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A Chemical Neural Network And Collective Behavior In Globally Coupled Oscillators, Fang Wang

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

The nervous system controls almost all actions in the body, and understanding its detailed structure and mechanism is one of the great challenges of science. Artificial neural networks have been modeled computationally to solve specific problems such as robot motion; however, few experimental studies have been designed to simulate biological neural networks because of the lack of experimental media with neural-like properties. An experimental network based on the photosensitive Belousov-Zhabotinsky reaction has been developed, in which the local excitability is controlled by light intensity. The spatiotemporal dynamics of these networks has been characterized, including sustained oscillations and collapse to the …

Weightism: Can Personality Characteristics Predict Prejudice In College Students?, John E. Damm

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Bias toward individuals who are obese is one of the last bastions of permissible prejudice. The people who are obese report discrimination in a variety of settings; they experience it with families, employers, teachers, and health-care professionals. Research regarding obesity bias indicates that attribution of personal responsibility is correlated with negative attitudes toward individuals who are obese. Attribution of causality and resulting bias has been linked to specific personality characteristics, specifically the Big Five traits Agreeableness and Openness to Experience. The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between personality characteristics and obesity bias. Students at a large …

Rate Of Response-Independent Events As Discriminative Stimuli, Andres Garcia Penagos

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

The study of stimulus rates is relevant to understanding how discrete events integrated in time come to function as a single molar unit that can be discriminated from other comparable units. Two experiments examined the roles of stimulus rates as discriminative stimuli in a conditional discrimination paradigm. Pigeons responding according to a fixed interval (FI) schedule of reinforcement were presented concurrently with pairs of stimulus rates (response-independent blackouts of the operant boxes), so that access to food was granted if the pigeons pecked a comparison key associated to each stimulus rate. One-blackout versus two-blackouts stimulus rates were used on the …

Contests Over Pastoralism In The Southern Sahara And Northern Sahel, Franklin Charles Graham Iv

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

West African pastoral groups (Arab, Tuareg, Toubou, and Fulani) experience contests both within their society, and, with outside agents regarding state integration, land use and development. Pastoral leadership, neighboring sedentary groups, national governments, multinational corporations, aid organizations, and academia all influence the paths pastoralists take in their relationship with the environment, the markets they return to, the animals the shepherd, and the non-pastoral opportunities they pursue, to name a few. The social relations that exist between pastoralists and outsiders can essentially coalesce or break apart pastoral society, depending on the actions taken by the various actors mentioned. The outcomes of …

Functional Analysis And Post-Transcriptional Regulation Of Oocyte-Specific Transcription Factors During Early Embryogenesis In Cattle, Swamy Krishna Tripurani

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Newborn ovary homeobox (NOBOX) is an oocyte-specific transcription factor essential for folliculogenesis and expression of many germ-cell specific genes in mice. However, the temporal and cell specific expression of NOBOX in bovine oocytes and potential function and regulation of NOBOX in early embryogenesis have not been described previously. Messenger RNA for bovine NOBOX is preferentially expressed in ovaries and undetectable by RT-PCR in somatic tissues examined. NOBOX protein is present in oocytes throughout folliculogenesis and is stage-specifically expressed during oocyte maturation and early embryonic development. Depletion of NOBOX in early embryos demonstrated that NOBOX is an essential maternal derived transcription …

Keeping It Real: A Historical Look At Reality Tv, Jessica Roberts

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

In the summer of 2000 CBS launched a wilderness and competition reality show called "Survivor." The show became a monster hit with more than fifty million viewers watching the finale, ratings only second to Super Bowl. That summer and that show forever changed many aspects of the television industry. Reality TV had been around for years, but with "Survivor" it began a period of lightening fast development, growth, and influence. During the past decade, many different reality shows have emerged and this research categorizes those shows into four sub-genres that it is argued all reality shows during this time could …

What Makes Good Climbing Rock? A Petrographic, Structural, And Mechanical Investigation Of The Lower Nuttall Sandstone In The New River Gorge, West Virginia, Katelyn A. Huffman Olcott

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

The New River Gorge National River (NERI) consists of 300 km2 of public land including an 85 km length of the New River, covering parts of Summers, Raleigh, and Fayette counties in West Virginia (National Park Service, 2006). NERI is known for world class rock climbing because the Pennsylvanian lower Nuttall Sandstone of the Pottsville Group forms 15 to 30 m high cliffs along the gorge walls, containing more than 1500 documented climbing routes. This project investigates why the lower Nuttall Sandstone in NERI creates one of the premiere climbing areas in the Eastern United States, and why the lower …

The Role Of Institutional Structures, Interest Groups, And Framing In Explaining Occupational Road Safety Policy In The European Union And Member States: An Application Of The Advocacy Coalition Framework And Multi-Level Governance, Stephanie G. Pratt

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

In addition to being a leading cause of death in the general population, motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause of occupational fatalities in most high-income countries and regions, including the European Union (EU). The primary aims of this research were to: (1) assess the development of occupational road safety policy in the EU through the lens of the policy literature, focusing on the advocacy coalition framework (ACF) as a model of policy change, the role of interest groups, and multi-level governance (MLG); and (2) use the United Kingdom (UK), Sweden, and France as EU case studies to illustrate the …

The Politics Of Self-Provisioning In North-Central West Virginia, Autumn Long

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Provisioning one's own food appears to be the next step in the politicization of food production and consumption choices. In contrast to more convenient forms of "ethical consumption" such as buying organic or local, household-level food production requires a great deal of labor-time, knowledge, and social support. But does food self-provisioning elicit or engender a particular political consciousness? Based on six months of fieldwork conducted during the spring and summer of 2010, this research employs qualitative methodologies, including surveys, semistructured interviews, and ethnography, to examine the political, economic, and cultural dynamics of household-level food provisioning amongst a sample of food …

Influence Of Selenium On Bluegill (Lepomis Macrochirus ) In Upper Mud River Watershed, Alison M. Anderson

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Selenium based criteria for aquatic ecosystems have been based on water quality measurements, but recently there has been basis to evaluate other aspects, such as whole body, dietary, and sediment levels. Mud River Reservoir, located in Lincoln County West Virginia, receives selenium input from mountain top/valley fill mining activities. The average selenium water levels for the reservoir are above the US EPA water quality standard of 5 microg/L and considered a high hazard for fish dietary consumption based on macroinvertebrate collections. The bluegill population is also a high hazard for selenium influenced reproductive impairment based on bluegill whole body and …

Ozone Induces Nerve Growth Factor Release From Rat Tracheal Epithelial Cells During An Early Postnatal Critical Period, Lynnsey A. Carrell-Jacks

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Ozone, one of the major air pollutants in urban areas, produces epithelial cell injury and inflammation in the airways upon exposure. Previous studies have shown that ozone exposure leads to increased substance P (SP) expression in nerves innervating the smooth muscle in the extrapulmonary airway. Nerve growth factor (NGF), a neurotrophin, is known to increase SP expression. To determine the effect of ozone exposure on the release of NGF, a cell culture technique was developed for studying a homogenous rat tracheal epithelial cell population for analysis of NGF mRNA and protein expression. Furthermore, to determine if this effect is age-dependent, …

Effect Of Service Sire On Late Embryonic And Fetal Loss In Sheep, Tammy L. Holler

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Very few authors have studied the effect of the sire on the outcome of pregnancy in sheep beyond differentiation, development, spermatogenesis, fertilization and early embryo survival. A major limitation in direct selection for increased sire competence is that males need to be selected mainly on the performance of their female relatives and females do not express lambing traits until at least one or two years of age. This selection process can be accelerated by studying prenatal survival ability of individual ram's progeny.;The objective of the present study was to identify occurrence of late embryonic and fetal mortality in relation to …

Properties Of Polyvinyl Alcohol Nanocomposites Reinforced With Cellulose Nanocrystals Of Red Oak Residues, Peter Michael Jacobson

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Cellulose is an abundant, low cost, and robust biopolymer that is possible to implement in reinforcement of composite materials. Utilizing cellulosic nanocrystals, which can be isolated from cellulose fibers, nanocomposite biofilms are currently of interest to the packaging, medical, and pharmaceutical industries. At this time, hardwood cellulosic nanocrystals and nanocomposites are understudied. Therefore, this research characterized and examined the possibility of using hardwood residues for nanocomposite formation and implementation. Red oak (Quercus rubra) heartwood and sapwood residues were collected from 2005, 2006, and 2007 harvest sites located within West Virginia and were de-lignified by acidified sodium chlorite. Cellulosic nanocrystals were …

Effects Of Fixed-Time Reinforcement Schedules On Resurgence Of Positively Reinforced Problem Behavior, Tonya M. Marsteller

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Resurgence of problem behavior following the discontinuation of DRA interventions may be prevented by response-independent reinforcer delivery. In basic research, response-independent reinforcer delivery following DRA prevented resurgence of the initially reinforced response and maintained alternative responding. The present study evaluated if these results were generalizable humans by assessing if fixed-time (FT) reinforcer delivery following DRA would prevent resurgence of problem behavior and maintain appropriate behavior with 4 children with disabilities. For all participants, EXT following DRA produced resurgence of previously reinforced problem behavior and reduced appropriate requesting, but FT reinforcer delivery following DRA did not produce resurgence of problem behavior …

Controlled Substance, Ron Hollingshead

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

My MFA thesis and supporting exhibition will highlight sculptural work I have created that deals directly or indirectly with circumstances surrounding personal health problems. A recent L4-5 micro-discectomy and the following complications have given much inspiration for my art making. I use this personal narrative as a jumping-off point to create object-based artwork that brings up larger, more universal themes, such as body, disability, pain, and pharmaceutical use. I will explain how the creation of artwork about the process of healing brought with it its own catharsis.

Reboot, Nick Lejeune

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

I am an artist that works with technologically obsolete materials in order to elevate them to have purely aesthetic, sublime qualities. Creating my art this way has led me to profile and understand hoarders; those who collect materials that are otherwise socially useless. They collect these objects to the point where the collection act becomes an obsessive psychological disorder. This thesis will prove that while I identify with those who struggle with this disorder, my own collection tendencies lend themselves to being more related to the processes of contemporary artists and their need to reconfigure the original use of objects …

Understanding Cliff Use At The New River Gorge National River: Combining Visitor Observations And Resource Impact Assessments, D. Kyle Olcott

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

The New River Gorge National River (NERI) is managed by the National Park Service (NPS). In addition to being an extremely popular destination for whitewater rafting, it is also home to world class rock climbing and an extensive array of cliffs offering over 2400 routes. This thesis is part of a larger study of the cliffs at NERI, funded by the NPS and encompassing botanic and geologic components in addition to the recreation management component. By combining unobtrusive visitor observation methods with GPS mapping and rapid assessment of nearly 450 areas of impact, a few key management recommendations are made …

Is A Poor Quality Nutrition Environment A Contributor To Obesity Prevalence In School-Age-Children In West Virginia?, Anna M. Chetrick

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

In recent years there has been considerable interest in describing and explaining increases in the prevalence of overweight and obesity. The quality of the nutrition environment, including the availability and price of healthy foods options, has been suggested as a likely contributor. This project was developed to investigate the relationship between weight status and the nutrition environment in school children in two West Virginia counties. The Nutrition Environment Measures Survey (NEMS) was conducted in Monongalia and Marshall Counties, WV. From NEMS survey data nutrition environment quality scores were calculated for 79 retail food outlets, including grocery, convenience, general, and department …

Development Of A Real-Time High-Resolution 3d Ultrasound Imaging System, Cesar Augusto Sandoval Leon

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

In this work a real-time high-resolution 3D ultrasound imaging system is developed, allowing the 3D acquisition and imaging of high-resolution ultrasound data for biomedical applications. The system uses ultrasound transducers in the ranges of 30 to 100 MHz, and allows full access of the radiofrequency (RF) ultrasound data for the 3D image reconstruction. This work includes the development of two graphical user interfaces in C++ to interact with a high-resolution ultrasound system and to image the high-resolution ultrasound data. In addition, a methodology is described and implemented in the system for 3D ultrasound reconstruction and visualization. The development of these …

Structural Responses And Finite Element Modeling Of Hakka Tulou Rammed Earth Structures, Daniel Sranislawski

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Hakka Tulous are rammed earth structures that have survived the effects of aging and natural elements upwards of even over a thousand years. These structures have housed the Hakka people of the Fujian Province, China in natural yet modern housing that has provided benefits over newer building materials. The key building material, rammed earth, which is used for the walls of the Hakka Tulou structures, has provided structural stability along with thermal comfort to the respective inhabitants of the Hakka Tulous.;Through material testing and analysis this study has examined how the Tulou structures have maintained their structural stability while also …

Ex Libris, Spring 2011, West Virginia University. Library.

Ex Libris: The WVU Libraries Magazine

Rare Book Room Enhances Academic Experience and Libraries Connect Farmers with Research

The Economic Impact Of The Charles Town Thoroughbred Horse Racing Industry On The Jefferson County A, Tom Witt, Tess Meinert, Amy (Higginbotham) Godfrey

Bureau of Business & Economic Research

No abstract provided.

Different Sources Of Omega-3 Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids Affects Apparent Digestibility, Tissue Deposition, And Tissue Oxidative Stability In Growing Female Rats, Janet C. Tou, Stephanie N. Altman, Joseph C. Gigliotti, Vagner A. Benedito, Elizabeth L. Cordonier

Faculty & Staff Scholarship

Background

Numerous health benefits associated with increased omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acid (n-3 PUFA) consumption has lead to an increasing variety of available n-3 PUFA sources. However, sources differ in the type, amount, and structural form of the n-3 PUFAs. Therefore, the objective of this study was to determine the effect of different sources of ω-3 PUFAs on digestibility, tissue deposition, eicosanoid metabolism, and oxidative stability.

Methods

Female Sprague-Dawley rats (age 28 d) were randomly assigned (n = 10/group) to be fed a high fat 12% (wt) diet consisting of either corn oil (CO) or n-3 PUFA rich flaxseed (FO), krill …

Efficacy Of Aerobic Exercise And A Prudent Diet For Improving Selected Lipids And Lipoproteins In Adults: A Meta-Analysis Of Randomized Controlled Trials, George A. Kelley, Kristi S. Kelley, Susan Roberts, William Haskell

Faculty & Staff Scholarship

Background

Studies addressing the effects of aerobic exercise and a prudent diet on lipid and lipoprotein concentrations in adults have reached conflicting conclusions. The purpose of this study was to determine the effects of aerobic exercise combined with a prudent diet on lipid and lipoprotein concentrations in adults.

Methods

Studies were located by searching nine electronic databases, cross-referencing, and expert review. Two independent reviewers selected studies that met the following criteria: (1) randomized controlled trials, (2) aerobic exercise combined with diet recommendations (saturated/trans fat intake less than 10% of total calories and cholesterol less than 300 mg/day and/or fiber intake …

Age-Corrected Beta Cell Mass Following Onset Of Type 1 Diabetes Mellitus Correlates With Plasma C-Peptide In Humans, David J. Klinke Ii

Faculty & Staff Scholarship

Background

The inability to produce insulin endogenously precipitates the clinical symptoms of type 1 diabetes mellitus. However, the dynamic trajectory of beta cell destruction following onset remains unclear. Using model-based inference, the severity of beta cell destruction at onset decreases with age where, on average, a 40% reduction in beta cell mass was sufficient to precipitate clinical symptoms at 20 years of age. While plasma C-peptide provides a surrogate measure of endogenous insulin production post-onset, it is unclear as to whether plasma C-peptide represents changes in beta cell mass or beta cell function. The objective of this paper was to …

Aging Influences Cardiac Mitochondrial Gene Expression And Cardiovascular Function Following Hemorrhage Injury, Bixi Jian, Shaolong Yang, Dongquan Chen, Lunyun Zou, John C. Chatham, Irshad Chaudry, Raghavan Raju

Faculty & Staff Scholarship

Cardiac dysfunction and mortality associated with trauma and sepsis increase with age. Mitochondria play a critical role in the energy demand of cardiac muscles, and thereby on the function of the heart. Specific molecular pathways responsible for mitochondrial functional alterations after injury in relation to aging are largely unknown. To further investigate this, 6- and 22-month-old rats were subjected to trauma-hemorrhage (T-H) or sham operation and euthanized following resuscitation. Left ventricular tissue was profiled using our custom rodent mitochondrial gene chip (RoMitochip). Our experiments demonstrated a declined left ventricular performance and decreased alteration in mitochondrial gene expression with age following …

Molecular Cloning And Expression Of Bovine Nucleoplasmin 2 (Npm2): A Maternal Effect Gene Regulated By Mir-181a, Brandon M. Lingenfelter, Swamy K. Tripurani, Jyothsna Tejomurtula, George W. Smith, Jianbo Yao

Faculty & Staff Scholarship

Background

Nucleoplasmin 2 (NPM2) is an oocyte-specific nuclear protein essential for nuclear and nucleolar organization and early embryonic development. The aims of this study were to clone the bovine NPM2 gene, determine its temporal expression during oocyte development and early embryogenesis, and evaluate the potential role of miRNA-181a in regulation of its expression.

Methods

A 329 bp cDNA fragment was amplified from bovine fetal ovary using primers designed based on the conserved regions of the human and mouse NPM2 cDNA sequences. RACE experiments were performed to obtain the 5' and 3' ends of the bovine NPM2 cDNA. Real time PCR …

Generation Of A Reference Transcriptome For Evaluating Rainbow Trout Responses To Various Stressors, Cecilia C. Sanchez, Gregory M. Weber, Guangtu Gao, Beth M. Cleveland, Jianbo Yao, Caird E. Rexroad

Faculty & Staff Scholarship

Background

Fish under intensive culture conditions are exposed to a variety of acute and chronic stressors, including high rearing densities, sub-optimal water quality, and severe thermal fluctuations. Such stressors are inherent in aquaculture production and can induce physiological responses with adverse effects on traits important to producers and consumers, including those associated with growth, nutrition, reproduction, immune response, and fillet quality. Understanding and monitoring the biological mechanisms underlying stress responses will facilitate alleviating their negative effects through selective breeding and changes in management practices, resulting in improved animal welfare and production efficiency.

Results

Physiological responses to five treatments associated with …

Pulmonary Fibrotic Response To Aspiration Of Multi-Walled Carbon Nanotubes, Robert R. Mercer, Anna F. Hubbs, James F. Scabilloni, Liying Wang, Lori A. Battelli, Sherri Friend, Vincent Castranova, Dale W. Porter

Faculty & Staff Scholarship

Background

Multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) are new manufactured nanomaterials with a wide spectrum of commercial applications. To address the hypothesis that MWCNTs cause persistent pulmonary pathology, C57BL/6J mice were exposed by pharyngeal aspiration to 10, 20, 40 or 80 μg of MWCNTs (mean dimensions of 3.9 μm × 49 nm) or vehicle. Lungs were preserved at 1, 7, 28 and 56 days post- exposure to determine the potential regions and target cells for impact by MWCNT lung burden. Morphometric measurement of Sirius Red staining was used to assess the connective tissue response.

Results

At 56 days post-exposure, 68.7 ± 3.9, …

Metabolic Changes In Skin Caused By Scd1 Deficiency: A Focus On Retinol Metabolism, Matthew T. Flowers, Chad M. Paton, Sheila O'Byrne, Kevin Schiesser, John A. Dawson, William S. Blaner, Christina Kendziorski, James M. Ntambi

Faculty & Staff Scholarship

We previously reported that mice with skin-specific deletion of stearoyl-CoA desaturase-1 (Scd1) recapitulated the skin phenotype and hypermetabolism observed in mice with a whole-body deletion of Scd1. In this study, we first performed a diet-induced obesity experiment at thermoneutral temperature (33°C) and found that skin-specific Scd1 knockout (SKO) mice still remain resistant to obesity. To elucidate the metabolic changes in the skin that contribute to the obesity resistance and skin phenotype, we performed microarray analysis of skin gene expression in male SKO and control mice fed a standard rodent diet. We identified an extraordinary number of differentially expressed genes that …