinished Business, Jo Pollitt, Mindy Blaise, Emily Gray

Creative Arts Research Outputs

No abstract provided.

An Analysis Of Cpr Performance, Self-Efficacy, And Deliberate Feedback, Caroline Martinez

Health Nutrition and Exercise Science

During sudden cardiac arrest (SCA), prompt initiation of cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) by a healthcare provider or layperson is critical to a patient’s odds of survival.4 The absence of health care providers in athletic settings often leaves coaches as the primary responder in competitive or recreational athletics. The goal of this study was to determine if coaches could provide high-quality CPR. Twenty coaches completed confidence and deliberate feedback questionnaires before and after two sessions of 5 minute compression-only CPR. Data were analyzed to compare confidence pre and post CPR assessment, as well as to determine the relationship between CPR performance, self-efficacy, …

The Effects Of Kinesiotape Star Technique In Individuals With Chronic Non-Specific Low Back Pain, Mickaella Langer

Health Nutrition and Exercise Science

Kinesio® Tape is theorized to reduce pain and aid with movement during treatment of chronic non-specific low back pain. This study investigated the effect that Kinesio® Tape has on patient-reported outcome measures and on disability in patients with chronic non-specific low back pain. Six volunteers exhibiting chronic non-specific low back pain, based on an included questionnaire, were recruited for this study. Patient-reported visual analog scores (VAS), Oswestry Disability (ODI) scores, Tampa Scale of Kinesiophobia (TSK) scores and postural stability measured by the Biodex balance system, as well as timed up and go scores were recorded over two randomized sessions with …

Appraising Anterior Cruciate Ligament Injury Risk: Single-Legged Jump-Landing Dynamic Postural Stability, Colin Bond

Health Nutrition and Exercise Science

Appraising anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury risk is of great interest to the orthopedic and sports medicine professional. Due to the high prevalence of non-contact ACL injuries, professionals have sought to identify intrinsic and modifiable neuromuscular and biomechanical risk factors to aid in the design of injury risk screens that have the discriminatory capacity to stratify ACL injury risk and the efficiency to be implemented at-scale. Prospective studies have revealed that poor dynamic postural stability (DPS), quantified as time to stabilization (TTS), following a backwards single-legged jump-landing (BSLJL) and poor hip external rotation and abduction strength relative to body weight, …

Effectiveness Of Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation Ventilation Devices With Protective Hockey Equipment As Performed By Certified Athletic Trainers, Lauren Konkol

Health Nutrition and Exercise Science

Certified Athletic Trainers (ATCs) are expected to perform cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) on athletes experiencing cardiac arrest regardless of the protective equipment worn by the athlete. Additionally, ventilation devices used by ATCs aid in the delivery of ventilations during CPR. The goal of this research was to determine which ventilation device allowed ATCs to deliver adequate ventilations and to establish recommendations for helmet removal method in hockey players requiring CPR. Twenty ATCs completed four scenarios of CPR according to the 2020 AHA guidelines using a PocketMask (PM) or FaceShield (FS) to deliver ventilations and accessing the airway by removing only the …

Systematic Intervention Component Analysis: Dose-Response For Therapeutic Ultrasound, Stephanie Hamersky

Health Nutrition and Exercise Science

Therapeutic ultrasound has been well documented in the literature to affect human tissue. The four main parameters practitioners are able to influence are frequency, duty cycle, intensity, and treatment time. Alteration to one or more of these parameters will affect the total dose of acoustical energy delivered to the tissue resulting in a target tissue temperature increase or biophysical effect. The goal of this two-part study was to determine the appropriate energy dose of therapeutic ultrasounds needed to create a beneficial intervention when treating unhealthy human tissue. Prior to the investigation a non-systematic review was conducted to determine the dose-response …