Digital Commons Network^™

Mechanism Of Action Of Nsc3852, A Breast Cancer Differentiation Agent, Anna Martirosyan

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

The development of tumor cell differentiation agents is new initiative in cancer treatment research. The goal of this project was to identify breast cancer differentiation agents by screening quinoline ring-containing compounds obtained form National Cancer Institute Compound Library. Of six differentiation-inducing quinolines NSC3852 was chosen as a "lead" compound. Our results demonstrate that NSC3852 is an inhibitor of HDAC activity in HeLa and MCF-7 cells nuclear extracts. NSC3852 caused superoxide generation in MCF-7 cells in a NADPH oxidase-dependent fashion, and NSC3852-induced oxidative stress led to the shift in a redox potential of the cells to a more oxidized state. This …

Operant Conditioning In Older Adults With Alzheimer's Disease, Adam P. Spira

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Behavioral interventions are commonly implemented to manage agitation in older adults with dementia. However, the extent to which operant conditioning can occur in this population is unclear. The present study used a button-pressing task to evaluate the sensitivity of the responding of individuals with probable Alzheimer's disease to changes in schedules of reinforcement. Results indicate that operant conditioning can occur in older adults with AD. Specifically, three participants with AD exhibited responding that was highly sensitive to a transition from a fixed interval schedule to an extinction schedule. One participant's responding was sensitive to a more subtle transition. Comparison data …

Reduction Of Natural Gas Engine Emissions Using A Novel Aftertreatment System, Timothy S. Burlingame

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

The global objective of this study was to develop an exhaust aftertreatment system to reduce gaseous and particulate matter emissions from natural gas fueled vehicles. Specific objectives of this study were to evaluate and characterize emissions from a natural gas fueled vehicle powered by a Cummins C8.3G+ engine with and without the particulate matter (PM) filter and oxidation catalyst (OC) combination, which was designed and developed by West Virginia University in collaboration with Lubrizol-ECS. Central Business District (CBD) Cycle tests were performed on West Virginia University's Transportable Emissions Testing Laboratory. A heavy-duty transportable chassis dynamometer and a dedicated "clean" dilution …

Hydrologic Investigation Of Three Constructed Mitigation Wetlands And One Natural Wetland In West Virginia, Scott A. Copen

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

The goal of this study was to increase the probability of success for future mitigation wetland projects by performing a hydrologic investigation at three constructed mitigation wetland sites and one natural reference wetland site. In addition, a numerical groundwater model was developed for a portion of one of the constructed mitigation wetlands.;Hydrologic, meteorologic, topographic, and geotechnical data were collected at three constructed mitigation wetlands and one reference natural wetland. Hydrologic data were collected using monitoring wells, piezometers, automated water level recorders, and a water level meter. Meteorologic data were obtained from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's weather station in …

Failure Mechanisms In Impact Erosion Of Ductile Materials, Ramesh Padavala

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Solid particle erosion in ductile materials is a common problem in many industrial applications. It is defined as material loss resulting from the mechanical contact between the particle and the metal surface. Many experimental studies were reported in the past to determine the loss of the material due to these ductile impacts. Conducting experiments for numerous materials at different conditions is difficult and costly. A finite element model to predict the ductile erosion loss at various conditions for different materials is more expedient.;In this thesis a finite element model was developed to predict the erosion loss for AL 6061-T0 at …

Smoking And Dose-Dependent Early Effects Of Nicotine On Bone Mechanical Properties And Histology, Daniel Shaw Porter

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

The objective was to study the effects of nicotine and cigarette smoke on mechanical properties of cortical bone. Experiments were conducted for 5 weeks with New Zealand White Rabbits. The first experiment of 18 rabbits studied the effect of nicotine levels delivered via a nicotine patch (5.25, 10.5, 21 ng/ml), measured by different mechanical tests, porosity, and composition. There was no significant difference between the control and the treatment groups.;The second experiment of 22 rabbits studied the effects of nicotine delivered via a nicotine patch (10.5 ng/ml) and via a smoking chamber on fracture toughness and porosity. The rabbits exposed …

Knowledge And Dissemination Of Sustainable Agriculture Practices By County Extension Agents In Ohio, Pennsylvania, And West Virginia, Erin M. Hersman

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

The purpose of this study was to determine the level of knowledge and preparation that Extension educators possess concerning the numerous dimensions of sustainable agriculture. From this information, a relationship between the amount of education that Extension educators receive about sustainable agriculture and the amount of information that Extension educators offer to their clientele about this topic was determined. Part-time agriculturalists were perceived to attend workshops/meetings based on sustainable agriculture practices, use more fact sheets or publications on the concepts of sustainable agriculture, and, in turn, apply more concepts of sustainable agriculture. Full-time agriculturalists were attending the workshops and/or meetings …

Types Of Hardware And Software In Use And Problems Associated With Their Use In Secondary Agricultural Education Programs In West Virginia, David T. Aberegg

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Microcomputers have become a vital tool in business, industry, and education. The level and the amount of education that students in West Virginia receive in secondary agricultural classes on microcomputers can affect their ability to compete for jobs and in college curriculums. For agriculture programs to produce quality graduates ready to meet the demands of today's work place, they must have up-to-date microcomputing hardware and software. This study examined the accessibility to computers by teachers of agriculture education in West Virginia. A survey was sent to 74 agriculture education departments in West Virginia. The results showed that most departments are …

Brook Trout Bioenergetics And The Use Of Bioelectrical Impedance Analysis For Proximate Composition, Marlin Keith Cox Ii

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Three aspects of a bioenergetics model were examined for brook trout (Salvelinus fontinalis) in the laboratory: (1) refinement of the metabolism parameter estimations, (2) calculation of activity rates and (3) subsequent validation of the brook trout model. An integral part of bioenergetics modeling is the initial inputs of predator and prey energy density from body composition estimations. We present bioelectrical impedance analysis (BIA) as a means of rapidly estimating body composition in fish and then adjusted variables that may affect these predictions. We also used this tool and applied it to a compensatory growth study. Brook trout (Salvelinus fontinalis) were …

Calf Performance Related To Pasture Quality And Supplements, Edward Barrow Rayburn, Marcella A. Whetsell, Phill Osborne

Faculty & Staff Scholarship

WVU-Extension fact sheet

Critical Features Of Antigen-Specific And Allospecific Recognition By Cytotoxic T Lymphocytes, Marc A. Frankenberry

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

In general, CD8+ T lymphocytes respond to a single class I MHC/peptide complex, a phenomenon known as "MHC self-restriction". We previously reported that CD8+ CTLs from C57BL/6 mice were restricted to both H-2Kb and H-2Db when responding to the horse cyt c-derived peptide, p41--49. In Part I of this dissertation, we examine structural features of H-2Kb/cyt c and H-2Db/cyt c complexes responsible for dual recognition. B6.H-4.1c, a representative cloned CTL, was induced by similar concentrations of native peptide added to either H-2Kb- or H-2Db-expressing targets. Furthermore, the dissociation rates for both H-2Kb/cyt c and H-2D b/cyt c were comparable, but …

Modeled Sulfur Dioxide Exposure From A Proposed Coal Fired Power Plant, Using Geographic Information Systems And Air Dispersion Modeling, Steven Jason Hutchens

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

This study models the contribution of sulfur dioxide (SO 2) from a proposed coal fired power plant (CFPP) above existing ambient levels. Most vulnerable to SO2 exposure appear to be the elderly, young, and diseased, here identified as sensitive receptors (SR). Epidemiologic studies suggest 260mug/m3 as the lowest toxic threshold for SR exposure. It was hypothesized that added SO2 concentrations to existing ambient levels at regional sensitive receptors, under worst case scenario, would not exceed 260mug/m3.;The methods used identify and quantify density locations of localized SR using geographic information systems. Modeled worst case air dispersion concentration exposure to localized SR …

Coronal Microleakage Of A Dentin Bonding Agent When Used In The Presence Of A Eugenol Containing Endodontic Sealer, Jeffrey G. Minchau

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

The propose of this dye and SEM study was to evaluate the cleansing capabilities of two solvents ethyl alcohol and chloroform, prior to dentin bonding in the coronal chambers of endodontically treated teeth obturated with either a eugenol or resin-based sealer. A total of 156 extracted human molar teeth were divided into 6 groups and obturated with either a eugenol-based (Roth's, Grossman), or a resin-based (AH Plus, Kerr) endodontic sealer. Samples were thermocycled and placed into India Ink or silver nitrate for (SEM samples). All teeth were cleared and evaluated for coronal microleakage. A significant difference was found between the …

Leadership Styles Of Department Chairs And Faculty Utilization Of Instructional Technology, Tongshan Chang

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

This study examined the relationship between the leadership styles of academic department chairs of Curriculum and Instruction, Educational Leadership Studies, Teacher Education, and Educational Psychology in Colleges of Education at doctoral/research public universities by Carnegie Classification and faculty utilization of instructional technology in teaching. Two-stage random sampling was used to sample the population. The instrument of Faculty Utilization of Instructional Technology was sent to 93 chairs and 843 faculty, respectively. Bolman and Deal's Leadership Orientation (other) was also sent to 843 selected faculty. Thirty-seven chairs and 230 faculty responded to the survey. Descriptive statistics. Chi-square test, t test, ANOVA, MNOVA, …

Price Protection Options For West Virginia Beef Cattle Producers, Matthew C. Kleski

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

The purpose of this study was to determine if a price protection option would be beneficial to West Virginia's beef cattle industry. Fourteen years of price data were used to determine an average price for cattle based on weight, sex, breed and grade. The study used cattle lots of 9,000 pounds or greater with individual weights of 600 pounds or greater. Four case studies were used to analyze individual producer prices against the state averages. It was found that by comparing individual price data with the state sale averages that pricing trends could be determined to identify years when prices …

Effects Of Schedule Segmentation On Pausing And Escape In The Transitions Between Favorable And Unfavorable Schedules Of Reinforcement, Tammy R. Wade

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Simple schedules of reinforcement typically are preferred to chained schedules of equal duration. In the current study, pigeons served in six experiments designed to test whether the juxtaposition of simple and chained schedules would engender the disruption in behavior typically observed in the transition from favorable to unfavorable conditions of reinforcement. In one set of experiments, a multiple schedule was employed in which a simple schedule alternated irregularly with a chained schedule. Whether fixed-ratio or fixed-interval schedules were employed, only half the subjects paused for an extended duration in the simple-to-chain transition, and this occurred only when the first segment …

Usage Of Instructional Multimedia To Enhance Interactivity Through Web-Based Learning In P--12 Settings, Sharon L. Teabo

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

The purpose of this study was to analyze multiple media as instructional technologies used to enhance interactivity in a web-based environment and to illustrate the potential for improved learning with interactive multimedia. This study identified instructional media that teachers use, the level of engagement with the media, and determined that there was a correlation between the types and use of instructional media and cognitive level of learning.;Research shows that web-based instruction has the ability to engage learners in real-world tasks. This type of authentic learning has the potential to promote higher order thinking provided students are properly skilled in the …

Depositional Environments Comprising The Birch River Section (Middle Pennsylvanian), Powell Mountain, Nicholas County, West Virginia, Jeffrey R. Rutland

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

A field analysis of Middle Pennsylvanian strata (Kanawhat Formation and Allegheny Formation) in central West Virginia was performed to test two depositional models, coastal plain and fluvial-deltaic. Sedimentary descriptions form the basis for two levels of interpretations, where the first goal is to interpret the depositional settings of individual architectural elements within the section. The second task was to place the compiled interpretations into the previously established regional stratigraphic framework. At Birch River, the Kanawha Formation is composed of both estuarine and alluvial facies. The estuarine facies include, estuary margin, estuarine channels, and estuarine lagoon. Alluvial facies make up the …

Assessment Of Tractor And All-Terrain Vehicle Safety Programs Available To Youth In West Virginia, Renee D. Chambers

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

The purpose of this study was to identify the number and types of tractor and ATV safety programs available to youth in West Virginia through the Extension Service and secondary agricultural education programs. The target population of this study included county Extension agents and secondary agricultural educators in West Virginia employed during the winter of 2003--2004. A descriptive research design was utilized in this study. Thirty-five percent of Extension agents and 64.5% of agricultural educators provided tractor safety educational activities to youth. One-third of Extension agents and one-fifth of agricultural educators offered ATV safety educational activities. Age groups targeted the …

Interaction Between Primary Alveolar Macrophages And Primary Alveolar Type Ii Cells Under Basal Conditions And After Lipopolysaccharide Or Quartz Exposure, Rania S. Kanj

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Evidence suggests that hyperproduction of reactive oxidants and inflammatory mediators plays a critical role in adverse pulmonary responses to silica or lipopolysaccharide (LPS). The main objective of this study was to contribute to advancing the understanding of the role of AM's and type II (TII) cells in the induction of pulmonary inflammation and injury in response to silica and LPS, and improve our understanding of the interaction between AM's and TII cells which would occur in vivo. To reach this objective, three aims were put forth. (1) Determine the relative responsiveness of primary rat AM's, primary rat TII cells and …

Mechanisms Of Retroviral Reverse Transcription And Assembly, Sara Kirsten Rasmussen

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

The work described in these dissertation studies examines three aspects of retrovirus replication and dissects the uncovered phenomena to increase understanding of how retroviruses thrive in complex host environments. The first aspect of replication discussed is the mechanisms behind minus-strand DNA transfer, a crucial step of reverse transcription. We proved for the first time that non-viral sequences can be utilized to carry out this step of the replication process, and that the minus-strand DNA transfer step can be exploited to reconstitute a functional gene in the infected host cell. This finding serves as a proof-of-principle for a new class of …

Learning Styles Of Extension Agents Responsible For Pesticide Re-Certification Training Programs In West Virginia, Anne M. Custer-Walker

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

As a condition of license renewal necessary for restricted-use pesticides, private pesticide applicators are required to accumulate five hours or 10 continuing education units (CEUs) every three years. These programs provide valuable experiential learning opportunities to adult learners. As a result, adult learning is a topic of research. Kolb's Learning Style Inventory (LSI) has been used in research for many years to determine learning style preferences of adults. The purpose of the study was to categorize each agent according to their learning style and to determine if relationships exist between learning style preferences and the agents' major program area, Extension …

Facies Analysis Of The Devonian Gordon Stray Sandstone In West Virginia, Patrick S. Mcbride

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Since its discovery in 1895, West Virginia's Jacksonburg-Stringtown field has had a primary production of 20 million barrels of oil. Based on 10 full-bore cores from Wetzel and Tyler Counties, the reservoir---the Gordon Stray Sandstone---is interpreted to be part of a barrier-island complex, comprising (from bottom to top) lower-shoreface, upper-shoreface, and foreshore sandstone. Tying core interpretations to 123 well logs across the field enables the various facies to be mapped. The major pay zone occurs stratigraphically within the middle of the shoreface facies, a medium-grained, well sorted sandstone. The barrier-island then prograded rapidly westward, laying down a thin sandstone. Mapping …

Factors Affecting Iron Status Among Infants Age 6--24 Months, Christopher Melonas

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Iron deficiency has been shown to have a multitude of negative effects on the growing infant. The diet plays a key role in alleviating iron deficiency within a younger population. The objective of this study was to search out specific nutrients in the diet that have some affect on iron status in a population of infants age 6 to 24 months.;This was a cross-sectional study that included 57 rural infants who participated in the WIC program. Dietary intake data was collected by 2 multiple-pass 24-hour intakes done 3 to 4 days apart. Blood was collected by venipuncture and analyzed for …

Design Of A Rodent Dynamometer, Angel M. Dorsch

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

In the past, computer controlled dynamometers have been used to perform isometric and isovelocity testing to study the effects of velocity, acceleration, and position on muscle injury. However, the effect of constant force on muscle injury in animals has not yet been studied.;A computer-controlled dynamometer was designed which could perform isometric, isovelocity, and isotonic testing on both male and female rats. A mechanical device was designed to position the rats for testing as well as provide a platform for the motor and other system components. All of the system components were connected electrically through a National Instruments UMI-7764 breakout box, …

Breaking Boundaries, Juan Giraldo

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Graphic design communication is in constant change. Everyday new technologies emerge and evolve, affecting the way we communicate and deliver messages. For this reason, graphic designers should be able to understand the basic principles of design and effectively apply them to any media. It is my intention with this thesis to analyze the way I work in the design process, my influences, and also, why I make specific decisions based on different media. To illustrate these concepts I will discuss the body of work presented in my thesis exhibition: Breaking Boundaries.

Adapting Riparian Rights To The Twenty-First Century, Joseph W. Dellapenna

West Virginia Law Review

No abstract provided.

Marshall County Region Target Industry Study, Randy Childs, Christiadi

Bureau of Business & Economic Research

No abstract provided.

From Pick And Shovel To Mountaintop Removal: Environmental Injustice In The Appalachian Coalfields, Patrick C. Mcginley

Law Faculty Scholarship

In this Essay, Professor McGinley examines a century of conflicts between the coal mining industry and the people of the "billion dollar coalfield" communities of southern West Virginia whose labors provided fuel for the industrial revolution, two world wars, and the energy demands of the nation.

The Essay identifies a troubling paradox Highly efficient new mining technologies, including so-called "mountaintop removal" strip mining, have resulted in the loss of tens of thousands of well paying jobs while coal production has reached record levels and many coalfield communities remain mired in economic stagnation and poverty.

The Essay identifies provisions of the …

The Effects Of Age, Estrogen And Environmental Enrichment On Neurogenesis, Dendritic Spine Density And Synaptogenesis In The Hippocampus., Tina Marie Sager

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Over 43 million women today are nearing or have passed menopause and 21 million more will be entering their climacteric period over the next decade. Cognitive symptoms such as poor memory and the inability to concentrate have been reported in perimenopausal and menopausal women. The goal of this study was to determine both the single and combined effects that age, estrogen and environmental enrichment have on neurogenesis, synapotgenesis, and dendritic spine density in the hippocampus region of the female rat brain. Ovariectomized, female Sprague-dawley rats were administered either estrogen replacement or a vehicle. The rats were then subjected to either …