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The Effect Of Aging And Resveratrol Supplementation On Bone Mass And Strength In Hindlimb Suspended Male Rats, Stephanie Wright

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Resveratrol has recently become a popular dietary supplement because of its potential for reducing the effects of aging and various age-related diseases. However, few studies have investigated the role of resveratrol in improving bone loss associated with aging. It has been widely reported that mechanical unloading increases bone loss. The elderly experience a prevalence of reduced mechanical loading due to declining activity levels and increased incidence of bed rest. In rats, hind-limb suspension (HLS) simulates mechanical unloading of bone. Therefore, the objective of this study was to examine the effects of aging and resveratrol supplementation on bone health in HLS …

The Application Of The Vulnerable Populations Conceptual Framework To Determine Factors Predictive Of Overweight And Obesity In Appalachian Children And Adolescents, Melanie M. Whelan

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Statement of problem. Appalachian children and adolescents are considered a vulnerable population with a high prevalence of obesity. This study was the first study to apply a vulnerable populations conceptual framework to examine factors associated with overweight and obesity in Appalachian children and adolescents. The purpose of this study was to describe the extent to which resource availability (family income, insurance, family characteristics, parents' education, and transportation) and risk factors (utilization of health care/preventive care, family medical history, and participant medical history) impact overweight and obesity in a vulnerable population. The study also described the frequency of overweight and obesity …

History, Philosophy, And Sociology Of Sport Recommendations For Physical Education Teacher Education, Amanda A. Metcalf

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

The purpose of this study was to determine the essential history, philosophy, and sociology of sport competencies to be used to inform the physical education teacher education undergraduate curriculum. A two-round modified Delphi procedure involved the repeated circulation of a questionnaire to a panel of content experts. The study sample included specialists in history of sport, philosophy of sport, and sociology of sport, experts in the field of physical education teacher education, and school-based physical education practitioners. The Delphi panel members rated each questionnaire item in terms of its theoretical importance and pedagogical relevance using a five-point Likert scale. The …

Factors That Impact West Virginia Head Start Parental Involvement In Early Literacy, Arlene Midget Clausell

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

The research problem is: Many parents are not involved in their children's early literacy education. Some Head Start parents experience issues that keep them from teaching their children early literacy skills. The research questions were: What are the factors for parental involvement in the support of early literacy skill development for their children? What do parents in Head Start do to support early literacy development in their children? What are the barriers in how parents support literacy development for their children? This research included 392 parents from Head Start centers in West Virginia. Eleven parents participated in focus groups and …

The Effect Of Omega-3 Enhanced Fish Consumption On C-Reactive Protein Levels In Post-Menopausal Women, Megan Moran

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Heart disease is the leading killer of women in the United States, and the risk is 2--3 times greater in post-menopausal than pre-menopausal women. C-Reactive protein (CRP) is an inflammatory marker that has been identified as a risk factor for heart disease. The objective of this study was to determine if increased consumption of omega-3 fatty acids, known for their anti-inflammatory properties, reduced CRP levels in post-menopausal women. A sample of 29 women was recruited to participate in the study. Participants were randomly assigned to two groups, experimental and control. The women were instructed to follow a heart healthy diet …

Evaluation Of Information Transfer Between Beef Producers And Extension Agents In West Virginia, Travis J. Cullen

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

The purpose of this study was to determine how information passes between beef producers and Extension Agents in West Virginia in the areas of teaching methods and program advertisement. A descriptive research design was used to collect the data for this study. The target population was all beef producers and the Agriculture and Natural Resource Extension Agents in West Virginia. The study found that beef producers and Extension Agents tend to be in agreement on both the methods of advertising and teaching. However, the programs beef producers desire differs from those the West Virginia University Extension Service offers.

Molecular Characterization Of The Murf Gene Family: Potential Role In Rainbow Trout Muscle Degradation, Jiannan Wang

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

As United States and world seafood demand increases, aquaculture production becomes more important. Limited knowledge of molecular regulation of muscle growth and flesh quality hinders genetic improvement of these important traits in fish. Our goal is to enhance muscle growth and fillet quantity in rainbow trout, Oncorhynchus mykiss. Muscle growth is determined primarily by rate of protein turnover. Unlike mammals, rapidly growing fish have reduced protein degradation rather than increased protein synthesis. Studies in mammals showed that muscle atrophy results from increased protein breakdown, and is associated with activation of the ubiquitin proteasome pathway including induction of the muscle-specific ubiquitin …

Satisfaction Of Contract Poultry Producers In Virginia And West Virginia, Christina L. Richmond

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

This study investigated the satisfaction of contract poultry producers in West Virginia and Virginia using a mailed questionnaire. Producers were asked to provide feedback on their company, income, debt load and grower relations. Producers indicated they were satisfied with their business decision to raise contract poultry. Level of satisfaction was significantly different for producers in the two states. Producers who raise pullets or broiler breeders exhibited greater satisfaction that broiler producers. The income level of producers has increased, however more producers have indicated they are losing money. Producers showed high levels of satisfaction with their service personnel who come directly …

Aging-Dependent Effects Of Repetitive Loading Exercise And Antioxidant Supplementation On Oxidative Stress In Skeletal Muscle, Michael J. Ryan

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Aging is associated with a reduced ability to buffer oxidants along with an increase in oxidant production, resulting in chronic oxidative stress. Oxidative stress is a putative factor responsible for reducing function ability of skeletal muscle and increasing oxidative damage. The objective of this set of investigations was to evaluate the efficacy of reducing oxidative stress on improving muscle function the adaptive response of skeletal muscle to repetitive loading exercise in aging rodents. To achieve this objective, three methods of reducing oxidative stress were utilized; the antioxidant vitamins E&C were used to buffer oxidants, the nutraceutical resveratrol was used to …

Pretreatments And Energy Potentials Of Appalachian Hardwood Residues For Biofuel Production, Adebola Bamikole Adebayo

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Continuous increase in crude oil price and environmental issues related to toxic emissions from the use of petroleum products has necessitated the need to find an alternative renewable source of energy in woody biomass. Accordingly, properties, chemical pretreatments, and enzymatic hydrolysis of logging residues to fermentable sugars were evaluated in this study. Logging residue specimens of yellow-poplar (Liriodendron tulipifera) and red oak (Quercus rubra) were collected from fifteen previously harvested sites across West Virginia and then analyzed for their physical, chemical, and thermal properties. Results indicated that logging residues of yellow-poplar and red oak were dried in nature to a …

Alterations In Hepatic Enzyme Activity And Progesterone Clearance In Lactating Dairy Cows, Caleb Owens Lemley

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

In the cow, inadequate concentrations of progesterone during gestation may lead to an abrupt termination of pregnancy. The primary organ involved in progesterone catabolism is the liver, which contains an abundance of cytochrome P450 isozymes (CYP; EC 1.14.14.1) and aldo-keto reductases (AKR; EC 1.1.1.145-151), which are involved in the first phase of steroid inactivation, before second phase conjugation and excretion of the steroid metabolite by UDP-glucuronosyltransferases (UGT; EC 2.4.1.17). The objectives of the current experiments were to: (1) determine the effect of feeding two isoenergetic and isonitrogenous diets formulated to cause divergent insulin secretion, on hepatic progesterone catabolic enzyme activity …

Essays On The Public Economics Of Health, Rachel L. Mathers

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

This dissertation explores three important health issues, utilizing the tools provided by economics to provide new insight into areas of research typically the parlance of those in medical fields of study. The integration of economic theory into existing literature on health issues provides a more detail-rich explanation of health policy and corresponding health outcomes. This dissertation applies economic theory to the health topics of skin cancer, Female Genital Mutilation (FGM), and AIDS. There are five chapters included in this dissertation, beginning with an introduction in Chapter 1. Chapter 2 addresses the skin cancer paradox, specifically analyzing the relationship between National …

Pe Followed Me Home From School Today: Effects Of The Activity Challenge On Youth Summer Physical Activity, Kacey Digiacinto

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

The prevalence of overweight and obese youth in the nation is growing at an alarming pace (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2008; West Virginia Department of Health and Human Resources, 2007). Currently, 3.8% of elementary schools, 7.9% of middle schools, and 2.1% of high schools provide daily physical education (Jones, Axelrad, & Wattigney, 2007). That means that a majority of America's youth are not provided with the opportunity to accumulate the recommended daily amounts of physical activity. With formal physical education in mind schools should be focusing on increasing youth out-of-school physical activity. Teacher assigned, out-of-school, physical activity, self-management …

Comparing The Use Of Qpcr On Isolated Smallmouth Bass (Micropterus Dolomieu) And Rainbow Trout (Oncorhynchus Mykiss) Hepatocytes For Estrogen Screening, Emily Breana Chambers

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Exposure of fish to estrogenic endocrine disrupting chemicals (EEDCs) is believed to be a contributing factor of intersex (the presence of immature oocytes in the testes) and fish kills in the Potomac and Shenandoah Rivers. EEDCs are often seen in the effluent of wastewater treatment plants. A simple and common way to look at the estrogenicity of water samples is to deploy Passive Organic Chemical Integrative Samplers (POCIS) and extract the hydrophilic compounds from the filters with methanol. Samplers were deployed upstream and downstream of two wastewater treatment plants, one on the Conococheague River and one on the Monocacy River, …

Residual Feed Intake, Body Composition And Fertility In Yearling Beef Heifers, Kevin S. Shaffer

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

One hundred thirty-seven spring born yearling beef heifers of English breed types were used to determine the relationships between residual feed intake (RFI) and growth rate, body composition, mature size, and fertility. Heifers were housed in a drylot facility during the trial and data were collected over a two-year period (year 1, n=67; year 2, n=70). Individual feed intake, body weight (BW), body condition score (BCS ), hip height (HH), and carcass ultrasound measurements (subcutaneous rib and rump fat; RIF and RUF, respectively, longissimus muscle area; LMA, and intramuscular fat; IMF ) were collected. Individual feed intakes were expressed as …

Utilization Of Leaf Meal As A Potential Feed Source, Jason K. Smith

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Alternative feeds are currently utilized by producers throughout much of animal agriculture as a method of reducing feed costs. Under careful resource management, and proper understanding of their potential effects on animal performance, some deciduous tree leaves may prove to be a valuable feed resource, as substantial tonnage exists in the forests of the United States. In order to assess their value as a feed source, fall-dropped Quercus alba (white oak) and Liriodendron tulipifera (tulip poplar) leaves were collected at the Appalachian Farming Systems Research Center in Beaver, WV by the USDA-ARS. Proximate analysis and fiber determination, as well as …

Long Term Ampk Activation Limits Obesity Induced Muscle Atrophy, Joshua C. Drake

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

The aim of this study was to identify obesity-induced alterations in regulatory mechanisms of skeletal muscle mass and how they would be altered with long term (8 weeks) AMPK-agonist treatment. 8 week old male, lean (L) wild type [body weight (BW) = 26.9 g] and ob/ob (O) [BW = 46.2 g] mice were fed an AMP kinase (AMPK) activator, beta-GPA (F), mixed at a 1% concentration within their food or normal chow as control (C) for 8 weeks. Following an overnight (12 hr) fast, all mice were sacrificed and the gastrocnemius complex was excised for analysis. Muscle mass was lower …

Ex Libris, Spring 2010, West Virginia University. Library.

Ex Libris: The WVU Libraries Magazine

From 1960 to 1977, Dr. Robert F. Munn compiled five bibliographies focusing on the coal industry, Appalachia, and West Virginia publications

2010 Symposium Brochure

Programs

No abstract provided.

The C8 Health Project: Design, Methods, And Participants, Stephanie J. Frisbee, A Paul Brooks Jr, Arthur Maher, Patsy Flesborg, Susan Arnold, Tony Fletcher, Kyle Steenland, Anoop Shankar, Sarah S. Knox, Cecil Pollard, Joel A. Halverson, Veronica M. Vieira, Chuanfang Jin, Kevin M. Leyden, Alan M. Ducatman

Faculty & Staff Scholarship

Background

The C8 Health Project was created, authorized, and funded as part of the settlement agreement reached in the case of Jack W. Leach, et al. v. E.I. du Pont de Nemours & Company (no. 01-C-608 W.Va., Wood County Circuit Court, filed 10 April 2002). The settlement stemmed from the perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA, or C8) contamination of drinking water in six water districts in two states near the DuPont Washington Works facility near Parkersburg, West Virginia.

Objectives

This study reports on the methods and results from the C8 Health Project, a population study created to gather data that would allow …

Evaluating An Insurance-Sponsored Weight Management Program With The Re-Aim Model, West Virginia, 2004-2008, Christiaan Abildso, Sam Zizzi, Bill Reger-Nash

Faculty & Staff Scholarship

Introduction: Evaluations of weight management programs in real-world settings are lacking. The RE-AIM model (reach, effectiveness, adoption, implementation, maintenance) was developed to address this deficiency. Our primary objective was to evaluate a 12-week insurance-sponsored weight management intervention by using the RE-AIM model, including short-term and long-term individual outcomes and setting-level implementation factors. Our secondary objective was to critique the RE-AIM model and its revised calculation methods.

Methods: We created operational definitions for components of the 5 RE-AIM indices and used standardized effect size values from various statistical procedures to measure multiple components or outcomes within each index. We used chi(2) …

Characterization Of The Rainbow Trout Transcriptome Using Sanger And 454-Pyrosequencing Approaches, Mohamed Salem, Caird E. Rexroad Iii, Jiannan Wang, Gary H. Thorgaard, Jianbo Yao

Faculty & Staff Scholarship

Background

Rainbow trout are important fish for aquaculture and recreational fisheries and serves as a model species for research investigations associated with carcinogenesis, comparative immunology, toxicology and evolutionary biology. However, to date there is no genome reference sequence to facilitate the development of molecular technologies that utilize high-throughput characterizations of gene expression and genetic variation. Alternatively, transcriptome sequencing is a rapid and efficient means for gene discovery and genetic marker development. Although a large number (258,973) of EST sequences are publicly available, the nature of rainbow trout duplicated genome hinders assembly and complicates annotation.

Results

High-throughput deep sequencing of the …

Maternal Low-Level Lead Exposure And Fetal Growth, Motao Zhu, Edward F. Fitzgerald, Kitty H. Gelberg, Shao Lin, Charlotte M. Druschel

Faculty & Staff Scholarship

Background

Limited epidemiologic studies have examined the association between maternal low-level lead exposure [blood lead (PbB) < 10 μg/dL] and fetal growth.

Objective

We examined whether maternal low-level lead exposure is associated with decreased fetal growth.

Methods

We linked New York State Heavy Metals Registry records of women who had PbB measurements with birth certificates to identify 43,288 mother–infant pairs in upstate New York in a retrospective cohort study from 2003 through 2005. We used multiple linear regression with fractional polynomials and logistic regression to relate birth weight, preterm delivery, and small for gestational age to PbB levels, adjusting for potential confounders. We used a closed-test …

Self-Reported Dental Hygiene, Obesity, And Systemic Inflammation In A Pediatric Rural Community Cohort, Stephanie J. Frisbee, Christopher B. Chambers, Jefferson C. Frisbee, Adam G. Goodwill, Richard J. Crout

Faculty & Staff Scholarship

Background

A growing body of epidemiologic evidence links oral health, obesity, and cardiovascular health, though few studies have reported on these relationships in children. While underlying mechanisms are unclear, adult studies have suggested sub-acute systemic inflammation, also implicated in the etiology of both obesity and cardiovascular disease. This study investigated associations between self-reported dental hygiene, obesity, and systemic inflammation in children.

Methods

128 children < 19 years of age from rural counties in West Virginia participated in a community-based health screening that included anthropometric assessments, blood collection, and a questionnaire about dental hygiene and self-assessed oral health.

Results

Participants ranged from 3.0-18.7 years. Univariate analysis demonstrated an association between parent-reported dental hygiene, including frequency of preventive dental care and parent-assessed overall dental health, and markers of systemic inflammation but not obesity. In multivariable …

Agt M235t Genotype/Anxiety Interaction And Gender In The Hypergen Study, Sarah S. Knox, Xinxin Guo, Yuqing Zhang, G Weidner, Scott Williams, R Curtis Ellison

Faculty & Staff Scholarship

Background

Both anxiety and elevated heart rate (HR) have been implicated in the development of hypertension. The HyperGen cohort, consisting of siblings with severe and mild hypertension, an age-matched random sample of persons from the same base populations, and unmedicated adult offspring of the hypertensive siblings (N = 1,002 men and 987 women), was analyzed for an association of the angiotenisinogen AGTM235T genotype (TT, MT, MM) with an endophenotype, heart rate (HR) in high and low anxious groups.

Methodology

The interaction of AGTM genotype with anxiety, which has been independently associated with hypertension, was investigated adjusting for age, hypertension status, …

A Mixed-Method Evaluation Of A College Student Fitness Program Using The Re-Aim Framework, Michelle L. Bartlett, Sam Zizzi

Faculty & Staff Scholarship

Background: The consistently rising obesity rate in college student population illustrates the need for organized and effective interventions. The purposes of this study were to evaluate an eight-week fitness program implemented at university student recreation center using mixed-methods along the reach, effectiveness, and implementation dimensions of the RE-AIM framework for evaluating health-promotion programs and to illustrate how qualitative data can be used to enhance the capabilities of the RE-AIM framework to evaluate such programs via providing recommendations to improve the intervention not possible with just a quantitative RE-AIM evaluation. Methods: Quantitative (participation rate, changes in % body fat, and resting …

Association Of Perfluorooctanoic Acid (Pfoa) And Perfluorooctane Sulfonate (Pfos) With Uric Acid Among Adults With Elevated Community Exposure To Pfoa, Kyle Steenland, Sarah Tinker, Anoop Shankar, Alan Ducatman

Faculty & Staff Scholarship

Background

Perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) and perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS) are compounds that do not occur in nature, have been widely used since World War II, and persist indefinitely in most environments. Median serum levels in the United States are 4 ng/mL for PFOA and 21 ng/mL for PFOS. PFOA has been associated with elevated uric acid in two studies of chemical workers. Uric acid is a risk factor for hypertension and possibly other cardiovascular outcomes.

Methods

We conducted a cross-sectional study of PFOA and PFOS and uric acid among 54,951 adult community residents in Ohio and West Virginia, who lived or …

Efficacy And Safety Of A New Formulation Of Pancrelipase (Ultrase Mt20) In The Treatment Of Malabsorption In Exocrine Pancreatic Insufficiency In Cystic Fibrosis, Michael W. Konstan, Theodore G. Liou, Steven D. Strausbaugh, Richard Ahrens, Jamshed F. Kanga, Gavin R. Graff, Kathryn Moffett, Susan L. Millard, Samya Z. Nasr, Edith Simeon, Jean Spenard, Josee Grondin

Faculty & Staff Scholarship

Background. Pancreatic enzyme replacement therapy is the standard of care for treatment of malabsorption in patients with cystic fibrosis (CF) and exocrine pancreatic insufficiency (PI). Aim. To evaluate efficacy and safety of a new formulation of pancrelipase (Ultrase MT20) in patients with CF and PI. Coefficients of fat absorption (CFA%) and nitrogen absorption (CNA%) were the main efficacy parameters. Safety was evaluated by monitoring laboratory analyses, adverse events (AEs), and overall signs and symptoms. Methods. Patients () were randomized in a crossover design comparing this pancrelipase with placebo during 2 inpatient evaluation periods (6-7 days each). Fat and protein/nitrogen ingestion …

A Model For Transgenerational Imprinting Variation In Complex Traits, Chenguang Wang, Zhong Wang, Jiangtao Luo, Qin Li, Yao Li, Kwangmi Ahn, Daniel R. Prows, Rongling Wu

Faculty & Staff Scholarship

Despite the fact that genetic imprinting, i.e., differential expression of the same allele due to its different parental origins, plays a pivotal role in controlling complex traits or diseases, the origin, action and transmission mode of imprinted genes have still remained largely unexplored. We present a new strategy for studying these properties of genetic imprinting with a two-stage reciprocal F mating design, initiated with two contrasting inbred lines. This strategy maps quantitative trait loci that are imprinted (i.e., iQTLs) based on their segregation and transmission across different generations. By incorporating the allelic configuration of an iQTL genotype into a mixture …

Kaempferol Enhances Cisplatin's Effect On Ovarian Cancer Cells Through Promoting Apoptosis Caused By Down Regulation Of Cmyc, Haitao Luo, Matthew K. Daddysman, Gary O. Rankin, Bing-Hua Jiang, Yi C. Chen

Faculty & Staff Scholarship

Background

Ovarian cancer is one of the most significant malignancies in the western world. Studies showed that Ovarian cancers tend to grow resistance to cisplatin treatment. Therefore, new approaches are needed in ovarian cancer treatment. Kaempferol is a dietary flavonoid that is widely distributed in fruits and vegetables, and epidemiology studies have revealed a protective effect of kaempferol against ovarian cancer risk. Our early studies also found that kaempferol is effective in reducing vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) expression in ovarian cancer cells. In this study, we investigated kaempferol's effects on sensitizing ovarian cancer cell growth in response to cisplatin …