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Cellulose Based Materials As A Template For The Synthesis Of Copper Nanoparticles For Antimicrobial Applications, Tuhua Zhong Jan 2015

Cellulose Based Materials As A Template For The Synthesis Of Copper Nanoparticles For Antimicrobial Applications, Tuhua Zhong

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Copper has been used as a broad-spectrum biocide for centuries, showing effective antimicrobial performance against bacteria, fungi and viruses. Among various forms of copper, copper nanoparticles is attracting particular attention because of its high surface area and crystal morphology that will enhance copper antimicrobial properties. However, the high tendency of copper particles to aggregate at a nanoscale remains as a drawback for the development of copper-based nanostructured products. In this research, cellulose-based materials were utilized as a template and stabilizer for copper nanoparticles, and the resulting hybrid material was used as bi-functional material in thermoplastic resins improving the final antimicrobial …


Acute Sleep Organization Following Unanesthetized Circumcision Of Neonates, Margeaux M. Gray Dec 2014

Acute Sleep Organization Following Unanesthetized Circumcision Of Neonates, Margeaux M. Gray

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Sleep changes in response to environmental pressures and the needs of individuals. The adaptability of sleep is noticeable following largely stressful or adverse events, and is understood to facilitate recovery. Rapid changes in sleep occur in-utero, during the days following birth, and across the first few postnatal years. These rapid changes are considered adaptive and indicative of normal and healthy development. Elective surgical intervention, such as circumcision, may influence the organization and quality of sleep during this developmentally sensitive period. Neonates undergoing circumcision, a prevalent procedure in the U.S. (American Academy of Pediatrics Circumcision Policy Statement [AAP], 1999, 2005, 2012), …


Synergistic Inhibition Of Cyclooxygenases And Monoacylglycerol Lipase In Neuropathic Pain, Molly S. Crowe Dec 2014

Synergistic Inhibition Of Cyclooxygenases And Monoacylglycerol Lipase In Neuropathic Pain, Molly S. Crowe

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Neuropathic pain is caused by altered nerve function that often presents as allodynia, which is the painful perception of typically non-noxious stimuli. Neuropathic pain is commonly treated with GABA analogues, steroids, or non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs). NSAIDs inhibit one or more cyclooxygenase (COX) enzymes and are effective, commonly used analgesics that have relatively fewer side effects than other treatments. However, chronic cyclooxygenase inhibition also causes gastrointestinal inflammation and increased risk of cardiac events. Like NSAIDs, cannabinoids have analgesic and anti-inflammatory properties and reduce neuropathic pain in preclinical models. The present study investigated the analgesic effects of inhibiting both monoacylglycerol lipase …


The Influence Of White-Tailed Deer On Plant Communities In West Virginia And Stakeholder Attitudes Toward Deer Management With Respect To Plant Conservation, Kelley Lynne Flaherty Dec 2014

The Influence Of White-Tailed Deer On Plant Communities In West Virginia And Stakeholder Attitudes Toward Deer Management With Respect To Plant Conservation, Kelley Lynne Flaherty

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

White-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) may impact plant species by reducing individual survival or reduce reproductive potential by feeding on flowering parts or seeds. Herbivory may benefit plant populations by increasing dispersal of seeds. The combination of these factors may influence the composition of native plant communities. The recovery of deer populations from near extirpation was seen as a wildlife management success story. However, the maintenance of abnormally high deer density levels over many years may have taken a toll on plant communities. Some biologists now question whether or not white-tailed deer could be considered overabundant in some parts of their …


West Virginia Title I Elementary School Principals' Perceptions Of The Barriers That Interfere With The Delivery Of Educational Services For Foster Children: The Lost At-Risk Children, Janie C. Devaul Aug 2014

West Virginia Title I Elementary School Principals' Perceptions Of The Barriers That Interfere With The Delivery Of Educational Services For Foster Children: The Lost At-Risk Children, Janie C. Devaul

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Foster children are now considered the most at-risk children in American society. Concern for meeting foster children's educational needs falls with the social services domain, however, it is the school system that is responsible for ensuring that all children receive an appropriate education. The schools have programs and policies in place to help the subgroup of identified at-risk students, but foster children are not part of that subgroup. Schools may be overlooking the needs of the foster child because they do not know them as students with special needs. These special needs are not all academics, but they impact the …


Effects Of Response-Independent Food Pellet Delivery On The Development Of Tolerance To The Rate-Decreasing Effect Of D-Amphetamine In Rats, Christopher A. Krebs Aug 2014

Effects Of Response-Independent Food Pellet Delivery On The Development Of Tolerance To The Rate-Decreasing Effect Of D-Amphetamine In Rats, Christopher A. Krebs

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

The extent to which initial drug administration decreases the ability of an organism to obtain reinforcement can affect the development of behavioral tolerance. Environmental enrichment affects many drug-related phenomena, but its effects on the development of tolerance are not clear. The present study examined how enriching the environment by providing non-contingent food pellets during experimental sessions affects the development of tolerance to a dose of d-amphetamine that produces a loss in reinforcement. Lever pressing for food pellets was maintained under a multiple schedule consisting of two variable-interval (VI) 60-s components. One component was enriched by providing food pellets non-contingently under …


Experimental And Theoretical Studies Of Kinetics And Quality Parameters To Determine Spontaneous Combustion Propensity Of U.S. Coals, Xinyang Wang Aug 2014

Experimental And Theoretical Studies Of Kinetics And Quality Parameters To Determine Spontaneous Combustion Propensity Of U.S. Coals, Xinyang Wang

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Spontaneous combustion is one of the most serious problems to mine safety and production in the global coal industry. It is considered to be the trigger for fires and explosions in underground coal mines especially for gassy mines. Such thermal events are not easily detectable since they normally occur in inaccessible gob and sealed area. It is also difficult to find the most likely hot point accurately. Admittedly, determination of the propensity for spontaneous combustion before mining activity should be a necessary step in the design of a mine and ventilation plan. However, due to the complexity of the chemical …


The Roles Of Resilience And Perceived Discrimination In Sexual Minority Identity Integration, Peter Alexander Brown Aug 2014

The Roles Of Resilience And Perceived Discrimination In Sexual Minority Identity Integration, Peter Alexander Brown

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Although researchers and theorists have long moved away from public disclosure of sexual minority identity (i.e. coming out) as the theoretical apex of lesbian, gay, or bisexual (LGB) identity development, it is still considered an important process of overall identity integration. Unfortunately public disclosure of sexual minority identity may be dependent upon the social environment in which disclosure occurs. Given the variable nature of social contexts, public disclosure across domains of social functioning may be problematic. Previous research has suggested that disclosure is in part more or less likely to occur based on individual appraisal of discriminative experiences (Meyer, 2013). …


Vying For Relevancy In Stockholm: American Environmental Nongovernmental Organizations And The 1972 Un Conference On The Human Environment, Andrew Brown Aug 2014

Vying For Relevancy In Stockholm: American Environmental Nongovernmental Organizations And The 1972 Un Conference On The Human Environment, Andrew Brown

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

This thesis examines the roles, ideologies, strategies, and behavior of American environmental nongovernmental organizations (ENGOs) during the 1972 United Nations Conference on the Human Environment. This conference was the first major international conference to address environmental issues. The Stockholm Conference was a meeting for delegates representing national governments to dictate the direction of international environmental regulation. The conference focused on the participation of nations but ENGOs found venues through which to participate in the discussion on the human environment. In this thesis, I argue that even though the official conference limited the participation of ENGOs, these groups functioned as informal …


Changes In Body Condition From Prepartum To Postpartum On Health And Reproduction In Dairy Cattle, Keli Ann Akers Aug 2014

Changes In Body Condition From Prepartum To Postpartum On Health And Reproduction In Dairy Cattle, Keli Ann Akers

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

The aim of this study were to body condition score, 72 Holstein-Friesian dairy cows at prepartum, compare lean, moderate, and over-conditioned categories, and relate any changes associated with the various time points with reproductive success by measuring body condition score, hematocrit, total white blood cell (WBC) differential, haptoglobin (Hp) concentrations, milk yield and monitoring health status. The body condition score changed significantly with time with the greatest unit loss being in the over-conditioned cattle from d -30 to d 35 postpartum. The BCS losses for each category did not have a significant effect on reproductive success at any time. Health …


The Hydroclimatology Of West Virginia Spatial And Temporal Trends And Their Relationship With The North Atlantic Oscillation, Carson Wright Aug 2014

The Hydroclimatology Of West Virginia Spatial And Temporal Trends And Their Relationship With The North Atlantic Oscillation, Carson Wright

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Global air temperature has risen 0.74°C over the last 100 years, and is one of several factors influencing climate and streamflow variability at global, regional, and local scales. The North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO) is another important factor contributing to climate variability by influencing the intensity of storms entering the eastern US. The Southeastern US is receiving less precipitation and streamflow is decreasing while the northeastern US is receiving greater amounts of precipitation and increasing streamflows. West Virginia is typically overlooked being on the border of both of these regions; therefore the objective of this study is to fill knowledge gaps …


Ion Current Rectification In Nano/Micro-Fluidic Interfaces And Pulsed Glow Discharge Time-Of-Flight Mass Spectrometric Chemical Speciation, Han Wang Aug 2014

Ion Current Rectification In Nano/Micro-Fluidic Interfaces And Pulsed Glow Discharge Time-Of-Flight Mass Spectrometric Chemical Speciation, Han Wang

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Microfluidics continues to be of interest for analyzing chemical and biological samples because of the disposability, portability, low sample consumption, fast analysis time, and parallel analysis potential for multiple samples in a single device. To improve microfluidic device functionality, integrated systems-nanofluidic/microfluidic interfaces (NMIs) have been fabricated for concentrating samples and performing as molecular gates. Ion current rectification has been confirmed in NMI with an asymmetric system. In chapter 2, the asymmetry of the NMI is systematically altered by varying the inner diameter of the nanocapillary membrane (NCM) reservoir, and the current rectification factor is observed to increase as the inner …


Post-Translational Modifications Of The Paired Box Transcription Factor 7 (Pax7) In Satellite Cells During The Repair Of Injured Skeletal Muscle, Justin E. Sperringer Aug 2014

Post-Translational Modifications Of The Paired Box Transcription Factor 7 (Pax7) In Satellite Cells During The Repair Of Injured Skeletal Muscle, Justin E. Sperringer

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Satellite cells are normally a quiescent skeletal muscle stem cell pool that upon activation rapidly proliferate and differentiate to repair damaged muscle fibers. The paired box transcription factor 7 (Pax7) is the canonical biomarker for quiescent, activated, and proliferating satellite cells and is rapidly down-regulated upon differentiation into myofibers. However, the factors that regulate the modulation of Pax7 are largely unknown. Post-translational modifications to Pax7 provide a viable means to activate or deactivate this transcription factor through the signaling cascade of skeletal muscle repair and regeneration. The sirtuin 1 (Sirt1) protein, a histone deacetylase, has been shown to be involved …


Surrogate Reservoir Model For Generating Pressure, Saturation And Compositional Characteristics At The Grid-Block Level; Sacroc Field, Scurry County, Texas, David Moreno Aug 2014

Surrogate Reservoir Model For Generating Pressure, Saturation And Compositional Characteristics At The Grid-Block Level; Sacroc Field, Scurry County, Texas, David Moreno

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Nowadays, due to advancements in data acquisition technologies in oil and gas industry more data are available for generating reservoir simulation models. This leads to high fidelity reservoir simulation models which are highly complex and computationally expensive. The conventional reservoir management studies require hundreds realizations of the simulation models. As S. Gencer (2007) described, the reservoir simulation trend is towards "more: more users, more models, more cells, more wells, more cases, more data and more integration" [1]. In order to enhance the reservoir model descriptions, more computational power would have to be designed and engineered to keep up with our …


A Poultry Litter Marker Gene Correlates With Pathogen And Indicator Bacteria Deposition On, Growth In And Transport From Poultry Bedding, Kameswari Sirisha Mantha Aug 2014

A Poultry Litter Marker Gene Correlates With Pathogen And Indicator Bacteria Deposition On, Growth In And Transport From Poultry Bedding, Kameswari Sirisha Mantha

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Poultry is one of the major contributors of inputs to U.S. environmental waters due to the large number of poultry grown per year in the U.S. and litter disposal practices. Two studies were conducted during this research: (1) to determine the temporal rate of deposition and growth or decay of microorganisms in poultry litter originating from poultry feces and (2) the release and transport of poultry litter associated microorganisms from soiled poultry litter applied as fertilizer through soil columns under simulated rainfall. First, deposition studies were conducted to evaluate the deposition rate of microorganisms on poultry bedding during the growth …


Application Of Neural Network Techniques To Downscale Precipitation, Javad Rahimikollu Aug 2014

Application Of Neural Network Techniques To Downscale Precipitation, Javad Rahimikollu

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Global climate change is a major area of concern to public and climate researchers. It impacts flooding, crop yields, water based diseases, etc. Significant effort has gone into developing climate models. Global climate models use a coarse grid of 300x300 Km2, while the resolution of interest for the hydrologist is 50x50 Km2.;Downscaling is the tool to map the large-scale global climate properties to a finer grid size in order to accurately predict climate variables such as precipitation. This study utilized Artificial Neural Networks (ANN) and Hybrid Support Vector Regression (HSVR) methods to predict precipitation at a finer grid, based on …


Effects Of Lipopolysaccharide Induced Inflammatory Response On Early Embryo Survival In Ewes, Megan Renee Graham Aug 2014

Effects Of Lipopolysaccharide Induced Inflammatory Response On Early Embryo Survival In Ewes, Megan Renee Graham

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Early pregnant ewes, 5 or 6 day post coitus (dpc) were used as a model to study early embryonic loss via gram-negative bacterial infections, such as mastitis. Ewes 5/6 dpc were injected with a gram-negative bacteria cell wall component, lipopolysaccharide (LPS) or tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-&agr;), to induce an innate immune system acute phase response (APR). The induction of the APR and its reactant molecules, such as TNF-&agr; and acute phase proteins (APP), haptoglobin (Hp) and serum amyloid A (SAA), were initiated to study their effects on embryonic loss. In addition, ewes were also injected with LPS plus dexamethasone (Dex) …


Inorganic Nanoparticle Nucleation On Polymer Matrices, Adrian John Kosteleski Aug 2014

Inorganic Nanoparticle Nucleation On Polymer Matrices, Adrian John Kosteleski

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

The introduction of inorganic nanoparticles into organic materials enhances both the mechanical and chemical properties of the material. Metallic nanoparticles, like silver and gold, have been introduced into polymers for use as antimicrobial coatings or dielectric materials, respectively. The challenge in creating these materials currently is the difficulty to homogeneously disperse the particles throughout the polymer matrix. The uneven dispersion of nanoparticles can lead to less than optimal quality and undesired properties. By creating a polymer nanocomposite material with well-controlled size inorganic materials that are evenly dispersed throughout the polymer matrix; we can improve the materials performance and properties. The …


Faster Evolutionary Multi-Objective Optimization Via Gale, The Geometric Active Learner, Joseph Krall Aug 2014

Faster Evolutionary Multi-Objective Optimization Via Gale, The Geometric Active Learner, Joseph Krall

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Goal optimization has long been a topic of great interest in computer science. The literature contains many thousands of papers that discuss methods for the search of optimal solutions to complex problems. In the case of multi-objective optimization, such a search yields iteratively improved approximations to the Pareto frontier, i.e. the set of best solutions contained along a trade-off curve of competing objectives.;To approximate the Pareto frontier, one method that is ubiquitous throughout the field of optimization is stochastic search. Stochastic search engines explore solution spaces by randomly mutating candidate guesses to generate new solutions. This mutation policy is employed …


The Evaluation Of Emotion Regulation In Caregivers Referred To A Parent-Training Program, Nancy M. Wallace Aug 2014

The Evaluation Of Emotion Regulation In Caregivers Referred To A Parent-Training Program, Nancy M. Wallace

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

In recent years, emotion regulation has become a topic of particular interest to both clinicians and researchers and has been shown to play a significant role in a variety of behavioral and psychological difficulties in both adults and children (Gratz & Tull, in press). However, parents of children referred for parent training may experience significant difficulty regulating their emotions as they attempt to cope with and control their children's misbehavior. The present study explored the role of caregiver emotion regulation in parent training by attempting to understand if (1) parents and children who are referred for parent training have difficulty …


Functional Equivalency Of Created And Natural Wetlands In The Central Appalachians: Reproductive Success, Call Phenology, And Diet Composition Of Amphibians, Gabriel F. Strain Aug 2014

Functional Equivalency Of Created And Natural Wetlands In The Central Appalachians: Reproductive Success, Call Phenology, And Diet Composition Of Amphibians, Gabriel F. Strain

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Evaluating the adequacy of created wetlands to replace the functions of lost natural wetlands is important because wetland mitigation is a major tool used to offset wetland losses. However, measurements such as vegetative cover and presence of wildlife may not provide sufficient evidence that created wetlands are functioning properly and thus examining the ecology of wetland biota such as that of amphibians may be a more useful surrogate for function. The objectives of this study were to assess the reproductive success, temporal calling patterns, and diet composition of amphibians inhabiting created wetlands relative to natural wetlands in order to facilitate …


Regional Mapping And Reservoir Analysis Of The Middle Devonian Marcellus Shale In The Appalachian Basin, Jared Vanmeter Aug 2014

Regional Mapping And Reservoir Analysis Of The Middle Devonian Marcellus Shale In The Appalachian Basin, Jared Vanmeter

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

The main purpose of this investigation is to define the distribution of organic-rich facies of the Middle Devonian Marcellus Shale in New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and West Virginia. The analysis is based on well-log data, primarily gamma-ray (the most common and best calibrated) and bulk-density logs (where available). Detailed log analysis has been performed to normalize the logs and define key indicators of reservoir quality. Stratigraphic correlations have been conducted to trace key formation across the study area.;The following maps were generated over the study area.;• Isopach maps of the Mahantango Shale, Marcellus Shale, Oatka Creek Member, Cherry Valley and …


Motivational Factors Contributing To The Choice Of Agriculturally Related Careers, Lacey J. Sims Aug 2014

Motivational Factors Contributing To The Choice Of Agriculturally Related Careers, Lacey J. Sims

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

This study examined the motivational factors of college students who have chosen to study in an agriculturally related field. A descriptive research design using an online questionnaire was used for this study to determine factors which influenced career choice. Likert scale items were used to determine how motivating certain factors were for respondents in influencing their decision to study in an agriculturally related field. The Likert items were divided into five constructs: family influence, self-motivation, experience, use of skills, and career opportunities. Items within the five constructs were further analyzed to discover the top five motivational factors identified in each …


Stoking The Flames Of Wellness: An Exploration Of Factors That Influence West Virginia Firefighters' Health Behaviors, Chelsea B. Wooding Aug 2014

Stoking The Flames Of Wellness: An Exploration Of Factors That Influence West Virginia Firefighters' Health Behaviors, Chelsea B. Wooding

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

The concern over health and wellness among firefighters in the US has escalated recently due to increasing obesity rates, on-duty cardiovascular event risk, and job stress. Besides unique aspects of the work, a number of other barriers to health and wellness have been identified within the firefighter culture. Using a qualitative approach with multiple sources of data, the current study sought to answer the question, "what impacts the health of firefighters in West Virginia?" Eight focus groups, and Photovoice data from nine participants were inductively analyzed using guidelines from consensual qualitative research. House tours were also done to provide ethnographic …


An Automated Framework For Problem Report Triage In Large-Scale Open Source Problem Repositories, Sean K. Banerjee Aug 2014

An Automated Framework For Problem Report Triage In Large-Scale Open Source Problem Repositories, Sean K. Banerjee

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Issue tracking systems play a critical role in the management and maintenance of software. Developers and users are allowed to submit reports pertaining to observed problems. A human triager must read through each newly submitted report, and determine if it describes an unreported issue (Primary) or an existing issue (Duplicate). If the quality of the report is deemed to be poor (Incomplete), describing an issue with a different software (Invalid), irreproducible (Worksforme), or beyond the scope of the project (Wontfix) it is annotated with the appropriate label. If the report is deemed to describe a new problem, it is assigned …


Conceptual Learning: Enhancing Student Understanding Of Physiology, Micah J. Waltz Aug 2014

Conceptual Learning: Enhancing Student Understanding Of Physiology, Micah J. Waltz

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Students are leaving undergraduate science programs without the knowledge and skills they are expected to have. This is apparent in professional programs, such as medical and veterinary school, where students do not possess the critical thinking skills necessary to be successful. Physiology is a required discipline for these professional programs and often before, as a pre-requisite. Physiology classrooms are an excellent place to teach critical thinking skills because the content consists of integrated processes. Therefore, in one study, it was investigated whether focusing on physiological concepts improved student understanding of physiology in both a non-physiological science course, Invertebrate Zoology, and …


The Effect Of Allopurinol And Inosine Administration On Xanthine Oxidoreductase Gene Expression, Mitochondrial Respiration, And Inflammation In Broiler Chickens, Tabatha Settle Aug 2014

The Effect Of Allopurinol And Inosine Administration On Xanthine Oxidoreductase Gene Expression, Mitochondrial Respiration, And Inflammation In Broiler Chickens, Tabatha Settle

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Birds have a remarkable longevity for their body size despite an increased body temperature, higher metabolic rate, and increased blood glucose concentrations. Theoretically, birds should sustain a much higher degree of oxidative damage yet do not, in part due to the powerful antioxidant, uric acid. As the end-product of purine degradation, uric acid is generated in the xanthine/hypoxanthine reactions catalyzed by xanthine oxiodreductase (XOR). In the first study, inosine, a purine precursor, was fed to 3 groups of 5 birds: Group 1 was fed 0 (control), Group 2, 0.6 mols inosine/kg feed (INO) and Group 3, INO treatment plus 50 …


Friendship Quality Of Early Adolescent Girls In Relation To Maternal And Paternal Parenting, Social Anxiety, And Interpersonal Skill, Joanna T. Prout Aug 2014

Friendship Quality Of Early Adolescent Girls In Relation To Maternal And Paternal Parenting, Social Anxiety, And Interpersonal Skill, Joanna T. Prout

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Social anxiety has been shown to negatively impact friendship quality across the lifespan, leading to relationships that are less intimate and emotionally supportive. In turn, lower friendship quality and lack of social support have been linked to increased risk for isolation and depression. Early adolescence is a period of transition when the basis of friendship shifts from the ability to be a good play partner to the ability to engage in more complex interpersonal skills such as self-disclosure, provision of emotional support, and assertiveness. The early adolescent period is also a time when levels of social anxiety increase as children …


Nerve Growth Factor Regulates Na+ Transport In Human Airway Epithelial Cells, Michael J. Shimko Aug 2014

Nerve Growth Factor Regulates Na+ Transport In Human Airway Epithelial Cells, Michael J. Shimko

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Nerve growth factor (NGF) was discovered for its ability to enhance nerve growth, but recent evidence suggests there is a correlation between elevated NGF levels in the lung and airway diseases, including lung inflammatory diseases and respiratory virus infections. NGF can be produced and act upon both structural and non-structural cells of the airways, and overexpression of NGF causes morphological and physiological changes in the airways, such as an increased innervation resulting in a neuronal remodeling of the lung, airway smooth muscle thickening, increased vascularization, airway hyperreactivity to capsaicin, and subepithelial thickening. Although work has been conducted to investigate NGFs …


Functional Characterization Of Phosphodiesterase-4a In Behavior And Obesity, Rolf T. Hansen Iii Aug 2014

Functional Characterization Of Phosphodiesterase-4a In Behavior And Obesity, Rolf T. Hansen Iii

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Cognitive disorders such as depression, anxiety, and senescent-induced memory loss are a growing pandemic in the world. Anxiety is the most common psychiatric disorder in America, affecting upwards of 50 million people a year; depression has a lifetime prevalence of 20% of the population, and it's predicted pathological memory disorders such as Alzheimer's disease (AD) will reach exponential levels by the year 2050. While there are treatments for anxiety and depression, far less success has been reached with therapeutics for AD. Phosphodiesterases (PDEs) may be a potential novel target for future therapeutics aimed at combatting these psychiatric illnesses and neurodegenerative …