Digital Commons Network^™

Machine Learning Based Real-Time Quantification Of Production From Individual Clusters In Shale Wells, Ayodeji Luke Aboaba

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Over the last two decades, there has been advances in downhole monitoring in oil and gas wells with the use of Fiber-Optic sensing technology such as the Distributed Temperature Sensing (DTS). Unlike a conventional production log that provides only snapshots of the well performance, DTS provides continuous temperature measurements along the entire wellbore.

Whether by fluid extraction or injection, oil and gas production changes reservoir conditions, and continuous monitoring of downhole conditions is highly desirable. This research study presents a tool for real-time quantification of production from individual perforation clusters in a multi-stage shale well using Artificial Intelligence and Machine …

Application Of Artificial Intelligence For Co2 Storage In Saline Aquifer (Smart Proxy For Snap-Shot In Time), Marwan Mohammed Alnuaimi

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

In recent years, artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) technology have grown in popularity. Smart Proxy Models (SPM) are AI/ML based data-driven models which have proven to be quite crucial in petroleum engineering domain with abundant data, or operations in which large surface/ subsurface volume of data is generated. Climate change mitigation is one application of such technology to simulate and monitor CO2 injection into underground formations.

The goal of the SPM developed in this study is to replicate the results (in terms of pressure and saturation outputs) of the numerical reservoir simulation model (CMG) for CO2 injection into …

Tetramerization Of Stat5 Has Opposing Roles In Governing Autoimmune Pathogenesis, Kelly Lynn Monaghan

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Signal transducers and activators of transcription 5 (STAT5A and STAT5B) are members of the STAT protein family. STAT5 plays a critical role in mediating cellular responses following cytokine stimulation. Critical STAT5 signaling is achieved following functional dimerization, which occurs via SH2 domain interactions. The binding of two STAT5 dimers to tandemly linked TTCN₃GAA γ-interferon-activated sequence (GAS) motifs and N-terminal domain interactions, facilitates functional tetramerization. The biological role of STAT5 tetramers has been investigated using the Stat5a-Stat5b N-domain double knock-in (DKI) mouse strain, in which STAT5 tetramers cannot be formed due to substitutions in critical amino acid …

Microvascular Consequences Of Engineered Nanomaterial Inhalation Exposure And Subsequent Reproductive Outcomes, Krista Lee Garner

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Nano-titanium dioxide (nano-TiO₂) is a commonly utilized engineered nanomaterial found ubiquitously in consumer products. While benefits of ENM utilization in are undeniable, nanoparticle inhalation has been linked to cardiovascular consequences and altered microvascular responses. Given these outcomes, it is important to explore vulnerable timepoints, such as gestation, as robust vascular adaptations are essential for maternofetal health.

The first aim of this dissertation was to assess myogenic responsiveness following maternal nano-TiO₂ inhalation. Fetal aortic responses were evaluated on gestational day (GD) 20 to assess how exposure may impact the F1 generation. Myogenic responsiveness within the uterine radial arteries …

Frayed Connections: How Long-Term Nitrogen Additions Disrupt Plant-Soil Interactions And The Carbon Cycle Of A Temperate Forest, Brooke A. Eastman

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Forests are expected to mitigate some of the negative effects of climate change by sequestering anthropogenic carbon (C) from the atmosphere, but the degree to which they drawn down C will depend on the availability of key nutrients, such as nitrogen (N). There is a fair amount of uncertainty in the future of the forest C sink, mostly owing to the fate of soil organic matter (SOM) and soil heterotrophic respiration to future conditions. In N limited systems, plants allocate a significant amount of their photosynthate belowground for the acquisition of nutrients, but under conditions of chronic N deposition, plants …

Evaluating Effects Of Sediment On Microbial Loading In A Drinking Water Distribution System, Erika Osborne

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Drinking water distribution systems (DWDS) are critical for protecting public health by ensuring safe water is transported from centralized treatment facilities to consumers. Sediment accumulation in DWDS is a common challenge that water utilities face that may pose some health risks when waterborne pathogens colonize biofilms formed on the sediment surface. Water utilities often establish flushing routines to help mitigate sediment accumulation in their system but the role that sediment plays in contributing to the total microbial loading in the system is unclear. The main objective of this study was to determine if sediment in a DWDS presents a significant …

Capillary Electrophoresis: Method Development And Application In Biomolecule Analysis, Lindsay Marie Veltri

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Abstract

Capillary Electrophoresis: Method Development and Application in Biomolecule Analysis

Lindsay Veltri

Biomolecule analysis is essential in disease diagnostics and the development of therapeutic agents. There is a vast array of methods available for biomolecule analysis, however, capillary electrophoresis is well-suited due to minimal sample consumption (~nanoliters of solution) and fast analysis times. In this report, capillary electrophoresis was used to analyze glycosylation of therapeutic proteins. Additionally, a capillary electrophoresis-mass spectrometry method is reported for the analysis of proteins.

Post-translation protein modifications like glycosylation, play an important in protein structure and function. Modifications of protein glycosylation can lead to improved …

Comparison Of Antimicrobials And Delivery Methods On The Inactivation Of Listeria Monocytogenes On Apples, Rebecca B. Stearns

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Introduction: Due to multi-state outbreaks of listeriosis on apples in 2015, 2017, and 2019, Listeria Monocytogenes (L. monocytogenes) has been deemed an emerging, under researched pathogen by the USDA-NIFA. Therefore, this study evaluated the efficacy of SaniDate 5.0®’s (SD) ability to inactivate L. Monocytogenes on apples when delivered through electrostatic sprayer (ES), garden sprayer (GS), and dip methods.

Methods: Organic apples were dip-inoculated with L. monocytogenes for 5 min and then dried for 10 min. Once dried, the inoculated apples were untreated (control), sprayed with water only, or treated with SD, 0.0064, 0.1, 0.25 and 0.50% for 20 …

Extension Of A Bayesian Method For Viral Genome Re-Sequencing To Multi-Dimensional Parameters, Sarah Fleischer

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Next Generation Sequencing (NGS) refers to all sequencing methods post Sanger Sequencing. Sequencing By Synthesis is the most well-known method, however it’s inaccessible price is difficult for some. Thus, a different method also exists, re-sequencing– which relies on a reference genome to check the validity of each base call. The standard for determining the validity of a base call is a one parameter quality score. But, previously a two-parameter Bayesian method was successfully used for re-sequencing the viral genome. However, a quality parameter was previously not used in the construction of the cumulative density function for the likelihood. This paper …

Critical Perspectives On Produce Prescription Programs & Us Federal Nutrition Policy, Alanna K. Higgins

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Produce prescription programs, interventions operating at the intersection of food access and public health, are steadily increasing in number across the United States since 2010. I leverage key informant interviews, participant observations, and event ethnographies to form a four-year institutional ethnography of the implementation of produce prescriptions within West Virginia alongside a legal-policy archaeology methodology to understand how produce prescriptions have been institutionalized and funded within the US Farm Bill. While much of produce prescription program growth is attributed to an expansion of federal funding starting in 2014, this dissertation demonstrates that these programs and the federal legislation which has …

A Shock To The System: Analyzing Ethnocentric Populist Support Before And After Crises, Kyu Chul Shin

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Using the question of what is driving the support for populists in the mid-late 2010s in Western Europe and the United States as the starting point, this dissertation attempts to answer a number of different questions related to populists: Were the reasons behind support for populists in countries that saw an increase in support for populisms similar to those that saw a decrease in support? Are the reasons for supporting right-wing populists different from more general ethnocentric populists? Are the reasons that Americans supported Donald Trump similar or different from the reasons behind support for Western European populists? Following migration-related …

Amelioration Of Mitochondrial Bioenergetic Dysfunction In Diabetes Mellitus: Delving Into Specialized And Non-Specific Therapeutics For The Ailing Heart, Andrya Jean Durr

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Morbidity and mortality of the diabetic population is influenced by many confounding factors, but cardiovascular disease (CVD), remains the leading cause of death. Mitochondrial dysfunction is central in the development of cardiac contractile dysfunction, with decreased mitochondrial bioenergetic function, increased dependence on free fatty acid utilization, and a decrease in glucose utilization having been shown to contribute to contractile dysfunction. Strategies targeting the amelioration of mitochondrial bioenergetic function are attractive for limiting diabetes-induced heart failure, and preserving health-span. The goals of this dissertation were to assess two mitochondrial-centric approaches for the amelioration of mitochondrial and cardiac contractile dysfunction in diabetes …

Zonulin As A Mediator Of Psychological Stress And Periodontal Disease, Casey D. Wright

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

The prevalence of chronic inflammatory diseases is on the rise. Some have posited the permeability of tight junctions in gastrointestinal epithelium tissues as a potential mechanism for precipitating inflammatory processes throughout the body. Zonulin is the only known modulator of tight junction permeability and has been implicated in numerous chronic inflammatory processes (e.g., proinflammatory cytokine production) and diseases, more generally. The role of zonulin in oral inflammation, however, has yet to be explored. Periodontal disease is the most common oral inflammatory condition and primary perpetrator of tooth loss. Periodontal disease also is associated with a number of other health problems …

Modeling, Fabrication, And Characterization Of Rf-Based Passive Wireless Sensors Composed Of Refractory Semiconducting Ceramics For High Temperature Applications, Kavin Sivaneri Varadharajan Idhaiam

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Real-time health monitoring of high temperature systems (>500^oC) in harsh environments is necessary to prevent catastrophic events caused by structural failures, varying pressure, and chemical reactions. Conventional solid-state temperature sensors such as resistance temperature detectors (RTDs) and thermocouples are restricted by their operating environments, sensor dimensions and often require external power sources for their operation. The current work presents the research and development of RF-based passive wireless sensing technology targeting high temperatures and harsh environmental conditions. Passive wireless devices are generally classified as near-field and far-field devices based on the interrogation distance. Near-field sensors are placed at …

Sleep And Cardiovascular Reactivity To An Acute Virtual Stressor, Alaina Grace Tiani

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Inappropriate response and magnitude of cardiovascular reactivity (CVR) to stress is a proposed mechanism through which environmental stressors are linked with poor cardiovascular health outcomes (Chida & Steptoe, 2010; Krantz & Manuck, 1984). Studies of reactivity to various laboratory tasks commonly control for factors known to influence CVR such as smoking, medication use, caffeine intake, and BMI; however, few have considered the influence of sleep on CVR. In order to determine whether sleep characteristics need to be assessed and considered in studies of CVR, this study aimed to examine the association between indices of sleep quality and the magnitude and …

Combinatorial Approaches For Effective Design, Synthesis, And Optimization Of Enzyme-Based Conjugates, Jordan Scott Chapman

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

The specificity and efficiency with which enzymes catalyze selective chemical reactions far exceeds the performance of traditional heterogeneous catalysts that are predominant in industrial applications such as conversion of commodity chemicals to value-added products, fuel cells, and petroleum refinement. Moreover, biocatalysts exhibit exceptionally high product turnover at ambient conditions with little health and environmental burden. These advantageous qualities have led to the prolific use of enzyme catalysis in pharmaceutical, detergents, and food preservation industries wherein their use has greatly reduced waste generation, Unfortunately, the full slate of benefits that enzymes can impart to a broader range of chemical processes is …

Analysis Of Emissions Profiles Of Hydraulic Fracturing Engine Technologies, Nicholas Joseph Wells

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

In the past twenty years natural gas production in the United States has significantly increased. This is largely due to technological advancements in unconventional methods of horizontal drilling and hydraulic fracturing. With these new and improved technologies, the United States has been able to increase its natural gas dry production per year by 14.5 trillion cubic feet per year from 2001-2021, a 74.1% increase. Horizontal drilling allows the wellbore to have more contact with the source rock, thus allowing more hydrocarbons to be extracted. Hydraulic fracturing allows oil and gas companies to have access to low permeable source rock, previously …

Playing-Related Medical Injuries And Health Conditions In Collegiate Saxophonists: A Survey Of Saxophonists In North American Universities, Michael Anne Tolan

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

When compared to other areas of musical performance, medical research on the performing arts is limited when it comes to studies on woodwind players, particularly saxophonists. The gap in research may be attributed to the circumstances surrounding selection processes and identifying subjects for study. For example, saxophonists are not salaried professionals in orchestras, which are commonly pooled for medical research. Establishing contact with saxophonists to conduct studies can prove difficult due to the wide range of genres that utilize the saxophone. Some issues may also be attributed to research methodology. To find the onset of injuries, researchers in previous studies …

Assessment Of Quechers Extraction Protocol For The Lc-Ms/Ms Detection Of Emerging Fentanyl Analogs In Biological Specimens For Clinical And Forensic Purposes, Kylea M. Morris

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Drug abuse within the United States is a dynamic and pervasive issue that affects the quality and life expectancy of our society. One of the major drug classes that are constantly utilized is opioids. Opioids are prescribed for pain management in patients suffering from cancer and other medical illnesses. Long-term use of opioids could lead to tolerance in humans, which poses a risk of reaching fatal overdose levels. Unfortunately, opioids are abused recreationally, and in some instances, individuals are unaware of the presence of dangerous synthetic drugs like fentanyl, hidden in materials such as heroin, cocaine, oxycodone, and methamphetamine. Recent …

Bone Marrow Stroma-Induced Transcriptome Signatures Of Multiple Myeloma As Modulated By Junb, Jasleen Kaur Gandhi

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

The bone marrow (BM) microenvironment acts as a breeding ground for drug resistance in multiple myeloma (MM). The interaction with bone marrow stromal cells (BMSCs) confer environment-mediated drug resistance (EMDR) to multiple myeloma. We investigated BM stroma-induced transcriptome signatures of MM cells through a sophisticated analysis of gene expression. In particular, we defined transcription program modulated by JunB, an emerging regulator of MM pathogenesis and a member of the transcription factor superfamily activator protein 1 (AP-1), in response to BM stimulation. The data and results lay down a foundation for future studies to illustrate the regulatory role of JunB in …

Post-Processing Precise Point Positioning Solutions With Parameter Optimization, Maria A. Gonzalez Castaneda

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Precise Point Positioning (PPP) technique can offer position solutions with centimeter-level accuracy by fusing precise satellite orbits and clocks with un-differenced, dual-frequency, pseudo-range, and carrier-phase observables. PPP presents a compelling alternative to Differential Global Positioning Systems, with the benefit that it only requires a single receiver and does not require simultaneous observations from many stations, making it appealing for ongoing research on hydro-graphic survey applications. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration has been working on a buoy system tracked with a Global Positioning Systems receiver and Inertial Measurement Unit sensor using the PPP technique. In the interest of obtaining accurate …

Psychosocial Influences On And Behavioral Characteristics Of Young Adult Food Addiction, Rachel A. Wattick

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Introduction. Research on food addiction has increased in recent years, but there are few studies focusing on college-attending young adults, who may be at risk of developing food addiction due to the stress of the college environment. Additionally, causes and characteristics of food addiction are under-explored.

Aim. This dissertation aims to 1) determine the impact of adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) and other early life influences on the development of food addiction in college-attending young adults and 2) determine the psychosocial and behavioral characteristics of young adults with food addiction.

Methods. A sequential explanatory mixed-methods design was used for aims 1 …

Genetic Analysis And Telemetry Study Of Migration Habits Of The Endangered Atlantic Sturgeon, Cassia Marie Busch

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Atlantic sturgeon are a long-lived anadromous fish that ranged from Labrador, Canada to Florida, US. Due to overharvest in the late 1800’s and 1900’s, Atlantic sturgeon populations across the coast experienced a dramatic population crash. Recovery of this species has faced challenges due to anthropogenic threats, such as vessel strikes, bycatch, and habitat degradation. In 2012, Atlantic sturgeon were added to the United States Endangered Species Act (ESA). Under the ESA, populations were listed as five distinct population segments (DPS), reflecting their geographic arrangement and genetic structure: Gulf of Maine DPS (threatened), New York Bight DPS (endangered), Chesapeake DPS (endangered), …

A Domain Adaptation Approach For Segmenting Cell Instances In Microscopy Data, Matthew R. Keaton

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Automated cellular instance segmentation is a process that has been utilized for accelerating biological research since before the deep learning era, and recent advancements have produced higher quality results with less effort from the biologist. Most current endeavors focus on completely cutting the researcher out of the picture by generating highly generalized models. However, these models invariably fail when faced with novel data and effectively opt to miss out on the full capabilities of deep learning in pursuit of this goal. In our work, we demonstrate how, with even a minimal amount of annotated data, dominant approaches in this space …

Development Of An Innovative Co-Treatment Technology For Produced Water And Blowdown Water: A Regional Approach Of Water Management For Energy Production, Golnoosh Khajouei

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Freshwater use for power generation represents the second-largest water use globally. In the United States, freshwater withdrawals for thermoelectric power accounted for 38% of the total freshwater withdrawals for all uses in 2010. Cooling systems are the most water-intensive part of the thermoelectric generation process. For instance, one 300 MW power generator required about 20,000 m³/h circulating cooling water. The cooling operation discharges a large volume of wastewater in the form of blowdown water (10-20% of the consumed water) that requires treatment for reuse or surface discharge. Produced water (PW), the fluid which returns to the surface from …

Using Landsat-Based Phenology Metrics, Terrain Variables, And Machine Learning For Mapping And Probabilistic Prediction Of Forest Community Types In West Virginia, Faith M. Hartley

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

This study investigates the mapping of forest community types for the entire state of West Virginia, USA using Global Land Analysis and Discovery (GLAD) Phenology Metrics analysis ready data (ARD) derived from the Landsat time series and digital terrain variables derived from a digital terrain model (DTM). Both classifications and probabilistic predictions were made using random forest (RF) machine learning (ML) and training data derived from ground plots provided by the West Virginia Natural Heritage Program (WVNHP). The primary goal of this study is to explore the use of globally consistent ARD data for operational forest type mapping over a …

A Workflow For Unconventional Reservoirs Optimization Using Supervised Machine Learning In Conjunction With Orthorhombic Elasticity Modeling, Aymen Ab Ali Alhemdi

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Due to the anisotropy and heterogeneous nature of unconventional reservoirs like shale, a comprehensive parametric study to optimize hydraulic fracture treatment for such reservoirs is a tough challenge, especially when natural fractures are present. Most of the current frac simulators do not consider the anisotropy of rock elasticity in the shales. Besides, using the fracture simulation linked with reservoir simulation for the parametric study to understand the impact of multiple different design parameters on fracture propagation and production is time expensive and low efficient. The study proposes a workflow including a new orthorhombic (OB) rock algorithm to interpret geomechanical properties …

Cytotoxic Effects Of Potential Irrigants For Endodontic Surgery, Kaiying Haggard

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Purpose: The aim of this study is to investigate if hypochlorous acid (Vashe and Endocyn), Ozone, sodium hypochlorite (0.5% NaOCl), chlorhexidine (0.12% CHX), and MTAD can be used as a disinfectant for endodontic surgery without causing bone tissue toxicity by comparing their cytotoxic effects to saline on osteoblasts in vitro.

Methods: Human Fetal Osteoblast Cells (hFOB 1.19, ATCC CRL-11372) were used. The cells viability after 10-minute exposure of Vashe, Endocyn, Ozone, NaOCl (0.5%), CHX (0.12%), MTAD, and saline at concentrations of 10, 30, 60, 90 % volume ratio were measured using CCK8 analysis and the absorbance were measured at 450 …

A Combinatorial 5-Htr Expression Pattern Within The Ventral Projection Neurons Of The D. Melanogaster Olfactory Circuit., Mohd Freezely Ezzani Bin Mazri

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Neuromodulation allows neurons within a circuit to respond to stimuli from the environment according to the correct ecological value, context, and internal state of the animal. Serotonin (5-HT) is a neuromodulator that can generate different outcomes based on its target’s serotonin receptor (5-HTR) expression by affecting secondary messenger cascades. Within the Drosophila olfactory system, ventral projections neurons (vPN) express all five insect 5-HTR that project into two olfactory processing regions, the antennal lobe (AL) and the lateral horn (LH). The significance of this 5-HTR expression is unknown. In this study, I theorized the patterns of 5-HTR expression of vPNs. I …

Face Recognition With Attention Mechanisms, Qiangchang Wang

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Face recognition has been widely used in people’s daily lives due to its contactless process and high accuracy. Existing works can be divided into two categories: global and local approaches. The mainstream global approaches usually extract features on whole faces. However, global faces tend to suffer from dramatic appearance changes under the scenarios of large pose variations, heavy occlusions, and so on. On the other hand, since some local patches may remain similar, they can play an important role in such scenarios. Existing local approaches mainly rely on cropping local patches around facial landmarks and then extracting corresponding local representations. …