Digital Commons Network^™

The Role Of Arginase I In Ischemic Stroke And Cardiovascular Disease, Ashley Brooke Petrone

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Acute ischemic stroke (AIS) is currently the fifth leading cause of death and a leading cause of long-term disability in the United States. Further, the incidence of AIS is expected to increase dramatically through year 2030. Despite the current and anticipated burden of AIS, treatment options for AIS, both acute and chronic, are extremely limited. Tissue plasminogen activator (tPA) is currently the only FDA-approved drug used to treat AIS; however, only a small fraction of AIS patients are eligible to receive tPA, and of these, only roughly 15 percent benefit from treatment with tPA. Given this, there is a crucial …

An Examination Of Households' Willingness-To-Pay For Wetlands Biodiversity Conservation In The United States: A Benefit Transfer Approach, Rajendra Prasad Poudel

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

This research paper provides a benefit transfer model of willingness-to-pay (WTP) for wetlands' biodiversity conservation in the United States. The validity of the estimated wetland's willingness-to-pay values is also examined. While valuation of the services provided by wetlands may be challenging due to their non-market nature, estimation of values is important. Conducting a primary study is the best option for precise results. However, researchers may recommend the benefit transfer approach in wetland valuation when there are limited time, budgetary constraints, and administrative urgency.;The benefit transfer approach involves transferring of value estimates from study sites (where research was already undertaken) to …

Illustrating Appalachia: The Sketchbooks And Publications Of David Hunter Strother, 1833 To 1887, Alee Robins

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

In the mid-nineteenth century, one of the most popular American magazine illustrators was David Hunter Strother, a native of Martinsburg, Virginia (now West Virginia). Using the pseudonym "Porte Crayon," Strother published semi-fictional accounts of his travels which he often illustrated as well as authored. The West Virginia & Regional History Center offers a digital collection of 730 of the artist's sketches and paintings. Additionally, the Walters Art Museum presents eight of Strother's sketches online. To provide a method for studying Strother's artworks, a database was created to show connections between the artist's works based on date, location, and thematic content. …

Kinematic Basis For Body Specific Locomotor Mechanics And Perturbation Responses, Ryan B. Ross

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Animals have evolved mechanical and neural strategies for locomotion in almost every environment, overcoming the complexities of their habitats using specializations in body structure and animal behavior. These specializations are created by neural networks responsible for generating and altering muscle activation. Species specific musculoskeletal anatomy and physiology determine how locomotion is controlled through the transformation of motor patterns into body movements. Furthermore, when these species specific locomotor systems encounter perturbations during running and walking their behavioral and mechanical attributes determine how stability is established during and after the perturbation. It is still not understood how species specific structural and behavioral …

Changing Vulnerabilities In A Changing Climate: Farming Opportunity And Constraint In Kilimanjaro Region, Tanzania, Paul O'Keefe

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

This dissertation demonstrates that the vulnerability of households to both socioeconomic and environmental processes is found in unequal, differentiated ability to access the means of social production and reproduction. Place specific environmental and social factors co-produce specific manifestations of vulnerability, but the underlying causes and driving forces are to be found in the social formation and social relations of households in the case study area. The major finding of this dissertation is that changes in the social relations of production and reproduction are creating as much risk to livelihoods as climate change does, or is likely to do in the …

Synchronization Of Coupled And Periodically Forced Chemical Oscillators, Razan Snari

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Physiological rhythms are essential in all living organisms. Such rhythms are regulated through the interactions of many cells. Deviation of a biological system from its normal rhythms can lead to physiological maladies. The tremor and symptoms associated with Parkinson's disease are thought to emerge from abnormal synchrony of neuronal activity within the neural network of the brain. Deep brain stimulation is a therapeutic technique that can remove this pathological synchronization by the application of a periodic desynchronizing signal. Herein, we used the photosensitive Belousov--Zhabotinsky (BZ) chemical reaction to test the mechanism of deep brain stimulation. A collection of oscillators are …

Regulation And Function Of The Cancer Stem Cell Transcription Factors Gli1 And Kruppel-Like Factor 4, Daniel B. Vanderbilt

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Transcription factors are crucial to the normal and pathologic biology of cells. Aberrant genetic regulation underlies all facets of cancer, including metastasis, therapeutic resistance, and other clinically relevant manifestations. Kruppel-like factor 4 (KLF4) and GLI1, transcription factors that interact with DNA through conserved zinc finger domains, are implicated in human malignancy. The stability of GLI1 protein is a central determinant of Hedgehog pathway signaling output, and is regulated through interaction with the F-box protein beta-TrCP. In pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma, GLI1 may be activated by oncogenic mechanisms. While KLF4 is not specific to any discrete signal pathway, KLF4 is well-characterized in …

The Cold Culture Wars: The Fight For Democratic Education In Post-War New York, Brandon C. Williams

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

This dissertation explores how the American public school system has become the primary institution for citizens to project, contest, or affirm their values. Primarily, this revolves around competing ideas of democratic education. After World War II, politicians utilized the schools to propagate American democracy, while citizens viewed education as a means to reconstruct the post-war democratic order. Although most representatives acknowledged the schools needed to guard democracy and stem totalitarian aggression, few agreed on how education should accomplish such a feat. Consequently, "democratic education" deviated from its theoretical moorings and found a newly nationalistic expression in a Cold War era …

Chronic Stress, Depressive Symptoms And Peripheral Vascular Dysfunction: Fundamentals, Mechanisms, Sex Disparities, And Determinants Of Integrated Outcomes, Shyla Christine Stanley

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Chronic, irresolvable psychological stress, a major contributor of depressive disorders, has been identified as a key factor involved in the tightly linked association between the prevalence/severity of depressive symptoms and the concurrent development of cardiovascular disease (CVD). Furthermore, there are marked differences in the incidence and pathology of these diseases between males and females, although the underlying mechanisms involved are unclear. The purpose of this dissertation is to investigate the effects of chronic stress/depression on behavioral and vascular function in rodents in order to elucidate the underlying mechanisms linking depression symptom severity with cardiovascular development/outcome. The unpredictable chronic mild stress …

A Novel Microbial Source Tracking Dna Microarray Used For Pathogen Detection In Environmental Systems, Xiang Li

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Pathogen detection and the identification of fecal contamination sources can be challenging in environmental and engineered treatment systems. Factors including pathogen diversity and ubiquity of fecal indicator bacteria hamper risk assessment and remediation of contamination sources. Therefore, a quick method that can detect and identify waterborne pathogens in environmental systems is needed. In this work, a custom microarray targeting pathogens (viruses, bacteria, protozoa), microbial source tracking (MST) markers, mitochondria DNA (mtDNA) and antibiotic resistance genes was used to detect over 430 selected gene targets in whole genome amplification (WGA) DNA and complementary DNA (cDNA) isolated from sewage and animal (avian, …

Calcium Enhanced Protein Recovery From Underutilized Aquatic Resources And Optimizing Protein Gelation Strategies Using Functional Ingredients, Ilgin Paker

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Utilization of aquatic resources has rapidly gained importance. Traditional fish processing does not utilize the majority of the fish, thus generating large quantities of waste that impacts the economy, sustainability and environmental stress adversely. Protein can be extracted from underutilized sources such as silver carp and catfish using a pH shift processing method and incorporated into the human diet. Therefore, myofibrillar proteins were extracted from ground fish using different alkali solubilization and precipitation strategies. The efficacy of protein separation from lipids, and insoluble such as skin, fins, scales and bones were investigated and compared. Protein and lipid recovery yields were …

Eco-Town: An Integrated Modeling Framework For Simulating The Effects Of Urban Morphology On Sustainable Development, Ali Abutalebpur

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Spatial structure of a city is a key determinant of its socioeconomic well-being and there is a growing interest in models that investigate the relation between spatial structure and sustainable urban development. This dissertation aims to examine the role of urban spatial structure on social, economic, and environmental dimensions of sustainability through developing an integrated modeling framework. In particular, this modeling framework bridges "design of urban built environment" and "sustainable development" at the city-region level through simulation and measuring the effect of changes in urban spatial structure on the stock of various asset forms including natural, human, and physical capital.;The …

The Role Of Dynorphin In The Onset Of Puberty In Female Lambs, Justin Angelo Lopez

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

The neural mechanisms underlying the onset of puberty are not well understood. In sheep, this process involves an increase in GnRH release due to decreased sensitivity to estrogen feedback. Because GnRH neurons do not express the relevant estrogen receptors, this pathway must contain interneurons. Neurons in the arcuate nucleus (ARC) of the hypothalamus that co-express kisspeptin (Kiss), neurokinin B, and dynorphin (DYN), i.e. KNDy neurons, play a critical role. Based on previous data, the overall hypothesis is that the prepubertal hold in GnRH/LH release results from reduced Kiss stimulation and heightened DYN inhibition in response to estrogen negative feedback. Two …

Cross-Boundary Conservation Attributes Of Farmland And Woodland Owners In The Greenbrier River Valley Landscape Of Southeastern West Virginia, Valerie Grant

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

The Greenbrier River watershed features some of the most productive agriculture and timberlands, critical habitat, and extensive recreational opportunities in the central Appalachian Mountains. Cross-boundary conservation projects could address landscape scale issues such as parallelization and fragmentation in the agricultural, forest, and recreationally productive rural area in southeastern West Virginia. A survey of farmland and woodland owners explored relationships between landowner attributes, land management activities, sense of place, and willingness to participate in cross-boundary conservation efforts. Logistic regression analysis revealed two significant relationships between landowner attributes when considering neighboring properties while making management decisions and interest in conservation easements. These …

Scenario-Based Estimation Model For Methane Emissions In The Heavy-Duty Transportation Sector, Ronald Andrew Mongold

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Natural gas (NG) is a promising alternative fuel to reduce exhaust emissions of greenhouse gases (GHG), particulate matter (PM) and nitrogen oxides (NOx) from heavy-duty (HD) vehicles. Past HD NG vehicle research has focused on the fuel consumption and exhaust emission of PM and NOx. Recent global warming concerns have raised interest in methane emissions from NG vehicles. However, there is currently no model available to estimate the methane emissions from HD NG vehicles. There is also a need to project the methane emissions of HD NG vehicles in 2035.;This research developed a scenario based estimation model for methane emissions …

Evaporative Techniques For Stormwater Runoff Alleviation, Allison M. Arnold

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Current climate changes have led to a projected steady increase in rainfall over the next several decades, notably in the Greater Pittsburgh Area. Even without this predicted increase the urbanization of many regions has altered local natural environments, which in the past stored, shed and evaporated this runoff water effectively, maintaining balance within the water table. These added rainfall forecasts, combined with America’s growing trend to develop and expand the urbanization of our natural earth, has resulted in a growing surplus of stormwater runoff water affecting these cities and their suburbs, leaving many sanitation departments unable to meet the heightened …

Modeling Phosphorus Environmental Thresholds On A Watershed Scale, Sara L. Jones

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Anthropogenic eutrophication of surface waterways is a major environmental concern as it leads to the decline of aquatic resources and degradation of water. Phosphorus is the most limiting nutrient in freshwater systems and, therefore, an important factor in the control of eutrophication. Identifying the natural P thresholds in soils using the relationship between soil P and potential P losses can help determine areas with a high risk of P loss to waterways via leaching. Twenty-three sites covering a range of land uses were sampled by the USDA-NRCS in the Potomac Watershed in the northeast United States. Four pedons described and …

Collecting Subjectsobjects: The Museum And Victorian Literature 1830-1914, Kayla Kreuger Mckinney

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

This study argues that the museum wielded enough cultural capital to shape not only the content of literature (which picked up themes like collection, hoarding, display, and organization) but also the formal arrangement of such literature into catalogues, taxonomies, and the dense material-based descriptions for which the Victorian novel is often criticized. The museum, it is shown, is far more central to Victorian thought than has been recognized, and its presence in literature has been misread or overlooked in contemporary criticism. This study also provides a narrative of the Victorian preoccupation with the museual, especially as regards the natural history …

The Influence Of Accelerometer Cut Points On Determining The Percent Of Preschool-Age Children Meeting Physical Activity Guidelines, Anna Elizabeth Scott

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Reduced physical activity is thought to be a major contributor to energy imbalance and obesity in children and adolescents. A challenge for researchers is selecting a tool that will accurately measure physical activity, especially in young children. A current tool that is used is an accelerometer. This study had two objectives. The first examined if different sets of accelerometer cut points developed for preschool-age children would produce the same physical activity results when identical raw data were run through them. Through the use of accelerometer data the second objective aimed to determine the percent of children who met the physical …

Igrow: Developing A Curriculum To Increase Gardening Skills, Culinary Competence, And Family Meal Time In Youth And Their Caregiver, Jade Alana White

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Objective: To develop a curriculum using evidence based programs to increase gardening skills, cooking competence, and family mealtime for youth (pre and early adolescent years) and their caregiver (dyad pair) using community-based participatory research.

Methods:

Using the Social Cognitive Theory, an inter-disciplinary team (N=3) including child development, nutrition and horticulture expertise: a curriculum was developed by integrating evidence-based curricula from iCook 4-H, Junior Masters Gardener curriculum Health and Nutrition from the Garden and Essential Elements of 4-H Youth Development Programs, with additional resources from USDA’s My Plate, and garden-based recipes. The community based participatory research approach and process was utilized …

The Effect Of Tert-Butylhydroquinone, An Nrf2-Are Signaling Pathway Inducer, On Oxidative Stress-Related Neurodegeneration, Jiahong Sun

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Oxidative stress is actively involved in stroke pathogenesis; however, almost all the antioxidants that have been applied into the clinical trials fail to improve ischemic stroke outcomes. We note that most drug candidates have very limited diversity of antioxidative activities. tBHQ is a food additive, which is considered to be safe for human consumption. As both an antioxidant and an Nrf2-ARE signaling pathway inducer, tBHQ can directly eliminate ROS and activates the expression of all the antioxidative genes under Nrf2-ARE regulation. My dissertation investigated the potential clinical application of tBHQ for ischemic stroke treatment by using both in vitro glutamate-induced …

Enhancement Of Rna Splicing By The Nutrient-Regulated Splicing Factor Srsf3, Amanda L. Suchanek

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Nutritional status is a powerful regulator of intracellular function. Dietary status can increase or decrease the rate of RNA splicing, thereby affecting gene expression; however, few molecular mechanisms have been identified that are responsible for this type of regulation.;The glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PD) gene has provided a useful tool for the study of nutrient-regulated splicing because accumulation of G6PD mRNA is dependent solely on changes in the rate of mRNA splicing in response to nutritional stimuli, consistent with its enzymatic role of converting dietary energy to fatty acids. Treatment of primary hepatocytes in culture with insulin or feeding a high-carbohydrate, low …

Testing The Relation Between Disgust And Approach-Avoidance Behavior, Ronald Thomas

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

The Behavioral Immune System (BIS) is a set of psychological processes that evolved to protect individuals from harmful contaminants and pathogens in the environment (Miller & Maner, 2011; Schaller & Duncan, 2007; Tybur, Lieberman, Kurzban, & DeScioli, 2013). The primary mechanism through which the BIS functions is the emotion of disgust, which causes negative physical and affective reactions that encourage avoidance behavior and serve as a deterrent from approaching potentially harmful stimuli (Schaller & Duncan, 2007). Consequently, disgust is proposed to serve a disease-avoidance mechanism. However, relatively little research has empirically tested the link between disgust and general behavioral avoidance …

The Impact Of Choice: Exercise Motivation And Physical Activity In College Students Enrolled In Fitness For Life, Julia Fera Tracy

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Background: Research suggests there is a decline in physical activity (PA) as individuals enter adulthood (Sallis, 2000). Physical activity behaviors that students develop during college years are said to have a long-term impact on adult habits (Keating, Guan, Pinero, & Bridges, 2005). Leslie, Sparling, and Owen (2001) suggest that college campuses are central settings with unseen opportunities to influence young adults' PA patterns. Higher education PA programs can be a mechanism to introduce adults to healthy lifestyles that include PA (Hardin, Andrew, Koo, & Bemiller, 2009).;Purpose: The purpose of this study was to investigate the impact of choice in a …

The Root Of Sustainability: Investigating The Relationship Between Medicinal Plant Conservation And Surface Mining In Appalachia, Jessica B. Turner

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Since European colonization, Appalachian culture has been based on resource extraction, such as coal mining, timbering, and Non-Timber Forest Product (NTFP) harvest. Surface mining degrades forest habitat for medicinal plants, especially the habitat for the internationally valuable medicinal herb, American ginseng (Panax quinquefolius L.), and the NTFP culture associated with this plant. The relationship between medicinal plant conservation and surface mining must be studied with a non- traditional, multi-faceted approach: culturally, economically, and ecologically. (1) Using community-based participatory surveys, I determined how ginseng harvesters and non- harvesters in West Virginia communities view the relationship between surface mining and ginseng harvest. …

Utilizing Early Cellular Changes To Explore Biological Responses To Individual Chemical And Mixture Exposures, Julie Anne Vrana

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Humans are continuously exposed to a vast number of chemicals, whether it be from the air we breathe, the water we drink, or the medications we take daily. Early cellular changes after exposure to chemical insult, both individual chemicals and mixtures (two or more chemicals) thereof, can offer a wealth of information about cellular adaptation (e.g., cell death or survival decision processes). From this understanding, better prediction models for chemical risk assessment, such as toxicity or carcinogenicity, can be elucidated. Further, these prediction models can greatly improve the large backlog of chemicals waiting to be evaluated for potential adverse effects. …

Antimicrobial Effectiveness Of Citrus Essential Oils And Organic Acids Against Salmonella And Listeria Monocytogenes, Karina Walker

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

The development of natural antimicrobials for foods is of increasing interest as consumers' desire for more natural foods continues to rise. Organic acids and citrus essential oils (EOs) are natural, generally regarded as safe substances that are known to possess antimicrobial properties. In-vitro tests of natural antimicrobials against a range of bacteria are required in order to determine their feasibility for food applications. The objective of this study was to determine the antimicrobial activity of citrus essential oils and organic acids against Salmonella Baildon, Salmonella Enteritidis, Salmonella Typhimurium (ATCC 14028) and three strains of Listeria monocytogenes (ATCC 19115, ATCC 15313, …

Attenuation Of Spatial Memory Impairment In A Tau Mouse Model Of Alzheimer's Disease With Riluzole, Daniel S. Weitzner

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Individuals at risk for developing Alzheimer's disease (AD) often demonstrate hyperactivity in areas of the memory network, such as the hippocampus, prior to AD diagnosis. Evidence suggests that this hyperactivity might be a contributing factor to the development of AD. Tau, a protein responsible for binding and maintaining microtubules, has been implicated as a factor in hyperactivity, potentially through its alterations in glutamate signaling. Glutamate, the primary excitatory neurotransmitter in the central nervous system, is essential for learning and memory. However, excess glutamate that accumulates in the synapse can lead to neuron loss and eventual behavioral impairments. Recently, our lab …

Facial Image Analysis For Body Mass Index, Makeup And Identity, Lingyun Wen

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

The principal aim of facial image analysis in computer vision is to extract valuable information(e.g., age, gender, ethnicity, and identity) by interpreting perceived electronic signals from face images. In this dissertation, we develop facial image analysis systems for body mass index (BMI) prediction, makeup detection, as well as facial identity with makeup changes and BMI variations.;BMI is a commonly used measure of body fatness. In the first part of this thesis, we study BMI related topics. At first, we develop a computational method to predict BMI information from face images automatically. We formulate the BMI prediction from facial features as …

Investigating College Evolution Instruction: Current Practices And How They Can Be Improved To Overcome Student Barriers To Acceptance, Nicholas Adam Wilbur

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

The United States is ranked very low in acceptance of evolution when compared to other countries of similar socioeconomic status. The resistance to evolution extends to high school students and teachers, where much research has been performed on the topic of evolution education and the context is well understood. The initial goal of my thesis research was to establish a context for evolution education at the post-secondary level, which was accomplished by performing a national survey of evolution instructors. Although there was great variation among high school teachers, college instructors were surprisingly consistent in their training, methodology and personal views. …