Digital Commons Network^™

From 'Omics' To Complex Disease: A Systems Biology Approach To Gene-Environment Interactions In Cancer, Sarah S. Knox

Faculty & Staff Scholarship

Background

Cancer is a complex disease that involves a sequence of gene-environment interactions in a progressive process that cannot occur without dysfunction in multiple systems, including DNA repair, apoptotic and immune functions. Epigenetic mechanisms, responding to numerous internal and external cues in a dynamic ongoing exchange, play a key role in mediating environmental influences on gene expression and tumor development.

Hypothesis

The hypothesis put forth in this paper addresses the limited success of treatment outcomes in clinical oncology. It states that improvement in treatment efficacy requires a new paradigm that focuses on reversing systemic dysfunction and tailoring treatments to specific …

Distribution And Persistence Of Pleural Penetrations By Multi-Walled Carbon Nanotubes, Robert R. Mercer, Ann F. Hubbs, James F. Scabilloni, Liying Wang, Lori A. Battelli, Diane Schwegler-Berry, Vincent Castranova, Dale W. Porter

Faculty & Staff Scholarship

Background

Multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNT) are new manufactured nanomaterials with a wide spectrum of commercial applications. The durability and fiber-like dimensions (mean length 3.9 μm long × 49 nm diameter) of MWCNT suggest that these fibers may migrate to and have toxicity within the pleural region. To address whether the pleura received a significant and persistent exposure, C57BL/6J mice were exposed by pharyngeal aspiration to 10, 20, 40 and 80 μg MWCNT or vehicle and the distribution of MWCNT penetrations determined at 1, 7, 28 and 56 days after exposure. Following lung fixation and sectioning, morphometric methods were used to …

Dispersion Of Single-Walled Carbon Nanotubes By A Natural Lung Surfactant For Pulmonary In Vitro And In Vivo Toxicity Studies, Liying Wang, Vincent Castranova, Anurag Mishra, Bean Chen, Robert R. Mercer, Diane Schwegler-Berry, Yon Rojanasakul

Faculty & Staff Scholarship

Background

Accumulating evidence indicate that the degree of dispersion of nanoparticles has a strong influence on their biological activities. The aims of this study were to develop a simple and rapid method of nanoparticle dispersion using a natural lung surfactant and to evaluate the effect of dispersion status of SWCNT on cytotoxicity and fibrogenicity in vitro and in vivo.

Results

The natural lung surfactant Survanta® was used to disperse single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNT) in a biological medium. At physiologically relevant concentrations, Survanta®produced well dispersed SWCNT without causing a cytotoxic or fibrogenic effect. In vitrostudies show that Survanta®-dispersed SWCNT …

Agt M235t Genotype/Anxiety Interaction And Gender In The Hypergen Study, Sarah S. Knox, Xinxin Guo, Yuqing Zhang, G Weidner, Scott Williams, R Curtis Ellison

Faculty & Staff Scholarship

Background

Both anxiety and elevated heart rate (HR) have been implicated in the development of hypertension. The HyperGen cohort, consisting of siblings with severe and mild hypertension, an age-matched random sample of persons from the same base populations, and unmedicated adult offspring of the hypertensive siblings (N = 1,002 men and 987 women), was analyzed for an association of the angiotenisinogen AGTM235T genotype (TT, MT, MM) with an endophenotype, heart rate (HR) in high and low anxious groups.

Methodology

The interaction of AGTM genotype with anxiety, which has been independently associated with hypertension, was investigated adjusting for age, hypertension status, …

Association Of Perfluorooctanoic Acid (Pfoa) And Perfluorooctane Sulfonate (Pfos) With Uric Acid Among Adults With Elevated Community Exposure To Pfoa, Kyle Steenland, Sarah Tinker, Anoop Shankar, Alan Ducatman

Faculty & Staff Scholarship

Background

Perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) and perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS) are compounds that do not occur in nature, have been widely used since World War II, and persist indefinitely in most environments. Median serum levels in the United States are 4 ng/mL for PFOA and 21 ng/mL for PFOS. PFOA has been associated with elevated uric acid in two studies of chemical workers. Uric acid is a risk factor for hypertension and possibly other cardiovascular outcomes.

Methods

We conducted a cross-sectional study of PFOA and PFOS and uric acid among 54,951 adult community residents in Ohio and West Virginia, who lived or …

Odors Pulsed At Wing Beat Frequencies Are Tracked By Primary Olfactory Networks And Enhance Odor Detection, Shreejoy J. Tripathy, Oakland J. Peters, Erich M. Staudacher, Faizan R. Kalwar, Mandy N. Hatfield, Kevin C. Daly

Faculty & Staff Scholarship

Each down stroke of an insect’s wings accelerates axial airflow over the antennae. Modeling studies suggest that this can greatly enhance penetration of air and air-born odorants through the antennal sensilla thereby periodically increasing odorant-receptor interactions. Do these periodic changes result in entrainment of neural responses in the antenna and antennal lobe (AL)? Does this entrainment affect olfactory acuity? To address these questions, we monitored antennal and AL responses in the moth Manduca sexta while odorants were pulsed at frequencies from 10–72 Hz, encompassing the natural wingbeat frequency. Power spectral density (PSD) analysis was used to identify entrainment of neural …

Modeling The Aneuploidy Control Of Cancer, Yao Li, Arthur Berg, Louie R. Wu, Zhong Wang, Gang Chen, Rongling Wu

Faculty & Staff Scholarship

Background

Aneuploidy has long been recognized to be associated with cancer. A growing body of evidence suggests that tumorigenesis, the formation of new tumors, can be attributed to some extent to errors occurring at the mitotic checkpoint, a major cell cycle control mechanism that acts to prevent chromosome missegregation. However, so far no statistical model has been available quantify the role aneuploidy plays in determining cancer.

Methods

We develop a statistical model for testing the association between aneuploidy loci and cancer risk in a genome-wide association study. The model incorporates quantitative genetic principles into a mixture-model framework in which various …

Exploring Animal Rights As An Imperative For Human Welfare, Stephen A. Plass

West Virginia Law Review

No abstract provided.

Opportunistic Evolution: How State Legislation Is Seeking To Redefine Academic Freedom To Permit Intelligent Design In The Classroom, Crystal Canterbury

West Virginia Law Review

No abstract provided.

Hydraulic Fracturing Goes To Court: How Texas Jurisprudence On Subsurface Trespass Will Influence West Virginia Oil And Gas Law, Travis Zeik

West Virginia Law Review

No abstract provided.

Oncogenic Src Requires A Wild-Type Counterpart To Regulate Invadopodia Maturation, L. C. Kelley, A. G. Ammer, K. E. Hayes, K. H. Martin, K. Machida, L. Jia, B. J. Mayer, S. A. Weed

Faculty & Staff Scholarship

No abstract provided.

The Effects Of Non-Thermal Electron Beam Irradiation On Quality Indicators Of Peanut Butter, Amanda El-Rawas

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Electron beam (e-beam) irradiation is an effective non-thermal processing step for the reduction of Salmonella in peanut butter. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of e-beam irradiation on the quality of peanut butter. Peanut butter samples were exposed to e-beam doses of 0 (control), 3.2, 7.0, or 27.7 kGy, confirmed by film dosimetry. Doses correlated with a 5- and 12-log reduction of Salmonella respectively; with 27.7 kGy representing an extreme dose. Samples were examined over a 15-day period at 22°C. Color analysis (L, a*, b*), spreadability, and thiobarbituric acid reactive substances test (TBARS) for lipid oxidation …

On The Mechanisms Underlying Neural Repression By E(Spl)M8 In Drosophila, Bhaskar Kahali

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Notch signaling is an evolutionary conserved pathway that mediates binary cell-fate specification throughout animal development. Through a process termed lateral inhibition, Notch signaling drives two equipotent cells to adopt distinct fates. Binary cell-fate determination has been exceptionally well studied during Drosophila neurogenesis, particularly, in eye and bristle development. In the eye, Notch mediates the selection of R8 photoreceptors from clusters of R8 precursors by antagonizing the activity of the proneural activator Atonal (Ato). In the bristle, Notch drives the selection of the sensory organ precursors (SOP's) from a group of equipotential cells that expressed the proneural activators encoded by the …

Brook Trout Response To Canopy And Large Woody Debris Manipulations In Appalachian Streams, Jonathan Ma. Niles

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

The forested riparian area along many central Appalachian streams contains large volumes of harvestable timber. Best management practices (BMP) and streamside management zones (SMZ) have been developed to minimize the impacts of riparian timber harvest. Large woody debris (LWD) is an important component of forested streams and its role in chemical, biological, and physical processes in streams is complex. The extraction of timber within the streamside management zone reduces the amount of material available for aquatic structure.;Three-250 m study reaches were established on eight Appalachian headwater streams. Four of the streams were assigned the treatment of having a 50% basal …

Effects Of Essential Oils On Rumen Fermentation, Eating Behavior And Milk Production In Lactating Dairy Cattle, Lisa Rachel Tager

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

The objectives of the current studies were to: (1) investigate the effects of cinnamaldehyde (CIN), eugenol (EUG), and capsicum oil (CAP) on rumen fermentation and pH characteristics in continuous culture using a corn-based dairy ration; (2) to assess the in vivo effects of CAP at the recommended dosage, a blend of CIN and EUG at the recommended dosage, and a blend of CIN and EUG at a high dosage closer to levels used in vitro, on rumen fermentation, rumen pH, milk production, and feeding behavior; and (3) to assess the effects of CAP in a larger scale study on eating …

Aztec Musical Styles In Carlos Chavez's "Xochipilli: An Imagined Aztec Music" And Lou Harrison's "The Song Of Quetzalcoatl": A Parallel And Comparative Study., Shawn M. Roberts

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

From the appearance of Amaldeo Roldan's Ritmica No. 5 and No. 6 in 1930 and Edgard Varese's Ionisation in 1931, until the United States involvement in World War II brought a hiatus to the genre, over fifty works for percussion ensemble were published. At the height of this outpouring, two works for percussion ensemble on a similar cultural topic were written, Carlos Chavez's Xochipilli: An Imagined Aztec Music (1940) and Lou Harrison's The Song of Quetzalcoatl (1941). Within Chavez and Harrison's titles are the names of two well-known and highly revered Aztec deities, Xochipilli and Quetzalcoatl. Consequently, this project determines …

Extracellular Matrix Mediated Cartilage Regeneration: A Novel Three-Dimensional In Vitro Microenvironment To Facilitate Cell Expansion And Chondrogenesis, Fan He

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Joint articular cartilage is vulnerable for degenerative disease after trauma due to the limited self-healing ability. Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) are considered a promising source for cartilage repair and regenerative medicine because of their excellent capacities of self-renewal and multipotent differentiation. Conventional in vitro expansion system, however, limits the utilization of MSCs for cartilage regeneration because in monolayer culture MSCs rapidly lose their self-renewal ability and differentiation potential. The lack of proper microenvironment in the current two-dimensional expansion system is attributed to the loss of self-renewal and multipotent differentiation in MSCs. Three-dimensional (3D) cell-deposited extracellular matrix (ECM) provides a novel …

Development Of Nanofluidic/Microfluidic Interfaces As Analyte Concentrators For Proteomic Samples, Kathleen C. Reschke

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

We have developed a nanofluidic microfluidic analyte concentrator for application to proteomic samples. This dissertation includes a study investigating the current rectification behavior of the device including a temporal characterization of the ON state to OFF state transition and the OFF state to ON state transition as a function of device design. An analyte concentrator compatible with proteomic samples is presented and the current rectifying phenomenon is utilized to ensure adequate analyte delivery for the enrichment process. Finally, characterization of a coating technique to alter the surface charge of the nanofluidic element from anionic to cationic is presented.

Engendering Meaning Within The High School Experience: A Consideration Of Movement And Dance, Stephanie A. Morris

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Dance, movement, and kinesthetic learning are among the most powerful ways in coming to know, yet they are amid the most ignored processes at the high school level. Dance has the power to change lives as it offers aesthetic ways of viewing and connecting with the world through its creative, reflective, and imaginative embodied experiences. I have observed these valuable outcomes and address the nature and power of them with the following questions: (1) How has dance and movement influenced my journey? (2) How has this influence affected the high school experience of my students? The heuristic method of qualitative …

Listeria Survival After Isoelectric Solubilization And Precipitation Of Fish Protein With Organic Acids, Rachel Otto

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

With mechanical fish processing, a substantial amount of protein is discarded as byproducts. Isoelectric solubilization and precipitation (ISP) is a process that recovers previously discarded protein using extreme pH shifts to solubilize and precipitate protein from byproducts. Typically, strong acids are used for pH reduction but have limited impact on bacterial load; therefore, organic acids were used during ISP processing to test the impact on Listeria ssp. concentrations. The goals of these studies were to determine the effectiveness of organic acids, specifically acetic and citric acids, to reduce L. innocua during the protein recovery process of ISP and to determine …

Maximizing Broiler Performance And Health Through Feed., Kelley Grace Stacey Lilly

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Feed represents approximately 70% of the costs required to produce broiler chickens. A concern in commercial poultry production is pellet quality and the cost required to make pellets of high quality. However, improvements in broiler performance attributed to improved pellet quality may help to alleviate these costs. In Chapter 2, two experiments were conducted at West Virginia University: Experiment 1) pellets were manufactured by utilizing varying processing techniques in order to create five dietary treatments, unique in feed form and Experiment 2) was conducted to explain variations in feed form on broilers of varying sex categories with consistent nutrient availability …

Parenting Practices Mediate Parenting Stress And Child Inhibited, Shy Behavior, Ying Dong

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Parenting practices were investigated as mediators between parenting stress and child inhibited, shy behavior. Parenting stress was also examined as a moderator between parenting practices and child inhibited, shy behavior. Twenty-seven preschool-aged children (14 boys, 13 girls; mean age =3.5 years) and their mothers (mean age =34 years) participated in the study. Mothers completed a battery of questionnaires to assess parenting stress, parenting practices, and child inhibited, shy behavior. Regression analyses were conducted and it was found that parenting practices do not mediate the relation between parenting stress and inhibited, shy behavior. However, there appears to be an indirect relation …

Cellular Functions Of Fak Kinases: Insight Into Molecular Mechanisms And Novel Functions, M. D. Schaller

Faculty & Staff Scholarship

No abstract provided.

The Influence Of Heat Production Relative To Drill Wear During Osteotomy Preparation By Different Implant Drill Systems: A Comparison Study Between Ceramic And Conventional Implant Drill Systems, Waleed Alyassin

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Repeated use of implant drills progressively increases their wear and decreases their efficiency, thus producing more frictional heat. Multiple factors have been linked to heat production during surgery including drill sharpness. The purpose of this research is to focus on the heat generated by an implant drill and how the wear factor and the material of the drill effect the heat generated by that drill when drilling through bone.;Two implant drill Systems were evaluated in vitro using bovine back rib bones. Two implant drill system were used. System A was stainless steel surgical drills sizes 2.3, 2.8 and 3.4 mmD …

Role Of Protein Kinase Ck2 And Phosphatase Pp2a In Notch-Mediated Lateral Inhibition, Anasua Bose

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

The Notch signaling pathway is highly conserved in vertebrates and invertebrates and regulates binary cell fate specifications in diverse developmental contexts. In a process termed lateral inhibition, Notch signaling restricts a particular cell fate to a single cell from a group of multi-potential cells. This mechanism ensures precision in cell fate assignations, which are vital for histogenesis and organogenesis. Studies during Drosophila neurogenesis, specifically development of the compound eye and the mechanosensory bristles, have provided the most detailed insights into the underlying mechanisms. During this process, Notch signaling results in the selection of single R8 photoreceptors or bristle sensory organ …

Selenium Removal By Nano-Magnetite Impregnated Diatomaceous Earth, Isabel Cardona

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

The purpose of this study was to remove selenium from aqueous solution using nano-magnetite impregnated diatomaceous earth (DE) as an adsorbent. The adsorbent was prepared at the laboratory with a ratio of magnetite/DE of 10%. Batch adsorption experiments were conducted to evaluate the effects of pH, temperature, adsorbent concentration, selenium speciation, contact time and presence of competing anions on selenium removal efficiency in conjunction with studies on adsorption kinetics, isotherms, and adsorptive thermodynamics. Rapid adsorption occurred within 30 min and selenium uptake decreased with increase in temperature. Low pH values (i.e. 2--4) favored selenium adsorption as expected for anion adsorption …

Extraction Of Metal Sensitizers Under Physiologically Relevant Conditions, Matthew G. Duling

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Metal and metal alloys are critical components of high-tech applications. Beryllium (Be), chromium (Cr), and nickel (Ni) are among the most economically important metals for high-tech applications because of their extraordinary physical properties. These metals pose two different problems for workers who work with them: (1) allergic contact dermatitis from exposure to Cr and Ni, which is widely accepted to account for a significant percentage of occupational skin irritations and (2) possible systemic sensitization from skin contact with airborne Be. Proper assessment of skin contact with allergenic metals during work is difficult. Current practices for the assessment of skin exposure …

Site Characterization Of Hemlock Stands At Allegheny National Forest, Daniel Farcas

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Eastern Hemlock Tsuga canadensis is a coniferous tree native to eastern North America. It ranges from northeastern Minnesota eastward through southern Quebec, and from the southern Appalachian Mountains to northern Georgia and Alabama.;This majestic tree is threatened with elimination by an invasive species Hemlock Woolly Adelgid (HWA) Adelges tsugae introduced in the USA in 1924, which is believed to be a native of Asia. HWA reduces shoot growth, provokes branch dieback, and eventually tree death.;One strategy to help mitigate the fast spread of HWA is to determine what may cause host potential resistance to HWA and how to use this …

You Are And You Ain't: Redneck Literature And The Imposition Of Identity, Matthew Joseph Ferrence

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Redneck images pervade contemporary American culture and provide a pattern for national behavior. As globalization and multiculturalism change the demographics of the nation, covert Redneck codes enforce previous hegemonies of race, class, and gender. Imbued with incontestable American character, the Redneck becomes an ideological force capable of defending the nation from destabilizing cultural incursions. The maintenance of these Redneck codes relies on the continued reassertion of Southern and Appalachian stereotypes, since these regions must be maintained as authentic homelands for the identity character.;In this project, I locate a literary genealogy for the American Redneck and examine the roots and function …

The Influence Of Anxiety, Depression, And Negative Affect On Recall Of Dental Pain, Brandon N. Kyle

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Research suggests mood can influence recall of emotionally-relevant information. Yet, despite multiple studies examining the association of anxiety and exaggerated prediction and recall of dental pain, the influence of other moods on prediction and recall of dental pain remains poorly investigated. Further, the potential moderation and mediation effects for dental fear, fear of pain, and mood state have not been properly researched. The present study investigated variables associated with predicted pain (pain expected during the dental procedure) and recalled pain in oral surgery patients. Data were provided by a sample of 157 patients undergoing tooth extraction under local anesthetic. Patients …