Influences Of Disrupted Circadian Rhythms On Stroke Outcome, Jennifer A. Liu

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

The circadian system is composed of a subset of temporal oscillators that function through a transcriptional and post-translational molecular and functional negative feedback loop cycling approximately every 24 hours. The central clock located in the suprachiasmatic nucleus is responsible for entrainment using light as the key timekeeper (zeitgeber); it is responsible for synchronizing and optimizing physiological behavior and function to the environment. Exogenous information, such as day length and light-dark cycles, provide critical temporal cues for adjusting to environmental conditions. Proper alignment to natural light dark cycles and circadian rhythms is optimal for vital health, fitness, and survival in organisms. …

Structure-Dependent Characterizations Of Multistationarity In Mass-Action Reaction Networks, Galyna Voitiuk

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

This project explores a topic in Chemical Reaction Network Theory. We analyze networks with one dimensional stoichiometric subspace using mass-action kinetics. For these types of networks, we study how the capacity for multiple positive equilibria and multiple positive nondegenerate equilibria can be determined using Euclidian embedded graphs. Our work adds to the catalog of the class of reaction networks with one-dimensional stoichiometric subspace answering in the affirmative a conjecture posed by Joshi and Shiu: Conjecture 0.1 (Question 6.1 [26]). A reaction network with one-dimensional stoichiometric subspace and more than one source complex has the capacity for multistationarity if and only …

Mechanistic Insight Into Chronic Stress-Induced Cerebrovascular Dysfunction, Emily Nicole Burrage

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Despite decades of research psychological stress remains a prevalent problem in society, often diminishing quality of life and increasing the risk of developing dementia. The brain plays a central role in the response to stress and as it is unable to store energy substrates, the brain relies heavily on dynamically regulated blood flow. Therefore, it is important that there is a tight coupling between neural activity and cerebral blood flow to meet metabolic demands and maintain critical brain function. It has been established that chronic psychological stress has detrimental effects on cerebrovascular function, potentially through increased superoxide anion production through …

Examining Development And Function Of Pretectal Visual Neural Circuits In Gs Homeobox 1 Mutant Zebrafish, Alexandra Rose Schmidt

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Brain development requires a coordinated genetic code to regulate initial cell identity determination, migration, and connectivity, to establish function of neural circuits. Independent neural circuits underlie our ability to produce both complex and innate behavioral responses to sensory stimuli that are often conserved across vertebrate organisms. Sensory processing disruptions are associated with several neurodevelopmental disorders (NDDs). Therefore, gene mutations altering neurodevelopment can lead to changes influencing structure and function of individual neural circuits, causing behavioral deviations in sensory responsiveness. Crucial gene networks that define functional properties of sensory domains are often explored using non-mammalian vertebrate models, such as the zebrafish. …

Aging, A Pathological Factor In Neurological Injury, Aruvi Vijikumar

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

One of the main reasons for CNS drugs to fail in clinical development is not considering age as a risk factor while studying chronic age-related neurological/neurodegenerative diseases in preclinical studies. We first set out to gain a comprehensive understanding of the impact of age on various aspects (anatomical, immunological, and biochemical) in rodents that play a key role in determining the onset, progression, and evolution of disease severity. With advancing age, the vascular structure and function are compromised which is hypothesized to accelerate cognitive decline. The initial step toward developing novel therapeutics is to characterize the age-related vascular modifications. Utilizing …

It’S A Bleed: Pediatric Hemophilia And Length Of Stay, Rural Vs Urban Hospitals, Daniel G. Liedl

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Hemophilia is a rare genetic disorder that requires specialty care and treatment. Pediatric patients with hemophilia have unique medical issues that may lead to permanent disability or death if not properly diagnosed and treated in a timely manner. Due to lack of resources and proper training of staff, rural hospitals are not equipped to properly treat pediatric hemophilia patients. Utilizing the Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project (HCUP) Kids´ Inpatient Database (KID) of the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality. I have found, across all hospital types, pediatric hemophilia patients have longer lengths of stay, 2.7 days for rural hospitals, 4.6 …

An Investigation Into The Mechanism Of Proteasome Dysfunction In Neurodegenerative Disease And The Biological Impact Of Proteasome Hyperactivation In C. Elegans, Raymond T. Anderson

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Aging is an inevitable process that occurs as humans grow older. It is characterized by the chronological accumulation of cellular damage over time leading to functional decline as an organism grows older. Several processes are thought to contribute to the aging phenomenon, but one of the most prolific of these is the disruption of protein homeostasis (proteostasis). The collapse of proteostasis can lead to accelerated aging and the development of age-related diseases including devastating neurodegenerative diseases (NDs) like Alzheimer and Parkinson disease. Virtually all NDs are characterized by the buildup of proteins in and around neurons resulting in neuronal death …

Characterizing The Effects Of Solvent And Analyte Properties On Ionization Efficiency By Novel Field-Free And Field-Enabled Ionization Techniques, Kinkini Udara Jayasundara

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

In recent years the mass spectrometry (MS) area of field and/or direct analysis has grown dramatically. As a result, field-portable and miniaturized mass spectrometers, introduced only a few years ago, are proliferating. A highly desired feature for field-portable MS, or in-field analysis, is the ability to use ionization techniques requiring very little sample preparation as well as an ability to generate the ions under ambient conditions. Recently, a new ambient ionization technique termed vibrating sharp-edge spray ionization (VSSI) has been introduced which overcomes the field-portable limitations of other spray-based methods including the requirements for auxiliary components (e.g., nebulizing gas and …

Ero1Α Promotes Tumorigenesis In Egfr Driven Nsclc, Brennan D. Johnson

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer (NSCLC) is a pulmonary malignancy most commonly associated with smoking, or exposure to asbestos or Radon. Approximately, 1.6 Million deaths occur each year due to lung cancer. Lung Cancer is categorized by two main types, Small Cell Lung Cancer (SCLC) and NSCLC. NSCLC accounts for approximately 85% of all lung cancer cases and is subdivided into three sub-categories: Adenocarcinoma, the most common and leading cause of death in the United States; Squamous Cell Carcinoma (SCC), and Large Cell Carcinoma. Though NSCLC treatment regimens have shown increasing clinical benefit over the last two decades with targeted therapies. …

Reproductive Rates, Kitten Survival, And Den Site Selection Of Bobcats (Lynx Rufus) In The Black Hills, South Dakota, Erin E. Morrison

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

The bobcat (Lynx rufus) is an important furbearer in South Dakota. However, management of bobcats can be difficult because of their elusive nature and lack of demographic information. In particular, managers lack information on abundance, survival, and reproductive rates necessary to ensure sustainable harvests and stable populations through time. Additionally, cause-specific mortality can provide insight into the factors influencing bobcat kitten survival rates, as well as reveal actions managers could take to improve survival. Bobcat resource selection can vary depending on spatial scale and it is important to understand how denning may result in different selection patterns at …

Actin Cytoskeletal Regulation And Matrix Metalloproteinase Targeting In Head And Neck Squamous Cell Carcinoma (Hnscc) Progression, Jessica Lea Allen

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) is a cancer originating from the epithelial lining of the oral cavity, larynx, and pharynx. HNSCC is associated with extensive locoregional invasion and tissue destruction. Invasive processes underlying HNSCC contribute to poor prognosis and decreased quality of life. Amplification of chromosome 11q13 is the most common DNA aberration in human papilloma virus negative (HPV^-) HNSCC. This region includes various genes known to drive tumor progression. CORO1B (coronin 1B) flanks the core 11q13 region and is amplified in 7-14% of HNSCC. Coronin 1B is essential for mesenchymal cell motility by promoting turnover …

A Quality Improvement Initiative For Intraoperative Low Dose Ketamine Utilization In Thoracotomy, Jason Wampler

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

The challenge of postoperative pain control following a thoracotomy is well noted among anesthesia providers. The intraoperative utilization of low-dose ketamine in several patient populations, including those undergoing a thoracotomy, has been deemed a viable intervention in the multi-modal analgesia plan at not only reducing postoperative pain scores for patients, but also reducing opioid consumption. This quality improvement project sought to increase provider awareness of this intervention among anesthesia providers in a community hospital with a goal to influence a practice change. This was completed using a pre-post design centered around an educational in-service, with an additional 60-day follow-up survey …

Utilizing The K18-Hace2 Mouse Model To Develop Protective Covid-19 Vaccines, Ting Y. Wong

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

The ongoing Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic is caused by the respiratory virus Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). Similar to other respiratory viruses, SARS-CoV-2 is transmitted through inhalation of respiratory droplets and aerosols from infected individuals. Once inhaled, SARS-CoV-2 utilizes the receptor binding domain (RBD) on the spike protein to bind to human Angiotensin Converting Enzyme 2 (hACE2) receptor to gain entrance into host cells to begin viral replication. SARS-CoV-2 infection can result in mild to severe cases of COVID-19 ranging from asymptomatic infections, cold or flu like symptoms to respiratory failure. The onset of the pandemic in …

Associations Between Self-Reported Awe And Heart Rate, Laura E. Bernstein

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Fredrickson’s (1998, 2013) broaden and build theory states that positive emotions can expand our social and cognitive awareness and provide health benefits. Some positive emotions, such as awe, may operate differently. We sought to understand how subjective reports of awe, induced through videos, correlate with HR. We know that HR tends to decrease with age (Umetani et al., 1998), individuals have less physiological reactivity as they age (Blanchard-Fields, 2007), and older adults report more positive emotions than negative emotions (Mroczek & Kolarz, 1998). Given these findings, we were interested in understanding whether there were age differences in self-reported awe and …

Examining Evolutionary Rate In Xiphosura, Samantha B. Ocon

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Horseshoe crabs, a group of aquatic chelicerate arthropods of the class Xiphosura, are strongly linked with the concept of “living fossils” – a term colloquially used to refer to clades that display a consistently low rate of morphological evolution through time. The concept of living fossils has been hotly debated, as it is considered to simplify or obscure millennia of evolutionary change. Recent methodological and computational advances in the paleobiological sciences have allowed for the investigation of these claims. Xiphosura are a model taxon for this type of investigative study because they exhibit a complex evolutionary history, despite their reputation …

Examining The Pulmonary Response To Repeated Vishniacozyma Victoriae Exposure And Its Association With Allergic Airway Disease, Rachael Erin Rush

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Allergic airway diseases such as asthma continue to increase in incidence in industrialized nations like the United States. These diseases are complex inflammatory processes involving numerous cells and mediators and are strongly influenced by fungal exposures. Recent developments in fungal detection methods have highlighted the contribution of Basidiomycota yeast species in indoor environments such as Vishniacozyma (syn. Cryptococcus) victoriae. However, despite the high levels of this yeast detected in indoor environments, very little is known about it or its role in respiratory morbidity. V. victoriae is phylogenetically similar to pathogenic Cryptococcus neoformans but lacks a capsule and is …

Small Mammal Communities Of Restored And Natural Wetlands In West Virginia, Krista Noe

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Wetland restoration is commonly practiced as part of conservation programs or wetland mitigation, which attempts to offset human-created losses of natural wetlands. However, because of the intrinsic and human-derived value of wetlands, it is critical to determine whether these wetlands truly act similarly to natural wetlands. One role of wetlands is to provide habitat for a diverse array of wildlife species. Small mammals are often overlooked taxa in wetland restoration efforts. However, they are essential to the wetland system because they influence vegetation and are prey for higher trophic level wildlife. I discuss considerations of restored wetlands, wildlife responses to …

Examining The Relationship Among Perceived Academic Climate, Belongingness, And Engineering Identity, Sumaia Ali Raisa

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

An attempt to cultivate an inclusive learning environment in engineering is trending as a response to women's underrepresentation and a lower retention rate than men undergraduates. This study was situated in such an undergraduate engineering program where interventions were embedded in the course curriculum focusing on cultivating an inclusive engineering identity. Following a sociocultural perspective, the present study aimed to examine the relation of engineering identity with perceived academic climate, sense of belonging, and gender among two engineering cohorts (before covid and during covid context). A total of 482 first-year engineering undergraduates' survey responses were analyzed in this study using …

Optimization And Analytics Of Decarbonized Forest And Biomass Supply Chains, Xufeng Zhang

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

First, a data-driven holistic analysis framework was developed to aid the industrial development of forest biomass for bioenergy to promote the regional bioeconomy. Leveraging the existing but fragmented multi-source data, four components of industrial bioenergy development were integrated into the framework including spatial statistical analysis of biomass feedstock and bioenergy production, machine learning-based suitability assessment, bioenergy plant sites identification and ranking, and socio-economic impacts assessment. A case study was conducted for forest biomass to pellet fuel in the U.S. Mid-Atlantic region. Our results indicate that the great potential of forest biomass with high variation at the county level is primarily …

Transitions Between The Steps Of Group Iic Intron Forward And Reverse Splicing And Integration Into Dna, Claire Mae Smathers

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Group II introns are ancient ribozymes capable of self-excision and mobility into new genomic locations. As the ancestors of both the eukaryotic spliceosome and eukaryotic retroelements, these simple RNA machines serve as excellent models for understanding the mechanisms of both gene splicing and retroelement activity in eukaryotes. Although group II introns have been studied for decades, knowledge of the most unique and arguably evolutionarily relevant class of group II introns, IIC, is limited. Our knowledge is especially limited in terms of understanding how IIC introns mediate the transition between the two transesterification steps of forward splicing and reverse splicing into …

Getting To The Root Cause: The Genetic Underpinnings Of Root System Architecture And Rhizodeposition In Sorghum, Farren Smith

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Plants are some of the most diverse organisms on earth, consisting of more than 350,000 different species. To understand the underlying processes that contributed to plant diversification, it is fundamental to identify the genetic and genomic components that facilitated various adaptations over evolutionary history. Most studies to date have focused on the underlying controls of above-ground traits such as grain and vegetation; however, little is known about the “hidden half” of plants. Root systems comprise half of the total plant structure and provide vital functions such as anchorage, resource acquisition, and storage of energy reserves. The execution of these key …

Targeting Vulnerabilities In Cell State And Calcium Signaling For The Treatment Of Lung Cancer, Clark Jones

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Lung cancer remains the deadliest of all cancers due to the high mutational burden associated with the disease. Combating mutational drivers and drug resistance proves to be essential in the development of novel therapies to improve patient outcomes. A first-in-class cyclic peptide known as MTI-101 has been shown to induce necrotic cell death in a caspase independent manner. MTI-101 was derived from the linear peptide known as HYD1 that was found in a high throughput screen to block cell adhesion with the extracellular matrix. The compound was further optimized and cyclized to the currently used MTI-101 that was found to …

Methodology For Enhanced Filtration And Dewatering Of Fine-Grain Amd Precipitate Using Geocomposites For Rare Earth Elements Recovery, Iuri Lira Santos

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Research performed by the West Virginia Water Research Institute (WVWRI) in partnership with the Department of Energy (DOE) has identified that coal mining by-products contain significant amounts of Rare Earth Elements (REEs). REEs currently are in high demand, and extraction from coal mining reject presents a potential for commercialization if extraction is feasible. The coal mining reject include Acid Mine Drainage (AMD) in the aqueous phase and sludge from AMD treatment. A novel two split selective precipitation method was implemented to remove gangue metals, increasing the concentration of REEs in the sludge.

This process presents a two-fold benefit: 1) treatment …

Correctional Officer Opinions About Offenders With Mental Illness: The Relationships Among Opinions, Burnout, Emotional Intelligence, And Mental Health Training, Courtney Hull

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Rates of mental illness among incarcerated individuals in the United States are high and have been well documented. Correctional officers are on the front line of identifying symptoms and alerting mental health professionals to problems as they arise. Correctional officers often lack an understating of mental illness, feel ill-equipped to manage mental health crises, and experience high levels of job-related stress. The objective of this study was to better understand the relationship between correctional officers’ emotional intelligence and opinions about mental illness, and to identify if burnout moderated the relationship between the variables. Additionally, the study sought to understand the …

Parenting Stress As A Moderator Of The Relationship Between Child Emotional And Behavioral Problems And Parental Readiness For Change, Connor Fais

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

The current study applied the Transtheoretical Model of Behavior Change (Prochaska & DiClemente, 1983) to parenting behavior, as past research has suggested that increasing parental motivation and readiness for change is associated with greater client participation and improved therapeutic outcomes (Dowell & Ogles, 2010; Karver et al., 2006). The current study attempted to replicate Jones et al.’s (2017) primary findings and add to the current body of literature on parental readiness for change by examining parenting stress as a moderator of the relationship between internalizing and externalizing child problems and parental readiness for change (Jones et al., 2017; Wade & …

Harnessing Acoustic Streaming For Bioanalysis In Microfluidics, Xiaojun Li

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

In the past few decades, microfluidic technology has been developed rapidly in both fabrication methods and multifunctionality integrations, making it a powerful tool for a wider variety of biological applications. The device fabrication method has expanded from conventional polymer-based micro devices to 3D-printed micro devices, and allows multiple functions such as electric, optic, magnetic and acoustic to be integrated on a single platform. This dissertation focuses on method development of acoustic streaming-based microfluidics in bioanalysis such as immunoassay, enzyme kinetics and DNA fragmentation analysis. In this dissertation, a micromixer was developed based on acoustic streaming generated from sharp-edge structure vibration …

Nitrite Supplementation Restores Aortic Health In Chronically Stressed Mice, Tyler Coblentz

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Chronic stress increases the risk of developing cardiovascular disease potentially via increases in elastic artery stiffness and endothelial dysfunction. Decreased bioavailability of the potent vasodilator nitric oxide (NO) describes a hallmark of endothelial dysfunction. Nitrite reduces into active NO, providing an alternative pathway of NO restoration. The effect of nitrite supplementation on aortic endothelial function has yet to be determined in chronically stressed mice. We hypothesized that nitrite supplementation would rescue chronic stress-attributed impairments in aortic endothelial function.

Mice at 18 weeks of age underwent an unpredictable chronic mild stress (UCMS; 5 days/week for 7 hrs/day) paradigm to elicit a …

Population Genetics Of A Reintroduced Fisher (Pekania Pennanti) Population In West Virginia, Caroline E. Harms

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Fishers (Pekania pennanti) were reintroduced in West Virginia in 1969 with no population wide genetic analysis ever having been conducted. Genetic analysis of reintroduced populations is vital to assess genetic diversity as an indicative of population viability. My objective was to collect fisher samples throughout West Virginia, nearby states where fisher may be migrating (PA and NY), and the New Hampshire source population to provide a full genetic interpretation of the reintroduced West Virginia population. Genetic analysis was used to measure genetic diversity, admixture or delineation of subpopulations, and effective population size. Sample location and genetic data were …

"A Long Life In Music:" The Career And Legacy Of Ann Schein, Anthony William Gray

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

This research paper is devoted to the life, career, teaching and legacy of the celebrated pianist Ann Schein. Having led a remarkable career spanning more than six decades, Schein was taught by such towering figures as Mieczysław Munz, Arthur Rubinstein and Dame Myra Hess and has in turn influenced countless musicians through her own teaching. This research paper includes a detailed portrait of Schein through a biography, an interview with Schein, and interviews with six of her former students from the Peabody Institute of the Johns Hopkins University: Dr. Matthew Bengtson, Ms. Ya-Ting Chang, Dr. Inna Faliks, Dr. Mansoon Han …

Initial And Advanced Stages Of Microbiota Establishment Within The Tsetse Fly, Miguel Eduardo Medina Munoz

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Symbiosis is a long-term physical association between two or more species, although little is known regarding its evolutionary origins, particularly at the genetic level. Tsetse flies are the vector of African trypanosomes, causative agents of Human and Animal African Trypanosomiases. Tsetse provide an ideal model for studying initial and advanced stages of symbiosis. Tsetse have a simple digestive tract microbiota primarily consisting of two bacteria; the ancient mutualist Wigglesworthia glossinidia and the recently acquired Sodalis glossinidius. This work presents a chronological study in evolutionary terms of the history of a microbial-insect association. First, I present concepts on symbiosis and …