Digital Commons Network^™

Prevalence Of Intestinal Parasite Infection In Symptomatic And Asymptomatic Dogs In Southwestern West Virginia: The Potential Impact On Human Health, Tashina Marie Savilla

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

Most dog owners are unaware of asymptomatic infection and of the possibility of contracting zoonotic parasites from their dogs. We hypothesized that parasite infection is: associated with one or more symptoms; independent of gender and age; and independent of anthelmintic usage. Stool samples were collected from 231 dogs in Kanawha County, West Virginia, and were examined by simple fecal flotation. Parasitic prevalence was found to be 23% for Ancylostoma caninum, 8% for Trichuris vulpis, 7% for Toxocara canis, 4% for Isospora species, and 32.5% overall. There was no significant relationship between infection and gender, nor between infection and symptom for …

Distribution And Status Of The Northern Leopard Frog, Rana Pipiens, In West Virginia, Amanda Nicole Spriggs

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

The Northern Leopard Frog, Rana pipiens, is listed as a species of concern by the West Virginia Division of Natural Resources. Because this species is uncommon in West Virginia, information is needed to understand its distribution and conservation needs. I surveyed 14 historic R. pipiens locations and 70 Wildlife Management Areas throughout West Virginia beginning in March 2008. Rana pipiens was found in four locations; Greenbottom Wildlife Management Area was confirmed through both auditory and visual surveys and the rest were confirmed through visual observations. Besides Greenbottom Wildlife Management Area, all other sites were confirmed by the presence of a …

Modeled Red Spruce Distribution Response To Climatic Change In Monongahela National Forest, James Michael Stanton

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

In Monongahela National Forest of West Virginia, red spruce grows in high-elevation island ecosystems that are particularly sensitive to changes in climatic conditions. The ecological niche modeling application Maxent was used to project the distribution response of red spruce to climatic change for the purposes of conservation planning. Red spruce distribution data was acquired from the United States Forest Service. Three sets of nineteen bioclimatic variables, corresponding to present, 2050, and 2080 conditions, were derived from 1961-1990 monthly temperature and precipitation means and the IPCC A2 emissions scenario of HadCM3. The modeling revealed rapidly diminishing red spruce habitat suitability from …

Effects Of Microgravity On Cancer Stem Cells Cultured In A Nasa Developed Bioreactor: Chemotherapeutic Implications., Sarah Elizabeth Daron Kelly

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of simulated microgravity on cancer cell growth. Simulated microgravity is a condition in which cells are in constant free-fall and in which they are able to grow suspended without the shear and stress. Microgravity allows for important insights into the cellular mechanism and may be key in understanding why some cells thrive in this condition and others go into apoptosis. Cancer stem cells (CSCs) are considered a subset of the bulk tumor responsible for initiating and maintaining cancer. SAOS-2 is a human bone cancer cell line which consists of a …

Application Of Remote Sensing To Examine Changes In Bird Communities Over A Gradient Of Urbanization, John E. Northeimer

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

Interest in urban ecology and the impact of urbanization on natural resources has increased over the last decade. Studies have related degradation of water quality and loss of biodiversity to increased urbanization. Avian species comprise an important part of the urban ecology. Surveys of bird populations can provide insight into the effects of urbanization on species composition, diversity, and distribution. A search of available literature revealed no published comprehensive avian surveys completed during the breeding season within the city of Huntington, West Virginia. The purpose of this study was to provide an initial characterization of land bird populations during the …

Deferasirox Decreases Age-Associated Iron Accumulation In The Aging F344bn Rat Heart, Ravi K. Arvapalli

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

It is thought that aging in rats and humans is associated with increases in iron accumulation and these increases in iron may be associated with increased cellular apoptosis. Here we examine the relationship between cardiac iron levels and cardiomyocyte apoptosis in aged F344BN rats which were treated with an oral iron chelator (Deferasirox; 100mg/kg body. weight/day) for 6 months. Compared with 6- month controls, the levels of cardiac iron, cardiac apoptosis, FLC and DMT-1 were higher in 33-month hearts. Deferasirox treatment for six months decreased cardiac iron and this was associated with decreases in the number of apoptotic cardiac myocytes. …

A Reconnaissance Of The Intersex Condition In Micropterus Dolomieu Of The Upper Ohio River Basin As An Indicator Of Anthropogenic Endocrine Disruptors, Christopher Barry

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

The intersex condition has been used as a marker of endocrine disruption in West Virginia. Fifty-two male smallmouth bass from 6 basins on the upper Ohio River were examined for the presence and severity of intersex. Vitellogenin (VTG) RNA levels were quantified as marker of estrogenic contaminants. A significant increase in intersex (p=0.02), ranging from 83.3% to 100%, corresponds with higher population densities and agricultural land (p=0.003). At reference sites, smallmouth bass had intersex frequencies of 16.7% to 33.3%. Vitellogenin results were significantly lower (p< 0.001) at impacted sites, consistent with previously reported results in female fish. VTG levels in males were not significantly different. Increased intersex occurrence in males and lowered VTG expression in females have shown that agricultural chemicals and common residential wastewater constituents are likely targets for exploring the relationship between individual EDCs and intersex. There may be a natural background level of the intersex condition.

Distribution Of Woodland Salamanders Of The Valley And Ridge In West Virginia, H. Reid Downer

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

Two terrestrial woodland salamanders of the genus Plethodon, P. punctatus and P. virginia, are endemic to the Valley and Ridge Physiographic Province in West Virginia and Virginia and occupy limited geographic ranges. Two common and widespread species, P. cylindraceus and P. cinereus, also inhabit this region. To evaluate the distribution and habitat of these terrestrial salamanders I surveyed wooded ridges and slopes throughout the geographic range of the two endemic species by conducting daytime cover object searches and nocturnal visual encounter surveys. From March through November 2008, I recorded the presence of 321 woodland salamanders at 91 sites. I used …

Effects Of Aging On Regulators Of Muscle Apoptosis In The Female F344bn Rat, Murali K. Gadde

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

Age-related muscle atrophy is a consequence of normal aging characterized by decreases in muscle mass and strength. The mechanism(s) underlying the loss of muscle mass with increasing age is not fully understood, however recent data has suggested that muscle cell apoptosis may be involved. Here we investigate how aging affects the regulation of muscle apoptosis in the extensor digitorum longus (EDL) and soleus muscles of young (6-month), aged (26-month), and very aged (30-month) female Fischer 344/NNiaHSD X Brown Norway / BiNia (F344BN) rats. EDL and soleus muscle mass/body weight ratios were lower in aged animals but not different between 26- …

Risk Behavior, Decision Making, And Music Genre In Adolescent Males, Joseph E. Hampton

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

The effects of music on risk behavior and decision-making are still unknown. Previous studies have linked music with risky behaviors such as drinking. Evidence shows that performance and decision-making on certain tasks can be altered by the presence of music. This study seeks to evaluate decision-making while in this "altered" state of mind. It is hypothesized that decisions made listening to rock music will be more risky than those made in other conditions. Participants were assessed using several questionnaires and the Iowa Gambling Task. Participants were randomly assigned to no music, classical music, or rock music. Results indicate several interesting …

Finishing Well: Investigating Despair In Retired Leaders, Michelle L. Kilbourne

Journal of Business & Leadership: Research, Practice, and Teaching (2005-2012)

Due to conflicting information in the literature, the purpose of this research is to determine whether retired leaders experience despair or a loss of hope. This study interviewed eight male retired leaders, ranging in age from 60 to 82 and retired 1. 5 to 12 years, using a semi-structured interview guide. By analyzing question summaries, this research provided retirement insights from both organizational and individual perspectives. From an organizational perspective, this research builds upon the four exit strategies for organizational leaders, defined by Sonnenfeld 1988 as monarchs, generals, ambassadors, and governors. This research indicates the existence of a fifth exit …

International Business Networks And Partnerships Development: A Case Of Chinese Market Development Strategies By U.S. Agricultural Companies, Jiajiang Peng, Mark Russell, Roger Tormoehlen, B. Allen Talbert

Journal of Business & Leadership: Research, Practice, and Teaching (2005-2012)

There is a great need to be familiar with creating business networks and partnerships in China by U. S. businesses. The research objectives were to identify the strategies on how to build business networks and partnerships in China and evaluate the importance of those strategies in the development of an effective Chinese market by U. S. agricultural companies. By identifying the strategies and their importance, educators can better assist in the development of educational training programs. A three-round Delphi study was conducted in this study. Thirty-seven (37) panel members completed the first round survey with 34 of them completing the …

News And Views, Winter 2009, West Virginia Autism Training Center

Newsletter

No abstract provided.

Innovate Magazine / Annual Review 2008-2009, San Jose State University

Innovate Magazine (School of Information)

No abstract provided.

Twenty Years Of The Bead Forum: Newsletter Of The Society Of Bead Researchers (1982-2002)

BEADS: Journal of the Society of Bead Researchers

Compiled by Karlis Karklins

The Bead Forum: Newsletter of the Society of Bead Researchers was initiated in 1982 by Peter Francis, Jr., to facilitate communication between bead researchers. Over the years it has provided news about the society, announcements of relevant exhibitions, conferences, and recent publications, requests for information, memorials, and short articles and news items on various aspects of bead research. The two latter contain much useful information that is, unfortunately, not readily available to many researchers who do not own the set or have forgotten what is in the earlier issues. Furthermore, few libraries and museums have full …

Keyword

Richmond Journal of Law and the Public Interest

Keyword index

Rethinking The Relationship Between The Wto And International Human Rights, Gao Pengcheng

Richmond Journal of Global Law & Business

No abstract provided.

The Push To Criminalize Aggression: Something Lost Amid The Gains?, Mark A. Drumbl

Scholarly Articles

The International Criminal Court has jurisdiction over the crime of aggression, but the Rome Statute fails to define the crime. A Special Work- ing Group on the Crime of Aggression, however, has made considerable progress in developing a definition. The consensus that has emerged favors a narrow definition. Three characteristics animate this consensus: (1) that state action is central to the crime; (2) that acts of aggression involve inter- state armed conflict; and (3) that criminal responsibility attaches only to very top political or military leaders. This Article normatively challenges this consensus. I argue that expanding the scope of the …

Understanding Pleading Doctrine, A. Benjamin Spencer

Scholarly Articles

Where does pleading doctrine, at the federal level, stand today? The Supreme Court's revision of general pleading standards in Bell Atlantic Corp. v. Twombly has not left courts and litigants with a clear or precise understanding of what it takes to state a claim that can survive a motion to dismiss. Claimants are required to show "plausible entitlement to relief" by offering enough facts "to raise a right to relief above the speculative level." Translating those admonitions into predictable and consistent guidelines has been illusory. This Article proposes a descriptive theory that explains the fundaments of contemporary pleading doctrine in …

The Lawyer As Catalyst Of Social Change, James E. Moliterno

Scholarly Articles

No abstract provided.

The Curious Case Of Corporate Criminality, Erik Luna

Scholarly Articles

No abstract provided.

Getting The Framers Wrong: A Response To Professor Geoffrey Stone, Samuel W. Calhoun

Scholarly Articles

Professor Geoffrey Stone’s Essay, The World of the Framers: A Christian Nation?, seeks to state “the truth about . . . what [the Framers] believed, and about what they aspired to when they created this nation.” Doing so will accomplish Professor Stone’s main objective, helping us to understand what “the Constitution allows” on a host of controversial public policy issues. Regrettably, Professor Stone’s effort is unsuccessful. Although he clearly tried to be fair in his historical account, the Essay ultimately presents a misleading view of the Framers’ perspective on the proper relationship between religion and the state.

A Golden-Age Of Civil Involvement: The Client-Centered Disadvantage For Lawyers As Law Makers, James E. Moliterno

Scholarly Articles

None available.

An Undescribed Gecko (Gekkonidae: Cyrtodactylus) From Deer Cave, Gunung Mulu National Park, Sarawak, With Comments On The Distribution Of Bornean Cave Geckos, Donald A. Mcfarlane, Joyce Lundberg, Keith Christenson

WM Keck Science Faculty Papers

Geckos of the genus Cyrtodactylus are a speciose group in Southeast Asia, with at least nine species known from the island of Borneo (Das & Ismail, 2001; Das, 2006). Of these species, Cyrtodactylus cavernicolus has the smallest known range and is therefore the most vulnerable, a status that is reflected in the species having been designated a Totally Protected Species in Sarawak. Confirmed records of C. cavernicolus are known only from Niah Cave, located in an isolated limestone block known as the Gunung Subis massif, approximately 13 km² in extent. The Niah Cave Gecko is presumed to be dependent on …

The Work Of Abe Kobo In The 1960s The Struggle For Identity In Modernity; Japan, The West, And Beyond, Devon A. Cahill

Theses

No abstract provided.

" Radical Overlap Of Outage" Oppression And Exploitation In Jane Austens's Work, Joris S. Beck

Theses

No abstract provided.

Regulation Of Heterochromatin Assembly On Unpaired Chromosomes During Caenorhabditis Elegans Meiosis By Components Of A Small Rna-Mediated Pathway, Xingyu She, Xia Xu, Alexander Fedotov, William G. Kelly, Eleanor M. Maine

Biology - All Scholarship

Many organisms have a mechanism for down regulating the expression of non-synapsed chromosomes and chromosomal regions during meiosis. This phenomenon is thought to function in genome defense. During early meiosis in Caenorhabditis elegans, unpaired chromosomes (e.g., the male X chromosome) become enriched for a modification associated with heterochromatin and transcriptional repression, dimethylation of histone H3 on lysine 9 (H3K9me2). This enrichment requires activity of the cellular RNA-directed RNA polymerase, EGO-1. Here we use genetic mutation, RNA interference, immunofluorescence microscopy, fluorescence in situ hybridization, and molecular cloning methods to identify and analyze three additional regulators of meiotic H3K9me2 distribution: CSR-1 (a …

University Of Nebraska-Lincoln Center For Grassland Studies Newsletter Articles Vols. 1 – 15, 1995–2009

Center for Grassland Studies: Newsletters

Article list

The Fire Effects Information System: How A Superhero Database Comes To Save The Day, Lisa-Natalie Anjozian

Joint Fire Science Program Briefs (2007-2012)

Land managers must make fi re management decisions considering place, history, and species, an undertaking that requires a vast amount of information that tends to be spread through many publications. The Fire Effects Information System ([FEIS] at www.fs.fed.us/database/feis) provides a single source for managers, where knowledge available in the scientifi c literature has been analyzed, discussed, and synthesized into reviews of plant and animal species. As managers formulate plans for prescribed fi res, fuel management, and post-fi re revegetation, they can see at a glance, without having to perform their own literature search, what the results of past research have …

Fuels Treatment Demonstration Sites In The Boreal Forests Of Interior Alaska, Marjie Brown

Joint Fire Science Program Briefs (2007-2012)

Wildland fi re is the dominant disturbance force in the boreal forests of Alaska which cover about 114 million acres of the south-central and interior regions of the state. Fire in the wildland-urban interface (WUI) is an exceptionally daunting concern as a high percentage of Alaskans live in outlying rural areas and settlements. Fire hazard is growing as communities continue to expand into isolated locations surrounded by highly fl ammable black spruce. To address this concern, researchers developed the fi rst shaded fuel break demonstration sites specifi cally designed for use in the WUI. They compared the effectiveness, environmental impacts …