The Application Of Systems Science In Nutrition-Related Behaviors And Outcomes Implementation Research: A Scoping Review, Ayron E. Walker, Rachel A. Wattick, Melissa D. Olfert

Faculty & Staff Scholarship

Use of systems science can improve the dissemination and implementation (D&I) process. However, little is known about use of systems science in nutrition D&I research. The purpose of this article is to synthesize the ways in which systems science methodology is applied in nutrition D&I research. Scoping review methodology involved searching 6 academic databases for full-text, peer-reviewed, English articles published between 1970 and 2020 that employed systems science within nutrition D&I research. Data extraction included intervention type, population, study aim, methods, theoretical approach, outcomes, and results. Descriptive statistics and qualitative thematic analysis followed. Thirty-four retained articles qualitatively identified benefits (successful …

Validating A Simple Mechanistic Model That Describes Weather Impact On Pasture Growth, Edward Barrow Rayburn

Faculty & Staff Scholarship

No abstract provided.

Introduction To Pasture Ecology - Ky Grazing Conf 2021, Edward Barrow Rayburn

Faculty & Staff Scholarship

WVU-Extension fact sheet

Perceptions And Instructional Practices Used By West Virginian Secondary Agricultural Teachers In Meat Science Education, Kindra D. Carr

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

A focus on classroom integration of science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) concepts has resulted in secondary teachers broadening the scope and delivery of STEM principles in their classes. Because agriculture classes allow students to convert abstract ideas into concrete ideas, they provide a useful setting to teach STEM concepts. Using secondary agricultural classes to teach science is effective and has contributed to higher standardized science test scores, as opposed to a science class alone. West Virginia is known for meat processing facilities and meat technology learning activities in its public schools. However, little is known about how the content …

Exploring Early Signaling Associated With Complex Stressors, Julia A. Penatzer

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Humans are constantly exposed to a vast number of stressors in our everyday lives from social interactions to physical activity to chemical exposures, to name a few. These stressors have significant impacts on an individual, from the cellular to whole organismal level. The body contains an intricate communication system that elicits a number of both biological and physiological responses as it attempts to maintain homeostasis. Observing these responses to stressors, can offer insight into a number of outcomes, which can be beneficial (increasing life longevity) or detrimental (leading to a disease state). By measuring specific biological adaptations at particular time …

Using Zebrafish To Elucidate The Expression And Gene Regulatory Network Of The Genomic Screen Homeobox Transcription Factors And Bring Innovative Science Learning Experiences To West Virginia, Rebecca Ann Coltogirone

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Central nervous system (CNS) development requires a code of regionally expressed transcription factors that impart initial neuronal cell identity, connectivity, and function. The absence of a transcription factor code would eliminate the neurodevelopmental logic producing diverse cell types in the CNS. Furthermore, early disruptions in transcription factor expression can affect later connectivity and function of neuronal circuits mediating sensory processing, defects in which are often observed as comorbid with various neurodevelopmental disorders (NDDs). Characterizing transcription factor expression and function is therefore an essential step in discerning the molecular mechanisms underlying human NDDs. genomic screen homeobox 1 and 2 (gsx1 …

Nitrite Supplementation Restores Aortic Health In Chronically Stressed Mice, Tyler Coblentz

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Chronic stress increases the risk of developing cardiovascular disease potentially via increases in elastic artery stiffness and endothelial dysfunction. Decreased bioavailability of the potent vasodilator nitric oxide (NO) describes a hallmark of endothelial dysfunction. Nitrite reduces into active NO, providing an alternative pathway of NO restoration. The effect of nitrite supplementation on aortic endothelial function has yet to be determined in chronically stressed mice. We hypothesized that nitrite supplementation would rescue chronic stress-attributed impairments in aortic endothelial function.

Mice at 18 weeks of age underwent an unpredictable chronic mild stress (UCMS; 5 days/week for 7 hrs/day) paradigm to elicit a …

Getting Connected: Exploring The Role Of Sustainability Labels In Tourism Marketing Communications, Elvira Kizilova

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

While sustainability has become an important brand differentiator in many industries, current research suggests that tourism businesses rarely use sustainability labels in their communications, e.g., on their websites or other types of advertisements.

This dissertation examines the role of sustainability labels in increasing consumer preferences for sustainable travel destinations. Drawing on social exchange theory and anthropomorphism framework, we propose that sustainability labels increase consumer visit intentions, willingness to recommend a destination to someone else, and willingness to pay price premium for the sustainable offer. These effects are mediated by perception of goal congruence and connectedness with a destination. We further …

Mitochondrial Aspects Of Neuronal Pathology In Triple-Transgenic Alzheimer’S Disease Mice, John Zachary Cavendish

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is a fatal, progressive neurodegenerative disease afflicting millions of people in the United States alone and is the only one of the top leading causes of morbidity and mortality with no effective disease-modifying therapies. It is the most common form of dementia, affecting one in three people over the age of 85. While the hallmarks of the disease include accumulation of beta-amyloid-based extracellular plaques and hyperphosphorylated tau-based intracellular neurofibrillary tangles, treatment strategies centered on removing or mitigating these components of AD have all failed in humans. Mitochondrial dysfunction has been increasingly recognized as an early and consistent …

Three Essays On The Impact Of Cuteness On Consumer Behavior, Alexis Taeeun Yim

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Over the last decade, the world has seen a rise in the popularity of cute stimuli. Adorable baby pictures, fluffy puppy videos, and whimsical emojis seem ever-present in social media news feeds and friends’ posts. In addition, products marketed toward adults that feature cute characters drive sales worth billions of dollars. The growing presence of cute stimuli in our daily lives is accompanied by emerging research on their social and behavioral impacts. Correspondingly, the current dissertation consists of three essays that contribute to the literature on cuteness by empirically testing the impacts of cuteness in the marketplace. To extend the …

Improving Microbial Safety Of Locally Grown Produce In West Virginia Area, Kawang Li

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

There is a growing concern regarding the microbial safety of farmers’ markets as fresh produce consumption in the United States is gaining popularity. The CDC reported 46% of foodborne illnesses are related to fresh produce. Consuming fresh produce raw removes a processing step, increasing the risk of cross-contamination, leading to illness. However, this risk can be mitigated by washing produce with antimicrobial solutions during post-harvest processes. To reduce the microbial load on fresh produce, the triple-wash process, where the produce is rinsed with water twice and lastly an antimicrobial solution (WWA). WWA is recommended by the WVU Extension Service Small …

The Origin Of Novel Trait Inferred From Transcriptomic Analysis And A Targeted Gene Approach In The Beetle Horns., Naureen Fatima

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

The origin of the evolutionary new trait (evolutionary novelty) and its subsequent evolution is of great interest for biologists in various fields, and beetle horns have been used to address this fundamental biological question. Previous studies on one of the horned beetle species, Onthophagus taurus, that utilized comparative gene expression analyses, suggested legs to be a strong candidate of the origin of horns. At the same time, their horns are secondary sexual traits whose development is regulated by the same gene (doublesex) as genitalia, which also originates from paired appendages such as legs. However, little is known …

Utilizing The Coughing Rat Model Of Pertussis To Improve Vaccine Efficacy, Jesse M. Hall

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Pertussis, also known as whooping cough, is a respiratory disease caused by the highly contagious, Gram-negative pathogen Bordetella pertussis (Bp). Infection occurs through inhalation of aerosolized droplets containing Bp, which then colonizes ciliated epithelial cells of the respiratory tract. Here, Bp expresses toxins and virulence factors that lead to leukocyte recruitment, paroxysmal cough, and impairment of host innate responses. Currently, in developed countries, acellular pertussis vaccines (aP; DTaP; Tdap) are used to prevent Bp infection and whooping cough disease. However, we currently realize that the aP vaccine efficacy quickly wanes resulting in a reemergence of pertussis. Recent …

Evaluation Of A Telenutrition Weight Loss Intervention Among Middle-Aged And Older Men In Appalachia, Afnan Majed Alamoudi

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Obesity rates among middle-aged and older men in WV are among the highest in the nation. Understanding baseline and intervention factors contributing to losing clinically significant weight are essential to developing effective interventions in target groups. Thus, the purpose of this study is to determine factors associated with losing ≥ 5% of baseline weight among participants of a 12-week pilot randomized controlled telenutrition trial for middle-aged and older men in WV. The study analyzed data from 56 participants who completed the trial. Participants were classified as losing ≥ 5 % or < 5 % of baseline body weight. Diet quality was assessed using 4-day diet records and the Healthy Eating Index (HEI)-2015. Baseline factors and behavioral strategies (i.e., self-monitoring, self-efficacy, and social support) were assessed via survey. Inverse prediction analysis demonstrated that participants who lost ≥ 3.5% of baseline weight at 6 weeks were at least 75% likely to lose ≥ 5% weight at 12 weeks. Predictive models were developed using stepwise logistic regression to assess multiple predictors of losing ≥ 5% of baseline weight at 12 weeks and ≥ 3.5% of baseline at 6 weeks. Weight loss at 6 weeks was a strong predictor of weight loss at 12 weeks, in addition to previous weight loss attempts and weekly self-weight-monitoring (p

Improving Microbial Safety Of Food Products By Thermal And Non-Thermal Technology And Evaluate The Knowledge Of Antibiotic Resistant Issue Among Local Produce Growers, Wentao Jiang

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Microbial contamination of food products is one of the main transmission routes of disease in the world today, which is responsible for about two-thirds of all food-borne disease outbreaks although the hygiene process was improved recently. Improving microbial safety and implementing a good food management system are important elements to reduce microbial contamination and improve food safety and security. To improve microbial safety, I conducted inactivation studies on food pathogens and further explored antibiotic resistant risks. Initial research evaluated the efficacy of commercial antimicrobials distribution by comparing electrostatic sprayer with conventional sanitization process. The antibiotics applied by electrostatic spraying achieved …

A Role For Endothelial Tissue-Nonspecific Alkaline Phosphatase In Blood-Tissue Barrier Health And Disease, Allison L. Brichacek

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Sepsis is a disorder that targets the microcirculation with significant effects at blood-tissue barriers such as the blood-brain barrier (BBB) and gut-vascular barrier (GVB). Intestinal barrier dysfunction is thought to be one of the most important contributors to multi-organ dysfunction in sepsis. As a common site of infection, the impaired gut allows the dissemination of bacteria, which exacerbates the disease pathophysiology, and can lead to long-term morbidity and mortality. The mechanisms that influence altered barrier permeability in the GVB in sepsis and other inflammatory disorders are not well understood. Tissue-nonspecific alkaline phosphatase (TNAP) enzyme activity, which has been shown to …

Determining The Effects Of Imidacloprid On Non-Target Soil Organisms In Hemlock Stands, Braley Burke

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

The hemlock woolly adelgid (HWA), Adelges tsugae Annand (Hemiptera: Adelgidae), is an invasive insect that is causing mortality of eastern hemlock trees, Tsuga canadensis, and Carolina hemlock trees, Tsuga caroliniana, across the eastern United States. To protect these ecologically important tree species, a neonicotinoid insecticide, imidacloprid, is commonly used. Imidacloprid is an effective treatment and can remain effective against HWA for four to six years but long-term (≥ one year after application) non-target effects of imidacloprid on forest ecosystems are not well-studied. This study examined terrestrial non-target effects of imidacloprid in hemlock stands with different treatment histories to …

Janus Kinase 1 Drives Endoplasmic Reticulum Stress-Induced Transcriptional Reprogramming In Astrocytes, Savannah Graham Sims

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Neurological and neurodegenerative diseases are heterogenous and devastating diseases with limited therapeutic options and no cures. The broad, long-term goal of this project was to elucidate therapeutic targets for neurodegenerative conditions that attenuate damaging inflammation while leaving the beneficial immune response intact and avoiding broad immunosuppression. Inflammation and the accumulation of misfolded proteins are associated with a wide variety of neurological diseases. Here, we have examined how the accumulation of misfolded proteins shapes inflammatory signaling in the glial cell population astrocytes. Astrocytes are the most populous cell in the central nervous system (CNS) and provide physical and trophic support to …

Remediation Of Spatial Skills In First Semester Calculus Using Haptics-Based Applications, Kristen L. Murphy

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Spatial reasoning is required for many topics in undergraduate mathematics as well as other STEM fields. In calculus specifically, there are few interventions that assess students’ spatial skills and provide remediation. Haptic technology is a novel approach to spatial skills remediation due to its unfamiliarity to students and its flexibility with regard to models. The purpose of this dissertation is two-fold: first, to determine what level of spatial abilities students possess upon entering an undergraduate calculus course, and second, to determine whether haptic feedback will enhance an intervention for improving spatial skills.

The dissertation research was a mixed-methods study using …

Terrestrial Salamander And Ant Community Responses To Imidacloprid Application In Central Appalachian Eastern Hemlock Forests, Lenza E. Paul

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Imidacloprid is the most widely used insecticide in the world and has been found to impact non-target taxa in systems in which it is applied. It is used as the primary treatment method in the protection of eastern hemlocks (Tsuga canadensis) from impacts of hemlock woolly adelgid (HWA; Adelges tsugae), an invasive insect in the U.S. that is causing widespread mortality of hemlock trees. In this study, we investigated whether imidacloprid applied in eastern hemlock forests is impacting woodland salamander and ant communities.

In Chapter 1, I provide an overview of the ecological importance of eastern hemlocks …

Searching Harder, Localizing Better, Classifying Faster: Optimizing Fast Radio Burst Detection And Analysis, Kshitij Aggarwal

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Fast Radio Bursts (or FRBs) are millisecond-duration transients of extragalactic origin. They exhibit dispersion caused by propagation through an ionized medium, and quantified by Dispersion Measure (DM). Around 800 FRBs (24 repeaters) have been discovered; so far, 24 FRBs have been confidently associated with a host galaxy. In this thesis, we discuss multiple new FRB search and analysis techniques and the corresponding tools that enable us to search for FRBs harder, localize them better, and classify candidates faster.

We discuss five open-source software suites that can be used in FRB analysis. These suites are used to distinguish between FRBs and …

Response Of Forest Birds To Spotted Wing Drosophila (Drosophila Suzukii Matsumura), A Novel Invasive Fruit Pest, At Allegheny National Forest, Daniel P. Roche

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Non-native invasive insect pests can have dramatic impacts on native ecosystems, feeding on plant foliage, wood, or sap. Little is known, however, about how fruit-targeting NNIIPs may affect native ecosystems. Spotted wing Drosophila (Drosophila suzukii Matsumura, SWD) is a recently introduced invasive vinegar fly that parasitizes the fruits of many plant species in the United States. While its activity in agricultural systems is well-documented, little is known about its activity in forest ecosystems, despite growing evidence of its presence and parasitism of fruits there. Parasitism could reduce fruit attractiveness for vertebrate fruit consumers, including migratory birds. As such, this …

The Effect Of Bilingual Proficiency In Indian English On Bilabial Plosive, Taniya Chawla

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Background: Bilingual speech production studies have highlighted that level of proficiency influences the acoustic-phonetic representation of phonemes in both languages (MacKay, Flege, Piske, & Schirru 2001; Zárate-Sández, 2015). The results for bilingual speech production reveal that proficient/early bilinguals produce distinct acoustic properties for the same phoneme in each language, whereas less proficient/late bilinguals produce acoustic properties for a phoneme that is closer to the native language (Flege et al., 2003; Fowler et al., 2008). Acoustic-phonetic studies for Hindi (L1) and Indian English (L2) for bilingual speakers have been understudied, and the level of proficiency has not been considered in Hindi …

Three Essays On Energy And Agricultural Price Analysis, Sara Farhangdoost

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

This dissertation consists of three essays on energy and agricultural commodity price analysis: 1) Natural Gas Price Forecasting in a Changing World; 2) The Effect of EIA Storage Announcement on Natural Gas Returns: A Comprehensive Analysis; and 3) Forecasting the U.S. Season-Average Farm Price of Corn: Derivation of an Alternative Futures based Forecasting Model.

The first essay evaluates the performances of various individual and composite forecasting models when predicting natural gas prices in the United States. The empirical results show that forecast generated by the Energy Information Administration Short-Term Energy Outlook provides a more accurate price prediction at longer forecasting …

Judicial Independence In Pakistan: A Case Study Of Lawyers’ Movement, 2007-2009, Shabbir Ahmad Khan

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

This study focuses on a social movement, the Lawyers’ Moment 2007-2009 of Pakistan, a transitioning democracy, which brought vast changes in its judicial system, especially in terms of its judicial independence. There are three main research questions in this study: 1) the status of judicial independence before the Lawyers’ Movement; 2) was judicial independence a major goal in the Lawyers’ Movement? and 3) did the Lawyers’ Movement alter the status of judicial independence? The research methodology used to explore the answers to these questions also has three main sources: 1) the literature which explains some areas of scholarship in social …

Discriminative Stimulus Effects Of Cannabidiol Oil In Rats, Rebecca L. Chalme

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Cannabidiol (CBD) is one of the major centrally active phytocannabinoid components of cannabis, and has been approved by the FDA only for the treatment of two rare seizure disorders. However, CBD has been touted as a potential treatment for anxiety in place of more traditional treatments like benzodiazepines. Although there is some evidence of anxiolytic effects of CBD, its suitability as a substitute for benzodiazepines is unknown. This experiment was designed to assess to what extent CBD shares interoceptive discriminative-stimulus properties with the anxiolytic chlordiazepoxide (CDP), a benzodiazepine. In the present experiment, a range of doses (0-333.3 mg/kg) of over-the-counter …

An Analysis Of Coordinated Responding, Brian Katz

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Experimental analyses of coordinated responding (i.e., cooperation) have been derived from a procedure described by Skinner (1962) in which reinforcers were delivered to a pair of subjects (a dyad) if both responded within a short interval, thus satisfying a mutual-reinforcement contingency. Although it has been suggested that this contingency enhances rates of temporally coordinated responding, limitations of past experiments have raised questions concerning this conclusion. The present experiments assessed three of those limitations by holding the schedule of reinforcement (Experiment 1: fixed-ratio 1; Experiment 2; variable-interval 20 s) constant (1) across phases and (2) between dyad members, and (3) varying …

A Translational Analysis Of Renewal Following Dro With Human Subjects, Kacey R. Finch

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Renewal is a type of behavioral relapse that is dependent on changes in contextual stimuli in the environment. The current study investigated ABA renewal of responding that had been previously reduced by a differential reinforcement of other behavior (DRO) procedure. ABA renewal refers to the context associated with three phases of behavioral treatment; Context A is present during baseline, Context B is present during treatment, and the post-treatment context returns to Context A (i.e., renewal test). Undergraduate college students participated in a Zoom video call during which they responded by clicking the mouse on a rectangle in a computer program …

Investigation Of Novel Mitoneet Ligand Nl-1 As A Therapeutic For Cerebral Ischemia And Reperfusion Injury, Pushkar Saralkar

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Cerebral ischemia reperfusion injury, a common type of stroke, is a neurodegenerative disorder which is the leading cause of permanent disability in the United States. The underlying pathophysiology of ischemic stroke involves an occlusion in the vasculature supplying oxygen and glucose to the brain tissue, leading to infarction and eventual necrosis in the brain. MitoNEET is an outer mitochondrial protein that plays a role in the cellular bioenergetics and its redox physiology. Although its endogenous ligands are under investigation, mitoNEET binds molecules with a thiazolidinedione moiety, such as NL-1. This dissertation investigates NL-1 as a potential cytoprotective agent, and its …

Analysis Of Cell Signaling Perturbations In Response To Chronic Localized Infections, Amber Nicole Prince

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

The tissue-level response to pathogens involves an intricate series of signal transduction events, influenced by immune and healing mediators that alert the host to danger and eliminate the infection. Disruptions to normal signaling events can compromise the host’s ability to respond and lead to the development of chronic infections that cannot be resolved without clinical intervention. Prolonged inflammation due to chronic infection can damage tissues and compromise healing processes, thus, the interactions of immune and healing mediators in signaling cascades are intimately linked to tissue health outcomes. Studying signaling networks relevant to these responses provided a more thorough understanding of …