Digital Commons Network^™

The Diversity And Synaptic Connectivity Of Somatostatin-Containing Inhibitory Interneurons In The Somatosensory (Barrel) Cortex, Rachel Elaine Hostetler

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

The neocortex is the most evolutionarily advanced part of the mammalian brain and is responsible for a multitude of important tasks, such as sensory processing, movement, memory and learning and, in humans, cognition, and language. Within the neocortex, there are intricate circuits of neurons that are responsible for these tasks. These circuits are comprised of a delicate balance of excitatory and inhibitory neurons. Inhibitory interneurons have the crucial role of constraining and controlling the amount of excitation in the brain; disruptions in this balance can lead to a number of neuropsychiatric diseases and disorders. Our studies focused on the subpopulation …

Analysis Of The Psychological And Production Effects Of The Use Of Gamification For Manufacturing Assembly, Makenzie Dolly

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

In this dissertation, the applications of gamification for manufacturing with a focus on effects to workers and productivity were studied. Gamification is a relatively new research area, with the term being officially defined in 2010. Since then, several fields (education, health, and marketing) have benefitted from its application. Despite exhibiting strong potential, the application of gamification had remained rather unexplored in the manufacturing domain. To explore this further, by employing a comprehensive literature review, four research gaps were identified: the need for i) the use and acceptance of Deterding’s definition of gamification, ii) a clearer definition for various game element …

Impacts Of Temperature And Salt Concentrations For Thermal Inactivation Of Salmonella In Moisture Enhanced Reconstructed Chicken Patties, Alik D. Browning

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

The purpose of this experiment is to determine the thermal kinetic parameters of Salmonella in moisture-enhanced, reconstructed ground chicken patties as affected by temperatures and salt concentrations. Salmonella is responsible for 35% of the foodborne illnesses associated with poultry products (Batz et al., 2011). Nonintact reconstructed chicken meat is mixed with brine solutions containing various salt and polyphosphate concentrations to increase water-holding capacity, decrease cooking losses, improve sensory tasting scores, and maintain the good quality of completed chicken products (Gill et al., 2004). Increasing salt concentrations within meats can increase the thermal inactivation of pathogens. In this study, Salmonella Typhimurium …

A Selective Guide To Solo Bass Trombone Repertoire From 1961 To Present, Andrew Amadeus Ortega

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

For nearly 60 years composers have written for bass trombone as a solo instrument and continue to create works that showcase its virtuosity and musical capabilities. Before 1961, bass trombonists would often play tuba solos, transcriptions, and musical arrangements from other instruments. This document includes works that were composed specifically for bass trombone from as early as 1961 to 2021. Each piece is categorized and presented with an evaluation in addition to a level of performance preferable for collegiate students to professional performers. Commentary has also been included discussing challenging areas as well as providing information necessary to perform the …

Diversification Of Ergot Alkaloid Biosynthesis In Natural And Engineered Fungi, Kyle Austin Davis

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Ergot alkaloids are a complex family of tryptophan-derived mycotoxins produced by a diverse range of fungi that occupy a wide variety of ecological niches including soil saprotrophs, plant endophytes, pathogens of plants or insects, and opportunistic pathogens of humans and other mammals. Ergot alkaloids are a similarly diverse family of chemicals that elicit a variety of pharmacological activities in animals due to their resemblance to neurotransmitters and high binding affinity for neurological receptors, including those that bind adrenaline, dopamine, and 5-hydroxytryptamine receptors. These structural similarities allow us to create medicines aimed at treating a range of neurological diseases and disorders …

The Birds And The Bees And The Willows: Understanding The Reproductive Biology Of Salix Nigra Marsh., Julianne Gmys Grady

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Salix nigra is a common tree-form willow found throughout the eastern United States and Canada in riparian and wetland habitats. Like other members of the Salicaceae, it is dioecious with separate male and female individuals. While Salix has been thought to be strictly insect pollinated and Populus wind pollinated, several species of Salix have had wind pollination present in varying amounts by species. S. nigra’s pollination syndrome has not been studied extensively, though it is assumed to be insect pollinated. Unlike other willows with wind pollination, S. nigra is basal on the Salix phylogenetic tree. This study was conducted …

American Art Songs In The 21st Century: A Catalogue Of Selected Works, Islei Mariano Correa Hammer

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

This research explores American art songs of the 21st century. The paper provides a listing of 54 composers based in the United States and the art songs they composed from 2000 to 2023 which are available either through publishers or the composers’ websites. The research is divided into three categories: art songs with piano, chamber works with voice, and works for solo voice and large ensemble. The paper also includes biographies of each composer. This research provides singers, voice teachers, and collaborative pianists a useful resource to gain familiarity with the American art-song repertoire of the current century.

Measuring And Modeling How Plant-Microbe Interactions Control Soil Carbon And Nitrogen Cycling In Managed And Unmanaged Ecosystems, Joanna Ridgeway

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Our understanding of how plant-microbe interactions regulate carbon (C) and nitrogen (N) retention in soil organic matter (SOM) remains uncertain. Conflicting evidence suggests that microbial decomposition can lead to the loss of unprotected particulate SOM, but also that microbial decomposition produces simpler compounds that preferentially form more persistent aggregate- or mineral-protected SOM pools. Further, uncertainty remains in how plant-microbe interactions alter SOM retention in these different pools through litter chemistry controls on microbial decomposition traits and rhizosphere priming. As a result, this uncertainty limits our ability to sustainably manage ecosystems and understand future feedbacks between terrestrial ecosystems and the global …

Response Of Running Buffalo Clover (Trifolium Stoloniferum Muhl Ex. A. Eaton) To Herbaceous Competition And Transplanting In Monongahela National Forest, Ruben E. Sabella

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Running buffalo clover (RBC) is a rare perennial plant that grows throughout the American Midwest and the Appalachian Mountains. It requires disturbed forests to establish and proliferate. It has been suggested that, in the past, these conditions were created by buffalo; now logging operations maintain RBC populations. However, forest managers have been looking for ways to create suitable habitat for RBC that do not involve harvesting practices. This could help create new populations in areas that cannot be logged. Once established, competing vegetation might influence RBC abundance and flowering. This study seeks to quantify this influence by measuring the vegetation …

Development Of A Model Sustainability Management Plan For The City Of Morgantown, West Virginia, Caitlyn Elizabeth Lewis

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

This report has been prepared to demonstrate the research for a model planning document with a focus on sustainability in Morgantown, WV. It discusses the role of three categories in the context of sustainability and proposes a design solution for selected areas of concern throughout the City of Morgantown in order to demonstrate opportunities for a sustainable approach toward resolution for city officials.

The City of Morgantown, West Virginia, is a college town along the Monongahela River with a backstory of industrialism that is echoed by many other places in Appalachia. However, distinctively, in Morgantown 25,000 college students populate the …

Il-27 Negatively Impacts Immunity Developed Following Bcg Administration, Shelby D. Bradford

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) is the causative agent of tuberculosis (TB), a predominantly respiratory pathogen responsible for over ten million infections and one million deaths last year. Despite it being a primary objective of the World Health Organization (WHO) for several decades to irradicate TB, progress toward this objective has fallen short of the 2020 target to end TB by 2035. Meeting this goal will require advancements in diagnostic tools, education, healthcare access, and treatments and preventatives. Regarding prevention, the primary tool for this strategy is through vaccination. Currently, the only licensed vaccine for protection against TB is the century old …

Multimodal Neuron Classification Based On Morphology And Electrophysiology, Aqib Ahmad

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Categorizing neurons into different types to understand neural circuits and ultimately brain function is a major challenge in neuroscience. While electrical properties are critical in defining a neuron, its morphology is equally important. Advancements in single-cell analysis methods have allowed neuroscientists to simultaneously capture multiple data modalities from a neuron. We propose a method to classify neurons using both morphological structure and electrophysiology. Current approaches are based on a limited analysis of morphological features. We propose to use a new graph neural network to learn representations that more comprehensively account for the complexity of the shape of neuronal structures. In …

Optimizing Sample Collection And Data Interpretation For Effective Wastewater-Based Epidemiology In Combined Sewer Systems, Christopher Allen Anderson

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

COVID-19 has spurred growth in the science surrounding wastewater-based epidemiology (WBE) pertaining to the detection of severe acute respiratory virus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) in waste streams as an early warning signal for public health. However, the highly variable wastewater environment has made it difficult to standardize an approach for sampling and analysis, especially in locations using combined sewer infrastructure. This study addresses knowledge gaps of WBE via three specific aims: (1) to compare diurnal fluctuations of SARS-CoV-2 and the human fecal indicator, pepper mild mottle virus (PMMoV) in wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) influent samples collected during dry versus wet weather conditions; …

Drought Effects On Biofuel Feedstock Production By Populus Trichocarpa, Marvin Jacob Wright

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

As the world population continues to increase, so does the need for sustainable sources of fuel. Biofuels are of particular interest and could be an economically feasible fuel source given the right conditions. Populus trichocarpa, is a rapidly growing plantation species that, in addition to having a fully sequenced genome available for study, displays a wide range of phenotypic traits among genotypes. By analyzing these differences in both plantation and more controlled greenhouse settings, we aimed to discover which genotypes performed the best under drought conditions, and which physiological mechanisms granted them that high performance. In the field, differences in …

The Effect Of Sequential Stimuli On Variable-Interval Schedule Performance And Resurgence, Amanda K. Miles

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Resurgence, or the recurrence of a previously established but not currently occurring response given a worsening of current conditions, is a systematic phenomenon with clinical implications; thus, understanding the variables that impact resurgence is important. Investigations into the impact of discriminative stimuli on resurgence have yielded mixed results about whether the stimuli associated with extinction mitigate or prevent resurgence. The current experiments were conducted with sequential stimuli, that is, two or more stimuli occurring in a fixed sequence, that allowed determination of the effect of discriminative stimuli across a continuum of reinforcement conditions (from most temporally distal to most proximal …

Material Characterization Of Thermoplastic Polyurethane (Tpu) And Thermoplastic Elastomers (Tpe) For Development Of 3d-Printed Surrogate Organs For Medical Training, Anastasia Elizabeth Lucci

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Cadaveric specimens are a necessary, albeit limited, resource for training medical students on basic surgical skills. The availability of surrogate 3D-printed organs would readily allow access to resources that could reduce or potentially eliminate the need for cadaveric specimens or, at a minimum, provide students the opportunity to practice with 3D-printed surrogates before transitioning to those specimens. This research focuses on determining which thermoplastic material most closely mimics mechanical properties such as hardness and stiffness of human organs and allows 3D printing surrogate organs to be used as safe, educational tools. Relatively “soft” materials such as thermoplastic polyurethanes (TPU) and …

Extension Of The Ergot Alkaloid Gene Cluster, Samantha Joy Fabian

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Specialized metabolites produced by fungi impact human health. A large portion of the pharmaceuticals currently on the market are derived from metabolites biosynthesized by microbes. Ergot alkaloids are a class of fungal metabolites that are important in the interactions of environmental fungi with insects and mammals and also are used in the production of pharmaceuticals. In animals, ergot alkaloids can act as partial agonists or antagonists at receptors for 5-hydroxytryptamine (serotonin), dopamine, and noradrenaline as ergot alkaloids have chemical structures similar to those neurotransmitters. Therefore, they affect insects and mammals that consume them and can be used to produce drugs …

Rather Than To Seem: Black And Indigenous Narratives In A Stormy, Swampy South, Jennifer Denise Peedin

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

I examine the narratives of the South that have been historically overlooked, ignored, or hidden in order to establish a dominant narrative of the region. The narratives examined here are by southern Black and Indigenous authors who restore lost knowledge and offer histories that help complete the South culturally and ecologically. The conceptual methodology develops from LeAnne Howe’s tribalography which explains that Indigenous people create stories and histories that transform the space around them and offer an understanding of the world around us. Another methodology used is Anthony Wilson’s ecocritical swamp studies; each chapter analyzes a narrative centered around a …

Rumen And Urine Amine/Phenol-Metabolome Of Beef Steers With Divergent Residual Feed Intake, Taylor S. Sidney

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Cattle production is one of the most important agricultural industries in the United States. Despite its overall production efficiency, the industry is facing considerable adversities to its long-term sustainability due to population growth, decreased land availability, and the increase in global warming. Since feed efficiency imposes an immense influence on the cost of production for animals and is a major cost determinant for profitability, the improvement of feed utilization through the understanding of animal-to-animal variation in feed efficiency is pertinent to increase farm productivity and profitability. Residual feed intake (RFI) is a measure of feed efficiency and is defined as …

Gut-Lung Axis Of The Microbiome Alterations After Ultrafine Particles And Ozone Inhalation, Md Habibul Hasan Mazumder

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Air pollution poses a significant threat to public health. It is a mixture of particulate matter, gaseous substances, and other secondary substances. Despite epidemiological research indicating the interactive effects of various components of air pollution, existing studies and regulatory limits often focus on single-exposure scenarios. The emerging understanding of the microbiome’s role in regulating immune response, metabolism, and pathophysiology of various diseases points towards interactions between environmental exposures and microbial dysbiosis. In this dissertation, mice were exposed to relevant deposited doses of carbon black (CB) and ozone (O3), and lung inflammation as well as the lung-gut axis of the microbiome …

The Investigation Of Novel Bovine Oocyte-Specific Long Non-Coding Rnas And Their Roles In Oocyte Maturation And Early Embryonic Development, Jaelyn Zoe Current

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Early embryonic loss is a significant factor in livestock species' infertility, resulting in an economic deficit. In cattle, the in vivo fertilization rate is ~90%, with an average calving rate of about 55%, indicating an embryonic-fetal mortality rate of roughly 35%. Further, 70-80% of total embryonic loss in cattle occurs during the first three weeks after insemination, particularly between days 7-16. Growing evidence indicates that the oocyte plays an active role in regulating critical aspects of the reproductive process required for successful fertilization, embryo development, and pregnancy. However, defining oocyte quality remains enigmatic. Recently, many have abandoned the notion that …

Effects Of Light/Dark Cycle Shifts On Delay Discounting, Katya A. Nolder

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Shift-work conditions are a necessity for the constant provision of certain medical, industrial, and commercial services in modern society. Shift work is associated with the increased risk of many negative health outcomes, including type 2 diabetes, heart disease, reproductive issues, and cancer. Shift workers experience multiple levels of circadian-rhythm disruption, which may increase maladaptive decision making, and this may mediate the relation between shift work and negative health outcomes. Circadian-rhythm disruptions can be systematically investigated in the basic laboratory, and one type of procedure involves changing the light/dark cycle in the animal vivarium. The current study investigated effects of light/dark …

Understanding The Relationship Between Landscape Characteristics And Public Preferences: A Case Study In A Proposed Appalachian Geopark Project In Southern West Virginia, United States, Ganga Nakarmi

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

The purpose of this dissertation was to understand the relationship between landscape characters and public preferences in the proposed Appalachian Geopark (pAGP) in southern West Virginia, United States (U.S.). This region was well-known for industrial activities such as coal mining logging and railways during the 1800s. With the diminishing industrial activities, the region was left behind with degraded environmental factors including landscapes and an economically challenged society. Because of these conditions, there is a need to develop this region without further damaging the lands and implement proper land management policies and practices. Understanding characteristics of those lands from the past …

What’S Long About Long John Silver: Anormative Masculinities And Histories In Robert Louis Stevenson’S Treasure Island, David V. Riser

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Historical queer and transgender experiences have been obscured by the dominant narrative of history. However, these experiences surface in works of fiction. This thesis analyzes affective responses to constructions of queer masculinity in Robert Louis Stevenson’s Treasure Island. Affects of disgust and desire in Treasure Island, and in the popular history of Treasure Island, reveal a proto-queer transgender experience found in 19th-century maritime fiction. These affects demonstrate a fear that there is no reproductive futurity in queer masculinity while producing narratives of queer masculinity. This production makes historical queer and transgender experiences legible, and allows contemporary queer readers to navigate …

Burkholderia Collagen-Like Protein 8, Bucl8, Is An Outer-Membrane Component Of A Novel Efflux Pump And Immunogenic Vaccine Candidate, Megan Elizabeth Grund

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Burkholderia spp. are Gram‐negative intrinsically resistant bacteria that are responsible for environmental and nosocomial infections of clinical and biodefense concern. Our laboratory previously identified in silico Burkholderia collagen-like protein 8 (Bucl8) in the BSL-3 pathogens Burkholderia pseudomallei and Burkholderia mallei (Figure 1). The protein sequence of Bucl8 contains tandem outer-membrane efflux protein domains (OEP) typical of efflux systems and a unique collagen-like domain (CL) consisting of a repeating sequence of Glycine-Alanine-Serine (GAS). Because efflux pumps are often a mechanism of pathogenicity and antibiotic resistance, we investigated Bucl8 further. Here, we determined that the locus of bucl8 contains genes …

Survival Of Listeria Monocytogenes On Organic Honeycrisp And Fuji Apples During Storage At 5, 12 And 22.5◦C, Connor S. Freed

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

This study aimed to evaluate and model the survival of Listeria monocytogenes on organic HoneyCrisp (HC) and Fuji (FJ) apples during storage at various temperatures. Fresh organic HC and FJ apples (without wax coating) obtained from a local wholesale market were inoculated with a 2-strain mix of L. monocytogenes followed by storage at 5.0 (22.9% RH), 12.0 (37.0% RH), and 22.5oC (50.4% RH) for 60, 35, 7 days, respectively, and periodically (day-0 to 60) analyzing microbial populations. Surviving L. monocytogenes were spread-plated on Modified-Oxford agar after 10 or 100-fold serial dilution. Data were analyzed using the mixed-model procedure of SAS …

Beneficial Impacts Of Nod-Like Receptor X1(Nlrx1) Agonism In Lipopolysaccharide-Induced Inflammation, Mena Mansy

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Introduction: The regulation of inflammation at the cellular and molecular level is a crucial aspect of homeostasis that is often overlooked, and most treatment options are limited to antibiotics and symptom management drugs. The development of novel molecular-targeted therapy options downstream of pathogen recognition receptors will fulfill the unmet need for therapy to effectively regulate excessive inflammation. NLRX1 is a unique NOD-like receptor that is anti-inflammatory in nature; it has been shown to negatively regulate the NF-kB pathway and has been involved in the pathology of a plethora of inflammatory disorders. This makes NLRX1 an emerging therapeutic molecular target for …

Effects Of Brief-Signal Number And Location On Responding Maintained By Delay Of Reinforcement, Firdavs Khaydarov

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

The purpose of the present series of experiments was to examine the effects of the number, type, and location of brief signal(s) occurring during, but not throughout, a delay period, on responding maintained by the delay of reinforcement. In each experiment, a tandem variable time (VT) 60-s fixed interval (FI) 9-s schedule was used as a baseline condition of an immediate reinforcement against which delay conditions were examined. For the delay conditions, a chained variable interval (VI) 60-s fixed time (FT) 9-s (delay period) schedule was used, and the imposition of the brief signal (blackout) during the delay period was …

Application Of Metagenomic And Molecular Microbiology Techniques To Elucidate Sources Of Fecal Pollution And Anthropogenic Antibiotic Resistance Genes To Surface Water: A Step Towards A “One Health” Approach To Watershed Management, Mehedi Hasan Tarek

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

The use of fecal indicator bacteria, such as Escherichia coli, is a widely established regulatory and monitoring practice to detect surface water contamination associated with fecal pollution. However, the detection or quantification of fecal indicator bacteria alone does not accurately inform the sources of fecal pollution. The development of molecular and metagenomic methods that target the DNA of microorganisms has resulted in a host of new tools for monitoring fecal pollution and its sources, as well as for understanding emerging microbial threats, such as antimicrobial resistance. Antimicrobial resistance is a critical “One Health” challenge presenting a high risk to …

Impacts Of Diverse Inflammatory Stimuli On Neutrophil Behavior: Extracellular Vesicles, E-Cigarettes, And Nanoparticles, Hunter T. Snoderly

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Neutrophils are the body’s front-line defenders against foreign insult and are key players in a variety of inflammatory conditions. This body of work examines the role of neutrophils in promoting pathology in three distinct inflammatory contexts. In the pro-inflammatory state provoked by breast cancer, neutrophils decondense their nuclei and release cytotoxic web-like structures known as neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs). NETs form most commonly via histone modifications facilitated by the enzyme PAD4. NETs are known to be a harbinger of disease progression and promote metastasis through capture of circulating tumor cells. It was hypothesized that breast tumors release small particles known …