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 2851 - 2880 of 4525

Full-Text Articles in Entire DC Network

Diet Formulation And Manufacturing Technique Interactions Affect Pellet Quality And Broiler Growth., Nancy P. Buchanan Jan 2008

Diet Formulation And Manufacturing Technique Interactions Affect Pellet Quality And Broiler Growth., Nancy P. Buchanan

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

The majority of broilers are fed pelleted diets. Feeding pelleted diets results in an improvement in weight gain and feed conversion compared to feeding mash diets. However, improvements in performance are contingent upon pellet quality. Manipulation of diet formulation and manufacturing technique has been associated with pellet quality changes. However, the interaction between the two factors is rarely explored. The objectives of this series of research were (1) to explore the main effects and interactions that occur when small inclusions of fiber, protein, and moisture are added to a corn-soybean based diets; and (2) to explore the main effects and …

Go to article

Utilization Of Excess Manure Within The Chesapeake Bay Watershed: A Cost Minimization Approach., Serkan Catma Jan 2008

Utilization Of Excess Manure Within The Chesapeake Bay Watershed: A Cost Minimization Approach., Serkan Catma

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

As livestock production has become spatially concentrated, the amount of manure nutrients that need to be managed off-farm have expanded. Chesapeake Bay Watershed has been particularly impacted by trend. Kellogg (2000) reports that this watershed is among the highest ranked priority watersheds in the U.S. that is in need of protection from manure nutrients. This study focuses evaluating cost-effective ways of utilizing excess manure from poultry, dairy and swine production in Chesapeake Bay region. Alternatives examined are crop and forest land application, composting, pelletization, and electricity generation. A capacitated mixed linear integer programming is used in this study. This model …

Go to article

An In Vivo Examination Of The Pulmonary Toxicity Of Ultrafine And Fine Carbon Black And Titanium Dioxide: Defining The Role Of Particle Surface Area., Tina Marie Sager Jan 2008

An In Vivo Examination Of The Pulmonary Toxicity Of Ultrafine And Fine Carbon Black And Titanium Dioxide: Defining The Role Of Particle Surface Area., Tina Marie Sager

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

The purpose of this study was to test this hypothesis examining the in vivo effects of ultrafine and fine particles on certain parameters of pulmonary damage and inflammation in the rat model. To do this each treatment group received a dosage based on mass particles. This dosage was then expressed as surface area of the particles (instead of mass) to determine if surface area rather than mass is the more appropriate metric of dose for pulmonary toxicity studies. To assess inflammation, BAL was conducted harvested and PMNs were counted as an indicator of pulmonary inflammation. LDH activity was also measured …

Go to article

The Effect Of Follicular Aging On Gene Expression In Oocytes And Granulosal Cells., Brandon Michael Lingenfelter Jan 2008

The Effect Of Follicular Aging On Gene Expression In Oocytes And Granulosal Cells., Brandon Michael Lingenfelter

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Mammalian oogenesis usually occurs concomitantly with folliculogenesis, coordinated through paracrine effects and physical contacts. During this time, the oocyte acquires the ability to resume meiosis, undergo fertilization and sustain embryonic development. Synthesis of RNA occurs during oogenesis and is largely responsible for early embryonic development. Any perturbations that delay either activation or ovulation can result in early embryonic loss. Therefore, the interacting effects at the genomic level were investigated using a persistent follicle model. Experiment 1. The present study was conducted to analyze global gene expression profiles in granulosal cells from ovarian follicles in cows. Analysis of the microarray data …

Go to article

Development Of Criteria And Indicators For Evaluating Forest-Based Ecotourism Destinations: A Delphi Study., Maureen Young Bender Jan 2008

Development Of Criteria And Indicators For Evaluating Forest-Based Ecotourism Destinations: A Delphi Study., Maureen Young Bender

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

The purpose of this study is to 1) identify and develop criteria and indicators for forestbased ecotourism in West Virginia based on the input of academic experts in the field as well as nature-based tour operators, 2) compare similarities and differences between the two groups utilizing Spearman’s statistic and 3) create a point evaluation system. The study was conducted through two rounds of the Delphi method. E-mailed and mailed self-complete questionnaires were distributed among the participants. They were asked to rate the importance level of criteria and indicators using a Likert scale. In addition, the participants were asked to rank …

Go to article

Urban Tree Phenology: A Comparative Study Between New York City And Ithaca, New York., Ishwar Dhami Jan 2008

Urban Tree Phenology: A Comparative Study Between New York City And Ithaca, New York., Ishwar Dhami

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Studies on phenology have demonstrated that "Global warming" effect is influencing vegetation phenological processes. In order to accurately predict how climate warming affects vegetation phenology, a clear understanding of vegetation phenology and its relationship to temperature is needed. Although finding the effects of global warming on phenology across larger areas is difficult, heat island phenomena associated with urbanized area presents a unique place to investigate the local effect of warming on phenology. Thus, this study looked at the response of trees to increasing temperatures by comparing the phenological patterns of trees in a highly urbanized New York City (NYC) and …

Go to article

Youth Health Promotion In West Virginia: The Helping H.A.N.D. (Health Awareness & Nutritious Decisions) Program., Megan Christine Govindan Jan 2008

Youth Health Promotion In West Virginia: The Helping H.A.N.D. (Health Awareness & Nutritious Decisions) Program., Megan Christine Govindan

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

West Virginia is the second most rural state in the nation, with 24% of its families having incomes of less than 100% of the federal poverty level. Children of low income families are a vulnerable population at high risk for obesity, diabetes and cardiovascular complications. The Helping H.A.N.D. (Health Awareness & Nutritious Decisions) program is a socioeconomic focused health initiative designed by Megan Govindan B.S. and Cindy Fitch Ph.D., RD to improve the diet and activity of West Virginian children from low-income families. Funded by the 2007 General Mills Champions for Healthy Kids grant, this 23-week nutrition & wellness initiative …

Go to article

Focal Adhesion Kinase Mediates Caveolin-1 Expression During Epithelial To Mesenchymal Transition: A Novel Pathway Regulating Aspects Of Cell Motility In Cancer., Kelly M. Bailey Jan 2008

Focal Adhesion Kinase Mediates Caveolin-1 Expression During Epithelial To Mesenchymal Transition: A Novel Pathway Regulating Aspects Of Cell Motility In Cancer., Kelly M. Bailey

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Caveolin-1, the protein coat of caveolae membrane invaginations, was originally hypothesized to function solely as a tumor suppressor in human cancers. However, since the early 1990s, caveolin-1 has been found to be up-regulated in a number of metastatic cancers. This expression has been shown to correlate with disease progression and decreases in overall patient survival in some tumor types. Further, caveolin-1 expression is elevated in multi-drug resistant cancer cells and caveolae are thought to participate in the efflux pathway to pump drugs out of these tumor cells. The overall goal of these studies was to examine changes in and regulation …

Go to article

Phosphorylation Of Afap-110 Affects Podosome Lifespan In A7r5 Cells, A. Dorfleutner, Y. Cho, D. Vincent, J. Cunnick, H. Lin, S. A. Weed, C. Stehlik, D. C. Flynn Jan 2008

Phosphorylation Of Afap-110 Affects Podosome Lifespan In A7r5 Cells, A. Dorfleutner, Y. Cho, D. Vincent, J. Cunnick, H. Lin, S. A. Weed, C. Stehlik, D. C. Flynn

Faculty & Staff Scholarship

No abstract provided.

Go to article

Effects Of Induced Acute Phase Response In Ewes On Early Embryo Survival, Tina Lynn Dow Jan 2008

Effects Of Induced Acute Phase Response In Ewes On Early Embryo Survival, Tina Lynn Dow

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Early pregnant ewes, 5/6 day post coitus (dpc) were used as a model to study early embryonic loss via gram-positive bacterial infections, such as mastitis. Ewes 5/6 dpc were injected with a gram-positive bacteria cell wall component, peptidoglycan-polysaccharide (PG-PS), to induce an innate immune system acute phase response (APR). The induction of the APR and its reactant molecules, such as cytokines and acute phase proteins (APP), were initiated to study their effects on embryonic loss. Twenty Suffolk ewes were synchronized for estrus and bred by fertile rams. At 4 dpc ewes were anesthetized and catheters were surgically placed in the …

Go to article

Non-Apoptotic Roles Of Caspase-8 And Caspase-2, Brooke M. Helfer Jan 2008

Non-Apoptotic Roles Of Caspase-8 And Caspase-2, Brooke M. Helfer

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Caspases are proteolytic enzymes involved in committing apoptosis, but through the studies of knockout phenotypes in mice and Drosophila , it has been speculated that caspases might possess additional non-apoptotic functions.;We have found non-apoptotic functions for caspase-8 in both normal and tumor cell lines. Specifically, we found that caspase-8 promotes cell migration, adhesion, and Rac activation. Subsequently, we also found that caspase-8 interacts with the p85 subunit of PI3K. Accompanying stimulation of motility with epidermal growth factor the phosphorylation of caspase-8 on tyrosine-380 is induced and this phosphorylation allows for p85 interaction, cell migration, adhesion, and Rac activation. Caspase-8 also …

Go to article

Analysis Of Timekeeper Implicates Antagonism Between Ck2 And Pp2a During Drosophila Neurogenesis, Ezgi Kunttas Jan 2008

Analysis Of Timekeeper Implicates Antagonism Between Ck2 And Pp2a During Drosophila Neurogenesis, Ezgi Kunttas

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

It is increasingly becoming apparent that dynamic control of phosphorylation and dephosphorylation underlies the proper spatial and temporal activities of many signaling circuits including Notch (N). Emerging evidence suggests that protein kinase CK2 mediates the effects of N during Drosophila eye and bristle development via phosphorylation of E(spl) repressors. Previous studies in our laboratory shown that reducing levels/activity of CK2 elicits rough eyes due to excess R8 founders and ectopic and split bristles due to excess SOP's, both indicative of impaired lateral inhibition and N signaling. While these studies implicate a role for CK2 in the regulation of E(spl), the …

Go to article

Investigation Of Selenium And Arsenic In Coal-Mining Associated Rocks And Sediments Using Ultrasonic And Sequential Extractions Techniques, Innocent Pumure Jan 2008

Investigation Of Selenium And Arsenic In Coal-Mining Associated Rocks And Sediments Using Ultrasonic And Sequential Extractions Techniques, Innocent Pumure

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Ultrasound extraction was used to compare the accelerated release rates of arsenic and selenium from pulverized rocks associated with mountain-top removal/valley fill method of coal mining. The kinetic studies demonstrated that the release rates are dependent on rock lithology as well as the total concentrations found in the rocks. Se (IV) was found to be stable under ultrasonic irradiation (200 W/cm2) but As (III) was quickly oxidized to As (V). Rocks such as BT700 were found to have more Se (IV) compared to Se (VI) and others such as BT571 were found to contain more Se (VI) than Se (IV).;Continuous …

Go to article

Collective Behavior Of Stabilized Reaction-Diffusion Waves, Aaron J. Steele, Mark Tinsley, Kenneth Showalter Jan 2008

Collective Behavior Of Stabilized Reaction-Diffusion Waves, Aaron J. Steele, Mark Tinsley, Kenneth Showalter

Faculty & Staff Scholarship

No abstract provided.

Go to article

The U.S. Social Economy And The Commons Model Of Production, Roger A. Lohmann Jan 2008

The U.S. Social Economy And The Commons Model Of Production, Roger A. Lohmann

Faculty & Staff Scholarship

Recent work in Canada and Europe has re-emphasized the place of nonprofit organizations, as that term is conventionally understood in the broader context of social economy. Although not generally recognized by U.S. and international scholars, a distinctive concept of social economy largely compatible with the Canadian and European formulations is embedded in U.S. constitutional, corporate, charitable and tax law. However, its full recognition is discouraged in the current U.S. political culture and third sector studies. The U.S. social economy provides full and robust, recognition of the social, political and economic organizations known as commons, as well as nonprofit firms.

Go to article

Nraes-171 Animal Production Systems For Pasture-Based Livestock Production.Pdf, Edward Barrow Rayburn Jan 2008

Nraes-171 Animal Production Systems For Pasture-Based Livestock Production.Pdf, Edward Barrow Rayburn

Faculty & Staff Scholarship

Dr. Edward B. Rayburn was the originator of this book series at the request of the director of NRAES. As a collaborator in the Northeast Pasture Consortium he recruited authors for the chapters in the books and served as the technical editor of the books.

Go to article

Forage Pasture Production Risk Analysis And The Buffering Capacity Of Triticale, William M. Clapham, Jim M. Fedders, A Ozzie Abaye, Edward Barrow Rayburn Jan 2008

Forage Pasture Production Risk Analysis And The Buffering Capacity Of Triticale, William M. Clapham, Jim M. Fedders, A Ozzie Abaye, Edward Barrow Rayburn

Faculty & Staff Scholarship

No abstract provided.

Go to article

Initial Nutritive Value And Utilization Affect Apparent Diet Quality Of Grazed Forage, Edward Barrow Rayburn Jan 2008

Initial Nutritive Value And Utilization Affect Apparent Diet Quality Of Grazed Forage, Edward Barrow Rayburn

Faculty & Staff Scholarship

No abstract provided.

Go to article

Extending Grazing And Reducting Stored Feed Needs - Don Ball Etal, Don Ball Jan 2008

Extending Grazing And Reducting Stored Feed Needs - Don Ball Etal, Don Ball

Faculty & Staff Scholarship

No abstract provided.

Go to article

Is Clear Lake Methylmercury Distribution Decoupled From Bulk Mercury Loading, Thomas H. Suchanek, Collin A. Eagles-Smith, E. James Harner Jan 2008

Is Clear Lake Methylmercury Distribution Decoupled From Bulk Mercury Loading, Thomas H. Suchanek, Collin A. Eagles-Smith, E. James Harner

Faculty & Staff Scholarship

No abstract provided.

Go to article

Production Of Docosahexaenoic Acid By Crypthecodinium Cohnii Using Continuous-Mode Process, Deniz Inan Jan 2008

Production Of Docosahexaenoic Acid By Crypthecodinium Cohnii Using Continuous-Mode Process, Deniz Inan

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), an omega-3 fatty acid found in cold-water fish, has positive health benefits. While the suggested amount of 220 mg/day for adults may be attained by consuming fish, this may increase exposure to environmental pollutants. The heterotrophic marine alga Crypthecodinium cohnii is an important source of DHA because C. cohnii can accumulate lipid greater than 20% of their biomass with a large fraction of DHA (30-50%). Commercially, DHA production by C. cohnii is conducted in large bioreactors (∼100 m3 capacity) using a batch-mode process. The purpose of this study was to investigate lipid and DHA production by C. …

Go to article

Effects Of Aging And Gender On Vasoreactivity Of Coronary Arterioles, Amanda Jo Leblanc Jan 2008

Effects Of Aging And Gender On Vasoreactivity Of Coronary Arterioles, Amanda Jo Leblanc

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

The purpose of the first study was to determine how age and ovarian hormones affect flow-induced vasodilation in the coronary microcirculation. Coronary arterioles were isolated from young, middle-aged, and old control, ovariectomized (OVX) and ovariectomized + estrogen replaced (OVE) female Fischer-344 rats to assess vasodilation to increases in flow. L-NAME, a nitric oxide synthase (NOS) inhibitor, was used to assess NO contribution to flow-induced dilation (FID). FID of coronary arterioles was impaired with advancing age. Ovariectomy reduced FID in young females only; however, estrogen-replacement restored or improved FID in all age groups. FID was reduced after pretreatment with L-NAME in …

Go to article

Bioinformatic Study Of Gamma-Secretase And Its Substrates, Fei Nan Jan 2008

Bioinformatic Study Of Gamma-Secretase And Its Substrates, Fei Nan

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

gamma-Secretase is an enzymatic complex critical to amyloid formation and other important pathophysiological processes. Non-specific gamma-secretase inhibitors are not ideal for intervention of familial Alzheimer's disease. The four essential include Presenilin (PS1 or PS-2), APH-1, Pen-2, nicastrin (Nct). Also gamma-secretase cleaves a variety of substrates (over 30). But different sites are cleaved even in a single substrate and no consensus sequence for cleavage by gamma-secretase is identified. We hypothesize that consensus compositional sequence (or functional domain) in components of gamma-secretase and/or its substrates should exist during gamma-secretase regulation and specific gamma-secretase inhibitor based on such consensus sequence (or functional domain) …

Go to article

Essays On Remote Monitoring As An Emerging Tool For Centralized Management Of Decentralized Wastewater Systems, Clement Solomon Jan 2008

Essays On Remote Monitoring As An Emerging Tool For Centralized Management Of Decentralized Wastewater Systems, Clement Solomon

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

According to the United States Environmental Protections Agency (USEPA), nearly one in four households in the United States depends on an individual septic system (commonly referred as an onsite system or a decentralized wastewater system) to treat and disperse wastewater. More than half of these systems are over 30 years old, and surveys indicate at least 10 to 20% might not be functioning properly. The USEPA concluded in its 1997 report to Congress that adequately managed decentralized wastewater systems (DWS) are a cost-effective and long-term option for meeting public health and water quality goals, particularly in less densely populated areas.;The …

Go to article

Rates Of Swim Bladder Parasite Infection And Pit Tag Retention In Upstream Migrant American Eels Of The Upper Potomac River Drainage, Jennifer L. Zimmerman Jan 2008

Rates Of Swim Bladder Parasite Infection And Pit Tag Retention In Upstream Migrant American Eels Of The Upper Potomac River Drainage, Jennifer L. Zimmerman

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

This thesis involved two components: identification of the parasite Anguillicola crassus in American eels, Anguilla rostrata and PIT tag retention in eels in a laboratory setting. The recent spread of the swim bladder nematode parasite, Anguillicola crassus, in American eels has caused concern among biologists and fishery managers. A total of 244 yellow-phase American eels were collected at the Millville Dam eel ladder on the Shenandoah River, WV. Swim bladders were removed and examined for the presence of the nematode parasite. The number of parasites in each eel was recorded, and prevalence, intensity, and mean intensity were calculated. A swim …

Go to article

Biomolecular Shuttles Under Dielectrophoretic Forces, Yongkuk Lee Jan 2008

Biomolecular Shuttles Under Dielectrophoretic Forces, Yongkuk Lee

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Motor proteins and filaments are essential elements in living cells. They are employed in skeletal muscles to generate forces, they transport cargos such as organelles to specific locations in the cells or they reorganize themselves to change a cell's structure. Moreover, motor proteins and filaments use hydrolysis of adenosine triphosphate (ATP) as chemical fuel to generate mechanical movement in their interaction. Understanding the behavior of these enticed nano-sized machines and their properties, yet to be mimicked and synthesized by humans is very important to the future development of transport in nanoscale. Thus far, researchers succeeded in demonstrating the interaction of …

Go to article

Characterization Of Changes In Muscle Performance In Vivo During A Chronic Exposure Of Stretch-Shortening Cycles: Age Effects., Kenneth B. Geronilla Jan 2008

Characterization Of Changes In Muscle Performance In Vivo During A Chronic Exposure Of Stretch-Shortening Cycles: Age Effects., Kenneth B. Geronilla

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

The objective of this research was to investigate the skeletal muscle response to a chronic administration of stretch-shortening cycles (SSCs) in young and old rats. Dorsiflexor muscles of old and young rats were exposed 3 times per week for 4.5 weeks to a protocol of 80 maximal stretch-shortening cycles per exposure in vivo. Skeletal muscle response was characterized by force and work parameters of the stretch-shortening contraction at each exposure interval. The performance of the young and old groups was not statistically different at the start of the exposure, but increased significantly by 25%-30% in the young animals and decreased …

Go to article

Discriminative-Stimulus And Time-Course Effects Of Kava-Kava (Piper Methysticum) In Rats, Natalie R. Bruner Jan 2008

Discriminative-Stimulus And Time-Course Effects Of Kava-Kava (Piper Methysticum) In Rats, Natalie R. Bruner

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Kava-kava is a widely available and used herbal medicine that is not regulated in many countries, including the United States. There are many questions concerning kava-kava's stimulus properties, potential for therapeutic use, and potential for abuse. Although there is evidence that kava may possess some anxiolytic properties, the supplement's mechanism of action and the extent to which it may serve as an alternative to pharmaceutical anxiolytics are unknown. To date, there is no research examining whether kava shares discriminative-stimulus properties with a standard pharmaceutical anxiolytic such as chlordiazepoxide (CDP). The current study compared different doses of kava in two groups …

Go to article

Involvement Of Adenosine A1 Receptors In Systemic Inflammation And Altered Vascular Reactivity In Allergic Mice, Dovenia S. Ponnoth Jan 2008

Involvement Of Adenosine A1 Receptors In Systemic Inflammation And Altered Vascular Reactivity In Allergic Mice, Dovenia S. Ponnoth

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Epidemiological studies have established that people who have lung diseases such as asthma and COPD are likely to develop adverse cardiovascular events. While the reason for this has not been elucidated, it is believed that inflammation could be the key component linking the two conditions. Adenosine, an endogenous purine nucleoside, has been strongly implicated in asthma pathophysiology and also has potent effects on the cardiovascular system. This work was undertaken to gain a better understanding of the relationship between asthma and its cardiovascular effects, and more specifically the possible role adenosine plays under these conditions.;We hypothesize that asthmatic lung inflammation …

Go to article

Composition, Conservation, Evolution, And Function Of The Cold Shock Domain Proteins In Plants, Kari Beth Thompson Jan 2008

Composition, Conservation, Evolution, And Function Of The Cold Shock Domain Proteins In Plants, Kari Beth Thompson

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Cold shock domain proteins, or CSPs, are among the most ancient and conserved nucleic acid binding proteins. They have been well characterized in prokaryotic systems but little is known about their function in plants. The overall objective of this study was to understand the evolution and function of the cold shock domain in plant model systems. To pinpoint conserved areas within CSD an alignment was made of the cold shock domain protein sequences based on nucleotide sequence information found within EST databases. A description of domains found in the plant CSPs was prepared and a descriptive nomenclature system was developed. …

Go to article

First Prev Next Last