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‘She Dared Not’: Authority In The Monasteries Of The Diocese Of Lincoln, 1400-1540, Morgan Mcminn

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Within monastic life, the Benedictine Rule prioritized the role of the abbot, and much of the everyday running of the house was left to his discretion. He was the elected father of the community, the pastor of the flock, the educator who instructed by word and example. He should discipline firmly but be loved and not feared, and he should play no favorite but rather adapt to the situation at hand. His brethren should obey him without question as the representative of Christ in the monastery, their self-will and earthly possessions submitted to him. These elements are also present in …

Survival, Cause-Specific Mortality, Resource Selection, Movement Rates, And Population Dynamics Of White-Tailed Deer (Odocoileus Virginianus) In West Virginia, Usa, Brett P. Skelly

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

White-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) are one of the most culturally and economically important big game species in the United States. At the turn of the 20th century white-tailed deer were almost extirpated due to market hunting and unsustainable forestry practices that destroyed habitat. The creation of game laws that eliminated market hunting and created seasons and bag limits for deer hunting along with restocking efforts by sportsmen’s groups and state wildlife agencies aided in deer population recovery. These efforts have led to the abundant deer populations that are currently enjoyed by hunters and wildlife viewers. Deer populations require …

Assessment Of Emissions Factors For Produced Water And Other Atmospheric Liquid Storage Tanks On Natural Gas Sites, David Glenn Childs

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

As the US natural gas (NG) sector continues to grow, concerns have increased regarding the effects and increasing volume of greenhouse gases emitted into the atmosphere. While NG is a cleaner burning fuel than diesel and gasoline, unburned methane (CH₄) has a global warming potential (GWP) 27-30 times that of carbon dioxide (CO₂). To better quantify CH₄ emissions on NG sites, the US Department of Energy (DOE) granted West Virginia University (WVU) funding to collect direct measurements at well sites and compressor stations.

In this work, a total of 18 sites, including controlled and uncontrolled …

Cultural Perceptions And Willingness Or Reluctance To Use Ai Chatbots For Emotional Support By International African Students In Higher Educational Institutions In The United States, Zakariah Issah

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

The increasing use of artificial intelligence (AI) chatbots for emotional support underscores the need to understand how cultural perceptions shape their adoption among international African students in higher education institutions in the United States. Guided by the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) and Social Stigma Theory, this qualitative study explored the perceptions, motivations, and barriers influencing the use of AI chatbots for emotional support. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 20 undergraduate and graduate students from 10 African countries. The findings reveal that participants viewed AI chatbots as conditional and situational sources of emotional support rather than replacements for human relationships. Convenience, …

An Assessment Of Disease Risks, Population Genetics, And Spatial Ecology Of Appalachian Cottontails (Sylvilagus Obscurus) And Snowshoe Hares (Lepus Americanus) In West Virginia, Usa, Madison Leigh Miller

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Snowshoe hares (Lepus americanus) occupy a large range across the United States and Canada. While snowshoe hare populations are generally considered stable in the interior of their range, populations along range edges are experiencing declines, possibly driven by climate-related factors such as seasonal coat color mismatch. West Virginia represents one of the southernmost extents of the species’ range, yet little is known about the population genetic status or population sizes of snowshoe hares in the state. Appalachian cottontails (Sylvilagus obscurus) are another lagomorph species found in West Virginia. This species experienced a historical decline and currently …

Promoting The Use Of Smoke Evacuation Systems In The Operating Room: A Quality Improvement Initiative, Andrea Leigh Drayer

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Background: Surgical smoke produced during procedures poses serious health risks to operating

room (OR) staff and patients, yet many hospitals, including an academic medical center in

northern West Virginia, have underutilized smoke evacuation systems. The imminent

enforcement of West Virginia House Bill 4376, mandating smoke evacuation use, provided both

urgency and opportunity for an intervention.

Purpose: The purpose of this Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) quality improvement project

was to increase timely compliance with the use of smoke evacuation systems during all smoke-

producing procedures, ensuring alignment with safety standards and legislative requirements.

Methods: A systematic evidence review of academic …

Influences Of Response Rate And Distribution On Accuracy Estimates: The Value Of Replications Based On Analytic Approach, Olivia Brianne Harvey

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Accurate observational data are essential for drawing correct conclusions about behavioral phenomena and ensuring the replicability of research findings. Accuracy is the extent to which an observer’s recorded responses correspond with true values (i.e., the actual occurrence of behavioral events). Correspondence is quantified using one of several percentage-based algorithms. However, these accuracy estimates may be influenced by characteristics of the data, such as response rate and response distribution, as well as the algorithm used to calculate them. The purpose of this dissertation was to evaluate how response rate, response distribution, and the algorithm used to evaluate accuracy influences estimates. Across …

Factors Influencing Eastern Wild Turkey (Meleagris Gallopavo Silvestris) Productivity And Nesting Chronology In West Virginia, Kirstin Palumbo

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Identifying drivers of variation in the timing of breeding behaviors, such as courtship activities and nesting chronology, is important for the effective management of avian species. Likewise, productivity is an important component of game bird population dynamics and can be broken up into multiple components such as the probability of nesting, clutch size, and nest success. One species that experiences a relatively long reproductive season is the Eastern wild turkey (Meleagris gallopavo silvestris). Contemporary research in the southeastern United States has raised concerns regarding declines in both wild turkey populations and overall productivity. West Virginia, however, is unique …

Cell-To-Pack Modeling Of Lithium-Ion Batteries: From Bayesian Parameterization To Pack-Level Optimization, Derek Slack

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

One of the major hurdles for electric or hybrid aviation is the comparative energy density between lithium-ion batteries and jet fuel. To help obtain maximal power-to-weight ratio in electric or hybrid powertrains the battery pack design should be optimized to be as light as possible while meeting thermal safety and power requirements. The proposed solution is an optimization routine beginning with a cell-level parameter estimation of lithium-ion battery cells, where data driven Bayesian Gaussian Processes replace empirically or analytically derived parameters in a first principles electrochemical model in PyBaMM, as functions of the transient state of the cell. The resulting …

Essays On Public Policy, Labor Markets, And Regional Economics, Toby Heaney

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

This dissertation consists of three empirical essays examining how economic and political outcomes respond to changes in public policy, information, and local economic conditions. Across the three studies, the dissertation applies empirical methods to questions in political economy, economic forecasting, and regional economics, with particular attention to how the effects of economic shocks and policy changes vary across individuals, markets, and geographic areas.

The first essay examines the role of policy salience in electoral outcomes. Building on rational-choice and median-voter models, it argues that voters may respond disproportionately to policies that impose concentrated and highly visible costs, even when those …

Technology-Driven Approaches For Invasive Species Detection And Management, Kushal Naharki

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Invasive species pose significant ecological, economic, and management challenges globally. Purple loosestrife (Lythrum salicaria), Japanese knotweed (Fallopia japonica), tree of heaven (Ailanthus altissima), and mile-a-minute (Persicaria perfoliata) are widespread invasive plants across the eastern United States and present persistent challenges, particularly in remote and inaccessible landscapes. Effective management of these species requires an integrated approach that combines early detection, targeted intervention, public engagement, and spatial modeling. This dissertation used emerging technologies to improve invasive species detection, monitoring, and management.

Unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV)-based platforms equipped with optical sensors were used to establish …

Data Augmentation And The Reliability Of Conformal Prediction For Uncertainty Quantification In Medical Imaging, Rizwan Ahamed

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

The safe clinical deployment of deep learning models for high-stakes medical imaging tasks requires more than high average accuracy; it requires demonstrable, per-case reliability. Uncertainty quantification (UQ) provides the missing signal that tells a clinician when a model prediction can be trusted and when a case should be escalated for expert review. Among UQ approaches, conformal prediction (CP) is especially attractive because it produces prediction sets that are guaranteed, under the assumption of exchangeability, to contain the true label with a user chosen probability, and it does so without assumptions about the model or the data distribution. This report first …

Romantic Narrative In Three Early Piano Cycles By Robert Schumann: Papillons, Op. 2; Fantasiestücke, Op. 12; And Kinderszenen, Op. 15, Lingqing Huang

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

This research project compares Romantic instrumental narrative in Robert Schumann’s Papillons, Op. 2; Fantasiestücke, Op. 12; and Kinderszenen, Op. 15, with particular attention to how pianists communicate cyclic continuity in performance. In this study, narrative continuity refers to relationships formed across ordered short pieces through contrast, interruption, return, literary association, fantasy, memory, tonal and motivic recall, and the shaping of sound and time. Comparative score analysis shows that Schumann creates a distinct form of continuity in each cycle. In Papillons, he creates a public, ballroom-based form through masquerade, waltz-like dance, abrupt entrances, interruption, and the gradual dissolution of the social …

The Coal Mining Kids: Constructing A Working-Class Gay World In West Virginia (1900-2001), Hannah Ford

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Located in southwestern West Virginia, Bluefield has been the site of Bluefield State University, the Norfolk & Western Railway headquarters, the Baldwin-Felts Detective Agency, and the Shamrock Bar. The Shamrock was a gay bar opened by Helen Compton, in operation from the late 1960’s until 2001. Bluefield’s early industrial success in coal mining and the railroad quickly urbanized the space between 1900 and 1930, facilitating a diverse, working-class cultural foundation for Bluefield’s gay world. In the 1960’s, urban renewal efforts initiated by the War on Poverty, in combination with public awareness of homosexuality induced by the Lavender Scare, set the …

Macroinvertebrate Response To Two Highway Construction Projects In West Virginia, Brenden Nauman

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Highway development and construction are frequently required to provide efficient transportation for an increasing human population. Specific to the Appalachian region, highway development has been a major goal since the mid 1900’s, with the aim of promoting economic growth and ease of travel. While highways provide necessary services to humans, their construction and presence often impact nearby waterways through multiple mechanisms including sedimentation and urbanization. To understand the degree of impact, streams are often monitored using biological data, which can be used to quantify effects. In this work I used freshwater macroinvertebrate communities to monitor changes in stream health surrounding …

How Do Reading Specialists Shape Their Identities As Literacy Leaders? An Exploration Of Competence, Performance, And Recognition Within Communities Of Practice, Christina Glance Petrone

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

This qualitative multiple-case study explored how reading specialists enact literacy leadership within elementary schools in West Virginia. Although reading specialists are increasingly expected to support schoolwide literacy improvement, leadership responsibilities are not always explicitly defined within their roles. Guided by a communities of practice framework and an identity model, this study examined how reading specialists develop and demonstrate literacy leadership through their daily interactions with teachers, administrators, and other school personnel. Data sources included participant questionnaires and semi-structured interviews with participants, their principals, and colleagues from their school. Participants in this study included three reading specialists (interventionists) working in K-5 …

A Survey Of Disability-Inclusive K-12 Public School Music Programs In The United States Where Best Buddies Friendship Programs Have Been Established, Geena Louise Jeffries Mattox

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

This study examines the presence and structural characteristics of disability-inclusive band, orchestra, and choir programs serving students with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDDs) in K-12 public schools across the United States that implement the Best Buddies School Friendship Program. Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities is defined as group of chronic, lifelong conditions that originate before age 22, affecting physical, learning, language, or behavior areas. Despite federal legislation, peer reviewed scholarship specifically addressing access to performance-based music ensembles for students with IDDs remain comparatively limited. Employing a survey distributed nationwide within a defined population of schools implementing Best Buddies Programs, administered via …

Evaluation Of Finger-Tightening Torque Applied To Implant Healing Abutments By Dental Providers With Varying Experience And Physical Characteristics: An In-Vitro Study., Bayan Abuhalimeh

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Aim: The primary objective of this project is to measure the actual torque applied by dental providers when finger-tightening a healing abutment and assess the variability among individuals. A secondary objective is to analyze the correlation between applied torque and: provider experience level (residents, general dentist, specialist); gender; age; and, physical attributes (e.g., grip strength, hand size, and dominant hand used for tightening). The null hypothesis is that there is no difference in the mean finger-tightening among the three groups of dental providers, and there are no significant differences in torque values among practitioners based on demographic and professional variables. …

Forces Of Movement: How Changing Perceptions Of Slavery And Freedom Affected Black Lives In The Mason-Dixon Borderland, 1861-1872, Rachael B. Nicholas

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

The Mason-Dixon Line, first surveyed between 1763 and 1767, became the symbolic “dividing line” between free and slave states in antebellum America. This perception of the Mason-Dixon Line allowed a larger borderland to grow around it: the Mason-Dixon Borderland, which consisted of northern Maryland, Washington, D.C., southern Pennsylvania, northern Virginia, and the Shenandoah Valley (western Virginia and the eastern panhandle of West Virginia).

Americans used slavery and freedom as referents to make decisions about survival, military policy, politics, and freedom-seeking during the Civil War. Those decisions had consequences for their movement across the Mason-Dixon Borderland, causing it to change as …

The Effect Of Innovative Value Proposition On Buyer Reactions: The Moderating Roles Of Price Orientation And Perceived Risk, Chad Stuttz

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Value propositions are essential to the success of personal selling in the Business-to-Business (B2B) context. While earlier studies have offered valuable insights into the roles of value propositions in driving B2B sales, they have often regarded value propositions as uniform. In this dissertation, I argue that value propositions vary in their levels of innovativeness. The dissertation introduces the concept of innovative value proposition (IVP) and proposes that IVP indicates greater future growth potential to buyers, leading to more favorable reactions such as responsiveness and willingness to engage than less innovative ones. Additionally, the dissertation explores the moderating effects of buyer …

Examining Moral Susceptibility In Ai Vs. Human-Assisted Decision-Making, Seth James Fogle

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Artificial intelligence (AI) systems are increasingly integrated into decision-making contexts, yet their influence on ethical judgment remains unclear. This study examines whether advice from an AI advisor, compared to a human advisor, affects moral susceptibility in a consumer decision-making scenario. Using a 2 × 2 between-subjects experimental design (advisor type × price condition), this research tests whether personal agency, perceived objectivity, and diffusion of responsibility operate as psychological mechanisms underlying ethical decision-making.

Results indicate that advisor type did not significantly influence moral susceptibility, nor did it significantly affect the proposed mediators. Additionally, the price condition did not moderate these relationships. …

Supply Chain Optimization For Fertilizer Production From Wastewater, Ethan Clement Robey

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

In West Virginia, approximately 27,000 tons of wastewater solids are generated annually, with nearly 75% being landfilled or alternatively disposed of in a non-beneficial manner. Over the past two decades, the amount of these solids being taken for beneficial uses, such as agricultural application, has declined by 25%, while landfilling has increased by more than 30%. This highlights issues related to eutrophication and disposal costs. This study aims to develop a supply chain optimization framework that addresses the conversion of wastewater solids into fertilizers to match local farm requirements, while determining processing facility locations that minimize transportation costs. To determine …

Exploring The Determinants And The Effects Of Crypto Assets, Qiu Zheng

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

This dissertation consists of three studies that primarily delve into the factors influencing and outcomes of firms’ crypto assets. The first paper examines the association between corporate crypto assets and firms’ credit ratings. Using a large sample of U.S. public firms, we find that firms holding crypto assets receive significantly better future credit ratings, particularly when their activities are related to crypto mining, which generates relatively stable cash flows. However, crypto exposure also increases disagreement among credit rating agencies, reflecting the uncertainty associated with evaluating crypto-related risks. This effect is more pronounced when firms operate in less transparent information environments …

Social Media Addiction And Its Influence On The Physical Social Interactions Among West Virginia University Students, Blessing Ochom Omaleko

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

ABSTRACT

Social Media Addiction and its Influence on the Physical Social Interactions Among West Virginia University Students

Blessing O. Omaleko

This qualitative study investigated social media addiction and its perceived influence on face-to-face interactions among 14 West Virginia University students using an open-ended qualitative survey. Grounded in Griffiths' (2013) behavioral addiction components, salience, mood modification, conflict, and relapse, the data were analyzed using Thematic Analysis (Braun & Clarke, 2006). Findings revealed that while students characterized their social media use as a habit rather than an addiction, their descriptions aligned with multiple addiction components. Students consistently valued in-person interactions over online …

Deposition And Diagenesis Of Permo-Triassic Gypsum From Wyoming And Texas: Saline Lake And Groundwater Systems Of Equatorial Pangea, Maya Yamei Bradford

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Knowledge of gypsum textures and the processes that yield them is important for interpreting the history of environments, climates, and life on Earth. This is because gypsum textures are products of specific environmental, microbiological, and diagenetic processes, and because gypsum is relatively common in the Earth’s sedimentary record. Despite this significance, gypsum is relatively understudied. The fundamental goal of this dissertation is to advance our understanding of gypsum textures by presenting detailed, petrography-based investigations of Permo-Triassic gypsum from the continental interior of Pangea.

Gypsum is typical in the Permo-Triassic sedimentary record of tropical Pangea, where it is associated with red …

The Dual-Factor Model (Dfm) Of Mental Among Appalachian Youth, Mawyah Adel Bashatah

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Background. Adolescent mental health is a critical public health concern, particularly in rural Appalachian communities where rates of depression, anxiety, and substance use exceed national averages and access to mental health resources remain severely limited. Traditional mental health frameworks rely predominantly on the identification and reduction of psychopathological symptoms, neglecting the independent contributions of positive well-being to adolescent risk and resilience. The Dual-Factor Model (DFM) of mental health offers a more comprehensive alternative by simultaneously assessing subjective well-being (SWB) and psychopathology, classifying individuals into four distinct groups: Complete mental health, Vulnerable, Symptomatic but content, and Troubled. Despite the DFM’s growing …

Genomic Variation, Adaptive Evolution, And Invasive And Evolutionary History Of Microstegium Vimineum, Cameron William Corbett

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Invasive species can cause environmental and economic damage, but can offer unique opportunities to study rapid evolution and adaptation in novel environments. Microstegium vimineum (stiltgrass) is a prolific invasive grass in the eastern United States. Historical herbaria collections were used to identify patterns of invasion history and population dynamics over a spatial and temporal scale. Analyses of plastid genomes reveal a complex invasion history, including a single introduction in the southern United States linked to Japan and multiple repeated introductions in the northern United States from various source populations. Spread of introduced populations provide evidence of admixture among previously geographically …

Formation-Based Analysis In Contemporary Saxophone Practice: A Case Study Of Ziwei Shi's The Blue Lotus Bloms, Jiageng Ren

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

This dissertation examines contemporary saxophone repertoire through a formation-based analytical approach, using Ziwei Shi’s The Blue Lotus Blooms as a case study. It is organized into three parts. Part I establishes the conceptual and methodological framework by introducing the concept of “formation-based analysis,” positioning the “condition of musical formation” as its core. Further situating the study within scholarship on practice-based research, cross-cultural theory, and modernism/postmodernism. Part II provides a detailed analytical and performance-based investigation of the work, including the collaborative commissioning process, the application of Thaat as a pitch resource, the role of extended techniques and embodied endurance, and contrasting …

Comparison Of Three Methods In Diagnosing Maxillary Transverse Discrepancy, Madison Hull Smith

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Introduction

There are several different methods in determining the maxillary transverse discrepancy (MTD). In specific, MTD can be determined with the help of a cone beam computer tomography (CBCT), 3D scan and models, or simply a 2D occlusogram.  Do they provide the same MTD values for diagnosing transverse discrepancies? A patient may need a certain amount of skeletal and dental expansion based on a diagnosis of MTD, but this amount may vary depending on the diagnosis method used. There is a lack of knowledge in the literature comparing 2D and 3D methods in determining MTD. Currently, methods in measuring MTD …

The Impact Of Caregiver Training And Education On Confidence And Perceived Competence In Facilitating Self-Care Skills In Children, Ryan M. Coen

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Caregivers, especially those residing in rural Appalachia, face significant barriers and hardships that can hinder their ability to promote ADL, IADL, and self-care skill development. These barriers faced include geographic isolation, socioeconomic barriers, and a high prevalence of disabilities. Many caregivers may struggle to facilitate these self-care skills competently and effectively, and a gap is present in the most effective means to teach caregivers in this region the necessary skills. With almost 20% of individuals in West Virginia lacking access to reliable internet and physical isolation, many of these educational materials may not be effectively distributed (West Virginia Department of …