Digital Commons Network^™

Businesses Supposedly Held The Key To The Ada, But They Dropped The Ball: Can Marketing Be The Shot In The Arm America Needs To Bring The Spirit Of The Ada Back To Life?, Elizabeth T. Gratz

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

This research investigates the historical and current focus of the field of marketing on the disability community and considers whether marketers can positively impact attitudes toward the group through their firm media content. My first essay uses the Rocky Road to Policy Pavers model to discuss the importance of this large and underserved consumer group, and highlights several opportunities for the marketing community to reduce existing barriers to disabled consumers in the marketplace. One way that marketers can reduce stigma and improve attitudes toward the disability community is by strategically portraying individuals with disabilities in their firm media content. My …

Frp Pedestrian Bridges, Joseph Ryan Virga

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Advanced fiber-reinforced polymer (FRP) composites are being used as mainstream structural materials to build complex infrastructure systems. Such application of FRP composites can be attributed to their high strength-to-weight and stiffness-to-weight ratios, corrosion resistance, higher energy absorption, durability, and competitive life-cycle costs. FRP composites are increasingly being considered as suitable alternative structural materials to traditional construction materials such as timber, concrete, and steel.

In this work, detailed experimental investigation has been carried out on different types of glass FRP composite pedestrian bridges with FRP and/or timber deck. Four full-scale FRP pedestrian bridges, including 70`×8.5’ and 70’×10’ single-span bridges, a 16’×8’ …

The B-Cell Role In Autoimmunity, Marissa Marie Mindt

Microbiological Sciences

This review is focused on B-cell’s role in autoimmunity and was conducted by reading current papers across a variety of journals and compiling the information learned in this process. Specifically, this review paper encompasses an analysis of what autoimmune diseases are, as well as some of the characteristics of autoimmune diseases the introduction section of this paper serves as a crash course on B-cell. The disease write-up is where autoimmune diseases that are affected and mediated by B-cells, such as systemic lupus erythematosus, multiple sclerosis, and Chron’s disease, are explored. The next section will compare the mechanisms behind each of …

Survival Of Listeria Monocytogenes On Organic Honeycrisp And Fuji Apples During Storage At 5, 12 And 22.5◦C, Connor S. Freed

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

This study aimed to evaluate and model the survival of Listeria monocytogenes on organic HoneyCrisp (HC) and Fuji (FJ) apples during storage at various temperatures. Fresh organic HC and FJ apples (without wax coating) obtained from a local wholesale market were inoculated with a 2-strain mix of L. monocytogenes followed by storage at 5.0 (22.9% RH), 12.0 (37.0% RH), and 22.5oC (50.4% RH) for 60, 35, 7 days, respectively, and periodically (day-0 to 60) analyzing microbial populations. Surviving L. monocytogenes were spread-plated on Modified-Oxford agar after 10 or 100-fold serial dilution. Data were analyzed using the mixed-model procedure of SAS …

A Guide To Chinese Art Songs From 1970 To 2010, Tingyu Yan

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

This study aims to provide a repertoire guide of Chinese art songs for the pedagogy and research of musicians. The world is becoming more open to accepting and embracing different social and cultural elements, and diverse musical styles and repertoire are now being showcased internationally. There are more opportunities for musicians who wish to perform their homeland's music in public concerts around the world, and repertoires from different languages (e.g., Japanese, Spanish, Russian, and Czech) are more widely seen. However, there is still a lack of repertoires in other languages not very common internationally, and one of them is the …

Intercultural Competence In The Esl Classroom: Challenges And Successes, Breno Santos Rodrigues Pereira

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

This action-based research study investigated the challenges and successes involved in the teaching of intercultural competence in the English as a Second Language (ESL) classroom. Most studies on intercultural competence take place in English as a foreign language classroom, and very few are centered on ESL instruction. It is this gap in the research that motivated the present study, in which the following research questions were posed: 1) How do targeted training practices in the classroom promote the development of intercultural competence as demonstrated by quantitative data?; 2) What challenges are associated with teaching intercultural competence to ESL learners?; 3) …

Understanding Mentorship In Undergraduate Research: Three Perspectives On Experiencing, Conceptualizing, And Contextualizing Mentorship, Carinna F. Ferguson

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

This dissertation aimed to explore mentorship in undergraduate research (UR) contexts. Specifically, the work aimed to provide three perspectives of mentorship from the perspectives of both mentors and mentees in undergraduate research. These three studies contributed to a greater understanding of the experiences, conceptualizations, and contextual factors that impact mentorship in the UR setting.

Highlighted in the first study were the storied experiences of eight faculty members who had served as a mentor to undergraduate students at a mid-Atlantic, research-intensive university from a range of research disciplines. Results of the first study highlighted the impact of faculty members’ initial and …

Three Essays In Applied Microeconomics: Philly Style, Alexander Christian Marsella

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

My dissertation analyzes several contemporary policy-based and institutional occurrences in an urban setting to help guide further advancements in reducing violence, drug overdose deaths, and other unhealthy behaviors that city governments look to curb. Several recent developments in Philadelphia offer a promising setting for studying policies that have broad implications.

Chapter 1 examines the effect of the West Philadelphia Promise Zone initiative on violent crime rates in a high-crime area of West Philadelphia, where a series of educational, public-safety, and quality-of-life improvement grants were disbursed from 2014 onward. My difference-in-differences analysis with two-way fixed effects and cluster bootstrapped standard errors …

Giving Power To Corporate Social Responsibility: A Case Study Of The Organization-Public Relationship Between A Public Utility And Its Community Stakeholders, Rhyanna C. Wiethe

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

The purpose of this research is to examine how, if at all, relationships between public utility companies and their stakeholders changes following a corporate social responsibility (CSR) initiative, and based on the results, how can companies restructure their initiatives to better serve their publics in order to build stronger, more positive relationships. A multi-method case study using in-depth interviews and two content analyses (a social media analysis and a news coverage analysis) was used to explore the relationship between a public utility company and a community affected by the implementation of a CSR initiative. The findings suggest that the relationship …

Examining The Use Of Social Media Applications By West Virginia Agriculture Producers, Mikayla Rae Hargis

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Social media has become part of the typical individual’s everyday routine, with no exception to those in the agricultural industry. The purpose of this study was to examine social media usage by West Virginia agricultural producers. The population for this study consisted of agricultural producers in West Virginia. The study yielded 44 responses from those who attended the 2022 West Virginia Farm Bureau meeting. An explanatory sequential design methodology was employed for this study. After the initial quantitative phase, a qualitative phase was conducted with producers who use social media in their operations. Based on the results, there is much …

Effects Of Invasive Species On Ohio River Zooplankton, Samuel John Johnston

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Invasive species have the potential to dramatically change both aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems with rates of introduction only expected to increase across the Globe. In the Mississippi River basin filter feeding silver (Hypophthalmichthys molitrix) and bighead carp (Hypophthalmichthys nobilis) collectively known as invasive carp were introduced into aquaculture ponds where they subsequently escaped and spread to interconnected basins. Invasive carp have not yet completely established throughout the entire Ohio River. Managers recognize three distinct phases of carp invasion: establishment front, invasion front and presence front. In the Illinois River invasive carp are very well established and …

Unconventional Wisdom In Resonating Echoes Of The Past: A Memoir On The Life And Music Of Royal Hartigan, Joseph Elias Boulos

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Unconventional Wisdom in Resonating Echoes of the Past:

A Memoir on the Life and Music of royal hartigan

Joseph Elias Boulos

Detailed fieldwork achieved by people in the discipline of social/humanistic studies, specifically ethnomusicologists, in any form: book, biography, documentary, etc., have contributed to the strengthening the understanding of any group of people, community, or culture. This research project is a co-authored memoir grounded in oral history and collaborative ethnography on, and with, Dr. royal hartigan. The purpose of this ethnographic research is to fill in the lack of information readily available on royal, from his sole perspective, and to …

The Investigation Of Novel Bovine Oocyte-Specific Long Non-Coding Rnas And Their Roles In Oocyte Maturation And Early Embryonic Development, Jaelyn Zoe Current

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Early embryonic loss is a significant factor in livestock species' infertility, resulting in an economic deficit. In cattle, the in vivo fertilization rate is ~90%, with an average calving rate of about 55%, indicating an embryonic-fetal mortality rate of roughly 35%. Further, 70-80% of total embryonic loss in cattle occurs during the first three weeks after insemination, particularly between days 7-16. Growing evidence indicates that the oocyte plays an active role in regulating critical aspects of the reproductive process required for successful fertilization, embryo development, and pregnancy. However, defining oocyte quality remains enigmatic. Recently, many have abandoned the notion that …

Source Credibility And Trust Of Media Information Based On Gender Of Reporter, Madison R. Urse

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

An experiment was used for this study to explore if the gender of a reporter impacts perceived source credibility and thus trust in information. Previous research has shown how gender biases can affect how topics are covered, reported on, perceived and marketed in the journalistic world. Modern media and newsrooms are meant to mirror reality as they convey information to the public, yet women continue to be gatekept out of reporting on certain types of news. Further, changes in the mode of delivery of news are also impacting the journalism landscape. Thus, this study employed a digital stimulus to explore …

Multimodal Neuron Classification Based On Morphology And Electrophysiology, Aqib Ahmad

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Categorizing neurons into different types to understand neural circuits and ultimately brain function is a major challenge in neuroscience. While electrical properties are critical in defining a neuron, its morphology is equally important. Advancements in single-cell analysis methods have allowed neuroscientists to simultaneously capture multiple data modalities from a neuron. We propose a method to classify neurons using both morphological structure and electrophysiology. Current approaches are based on a limited analysis of morphological features. We propose to use a new graph neural network to learn representations that more comprehensively account for the complexity of the shape of neuronal structures. In …

The Impact Of Fracture Properties On Adsorbed Gas Production From A Marcellus Shale Horizontal Well, Valcia Mildreth Vasco Bulule

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Abstract

In addition to the gas present in the pores of the rock, shale also contains gas in the adsorbed state within the surface of the organic matter within the formation. As the free gas is produced, the pressure in the reservoir depletes, causing the adsorbed gas to be released, complementing the gas production. At the same time, the pressure reduction leads to increase in the effective stress causing shale compaction. The shale compaction negatively impacts the permeability and hydraulic fracture conductivity. This study aimed to investigate the impact of hydraulic fracture characteristics on the adsorbed gas recovery and, ultimately, …

Confluence: Evaluating The Individual Learning Outcomes Of A Combined Citizen Science And Environmental Education Project, Evan A. Harms

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Citizen Science has moved beyond a methodological tool for ecologists to crowdsource data to a novel platform for environmental and informal science education. However, few studies document the individual learning outcomes of citizen science as an educational tool, particularly in youth or extension education. This quantitative study focused on evaluating the individual learning outcomes of an environmental education and citizen science non-formal learning experience about water quality.

In this study, an existing lesson plan using four sequenced activities was adapted for use with West Virginia 4-H summer camps in 2022. Potential outcome areas were first identified from foundational environmental education …

You've Got A Friend: Social Factors And Depressive Symptoms In Older Adults, Erika A. Fenstermacher

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Depression in late life has been associated with disability, lower quality of life, increased mortality, and increased risk of suicide (Fiske et al., 2009; Rodda et al., 2011). Research suggests that functional disability, which is often brought about by a medical condition, may precede depressive symptoms and may be a major factor for older adults developing depression (Ormel et al., 2002). Social support can be beneficial for both emotional and physical health (Fiori & Jager, 2021). Numerous studies found evidence that social networks, perceived and subjective social support, and satisfaction with support received moderated the relation between health problems and …

The Effects Of E-Cigarette Aerosol On The Force Degradation Of Elastomeric Chain: An In Vitro Pilot Study, Nicholas David Palmer

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Background and Objectives

An ideal orthodontic force system should exert continuous light force. An orthodontist has the option to utilize different systems for closing orthodontic extraction space. A commonly used method when closing extraction space is to utilize orthodontic elastomeric chain. Energy Chain® (Rocky Mountain Orthodontics, Franklin, IN) allows for less deformation of shape following the initial stretch, more consistent force, and less force degradation over time. The mouth is a harsh environment that experiences daily changes in pH and temperature. These changes cause elastomeric chain to experience increased force degradation. The creation of the JUUL® (JUUL Labs, San Francisco, …

What’S Long About Long John Silver: Anormative Masculinities And Histories In Robert Louis Stevenson’S Treasure Island, David V. Riser

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Historical queer and transgender experiences have been obscured by the dominant narrative of history. However, these experiences surface in works of fiction. This thesis analyzes affective responses to constructions of queer masculinity in Robert Louis Stevenson’s Treasure Island. Affects of disgust and desire in Treasure Island, and in the popular history of Treasure Island, reveal a proto-queer transgender experience found in 19th-century maritime fiction. These affects demonstrate a fear that there is no reproductive futurity in queer masculinity while producing narratives of queer masculinity. This production makes historical queer and transgender experiences legible, and allows contemporary queer readers to navigate …

The Application Of Time Series Analysis To Injury Epidemiology Data, Eric Wayne Lundstrom

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Introduction: Injury fatality rates in the United States (US) decreased throughout the majority of the 20th century, mostly due to declining rates of occupational and motor vehicle injuries. However, near the beginning of the 21st century, fatal injury rates in the US began to increase. This is principally due to the nation’s opioid epidemic, which has been characterized by different epidemic “waves”, each driven by overdoses associated with specific substances. Given the temporally dynamic nature of US injury trends, this study aimed to explore the application of time series analysis to injury data in the US. First, rates of non-fatal …

Distributed Energy Infrastructure Development: Geospatial & Economic Feasibility In Rural West Virginia, Xinming Andy Zhang

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Energy transition from conventional to centralized power plants, including coal-fired units, is critical for West Virginia’s long-term energy and economic future. The socioeconomic downturn in West Virginia was deeply connected with the dependence on the centralized coal industry and the coal economy. Most traditional coal communities in rural West Virginia struggle to maintain economic viability, potentially leading to outmigrations and poor energy resilience. I investigated the possibility of introducing community-sized distributed energy systems in these rural communities to improve energy resilience and accommodate the future transition from centralized coal-generated energy.

My goal was to identify rural regions where distributed energy …

Lipid Binding Properties Of Huntingtin As A Novel Therapeutic Target, Chathuranga Siriwardhana

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

As protein aggregation is the defining hallmark of all amyloid diseases, a common therapeutic strategy is to develop molecules that inhibit aggregation. However, this approach has yielded limited success. Many amyloid proteins directly interact with lipid membranes. These interactions promote distinct aggregation pathways and often result in membrane damage leading to toxicity. As a result, directly targeting the ability of amyloids to bind lipid membranes represents a novel therapeutic strategy. As a proof of principle, the interaction between lipid membranes and mutant huntingtin protein (htt) aggregates was used to test this strategy. Mutant htt containing an expanded polygulatmine (polyQ) domain …

“Building The Roots”: A Delphi Study Examining The Aims Of A Multicultural Competency Graduate Course In Sport And Exercise Psychology, Matthew Paul Gonzalez

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Historically, opportunities to develop cultural competency in sport and exercise psychology graduate programs have been limited (Lee, 2015). Recently, major sport psychology organizations across the world have started to require cultural competency in their credentialing requirements. While this represents progress, these requirements can be met with a single course, which falls below the ideal of integrated cultural competency education (Martens et al., 2000). The present study investigated how to maximize the quality of a single course by coming to agreement on a proposed set of impactful and feasible learning outcomes and assessments in that proposed single course related to cultural …

The Role Of Digital Spaces In Caring For Children With Feeding Tubes: Home, Family, And Community Reconsidered, Sara Gilbert Loftus

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Abstract

This dissertation draws from feminist geographic research to critically examine the landscapes of care traversed by family caregivers of children with feeding tubes and complex medical and long-term care needs. Drawing from theories and methodologies from feminist disability and digital geographies, in combination with feminist science technology studies (STS), I explore the impact of neoliberal policy changes on daily caregiving tasks and how families, in response to these policy changes, (re)create digital spaces and relationships to satisfy their unmet needs. This research examines the growing and shifting roles of digital spaces in the everyday lives of marginalized and/or vulnerable …

Analysis Of The Psychological And Production Effects Of The Use Of Gamification For Manufacturing Assembly, Makenzie Dolly

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

In this dissertation, the applications of gamification for manufacturing with a focus on effects to workers and productivity were studied. Gamification is a relatively new research area, with the term being officially defined in 2010. Since then, several fields (education, health, and marketing) have benefitted from its application. Despite exhibiting strong potential, the application of gamification had remained rather unexplored in the manufacturing domain. To explore this further, by employing a comprehensive literature review, four research gaps were identified: the need for i) the use and acceptance of Deterding’s definition of gamification, ii) a clearer definition for various game element …

Navigating Place And Gender: A Multicontextual Critical Narrative Inquiry Of Rural Trans* Student Experiences, Jessie Lynn O'Quinn

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

The purpose of this critical narrative study was to understand how rural West Virginia trans* students navigate cultural norms of their rural home communities and higher education contexts. An essential part of this critical narrative was to provide rural trans* students with an avenue to share their unique experiences and give them a platform to share their voices. The resulting narratives suggested that the normative tensions rural trans* college students experience across contexts stemmed from negative regional experiences that reinforced traditional gender norms. Negative home contexts and experiences forced students to feel like they had to build walls and distance …

Generative Prior For Unsupervised Image Restoration, Ahmed Cheikh Sidiya

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

The challenge of restoring real world low-quality images is due to a lack of appropriate training data and difficulty in determining how the image was degraded. Recently, generative models have demonstrated great potential for creating high- quality images by utilizing the rich and diverse information contained within the model’s trained weights and learned latent representations. One popular type of generative model is the generative adversarial network (GAN). Many new methods have been developed to harness the information found in GANs for image manipulation. Our proposed approach is to utilize generative models for both understanding the degradation of an image and …

Three Essays On Environmental And Energy Economics, Maher F. Mekky

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

In this dissertation, three related topics are investigated about environmental and energy economics. The research in these essays utilize panel data and regression models. The overall theme of these essays is to explore the relationships between energy and the environment in the United States (U.S.).

In the first essay, using data from fifty U.S. states between 2012 and 2020, the impacts of three types of state level policies on electric vehicles (EV) adoption are examined: 1) policies that mitigate the environmental impacts from energy production, 2) policies that provide financial incentives to consumers for EV purchase, and 3) policies that …

Continental Saline Environments Interpreted From Bedded Gypsum Of The Triassic Red Peak Formation (Chugwater Group), Northcentral Wyoming, Maya Yamei Bradford

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Bedded evaporites and associated red bed siliciclastics record saline lake and groundwater systems from Permo-Triassic Pangea. A major component of these red bed and evaporite systems is bedded gypsum. However, little attention has been paid to the textures of ancient gypsum. Observations of gypsum textures can refine interpretations of depositional environment and diagenetic history. This project describes textures of bedded gypsum from an outcrop of the Triassic Red Peak Formation (Chugwater Group) near Greybull, Wyoming.

This thesis uses fieldwork, petrography, and x-ray diffraction to describe an outcrop of the upper Red Peak Formation, with a focus on textures of bedded …