Digital Commons Network^™

Exploring Long-Term Patterns: Black Bass Tournament Fishery And Population Trends In West Virginia's Navigable Rivers, Alex J. Benecke

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Black bass Micropterus spp. are popular sport fish in West Virginia’s navigable rivers. In recent years, anglers have expressed concerns about a potential decline in fishery quality. To investigate these claims, we evaluated whether fishery quality has declined compared to earlier periods and whether population trends correspond to angler catch rates. Specifically, we aimed to (1) examine changes in species catch over time and during key periods, such as tournament and spawning seasons; (2) describe the distribution of black bass species across pools and habitat types; and (3) assess the outcomes of previous stocking efforts. To address these objectives, we …

Investigating Critical Mineral Recovery And Carbon Mineralization Potential In Coal Fly Ash, Syabilla Cardosh

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Coal fly ash (CFA), a byproduct of coal combustion, represents an innovative opportunity to address the rising demand for critical minerals and the need to reduce CO2 emissions due to its significant concentrations of calcium and magnesium. By providing insights and preliminary data, this study aims to contribute to the foundational understanding necessary for future development.

A multidisciplinary approach was employed to assess CFA’s potential, including detailed chemical and mineralogical characterization using X-ray fluorescence (XRF), inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS), X-ray diffraction (XRD), and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). XRD analysis revealed crystalline phases in the CFA samples. At the …

Three Essays On Externalities Of Energy And Agricultural Production, Taiwo Foluso Akinyemi

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

This dissertation consists of three essays exploring the externalities that arise from energy production and development in a developing country, Nigeria, and agricultural production in a developed nation, the United States (US). The research examines the benefits of energy development in terms of its impact on local wealth and the associated costs, including the health effects on communities living near energy production sites. Additionally, the dissertation analyzes the opportunity costs of policies aimed at preventing the relocation of nutrients, particularly nitrogen fertilizers, within the agricultural sector and their impact on the producer and consumer surplus.

The first essay examines the …

Effect Of Specific Data Variations On Automated Speaker Recognition, Ethan David Meighen

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Speaker recognition is not a new biometric modality but there are still many obstacles in the way in order for it to become as used as fingerprint recognition, facial recognition, and iris recognition. Many real-world environmental conditions, hardware device variations, and human behavior present serious challenges to the use of opportunistic voice or speaker samples for identification purposes. Non-idealities, identified as nuisance factors, include environmental noise, input device quality, length of utterance, sample rate variation, and unscripted data are common nuisance factors that can impact speaker recognition match score performance. The impact of the nuisance factors listed above were evaluated …

A Multimodal Physical Fatigue Assessment Method Using A Biomarker And Accelerometer-Embedded Wearable Wristband, Md Hadisur Rahman

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Physically demanding tasks pose significant challenges to worker health, safety, and productivity across various industrial sectors in the United States. The construction industry is particularly affected due to the labor-intensive nature of its tasks and harsh environmental conditions. The industry suffers from unsatisfactory occupational health and safety records, with physical fatigue being a major contributor. Physical fatigue not only affects individual well-being and workplace safety but also influences productivity and the United States’ economy. Given the high incidence of injuries and accidents in the construction industry, assessing physical fatigue has become critical for improving worker safety and productivity. To address …

Development Of An Order Set To Improve Consistency Of Blood Glucose Monitoring For Hospitalized Patients On Enteral Feeding, Kristen Calebaugh

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Abstract

Development of an Order set to Improve Consistency of Blood Glucose Monitoring for Adult Hospitalized Patients on Enteral Feeding

Kristen Calebaugh, BSN, RN

Background

Hospitalized patients often require artificial nutrition through either enteral feeding, placing the patient at risk for glucose alterations related to physiological responses of nutritional metabolism. Historically, there has been no standard of care or consistency aligning tube feedings times with point of care blood glucose testing. Without a standardized order set to guide blood glucose monitoring orders, patients on artificial nutrition may experience undetected hypo or hyperglycemia or inadequate glycemic control, which can cause adverse …

Polylactic Acid (Pla) Containing Talc Microparticles And Amorphous Polyhydroxyalkanoates (Aphas) For Improved Barrier And Mechanical Properties In Food Packaging, Mohammed Alfaifi

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Polylactic acid (PLA) is a biobased and compostable polymer that is increasingly being used as an alternative to petroleum-based, non-biodegradable polymers for single-use food packaging due to its environmental benefits. It is also commercially available in large quantities, and it can be processed like polyethylene. However, it has a higher water-vapor permeability (WVP) as compared to polyolefins and polyethylene terephthalate that are the incumbent materials. This results in a competitive disadvantage in employing PLA for packaging baked goods since the shelf life of the food is likely to be reduced. In the past, barrier properties of PLA were improved by …

A Multidisciplinary Approach To Identify Postoperative Delirium In Geriatric Patients Using A Brain Health Screening Tool, Ashlyn Mccartney

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Postoperative delirium (POD) is a common occurrence, effecting nearly 61% of the surgical population recovering from anesthesia. POD increases risk of morbidity and mortality leading to prolonged hospital length of stay by 0.8 to 7.3 days and increased costs by $1,551 to $23,698 (Masharaf et al., 2022; Sethi, 2021). An academic medical center in northern West Virginia (WV) lacks a structured practice/protocol to identify high risk patients and assess POD. An evidence-based solution was developed based on the PICO question: Does a multidisciplinary approach to perianesthetic care utilizing a brain health screening tool, compared to lack of a screening tool, …

Symptoms Of Anxiety, Trauma, Depression, And Obsessive-Compulsive Disorders In A Subsequent Pregnancy Following A Previous Pregnancy Loss, Juliana Lynn Restivo Haney

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Pregnancy loss is a common and intense personal event that has been found to be a risk factor for increased symptoms of mood, trauma, obsessive-compulsive and anxiety disorders in subsequent pregnancies. Using a self-report online survey, the current study hypothesizes that levels of anxiety, trauma, and obsessive-compulsive symptoms will be higher in pregnant individuals who had a pregnancy loss in their most recent previous pregnancy (n= 61) when compared to pregnant individuals whose most recent previous pregnancy resulted in a live birth (n= 62). Participants responded to an online questionnaire asking about reproductive and mental health history, symptoms of perinatal …

An Examination Of The Stability Of The Remembering Self When Measuring Social Connection Derived From A Shared Leisure Experience, Camilla Hodge, Karen K. Melton, Mat D. Duerden, Mark A. Widmer, Aubrey Rushton, Alexis Kelley

Faculty Publications

Social connection has been identified as a public health priority, and is often positioned, in various forms, as an outcome of leisure experiences. In cases of assessing the hedonic quality of experiences, research has identified a relative permanence and stability in the remembering self; however, whether the same is true when measuring social connection is unknown. Therefore, this study aimed to determine whether recall of social connection after a structured, shared leisure experience changed over time. We compared assessments of social connection among a sample of 68 adults immediately following four structured, shared leisure experiences and again four weeks later. …

Artificial Intelligence And Mediation Ethics, Zachary R. Calo

Scholarly Works

No abstract provided.

Chatbots Mitigate Help-Seeking Avoidance, James Gaskin, Eva Blondeel, Ryan Schuetzler, Rachel Serre, Jacob Steffen, David A. Wood

Faculty Publications

This research explores the transformative role of large language model (LLM) chatbots in fostering help-seeking behaviors among introverted and underrepresented students in educational settings. Despite the importance of help-seeking for academic success, certain groups exhibit avoidance behaviors due to self-presentation concerns and stereotype threats. By integrating LLM chatbots as non-judgmental, anonymous teaching assistants in an introductory information systems course, the study demonstrates how technology can mitigate these behaviors and promote inclusivity. The chatbots provided real-time, unbiased support, significantly enhancing the students' willingness to engage in help-seeking behaviors without fear of judgment. This practical application of chatbots not only supports academic …

Tax Sentiment And Compliance: Evidence From Social Media, Andrew Belnap, Jacob Thornock, Kevin Standridge, Braden Williams

Faculty Publications

Motivations for voluntary tax compliance that fall outside of a standard, rational model can be intrinsic or extrinsic. We use social media rhetoric about taxes to create a measure of tax sentiment that reflects taxpayers’ extrinsic, behavioral motivations for voluntary compliance, and then examine the association between public tax sentiment and tax compliance. Our machinelearning based approach for measuring sentiment uses millions of tax-related tweets, which vary by time and geography. We find that tax sentiment is negatively associated with tax compliance. Our main findings and cross-sectional tests are consistent with the notion that paying one’s taxes is a way …

“Words Of Plainness” Jacob’S Apology, His Addendum, And The Competing Forms Of Nephite Worship, Dan Belnap, Rob Hernandez

Faculty Publications

Jacob’s powerful essay in Jacob chapters 4–6 ends with this statement: “I bid you farewell, until I shall meet you before the pleasing bar of God, which bar striketh the wicked with awful dread and fear. Amen” (Jacob  6:13). The essay represents Jacob’s teachings as a Nephite priest concerning the centrality of Christ in the religious and doctrinal framework of his Nephite congregation. It fits within the greater structure of the book of Jacob, which appears to be governed by Nephi1’s instructions concerning what should be included on the small plates. Recorded by Jacob in Jacob 1, the instruction suggests …

The Intellectual Structure Of Audit Committee Research: A Bibliometric Analysis (1969 – 2020), Joel Behrend, Marc Eulerich, David A. Wood

Faculty Publications

The audit committee is a widely recognized mechanism of effective corporate governance. We advance prior literature reviews by using bibliometric analysis techniques that comprehensively process large bodies of bibliometric information. We base inferences on citation patterns of 1,173 articles to identify concepts that “shine through” within the scientific understanding of audit committees. Using content analysis, we then analyze these concepts and explore existing interrelationships. We document a declining influence of audit committee research, as well as a widening gap between the quantitative and qualitative research camps. While the former is mostly derivative in nature, the latter produces innovative insights on …

Aerosol Jet Printing Of Surface Acoustic Wave Microfluidic Devices, Joseph Rich, Brian Cole, Teng Li, Brandon Lu, Hanyu Fu, Brittany N. Smith, Jianping Xia, Shujie Yang, Ruoyu Zhong, James L. Doherty, Kanji Kaneko, Hiroaki Suzuki, Zhenhua Tian, Aaron D. Franklin, Tony Jun Huang

Faculty Publications

The addition of surface acoustic wave (SAW) technologies to microfluidics has greatly advanced lab-on-a-chip applications due to their unique and powerful attributes, including high-precision manipulation, versatility, integrability, biocompatibility, contactless nature, and rapid actuation. However, the development of SAW microfluidic devices is limited by complex and time-consuming micro/nanofabrication techniques and access to cleanroom facilities for multistep photolithography and vacuum-based processing. To simplify the fabrication of SAW microfluidic devices with customizable dimensions and functions, we utilized the additive manufacturing technique of aerosol jet printing. We successfully fabricated customized SAW microfluidic devices of varying materials, including silver nanowires, graphene, and poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) polystyrene sulfonate …

Media Conglomeration, Local News, And Capital Market Consequences, Travis Dyer, Mark Lang, Jun Oh

Faculty Publications

We examine the effect of news media consolidation on local business coverage and its consequences for firms, investors, and capital markets. Using television transcripts, we find a substantial drop in coverage of local firms following the consolidation of local television stations associated with Sinclair acquisitions. Local information search, institutional portfolio local bias, and overall retail trading decrease for firms in treated geographic areas. Results are most pronounced for small firms, for stations with higher ex ante viewership, and for stations with greater reductions in local coverage. Our results provide insight into the consequences of media consolidation for local business coverage, …

Demonstrating The Need For Intergenerational Trauma-Specific Substance Use Treatment For Mothers Receiving Substance Use Treatment And Their Children, Brittany Ti-Esha Smith

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

For decades the United States has faced substance use epidemics that have devastating public health consequences, with the most recent epidemic being the opioid epidemic. While the substance that is the center of the epidemic’s changes over time, one factor that has been found to be positively related to substance use has remained consistent, that preventable risk factor is adverse childhood experiences (ACEs). Those who experience ACEs are at elevated risk for developing SUD. If the trauma that is a result of experiencing ACE is not treated it can complicate recovery and impact the individuals’ families. The children of individuals …

Development Of Lab-On-A-Chip Platforms Incorporating A Novel Acoustic Atomization Induced Pump Based On A Vibrating Sharp Edge Capillary., Balapuwaduge Lihini Tharanga Catherine Mendis

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Capillary Vibrating Sharp-edge Ionization device (cVSSI device) was developed by our laboratory with a low cost and an easy fabrication procedure. The generation of small liquid droplets by this technique has been used as an ionization source for mass spectrometry analysis platforms. On usual applications incorporating the cVSSI device a syringe pump was connected to the back end of the vibrating sharp tip capillary to ensure continuous loading of sample into the capillary to sustain the ionization process at the tip end of the vibrating sharp tip capillary. We were able to observe that upon the generation of droplets the …

Multidisciplinary Approach To Injury Rehabilitation: The D1 College Athlete Perspective, Lindsey Leatherman

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Sport injuries continue to be unavoidable disruptions in student-athletes’ athletic careers with over 200,000 injuries estimated to be reported each year in college sport (Kerr et al., 2015). Researchers continue to emphasize the importance of an interprofessional approach to rehabilitation to help athletes manage the adverse psychological and emotional reactions to injury (Appaneal et al., 2009; Gervis et al., 2020; Putukian, 2016). The purpose of this study was to extend and replicate the research of Clement and Arvinen-Barrow (2021) by incorporating perspectives of Division I US student-athletes. The current study describes 321 NCAA Division I collegiate athletes’ experiences of receiving …

Standardizing Nasogastric Tube Securement: A Quality Improvement Initiative, Shannon Lee Thompkins

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Problem: At a large academic medical center located in the northeastern United States, nasogastric tubes (NGT) were traditionally secured with tape. The institutional policy was nonspecific with no written procedure. The inconsistent use of nasal bridle securement devices (NBSD) and predominant use of tape has the potential to lead to a high rate of NGT dislodgement.

Background: NGT complication and dislodgement rates range from 2%-36% (Gimenes et al., 2019). Stabler et al. (2018) report 29%-63% NGT dislodgement rates in critically ill patients. Patients with intracranial hemorrhage dislodge NGTs in 25% of patients (Rahman et al., 2022)

Available Knowledge: Based on …

Investigation Of Synergistic Effect Between Polystyrene And Polyethylene Under Conventional Thermal Heating And Microwave Heating, Thang Luong

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Single-use plastics (Low Density Polyethylene, LDPE; Polystyrene, PS; Polypropylene, PP) are increasingly used in the modern world, with their usage growing every year. An effective method to manage the resulting waste is urgently needed, as landfilling and incineration have proven harmful to the environment in the long term. Mechanical recycling may not maintain the desirable characteristics of the single-use plastics through several cycles. Pyrolysis emerges as a promising approach to address plastic waste. Given that single-use plastic waste often comes in a mixture, combining plastic in the feedstock is a viable solution to effectively convert these polymers altogether to gain …

Dynamic Load Identification Using Optimal Sensor Placement And Dynamic Condensation Methods, Iole Pecora

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Knowledge of excitation loads that structures experience during their service life is pivotal in different engineering fields, not only from a structural design optimization point of view but also as prevention of possible damages to the structures themselves. However, in case of dynamic events such as tornadoes, structures subjected to impulsive load due to their vicinity of explosions, the excitation load cannot be directly determined through direct measurements. In these scenarios, the inverse problem is used, and it is called load identification. This type of problem tries to determine the excitation load knowing the system response through a series of …

Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach’S Sonata In C Minor, Wq. 65/31: A Study Of Performance Practice, Weiyang Sun

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

This dissertation discusses concepts of performance practice in Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach's keyboard works, including historical instruments, fingering, articulation, ornamentation, dynamics, rhythm, and other related topics. It provides an interpretive analysis of C. P. E. Bach's Sonata in C Minor, Wq. 65/31, for keyboard, as a way to discuss the application of these issues. Additionally, this dissertation includes a brief biography of C. P. E. Bach, a list of his keyboard works, and a discography of current and historical recordings of the Sonata in C Minor, Wq. 65/31.

Changes In Psychiatric Diagnosis Associated With Sars-Cov-2 Infection And Predicting The Development Of New Psychiatric Illness In Covid Patients By Using Machine Learning Approach: A Study Using The Us National Covid Cohort Collaborative (N3c), Asif Rahman

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

The enduring impact of COVID-19 extends beyond acute illness, with potential long-term psychiatric consequences raising significant concern among healthcare professionals and researchers alike. Emerging evidence suggests a multifaceted relationship between COVID-19 and the development of different psychiatric illnesses like Schizophrenia Spectrum and Psychotic Disorders (SSPD), Depression, Bipolar disorder, Personality disorder, Trauma, and a range of other mental health conditions. Considering these emerging connections, our study endeavors to rigorously assess the associations between COVID-19 and various psychiatric illnesses while simultaneously employing machine learning techniques to predict the development of new psychiatric disorders in individuals affected by the virus. Leveraging the extensive …

Breaking The Silence: International Students’ Communication About Sexual Assault And Opportunities For Improved Prevention Messaging, Samaha Ghani

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

The beginning of college campus life is one of the most exciting phases of student life. However, for some students, it might pose a threat in the form of sexual violence. In the United States, sexual violence is highly pervasive, placing college students at a greater risk of victimization. Currently, there is a lack of data on sexual crimes within the international student population on U.S. college campuses due to cultural and language barriers. As such, the purpose of this study is to explore international students’ communication needs around the topic of sexual consent and sexual violence. This vulnerable and …

Beccaria, The Executioner, And The French Revolution, Willa Carlyle Reising

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

This thesis explores ideas and practices in the French penal system during the Revolutionary era, especially during the Reign of Terror, considering the experiences of Revolutionary leaders and the executioner of Paris during the Revolution. It argues that while in some ways Revolutionary leaders used Enlightenment penal laws to justify their actions during the Reign of Terror, in other ways the Reign of Terror was a departure from Enlightenment penal reform laws. The main Enlightenment penal reformer which this thesis uses is Cesare Beccaria because he was influential in France and during the French Revolution in helping to create early …

Power Safety Plan Checklist As An Intervention In The Operating Room, Scott John Fankhauser

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

ABSTRACT

Power Safety Plan Checklist as an Intervention in the Operating Room

Scott J. Fankhauser

Background: Intraoperative power failures (IOPF) force anesthesia providers to quickly make decisions to prevent patient harm when equipment does not operate as designed. Familiarity with alternative methods is critical during this decision process to deliver high-quality care during IOPF events. Purpose: The purpose of this project was to assess the impact of a checklist on anesthesia providers’ perceptions regarding continuation of care during an IOPF. Interventions: Pre- and post-intervention surveys were conducted during a simulation and education setting for annual competencies. Methods: The study …

A Domain Adaptation Approach For Morphology-Independent Cell Instance Segmentation, Voke Rotimi Brume

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

In recent years, there has been an upward trend of utilizing deep learning to automate cell segmentation processes. As global storage capacities grow exponentially, so have microscopy data collections become larger and more frequent. To benefit from them, accurate and precise quantitative analysis tools like cell instance segmentation have become necessary. However, the highly variable nature of these data collections necessitates retraining segmentation models to maintain high accuracy on new data collections. This process is time-consuming and labor-intensive since a user must annotate much of the new data, usually under the supervision of a medical professional. The problem is further …

Iron Coated Sand: A Sustainable Substrate Amendment For Nutrient Management And Growth Of Floriculture Crops, Savannah Mead

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Acid mine drainage and phosphorus pollution are two of the most pervasive forms of water contamination in Appalachia and globally. The horticultural industry is a contributor to nutrient pollution via leaching from greenhouses, necessitating the adoption of more sustainable practices for container production in controlled environments. In this thesis, an acid mine drainage-based iron-coated sand product was assessed on its effectiveness for phosphate adsorption when used as a sustainable substrate amendment for soilless container production of flowering ornamentals. The first study centered around the amount of iron-coated sand to use for production of petunias, pansies, and chrysanthemums. Iron-coated sand at …