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Determination Of The Nutritional Value, Protein Quality And Safety Of Krill Protein Concentrate Isolated Using An Isolelectric Solubilization/Precipitation Technique, Joseph Christopher Gigliotti Dec 2007

Determination Of The Nutritional Value, Protein Quality And Safety Of Krill Protein Concentrate Isolated Using An Isolelectric Solubilization/Precipitation Technique, Joseph Christopher Gigliotti

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Despite its abundance and nutritional value, krill has not been widely utilized for human consumption due to the lack of proper technology for protein recovery. The study objectives were to isolate krill protein concentrate (KPC) and to determine the nutritional value, health benefits, and safety of KPC for human consumption. Proximate analysis indicated KPC on a dry basis is composed of ∼78% protein and ∼8% fat of which ∼27% are omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (o-3 PUFAs). The amino acid composition of KPC indicated that all nine essential amino acids were present in amounts that met the requirements for adult humans …

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Attitudes Of 4-H Club Leaders Toward Volunteer Training In West Virginia, Jennifer Post Dec 2007

Attitudes Of 4-H Club Leaders Toward Volunteer Training In West Virginia, Jennifer Post

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Volunteers are essential to the 4-H program. This study was conducted to determine why individuals volunteer for 4-H, how volunteers feel towards the training they are offered, what the training needs of 4-H volunteers were, and the methods 4-H volunteers prefer to receive training. A questionnaire was sent to 260 volunteer club leaders in 27 counties in the state of West Virginia. 4-H volunteers have multiple reasons for being a volunteer club leader including helping people and working with youth. 4-H volunteer club leaders feel that training is important in becoming a leader and that training is for everyone regardless …

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Choice Among Stimuli In Equivalence Classes, Christina Alligood Dec 2007

Choice Among Stimuli In Equivalence Classes, Christina Alligood

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Stability in responding to stimuli within equivalence classes has implications for the maintenance of classes and the ease at which they can be reformed. One way of investigating stability is to examine accuracy and speed of responding as a function of nodal number, or the number of nodes between stimuli in a class. Previous research suggests that subjects respond more quickly and more accurately on relations involving fewer nodes (Fields, Adams, & Verhave, 1989 [May]; Fields, Adams, Verhave, & Newman, 1990; Fields, Adams, & Verhave, 1993; Fields, Landon-Jiminez, Buffington, & Adams, 1995; Spencer & Chase, 1996). A second way to …

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Stream Water Quality And Benthic Macroinvertebrate Ecology In A Coal-Mining, Acid-Sensitive Region, George T. Merovich Jr. Dec 2007

Stream Water Quality And Benthic Macroinvertebrate Ecology In A Coal-Mining, Acid-Sensitive Region, George T. Merovich Jr.

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Acid mine drainage (AMD) and acid rain are important sources of impairment to streams in the Tygart Valley and Cheat River basins in north central West Virginia, USA. Due to a network of abandoned mined lands and bond forfeiture sites in this coal-mining region, AMD represents severe, but rather localized impacts to water quality. AMD is a consequence of the chemical oxidation of reduced geological minerals (sulfides) usually associated with coal during mining operations. The reactions produce aqueous solutions high in sulfates and dissolved metals when the minerals are exposed to the oxic environment through land disturbance. In addition, the …

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Stand Dynamics Of An Old-Growth Hemlock-Hardwood Forest In West Virginia, Nathan R. Beane Dec 2007

Stand Dynamics Of An Old-Growth Hemlock-Hardwood Forest In West Virginia, Nathan R. Beane

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Cathedral State Park (CSP) is a 54-ha, old-growth, hemlock-hardwood forest located in the central Appalachian Mountains of West Virginia. Trees larger than 100 cm diameter at breast height (dbh) and 35 m tall are common. Hemlock woolly adelgid (HWA) (Adelges tsugae Annand) is an exotic insect that currently threatens eastern hemlock (Tsuga canadensis (L.) Carr.) throughout its native range, and was found in CSP in 2002. In 2006, field plots established in 2000 were remeasured to assess adelgid-induced changes to forest structure and species composition. The herbaceous plant community was also measured during the 2006 growing season to describe how …

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Dot Matrices, Kelly Suzanne Sipes Dec 2007

Dot Matrices, Kelly Suzanne Sipes

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

My thesis work is the production and mapping of painterly space using particular methods of formal abstraction, in contrast with common pattern. I construct these paintings in several layers, embellishing gestural atmospheres with idiosyncratic shapes and patterns in alternating rhythms. My focus is on the development of improvisational processes, creating a less ceremonious context for the measure of abstract painting as an idea, a visual language, and as an autonomous object. My technique of mapping is established to consider a territory for a reformed autonomous identity that is in opposition to the pluralist excesses of the postmodern. This paper will …

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Life After The Establishment Clause, Steven G. Gey Sep 2007

Life After The Establishment Clause, Steven G. Gey

West Virginia Law Review

No abstract provided.

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"Sectarianizing" Civil Religion? A Comment On Gedicks And Hendrix, Steven D. Smith Sep 2007

"Sectarianizing" Civil Religion? A Comment On Gedicks And Hendrix, Steven D. Smith

West Virginia Law Review

No abstract provided.

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Relationship Between Food Insecurity And Overweight In Preschool-Aged Children In Rural West Virginia, Melissa Webber Aug 2007

Relationship Between Food Insecurity And Overweight In Preschool-Aged Children In Rural West Virginia, Melissa Webber

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

The prevalence of overweight among adults and children continues to increase. The purpose of this study was to evaluate demographic factors that may be associated with an increase in a child's weight status. Subjects were children aged 2 to 6 years old in two southern West Virginia counties, McDowell and Mercer. Children were weighed and measured, and BMI was calculated. Parents or other caregivers were asked to complete a questionnaire regarding child's age, household food security, and parents' age, height and weight, education level, and hours worked per week.;A positive association between food insecurity and overweight among children was present …

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Insulin-Induced Endothelial Cell Proliferation And Viability In Stretched Murine Skin And Cell Culture, Carl D. Shrader Jr. Aug 2007

Insulin-Induced Endothelial Cell Proliferation And Viability In Stretched Murine Skin And Cell Culture, Carl D. Shrader Jr.

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

We developed a novel in vivo model utilizing acute stretch to investigate endothelial cell (EC) proliferation as a marker of vascular growth in healing SKH1 mouse skin. We also used human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) as an in vitro model system to validate postulated tissue insulin-mediated signal transduction pathway(s) using paradigms that would prove lethal in the animal model.;Dorsal distally based flaps of skin were stretched for 3 min using linear (skin hook) plus hemispherical load cycling (inflated subcutaneous silicone catheter). Unstretched, wounded skin along the back and sternum served as postoperative controls. Laser Doppler flowmetry demonstrated a three-fold …

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Frequency Of Aeromonas Spp. Detection In Rainbow Trout And Recirculation Aquaculture Systems And The Storage Stability Of Fillets, Tabetha Marie Littler Aug 2007

Frequency Of Aeromonas Spp. Detection In Rainbow Trout And Recirculation Aquaculture Systems And The Storage Stability Of Fillets, Tabetha Marie Littler

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Recirculating aquaculture systems enable increased fish production per volume of water. Unfortunately, recirculation systems also provide conditions for bacterial growth. Aeromonas, a genus of bacteria ubiquitous in the environment, contains fish pathogens, human pathogens, and/or spoilage organisms. Of the salmonid species, rainbow trout are the most susceptible to Motile Aeromonad Septicemia (MAS), the fish disease caused by Aeromonas spp. In humans, illnesses such as gastroenteritis, septicemia, and wound infections are caused by ingestion or exposure to Aeromonas spp. The objective of this study was to survey Aeromonas spp. present in the production system, on the fish, and on the butterfly …

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The Effect Of Moisture Addition With A Mold Inhibitor On Feed Manufacture, Pellet Quality, And Broiler Performance, John M. Hott Aug 2007

The Effect Of Moisture Addition With A Mold Inhibitor On Feed Manufacture, Pellet Quality, And Broiler Performance, John M. Hott

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Commercial broilers are typically fed pelleted diets because of the resulting improvements in bird performance and ease of transportation. Feed and feed manufacturing costs account for 60--70% of the total costs incurred in a broiler production system. Feed manufacturers are constantly searching for ways to decrease production costs while maintaining high pellet quality. Moisture addition at the mixer has been shown to increase pellet quality and decrease pellet mill energy consumption. However, past literature has incorporated high moisture addition levels that may be impractical in an industrial setting. The objective of this study was to determine the effects of moisture …

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Alterations In Progesterone Catabolic Enzymes By Insulin, Caleb Owens Lemley Aug 2007

Alterations In Progesterone Catabolic Enzymes By Insulin, Caleb Owens Lemley

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

The current experiments were conducted to determine if insulin could alter the progesterone catabolic enzymes, cytochrome P450 2C and 3A in vitro, utilizing a mouse hepatocyte cell-line, or in vivo, utilizing the ovariectomized ewe as a model. The objectives of the in vitro work were to determine if a four hour challenge with insulin, glucagon or a combination of both insulin and glucagon would lead to a reduction in the relative abundance of CYP2C39 or CYP3A13 mRNA, as well as a decrease in the enzymatic activities of CYP3A and CYP2C subfamilies. A dose dependent decrease (P < 0.05) in CYP2C and CYP3A activity was observed in hepatocytes challenged with increasing concentrations of insulin, while a challenge with glucagon had no effect on cytochrome P450 2C or 3A activity. Cytochrome P450 2C activity was decreased (P < 0.05) during exposure of cells to 1.0 nM insulin and 0.1 nM glucagon as well as 0.1 nM insulin and 1.0 nM glucagon. Cells cultured with 1.0 nM insulin and 0.1 nM glucagon showed a trend ( P < 0.10) for a decrease in CYP3A activity. The relative abundance of CYP2C39 and CYP3A13 mRNA showed no response to insulin, glucagon or a combination of insulin and glucagon exposure. These data support a model in which the known insulin-induced decrease in progesterone catabolism is a result of a reduction in CYP2C and CYP3A activity. The objectives of the in vivo experiment, utilizing ovariectomized ewes, were to determine if supplementing feed with either sodium acetate or sodium propionate altered insulin secretion, hepatic activity of cytochrome P450 2C and 3A, and/or progesterone clearance. Sixteen ovariectomized ewes were fed 3 kg/d for 10 d, a diet consisting of 50% corn silage, 38% triticale haylage, 12% soy bean meal, and 200 mL of 3.5 M sodium acetate (energy control n = 8) or 2.0 M sodium propionate (gluconeogenic substrate; n = 8). Insulin concentrations were determined directly before feeding and at 15, 30, 60, 90, 120, 180, 240, and 300 min. Progesterone clearance from peripheral circulation was measured by giving a 5 mg injection of progesterone into the left jugular vein and collecting blood via the right jugular vein at 2, 4, 6, 8, 10, 15, 20 and 30 min afterwards. Liver biopsies were taken one hour after feeding and used for determination of cytochrome P450 2C and 3A activities. Insulin concentrations in ewes supplemented with sodium propionate were elevated (P < 0.05) at 15, 30 and 60 minutes after feeding compared to the sodium acetate group. Cytochrome P450 2C and 3A activity were decreased (P ≤ 0.05) 1 h after feeding in the sodium propionate treatment relative to sodium acetate treatment. Clearance of progesterone from the peripheral circulation, one hour after feeding, was similar between treatment groups, as well as the average fractional rate constant of progesterone clearance (k). Elucidating a mechanism to decrease progesterone catabolism, thereby increasing concentrations of progesterone, seems a logical approach to ameliorate high rates of embryonic loss without compromising dry matter intake.

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Post-Fledging Ecology And Survival Of Neotropical Migratory Songbirds On A Managed Appalachian Forest, Tim A. Dellinger Aug 2007

Post-Fledging Ecology And Survival Of Neotropical Migratory Songbirds On A Managed Appalachian Forest, Tim A. Dellinger

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

During the post-fledging period, some juvenile songbirds appear to require early successional habitats at some level, suggesting that disturbance (whether natural or anthropogenic) in the landscape is important. Previous studies of juvenile Wood Thrushes (Hylocichla mustelina) have found them in early successional areas in which adults do not nest. My objective was to determine how juvenile Wood Thrushes used areas harvested through various silvicultural techniques within a forested landscape. I examined settled areas, habitat use, survival, and daily movements of 55 radio-tagged juvenile Wood Thrushes on a managed forest in the central Appalachian mountains of West Virginia during 2004 to …

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Stream Fish Populations In A Watershed Scale Context For Fish Community Dynamics In Central Appalachian Watersheds, Zina Hense Aug 2007

Stream Fish Populations In A Watershed Scale Context For Fish Community Dynamics In Central Appalachian Watersheds, Zina Hense

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

In this study we first conducted a three pass removal study to estimate electrofishing capture probabilities for species and size classes of fish common in the Cheat River and Tygart River watersheds of West Virginia. We then calculated models of capture probabilities for 12 species that were divided into two size classes based on site-specific physico-chemical variables. We took these capture probability models and applied them to a watershed scale study in the Cheat River and Tygart Valley River watersheds of West Virginia. We sampled across the two watersheds with the objective of quantifying and relating juvenile and adult distributions …

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Management Perceptions Of Off-Highway Vehicle Use On National Forest System Lands In Appalachia, Katherine A. Thompson Aug 2007

Management Perceptions Of Off-Highway Vehicle Use On National Forest System Lands In Appalachia, Katherine A. Thompson

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Because of recent changes in the USDA Forest Service (USFS) travel management regulations, all National Forests are required to create a travel management atlas that includes a motor vehicle use map by 2009. The purpose of this study was to determine the perceptions of OHV use, issues, and management among USFS District Rangers on National Forests in the Appalachian region, and to determine the differences in perceptions of those District Rangers based on the level of OHV recreation opportunities provided on their Districts. Having this information available will help managers make decisions about how to update their travel management plans. …

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Increased Resistance Of Escherichia Coli O157:H7 To Electron Beam Following Repetitive Irradiation At Sub-Lethal Doses And An Analysis Of Genes Of Escherichia Coli Resistance, Leah Levanduski Aug 2007

Increased Resistance Of Escherichia Coli O157:H7 To Electron Beam Following Repetitive Irradiation At Sub-Lethal Doses And An Analysis Of Genes Of Escherichia Coli Resistance, Leah Levanduski

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

One way that food processors in the United States control food-borne pathogens in a non-thermal manner is with the application of electron beam (e-beam) radiation. Increased resistance of Escherichia coli O157:H7 to various stressors such as pH, temperature, ionic strength, and antibiotics has been demonstrated; therefore, the objective of this study was to determine if the D10-value for E. coli O157:H7 ( E. coli) in ground beef increases due to repetitive exposure to e-beam at sub-lethal levels. Ground beef samples were inoculated with an ATCC strain of E. coli and incubated to approximately 109 CFU/g followed by e-beam processing. Survivors …

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Biolayer Modeling And Optimization For The Sparrow Biosensor, Ke Feng Aug 2007

Biolayer Modeling And Optimization For The Sparrow Biosensor, Ke Feng

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Biosensor direct detection of molecular binding events is of significant interest in applications from molecular screening for cancer drug design to bioagent detection for homeland security and defense. The Stacked Planar Affinity Regulated Resonant Optical Waveguide (SPARROW) structure based on coupled waveguides was recently developed to achieve increased sensitivity within a fieldable biosensor device configuration. Under ideal operating conditions, modification of the effective propagation constant of the structure's sensing waveguide through selective attachment of specific targets to probes on the waveguide surface results in a change in the coupling characteristics of the guide over a specifically designed interaction length with …

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Parametric Design Of A Coal Mine Refuge Chamber, Michael A. Fasouletos Aug 2007

Parametric Design Of A Coal Mine Refuge Chamber, Michael A. Fasouletos

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

In 2006 several coal mine tragedies led to safety legislation to provide post accident protection to coal miners. One of the key aspects of this legislation was providing refuge areas where miners could await rescue if they could not escape the mine. These refuge areas were to be designed to sustain life for four days, providing the miners with adequate oxygen, carbon dioxide scrubbing, food, water, and reasonable temperature control. A parametric study has been performed to provide further definition of the requirements in order to design an optimal portable refuge chamber with little or no electricity to enhance the …

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Segmentation Of Images With Low-Contrast Edges, Matthew J. Madden Aug 2007

Segmentation Of Images With Low-Contrast Edges, Matthew J. Madden

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

A vast amount of the current research in medical image analysis has aimed to develop improved techniques of image segmentation. Of the existing approaches, active contour methods have proven effective by incorporating edge or region information from the image into a level set formulation. However, complications arise in images containing regions of low-contrast due to noise, occlusions, or partial volume effects, which are often unavoidable in practical applications. Incorporating prior shape information into the segmentation framework provides a more accurate and robust solution by constraining the evolving contour to resemble a target shape. Two methods are presented to incorporate a …

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Effects Of Varying Body Forces On Isothermal And Non Isothermal Liquid Jet Impingement, Deepak Mehra May 2007

Effects Of Varying Body Forces On Isothermal And Non Isothermal Liquid Jet Impingement, Deepak Mehra

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Liquid jet impingement is often used to cool heated surfaces encountered in various industrial applications. Such applications include cooling of electronic components and annealing of metals. Liquid jet impingement investigations primarily involve submerged jets and less commonly free liquid jets. Most of the studies done on both submerged jet impingement and free liquid jet impingement are done under terrestrial gravity conditions. There have been few studies on liquid jet impingement under non terrestrial conditions in zero or non zero gravitational force or of electrical body forces. These conditions are expected to result in significantly different flow patterns and heat transfer …

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Electronic Instrumentation Of Coal Slurry Impoundments For Real-Time Data Collection To Support Automated Monitoring, James A. Altobello May 2007

Electronic Instrumentation Of Coal Slurry Impoundments For Real-Time Data Collection To Support Automated Monitoring, James A. Altobello

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Following the breakthrough and release of coal slurry from the Martin County Coal Corporation impoundment near Inez, Kentucky on October 11, 2000 the United States Congress requested the National Research Council (NRC) to examine ways to reduce these types of accidents. The NRC completed their study titled "Coal Waste Impoundments" which identified numerous areas of concern and the committee presented recommendations for improving the design, operation, and safety of coal slurry impoundments. This research addresses the National Research Council's findings for introducing state-of-practice electronic instrumentation for monitoring parameters within the embankment and slurry pool area of an impoundment. This research …

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Indian Warfare, Household Competency, And The Settlement Of The Western Virginia Frontier, 1749 To 1794, John M. Boback May 2007

Indian Warfare, Household Competency, And The Settlement Of The Western Virginia Frontier, 1749 To 1794, John M. Boback

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

The thesis of this dissertation is that Indian-related violence and warfare had a profound influence on the duration and nature of the frontier experience of those men and women who settled in the western Virginia backcountry between 1749 and 1794. Recurrent attacks by Shawnees, Delawares, Mingos, and Indians from the Great Lakes region caused such widespread death, destruction, and depopulation that it effectively prolonged the period of austere and difficult living conditions for over forty years. This conclusion contradicts the assertions of some recent scholars who have argued that crude living conditions lasted for only a year or two on …

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Epithelial Mechanisms In Airway Responses Induced By Hyperosmolarity, Yi Jing May 2007

Epithelial Mechanisms In Airway Responses Induced By Hyperosmolarity, Yi Jing

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

There is airway dilation in normal people but obstruction in asthmatic patients during exercise; this has been thought to be initiated by hyperventilation causing evaporative water loss and hyperosmolarity of the airway surface liquid (ASL). In animal experiments the epithelium can detect osmolarity increases in the ASL and mediate relaxation of airway smooth muscle by releasing epithelium-derived relaxing factor (EpDRF), while in asthmatic patients this local regulatory function could be altered because of damage to epithelium. Challenged by hyperosmolarity, epithelial cells undergo shrinkage, volume-related ion transport, and release regulatory mediators, such as EpDRF. The changes in epithelial ion transport and …

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Comparison Of Two Electrofishing Gears (Backpack And Parallel Wires) And Abundances Of Fishes Of The Upper Greenbrier River Drainage, Angela D. Burns May 2007

Comparison Of Two Electrofishing Gears (Backpack And Parallel Wires) And Abundances Of Fishes Of The Upper Greenbrier River Drainage, Angela D. Burns

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

The type of electrofishing gear influences capture efficiencies and abundance estimates of stream fishes. Few studies have examined the Holton and Sullivan (1954) parallel wires method of electrofishing. For this study, I modeled removal data with seven sampling occasions of three common species, western blacknose dace (Rhinichthys obtusus), fantail darter (Etheostoma flabellare), and mottled sculpin ( Cottus bairdi) from 10 paired sites in the upper Greenbrier River drainage, West Virginia, and estimated capture efficiencies of two electrofishing gear types (the Holton and Sullivan parallel wires method with alternating current and backpack units with pulsed-direct current). Ten candidate models represented alternative …

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Perceptions Of Calf Pool Participants Toward West Virginia Calf Pool Organizations, Carrie M. Stemple May 2007

Perceptions Of Calf Pool Participants Toward West Virginia Calf Pool Organizations, Carrie M. Stemple

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

The purpose of this study was to determine perceptions of West Virginia calf pool producers with their local organization. This study was a descriptive survey research conducted with West Virginia calf pool producers who participated in a calf pool in 2005 and/or 2006. The majority of participants in the study reported that they were satisfied with the calf pool organizations, and would continue to participate. Over half reported that they planned to increase their production within five years in order to market more calves through the calf pool. The average calf pool producer in West Virginia is over 50 years …

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Pre-Breeding Food Habits And Condition Of Ruffed Grouse And Effects On Reproduction In The Central And Southern Appalachians, C. Robert Long May 2007

Pre-Breeding Food Habits And Condition Of Ruffed Grouse And Effects On Reproduction In The Central And Southern Appalachians, C. Robert Long

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Previous researchers have hypothesized that low ruffed grouse densities in the central and southern Appalachians may be related to nutritional constraints. Working as part of the Appalachian Cooperative Grouse Research Project (ACGRP), I investigated the pre-breeding food habits and body condition of 432 ruffed grouse from 9 states and explored relations between nutrition of breeding females and productivity in the central and southern Appalachians. The pre-breeding diet of ruffed grouse in the Appalachians differed substantially from grouse in more northern regions and was highly variable among and within sites and years. Grouse feeding on hard mast contained 71--79% greater fat …

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Genetic And Evolutionary Consequences Of Harvest In American Ginseng, Panax Quinquefolius L. (Araliaceae), Emily H. Mooney May 2007

Genetic And Evolutionary Consequences Of Harvest In American Ginseng, Panax Quinquefolius L. (Araliaceae), Emily H. Mooney

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

American ginseng (Panax quinquefolius L.) is a wild-harvested perennial plant of the eastern deciduous forest. Harvest supplies world markets with roots used in Asian medicine, but this practice is fatal to plants. The objective of this research was to investigate the genetic and evolutionary consequences of harvest. As seen in animal species, harvest may alter size selection by preferentially removing large individuals. Chapter 2 describes my study of harvest's effects on size selection. From the simulated harvests, I observed that large-sized plants lose their fitness advantages in harvested populations. Harvest pressure could ultimately lead to population divergence if selected traits …

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Molecular Mechanisms Of Chromium(Vi)-Induced Apoptosis And Malignant Transformation, Neelam Azad May 2007

Molecular Mechanisms Of Chromium(Vi)-Induced Apoptosis And Malignant Transformation, Neelam Azad

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Hexavalent chromium [Cr(VI)] compounds are redox cycling environmental carcinogens that induce apoptosis as the primary mode of cell death. Apoptosis is abnormally regulated in various disorders including cancer. Therefore, to understand the etiologies of these diseases, it is important to delineate the biochemical and molecular pathways involved in the regulation of apoptosis. The main objective of this study was to characterize the molecular mechanisms involved in Cr(VI)-induced apoptosis and malignant transformation. We found that both death receptor and mitochondrial pathways of apoptosis are involved in Cr(VI)-induced apoptosis, with the latter being more dominant. Consequently, overexpression of the mitochondrial anti-apoptotic protein …

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Roles Of Luteal And Allantoic Function In Late Embryonic/Early Fetal Pregnancy Failures In Cattle, Justin D. Rhinehart May 2007

Roles Of Luteal And Allantoic Function In Late Embryonic/Early Fetal Pregnancy Failures In Cattle, Justin D. Rhinehart

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Pregnancy failures during placentation in lactating dairy cows have been associated with low concentrations of peripheral serum progesterone (P 4) and poor development of the chorioallantoic membranes. Experiment I was done to determine if pregnant cows with high or low concentrations of serum P4 differed in luteal production of P4 and/or clearance of injected P4. Luteal tissue was removed from pregnant cows with ≥ 4.0 ng/mL (High) or ≤ 2.5 ng/mL (Low) serum P4 during d 28 to 34 post-insemination. Luteal tissue was assayed for P4 by radioimmunoassay and for expression of mRNA for preproendothelins 1 and 3, endothelin converting …

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