Open Access. Powered by Scholars. Published by Universities.®

Digital Commons Network™

Open Access. Powered by Scholars. Published by Universities.®

West Virginia University

Discipline
Keyword
Publication Year
Publication
Publication Type
File Type

Articles 2011 - 2040 of 4525

Full-Text Articles in Entire DC Network

Examining Physiological Roles Of Adipose Derived Vegf: Consequences In Substrate Availability And Endurance Exercise Capacity In Adipocyte Specific Vegf Deficient Mice, Nicole J. Zachwieja Aug 2014

Examining Physiological Roles Of Adipose Derived Vegf: Consequences In Substrate Availability And Endurance Exercise Capacity In Adipocyte Specific Vegf Deficient Mice, Nicole J. Zachwieja

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Reducing vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) in adipose tissue alters adipose vascularity and metabolic homeostasis. We hypothesized that this would also affect metabolic responses during exercise-induced stress, and that adipocyte-specific VEGF deficient (adipoVEGF-/-) mice would have impaired endurance capacity. Endurance exercise capacity in adipoVEGF-/- (n=10) and littermate control (n=11) mice was evaluated every 4 weeks between 6 & 24 weeks of age using a submaximal endurance run to exhaustion at 20 m/min, 10-degree incline. Maximal running speed, using incremental increases in speed at 30-second intervals, was tested at 25 weeks of age. Beginning at 6 weeks, and continuing with all …

Go to article

Nerve Growth Factor Regulates Na+ Transport In Human Airway Epithelial Cells, Michael J. Shimko Aug 2014

Nerve Growth Factor Regulates Na+ Transport In Human Airway Epithelial Cells, Michael J. Shimko

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Nerve growth factor (NGF) was discovered for its ability to enhance nerve growth, but recent evidence suggests there is a correlation between elevated NGF levels in the lung and airway diseases, including lung inflammatory diseases and respiratory virus infections. NGF can be produced and act upon both structural and non-structural cells of the airways, and overexpression of NGF causes morphological and physiological changes in the airways, such as an increased innervation resulting in a neuronal remodeling of the lung, airway smooth muscle thickening, increased vascularization, airway hyperreactivity to capsaicin, and subepithelial thickening. Although work has been conducted to investigate NGFs …

Go to article

A Preliminary Study Evaluating Potential Probiotic Use In Endodontics, Khaled Seifelnasr Aug 2014

A Preliminary Study Evaluating Potential Probiotic Use In Endodontics, Khaled Seifelnasr

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Introduction: The main goal of endodontics is the prevention of apical periodontitis. This condition is the result of persistent pathogenic microorganisms such as Enterococcus faecalis (E. f) and Candida albicans (C. a) remaining in the root canal systems of teeth, and the ability of those organisms to directly cause acute and chronic inflammation in the periapical tissues. The concept of the use of probiotics has not yet been evaluated in addressing endodontic disease, but probiotics have proven successful in treating periodontal disease. Taking these findings into account, this preliminary work was performed to evaluate the possible effectiveness of a probiotic …

Go to article

Diet Induced Alteration Of The Murine Intestinal Microbiome After Antibiotic Ablation, Adam Irvin Aug 2014

Diet Induced Alteration Of The Murine Intestinal Microbiome After Antibiotic Ablation, Adam Irvin

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Background and Objective: We detected a dominant non-cultivatable gram-positive coccobacillus associated with cultivatable yeast in feces of mice treated with a cocktail of broad-spectrum antibiotics while being fed a partially defined mouse chow that is commonly used for nutritional studies. The goal of this study was to determine the identity of the non-cultivatable gram-positive coccobacillus.;Methods: Fecal samples were analyzed by Gram stain, quantitative flow cytometry, next generation sequencing of the V3 or V4 regions of the 16S rRNA gene, fluorescence microscopy, and sequence analysis of the tuf gene, which can distinguish among Streptococcus and Staphylococcus genera.;Results: Fecal samples from antibiotic-treated …

Go to article

Effects Of Response-Independent Food Pellet Delivery On The Development Of Tolerance To The Rate-Decreasing Effect Of D-Amphetamine In Rats, Christopher A. Krebs Aug 2014

Effects Of Response-Independent Food Pellet Delivery On The Development Of Tolerance To The Rate-Decreasing Effect Of D-Amphetamine In Rats, Christopher A. Krebs

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

The extent to which initial drug administration decreases the ability of an organism to obtain reinforcement can affect the development of behavioral tolerance. Environmental enrichment affects many drug-related phenomena, but its effects on the development of tolerance are not clear. The present study examined how enriching the environment by providing non-contingent food pellets during experimental sessions affects the development of tolerance to a dose of d-amphetamine that produces a loss in reinforcement. Lever pressing for food pellets was maintained under a multiple schedule consisting of two variable-interval (VI) 60-s components. One component was enriched by providing food pellets non-contingently under …

Go to article

Functional Equivalency Of Created And Natural Wetlands In The Central Appalachians: Reproductive Success, Call Phenology, And Diet Composition Of Amphibians, Gabriel F. Strain Aug 2014

Functional Equivalency Of Created And Natural Wetlands In The Central Appalachians: Reproductive Success, Call Phenology, And Diet Composition Of Amphibians, Gabriel F. Strain

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Evaluating the adequacy of created wetlands to replace the functions of lost natural wetlands is important because wetland mitigation is a major tool used to offset wetland losses. However, measurements such as vegetative cover and presence of wildlife may not provide sufficient evidence that created wetlands are functioning properly and thus examining the ecology of wetland biota such as that of amphibians may be a more useful surrogate for function. The objectives of this study were to assess the reproductive success, temporal calling patterns, and diet composition of amphibians inhabiting created wetlands relative to natural wetlands in order to facilitate …

Go to article

A Multi-Agent Design For Power Distribution Systems Automation, M. Jawad Ghorbani Aug 2014

A Multi-Agent Design For Power Distribution Systems Automation, M. Jawad Ghorbani

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

A new Multi Agent System (MAS) design for fault location, isolation and restoration in power distribution systems is presented. In proposed approach, when there is a fault in the Power Distribution System (PDS), MAS quickly isolates the fault and restores the service to fault-free zones. Hierarchical coordination strategy is introduced to manage the agents which integrate the advantages of both centralized and decentralized coordination strategies. In this framework, Zone Agent (ZA) locate and isolate the fault based on the locally available information and assist the Feeder Agent (FA) for reconfiguration and restoration. FA can solve the restoration problem using the …

Go to article

Mountain Top Eco-Industrial Park: An Eco-Industrial, Renewable Energy Approach For Industrial Park Development, Jing Chu May 2014

Mountain Top Eco-Industrial Park: An Eco-Industrial, Renewable Energy Approach For Industrial Park Development, Jing Chu

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

This project applies the concepts of industrial ecology and recreational gateway development to the redesign of an existing industrial park - Mountain Top Industrial Park in Grant County, West Virginia. The location of the existing industrial park, in close proximity to the CSX railroad and the future Corridor H expressway corridor, lends itself to eco-industrial development and may function as a touristic gateway to the region. The site is at the center of an `energy' complex: Mount Storm Power Plant and former surface mines. Extractive industries and energy production will be a theme within the design project. An Eco-Industrial Park …

Go to article

Effects Of Culverts On Brook Trout Genetic Diversity, Darren M. Wood May 2014

Effects Of Culverts On Brook Trout Genetic Diversity, Darren M. Wood

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Brook trout (Salvelinus fontinalis) are a species of concern within their native range due to a historical loss of habitat, overfishing, and stocking of non-native salmonids. Road culverts have been recognized as an additional impediment to population persistence as movement between diverse habitat types has been identified as an alternative life-history strategy to maximize spawning and growth. Brook trout were genetically analyzed using a suite of 13 microsatellite loci above 7 culverts with varying levels of passability classified through a physical protocol. While most sites were not found to have losses in genetic diversity, populations above culverts with a high …

Go to article

A Force Sensor Array For Space Applications, Timothy L. Weadon May 2014

A Force Sensor Array For Space Applications, Timothy L. Weadon

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

The need for force feedback and spatial awareness of contact in harsh environment applications, such as space servicing, has been unsatisfied due to the inability of current sensor technology to resist environmental effects. In this work, capacitive sensors based on a porous polymer-ceramic composite structure were evaluated for potential use in future operations within robotic end-effectors, withstanding temperatures ranging from -80 °C to 120 °C and forces up to 350 kPa. A thin-film design is utilized to allow for ease of embedding, allowing sensors to be implemented into exciting robotic hardware with minimal intrusion, and protecting sensors from electron bombardment, …

Go to article

Glutamate Dysregulation In A Taup301l Mouse Model Of Alzheimer's Disease, Holly C. Hunsberger May 2014

Glutamate Dysregulation In A Taup301l Mouse Model Of Alzheimer's Disease, Holly C. Hunsberger

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Individuals at risk for developing Alzheimer's disease (AD) often exhibit neuronal network hyperexcitability, particularly in the CA3 region of the hippocampus, in the years preceding AD diagnosis, suggesting that aberrant network activity might contribute to the pathogenesis of AD. Recently, the microtubule-binding protein tau has been implicated in this hyperexcitability. Removal of tau in AD models overexpressing amyloid-beta (Abeta) or non-AD models of epilepsy decreases hyperexcitability and normalizes the excitation/inhibition imbalance. The exact mechanism by which tau produces hyperexcitability remains to be determined, but recent work suggests tau may mediate glutamatergic signaling. Glutamate is the primary excitatory neurotransmitter in the …

Go to article

Immune Related Gene Expression Of Parasite-Resistant Sheep During A Haemonchus Contortus Infection, Karen Nicole Sommers May 2014

Immune Related Gene Expression Of Parasite-Resistant Sheep During A Haemonchus Contortus Infection, Karen Nicole Sommers

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Gastrointestinal nematode parasitism is a top health concern for sheep producers worldwide as traditional means of treatment are becoming less effective. Haemonchus contortus is of particular interest because it feeds on blood, causing significant pathological problems in the host. Certain breeds of sheep, like St. Croix, are more naturally resistant to parasitism. However, the underlying mechanisms that result in resistance are not fully understood. The following two experiments evaluated qPCR differential gene expression during the first ten days of a challenge H. contortus infection from lymph node and abomasal tissues. Experiment 1 evaluated 24 St. Croix hair lambs and 24 …

Go to article

Analysis And Interpretation Of Complex Biological Signal Transduction Networks, Holly N. Currie May 2014

Analysis And Interpretation Of Complex Biological Signal Transduction Networks, Holly N. Currie

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Cellular signaling is a complex system of biological communication that coordinates cellular activities via biochemical reactions. The passing of an extracellular signal across a cell membrane to intracellular signaling molecules is referred to as signal transduction. Signals transduced across a cell's membrane influence its function, and allow the cell to respond to its local environment. Within the cell, proteins are key responders to, and carriers of, the transduced signal. A class of proteins called kinases mediate most of the signal transduction in eukaryotic cells by catalyzing the phosphorylation of substrate proteins. The post-translational modification of proteins by phosphorylation regulates protein …

Go to article

A Developmental Perspective: Early Childhood Externalizing Behaviors Pathway To Delinquency In Adolescence, Tandra Nicole Sias May 2014

A Developmental Perspective: Early Childhood Externalizing Behaviors Pathway To Delinquency In Adolescence, Tandra Nicole Sias

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Early childhood externalizing behaviors are a known risk factor for future problem behaviors (e.g., poor achievement, delinquency). The present study seeks to illuminate the pathway of early childhood externalizing behaviors to five adolescent delinquency types (i.e., violent offenses, property offenses, illicit drug use, licit drug use, and minor offenses), in addition to overall delinquency. Study data came from two waves of the Children of the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth-1979 (CNLSY-79; N = 855, 52.4% male, 24.1% Hispanic, 36.6% Black, and 39.1% white). Boys engaged in higher levels of violent and property crimes, and black youth were less likely to …

Go to article

Effectiveness Of Sleep Extension On Athletic Performance And Nutrition Of Female Track Athletes, Oluremi Famodu May 2014

Effectiveness Of Sleep Extension On Athletic Performance And Nutrition Of Female Track Athletes, Oluremi Famodu

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Adequate sleep is an essential component to rest and recovery for athletes. Detrimental effects of inadequate sleep (sleep deprivation), on athletes' performance have been well documented. In contrast, increasing sleep (sleep extension), has not been thoroughly investigated in this population. Furthermore, the effect of sleep on an athlete's nutrition behaviors and choices has yet to be determined.;PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of one additional hour of sleep on performance and nutrition behaviors on collegiate, female, track and field athletes.;METHODS: Twenty-one females (age 20.2 +/- 1.8 yrs) maintained normal sleep habits for one week. Baseline …

Go to article

Police Officers Talking About Gun Control: A Case Study Of A Rural Sheriff's Department, Angela Sycafoose May 2014

Police Officers Talking About Gun Control: A Case Study Of A Rural Sheriff's Department, Angela Sycafoose

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

This research examines how members of a rural police department view gun control, and the degree to which they think that gun control laws protect police officers and the public. Drawing on conclusions from interviews with twenty police officers within one local sheriff's department, three themes emerged: 1) the officers rejected gun control laws and deemed them ineffective for controlling criminal behavior; 2) the officers showed support for specific gun control measures such as, citizens obtaining concealed carry permits and expanding gun background checks; 3) the officers deemed guns to be an essential part of rural upbringing and identity. We …

Go to article

A Streptozotocin-Induced Model Of Alzheimer's Disease In Mice With Wild-Type Human Tau, Carolyn C. Rudy May 2014

A Streptozotocin-Induced Model Of Alzheimer's Disease In Mice With Wild-Type Human Tau, Carolyn C. Rudy

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Alzheimer's disease (AD) accounts for 60 to 80% of all dementias, affects over 5 million Americans, and incurs annual healthcare costs of over {dollar}200 billion (Alzheimer's Association, 2012). Hyperphosphorylation of tau, the main component of neurofibrillary tangles observed in AD, leads to deficits in cell structure and function. Because recent data suggest impairments in cerebral glucose utilization and energy metabolism play a prominent role in the pathogenesis of AD, we sought to create a mouse model that emulates the metabolic changes using intracerebroventricular infusions of streptozotocin (ICV-STZ) in transgenic mice expressing human tau. The Barnes maze, a test of spatial …

Go to article

Technology Use In The Treatment And Prevention Of Eating Disorders, Jessie T. Popelka May 2014

Technology Use In The Treatment And Prevention Of Eating Disorders, Jessie T. Popelka

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Technology is changing rapidly in this global world. A radically different delivery of nutrition information and counseling is technologically feasible in fewer than five years. With about half of girls and a quarter of boys being dissatisfied with their bodies during adolescence into young adulthood, some negative consequences including development of disordered eating, eating disorders (ED) and poor psychological well-being may increase. New methods of delivery, from social media to virtual worlds will allow health care providers (HCP) to reach and interact with patients in different cities or even countries. Simple "tweets" to online videos may have a place in …

Go to article

Practical Strategies To Maximize Cockatiel Health And Broiler Chicken Performance, Amanda Leigh Foreman May 2014

Practical Strategies To Maximize Cockatiel Health And Broiler Chicken Performance, Amanda Leigh Foreman

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

There are various methods of processing avian diets. However, the two common methods of processing include grinding, batching, mixing, and feeding the resultant mash that is not thermally processed, extrusion processing, baking, and steam conditioning and pelleting. The method of processing utilized can greatly affect nutrient availability, therefore affecting the health and/or performance of the avian. The objective of the first study was to transition cockatiels (Nymphicus hollandicus) that were housed in a controlled experimental setting, with a standardized transition strategy, using two different commercially available cockatiel diets that were advertised as nutritionally complete. The transition strategy consisted of gradually …

Go to article

Stem Cell Matrix And Cartilage Regeneration, Jingting Li May 2014

Stem Cell Matrix And Cartilage Regeneration, Jingting Li

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Cartilage defects caused by injuries of the knee affect about 900,000 Americans annually, resulting in more than 200,000 surgical procedures. Cartilage repair remains a major challenge due to its limited healing capacity. Current cell-based therapy using autologous chondrocyte implantation has been developed for decades and promising results have been observed in clinic. However, the shortage of autologous chondrocytes and their uncertain long-term effectiveness have led researchers to find alternative solutions. Stem cells from various tissues have been shown to be potential sources of chondrocytes. Among them, synovium-derived stem cells (SDSCs) have been suggested as tissue-specific stem cells for chondrogenesis. However, …

Go to article

Time-Varying Phase Relationship Between Spiking Neuronal Responses And Local Field Potentials In Olfactory Processing In Manduca Sexta, Oakland J. Peters May 2014

Time-Varying Phase Relationship Between Spiking Neuronal Responses And Local Field Potentials In Olfactory Processing In Manduca Sexta, Oakland J. Peters

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

The Transient Oscillatory Model (TOM) seeks to explain neural coding in the first processing center of the invertebrate olfactory system - the antennal lobe - by proposing that activated primary output neurons participate in the encoding ensemble only transiently, based on the coincidence of their spiking relative to local field potential (LFP) oscillation phase. Using the sphinx moth, Manduca sexta, as a model system, we tested the predictions of the TOM with regard to the trial-to-trial consistency of odor driven oscillations, the phase-locking of action potentials to LFP oscillations, and the role of GABAA receptors in the generation of these …

Go to article

Flipping The Classroom In College Algebra: A Design And Development Study, Lori Ogden May 2014

Flipping The Classroom In College Algebra: A Design And Development Study, Lori Ogden

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

This dissertation documents the development of a flipped classroom teaching model for teaching college algebra. The model supports the use of multiple teaching strategies including video lectures for students to view as homework, outside of class. A design and development framework is used to describe the design decisions, model implementation, and evaluation of the model across three deliveries, or case studies, of a college algebra course from fall of 2012 through fall of 2013. Design decisions included course sequence and instructional materials. Model implementation described the teaching and assessment strategies throughout each unit of material taught in the course and …

Go to article

Conditional Clauses, Meghan Olson May 2014

Conditional Clauses, Meghan Olson

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

My MFA written thesis addresses work completed and shown in a thesis exhibition at West Virginia University as well as significant influences to my studio process. While my stated focus is printmaking, the work presented in the exhibition consisted of six sculptural and installation pieces. This thesis, along with the supporting exhibition, will address my investigations into probing ordinary materials for juxtapositions and arrangements that lend themselves towards a conditional, not absolute, meaning. The work is created from an impulse to put everyday materials together in order to observe subtle relationships that ultimately transcend the ordinary and question what is …

Go to article

America's Lollipop Licking Tease: The Eroticization Of The Female Child In 1930s Film, Susan Jennings Lantz May 2014

America's Lollipop Licking Tease: The Eroticization Of The Female Child In 1930s Film, Susan Jennings Lantz

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

This dissertation examines the eroticization of female children in film during the 1930s as a mechanism for concealing troubling realities of the Great Depression in the United States. The repressed sexuality embedded in the plots of Post Hays Code movies featuring Shirley Temple and characters such as Stella Dallas, Dorothy Gale, and Scarlett O'Hara serve to suture over a crisis of masculinity triggered by changing roles in gender, race, and class. By attempting to invoke the image of a "little girl" in place of that of a grown woman, some films (such as Gone With the Wind, and Bright Eyes) …

Go to article

Investigating Feeding Omega-3 Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids And/Or Soy Protein Isolate To Female Pck Rats On Polycystic Kidney Disease And Related Complications, Kaitlin Hope Maditz May 2014

Investigating Feeding Omega-3 Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids And/Or Soy Protein Isolate To Female Pck Rats On Polycystic Kidney Disease And Related Complications, Kaitlin Hope Maditz

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Polycystic kidney disease (PKD) is a genetic disorder characterized by multiple benign cysts along the epithelial lining of the kidneys. As PKD progresses, cyst growth increases kidney volume, decreases renal function, and may eventually lead to end stage renal disease. In addition to renal manifestations, PKD patients are at risk of complications that include bone loss and polycystic liver disease (PLD). Currently, no genetic therapy or effective pharmacological treatments exist. Therefore, dietary intervention offers a potentially efficacious, cost-effective, and safe therapeutic option for PKD and PKD-related complications. Offering dietary treatment to attenuate PKD disease progression has the potential to improve …

Go to article

Cafe Nudge Project: Choice Architecture For Eating And Nudging Healthy Behaviors, Shannon N. Ackerman May 2014

Cafe Nudge Project: Choice Architecture For Eating And Nudging Healthy Behaviors, Shannon N. Ackerman

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

The objective of the Cafe Nudge Project was to assess the cafeteria environment and the flow of students through the lunch-line to determine characteristics that could be enhanced to encourage healthy food choices in three Appalachian high schools. The Center for Behavioral Economics and Child Nutrition Program (BEN Center) has collectively conducted prior research on this topic and has coined the term "Smarter Lunchrooms Movement" for improving cafeteria environments. These improvements included increased fresh fruit and vegetable consumption, increased consumption of low-fat white milk, and decreased consumption of high-fat and high-calorie foods. This study was a two-part observation. In the …

Go to article

Identification And Genetic Diversity Of Lake Sturgeon Larvae On Artificial Reefs In The Huron-Erie Corridor, Jamie Marie Marranca May 2014

Identification And Genetic Diversity Of Lake Sturgeon Larvae On Artificial Reefs In The Huron-Erie Corridor, Jamie Marie Marranca

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

There are 27 species of sturgeon worldwide and most are currently extinct, endangered or threatened. Lake sturgeon, Acipenser fulvescens, one of the oldest species on the planet, evolved about 136 million years ago, and have had little morphological change, and are endemic to the freshwater lakes and rivers created by receding glaciers of the Laurentian ice sheet. Lake sturgeon have seen immense habitat loss due to human development and industrialization has nearly decimated populations. Changes to water and habitat quality, along with overharvesting, have caused declines to nearly 1% of their original population size. The Huron-Erie Corridor (HEC), includes the …

Go to article

Co2 Dissociation Using The Versatile Atmospheric Dielectric Barrier Discharge Experiment (Vader), Michael Allen Lindon May 2014

Co2 Dissociation Using The Versatile Atmospheric Dielectric Barrier Discharge Experiment (Vader), Michael Allen Lindon

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

As of 2013, the Carbon Dioxide Information Analysis Center (CDIAC) estimates that the world emits approximately 36 trillion metric tons of Carbon Dioxide (CO2) into the atmosphere every year. These large emissions have been correlated to global warming trends that have many consequences across the globe, including glacial retraction, ocean acidification and increased severity of weather events. With green technologies still in the infancy stage, it can be expected that CO2 emissions will stay this way for along time to come. Approximately 41% of the emissions are due to electricity production, which pump out condensed forms of CO2. This danger …

Go to article

Creative Idea Generation: How To Incorporate Plussing Into Your Creative Thinking Sessions, Whitney Godwin May 2014

Creative Idea Generation: How To Incorporate Plussing Into Your Creative Thinking Sessions, Whitney Godwin

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

The goal of this master's thesis is to evaluate Disney's "plussing" as a form of idea-generation for every type of organization and business. This method was assessed through a case study of two nonprofit organizations in Morgantown, West Virginia after developing three original plussing methods. Both organizations participated in plussing sessions. Sessions were followed up with a survey of each participant. Findings suggest "plussing" has proven more beneficial to the organizations than traditional brainstorming methods. Several participants stated that plussing provides a more effective way for organizations to produce the best idea and product possible without the fear of criticism …

Go to article

Impacts Of Non-Renewable Resource Extraction On Shrubland Songbird Nest Success And Abundance, Ryan Douglas Davis May 2014

Impacts Of Non-Renewable Resource Extraction On Shrubland Songbird Nest Success And Abundance, Ryan Douglas Davis

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Shrubland songbirds are a highly imperiled guild across much of North America due to wide-scale land use changes and resulting loss of shrubland habitat. Land management practices which produce early-successional habitat, namely field abandonment and clearcut timber harvests, have become increasingly uncommon in the eastern United States, and natural maintenance processes such as fires and floods are often suppressed. The Appalachian region is rich in natural resources; it has historically seen high amounts of surface mining for coal and is currently experiencing prolific development of shale gas. Both of these practices alter local habitats and the landscape, and it is …

Go to article

First Prev Next Last