Digital Commons Network^™

A Narrative Inquiry Into Veterans In Engineering, Miracle David Solley

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Much research has been conducted on student veterans, in general; however, research on student veterans in engineering majors is very sparse. There is national recognition of the importance of student veterans in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields as evidenced in the passage in 2020 of a bill investigating the lack of veteran students in these fields. This study adds to the literature by answering the following two research questions: What are the experiences of veteran engineering students? How has military service impacted those experiences? Twelve students and five professors from a Doctoral University: Very High Research Activity in …

Advancing Compound Detection And Identification Using Vibrating Sharp-Edge Spray Ionization, Anthony Paul Debastiani

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Advancing Compound Detection and Identification Using Vibrating Sharp-Edge Spray Ionization

Anthony Paul DeBastiani

‘Omics consists of various areas, including genomics, proteomics, lipidomics, and metabolomics with a goal of detection and identification of biomolecules present within each of these classes within an organism. Current omic analytical methods include the use of mass spectrometry (MS) coupled with various separation techniques, including liquid chromatography (LC), with the use of heated nebulization gas assisted electrospray ionization (HESI). Although the rapid progress in LC-MS platform development has lead to significant enhancements in omic studies, significant limitations in the detection and identification of low abundant species …

The Process And Case Study Approach To Implementing A Nutrition-Specific Dissemination And Implementation Science Training In Appalachia, Ayron E. Walker

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Introduction: Nutrition professionals face implementation challenges due to their lack of knowledge to incorporate D&I science into intervention design. To improve intervention outcomes, nutrition professionals must be trained in D&I science, which are currently absent in the field.

Aims: To identify and assess nutrition educators and practitioners perceived motivations, self-efficacy, and attitudes in using D&I science to inform the educational design and strategies of a nutrition-specific D&I curriculum for nutrition educators. Then to test feasibility of the nutrition-specific curriculum in increasing knowledge, self-efficacy, and attitudes by a case study approach, pre/post intervention design.

Methods: First, scoping review methodology involved the …

Gun Culture 3.0, Andrew Phillip Stover

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

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

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

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

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

U.S.-Ukraine Relations And The Concept Of Strategic Partnership, Khrystyna Pelchar

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

A strategic partnership has become particularly relevant in the wake of the Russian war in Ukraine. Most studies focus on the historical perspective of particular special relations leaning toward the long-standing nature and stability of those relations. Others describe interstate partnerships as dynamic developments rather than static phenomena. Conventionally, strategic partnerships are multifaceted, including the spheres of economic cooperation, military assistance and partnership, and democracy promotion. Scholars also single out cultural proximity as an important factor facilitating mutual trust and feasibility of strategic partnership.

This thesis will discuss the historical background of the U.S.-Ukraine economic, socio-political, and military cooperation and …

Human Welfare & Emergencies: Education, Natality, And Violence, Erika Antolin Davies

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

I identify changes in human action during emergencies such as heavy precipitation and shelter-in-place orders. In two chapters I explore the effects of precipitation on educational attainment and birth rates as residential broadband access increases. In my third chapter I identify the movement of pets in and out of the home as a trigger for domestic violence during the COVID-19 lockdown. I estimate difference-in-difference regressions with panel data, coming to three conclusions. First: educational attainment in Appalachia is stunted by precipitation, as students have difficulty getting to school in bad weather. As this historically under-educated region of the US gains …

Deep Radio Observations And The Role Of The Cosmic Web In Galaxy Evolution, Nicholas M. Luber

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

A current open question in the evolution of galaxies, is what are the physical mechanisms that cut off galaxies from their primordial gas reservoirs, resulting in the end of their star-formation capabilities? Recent observational programs have shown that the properties of galaxies show dependencies on their placement within the large-scale structure (LSS) of the universe. These observations have motivated recent developments in theoretical work that have shown how a galaxy's interaction with the LSS may impact its connection to primordial gas supply, and ability to continue to accrete gas, the fundamental ingredient in star-formation.

In order to investigate the role …

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

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

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

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

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

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

Chemical Characterization Of Clastic Cave Sediments And Insights Into Particle Transport And Storage In Karst Aquifers, Jill L. Riddell

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Abstract

Chemical characterization of clastic cave sediments and insights into particle transport and storage in karst aquifers

Jill L. Riddell

Cave sediments can be divided into two groups: precipitates and clastics. Precipitates are speleothems, or lithologic or mineral features that are chemically precipitated in the cave environment. Clastic cave sediments are frequently described by depositional facies, sorting, and particle size (Bosch and White, 2004). Robust analytical chemical analyses of these sediments to quantify their physical and chemical components is rarely performed although some chemical characterization of mineralogy and paleomagnetism has become prevalent in recent years (Chess et al., 2010; Sasowsky …

Behaviors, Contextual Influences, And Consequences: Relationships That Affect Student Decision-Making Of Academic Misconduct In College, Justine A L Burnett

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Academic misconduct on college campuses is not a new challenge for higher education institutions but an old problem that has changed considerably. Student demonstrations of academic misconduct behaviors have evolved, making it difficult for institutions to consistently keep well-informed on how students cheat to effectively respond to violations of academic integrity policies. This study investigates the relationships between misbehaviors, their associated consequences, and influences to prevent, respond to, and reduce academic misconduct at a large research-intensive university.

This quantitative study uses institutional academic misconduct reports between 2017 and 2020 and student surveys to examine significant relationships in the decision-making process …

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

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

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

Beyond What's Missing: Silence In Women-Authored Novels From Wollstonecraft To Shelley, Kelli Wilhelm

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

This dissertation responds to and intends to subvert binary interpretations of silence, particularly women’s silences, as representing either submission or resistance to oppressive institutions and societal expectations. I examine five women-authored novels from British Romanticism. The first half of this dissertation focuses on three radical works of the 1790s, Mary Wollstonecraft’s The Wrongs of Woman, Mary Hays’s The Victim of Prejudice, and Charlotte Smith's The Old Manor House. The second half discusses two well-known early nineteenth-century novels, Jane Austen’s Sense and Sensibility and Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein (1818). Through examinations of these novels, I discuss how silence functions …

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

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

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

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

The Discover Model: A Prescriptive Method For Instructional Tool Selection And Use In Seeking To Boost Instructor Immediacy And Social Presence In Online Courses, Lee O. Silverman

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Higher education faculty who teach online can face numerous challenges in providing optimal experiences for their students. Besides their potentially limited instructional design expertise and understanding of how to optimize technology to support learning, faculty may have difficulties in finding ways to make themselves be perceived as real people who are approachable, caring, and likeable due to online nature of the learning context. As a preliminary means to address these issues, the current study focused on the development of the DISCOVER Model, which was designed to provide higher education faculty with a framework to develop actionable plans in the creation …

Phenomic And Genetic Controls Of The Drought Stress Response In Sorghum, Melissa A. Lehrer

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Drought, one of the most common abiotic stressors, is a result of the precipitation and temperature fluctuations influenced by climate change. As consistent weather patterns are crucial for the maintenance of crop yield, drought threatens food security through its impact on plant growth and development. It is essential to ensure the quality, availability, and affordability of grain-based products in the face of climate change due to expectations of population growth. Therefore, shedding light on the mechanisms associated with drought tolerance is integral to maintaining agricultural production under water-limited conditions. My dissertation work aimed to uncover the morphological, physiological, and genetic …

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

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

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

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

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

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

Multifunctional Organoboron Compounds And Boralactonate Salts, Randika T. Abeysinghe

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Organoboron compounds have gathered an important significance within the chemistry community on account of their wide range of applications in synthesis, catalysis, and medicinal chemistry. Even though the uses of boron compounds in drug discovery have been overlooked until the last several decades, boronic acid containing molecules have garnered increased attention due to the unique chemical properties of the boron center. Boron-functionalized ��-aryl propionic acid non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug derivatives (bora-NSAIDs) can be accessed via copper(I)-catalyzed alkene boracarboxylation, using CO2 and B2pin2. To explore and expand the current synthetic and future medicinal chemistry applications of these bora-NSAIDs, methods …

"My 'Eh' Is Authentic"; Commodification Of Language And Identity In Michigan's Upper Peninsula, Meg Elaine Perry

English

The following paper is an investigation of the historic, economic, social, and ideological processes that have shaped dialect awareness in Michigan’s Upper and Lower peninsulas. The goal of this study is to explore dialect perceptions between “Yoopers” and “Trolls” with a specific focus on the tourist industry and material items. This work performs textual analysis of various commodified dialect features in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula to examine the complex relationship between language use and identity. Secondary research is used to synthesize the historical, political, and cultural circumstances resulting in present day dialect features, while textual analysis reveals that material artifacts circulate …

Fractures Of Memory: Filmic Depth As A Method To Mourn, Jacob Foster

Architecture Theses

The living and the dead are currently separated from each other within our American cities. This divide has pushed society to disassociate the living and the dead, making them appear as separate entities. This creates a sense of fear amongst the living. We fear the dead, but cherish the memories and moments we shared when they were alive. This project will serve as a medium between the living and the dead to communicate through memories and moments in time. It will provide and an opportunity for sharing these special moments amongst family , friends, community and more to let your …

A Study Of Conformal Metasurfaces On Passive Beam Steering For Arrays, Ruisi Ge

Electrical and Computer Engineering

Beam-steering has drawn significant interest due to the expansion of network capacity. However, a traditional beam steering system involves active phase shifters and controlling networks which can be complex. This work proposes a passive conformal metasurface design on beam steering. The phase shifting is achieved by changing the curvature of a conformal metasurface. In addition, three conformal prototypes were fabricated and tested using different techniques such as 3D printing. The simulations and test results indicate up to 20° of beam shifting. This study can be extended to higher frequency bands for lower power consumption beam steering systems.

A Study Of Inverter-Based Resources On Power Grid Operation Under Uncertain Operating Conditions, Manisha Maharjan

Electrical and Computer Engineering

The electric power grid is undergoing a rapid change predominantly driven by high penetration levels of renewable energy resources (RERs) such as wind and solar. These resources are interfaced with the power grid through power electronic inverters that use control algorithms to define their performance characteristics. As a group, these types of resources are commonly referred to as inverter-based RERs (IB-RERs). While IB-RERs use power electronic controls to change active and reactive power injection, the fast inverter controls, separating the power source from the grid, have changed grid dynamics and posed new challenges to maintaining reliable and safe grid operation. …

Microwave Measurement Of Grain And Biomass, Ryan Striker

Electrical and Computer Engineering

Microwave measurement is a powerful method for mass prediction and grain detection. Existing systems are well adapted for small volume grain measurements, but cannot accommodate materials other than grain (e.g. biomass), which are larger in size or dimensional ratios. Therefore, an enlarged measuring system with unique design is needed. This new system’s large size improves measurement repeatability by capturing an average response for randomly aligned bulk samples. The system supports homogenous samples up to 0.5 m thick and 1 m square, and it has been validated from 1-50 GHz. By increasing the measurement system’s physical size relative to existing systems, …

Faith And Faithfulness, Daniel J. Mckaughan, Daniel Howard-Snyder

Faith and Philosophy: Journal of the Society of Christian Philosophers

No abstract provided.

Negotiating Social Change: Backstory Behind The Repeal Of Don't Ask, Don't Tell, Linell A. Letendre, Hal Abramson

University of Florida Journal of Law & Public Policy

This Article is about negotiating social change in the largest U.S. institution, the Military and its five Services. Inducing social change in any institution and society is notoriously difficult when change requires overcoming clashing personal values among stakeholders. And, in this negotiation over the repeal of Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell (DADT), clashing values over open service by gays and lesbians were central to the conflict. In response to President Obama’s call to repeal DADT, the Secretary of Defense selected a Working Group to undertake studies, surveys and focus groups to inform the debate. During the nine-month process of gathering a …

Tightwire Of National Interests And Publicity In The Evolved Process Of Democratization And Constitutional Transformation: Lessons From Taiwan, Hsin-Hsuan Lin

Cardozo International & Comparative Law Review

Achieving an optimal balance between government secrecy and democratic accountability has led to long-standing questions in the discussion of contemporary constitutionalism. To address the complex contemporary phenomenon of government secrecy within a democratic society, a more in-depth understanding of its tension with democratic accountability and transparency is essential. This article provides a descriptive overview of Taiwan's legal system, its legal implications in relation to government secrecy, and its normative implications. The article begins with a historical background of Taiwan's legal system, focusing on legal reform as it relates to government secrecy. The article investigates the complex interactions between the administrative, …

Remedying Online Shaming, Miriam Marcowitz-Bitton, Hillel Sommer

Cardozo International & Comparative Law Review

Shaming is an act of subjecting someone publicly to shame, disgrace, humiliation, or disrepute.1 This act has challenged many existing legal regimes. Its effects are devastating, and efforts to cope with it within the current legal framework have been largely unsuccessful, mainly due to the challenges posed by anonymous, online shaming. This article rethinks the remedies currently available to handle shaming. It touches upon both civil and criminal remedies and penalties, considering the role that the right to be forgotten can play in handling shaming effectively. The article argues that only by complementing existing remedies with victims' rights can we …

Same As It Ever Was: The Tijuana River Sewage Crisis, Non-State Actors, And The State, James M. Cooper

Cardozo International & Comparative Law Review

The article examines the ongoing environmental crisis caused by sewage contamination in the Tijuana River Valley, highlighting the inadequacy of current governance structures and international agreements in addressing transboundary pollution. It critiques the growing influence of non-state actors (NSAs) in border governance, arguing that privatization and deregulation undermine state accountability and sovereignty. The analysis emphasizes the need for a more effective and sustainable framework to manage environmental devastation and balance public and private interests at the U.S.-Mexico border.