Digital Commons Network^™

Estimating Home Range Size And Density Of White-Tailed Deer (Odocoileus Virginianus) In West Virginia, Sarah M. Pesi

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Big game hunting is an important source of revenue and recreation in the United States. Of big game species, white-tailed deer (Odocileus virginianus) are the most heavily pursued. White-tailed deer are a widespread generalist species, capable of existing at high densities. Hunting is often used as the primary method of managing deer populations, particularly in the eastern United States, where there is a lack of large predators. When populations reach high densities, there can be negative effects on the environment and conflicts with humans. Managers must consider both creating adequate hunting opportunities and reducing negative impacts when managing …

Women In Extension Persevering In Leadership Roles, Lexis Danielle Trickett

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Over the last several decades, the rates at which women have been pursuing higher levels of education have steadily increased. However, there is a discrepancy between the number of women graduating, and the amount entering the workforce, specifically in leadership roles. The purpose of this study was to share a current profile of women in the West Virginia Cooperative Extension Service by allowing them to describe their career journeys, supports and barriers they may or may not have faced, and mentoring experiences. By using a non-experimental quantitative methodology, a population of male and female Extension Agents and Specialists were surveyed …

The Names Of All Wild Things: Field Guides And Environmental Thinking, Frank Izaguirre Phd

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

The project first traces the earliest origins of natural history writing, surveying how natural history writing from antiquity presented and categorized the living world, and then how the rise of print culture and growing popularity of natural history writing would facilitate the rise of European empires. Values and conventions emerged that would later feed into the field guide, like the pairing of text and illustration to aid identification and the decontextualizing of plants and animals from their environments.

Near the end of the nineteenth century, the field guide genre emerged. Some wildly popular books, mostly written by women, emphasized the …

The Line Between Man And Monster: A Theatrical Costume Design Of Caryl Churchill's The Skriker, Katrina Anne Lundquist

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Produced at West Virginia University, this is a record of the costume design process for The Skriker by Caryl Churchill. As a play about vicious folkloric faerie creatures in modern day England, there was a heavy emphasis on showcasing the difference between the human and fae characters. With such a fantastical script, there is a potential to take the design down any number of creative paths. Finding a way to cohesively costume the cast while not losing the intricacies of their individual stories became a personal priority. After coming to an agreement with the director and the rest of the …

Performance Evaluation Of Composite Utility Structures Under Wildfires And Mitigation Methods, Siddhant Sitoula

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

The Fiber Reinforced Polymer (FRP) composite utility poles and crossarms have been getting wider attention from the utility industries because of their advantages over the traditional wooden, concrete, and steel poles. Wood is vulnerable to fire, rot, and animal damage. Concrete poles are heavier, increasing both transportation and installation costs of the poles, in addition to limited-service life (40-50 years). Similarly, steel poles have durability and safety concerns because of their inherent corrosive nature and conductivity. These disadvantages are significantly reduced by the use of FRP composites in utility structures because of FRP’s strength, specific gravity, flexibility, non-conductivity and durability …

Characterization And Evaluation Of Various Biochar Types As Green Adsorbents For Rare Earth Element Recovery From Aqueous Solutions, Oluwaseun Victor Famobuwa

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Rare earth elements (REEs) are members of the lanthanide family (atomic number 57 – 71). They are significantly important to the global economy due to their applications in renewable energy, defense, and medical industries. REEs are primarily derived from bastnaesite and monazite but may also be present in xenotime, cerite, alanite, and many other types of mineralization in lesser amounts. Due to the increasing demand for REEs and their criticality in the supply chain, the need to explore secondary sources of REEs has gained tremendous importance.

Secondary sources of REEs include but are not limited to acid mine drainage (AMD), …

The Phylogeny Of Chasmataspidida, B.D. Voss

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Chasmataspidids are a group of Early Paleozoic (Middle Ordovician-Middle Devonian) chelicerates with an unclear phylogenetic placement. Though recent phylogenetic tests that include chasmataspidids support a monophyletic Chasmataspidida as sister to a Sclerophorata (Eurypterida+Arachnida) clade, very few previous phylogenetic analyses have sampled more than three of the fourteen currently recognized species. Without a robustly tested phylogenetic hypothesis, understanding macroevolutionary and biogeographic trends within chasmataspidids is difficult. Chasmataspidids also represent the earliest preserved euchelicerate in the fossil record, with Chasmataspis laurencii Caster and Brooks, 1956, dated to approximately 478 million years ago, and the group’s relationship to other euchelicerates has implications on …

Social Coordination Maintained By Progressive Delay Of Coordination-Dependent Reinforcement, Firdavs Khaydarov

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

The purpose of the present investigation was to examine coordination maintained by the progressive delay of coordination-dependent reinforcement and to compare the effects of unsignaled and signaled delays on coordination maintenance. In Experiment 1, coordination was examined using two multiple schedules in which two components alternated daily. One of the multiple schedules included progressive-delay (Component 1) and a yoked-interval (Component 2) schedule of coordination-dependent reinforcement in the two components. The other multiple schedule contained a progressive-delay (Component 1) and a yoked-interval (Component 2) schedule of coordination-independent reinforcement in the two components. Component 1 always preceded Component 2, and interreinforcer intervals …

A Podcasting Series On The Historical Event Of Hawk’S Nest Tunnel Disaster, Hannah G. Morgan

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

This professional project will look into the Hawk’s Nest Tunnel Disaster – a disaster that was birthed due to extreme capitalism and exploitation during the 1930s. This project will explore historical documents, books and interviews with those who are passionate about the event. With that research material, I will produce an educational narrative podcast with a cohesive storyline detailing the event, including a beginning, middle and end. The podcast series will be uploaded to Apple Podcasts and Spotify. This professional project can be replicated and used for other similar projects.

4d Epr Oximetry Imaging For 4d Bioprinting And Tissue Engineering, Sajad Sarvari

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Bioprinting, akin to 3D printing, employs cell-laden hydrogels such as GelMA (Gelatine Methacrylate) and Alginate instead of plastic or resin to create biological structures. The printing process followed by subsequent tissue maturation is known as 4D bioprinting, where the fourth dimension is time. Ensuring adequate and consistent oxygen, O2, supply within 3D bioprint volume over the entire maturation period process is crucial, as even transient hypoxia can impact cellular behavior and phenotypes. However, printing of fully developed vasculature remains an unresolved technical challenge. Several approaches to chemically (peroxides) or biologically (photosynthesis) generate oxygen during bioprint maturation have been proposed. However, …

Assessing The Effectiveness Of Crime Scene Measuring Techniques, Lauren M. Fagan

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Crime scene mapping is the process of measuring and fixing items present in the crime scene to obtain a detailed to-scale map of the scene as found by the crime scene investigators. When bloodstain patterns are present, investigators must analyze the bloodstains to assist in determining where the blood-shedding event occurred. The volume of origin is determined through a manual stringing method that is labor-intensive and destructive.

Technological advancements have been made in other fields, such as land surveying, and were adopted by law enforcement-related fields. These advancements include electronic terrestrial scanners, like the total station, and three-dimensional scanners, like …

Evaluating The Role Of Glucocorticoids On The Host Response To Helicobacter Pylori Infection, Sara Druffner

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Gastric cancer is the fifth most common cancer and the fifth leading cause of cancer deaths worldwide. Helicobacter pylori infection is the number one risk factor for gastric cancer development. Roughly 50% of the world’s population is infected with H. pylori, though only 1-3% of those infected will develop cancer. H. pylori drives chronic inflammation that creates the requisite environment for carcinogenesis, yet it remains unclear why some individuals develop cancer and others do not. Most mechanistic studies are done in mice, however H. pylori is not a natural mouse pathogen. Research is typically done either with mouse-adapted strains of …

Implementation Of Bayesian Statistics To Answer Diverse Engineering Questions: Applications In Cancer Immunology And Engineering Education, Anika C. Pirkey

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Quantitative Systems Pharmacology (QSP) refers to a mechanistic modeling approach used for assessing potential therapeutics by linking the molecular and cellular level mechanisms of the disease and therapeutic to the system-wide dynamics and clinical endpoints relevant to the disease. Although the field of QSP is still in its relative infancy, the mathematical methodology employed to predict the kinetics of these systems are not new and can be applied to a wide variety of systems. For instance, similar to QSP’s goal of guiding the development of novel therapeutics for various disease states, there exists a need to develop novel interventions in …

Hepatic Mrna Expression Of Innate And Adaptive Immune Genes In Beef Steers With Divergent Residual Body Weight Gain, Deborah Ologunagba

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Immune system function is critical to maintaining the health and increasing productivity of cattle, affecting both their growth and their disease resistance. In an efficient immune system, the liver assumes an integral function in detoxification and metabolic processes and contributes substantially to overall production and immunity. In this study, we evaluated the hepatic mRNA expression of genes involved in innate and adaptive immunity in crossbred beef steers with either a positive or negative residual body weight gain (RADG). Positive-RADG beef steers (n = 8; RADG = 0.76 kg/d) and negative-RADG beef steers (n = 8; RADG = -0.64 kg/d) were …

Sex, Drugs, And Tbi: The Effects Of Sex Hormones And Trkb Activation On Alcohol-Related Behavior Following A Traumatic Brain Injury, Robin B. Oliverio

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Traumatic brain injury (TBI) and alcohol use disorder (AUD) exhibit a bidirectional relationship: AUD increases the risk of incurring a TBI and, inversely, a history of TBI increases the risk of future AUD. The second portion of this relationship has not been as thoroughly investigated. Our lab previously demonstrated that a juvenile TBI significantly increases alcohol self-administration in females compared to uninjured females and the injured females developed a conditioned place preference (CPP) for ethanol. Given this stark sex difference, this dissertation will examine the mechanism through which this occurred by investigating how manipulations of sex steroids might affect this …

Characterizing 4,4’-Methylene Diphenyl Diisocyanate Exposure In Primary Human Epidermal Keratinocytes: A Multi-Omics Approach, Brandon F. Law

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Exploring the routes of exposure and biological fate of 4,4’-methylene diphenyl diisocyanate (MDI) has been a challenge for many years. Occupational exposure to MDI can result in the development of occupational asthma (MDI-OA) which results in loss of productivity, large economic costs, and costs to the individual worker. Initially, it was thought that respiratory exposure to MDI was the most likely route leading to MDI-OA. Industries utilizing MDI have been successful at controlling airborne concentrations according to industrial hygiene assessment and newly diagnosed cases of MDI-OA decreased and plateaued. New research suggests that dermal exposures to MDI may explain this …

The Role Of Synaptic Zinc Signaling In Excitatory Circuits Of The Mouse Auditory Cortex, Philip T R Bender

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Synaptic zinc signaling modulates synaptic activity and is present in specific populations of cortical neurons, suggesting that synaptic zinc contributes to the diversity of intracortical synaptic microcircuits and their functional specificity. The pool of chelatable synaptic zinc is controlled by the zinc transport protein ZnT3, a protein which functions by moving free zinc into glutamatergic presynaptic vesicles, from which it is co-released with glutamate during synaptic transmission. Once synaptic zinc is released within the synaptic cleft, it acts on glutamate receptors on the post-synaptic spine, including ionotropic NMDA and AMPA receptors. While the inhibitory function of zinc on NMDA receptors …

Diet And Population Genomics Of River Otters (Lontra Canadensis) In West Virginia, Eden Grace Nitza

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

North American river otters (Lontra canadensis), hereafter, otters, are apex predators in aquatic ecosystems across Appalachia, and thus have important impacts on their ecosystems such as food web regulation, nutrient cycling, and reducing the impacts of invasive species. Otters were extirpated from most of Appalachia, including all of West Virginia, by the mid-1900’s due to habitat destruction and overharvest. The West Virginia Division of Natural Resources (WVDNR) began an otter reintroduction program in 1984 which translocated approximately 250 otters into the state by 1997. This reintroduction program was largely considered successful, and a regulated harvest season was opened …

Examination Of The Time Course Effects Of Electronic Cigarettes On The Thoracic Aorta, Madison Robinson

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Endothelial dysfunction is a critical early marker of the pathogenesis of cardiovascular disease and a pathological biomarker in cigarette smokers. Emerging evidence finds similar cardiovascular risks resulting from electronic cigarettes (E-cig) as that seen from smoking. Logically, the time or length of exposure to E-cigs will likely influence the development of vascular dysfunction, however, the length of exposure that causes permanent damage is unknown. The goal of this study was to determine the potential window of chronic E-cig exposure that results in vascular dysfunction, which is marked by endothelial dysfunction, microvascular dysfunction, and stiffening of arteries. Based on prior chronic …

Spatial Degradation And Livelihood Diversification In The Ever-Changing Landscape Of Pastoralist Kajiado, Kenya, John A. Paine

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

The study centers on both internal and external pressures on Maasai communities, such as environmental changes and socio-economic shifts, all of which are rapidly changing. It further examines the historical colonial context in Kajiado that has led to spatial degradations - a decline in an objective geographic area's function, usage, or ecological health. Such degradation has taken on different forms based on varying cultural, environmental, and livelihood-centered understandings and motivations. Understanding this is particularly important to investigation of how the cultural identity of the Maasai shapes realities and informs decisions about livelihoods. This idea is especially relevant when, out of …

Historical Evolution Of The Late 20th-Century Maritime Claims, The Concept Of The Nine-Dash Line, And The Dispute In The South China Sea, Kamil Nowak

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

This study discusses the origins and development of the South China Sea dispute. It briefly analyzes the overlapping maritime claims, their justifications and legal aspects, and key clashes between the actors across the second half of the 20th century. It uses a historical perspective to assess the present-day conflict. The study discusses the impact of international agreements, national policies, claimants' domestic factors, and external influences connected to the geopolitical situation of the period to determine how they influenced the dispute. The analysis reveals that amidst more pressing global events, the South China Sea issue was frequently overlooked by the international …

Two Essays To Encourage Agritourism Cluster Development In The Appalachian Region: An Analysis Of Agritourism Operation Regarding Clustering And Toolkit Curriculum For Cluster Development, Oluwatoyin Adebisi

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

This study focused on encouraging agritourism operators in the study area to engage in clustering. Collaboration within networks and clusters is strongly encouraged as a catalyst for accelerating industrial transformation, developing regional competitive advantages, and boosting company and job creation. All these factors ultimately contribute to economic progress and prosperity. A snowball sampling method was used to survey 192 agritourism operators, with 145 responses meeting the inclusion criteria for analysis. Exploratory factor analysis was employed to identify factors contributing to agritourism business development in the selected six states. Based on a linear regression model, the findings reveal that net income …

Effects Of Dietary Supplementation Of A Blend Of Saccharomyces Cerevisiae, Multiple Live Probiotic Bacteria, And Their Fermentation Products On Performance, Health, And Rumen Bacterial Community Of Newly Weaned Beef Steers During A 56-D Receiving Period, Emily Treon

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

We examined the effects of a blend of Saccharomyces cerevisiae, multiple live probiotic bacteria and their fermentation products on performance, health, and the ruminal bacterial community of newly weaned beef steers during a 56-day receiving period. Forty newly weaned Angus crossbred steers (221 ± 25.6 kg BW; 180 ± 17 d of age) were stratified by body weight into four pens (10 steers per pen) such that each pen had a similar average body weight at the beginning of the experiment. The pens were randomly assigned to receive a corn silage basal diet (CON; n = 20) or the …

A Legacy Of Labor: Maternity Narratives In 1960s And 1970s North American Life Writing, Katelynn Ann Vogelpohl

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Abstract

A Legacy of Labor: Maternity Narratives in 1960s and 1970s North American Life Writing

Katelynn Ann Vogelpohl

The phenomenon of maternity has been repeatedly described as an event that shakes the very foundations of social and physical identity. As the flesh of the pregnant person literally divides to produce new life, one subject becomes enclosed within another, dramatically affecting the pregnant person’s sense of self and causing a confluence of intense, and often conflicting, feelings. In North America, there are two dominant, and seemingly opposing, discourses on pregnancy and childbirth: the institutional medical discourse and the natural childbirth discourse. …

Immunomodulation In Osteosarcoma: From Therapy To Diagnostics, Ryan Austin Lacinski

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Osteosarcoma (OS) is a rare pediatric bone malignancy. Those who develop advanced disease, often in the form of metastasis to the lung, experience poor five-year survival rates near approximately 25%. Considering minimal-to-no therapeutic breakthroughs have occurred for treatment of this disease since the 1980s, efforts to develop new therapeutics are underway. The goal of this dissertation was to initiate the preclinical efforts necessary to reinvigorate the use of immunostimulatory cytokine therapy for the treatment of OS and other solid tumors. This effort would not only include the development of the immunotherapeutic known as IL12ns, but also the clinical diagnostic tools …

Development And Application Of Functional Immune Assays To Understand Disease In Wild Smallmouth Bass Populations, Cheyenne R. Smith

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Over recent decades, the scientific community has observed a disconcerting trend – a decline in the health and stability of smallmouth bass (Micropterus dolomieu) populations across the Chesapeake Bay watershed with growing economic and ecological implications. Disease, declines, and death have been observed in multiple locations, particularly in the Susquehanna and Potomac drainages with the adults disproportionately affected in the Potomac River basin and young-of-year in the Susquehanna River basin. There has not been a single or consistent cause to the declines or mortality events. More likely, it is believed immunosuppression relating to a complex mixture of stressors has been …

Leds For Controlled Environment Agriculture: Leveraging Light To Optimize Crops, Tristan D. Sanders

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Indoor agriculture is a growing industry with many of its benefits being recognized. Light emitting diodes (LEDs) reduce production costs compared to traditional light sources. LEDs emit narrow bandwidths of light that allow growers to easily change the wavelengths plants are being grown under by using different combinations of wavelengths. Manipulating the light that plants are grown under is a method to change their physiology which is the basis of this thesis. The goal of the first two studies was to investigate how different light spectra can be used to enhance the nutrition content, growth, and morphology of kale and …

Assessing The Impact Of Olive Oil And Flaxseed Oil Supplementation On Hypertension And Inflammation In Healthy And At-Risk Adults, Tara Bess Mcnabb

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Background: Supplementation of olive oil and flaxseed oil and their impacts on hypertension and inflammation have been reported for healthy and hypertensive adults. However, a comprehensive systematic literature review and meta-analysis on the preventive benefit of plant oil supplementation in healthy adults and adults at risk of inflammation inducing hypertension is lacking.

Objective: to evaluate human clinical trials assessing the impact of olive oil and flaxseed oil capsules on systolic blood pressure (SBP) and diastolic blood pressure (DBP) and select inflammatory markers in non-hypertensive and at-risk adults of hypertension.

Data sources: Four databases were searched in October 2023 …

Implementing Unmanned Aerial Vehicles To Collect Human Gait Data At Distance And Altitude For Identification And Re-Identification, Donn E. Bartram

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Gait patterns are a class of biometric information pertaining to the way a person moves and poses. Gait information is unique to each person and can be used to identify and reidentify people. Historically, this task has been achieved through the use of multiple ground-based imaging sensors. However, as Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) advance, they present the opportunity to evolve the process of persons identification and re-identification. Collecting human gait data using UAVs at distances ranging from 20m to 500m and altitudes ranging from 0m to 120m is a challenging task. The current biometric data collection methods, primarily designed for …

Immune Outcomes Affected By Selection For Parasite Resistance In Katahdin Sheep, Kelsey Lynne Bentley

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Our understanding of the complex connection between selection for parasite resistance and the overall health outcomes in livestock is unclear. This study investigates the impact of post-weaning fecal egg count (PFEC) estimated breeding values (EBV) on health outcomes and immune responses in Katahdin sheep. Selection for PFEC, favoring Low-PFEC lambs, not only affects survivability to weaning but also suggests broader implications for immunity beyond parasite resistance. The effect of PFEC EBV on antibody production in response to vaccination against Clostridium perfringens type C&D and tetanus toxoid (CD&T) revealed a stepwise decrease in immunoglobin (IgG) from Low-PFEC to High-PFEC groups upon …