Digital Commons Network^™

Extended Preservation Of Non-Heart-Beating Donor Livers With Normothermic Machine Perfusion., Shawn D. St Peter, C J. Imber, I Lopez, D Hughes, P J. Friend

Manuscripts, Articles, Book Chapters and Other Papers

BACKGROUND: Non-heart-beating donor (NHBD) livers represent an important organ pool, but are seldom utilized clinically and require rapid retrieval and implantation. Experimental work with oxygenated perfusion during preservation has shown promising results by recovering function in these livers. This study compared sanguinous perfusion with cold storage for extended preservation of the NHBD liver in a porcine model.

METHODS: Porcine livers were subjected to 60 min of in vivo total warm ischaemia before flushing, after which they were preserved by one of two methods: group 1 (n = 4), University of Wisconsin (UW) solution by standard cold storage for 24 h; …

Hepatic Steatosis And Its Relationship To Transplantation., Charles J. Imber, Shawn D. St Peter, Ashok Handa, Peter J. Friend

Manuscripts, Articles, Book Chapters and Other Papers

Fatty infiltration of the liver is common in the brain-dead donor population and has a strong correlation with primary nonfunction after cold preservation, a condition that is catastrophic to liver transplant recipients. This literature review examines factors associated with the development, diagnosis, quantification, and clinical management of this difficult condition.

Review: Material Matters: Bodies And Rhetoric, Krista Ratcliffe

English Faculty Research and Publications

No abstract provided.

Post-Processing Of Low Dose Mammography Images, Jesung Kim

Theses and Dissertations

In mammography, X-ray radiation is used in sufficient doses to be captured on film for cancer diagnosis. A problem lies in the inherent nature of X-rays to cause cancer. The resolution of the images obtained on film is directly related to the radiation dosage. Thus, a trade-off between image quality and radiation exposure is necessary to ensure proper diagnosis without causing cancer. A possible solution is to decrease the dosage of radiation and improve the image quality of mammograms using post- processing methods applied to digitized film images. Image processing techniques that may improve the resolution of images captured at …

Perceived Efficacy And Utilization Of The Oralcdx Brush Biopsy, Courtney Niccole Huffman

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

The OralCDx is a preliminary screening tool developed to identify suspicious lesions. Despite large numbers of persons diagnosed with oral cancers annually, minimal research has been conducted on the efficacy and utilization rates of OralCDx. The purpose of this study is to determine perceived efficacy and utilization rates of OralCDx nationwide. A 16-item survey was used to survey a random sample of 100 dentists and a 6-item survey was used to survey a random sample of 400 patients. Data analyses were conducted using frequencies, cumulative frequencies, percents, analysis of variance, and tests of chi-square using the JMP program. Preliminary results …

Nest-Site Resources For Cavity-Nesting Birds In The Southern Allegheny Mountain Forests Of West Virginia, Harry A. Kahler

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Cavity-nesting birds may be negatively impacted by a lack of proper nesting sites. Southern Allegheny Mountain forests of West Virginia are unique due to the juxtaposition and diversity of forest cover types. Management must focus on monitoring wildlife population levels as well as habitat requirements within each cover type. Cavity tree abundance significantly differed among central hardwood (x¯ = 16.4; SE = 5.3), northern hardwood (x¯ =12.7; SE = 6.8), and boreal forest cover types (x¯ = 7.2; SE = 3.6) ( P < 0.0001). Black locust (Robinia pseudoacacia) and American beech (Fagus grandifolia) were most likely to have tree cavities, yet beech may be influenced by increased mortality from recent outbreaks of beech bark disease initiated by the beech scale insect (Cryptacoccus fagisuga). Nesting bird community density, richness, and abundance do not differ among mature forests of the 3 cover types. Cavity-nesting species dependent on available tree holes were found most in the central hardwoods (P = 0.009). Forest managers should consider landscape level effects, as well as forest stand composition, when recommending silvicultural treatments.

Herbal Supplement Education In Dental Hygiene Curricula, Lisa Elena Lisauckis

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

While there is evidence in the literature of herbal supplement education in other disciplines, inclusion in dental hygiene curricula is not reported. The purpose of this study was to assess the prevalence and extent of herbal supplement education in the 256 accredited dental hygiene programs in the United States. A survey was sent to program directors. Data analyses, including frequencies, cumulative frequencies, percentages, analyses of variance, and test of Chi Square were conducted using JMP program. Surveys revealed 63% of respondents (n = 160) included herbal supplement education and primarily incorporated it in the pharmacology course (67%). Statistically significant differences …

Relationship Between Maternal Prenatal Vitamin Use And Infant Iron Status, Jennie Pringle Wilkins

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Subjects were fifty-six women and their infants who were between the ages of six months and twenty-four months. They were clients of Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women Infants and Children (WIC) clinics. The WIC clinics were in the West Virginia counties of Ritchie, Gilmer, Calhoun, Braxton, Mason, Jackson, Pleasants, and Greenbrier where the anemia rates were greater than 10%.;Information concerning WIC participation, prenatal vitamin use, history of breast feeding, infant birth weight, and pre-term delivery were obtained through questionnaires. Infants' serum ferritin level was obtained through venous blood and analyzed.;This ex post facto study found no significant result in …

Design, Construction And Testing Of An Innovative Mechanism For Manual Wheelchair Propulsion, Thomas S. Burke Jr.

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

The concern for people with disabilities who are users of wheelchairs has become a dynamic research area in the past several years. As part of this research, new and innovative mechanisms that give the manual wheelchair users a mechanical advantage, and allow them to operate a standard wheelchair with less effort and muscle strain are being developed.;An innovative mechanism has been conceived, designed, built, and tested. It allows the user to propel a standard wheelchair in both the push and pull strokes of the handle. This new design will allow for a more symmetric muscle development of the shoulder and …

Investigation Of Frictional Resistance On Orthodontic Brackets When Subjected To Variable Moments, Edward Mah

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Friction and binding occur in orthodontics during sliding mechanics. This paper evaluated the influence of a variable moment, simulating mastication, placed at the bracket-archwire interface to determine its effects on friction. Friction of self-ligating brackets were also compared to stainless steel and ceramic brackets. Six archwires were combined with four brackets. Friction (static, kinetic and dynamic) and load (dynamic and apparent stiffness) were measured. Dynamic friction was the frictional force that occurred when the applied force was variable (dynamic load). The results showed that static and kinetic friction were similar while dynamic friction was statistically greater. The Minitwin and Transcend …

Depression And Self -Silencing In Lesbian And Heterosexual Women, Samantha Ann Kirk

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Depression among lesbians is an underexplored area in the literature of the psychology of women and in depression research. A few investigators have hypothesized about the factors that place lesbians at risk for depression, and have explored those hypotheses experimentally. However, there is a large gap in the understanding of lesbians and depression. Dana Jack (1991) proposed a model of depression which holds that women who fail to represent their experiences to romantic partners are at increased risk for depression. One hundred and seventy participants were recruited to test this model (85 lesbians and 71 heterosexual women, as well as …

Analysis Of Complex Ventilation Networks In Multiple Fan Coal Mines, Khaled Ali El-Nagdy

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Coal mines require very effective and proper ventilation systems not only to keep the levels of explosive, harmful gases and dust to a safe level but also to deliver enough fresh air for miners to breathe. Depending upon the size of the mine and the quantity of gases and dust in this mine, it could be ventilated by using a single fan or several fans. There are two types of fans used in mines: vane axial and centrifugal.;In multiple-fan systems, each individual fan influences the performance of the whole system, including the other fans. Each fan in the system has …

Combustion Analysis And Particulate Mutagenicity Characterization For A Single-Cylinder Diesel Engine Fueled By Fischer -Tropsch Derived Liquids, Michael Hayden Mcmillian

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Further growth of diesel engines in the light-duty and heavy-duty vehicular markets is closely linked to the potential health risks of diesel exhaust. Cleaner burning fuels, such as those derived from natural gas via the Fischer-Tropsch (FT) process, offer a potentially economically viable alternative to standard diesel fuel. As part of this study, a two-liter, single-cylinder, four-stroke direct-injected engine was instrumented for in-cylinder pressure measurements. The emissions and performance data from engine operation with Federal low sulfur No. 2 diesel fuel (DF) and natural gas derived FT fuel were compared. Also as part of the study, an investigation was carried …

Los Betabeleros: Hispanic Sugar Beet Laborers In Cache Valley, 1941-1981, Rosermary Washburn Cole

All Graduate Plan B and other Reports, Spring 1920 to Spring 2023

In the late 1840s and early 1850s, the United States annexed over 800,000 square miles of formerly Mexican land. Boundary changes initiated by war and lucre thrust many Mexican people into the United States of America. The new political demarcation appeared artificial; Mexicans and Mexican Americans continued to travel to and from the new American southwest as they always had.

Migration to the United States from Mexico mushroomed after 1910, when a tumultuous revolution and poor economic conditions in Mexico encouraged Hispanics to look to the U.S. for jobs and stability. Mining industries, railroad companies, and farms in the United …

The Obesity Epidemic: Characteristics Of Successful Weight Management Programs And Colorado's Approach, Michele Singer

All Graduate Plan B and other Reports, Spring 1920 to Spring 2023

Obesity is rapidly growing in the United States with no sign of decreasing with current treatment options available to Americans (1). There are many treatments for obesity, but few are effective. The State of Colorado has numerous community nutrition programs available to its residents ranging from government programs such as universities and state health departments to healthcare providers and volunteer organizations such as the American Heart Association. Current treatments that are available for overweight and obese individuals include commercial programs, popular diet books, Internet programs, and individualized counseling. This paper will discuss different treatments and their efficacy, successful weight loss …

Parents Of Children With Severe Disabilities: Parental Stress, Depression, And The Marital Relationship, Melinda W. Christensen

All Graduate Plan B and other Reports, Spring 1920 to Spring 2023

This paper provides an overview of parental stress and depression in families with children diagnosed with severe cognitive disabilities. Previous research on parents with children with disabilities was reviewed. Studies were selected from peer-reviewed journal articles that specifically included children with an IQ below 70 or a noted cognitive impairment of a severe degree. Children in the study had to be living at home and below the age of 21. Significant levels of stress and depression were not found consistently in the studies reviewed. Parents of children with disabilities did report levels of stress and depression above the control groups …

Four Case Studies Of Hispanic Children's Responses To A Videotaped Language Sampling Procedure, Adelaida E. Saenz

Theses and Dissertations - UTB/UTPA

This investigation was an examination of four Hispanic children's responses to a videotaped language sampling procedure, and was designed to determine bilingual (English/Spanish) and monolingual (English) children's expressive language development. Participants consisted of four normally developing Hispanic monolingual and bilingual males from the Rio Grande Valley between the ages of 8–6 and 9–2 years. Language samples were evoked using a videotape appropriate for children entitled Frankenweenie © . Following viewing of the videotape, children participated in a controlled conversation to explain what they had seen and to complete a twenty-one-item survey to measure their attitude toward the videotape. Total word …

Wordless Picture Books Versus Standard Stories For Language Assessment Of Spanish-Speaking Children, Yvonne De Anda

Theses and Dissertations - UTB/UTPA

Narrative samples from Spanish-speaking children will be analyzed using a wordless picture book and standard storybook. Ages of participants will be between 6.0 and 7.11 years and demonstrate: normal hearing and vision, no familiarity with books used in study, and receptive and expressive language skills 1.5 to 2 standard deviations below the mean as predetermined by a licensed Speech-Language Pathologist. The first story will be orally presented. Afterwards, children will respond to questions and retell the story. A silent presentation of the second story will follow, along with retelling of story and questions. Utterance length, sentence complexity, and vocabulary will …

A Unique Examination Of The Buffer Overflow Condition, Terry Bruce Gillette

Theses and Dissertations

Buffer overflows have been the most common form of security vulnerability for the last ten years. More over, buffer overflow vulnerabilities enable the type of exploits that dominate remote network penetration. As our reliance on commercial third party software is critical in the current computing environment one must consider the question of how these vulnerabilities are discovered in released proprietary software. This thesis presents research focused on the fundamental issues surrounding the buffer overflow vulnerability. The objective is to analyze and understand the technical nature of this type of vulnerability and, on the basis of this, develop an efficient generic …

Isolation And Characterization Of Endophytic Colonizing Bacteria From Agronomic Crops And Prairie Plants, Denise K. Zinniel, Patricia A. Lambrecht, N. Beth Harris, Zhengyu Feng, Daniel Kuczmarski, Phyllis Higley, Carol A. Ishimaru, Alahari Arunakumari, Raul G. Barletta, Anne K. Vidaver

School of Veterinary and Biomedical Sciences: Faculty Publications

Endophytic bacteria reside within plant hosts without causing disease symptoms. In this study, 853 endophytic strains were isolated from aerial tissues of four agronomic crop species and 27 prairie plant species. We determined several phenotypic properties and found approximately equal numbers of gram-negative and gram-positive isolates. In a greenhouse study, 28 of 86 prairie plant endophytes were found to colonize their original hosts at 42 days postinoculation at levels of 3.5 to 7.7 log₁₀ CFU/g (fresh weight). More comprehensive colonization studies were conducted with 373 corn and sorghum endophytes. In growth room studies, none of the isolates displayed pathogenicity, …

Mending The Sacred Hoop: Identity Enactment And The Occupation Of Wounded Knee, Sheryl L. Lindsley, Charles Braithwaite, Kristin L. Ahlberg

Great Plains Quarterly (through 2013)

This account by Oglala holy man Black Elk of the 1890 US cavalry massacre of three hundred Sioux Indians, mainly women and children, helps us understand the rhetorical importance of the American Indian Movement's return to Wounded Knee eighty-three years later. The occupation of Wounded Knee, South Dakota, in 1973 by the leaders of the American Indian Movement (AIM) represented a culmination of frustration felt by Native Americans. Magazines as diverse as Time and National Review reported the incident as a staged "pseudo-event" designed to amplify the oppressor/oppressed relationship. News coverage of Wounded Knee included headlines of mockery: "Of Fallen …

Physical And Chemical Heterogeneity In The Subsurface: Spatial Distribution Of Transport Parameters And Their Relation To Depositional Processes, Dana Divine

Conservation and Survey Division: Faculty and Staff Publications

This thesis consists of two parts. The goal of first section is to better understand the influence of heterogeneity on contaminant transport. This objective is approached by quantifying the heterogeneity that may have affected transport of the Stanford-Waterloo tetrachloroethene (PCE) plume. Specifically, I determine the statistical distribution of the PCE sorption distribution coefficient (K_d) at Canadian Forces Base Borden, identify the spatial distribution of K_d, and determine the cross-correlation structure between PCE Kd and permeability (k). The results show that K_d is not lognormally distributed, and that variance is insufficient to …

Sensitivity Of State Aid Allocation To Measures Of Needs And Resources In Local Governments, Adam Dale Baus

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

This analysis examines the sensitivity of state intergovernmental aid, per capita, to measures of resources, infrastructure, social services, social problems and demographics in Northern and Southern local governments in 1982 and 1992. Time-periods chosen are based on the potential for domestic policies born through new federalism to harm local governments through lesser amounts of available state aid. North and South are compared to account for possible regional differences. Regardless of region and time however, redistribution efforts to local governments with higher levels of need and lower levels of resources are not particularly good. Redistribution tendencies present in 1982 declined by …

Heart Rate Reactivity, Aggression, Anger, And Antisocial Behavior In Dating Males, Jennifer L. Guriel

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

This study assessed heart rate reactivity and antisocial characteristics, subjective report of anger, and family history variables in 18 aggressive and 18 non-aggressive undergraduate males in an attempt to test the generalizability of Gottman et al.'s (1995) investigation of cardiovascular reactivity as a typological variable for male batterers. Participants were categorized according to their scores on the Conflict Tactics Scale, Revised. Heart rate reactivity, personality variables (using the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory, Second Edition), and anger (using the State Trait Anger Expression Inventory) were subsequently measured during standardized interpersonal discussion tasks with a female confederate during the laboratory phase. Aggressive …

Design And Implementation Of Web-Based Gis For Forest Fragmentation Analysis, Fei Wang

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

The advantages and limitations of current web GIS software for forest fragmentation information and analysis functionality were investigated using Landsat Thematic Mapper data of 1987 to 1999 for a test site in northern West Virginia. ESRI's ArcIMS technology was used to build a Web-based forest fragmentation analysis system to query, represent, and analyze the status of forest fragmentation using landscape metrics. Both ArcIMS HTML and Java fragmentation analysis tools were constructed. The web GIS was evaluated with respect to accessibility, navigation, interactive cartographic functionality, and spatial analysis functionality. The current ArcIMS approach was found to offer only limited support for …

Comparison Of Broiler Breeder Production And Fertility In A Colony Cage System With Two Different Floors Versus A Slat-Floor System, Joseph Wayne Massey

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Two separate trials were conducted to compare egg production, egg weight, shell thickness, albumin height, fertility, and mortality of naturally mated broiler breeders maintained on either a slat and litter floor or in two tiered colony cages. In the first trial there was no difference (P > 0.05) in egg production between the two treatments. There was also no significant difference in hen mortality. Higher (P < 0.05) egg shell quality, albumin height, and shell thickness were observed in the cage maintained hens. Lower fertility (P < 0.05) was observed in the cage maintained hens. In the second trial production parameters were compared in naturally mated broiler breeders maintained on slat and litter floor, in colony cages on the original slats, and in colony cages on a modified slats. The modified slats were constructed from plastic and had a two piece design which produced a slight cushioning on the top of the slats. Egg production and mortality were not different (P > 0.05) among the three treatments. Eggshell thickness, albumin height, and shell thickness were lower (P > 0.05) in the litter and slat floor but not between the two cage treatments (P > 0.05). Fertility was higher (P …

Appalachian Diabetes Patients' Preferences For Mental Health Treatment, Sameep Dilip Maniar

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Although psychologists are beginning to be employed in medical settings, little is known about medical patients' preferences when encountering mental health problems. One population that could be better served by this type of research is diabetes mellitus because of the poor adherence rates and high depression associated with the disease. The current study aimed to identify diabetes patients' preferences for treatments and helpers when encountering emotional difficulties. Data were collected on 80 patients from an Appalachian region of the United States who had previously been diagnosed with either type 1 or type 2 diabetes. Results indicated that diabetes patients were …

Factors Related To The Information Needs And Desired Level Of Participation Of Older Women Engaged In Medical Decision Making, Ronald Ralph Martin

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Previous research suggests that older adults prefer less information and involvement in medical decision-making scenarios than younger adults. No previous research has empirically explored the factors that might influence the information and involvement preferences of older adults in medical decision-making scenarios. The present study involved an investigation of the influence of four factors on information and involvement needs: the complexity of the medical information, cognitive abilities, attitudes toward medical authority and health locus of control beliefs. Complexity was defined by contrasting reading levels (i.e., medical scenarios written at the 4th- vs. 11th-grade reading level). Cognitive abilities were measured using the …

Antitumor Activity Of Antimalarials In Human Breast Cancer Cells, Qun Zhou

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Previously we showed that quinidine arrested MCF-7 cells in G1 phase of the cell cycle and led to a G1 to G0 transition followed by apoptotic cell death (Wang et al., 1998). The present experiments demonstrate that MCF-7, MCF-7ras, T47D, MDA-MB-231, and MDA-MB-435 cells transiently differentiate before undergoing apoptosis in response to quinidine. The cells accumulated lipid droplets and the cytokeratin 18 cytoskeleton was reorganized. Hyperacetylated histone H4 appeared within 2 h of the addition of quinidine to the medium, and levels were maximal by 24 h. Quinidine treated MCF-7 cells showed elevated p21/WAF1, hypophosphorylation and suppression of retinoblastoma protein, …

Poster: Provisioning On-Line Games: A Traffic Analysis Of A Busy Counter-Strike Server, Francis Chang, Wu-Chang Feng, Wu-Chi Feng, Jonathan Walpole

Computer Science Faculty Publications and Presentations

A poster that illustrates the client/server model employed by an multiplayer online game, focusing on bandwidth usage.