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Transcriptome Assembly, Gene Annotation And Tissue Gene Expression Atlas Of The Rainbow Trout, Mohamed Salem, Bam Paneru, Rafet Al-Tobasei, Fatima Abdouni, Gary H. Thorgaard, Caird E. Rexroad, Jianbo Yao Jan 2015

Transcriptome Assembly, Gene Annotation And Tissue Gene Expression Atlas Of The Rainbow Trout, Mohamed Salem, Bam Paneru, Rafet Al-Tobasei, Fatima Abdouni, Gary H. Thorgaard, Caird E. Rexroad, Jianbo Yao

Faculty & Staff Scholarship

Efforts to obtain a comprehensive genome sequence for rainbow trout are ongoing and will be complemented by transcriptome information that will enhance genome assembly and annotation. Previously, transcriptome reference sequences were reported using data from different sources. Although the previous work added a great wealth of sequences, a complete and well-annotated transcriptome is still needed. In addition, gene expression in different tissues was not completely addressed in the previous studies. In this study, non-normalized cDNA libraries were sequenced from 13 different tissues of a single doubled haploid rainbow trout from the same source used for the rainbow trout genome sequence. …

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Heat Tolerance Indicators In Pakistani Wheat (Triticum Aestivum L.) Genotypes, Sami U. Khan, Jalal U. Din, Abdul Qayyum, Noor E. Jan, Matthew A. Jenks Jan 2015

Heat Tolerance Indicators In Pakistani Wheat (Triticum Aestivum L.) Genotypes, Sami U. Khan, Jalal U. Din, Abdul Qayyum, Noor E. Jan, Matthew A. Jenks

Faculty & Staff Scholarship

Sažetak The effect of high temperature stress on six wheat cultivars exposed to 35–40 °C for 3 h each day for five consecutive days was examined. High temperature significantly affected total proline, soluble protein content, membrane stability index (MSI), yield, and various yield components, and had a direct effect on growth and other physiological attributes of wheat at anthesis and the milky seed stages. The wheat cultivar AS- 2002 achieved better osmotic adjustment by accumulating more leaf proline. Higher MSI was also observed in AS-2002, as well as Inqalab-91. The anthesis growth stage was found to be more sensitive to …

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The Role Of Adenosine Monophosphate Activated Protein Kinase In Luteal Progesterone Production, Elizabeth Compton Bowdridge Jan 2015

The Role Of Adenosine Monophosphate Activated Protein Kinase In Luteal Progesterone Production, Elizabeth Compton Bowdridge

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Prostaglandin F2 alpha (PGF2&agr;) has in vivo luteolytic actions on the bovine corpus luteum (CL). Although PGF2&agr; is utilized extensively in livestock to synchronize estrus, its actions in vitro are controversial and do not always result in a reduction in progesterone (P4) secretion. The mechanism of action of PGF2&agr; is thought to involve activation of the phospholipase C-Ca2+ pathway. The luteolytic actions of PGF2&agr; are mediated through an elevation of cytosolic Ca2+ involving activation of protein kinase C (PKC). Expression of PKC isozymes and calcium/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase kinase 2 (CAMKK2) change as the CL develops to a mature stage. Either …

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Role Of Mitochondria In Tnf-Alpha Neurotoxicity In Stroke, Danielle N. Doll Jan 2015

Role Of Mitochondria In Tnf-Alpha Neurotoxicity In Stroke, Danielle N. Doll

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

TNF-alpha is known to exacerbate infarct volume in animal models and elevated levels of TNF-alpha are correlated with worse outcomes in stroke patients. However, the mechanism is not well understood. TNF-alpha has been shown to be neurotoxic at high doses and after long exposure times which is not clinically relevant. Thus, we show for the first time that TNF-alpha at clinically relevant concentrations seen in the serum of stroke patients rapidly and profoundly decreases mitochondrial function resulting in neuronal cell death through activation of caspase 8 and cytochrome c release. A slight decrease in mitochondrial function is detrimental to neurons …

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Metal Oxide Nanoparticles: The Importance Of Size, Shape, Chemical Composition, And Valence State In Determining Toxicity, Katherine Dunnick Jan 2015

Metal Oxide Nanoparticles: The Importance Of Size, Shape, Chemical Composition, And Valence State In Determining Toxicity, Katherine Dunnick

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Nanoparticles, which are defined as a structure with at least one dimension between 1 and 100 nm, have the potential to be used in a variety of consumer products due to their improved functionality compared to similar particles of larger size. Their small size is associated with increased strength, improved catalytic properties, and increased reactivity; however, their size is also associated with increased toxicity in vitro and in vivo. Numerous toxicological studies have been conducted to determine the properties of nanomaterials that increase their toxicity in order to manufacture new nanomaterials with decreased toxicity. Data indicates that size, shape, chemical …

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Polyploidy Affects Growth, Fillet Composition, And Fatty Acid Profile In Two Year Old Rainbow Trout, Oncorhynchus Mykiss, Jeremy Lynn Everson Jan 2015

Polyploidy Affects Growth, Fillet Composition, And Fatty Acid Profile In Two Year Old Rainbow Trout, Oncorhynchus Mykiss, Jeremy Lynn Everson

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Gonadal development is a dominant physiological process that alters growth and fat metabolism, thereby reducing fillet quality. Sterile, triploid (3N) female rainbow trout, generated by pressure-induced shock of zygotes 30 minutes after fertilization (3NP), are used to eliminate reduced growth and quality associated with gonadogenesis. However, this method does not produce 100% 3N offspring. Crossing a diploid (2N; fertile) female and a tetraploid (4N; fertile) male produces triploid offspring 100% of the time (3NC; sterile). This method is not widely used in the industry because it requires 4N brood stock. The current study examines growth, fatty acid composition, and fillet …

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Do Humans Drive Spinal Cord With Limb Velocity Signal?, Kyla Galbreath Jan 2015

Do Humans Drive Spinal Cord With Limb Velocity Signal?, Kyla Galbreath

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

The ability to move in the environment is crucial to the survival of all animals. Neural pathways that control locomotion can be described as a hierarchy, with multiple levels of control, and those ultimately converge on spinal pattern generators. Neural pathways controlling locomotion are hierarchical, highly integrated, and well characterized anatomically, but functional explanations are lacking. Previous computational modeling of the CPG has proposed that they essential signal driving these spinal networks are expressed in the modality of desired velocity. To date, no published research has empirically tested velocity as being the control signal of locomotion. The purpose of this …

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Development Of A Conservation Action Plan For The Eastern Hellbender (Cryptobranchus Alleganiensis Alleganiensis) In West Virginia, William J. Greathouse Jan 2015

Development Of A Conservation Action Plan For The Eastern Hellbender (Cryptobranchus Alleganiensis Alleganiensis) In West Virginia, William J. Greathouse

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

The Eastern hellbender (Cryptobranchus alleganiensis alleganiensis ) is the largest salamander in North America growing to 75 centimeters in length. This fully aquatic species is an indicator of good stream and river quality and has been considered to be in decline or rare throughout its range. This study focused on the current distribution of the Eastern hellbender at sites of historic occurrence in West Virginia in order to determine the species' current range and factors impacting its distribution in order to facilitate planned reintroductions and translocations of hellbenders reared in human care. The success of the reintroduction and translocation efforts …

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Variable-Interval And Variable-Ratio Schedules Of Punishment By Timeout From Positive Reinforcement, Ezra G. Hall Jan 2015

Variable-Interval And Variable-Ratio Schedules Of Punishment By Timeout From Positive Reinforcement, Ezra G. Hall

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Timeout punishment is among the most commonly reported disciplinary procedures (Barkin, Scheindlin, Ip, Richardson, & Finch, 2007). Despite the frequent use of timeout, little basic research has systematically examined different schedule effects of timeout from positive reinforcement. Using pigeons as subjects, the current series of experiments arranged variable schedules of timeout from positive reinforcement within a multiple-schedule arrangement where 20-s timeouts were response-dependent, response-independent, and delayed. Experiment 1 used a within-subject yoking procedure to compare schedules of variable-ratio (VR) and yoked-interval (YI) timeouts. Experiment 2 arranged separate parametric analyses of variable-interval (VI) and VR schedules of timeout. Within-session, yoked-control components …

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The Portrayal Of Protagonists With Communication Disorders In Contemporary Award-Winning Juvenile Fiction, Jane Lefevre Jan 2015

The Portrayal Of Protagonists With Communication Disorders In Contemporary Award-Winning Juvenile Fiction, Jane Lefevre

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Twenty-six contemporary North American award-winning intermediate children's and young adult fictional books were identified that contained twenty-seven protagonists with communication disorders (CD). These books were evaluated using an adaptation of the Dyches & Prater (2000) Rating Scale for Quality Characterizations of Individuals with Disabilities in Children's Literature. Each guideline is discussed in detail while examining the quality of portrayed characterizations and literary elements in the eligible literature. The types of CDs depicted were language, speech and hearing disorders. No protagonists with central auditory processing disorders were found. Almost half of the protagonists had language disorders, making it the most commonly …

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A Study Of Selected Piano Works By Two Living Composers: David Gordon Duke And Stefan Young, Wei Chen Lin Jan 2015

A Study Of Selected Piano Works By Two Living Composers: David Gordon Duke And Stefan Young, Wei Chen Lin

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

This research project is to introduce piano compositions by two living composers: David Gordon Duke and Stefan Young. The specific repertoire chosen for this study includes the following: Preludes (1980s), Postcards (1980s), and Sonatina (1977) by David Duke; and Prelude (1991), From the Dark Woods (1991), Meditation (2002), and La Guitarra (1993) by Stefan Young. This paper explores aspects of piano pedagogy and performance such as: (1) the basic technical approach; (2) suggestions for specific sound production; (3) interpretation of complex meters; (4) recommendations for pedaling and fingering; (5) observations of dynamics and articulations. The material discussed spans a broad …

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Biodiesel From Tall Oil Fatty Acids And Physico Thermal Properties Of Tropical Tree Fruit Oils As Thermal Energy Storage Systems, Gideon Sackey Lawer-Yolar Jan 2015

Biodiesel From Tall Oil Fatty Acids And Physico Thermal Properties Of Tropical Tree Fruit Oils As Thermal Energy Storage Systems, Gideon Sackey Lawer-Yolar

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Research into biodiesel as a substitute for petroleum diesel has been ongoing since the energy crisis of the 1970's. The concern for the effect on the use of edible vegetable oils as feedstock has increased. Tall oil fatty acids have been considered as a non-food substitute and various works have been done on it. In this study, sulfuric acid and Amberlyst BD 20 were used as homogeneous and heterogeneous catalysts respectively in the production of biodiesel from Tall oil fatty acids in a batch reactor. The treatment conditions for the homogeneous catalysis varied the factors of fatty acid to methanol …

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On The Roles Of Drosophila Notch Signaling And Atonal Autoregulation In The Specification Of R8 Photoreceptors, Adam T. Majot Jan 2015

On The Roles Of Drosophila Notch Signaling And Atonal Autoregulation In The Specification Of R8 Photoreceptors, Adam T. Majot

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Drosophila retinogenesis has long served as a paradigm of tissue patterning. Notch, an anciently conserved signaling pathway, is critical to both the formation of and proper spacing of founding R8 photoreceptors. Notch is intimately interwoven into the activity of Atonal (Ato), a proneural basic helix-loop-helix (bHLH) that is required for R8 specification. Ato is expressed through dual enhancers: ato-3' and 5'-ato. ato-3' is activated in response to Notch-independent signaling cues whereas 5'-ato exhibits complex dependence on Notch signaling. First, Notch is required for 5'-ato activation, eliciting formation of Ato intermediate groups (IGs, evenly spaced clusters of 10--20 cells). Subsequently, Notch …

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Vulture Flight Behavior Driven By Uplift Availability At Local And Continental Scales, Julie Mallon Jan 2015

Vulture Flight Behavior Driven By Uplift Availability At Local And Continental Scales, Julie Mallon

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Understanding how animals move in response to their environment is a fundamental question in ecology. Soaring species, which rely on environmentally generated uplift to forage and migrate, should be especially sensitive to changing weather and climatic conditions. Changes in uplift distribution or strength can have energetic implications and restrict movement capacity for soaring species. Poor weather conditions can shorten foraging time or slow migration progress. To increase mobility, birds can switch to flapping or soar using another uplift type. Use of uplift, however, is associated with certain flight altitudes and movement speeds. Switching uplift types will affect a bird's ecological …

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Suicidal Ideation, Attempts, And Associated Psychosocial Risk And Protective Factors In American Indian Youth And Young Adults, Karen Manzo Jan 2015

Suicidal Ideation, Attempts, And Associated Psychosocial Risk And Protective Factors In American Indian Youth And Young Adults, Karen Manzo

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Introduction. Research consistently shows that suicidal ideation and attempts are more prevalent among American Indian youth and young adults than youth and young adults in other racial/ethnic groups. Many of the associated psychosocial risk and protective factors are shared across racial/ethnic groups; however, for most of them, the prevalence is highest in American Indian youth. Research on the relation between suicide risk and culturally unique risk (e.g., childhood adversity, discrimination, parenting, unresolved grief, out-of-home placement) and protective factors (e.g., enculturation, cultural values, spirituality) in American Indian youth and young adults is limited. The goal of this research was to examine …

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Cerium Dioxide Nanoparticle Exposure And Microvascular Dysfunction: Potential Mechanistic Links, Valerie C. Minarchick Jan 2015

Cerium Dioxide Nanoparticle Exposure And Microvascular Dysfunction: Potential Mechanistic Links, Valerie C. Minarchick

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Cerium dioxide nanoparticles (CeO2 NP), an engineered nanomaterial, have great potential from a consumer and therapeutic perspective. Currently, CeO2 NP are added to diesel fuel to decrease the soot emissions commonly associated with diesel engines. CeO2 NP also have therapeutic applications (e.g. improve outcomes following stroke and radiation treatments) due to their anti-oxidant capabilities. These applications increase CeO2 NP exposure risk not only for manufacturers, but also for the general community; however, there are currently limited studies that investigated the effects of CeO2 NP exposure via multiple exposure routes. Furthermore, there are no studies that investigate the microvascular consequences of …

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Analgesic And Anti-Inflammatory Effects Of Monoacylglycerol Lipase Inhibition In Mice Subjected To Collagen-Induced Arthritis, Sara R. Nass Jan 2015

Analgesic And Anti-Inflammatory Effects Of Monoacylglycerol Lipase Inhibition In Mice Subjected To Collagen-Induced Arthritis, Sara R. Nass

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is the most prevalent chronic inflammatory joint disease, affecting approximately 1% of the world population. This autoimmune disease is characterized by pain, stiffness, swelling, and breakdown of cartilage in synovial joints. Current RA analgesic treatments (i.e., pain reducing drugs) are ineffective or induce negative side effects, and so there are many concerted efforts to discover new RA treatments. Cannabinoids have analgesic and anti-inflammatory properties; however, the challenge remains to harness the medical potential of cannabinoids without inducing negative psychoactive effects (e.g., cognitive deficits, emotional disruption, and abuse potential). An alternative approach focuses on the endogenously produced cannabinoids …

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Evaluation Of The Antidepressant Potential Of Dextromethorphan, Linda Nguyen Jan 2015

Evaluation Of The Antidepressant Potential Of Dextromethorphan, Linda Nguyen

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Depression affects more than 350 million people and is the leading cause of disability worldwide. Major challenges in the management of depression remain the 4-12 weeks of delayed efficacy and 30% of patients who are resistant to the therapeutic effects of current pharmaceutical treatments. We herein examined whether dextromethorphan (DM) may be able to take on these challenges, because 1) it has overlapping pharmacology with ketamine, which has shown rapid (within 24 hours) antidepressant effects, even in treatment-resistant individuals; 2) unlike ketamine with its notable abuse liability and adverse effects, DM is an over-the-counter antitussive with a high safety margin; …

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Variable Data Collection Rate System For A Wildlife Behavior Monitor, Sheldon Blackshire Jan 2015

Variable Data Collection Rate System For A Wildlife Behavior Monitor, Sheldon Blackshire

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Behavior monitors typically collect data, and consequently spend energy, at fixed intervals. For devices that utilize energy harvesting, a fixed data collection interval may result in inefficient battery usage due to variability in available solar radiation. Work was performed for a system capable of adjusting a data collection rate, proportional to changes in battery charge, such that data obtained was maximized without sacrificing battery energy sustainability. Energy consumption, of an actual behavior monitor, was modeled to aid in design and evaluation of a changeable data collection rate system. Model validation was performed by comparing simulated to empirical data for battery …

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Cholesterol Modulates Huntingtin Binding To And Aggregation On Lipid Membranes, Xiang Gao Jan 2015

Cholesterol Modulates Huntingtin Binding To And Aggregation On Lipid Membranes, Xiang Gao

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Huntington disease is an autosomal dominant neurodegenerative disorder. The abnormally long CAG-repeats in the huntingtin gene that encode an expanded polyglutamine stretch which promotes self-assemble of huntingtin into different aggregation species that are disease related. Huntingtin intimately interacts with a variety of lipid membranes. Lipid composition is altered in HD, especially cholesterol content. Here we investigate how cholesterol content modulates the interaction between huntingtin and lipid membranes. TBLE/PDA binding assay is performed to test the binding affinity of huntingtin with lipid bilayers containing different amount of cholesterol. As the cholesterol content increases, the extent of huntingtin binding to lipid bilayers …

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Myosin Ii Isoforms In Breast Cancer: Role Of Contractility In Matrix Organization, Cell Migration, And Endothelial Barrier Function, Bridget Ruth Hindman Jan 2015

Myosin Ii Isoforms In Breast Cancer: Role Of Contractility In Matrix Organization, Cell Migration, And Endothelial Barrier Function, Bridget Ruth Hindman

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Breast cancer is a devastating and complicated disease. A large proportion of breast cancer related deaths are due to metastasis. Metastasis is when cancer cells leave the primary tumor, travel through the bloodstream, and proliferate in distant sites. Cell contractility is involved in a number of cellular processes associated with metastasis including matrix organization, tumor cell migration, and endothelial cell barrier function. The main regulator of contractility in nonmuscle cells is nonmuscle myosin II. There are three isoforms of this protein: myosin IIA, IIB, and IIC. The specific roles of the individual isoforms in cancer progression and metastasis have yet …

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Behavioral Effects Of Inhibition Of Cyclic Nucleotide Phosphodiesterase 2 (Pde2) In Mice, Lindsay M. Lueptow Jan 2015

Behavioral Effects Of Inhibition Of Cyclic Nucleotide Phosphodiesterase 2 (Pde2) In Mice, Lindsay M. Lueptow

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Cyclic nucleotide phosphodiesterases (PDEs) are a super-family of enzymes that regulate intracellular levels of the second messengers, cyclic AMP and cyclic GMP. Multiple PDEs have been shown to play vital roles in the central nervous system, with involvement in mood, reward mechanisms, and learning and memory. PDE2 is of special interest due to its high level of expression in forebrain regions, which are specifically implicated in mood and memory processes. In the first set of experiments, the potential role of PDE2 in depression- and anxiety-like behaviors was investigated using the forced swim test, tail suspension test, elevated plus maze, hole-board …

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Functional Analysis And Transcriptional Regulation Of Oocyte-Specific Nuclear Transporter Kpna7, Lei Wang Jan 2015

Functional Analysis And Transcriptional Regulation Of Oocyte-Specific Nuclear Transporter Kpna7, Lei Wang

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

The finely orchestrated development and maturation of the oocytes has been the focus of many studies in which oocyte-specific genes essential for folliculogenesis and early embryonic development have been identified. Studies using knockout mice models of Nobox, Sohlh1, Sohlh2, Figla and Lhx8 have revealed that these oocyte specific transcriptional factors form networks in which they regulate the expression of each other and downstream targets. However, little is known about the mechanisms that control the nuclear transport of these essential factors in oocytes and early embryos. The nuclear envelope separates the nuclear and cytoplasmic compartment in the cell and uncouples transcription …

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Heavy Metal Uptake By Four Plant Species: Radish, Indian Mustard, Corn, And Soybean., Oluwasogo Bolaji Alonge Jan 2015

Heavy Metal Uptake By Four Plant Species: Radish, Indian Mustard, Corn, And Soybean., Oluwasogo Bolaji Alonge

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Metal contaminated soils are a problem throughout the world. Because metals accumulate in the food chain they have been linked to adverse human and ecosystem health. One promising approach to remediating metal contaminated soils is phytoremediation but success has been limited by an incomplete understanding of the factors that control metal uptake by plants, including the effects when more than one contaminant metal is present in the system. Metal contaminated soil for this study was collected from near Spelter in Harrison County WV, the site of a former zinc smelting site that has contaminated residential soils and stream sediments with …

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Understanding The Educational Experiences Of Science Teachers In A Five-Year Teacher Education Program: A Phenomenological Study, Nitin Srivastava Jan 2015

Understanding The Educational Experiences Of Science Teachers In A Five-Year Teacher Education Program: A Phenomenological Study, Nitin Srivastava

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

This qualitative study provides an overview of educational experiences of six in-service and three pre-service secondary science teachers in the Benedum Collaborative Five-Year Teacher Education Program at a land-grant university. The researcher interviewed secondary science teachers on the experiences they found meaningful in various program components that influenced their teacher identity, beliefs about science pedagogy, and their sense of preparedness for teaching. Document analysis of teachers' journals and lesson plans supplemented the qualitative data in addition to the researcher's role and knowledge as an outsider (non-Benedum graduate) and insider (facilitator and instructor in the technology integration based classes for one …

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Type 1 Diabetic Heart: Examination Of Mitochondrial Structure And Micrornas, Dharendra Thapa Jan 2015

Type 1 Diabetic Heart: Examination Of Mitochondrial Structure And Micrornas, Dharendra Thapa

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Cardiac complications such as diabetic cardiomyopathy are the leading cause of morbidity and mortality in patients with diabetes mellitus. Dysfunctional mitochondria, an effect associated with cardiomyopathy, are central in the pathogenesis of type 1 diabetes mellitus. Cardiac mitochondria are comprised of two spatially located mitochondria including mitochondria located beneath the sarcolemma, termed subsarcolemmal mitochondria (SSM) and those located in between myofibrils, termed interfibrillar mitochondria (IFM). Mitochondrial subpopulations have been shown to respond differently to pathological and physiological stimuli as reported in a review published by our laboratory. IFM mitochondria are most impacted in a type 1 diabetic setting. Proteomic alterations …

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Impacts Of Forest Management And Habitat Change On Declining Avian Species In West Virginia, Christina Slover Jan 2015

Impacts Of Forest Management And Habitat Change On Declining Avian Species In West Virginia, Christina Slover

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Understanding the impacts of forest management and severe storms on avian communities can assist decision making for specific wildlife and timber management goals. This is important because even carefully managed forests will be influenced by a combination of anthropogenic activities and non-anthropogenic forces. I studied the effects of prescribed burning and severe storm events on vegetation structure and avian community diversity and structure in the Monongahela National Forest in central West Virginia. I observed dramatic responses from vegetation structure to prescribed burning but few changes in avian abundances. I measured further impacts, particularly understory vegetation structure, in our forest stands …

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Lead Exposure Of Obligate Avian Scavengers In Eastern North America, Shannon Behmke Jan 2015

Lead Exposure Of Obligate Avian Scavengers In Eastern North America, Shannon Behmke

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Lead is a toxic element within the body of living organisms. Lead poisoning cases still occur in both humans and wildlife on a regular basis in the United States. Although the harmful effects of lead within the body are well known, such as decreased IQ in children, increased renal dysfunction, hypertension, anemia, and other morbid and mortal consequences in humans and wildlife, lead continues to be used in anthropogenic activities today. Through the use of lead in ammunition and fishing sinkers, and its presence in coal-fired power plant and other industrial emissions, lead is dispersed throughout modern human and natural …

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Differences In Psychosexual Development Between Child And Peer Male Juvenile Sex Offenders, Colleen M. Lillard Jan 2015

Differences In Psychosexual Development Between Child And Peer Male Juvenile Sex Offenders, Colleen M. Lillard

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Juvenile sex offenders account for approximately 50% of child sex abuse cases and 20% of sexual assault cases in the United States. Researchers, in an attempt to better understand the etiology of this behavior, have examined typologies of juvenile sex offenders, including victim-age. Much of the research has compared juveniles who offended against children versus juveniles who have offended against peers/adults. Recent research has also compared these two groups with those juvenile sex offenders who offended against both children and peers (i.e., mixed offenders). Using data from psychological evaluations and the Multiphasic Sex Inventory- II (MSI-II; Nichols & Molinder, 2010), …

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The Effects Of The Human Voice On The Behavioral Indicators Of Stress In Dogs Housed In An Animal Shelter, Juliana M. Hypes Jan 2015

The Effects Of The Human Voice On The Behavioral Indicators Of Stress In Dogs Housed In An Animal Shelter, Juliana M. Hypes

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Animal shelters are very stressful environments for the animals housed there. Dogs that live in shelters have been observed exhibiting stress-related behavior such as barking, pacing, aggression and fear related behaviors such as cowering. Behaviors of this nature are off-putting to prospective adopters. To combat this problem, shelters are using different types of behavioral programs to reduce stress in the kennels. One such program involves human volunteers reading to the dogs. The aim of this study was to determine if listening to the human voice could reduce the expression of stress-related behaviors in shelter dogs. In order to establish the …

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