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Comparison Of Condensation Nuclei Counter And Controlled Negative Pressure Methods Under Different Environmental Conditions Tested With A Mannequin And Human Subjects, Olanrewaju John Fadairo

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Continuing concern about exposure to respiratory hazards at various workplaces and prevalent pandemics such as H1N1/09 influenza and COVID-19, have necessitated a need for more research regarding respirators. Quantitative fit testing (QNFT) is a critical component of an OSHA compliant respiratory protection program. QNFTs are often performed in environments where temperature and relative humidity (RH) vary. However, no study has investigated the possible effects of these parameters on penetration and QNFT results.

This comparative study utilized condensation nuclei counter (CNC) and controlled negative pressure (CNP) methods to quantitatively determine simulated mannequin fit factors (SMFFs) and human fit factor (HFFs) using …

Automated And Standardized Tools For Realistic, Generic Musculoskeletal Model Development, Trevor Rees Moon

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Human movement is an instinctive yet challenging task that involves complex interactions between the neuromusculoskeletal system and its interaction with the surrounding environment. One key obstacle in the understanding of human locomotion is the availability and validity of experimental data or computational models. Corresponding measurements describing the relationships of the nervous and musculoskeletal systems and their dynamics are highly variable. Likewise, computational models and musculoskeletal models in particular are vitally dependent on these measurements to define model behavior and mechanics. These measurements are often sparse and disparate due to unsystematic data collection containing variable methodologies and reporting conventions. To date, …

Alternative Media And Mulches In Organic Vegetable Production, Heather R. Griffith

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Reducing or eliminating waste from organic vegetable production can conserve money as well as resources. Conventional greenhouse production of vegetable transplants often relies on abundant fertigation which produces large amounts of polluted runoff, and the field production of organic vegetables frequently relies on the use of polyethylene mulch. A greenhouse study was conducted to determine if organic transplants can be successfully produced in a greenhouse under reduced soil moisture in order to reduce leaching of nutrients and potential water pollution. To test this, we compared the effect of reduced irrigation volumes to the standard practice of irrigating with 120% of …

Evaluation Of Salmonella Enteritidis And Escherichia Coli O157:H7 Volatile Organic Compound Analysis For Food Safety Monitoring: A Preliminary Study, Jessica E. Lemley

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Food borne illness has the potential to impact every point of production from producers to consumers. Food product recalls are common due to the presence of food borne illness causing bacteria. Detection of volatile organic compounds (VOC) have the potential to reduce the number of illnesses and recalls through application of additional monitoring of food products like those most commonly recalled. The objective of this research was to 1) explore the use of closed-loop headspace analysis coupled with gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) on food borne illness causing bacteria and 2) examine the VOC profile of Escherichia coli serotype O157:H7 in …

Microfinance In Latin America: Poverty Alleviation And The Impact Of Institutional Mimicry, Lindsay Jouben

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Microfinance has become a program of choice in the international development community. The World Bank has promoted microfinance programs under the idea that poverty alleviation can be accomplished by mainly providing credit. [1] As such, these policies are often replicated throughout the developing world. This replication is done through international organizations adopting a standard of best practices for the microfinance field. Best practices consist of a complex set of standard by which all banks must adhere if they receive funding from the World Bank or International Monetary Fund. These best practices, following neoliberal economics, lay out how microfinance should operate …

American Population Study Of Pigmentation Based Genotype Interpretation For Phenotypic Determination Of Hair And Eye Color Using Hirisplex, Emma Leigh Combs

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Currently the largest limitation with DNA evidence is that a comparison to a known source sample is required for any interpretation with the current methods. Simply put, if an unknown sample from a crime scene is collected and results in a profile, but there is no suspect or match from CODIS to compare it to, the profile is essentially useless and no information can be gained from it. Research has been performed within the area of forensic DNA phenotyping as a potential tool to aid in taking steps forward to use genotypic information as an investigative tool. Populations studies have …

The Wiring Logic Of Identified Serotonergic Neurons Across Olfactory Networks In Drosophila, Kaylynn E. Coates

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Serotonin is a ubiquitous neuromodulator that confers flexibility in networks to modulate a wide array of behavioral and physiological processes. However, due to the complexity and heterogeneity of serotonergic systems, it has been challenging to determine the patterns of connectivity as well as the physiological contexts that influence individual serotonin neurons. In this dissertation, I use two serotonergic neurons which innervate the Drosophila olfactory system, the CSDns, as a model to explore these broad questions comprehensively using anatomical approaches. I first show that the CSDns have distinct connectivity relationships with populations of antennal lobe principal olfactory neurons and that their …

Cu-Based Electrocatalysts For Carbon Dioxide Conversion To Value-Added Chemicals, Qingyang Li

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Massive usage of fossil fuel has being causing considerable emission of CO₂, which increases the temperature of the planet and greatly threaten human living environment, such as soil degradation, lower agricultural productivity, desertification, less biodiversity, fresh-water reduction, ocean acidification, ozone sphere destruction, etc. A number of technologies are being developed to reduce the CO₂ amount, however, all existing technologies except utilizing CO₂ as a feedstock, are hardly to essentially close the anthropogenic carbon loop. Currently, considering the economy and operability, electroreduction of CO₂ seems to be the most promising strategy to convert CO₂ to …

Habitat Stability In Appalachian Headwater Systems And Potential Impacts On Brook Trout Populations, Zac F.W Zacavish

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

The impact climate change will have on the habitat for Brook Trout (Salvelinus fontinalis) could directly impact key demographic characteristics. Traditionally, broad-scale studies of climate change effects on the family Salmonidae focus on the thermal shifts predicted over the next century. While some studies shed light onto other variables such as biotic interactions, flow regime, and disturbance, the significance of the climate-trout interaction is not always observed. With the high degree of influence climate cycles can have on habitat and channel morphology, this study aimed to highlight temporal habitat shifts to begin addressing climate-habitat interaction. By studying habitat distribution …

Investigation Of Molecular Functions Of Zinc Finger Protein (Znf71) In Non- Small Cell Lung Cancer, Rehab O. Mohamed

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is the first cause of tumor-related death worldwide. Despite the advancement in surgical and medical treatment, the prognosis of the disease remains poor1. To date, there is no available molecular assay to predict the benefit of therapy or tumor recurrence 2. ZNF71 was reported in our previous study, which identified a 7-gene predictive signature for the clinical benefit of chemotherapy and prognosis in NSCLC2. The study concluded that patients who have higher ZNF71 protein expression have better survival. For this reason, we decided to study the molecular function of ZNF71 and how it may affect …

The Role Of High-Fat Diets In Exacerbating Cognitive Deficits After Traumatic Brain Injury, Michelle A. Frankot

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Traumatic brain injury (TBI) can cause chronic psychiatric-like impairments that may be driven by inflammation in the brain. In the current study, inflammation was upregulated using a high-fat diet (HFD) to assess the role of inflammation in TBI-induced deficits. Rats were randomly assigned to receive an HFD or calorie-matched low-fat diet (LFD) for the duration of the experiment. After two weeks of free access to their respective diets, rats began behavioral training on the Rodent Gambling Task (RGT), during which they were allowed to freely choose to nosepoke in one of four holes in a standard operant chamber. Responses in …

Trees, Fungi, Insects: How Host Plant Genetics Builds A Community, Sandra Jeanne Simon

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Organisms, such as fungi and insects, can cause millions of acres of agricultural and forest damage, while others provide billions of dollars in ecological services such as education, aesthetic enjoyment, pollination, and gardening. Plant breeding and biotechnology can potentially help establish a balance between the proliferation of detrimental pests and attraction of beneficial insects. Variation in plant physiological and morphological characteristics are extremely important in the ability of host tissues to support many different types of organisms. When that variation is genetically heritable in a plant population, shifts in the underlying genes can have predictable consequences in structuring entire ecosystems. …

Image And Video-Based Autism Spectrum Disorder Detection Via Deep Learning, Mindi Ruan

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

People with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) show atypical attention to social stimuli and aberrant gaze when viewing images of the physical world. However, it is unknown how they perceive the world from a first-person perspective. In this study, we used machine learning to classify photos taken in three different categories (people, indoors, and outdoors) as either having been taken by individuals with ASD or by peers without ASD. Our classifier effectively discriminated photos from all three categories but was particularly successful at classifying photos of people with >80% accuracy. Importantly, the visualization of our model revealed critical features that led …

Prevalence Of Pores In Latent Fingerprints, Rachel E. Ball

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Of the many biometric traits recognized today, fingerprints are the most prevalent and familiar. The analysis of fingerprints involves level 1, level 2, and/or level 3 detail in the identification of a potential match. Traditionally, fingerprint matching was completely performed by hand, utilizing the ACE-V method. Thanks to the development of rapidly evolving technology, fingerprint matching has become an automated procedure through the use of fingerprint matching algorithms. In the literature, there has been an increase in the interest of developing Automatic Fingerprint Identification System (AFIS) algorithms that include level 3 details in the matching process. These studies have utilized …

Understanding The Host Immune Response Against Pseudomonas Aeruginosa To Develop Novel Therapeutics And Vaccines, Emel Sen Kilic

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Pseudomonas aeruginosa is a Gram-negative opportunistic bacterium that causes a broad range of acute and chronic infections. The high adaptability and emergence of multidrug-resistant strains of this bacterium pose a significant threat to human health. Particularly, pneumonia caused by this pathogen is associated with high morbidity and mortality in immunocompromised patients. To prevent these infections, we aimed to develop novel vaccine strategies by characterizing the host immune response against P. aeruginosa. During respiratory infections, P. aeruginosa first contacts with epithelial cells along the respiratory tract. Using RNA-sequencing, we were able to characterize transcriptional changes of the epithelial cells in …

Investigation Of Phonon Polaritons In An Hbn Gan Heterostructure, Catherine G. O'Hearn

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

There have been many great advances in the generation and manipulation of optics in the visible and near infrared (IR) range over the past decade. This is largely due to plasmonic enhancement, which has led to new technology in biosensing and molecule detection, solid-state lighting, and solar energy harvesting. The field of plasmonics uses quanta of plasma oscillations, plasmons, formed from the interaction between electromagnetic radiation and free electrons to enhance optical near field magnitudes. However, there is still a large region of the electromagnetic spectrum, covering the mid-infrared (MIR) and terahertz (THz) regions, ranging from 3 μm to 1 …

The Role Of Genotype In Saccharomyces Cerevisiae Resistance To 4-Methylcyclohexanemethanol, Michael C. Ayers

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

The chemical 4-methylcyclohexanemethanol (MCHM) spilled in the Elk River near Charleston, WV in January 2014, impacting the drinking water of 300,000 residents. Initial studies on MCHM following the spill attempted to characterize its toxicological effects in animals, but largely ignored characterization of its effects on cellular pathways and metabolism. In this study, I used this chemical as a novel stressor for the model eukaryote S. cerevisiae to explore the relationship of genotype and stress phenotypes. Initial exploration characterized the stress phenotype of MCHM in yeast through growth assays, cell cycle analysis, and transcriptomic data. MCHM exposure caused cells to arrest …

Recovery Of Benthic Macroinvertebrate Communities After Restoration In Two Intensively Mined Watersheds, Brian R. Gordon

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

As the body of literature supporting watershed-scale restoration projects continues to grow, there is need for a greater understanding of the underlying mechanisms that drive it. With data spanning ten years capturing pre- and post-restoration benthic macroinvertebrate communities in two distinct watersheds of West Virginia, we seek to contribute to the developing pool of knowledge regarding these dynamics. Sites were laid out prior to remediation in such a manner as to capture the spectrum of water quality conditions present, these are divided into three treatment types: reference, treated, and abandoned mine drainage (AMD). Our objectives were to: 1) determine if …

Tobacco Cessation In A Dental School Setting, Kerri T. Simpson

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Introduction

Tobacco use remains the single largest preventable cause of death in the United States. Currently, the prevalence of tobacco use is 20.7% in adults (≥18 years old) and 31.2% among high school students. According to various studies, over 60% of Americans want to quit tobacco, but it takes a person several attempts to quit before they are successful. There is limited data in the literature that discusses the effectiveness of tobacco cessation programs in US dental schools. Therefore, information on the effectiveness of a tobacco cessation program in a dental school setting could benefit this state and the problem …

Bullets, Breeding, And Biodiversity: An Analysis Of Trophy Hunting In South Africa's Green Wildlife Economy, Dave E. Knieter

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Using a political ecology framework, I explore the relationship between international trophy hunting and South Africa’s private wildlife ranching industry. I interrogate the intersection of colonialism, capitalism, and conservation, which at its nexus are the discourses, policies, and logics that greenwash the production of nature. The proceeding chapters highlight a number of specific themes that problematize the neoliberalization of nature, including (i) the contradictions of imposing a market value to nonhumans; (ii) the operationalization of socioeconomic and environmental frameworks to justify trophy hunting and the breeding of nonhumans for profit; (iii) the use of African landscape and wildlife imagery to …

Hepatitis B In At-Risk Groups: Three Studies To Guide Education, Testing, And Vaccination Efforts In West Virginia, Stacy Tressler

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Background and Objectives: For over a decade, West Virginia’s (WV) rate of acute hepatitis B has been the highest in the United States (US). In 2017, WV’s rate was 11.7 per 100,000 population, almost 12 times higher than the national rate. The increase in acute hepatitis B cases is largely due to substance misuse, including injection drug use (IDU). Hepatitis B is a vaccine preventable disease yet many at-risk adults remain unvaccinated and susceptible to infection. The objectives of our studies are to 1) describe yearly changes in acute hepatitis B incidence in WV and assess county-level impact of the …

A Flight Sensory-Motor To Olfactory Histamine Circuit Mediates Olfactory Processing Of Ecologically And Behaviorally Natural Stimuli, Samual P. Bradley

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Environmental pressures have conferred species specific behavioral and morphological traits to optimize reproductive success. To optimally interact with their environment, nervous systems have evolved motor-to-sensory circuits that mediate the processing of its own reafference. Moth flight behavioral patterns to odor sources are stereotyped, presumably to optimize the likelihood of interacting with the odor source. In the moth Manduca sexta wing beating causes oscillatory flow of air over the antenna; because of this, odorant-antennal interactions are oscillatory in nature. Electroantennogram recordings on antennae show that the biophysical properties of their spiking activity can effectively track odors presented at the wing beat …

The Exploration Of Nanotoxicological Copper And Interspecific Saccharomyces Hybrids, Matthew Joseph Winans Phd

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Nanotechnology takes advantage of cellular biology’s natural nanoscale operations by interacting with biomolecules differently than soluble or bulk materials, often altering normal cellular processes such as metabolism or growth. To gain a better understanding of how copper nanoparticles hybridized on cellulose fibers called carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC) affected growth of Saccharomyces cerevisiae, the mechanisms of toxicity were explored. Multiple methodologies covering genetics, proteomics, metallomics, and metabolomics were used during this investigation. The work that lead to this dissertation discovered that these cellulosic copper nanoparticles had a unique toxicity compared to copper. Further investigation suggested a possible ionic or molecular mimicry …

Novel Roles Of Tobacco-Associated Genes Underlying Disparate Survival In Appalachian Head And Neck Squamous Cell Carcinoma, Brenen William Papenberg

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) is an aggressive neoplasm primarily caused by tobacco consumption or human papillomavirus (HPV) infection. Incidence and mortality rates for HNSCC vary geographically. Appalachian residents consume tobacco products to a greater extent than national averages, a risk factor known to promote HPV-negative HNSCC through increased genomic instability. Male Appalachian patients display significantly worse relative survival than Appalachian females or non-Appalachian residents of either sex. Secondary analysis of available cancer registry outcome data from 2007-2013 indicates that white males with stage IV oral cavity/pharyngeal (OC/P) HNSCC are responsible for the decreased male survival observed within …

Association Of Common Chronic Pain Conditions To Incident Alzheimer’S Disease And Related Dementias In Two Cohorts Of Older Medicare Beneficiaries, Sumaira Khalid

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Objective: The purpose of this research was to study the collective and incremental association of common non-cancer chronic pain conditions (NCPC) to risk for Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias (ADRD); to explore the potential mediating influence of mood and sleep disorders; and to assess the potential synergistic effects of NCPC’s and multimorbidity on ADRD risk. This research also aimed to study the contribution of NCPC to ADRD risk in poor, rural, underserved United States populations who suffer a disproportionate burden of ADRD risk factors. To achieve these goals, this dissertation pursued three specific aims: 1) assess the association of …

Characterization Of The Biochemical Properties Of Nudt8, A Novel Coa-Degrading Enzyme That Localizes To The Mitochondria, Evan W. Kerr

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Coenzyme A (CoA) is a vital cofactor that is required for a variety of metabolic reactions including the TCA cycle and the synthesis and oxidation of fatty acids, amino acids and ketone bodies. The importance of CoA is underscored by its tight regulation, as prolonged elevations or inability to synthesize adequate amounts of this cofactor lead to severe metabolic dysfunction. Regulation of CoA biosynthesis has been extensively characterized, however less is known about regulation of CoA and its thioesters via degradation. Presently, two CoA-degrading enzymes, Nudt7 and Nudt19 have been identified as regulators of the peroxisomal pool of (acyl-)CoA in …

Programming Of Floating-Gate Transistors For Nonvolatile Analog Memory Array, Haifa Abulaiha

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Since they were introduced, floating-gate (FG) transistors have been used as non-volatile digital memory. Recent research has shown that floating-gate transistors can be successfully used as analog memory, specifically as programmable voltage and current sources. However, their proliferation has been limited due to the complex programming procedure and the complex testing equipment. Analog applications such as field-programmable analog arrays (FPAAs) require hundreds to thousands of floating-gate transistors on a single chip which makes the programming process even more complicated and very challenging. Therefore, a simplified, compact, and low-power scheme to program FGs are necessary. This work presents an improved version …

Capillary Electrophoresis Analysis Of Proteins Using Phospholipid Based Materials, Cassandra L. Crihfield

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Capillary electrophoresis has many advantages that make it a powerful technique for the analysis of proteins, which is challenging due to the natural heterogeneity of proteins. The small sample volume required for each analysis (nano- and pico-liter), fast separation times (<30 >min), and ability to couple the separation to mass spectrometry are all factors that make capillary electrophoresis an ideal technology for protein separations. Capillary zone electrophoresis and capillary gel electrophoresis are the two most commonly employed modes for protein analysis and allow for rapid, high resolution separations that can be automated. This makes capillary electrophoresis ideal for meeting the …

Perceived Effects Of Bush Burning On Agriculture And Wildlife Resources In Ghana, Caitlin A. Wilson

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Peace Corps was started in the 1960s by President John F. Kennedy. Ghana was one of the first established host countries that received Peace Corps Volunteers. There are five different sectors that volunteers can work in education, health, agriculture, environment, or community and economic development. Peace Corps service begins with ten weeks of pre-service training before volunteers swear in and are placed in communities throughout the country. Training covers topics such as global Peace Corps policy, health and security concerns, local language, and technical skills. I was placed in a small, rural community in the Northern Region of Ghana. My …

Development And Implementation Of A Novel Voltage-Free Interface For Capillary Electrophoresis-Mass Spectrometry Separations Of Proteins, Courtney J. Kristoff

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Capillary electrophoresis-mass spectrometry is a powerful technique for high-throughput and high efficiency separations combined with structural identification. Electrospray ionization is the primary interface used to couple capillary electrophoresis to mass analyzers; however, improved designs continue to be reported. A new interfacing method based on vibrating sharp-edge spray ionization is presented in this work to overcome the challenges of decoupling applied voltages and to enhance the compatibility with separations performed at near-neutral pH. The versatility and ease of use of this ionization source is demonstrated using β-blockers, peptides, and proteins. The cationic β-blocker pindolol was injected electrokinetically and detected at concentrations …