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Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

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The Fearful Face And Beyond: Fmri Studies Of The Human Amygdala, Jillian E. Hardee Dec 2009

The Fearful Face And Beyond: Fmri Studies Of The Human Amygdala, Jillian E. Hardee

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

The amygdala has been labeled as a "detector of threat", evidenced by its heightened response to fearful faces in human neuroimaging studies. A critical element of the fearful face is an increase in eye white area, hypothesized to be crucial for the rapid detection of fear in another's face. Yet other facial expressions can also increase eye white area in a manner that is similar (a lateral shift in gaze) or identical (surprise) to fear. It is unknown if the amygdala can differentiate between these types of increases in eye white area and those that are specifically associated with fear …

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Properties Of A Dehydroalanine Analog Of Glutathione: A Reactive Electrophilic Busulfan Metabolite, Cody J. Peer Dec 2009

Properties Of A Dehydroalanine Analog Of Glutathione: A Reactive Electrophilic Busulfan Metabolite, Cody J. Peer

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Gamma-Glutamyldehydroalanylglycine (EdAG) is a dethiolated, electrophilic metabolite of glutathione (GSH) derived from the Phase II conjugation of GSH with busulfan catalyzed by glutathione S-transferase (GST). It was demonstrated in this dissertation that EdAG could be successfully synthesized and shown to be a metabolite of busulfan from in vitro metabolism by enzymes in human liver cytosol. The electrophilic EdAG was reactive toward the cellular thiols cysteine and glutathione (GSH), and toward cysteine residues in reduced bovine insulin B-chain and bovine serum albumin in vitro , as well. EdAG was demonstrated to be a reversible noncompetitive inhibitor of GSTs, specifically GSTA1-1 at …

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Locomotion Grows Up: The Neuromechanical Control Of Interlimb Coordinating Mechanisms In Crayfish, Marc D. Rinehart Dec 2009

Locomotion Grows Up: The Neuromechanical Control Of Interlimb Coordinating Mechanisms In Crayfish, Marc D. Rinehart

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Locomotion requires many dynamic interactions between organism and environment at several levels. It is not known how the nervous system controls all of these relationships to ultimately produce and guide locomotor behavior. Furthermore, it is not known whether the nervous system needs to recognize and control all of the possible body-environment interactions. In this study the crayfish (Procambarus clarkii) is used as a model system to test how size influences locomotor behavior and how a single, simplified neuromechanical system can accommodate these changes.;A set of behavioral experiments was conducted to characterize kinematics of freely walking juvenile crayfish to compare with …

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A Web-Based System For Course Instruction And Student Advising, Praveen Danda Dec 2009

A Web-Based System For Course Instruction And Student Advising, Praveen Danda

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Academic advising plays an important role in student success in college, freshman students who join the universities with certain goals may face difficulties in course selection, whom to contact, and where to get course information. Considering this, each student in the university is assigned an advisor from his/her department who can address student's problems during their academic years in the college. The advisors spend considerable amount of time in analyzing student performance during the semester by viewing the student's grades and transcripts. The rise in student enrollment in engineering majors at West Virginia University is making it increasingly difficult for …

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Quantifying Changes In Ecological Function Of Headwater Catchments Following Large-Scale Surface Mining In Southern West Virginia, Gretchen Anne Gingerich Dec 2009

Quantifying Changes In Ecological Function Of Headwater Catchments Following Large-Scale Surface Mining In Southern West Virginia, Gretchen Anne Gingerich

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

West Virginia is one of the leading producers of coal in the United States. Large scale surface mining (mountaintop removal mining, MTR) has become commonplace in WV as a technique for accessing thin layers of coal that may be difficult or impossible to access through traditional underground mining techniques. MTR disturbs large areas of land and often results in a complete rearrangement of headwater catchments. Although restoring original pre-mining conditions is ideal, it is usually unrealistic in this region. Consequently, the extent to which post-reclamation watersheds function relative to the pre-mining conditions is unclear. The objectives of this study were …

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Mining And Residential Development Interact To Produce Highly Impaired Stream Conditions In An Intensively Mined Appalachian Watershed, Eric Richard Merriam Dec 2009

Mining And Residential Development Interact To Produce Highly Impaired Stream Conditions In An Intensively Mined Appalachian Watershed, Eric Richard Merriam

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Large scale surface mining in southern West Virginia causes significant alteration of headwater stream networks. It is unclear, however, the extent to which mining interacts with other stressors to determine physical, chemical, and biological conditions in aquatic systems downstream. Through a watershed scale assessment of Pigeon Creek, the specific objectives of this study were to: (1) quantify the direct and interactive effects of mining and residential development on in-stream conditions; and (2) identify landscape thresholds above which biological impairment occurs. Our results indicate high levels of impairment to habitat, water quality, and benthic invertebrate communities within this watershed. Statistical analyses …

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Facies Interpretation And Regional Stratigraphic Study Of The Upper Devonian Gordon Zone And Associated Beds In Northern West Virginia And Southwestern Pennsylvania, James H. Moore Iii Dec 2009

Facies Interpretation And Regional Stratigraphic Study Of The Upper Devonian Gordon Zone And Associated Beds In Northern West Virginia And Southwestern Pennsylvania, James H. Moore Iii

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Subsurface correlation of 250 well logs and isopach mapping of Upper Devonian beds across western Pennsylvania and northern West Virginia have been coupled with a core study in Washington County, Pennsylvania, to determine the nature and distribution of the Upper Devonian Gordon zone. The complete stratigraphic section studied includes the Fifth, Fourth, Gordon, Gordon Stray, Thirty Foot, Fifty Foot, and Gantz beds. Along with isopach maps, net sandstone maps were generated for improved characterization of sandstone geometry and facies distribution across the field area. Cross-sections including four west to east and one north to south were constructed to aid in …

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Characterization Of A Soil Bacterial Community And Biphenyl Dioxygenase Genes Involved In The Degradation Of Individual Polychlorinated Biphenyl Congeners, Paola Correa Dec 2009

Characterization Of A Soil Bacterial Community And Biphenyl Dioxygenase Genes Involved In The Degradation Of Individual Polychlorinated Biphenyl Congeners, Paola Correa

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) are widespread, toxic, and persistent contaminants that threaten the environment and human health. PCBs represent a class of 209 congeners characterized by different degree of chlorination and substitution patterns. PCBs are known to be slowly degraded by the activity of soil microbes.;The general objective of this research was to investigate the effect of individual PCB congeners on the bacterial community and aerobic metabolism of PCBs in soil, for this reason three specific aims were pursuit.;The first specific aim was to test the hypothesis that exposure to individual PCB congeners results in different soil microbial community profiles, as …

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Home Range Characteristics Of The Male Eastern Wild Turkey In West Virginia, Steven E. Rauch Dec 2009

Home Range Characteristics Of The Male Eastern Wild Turkey In West Virginia, Steven E. Rauch

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Extensive research has been conducted on the eastern wild turkey ( Meleagris gallopavo silvestris) in West Virginia, but research on male wild turkey home range characteristics is lacking. To address this, I proposed to quantify home range shape by the use of eccentricity (E: circle is E = 1) and to estimate the least-squares cross validation fixed-kernel 95% and 50% utilization distribution (UD) annual and 95% UD seasonal home range as well as minimum convex polygon (MCP) home range estimate of male wild turkey on 2 study areas in West Virginia. I estimated the home range size of adult and …

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Interleukin (Il)-1 Regulates Ozone-Induced Nerve Growth Factor (Ngf) And Substance P (Sp) Release In Bronchoalveolar Lavage Fluid (Balf) In Mice, Joshua S. Barker Dec 2009

Interleukin (Il)-1 Regulates Ozone-Induced Nerve Growth Factor (Ngf) And Substance P (Sp) Release In Bronchoalveolar Lavage Fluid (Balf) In Mice, Joshua S. Barker

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Previous studies show that both IL-1 and NGF increase synthesis of SP in airway neurons after either direct application or ozone exposure. We hypothesize that NGF mediates ozone-induced IL-1 effects on SP, similar to the pathway described for sympathetic neurons in culture. The current study specifically focuses on the effect of ozone on IL-1, NGF, and SP levels in mice BALF and if these mediators can be linked in an inflammatory-neuronal cascade in vivo. The experiments demonstrate in vivo ozone exposure induces an increase of all three proteins in mouse BALF and that both ozone-induced increases in NGF and SP …

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Development Of Computational Tools For Modeling Engine Fuel Economy And Emissions, Christopher L. Marlowe Aug 2009

Development Of Computational Tools For Modeling Engine Fuel Economy And Emissions, Christopher L. Marlowe

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

The Integrated Bus Information System (IBIS) is a vehicle fleet emission and fuel economy prediction software. IBIS is under development by faculty and students of West Virginia University (WVU). The overall goal of IBIS is to provide an approachable and reliable method for users, primarily transit agencies, to evaluate overall fleet emissions and fuel consumption. This approach differs from current modeling packages as IBIS is an online tool and allows for a customizable, user-defined vehicle fleet.;The modeling strategy for IBIS involves creating models using data obtained from the WVU Center for Alternative Fuels, Engines, and Emissions (CAFEE) testing database. These …

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Syntheses Of Fused Pyrroloheterocycles, Isatins, Approach Towards The Indole Fragment Of Nosiheptide And A Base-Mediated Formation Of 3-Hydroxycarbazoles, Sobha Priyadarshini Gorugantula Aug 2009

Syntheses Of Fused Pyrroloheterocycles, Isatins, Approach Towards The Indole Fragment Of Nosiheptide And A Base-Mediated Formation Of 3-Hydroxycarbazoles, Sobha Priyadarshini Gorugantula

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

The nitro group has been and still is one of the few functional groups widely studied in synthetic organic chemistry. The reactivity of the nitro group has had important applications in the syntheses of many complex organic molecules, either through its assistance in the formation of new carbon-carbon bonds or in the formation of carbon-heteroatom bonds. Of late, the nitro group has become an important source of nitrogen in organic molecules, thus spawning the syntheses of a range of nitrogen heterocycles.;This dissertation is one such work, wherein the reactivity of the nitro group has been exploited with respect to the …

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Understanding The Expression And Implications Of Deceptive Affectionate Messages, Sean M. Horan Aug 2009

Understanding The Expression And Implications Of Deceptive Affectionate Messages, Sean M. Horan

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Affectionate messages are important in romantic relationships as they are linked to multiple emotional, physical, and relational benefits (e.g., Floyd, 2006a). When examining affection, it is important to distinguish that feelings of affection and the communication of affection are two unique processes that theorists argue covary. Yet, deception researchers have found that individuals routinely lie to their non-married romantic partners about their feelings (DePaulo & Kasy, 1998; DePaulo, Kashy, Kirkendol, Wyer, & Epstein, 1996). This dissertation, composed of two studies, examined how individuals in non-married romantic relationships communicated deceptive affection and the implications of such messages. Study one used a …

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The Interactions Of Cisplatin And Model Proteins Studied By Electrospray Ionization Mass Spectrometry And Tandem Mass Spectrometry, Ting Zhao Aug 2009

The Interactions Of Cisplatin And Model Proteins Studied By Electrospray Ionization Mass Spectrometry And Tandem Mass Spectrometry, Ting Zhao

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Protein-cisplatin interactions lie at the heart of both the effectiveness of cisplatin as an anticancer drug and side effects associated with cisplatin treatment. A greater understanding of the protein-cisplatin interactions at the molecular level can not only improve our understanding of the action of cisplatin as an anticancer drug but also inform the design of cisplatin-like agents for future use. Therefore, the interactions of cisplatin with three different model proteins were studied, which may provide theoretical basis for predicating mechanistically relevant protein-cisplatin interactions in biological fluids.;Cytochrome c (cyt c) was used as a model protein to develop a mass spectrometric …

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Examining The Efficacy Of Parent -Child Interaction Therapy With High -Functioning Autism, Joshua J. Masse Aug 2009

Examining The Efficacy Of Parent -Child Interaction Therapy With High -Functioning Autism, Joshua J. Masse

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Externalizing behaviors are a common component of the clinical presentation of autism spectrum disorders (ASD) and are typically the initial focus of treatment for children within this population. Although a number of therapies targeting behaviors characteristic of ASD exist, most do not offer a short-term, manual-based approach aimed at increasing child compliance. Although traditionally used with typically-developing children, Parent-Child Interaction Therapy (PCIT) is one behaviorally-based, short-term (∼14 sessions) parent training program that has demonstrated success in increasing child compliance, reducing problem behavior, and improving parent-child communication. The study examined the efficacy of PCIT as a first-line treatment for children with …

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Rapid Characterization Of Biomass: The Use Of Near Infrared And Fluorescence Spectroscopy As Process Analytical Technology (Pat) Method, Kofi Nkansah Aug 2009

Rapid Characterization Of Biomass: The Use Of Near Infrared And Fluorescence Spectroscopy As Process Analytical Technology (Pat) Method, Kofi Nkansah

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

The heterogeneous property of biomass (wood) affects its potential of being converted into any form of fuel in different ways (both positive and negative effects). Therefore in other to efficiently utilized biomass as a raw material for conversion into any form of clean alternative fuel to displace some of the fossil fuel we consume in the United State on a commercial scale basis, a quick, robust, non destructive on/in/at-line method of characterizing the physical and chemical properties of biomass that are relevant to the bio-refinery industry is imperative.;This study discusses the potential of using near infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) and fluorescence …

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Implementation Of Forest Stewardship Plans: Understanding The Extent Of Forestry Practices Applied On Enrolled Properties In West Virginia, Elizabeth K. Tichner Aug 2009

Implementation Of Forest Stewardship Plans: Understanding The Extent Of Forestry Practices Applied On Enrolled Properties In West Virginia, Elizabeth K. Tichner

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

The purpose of this study was to understand the extent of forest management that is occurring on private forestlands enrolled in the West Virginia Forest Stewardship Program. To quantify the amount of forest management being applied, 295 telephone interviews were conducted in the Fall of 2005 inquiring participants about ten common forest management practices and extent of their implementation, in terms of acreage or mileage. In addition, this study sought to understand the factors associated with the number of respondents that had implemented practices as well as the amount of forestland on which these practices were applied, including practice recommendation, …

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Adolescent Substance Use In Relation To School-Based Extracurricular Activities According To Individual And School-Level Characteristics, Kari L. Maxwell Aug 2009

Adolescent Substance Use In Relation To School-Based Extracurricular Activities According To Individual And School-Level Characteristics, Kari L. Maxwell

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

The purpose of this study was to fill gaps in previous literature on adolescent involvement in activities that are school-based in relation adolescent alcohol, tobacco, marijuana, and illicit substance use, while taking into account important individual and sociodemographic variables. Research was conducted with 49 12th grade students in two public high school in North Central West Virginia. Data were collected using an internet questionnaire accessible to students on Survey Monkey. The questionnaire consisted of tobacco, alcohol, marijuana, and illicit drug use questions that were derived directly from the Youth Risk Behavior Survey (YRBS) questions pertaining to students involvement in school-based …

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Role Of Endothelin 1 In Follicular And Luteal Function In The Sheep, Fernando P. Perea-Ganchou Aug 2009

Role Of Endothelin 1 In Follicular And Luteal Function In The Sheep, Fernando P. Perea-Ganchou

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Three experiments were carried out in order to examine the role of endothelin in follicular steroid secretion in vitro and in spontaneous and PGF2alpha-induced luteolysis in sheep.;In experiment 1, it was hypothesized that endothelin 1 (END1) acting through its receptors ENDRA and/or ENDRB, on granulosal cells of ovine preovulatory follicles would inhibit steroid production, and therefore, prevent the premature luteinization of granulosal cells of those follicles. Data from estrogen-inactive 20 follicles collected from 13 ewes were analyzed. Accumulation of E 2 and P4 by cultured granulosal cells was not affected by either LH or END1 or the END receptor blockers. …

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Treefall Gap Characteristics Within An Appalachian Hardwood Forest In West Virginia: Influences Of Topographic Position And Forest Type, Jamie Marie Himes Aug 2009

Treefall Gap Characteristics Within An Appalachian Hardwood Forest In West Virginia: Influences Of Topographic Position And Forest Type, Jamie Marie Himes

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

We examined the attributes of canopy gaps on the 3,100 ha West Virginia University Research Forest (WVURF) near Morgantown, WV. The WVURF is a 70-80 year-old, second-growth, Appalachian hardwood forest. The objectives of this study were: (1) to describe specific gap characteristics (size, age, and fraction) of the forest as a whole, and (2) to assess whether gap characteristics varied by slope position (cove, mid, ridge), aspect (NE, NW, SE, SW), and forest cover type (cove hardwood, mesic oak, xeric oak).;Transect lines were digitized using GIS in ArcMap and systematically placed throughout the forest to include a range of aspects …

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A Daily Process Analysis Of Short -Term Physical Activity Goal Pursuits In Midlife: Changes In Goal Processes, Physical Activity, And Subjective Well -Being, Eric A. Goedereis Aug 2009

A Daily Process Analysis Of Short -Term Physical Activity Goal Pursuits In Midlife: Changes In Goal Processes, Physical Activity, And Subjective Well -Being, Eric A. Goedereis

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

The prevalence of obesity in the United States increases with age, with the highest rates corresponding to midlife. Midlife health behaviors may play a contributing role in many of the health problems commonly associated with advanced age. Health psychologists who have embraced a life-span developmental perspective argue that it is important to consider the individual developmental trajectories of health and successful aging. Goal-setting has been shown to account for significant variance in physical activity, which has a variety of health-promoting benefits. In order to investigate individual variability in the daily processes of physical activity goal pursuit within a sample of …

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Kinetic Analysis Of Coal And Biomass Co-Gasification With Carbon Dioxide, Jiachuan Bu Aug 2009

Kinetic Analysis Of Coal And Biomass Co-Gasification With Carbon Dioxide, Jiachuan Bu

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Based on Thermogravimetric Analysis (TGA) experimental data, a kinetic analysis of the Boudouard reaction was studied for three different coal chars, three different biomass chars, and their mixtures. The coal chars included: North Dakota Lignite, Illinois No.6, and Powder River Basin char; the biomass chars included: Hardwood, Switchgrass, and Corn Stove char. The reaction temperature ranged from 900°C to 1100°C. Different kinetic models were used for modeling the reaction rate. For the simplified Dutta and Wen model, it was found that the reaction rate was first order with respect to both CO2 and carbon. For the modified shrinking sphere model, …

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Development And Evaluation Of A Fault Detection And Identification Scheme For The Wvu Yf-22 Uav Using The Artificial Immune System Approach, Sebastian Pablo Sanchez Aug 2009

Development And Evaluation Of A Fault Detection And Identification Scheme For The Wvu Yf-22 Uav Using The Artificial Immune System Approach, Sebastian Pablo Sanchez

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

A failure detection and identification (FDI) scheme is developed for a small remotely controlled jet aircraft based on the Artificial Immune System (AIS) paradigm. Pilot-in-the-loop flight data are used to develop and test a scheme capable of identifying known and unknown aircraft actuator and sensor failures. Negative selection is used as the main mechanism for self/non-self definition; however, an alternative approach using positive selection to enhance performance is also presented. Tested failures include aileron and stabilator locked at trim and angular rate sensor bias. Hyper-spheres are chosen to represent detectors. Different definitions of distance for the matching rules are applied …

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Investigation Of Ecological Behavior Of Two Coccinellidae Beetle Adults For Biological Control, Folukemi Ebunoluwa Adedipe Aug 2009

Investigation Of Ecological Behavior Of Two Coccinellidae Beetle Adults For Biological Control, Folukemi Ebunoluwa Adedipe

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

The use of natural enemies is an effective strategy to control and suppress pest populations in a given agroecosystem; however farmers are not motivated to adopt this method because of the high cost and temporal unavailability of natural enemies. This thesis reports findings of a series of laboratory experiments carried out to investigate ecological behavioral of two major natural enemies; Harmonia axyridis and Cryptolaemus montrouzieri (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae) Laboratory studies was conducted to determine if H. axyridis could be attracted to companion plants with different olfactory and visual cues, to investigate the within-plant distribution of long-tailed mealybug, Pseudococcus longispinus (Hempitera: Pseudoccoccidae), …

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Improvement Of The Physical And Nutritional Quality Of Pelleted Feed, Curran Kenji Gehring Aug 2009

Improvement Of The Physical And Nutritional Quality Of Pelleted Feed, Curran Kenji Gehring

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Experiments were conducted to improve the physical and nutritional quality of pelleted feed. One experiment focused specifically on improvement of pellet quality using functional muscle proteins. A second experiment examined the effects of increasing mixer-added fat (MAF) on feed manufacture variables, broiler performance variables and carcass composition. In experiment 1, muscle proteins (myofibrillar and sarcoplasmic) were recovered using isoelectric/solubilization precipitation, and a functional paste (TPP) was formed by mixing recovered proteins with typical surimi additives. Trout protein paste was included in broiler diets at 0, 2.5 or 5%. A tap water treatment (3.9%) was included to match the moisture added …

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Coconut Oil Enhancement Of Conjugated Linoleic Acid Induced Body Fat Loss And Lipolysis In Mice, Siri Manasa Ippagunta Aug 2009

Coconut Oil Enhancement Of Conjugated Linoleic Acid Induced Body Fat Loss And Lipolysis In Mice, Siri Manasa Ippagunta

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Dietary conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) causes a body fat loss that is enhanced when mice are fed coconut oil (CO) compared to soy oil (SO). The objectives were to determine if CLA feeding altered proteins involved in lipolysis. Male mice (n = 80; 3 wk old) were fed 7% SO or CO diets for 6 wk then 0 or 0.5% CLA for 12d. A body fat index was calculated: (retroperitoneal (RP) + epididymal (EPI) fat pads)*100/body weight. Lipolysis was determined by non-esterified fatty acid (NEFA) and glycerol release from EPI & RP explants. The relative expression of perilipin, phosphorylated perilipin …

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The Development And Nutritional Characteristics Of An Omega-3-Enhanced Egg Product, Nissan Michelle Kassis Aug 2009

The Development And Nutritional Characteristics Of An Omega-3-Enhanced Egg Product, Nissan Michelle Kassis

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Novel, nutritionally-enhanced egg product was developed by substituting saturated fat and cholesterol-containing yolk with omega-3 fatty acids-rich (o-3 FA) flaxseed, menhaden, algae, and krill oils. The o-3 FA-fortified eggs are typically developed through alteration of hen feed. However, the present study aimed at creating such a product via processing. Experimental batters were developed to match composition, color, and texture of hen eggs (whole egg). The batters, whole egg, and liquid egg product (egg beaters) were cooked, analyzed, and compared. Moisture, protein, and fat content of experimental eggs matched (P>0.05) whole egg. Nutritionally, amino acid profile (AAP) analysis showed no …

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Mechanisms Of Iron Reduction And Phosphorus Solubilization In An Intermittently Wet Pasture Soil, Jared L. Wilmoth Aug 2009

Mechanisms Of Iron Reduction And Phosphorus Solubilization In An Intermittently Wet Pasture Soil, Jared L. Wilmoth

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Microbial Fe-reduction in pasture soils may be of agronomic importance, because it has been shown to influence P cycling. The present study investigated the behavior of Fe and P in an intermittently wet, Appalachian pasture soil during a 42 day anaerobic incubation. Native humic acid (HA) extracted from the sampling location and anthraquinone-2,6-disulfonic acid (AQDS) were used in the experiment to determine their electron-mediating effects on Fe(III) reduction and P solubilization over time. Extracted HA and the International Humic Substance Society (IHSS) Elliott Soil HA standard were compared using 13C-NMR, FT-IR, SEM, and CHNS analysis. Soil samples treated with 1.24 …

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Speech Processing Front-End In Low-Power Hardware, Brandon David Rumberg Aug 2009

Speech Processing Front-End In Low-Power Hardware, Brandon David Rumberg

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

The objective of this work is to develop analog integrated circuits to serve as low-power auditory front-ends in signal processing systems. An analog front-end can be used for feature-extraction to reduce the requirements of the digital back-end, or to detect and call attention to compelling characteristics of a signal while the back-end is in sleep mode. Such a front-end should be advantageous for speech recognition, noise suppression, auditory scene analysis, hearing prostheses, biological modeling, or hardware-based event detection.;This work presents a spectral decomposition system, which consists of a bandpass filter bank with sub-band magnitude detection. The bandpass filter is low-power …

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Habitat Selection And Predation Risk In Larval Lampreys, Dustin M. Smith Aug 2009

Habitat Selection And Predation Risk In Larval Lampreys, Dustin M. Smith

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

This thesis examines habitat preference and the influence of habitat on predation of larvae (ammocoetes) of the least brook lamprey (Lampetra aepyptera). The thesis comprises three chapters: (1) an introduction and literature review on the general life history of lampreys and on studies related to ammocoetes and their habitat, (2) an experimental study of habitat preference in ammocoetes of the least brook lamprey, and (3) an experimental study of the relationship between habitat availability and predation risk in ammocoetes. For the first study, we quantified substrate selection in small (< 50 mm) and large (100-150 mm) ammocoetes of the least brook lamprey. In aquaria, ammocoetes were given a choice to burrow into six equally-available substrate types: small gravel (2.36-4.75 mm), coarse sand (0.5-1.4 mm), fine sand (0.125-0.5 mm), organic debris (approximately 70% decomposing leaves and stems, 15% silt, and 15% sand), an even mixture of silt, clay, and fine sand, and silt/clay (< 0.063 mm). Fine sand was selected with a significantly higher probability than any other substrate. In the second study, we experimentally examined the influence of habitat availability on predation risk of ammocoetes. Ammocoetes were placed in aquaria containing a predator species (yellow bullhead, Ameiurus natalis) and one of 3 substrates: fine sand (0.125-0.5 mm), coarse sand (0.5-1.4 mm), or silt/clay (<0.063 mm). Use of the three substrate types was based on a previous experiment where fine sand was determined to be the preferred benthic habitat of least brook lamprey. Based on 10 trials with each habitat type, survival of ammocoetes was highest in aquaria with fine sand (mean = 80%), and lower in those with coarse sand (mean = 58%) and silt/clay (mean = 4%). The results of both studies conducted indicate that populations of least brook lamprey ammocoetes may be limited by the availability of fine sand habitat. The first study indicated that least brook lamprey ammocoetes are habitat specialists, preferring substrates composed primarily of fine sand. The second study showed that the availability of fine sand habitat may influence the predation risk of ammocoetes, as ammocoete survival from predation was highest in fine sand, and lower in other substrates.

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