Digital Commons Network^™

Class Iii Camouflage Treatment: A Retrospective Study., Nikia R. Burns

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

The developing skeletal Class III malocclusion is one of the most challenging problems confronting the practicing orthodontist. Early orthopedic intervention can be effective in normalizing skeletal Class III malocclusions if patients are treated in a timely manner. However, there are a significant group of patients who either do not have the opportunity to receive early treatment or are corrected during childhood and relapse during the adolescent growth spurt. In addition, there are a large number of skeletal Class III patients that either decline or cannot afford surgical treatment. The only alternative is orthodontic camouflage through comprehensive treatment with fixed appliances. …

Photosynthetic Capacity Of Deciduous Tree Species Growing In The Duke Face Experiment With Elevated Carbon Dioxide And Nitrogen Fertilization., Christopher R. Buyarski

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Forested ecosystems are the largest terrestrial sinks for carbon dioxide (CO2) on earth and are important in mitigating the negative effects of human induced increases of atmospheric CO2. Trees fix CO2 into sugars by using the nitrogen demanding processes of photosynthesis. Modeling and empirical studies have shown stimulations in photosynthesis under elevated CO2 conditions but the response decreases as plant demand for N increases. I examined the interaction of CO2 and N on photosynthetic capacity of Liquidambar styraciflua trees growing in the overstory and four deciduous hardwood species, including Acer rubrum, Carya glabra, Ulmus alata, and Liquidambar styraciflua, in the …

Using Social Support And Theoretically Derived Messages To Increase Awareness And Use Of The C&O Canal National Historical Park For Walking: An Intervention Focused On Local Employees., Lydia H. Lawson

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

There have been a number of recent studies documenting the various physical, psychological, and social health benefits associated with participation in regular physical activity. In response to compelling evidence of the benefits associated with improving health and in an attempt to promote healthy lifestyles, the Bush Administration proposed the Healthier U.S. Initiative (Executive Order 13266) in 2002. The purpose of this initiative was to promote the use of public lands to improve personal health by encouraging their use for physical activity. Based on the recommendations of the National Park Service Advisory Board Subcommittee on Health & Recreation (2006), the C&O …

The Effect Of Genotype, Choice-Feeding And Season On Organically-Reared Broilers Fed Diets Devoid Of Synthetic Methionine., Amanda L. Rack

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

In light of the impending ban on synthetic methionine in organic poultry diets, researchers have focused on finding alternative strategies to supply this amino acid. The objectives of this study were to assess performance and carcass characteristics of broilers fed diets devoid of synthetic methionine using 1) a slow-growing and fast-growing genotype, 2) choice-feeding management, and 3) pasture access and seasonal variation. Inclusion of fish meal and high percentages of soybean meal enabled the specific genotype methionine requirement to be met. All diets were certified organic. Slowgrowing broilers (Gourmet Black) were raised from 1-84 days, and fast-growing broilers (Cobb 500) …

Design With Benefits : Combining Healthcare Step Programs And Design Tools To Make A Difference In Community Health, Emily E. Frye

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

I am aware that there is increasing emphasis being placed on designers pro actively designing services as opposed to simply creating artifacts. Looking past “selling” and moving toward enabling solutions that are for the greater good, this paper makes use of ethnographic contexts of communities involved to guide design. My thesis project designs a service plan and a program with artifacts. It is aimed at helping rural West Virginia Clinics intervene with unhealthy patients to help them prepare for a pro-active lifestyle. This program, named BeneFIT, was designed with user-centered methods and incorporates the Transtheoretical Model (TTM) developed by James …

The β-Tubulin Gene As A Means To Discriminate Species And Verify Evolutionary Patterns Of Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungi., Zola Msiska

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) associating with 80% of vascular plant families increase uptake of nutrients and water in plants, help to stabilize soil aggregates and improve soil aeration, water percolation and carbon storage. Phylogeny of AMF based on rDNA sequences is in conflict with morphology-based phylogeny. The aim of the present study was to examine a protein encoding gene, β-tubulin, in order to test conclusions drawn from rDNA sequences and morphological data. Inverse-PCR was used to amplify full-length β-tubulin genes of Gigaspora gigantea and Glomus clarum. The gene in both species is organized into five exons and four introns encoding …

Fibroblast Growth Factor -19: A Novel Factor That Inhibits Hepatic Fatty Acid Synthesis., Sushant Bhatnagar

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Previous studies have shown that administration of fibroblast growth factor-19 (FGF-19) reverses diabetes, hepatic steatosis, hyperlipidemia, and adipose accretion in animal models of obesity. To investigate the mechanism for this effect, we determined whether FGF-19 modulated hepatic fatty acid synthesis, a key process controlling glucose tolerance and triacylglycerol accumulation in liver, blood, and adipose tissue. Incubating primary hepatocyte cultures with recombinant FGF-19 suppressed the ability of insulin to stimulate fatty acid synthesis. This effect was associated with a reduction in the expression of lipogenic enzymes. FGF-19 also suppressed the insulin-induced expression of sterol regulatory element-binding protein-1c (SREBP-1c), a key transcriptional …

The Effectiveness Of Using Cooperative Learning Method On Esl Reading Comprehension Performance, Students' Attitudes Toward Cl, And Students' Motivation Toward Reading Of Secondary Stage In Saudi Public Girls' Schools., Latifah A. Alharbi

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

This study investigated the effects the use of cooperative learning method in English as a second language reading comprehension performance and how it improves the students' second language, their attitudes toward cooperative learning, and their motivation toward reading. Sixty ESL Saudi high school students from The Third Secondary School in Arrass City participated in this study and where divided into two groups (experimental group vs. control group). A pretest-posttest control group design was employed. Data were analyzed using a one-way analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) to test the differences between the experimental and the comparison group. The results of this analysis …

Evaluating An Insurance -Sponsored Weight Management Mprogram Using The Re-Aim Model., Christiaan G. Abildso

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Determining the public health impact of behavioral obesity treatment programs and industries with whom to ally in disseminating successful programs is critical to our nation's health. In a recent report the National Institute for Health Care Management (NIHCM) Foundation (2005) recognized the leverage that health plans might have by establishing incentives for member participation in obesity treatment programs (i.e., weight management). The RE-AIM model (reach, effectiveness, adoption, implementation, maintenance; Glasgow, Vogt, & Boles, 1999) is designed to summarize the public health impact of health promotion programs and assist decision makers in understanding the ability of programs to: (a) reach large …

Use Of Native Seed Mixtures To Improve Erosion Control And Wildlife Habitat On Log Landings Following Timber Harvest In The Upper Elk Watershed Of West Virginia, Lisa R. Tager

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Foresters in West Virginia follow BMP guidelines by reseeding retired log landings with inexpensive grasses that quickly provide erosion control. However, these grasses typically are not native nor do they provide high quality forage for wildlife. I developed 3 native seed mixtures for log landing reclamation that would maintain sediment control, as well as enhance wildlife habitat. These mixtures included an erosion control mixture, a wildlife mixture, and a wildflower mixture. I assessed sediment control, biomass production, vegetation structure, forage quality, and small mammal usage of my native mixtures and a commonly used, nonnative traditional mixture in 2005 and 2006. …

Expression Profiling Of Oocyte Specific Genes, Transcription Factors And Micrornas During Early Embryonic Development In Rainbow Trout (Onchorhyncus Mykiss), Raghuveer K. Ramachandra

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Genes specifically expressed in oocytes are important for the development of oocytes and early embryos. By analyzing ESTs from a rainbow trout oocyte cDNA library, we identified a novel EST sequence that does not show homology to any sequences in the GenBank. Analysis of tissue distribution by RT-PCR revealed that this gene was only expressed in unfertilized oocytes. Sequencing of the EST clone identified a cDNA of 3163 bp. Northern blot analysis showed the novel gene has a single transcript of 3.4 kb. Additional 5' sequence was obtained by 5' RACE, extending the novel cDNA to 3333 bp. Analysis of …

Color Space Analysis For Iris Recognition, Matthew K. Monaco

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

This thesis investigates issues related to the processing of multispectral and color infrared images of the iris. When utilizing the color bands of the electromagnetic spectrum, the eye color and the components of texture (luminosity and chromaticity) must be considered. This work examines the effect of eye color on texture-based iris recognition in both the near-IR and visible bands. A novel score level fusion algorithm for multispectral iris recognition is presented in this regard. The fusion algorithm - based on evidence that matching performance of a texture-based encoding scheme is impacted by the quality of texture within the original image …

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

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

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

Sociodemographic And Health -Related Risks For Loneliness And Outcome Differences By Loneliness Status In A Sample Of Older U.S. Adults, Laurie A. Theeke

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Background. Loneliness is a prevalent problem for older adults and has been shown to be associated with negative physical, psychological, and social variables. There has been limited research focusing on the relationship of loneliness to health. There is a gap in the literature when it comes to understanding how the problem of loneliness relates to the health of older adults in the United States.;Purpose. The purpose of this study was to address this gap in the literature through the testing of two models, the first model represented the postulated risks for loneliness and the second model represented the postulated outcomes …

Exploring The Use Of Human Metrology For Biometric Recognition, Nikhil Mallikarjun Reddy Burri

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

This thesis explores the possibility of incorporating human body measurements in a biometric framework. While metrological features have been used for identifying persons in the late 19th century, there is limited work in automating this process for surveillance applications. We first establish the relevance of using metrological features in biometric systems by studying two anthropometric data-sets (NASA and NHANES). We then propose a technique to automatically extract a subset of these measurements from a video sequence. A robust segmentation technique (HMMF) to detect moving pixels corresponding to human objects is used in the first stage. Next, we use Active Contours …

Life After The Establishment Clause, Steven G. Gey

West Virginia Law Review

No abstract provided.

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

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

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

Molecular And Functional Characterization Of Bacterial Communities In Organic Farm And Pasture Soils, Sherie L. Edenborn

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Culture-dependent denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (CD DGGE) fingerprinting of the 16S rRNA gene was developed to characterize mixed soil bacterial communities recovered on agar plates. CD DGGE analyses resulted in clear banding patterns of sufficient complexity (16--32 major bands) and reproducibility to investigate differences in bacterial communities in silt loam soils. Replicate CD DGGE profiles from plates inoculated with less-dilute samples (10 -3) had a higher band count and were more similar (72--77%) than profiles from more-dilute samples (51--61%). When CD DGGE fingerprints were compared to profiles constructed from 16S rRNA genes obtained from culture-independent clone libraries (CB DGGE profiles) …

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

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

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

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

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

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

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

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

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

Alterations In Progesterone Catabolic Enzymes By Insulin, Caleb Owens Lemley

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

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

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

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

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

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

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

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

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

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

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

Analysis Of The Relationship Between Performance Measures And Sale Price Among Angus Bulls From Two Different Bull Providers, C. Zack Hileman

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

The objective of this study was to determine the relationships of sale price to EPD, Angus Dollar Value Indexes, and actual measurements among Angus bulls of two different seedstock bull providers. Data were obtained from Gardiner Angus Ranch, Ashland, Kansas, for years 2000-2006 on 815 Angus bulls and from the Wardensville bull test, Wardensville, West Virginia, for years 2001-2005 on 357 Angus bulls. Expected progeny differences (EPD) for birth weight (BW EPD), weaning weight (WW EPD), yearling weight (YW EPD), maternal milk (MM EPD), yearling height (YH EPD), scrotal circumference (SC EPD), intramuscular fat (IMF EPD), ribeye area (REA EPD), …

Ex Libris, Spring 2007, West Virginia University. Library.

Ex Libris: The WVU Libraries Magazine

Knotts Memorabilia Finds Home at WVU and Wise Library History Available as eBook on WVU Libraries Web Site

The Economic Incidence Of Wv Taxes, Mehmet Tosun, Pavel Yakovlev, Arzu Sen

Bureau of Business & Economic Research

No abstract provided.

Effect Of Starvation On Global Gene Expression And Proteolysis In Rainbow Trout (Oncorhynchus Mykiss), Mohamed Salem, Jeff Silverstein, Caird E. Rexroad Iii, Jianbo Yao

Faculty & Staff Scholarship

Background

Fast, efficiently growing animals have increased protein synthesis and/or reduced protein degradation relative to slow, inefficiently growing animals. Consequently, minimizing the energetic cost of protein turnover is a strategic goal for enhancing animal growth. Characterization of gene expression profiles associated with protein turnover would allow us to identify genes that could potentially be used as molecular biomarkers to select for germplasm with improved protein accretion.

Results

We evaluated changes in hepatic global gene expression in response to 3-week starvation in rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss). Microarray analysis revealed a coordinated, down-regulated expression of protein biosynthesis genes in starved …

Pkcepsilon And An Increase In Intracellular Calcium Concentration Are Necessary For Pgf2alpha To Inhibit Lh-Stimulated Progesterone Secretion In Cultured Bovine Steroidogenic Luteal Cells, Madhusudan P. Goravanahally, Aritro Sen, Emmet K. Inskeep, Jorge A. Flores

Faculty & Staff Scholarship

The hypotheses that PKCepsilon is necessary for: 1) PGF2alpha to inhibit LH-stimulated progesterone (P4) secretion, and 2) for the expression of key prostaglandin synthesizing/metabolizing enzymes were tested in bovine luteal cells in which PKCepsilon expression had been ablated using a validated siRNA protocol. Steroidogenic cells from Day -6 bovine corpus luteum (CL) were isolated and transfected to reduce PKCepsilon expression after 48, 72 and 96 h. A third tested hypothesis was that an increase in intracellular calcium concentration ([Ca(2+)]i) is the cellular mechanism through which PGF2alpha inhibits luteal progesterone. The hypothesis was tested with two pharmacological agents. In the first …