Possible Paths Forward For A Practice-Based Teacher Education Centered On Justice, Joshua Harlan Karr

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

This dissertation seeks to address limitations of Practice-Based Teacher Education (PBTE) in relation to (1) narrow conceptions of practice and teacher learning, and (2) peripheralization of equity and justice. After aiming to understand the landscape of limitations in PBTE, this study situates itself within specific manifestations of these limitations that exist in common conceptualizations of teacher learning and practice-based pedagogies. To (re)emphasize the situated nature of practice and center equity and justice in PBTE, I theorize an expanded notion of teacher learning, develop design features for contextually situated pedagogies of practice (Grossman et al., 2009), and implement the design with …

Wetland Mitigation Performance Standards: The Intersection Of Science, Practice, And Policy, Jessica Anne Bryzek

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Wetland ecosystem spatial extent and integrity have declined due to conversion to anthropogenic land uses. Wetland mitigation offsets the impact on wetlands encountered during development by restoring a previously degraded wetland or creating new wetlands. This activity creates an ecosystem service market where wetland impacts (debits) are offset by wetland restoration/creation (credits). Mitigation aims to replace functions provided by aquatic resources lost during development. Post-restoration monitoring criteria known as performance standards are used to evaluate and verify restored wetland functionality and regulate mitigation credit release. Therefore, performance standards are vital in ascertaining wetland restoration techniques and mitigation processes. In Chapter …

An Action Research Evaluation Of An Online Inclusive Sport Peer Coach Training, Margaret Roberts Condon

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Background: Trained peer tutors are a proven pedagogical technique that can help eliminate barriers to inclusion in physical education and extracurricular sport, including a reported lack of training and experience of professionals. When adequately trained, peer tutors can encourage social interactions, provide constant feedback, and increase active learning and engagement. While recommendations for training peer tutors have been provided, there are currently no known studies examining a peer tutor training in an online format for middle and high school-aged students participating in an inclusive sport program.

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of an …

Incentive Analysis Of Blockchain Technology, Rahul Reddy Annareddy

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Blockchain technology was invented in the Bitcoin whitepaper released in 2008. Since then, several decentralized cryptocurrencies and applications have become mainstream. There has been an immense amount of engineering effort put into developing blockchain networks. Relatively few projects backed by blockchain technology have succeeded and maintained a large community of developers, users, and customers, while many popular projects with billions of dollars in funding and market capitalizations have turned out to be complete scams.

This thesis discusses the technological innovations introduced in the Bitcoin whitepaper and the following work of the last fifteen years that has enabled blockchain technology. A …

A Novel Computational Network Methodology For Discovery Of Biomarkers And Therapeutic Targets, Qing Ye

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Lung cancer has the second highest cancer incidence rate and the top cancer-related mortality worldwide. An estimate from the American Cancer Society shows that, in 2022, there will be about 236,740 lung cancer cases (117,910 men and 118,830 women) in the US. To date, there are no prognostic/predictive biomarkers to select chemotherapy, immunotherapy, and radiotherapy in individual non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients. There is an unmet clinical need to identify patients with early-stage NSCLC who are likely to develop recurrence and to predict their therapeutic responses. This dissertation developed a novel computational methodology for modeling molecular gene association networks …

Stationary Solutions And Stability Of Constant Equilibrium Solutions For A Chemotaxis System, Awatif Ramadan Zawali

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

We consider a one-dimensional Chemotaxis model describing the dynamics of the cell density n, cell velocity u, chemoattractant c1, and chemorepellent c2, respectively. The model is related to angiogenesis in cancer cells. n represents the cell density of the vessel, the chemoattractant c1 is vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and the chemorepellent c2 is the antiangiogenic drug. We study the existence of a nonconstant steady-state solution using the singular perturbation method. We also provide numerical examples of steady-state solutions for the fast system to illustrate the idea. For the dynamical problem in part II, we study the stability of constant …

Bacterial Contamination In Public Atac-Seq Data And Alignment-Free Detection Methods, Drake Michael Aesoph

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

ATAC-seq is a new high-throughput sequencing technology for measuring chromatin accessibility within genomic samples. It can be used to discover new information about open regions, nucleosome positions, transcription factor binding sites, and DNA methylation. It is especially useful when combined with other next-generation sequencing techniques, such as RNA-seq. Unlike previous technologies, however, ATAC-seq is more sensitive to bacterial contamination, which is a well-known problem in cell cultures that can lead to incorrect experimental results. Previous studies have measured the contamination in public RNA-seq data and found that 5%- 10% of samples were contaminated. In this report, we investigate the prevalence …

A Novel Tool To Promote Surgical Team Awareness Of Nurse Anesthesia Students’ Level Of Training, Joseph Lewis Britz

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Background: Communication errors in operating room (OR) settings are a common and avoidable source of patient harm. Communication in OR settings is enhanced when all members of the surgical team have knowledge of the skills and proficiency of their fellow team members. Student registered nurse anesthetists (SRNAs) provide anesthesia under the supervision of a certified registered nurse anesthetist (CRNA) or physician anesthesiologist. SRNAs’ proficiency in delivering anesthesia can vary significantly depending on their level of training, which varies based on the progression of the student in their multi-year nurse anesthesia program. Methods: This quality improvement project implemented a standardized non-verbal …

Electronic Structure Of Early Transition Metal Complexes Supported By Pyridine Polypyrrolide Ligands, Dylan Connor Leary

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

A thorough study of photoluminescent molecules involving the pyridine polypyrrole(ide) ligand platform has been conducted. A detailed analysis on speciation of the proligand H₂(^MesPDP^Ph) (H₂^MesPDP^Ph = 2,6-bis(5-mesityl-3-phenyl-1H-pyrrol-2-yl)-pyridine) and its dilithium salt Li₂(^MesPDP^Ph) revealed temperature- and solvent-dependent effects. These molecules, along with the hydrochloric acid adduct [H₃(^MesPDP^Ph)]Cl were found to exhibit short-lived photoluminescence in both tetrahydrofuran and benzene solution. These findings confirm the hypothesis that heavy-atom involvement is crucial for the favorable photophysical properties observed for the Zr(PDP)_{2 …}

Love At First Profile: An Experiment Exploring If Previously Incarcerated Individuals Are Less Desirable While Online Dating, Carina L. Perrone

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Incarceration is a rapidly increasing occurrence in the United States with more than 1.4 million people incarcerated and more than 2 million on some form of restricted confinement. While men are incarcerated at a much higher rate than women, women are still at a steady incline of incarceration as well. Also, people of color disproportionately make up a large number of those incarcerated while accounting for a small percentage of the general population. Previous research on people who have been incarcerated focuses on it affects education, employment, and marriage. Little research has attempted to explore how incarceration effects dating, a …

Replication Of A Nonsequential Renewal Model And Investigation Of Extinction Cues For Attenuating Renewal, Brianna G. Sarno

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Laboratory models of renewal are critical to inform clinical practice to reduce the occurrence of relapse and facilitate the maintenance of treatment gains. Nonsequential renewal is a modified procedure developed by Sullivan et al. (2018) that provides an alternative arrangement to study operant renewal in a manner more consistent with clinical experience. Experiment 1 replicated the procedure of Craig et al. (2019) to compare renewal of target responding in rats that were exposed to the nonsequential or sequential renewal procedure. Experiment 2 investigated the use of an olfactory extinction cue in mitigating renewal. In Experiment 1, the Nonsequential Group displayed …

Covid-19: Examining Adherence Through The Health Belief Model, Leah Ashton Brown

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Over 6.4 million individuals have died due to COVID-19. Although the vaccine has been distributed and made more accessible, it is important for individuals to continue adhering to guidelines that prevent the spread of this deadly virus. The current study explored adherence to COVID-19-related health behaviors (wearing a mask, social distancing, properly washing hands, and receiving the COVID-19 vaccine) in a U.S. sample (recruited through Amazon MTurk) and examined the role of interactions among various identities. The study was informed by the Health Belief Model (HBM) and participants completed questionnaires that assessed COVID-19 health behaviors, constructs comprising the HBM (perceived …

Comparison Of Maintenance Cost Of Medium And Heavy-Duty Alternative Fuel And Diesel Vehicles, Isaac C. Boyce

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Abstract

Comparison of Maintenance Cost of Medium and Heavy-Duty Alternative Fuel and Diesel Vehicles

Isaac Boyce

This study was conducted to provide an in-depth analysis of the differences in maintenance cost with the use of alternative fuel and diesel in medium (MD) and heavy-duty (HD) vehicles. With the push toward lower emissions from transportation vehicles for a cleaner future, the United States of America (US) has incentivized the conversion from the use of conventional fossil fuel, diesel, to lower carbon alternatives. With the increased potential for the use of alternative fuels, an investigation is warranted to understand the differences. This …

The Business Of Behavior: Appalachian Teachers’ Experiences In Using Positive Behavior Interventions And Support, Erin Michele Coffield

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

This dissertation explores the lived experiences of Appalachian elementary and middle school teachers who have been identified as working in Positive Behavior Intervention and Support (PBIS) schools. This study used Lifeworld Theory to engage in discussion about the teachers’ individual experiences in using PBIS in their classrooms in relation to resilience frameworks and childhood trauma. The teachers’ individual experiences were analyzed using a Whole-Part-Whole analysis to bring the individual stories together to better understand how PBIS and childhood trauma are experienced in a specific Appalachian school. Discussion opens up through the participants' experiences about grit models in school, trauma their …

Decentralized Cooperative Localization For Multi-Robot Systems In Challenging Environments, Eduardo Gutierrez

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Multi-robot systems provide more adaptability and robustness than conventional single-robot systems. This is because they have the ability to achieve partial completion of a task in the presence of failures due to the intrinsic inclusion of non-single-point failure. In multi-robot systems, cooperative localization refers to the use of relative measurements to improve the group’s overall localization performance. While centralized architectures in the system may result in unfeasible cases due to the high cost of computation and communication, decentralized methods distribute the computation among the robots in the group, enhancing the performance and making the system more efficient. Achieving a reliable …

Developing Teaching Adaptability In Pre-Service Teachers Using Practice-Based Teacher Education, Kyuil Cho

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

The purpose of this study was to examine how pre-service teachers (PSTs) develop their teaching adaptive competence through teaching rehearsal and repeated teaching, which is one of the focused teacher education strategies in practice-based teacher education (PBTE). This study was conducted in an introductory teaching methods course of a physical education teacher education (PETE) program. A total of 22 PSTs participated in the study. Fourteen were male, and eight were female. The PSTs had varied coaching experiences ranging from little to no coaching in limited recreational sports settings, and none had teaching or coaching experience in the school setting.

A …

Synthesis, Characterization, And Activation Of Pyridine Dipyrrolide Supported Vanadium-Nitrogen Multiple Bonds, Jordan Cruz Martinez

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

The chemistry of coordination complexes of vanadium supported by pyridine di-pyrrolide pincer ligands was probed via the synthesis and investigation of a variety of compounds from the trivalent starting material, (^MesPDP^Ph)VCl(thf)₂. Under reducing conditions and subsequent addition of terpyridine, a redox transfer series (1-, 0, 1+) stemming from the neutral product (^MesPDP^Ph)V(terpy) was isolated and characterized by X-ray crystallography. The precise bond lengths, in conjunction with bulk magnetic susceptibility, allowed for a detailed study of the redox non-innocence of polypyridyl ligands in these systems.

Metathesis of the halide starting material …

First Responders’ Assumptions: An Exploration Of Emergency Medical Technicians’ Secondary Traumatic Stress And Perceptions Of Substance Users, Glenn Noble

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Emergency medical technicians (EMT) and firefighters respond to critical incidents and provide emergent care. As the opioid crisis continues and drug overdose rates increase, first responders administer first aid to substance users, including Naloxone, more frequently. This study examined the influence of repeated exposure to drug-related critical incidents and provision of care to substance users on EMTs' and firefighters' secondary traumatic stress (STS) level, world assumptions, and substance use stigma. First responders' world assumptions, STS, burnout, and exposure to drug-related overdoses were analyzed for their power in predicting substance use stigma. Results suggest that occupational burnout, rather than STS, is …

Static Liquefaction In Tailing Dams, Jose Raul Zela Concha

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

The Fundao tailing dam in Brazil failed on November 5, 2015 causing loss in life, property and severe damage to the environment. The waste flow traveled at 11m/s and approximately 32 million m³ tailings was released into the downstream area. Investigations by regulators concluded that a series of poor designs and construction of the tailing were the causes of the failure. Further investigations also showed that surface failure occurred in the mid height of the slope with a safety factor of 0.52. Both investigations concluded that static liquefaction induced the failure of tailings dam. However, geology variation in the …

Influences Of Disrupted Circadian Rhythms On Stroke Outcome, Jennifer A. Liu

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

The circadian system is composed of a subset of temporal oscillators that function through a transcriptional and post-translational molecular and functional negative feedback loop cycling approximately every 24 hours. The central clock located in the suprachiasmatic nucleus is responsible for entrainment using light as the key timekeeper (zeitgeber); it is responsible for synchronizing and optimizing physiological behavior and function to the environment. Exogenous information, such as day length and light-dark cycles, provide critical temporal cues for adjusting to environmental conditions. Proper alignment to natural light dark cycles and circadian rhythms is optimal for vital health, fitness, and survival in organisms. …

A Case Study Of Poland Regarding The Utility Of Strategic Culture, Christian Pierce Griffith

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

From the Cold War until today, researchers and strategists have worked to find better ways of understanding the strategic decisions of other countries. Many diplomats and international decision makers subscribed to the idea that countries always acted rationally with a rational, cost-benefit analysis approach to problems that laid before them. Others, however, wished to explain the seemingly irrational actions countries have taken, and proposed that not all countries share the same objective values and goals. Academic authors and political strategists claimed that countries have Strategic Cultures, defined as frameworks that policy makers operate within where they are influenced by cultural …

Modeling Of Inverter-Based Microgrid For Small-Signal And Large-Signal Stability Analysis, Vishal Verma

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Integration of inverter-based resources (IBRs) such as solar photovoltaic, wind, and battery storage, is both a boon and a bane for electric power systems. On one hand, IBRs have helped in making electrical energy a clean (carbon-free) source of energy. On other hand, the dynamics of IBRs have changed the way power system studies have been carried out. With the advantages IBRs offer over conventional resources, it is assumed that a small distribution power system (microgrid) will have a 100% IBRs penetration in the future. Such a microgrid can operate in grid-connected mode or in an islanded mode. Both modes …

A Numerical Study And Optimization Of A Morphing And Pitching Boeing Vertol Vr-12 Rotorcraft Airfoil, Thomas Sprengeler

Mechanical Engineering and Applied Mechanics

The helicopter blade has not undergone any major change in design in recent history, only minor adjustments like swept blade tips, variable twist blade, and application of small gurney flap style trailing edge devices. With the advancement of technology in both hardware and software this research aims to show the development of a modern shape morphing airfoil, specifically for helicopter application by utilizing high power computing and advanced turbulence modeling to find optimal shape morphing regimes. The experimental development and testing of the new airfoils were performed at North Dakota State University. The result of this research show that a …

Aging, A Pathological Factor In Neurological Injury, Aruvi Vijikumar

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

One of the main reasons for CNS drugs to fail in clinical development is not considering age as a risk factor while studying chronic age-related neurological/neurodegenerative diseases in preclinical studies. We first set out to gain a comprehensive understanding of the impact of age on various aspects (anatomical, immunological, and biochemical) in rodents that play a key role in determining the onset, progression, and evolution of disease severity. With advancing age, the vascular structure and function are compromised which is hypothesized to accelerate cognitive decline. The initial step toward developing novel therapeutics is to characterize the age-related vascular modifications. Utilizing …

Examining Development And Function Of Pretectal Visual Neural Circuits In Gs Homeobox 1 Mutant Zebrafish, Alexandra Rose Schmidt

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Brain development requires a coordinated genetic code to regulate initial cell identity determination, migration, and connectivity, to establish function of neural circuits. Independent neural circuits underlie our ability to produce both complex and innate behavioral responses to sensory stimuli that are often conserved across vertebrate organisms. Sensory processing disruptions are associated with several neurodevelopmental disorders (NDDs). Therefore, gene mutations altering neurodevelopment can lead to changes influencing structure and function of individual neural circuits, causing behavioral deviations in sensory responsiveness. Crucial gene networks that define functional properties of sensory domains are often explored using non-mammalian vertebrate models, such as the zebrafish. …

A Narrative Inquiry Into The Influence Of School Shooting Survival On College Transition And Experience, Jayne M. Piskorik

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

There is an extensive body of school-related shooting research exploring causes, how to recognize a threat, and what preparedness measures are effective (Lee et al., 2020; Muchert, 2007). However, there is insufficient research on how the broader context of school-related shootings in American society has influenced college-aged students. The purpose of this study was to tell the story of how students have been influenced by their experience surviving the 2018 Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School shooting during their transition to and performance in higher education. Narrative inquiry provided a deeper understanding through narrative retelling of the perceptions, decisions, and experiences …

Characterizing The Effects Of Solvent And Analyte Properties On Ionization Efficiency By Novel Field-Free And Field-Enabled Ionization Techniques, Kinkini Udara Jayasundara

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

In recent years the mass spectrometry (MS) area of field and/or direct analysis has grown dramatically. As a result, field-portable and miniaturized mass spectrometers, introduced only a few years ago, are proliferating. A highly desired feature for field-portable MS, or in-field analysis, is the ability to use ionization techniques requiring very little sample preparation as well as an ability to generate the ions under ambient conditions. Recently, a new ambient ionization technique termed vibrating sharp-edge spray ionization (VSSI) has been introduced which overcomes the field-portable limitations of other spray-based methods including the requirements for auxiliary components (e.g., nebulizing gas and …

Evaluating Remote Economic Benefits Of Watershed-Scale Acid Mine Drainage Restoration, Rachel E. Pell

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

In 2011, the West Virginia Abandoned Mine Lands and Reclamation Program (WVAML) implemented a watershed-scale restoration project in Three Fork Creek, a 103 square-mile watershed in rural West Virginia impaired by acid mine drainage (AMD). This was accomplished through the installation of four in-stream lime dosers in 2011. Due to the great capital investment in the restoration of Three Fork Creek and an interest in applying this watershed-scale approach to other watersheds throughout West Virginia, it is of great interest to demonstrate the successes of this remediation. It has already been demonstrated that the watershed has visibly improved and is …

Implementation Of Stress Management And Resiliency Training To Address Nursing Burnout In A Neuroscience Critical Care Unit, Jessica May Marie Hughes

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

In the United States, over one-third of nurses experience symptoms of burnout (Reith, 2018). If left unchecked, poor stress management and resiliency skills can contribute to nursing burnout, leading to costly employee turnover. Stress management and resiliency training (SMART) provides the tools necessary to develop resiliency, improve stress management and decrease burnout (Resilient Option, 2020). Nursing staff under the age of 36, who work in a Neurosciences Critical Care Unit (NCCU) demonstrate lower resiliency scores and a higher risk of burnout. This project aimed to evaluate: (a) the effects of a SMART program on the wellbeing of nursing staff in …

Standardized Postoperative Handoff Tool To Improve Handoff Quality, Haley Durkacz

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Abstract

Effective communication between healthcare providers is an essential element in the delivery of safe patient care. Loss of relevant information can occur during all phases of patient care but is most inclined to occur during the handoff from the operating room to the postoperative anesthesia care unit (PACU). Evidence has indicated that the transfer of patients by anesthesia providers remains informal and brief despite practice guidelines. When pertinent details are omitted during the anesthesia handoff there is a potential increase for medical errors, delayed treatment, and patient harm. The purpose of this project was to analyze the use of …