Digital Commons Network^™

Improving Robotic Decision-Making In Unmodeled Situations, Nicholas Scott Ohi

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Existing methods of autonomous robotic decision-making are often fragile when faced with inaccurate or incompletely modeled distributions of uncertainty, also known as ambiguity. While decision-making under ambiguity is a field of study that has been gaining interest, many existing methods tend to be computationally challenging, require many assumptions about the nature of the problem, and often require much prior knowledge. Therefore, they do not scale well to complex real-world problems where fulfilling all of these requirements is often impractical if not impossible. The research described in this dissertation investigates novel approaches to robotic decision-making strategies which are resilient to …

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

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

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

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

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

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

Understanding Vaccine-Induced Memory Responses To Develop The Next Generation Of Pertussis Vaccines, Kelly L. Weaver

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Bordetella pertussis is a Gram-negative respiratory pathogen that can infect individuals of all ages and is notably responsible for infant fatalities. Pertussis (whooping cough) is a vaccine-preventable respiratory disease for which vaccines have been available in the United States since the 1940s. Whole cell pertussis vaccines kept incidence of pertussis under 5,000 cases per year, but were associated with reactogenicity issues. Following the introduction of less reactogenic acellular pertussis vaccines in the late 1990s, there have been noteworthy outbreaks of pertussis. For example, in 2012 there were over 50,000 reported cases of pertussis and 20 deaths in the U.S. The …

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

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

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

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

Modeling And Optimization Of A Novel Chilled Ammonia Absorption Process And Amine-Appended Metal-Organic Frameworks For Co2 Capture, Ryan Keith Hughes

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Post-combustion capture is one of the leading technologies for CO₂ abatement from anthropogenic sources which have contributed significantly to the rise of atmospheric greenhouse gases. Specifically, solvent-based capture post-combustion processes are the industry standard but can suffer drawbacks such as high energy penalties and corrosion. In this work, two possible improvements are investigated which have been recently proposed in the literature. The first is aqueous ammonia as a capture solvent which has been shown to have several advantages including, but not limited to, a lower regeneration energy. The second is a novel solid sorbent, an amine-appended metal-organic framework (MOF). …

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

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

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

Polarization Properties Of Millisecond Pulsars: Astrophysical Interpretations And Applications, Haley Megan Wahl

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Pulsars are some of the most extreme objects in the universe; their small yet incredibly predictable spin periods coupled with their strong magnetic fields make them ideal laboratories for study. Not only are they interesting objects themselves, but they can also help us probe different astrophysical environments, such as the interstellar magnetic field and the solar corona.

These stars are highly polarized, and that polarization comes into play in various fields of pulsar physics (such as constraining models of pulsar emission), but obtaining that polarization information can be difficult, as the polarization properties of the light can change as the …

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

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

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

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

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

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

Ear Biometrics: A Comprehensive Study Of Taxonomy, Detection, And Recognition Methods, Susan Awm El-Naggar

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Due to the recent challenges in access control, surveillance and security, there is an increased need for efficient human authentication solutions. Ear recognition is an appealing choice to identify individuals in controlled or challenging environments. The outer part of the ear demonstrates high discriminative information across individuals and has shown to be robust for recognition. In addition, the data acquisition procedure is contactless, non-intrusive, and covert. This work focuses on using ear images for human authentication in visible and thermal spectrums. We perform a systematic study of the ear features and propose a taxonomy for them. Also, we investigate the …

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

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

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

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

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

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

The Relationship Between Oral Health And Health-Related Quality Of Life Among Hemodialysis Patients In Rural West Virginia, Kimberly A. Wallace

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Introduction: Approximately 786,000 Americans are currently diagnosed with end-stage renal disease, 71% of whom are undergoing hemodialysis (HD) treatment. There is a bidirectional relationship between chronic kidney disease and periodontal disease. Among HD patients, poor oral health is prominent and can negatively impact general health and health-related quality of life. Appalachian residents experience extreme health and poverty inequities and limited access to healthcare and dental providers.

Method: The study was designed based on the Andersen Behavioral Model of Health Services Use. 120 participants from 6 outpatient HD centers were enrolled. Data were collected using a 34-item questionnaire including oral health …

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

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Abstract

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

Isaac Boyce

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

Tumor-Targeted Ph-Sensitive Manganese Oxide Nanoparticle For Enhanced Detection Of Breast Cancer Using Mri, Celia Martinez De La Torre

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

In the United States, approximately 287,850 new cases of invasive breast cancer will be diagnosed, and over 43,000 women will die because of it in 2022. Currently, mammography is the gold standard for breast cancer surveillance. Although this detection technique is relatively cheap and fast, it misses about 1 in 5 breast cancers in younger women with dense breast tissue, causing a delay in treatment. Compared to mammography, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) has superior soft-tissue contrast that elucidates structural differences within soft tissue to detect more breast cancers. However, MRI still misses

NEMO particles were produced by synthesizing manganese oxide …

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

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

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

A …

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

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

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

Photophysics And Photochemistry Enabled By Ligand-To-Metal-Charge-Transfer: Unusual Carbon-Carbon Bond Formation At A Zirconium Center, P. Minh N. Do

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Six Group 4 metallocene derivatives of group 4 incorporating a redox active benzene-1,2-thiolate ligand (bdt) were prepared. These complexes were characterized using one- and two-dimensional nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy. Additionally, X-ray crystallographic analyses of these complexes, with the exception of Cp₂Zrbdt (Cp = cyclopentadienyl), reveal C_2v symmetric structure in the solid-state. All species display electronic absorption bands that are ligand-to-metal charge transfer (LMCT) in character well into the visible region. Spectroscopic data combine with time dependent-density functional theory calculations showed fluctuation in solution which promotes non-radiative energy loss and leads to the absence of emission in …

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

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

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

Static Liquefaction In Tailing Dams, Jose Raul Zela Concha

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

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

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

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

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

Metathesis of the halide starting material …

Probabilistic Space Weather Modeling And Forecasting For The Challenge Of Orbital Drag In Space Traffic Management, Richard J. Licata Iii

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

In the modern space age, private companies are crowding the already-congested low Earth orbit (LEO) regime with small satellite mega constellations. With over 25,000 objects larger than 10 cm already in LEO, this rapid expansion is forcing us towards the enterprise on Space Traffic Management (STM). STM is an operational effort that focuses on conjunction assessment and collision avoidance between objects. While the equations of motion for objects in orbit are well-known, there are many uncertain parameters that result in the uncertainty of an object's future position. The force that the atmosphere exerts on satellite - known as drag - …

“Where Did Your Christ Come From”? Exploring The Significance And Prevalence Of The White Jesus Phenomenon Among Black Baptist Women And Men, Stephanie Marshelle House-Niamke

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Berger's theory of religion and world construction fails to consider the critical issue of power and who is allowed to construct their own reality and thus, does not adequately capture the experience of Black Christians and the Black religious experience. I use White Jesus as a case study to analyze this process. Though the White Jesus phenomenon has been more readily explored in theological and historical fields, very little sociological research discusses this phenomenon. I argue that a Europeanized Jesus has had harmful sociocultural effects on Black Christians and Black people, in the form of cultural trauma. Yet, the White …

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

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

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

Structure-Dependent Characterizations Of Multistationarity In Mass-Action Reaction Networks, Galyna Voitiuk

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

This project explores a topic in Chemical Reaction Network Theory. We analyze networks with one dimensional stoichiometric subspace using mass-action kinetics. For these types of networks, we study how the capacity for multiple positive equilibria and multiple positive nondegenerate equilibria can be determined using Euclidian embedded graphs. Our work adds to the catalog of the class of reaction networks with one-dimensional stoichiometric subspace answering in the affirmative a conjecture posed by Joshi and Shiu: Conjecture 0.1 (Question 6.1 [26]). A reaction network with one-dimensional stoichiometric subspace and more than one source complex has the capacity for multistationarity if and only …

Mechanistic Insight Into Chronic Stress-Induced Cerebrovascular Dysfunction, Emily Nicole Burrage

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Despite decades of research psychological stress remains a prevalent problem in society, often diminishing quality of life and increasing the risk of developing dementia. The brain plays a central role in the response to stress and as it is unable to store energy substrates, the brain relies heavily on dynamically regulated blood flow. Therefore, it is important that there is a tight coupling between neural activity and cerebral blood flow to meet metabolic demands and maintain critical brain function. It has been established that chronic psychological stress has detrimental effects on cerebrovascular function, potentially through increased superoxide anion production through …

“Here Is The Place, My Lord”: The Scenic Design Process For King Lear, Abigail E. Wagner

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Undertaking the role of Scenic Designer of West Virginia University School of Theatre & Dance’s 2021 filmed production of King Lear by William Shakespeare was a formidable challenge. A detailed description of the entire scenic design process includes script analysis, research, design meetings, scenic art techniques, and the filming process. It illustrates the journey of what began as a series of renderings and models, transforming into the finalized version of the scenic design.

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

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

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

Review Of Innovative Rehabilitation Techniques For Reinforced Concrete Buildings, Demetrius Karoubas

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Building rehabilitation encompasses the act of repairing damaged structural elements, as well as the upgrading of older buildings to bring them up to modern standards. In recent years, due to the extreme economic and environmental cost of new construction, building rehabilitation is gaining ground as the most viable solution to the problem posed by damaged or substandard buildings. With the constant development of new materials with favorable properties and the improvement of our understanding of earthquakes, new rehabilitation techniques are being developed, improving on the efficiency and effectiveness of older ones. Reinforced Concrete (RC) buildings are a type of building …