Digital Commons Network^™

The Effects Of Anti-Depressant Advertising On Perception Of Depression In College Students At Marshall University, Deirdre Robertson

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

This exploratory study was designed to determine the effects, if any, of direct-to-consumer advertising of anti-depressants on Marshall University students’ perceptions of depression and anti-depressant medication. For the purposes of the study, two versions of an advertisement were created: one including three false statements regarding depression and antidepressants, and one without false statements. A fifteen-question survey was also created as a baseline to measure whether the advertisement condition had any direct effects on the participants’ perceptions of depression and anti-depression and to provide comparison for the participants’ reactions. All three groups took the survey. There were ninety participants in the …

The Natural History Of Cave-Associated Populations Of Eurycea L. Longicauda With Notes On Sympatric Amphibian Species, Kevin Wayne Saunders

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

The purpose of this study was to collect data on the natural history of the Long-tailed Salamander (Eurycea l. longicauda) in eastern Kentucky and West Virginia. The objectives of this research included characterization of epigean and hypogean habitat for this species, recording distances moved by individuals in populations associated with caves, and collection of data on courtship, oviposition, and larval development. The primary study site was Carter Caves State Park in Olive Hill, Kentucky. This area was visited from October 2007 to December 2008. Salamanders were photographed for identification based on unique pattern aberrancies and distances were measured between the …

Developing A Monitoring Protocol For The Monkey River Watershed, Belize, Central America, Sean Elliott Collins

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

The study of tropical aquatic systems has been limited. Research in developing countries can be challenging due to inadequate resources and cultural variety. Generally, efforts are concentrated on developing and maintaining economic stability rather than ecological sustainability. The aim of this project was to preliminarily develop and utilize a rapid bioassessment protocol (RBP) for the Monkey River watershed in Belize by determining which metrics best described overall stream health. Like biomonitoring protocols already established for temperate systems, a regional tropical aquatic watershed monitoring program should provide information including stream and watershed health. These protocols score systems on a variety of …

Redeeming The Short Story Cycle: Evolution Of One Of The Last Literary Genres, Joshua J.W. Mattern

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

Every artistic genre, over a long enough period of time, can and inevitably will evolve. In music, the guitar, once a rhythm instrument playing a purely back-up role in gospel groups, has become the driving force in contemporary acts. Andy Warhol, perhaps believing there were enough portraits of birds and depictions of children playing with dogs, decided to reproduce images of popular culture, giving birth to an entire new genre: pop art.

Literature has seen the same sort of movement, in many of its subgenres. I chiefly concern myself with the evolution of the short story, into the relatively new …

Loss Of Ski Expression In Testicular Cancer Leads To An Enhanced Invasive Phenotype Through Both Bmp-Dependent And Bmp-Independent Pathways, Amy N. Nash

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

The proto-oncogene SKI is a transcription factor and a co-repressor of the TGFβ superfamily, including TGF

β and BMP. However, additional data suggests that SKI may function as a tumor suppressor in some cell types. The TGFβ superfamily has been implicated in cancer progression and germ cell migration. Testicular cancer afflicts men during their peak reproductive years and is the most common cancer among men of this age group. Cisplatin-based chemotherapy is the standard treatment for testicular cancer. This treatment can lead to undesirable side effects, including infertility. We have shown that SKI expression is decreased in testicular germ cell …

Enumeration Of Endothelial Progenitor Cells In Hind Limb Suspended Rats And The Mechanics Of Endothelial Wound Healing, Jarrod Matthew Pennington

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

The endothelium repairs itself through two methods. One is by the activity of circulating endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs). EPCs are immature endothelial cells that circulate the bloodstream that are capable of proliferation and differentiation into mature endothelium. It is thought that EPCs contribute to the repair and replacement of damaged endothelial cells in the process of reendothelialization. Physical inactivity and bed rest are known to be deleterious to the endothelium. It is possible that this inactivity is also deleterious to the number of viable EPCs, which would reduce the ability of the endothelium to repair itself. We used hind limb …

High Resolution Single Molecule Optical Localization Of Multiple Fluorophores On Dna Origami Constructs Fluorophores On Dna Origami Constructs, Anuradha Rajulapati

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

An ongoing challenge in the development of nanoelectronics and nanophotonics is the nondestructive, high-resolution localization in space of single molecules and multi-molecular assemblies. The apparent barrier to the use of optical microscopy at the sub-100 nm scale is the well known Abbe Limit, the diffraction limit to resolution. This laboratory has adapted a technique called Single-molecule high resolution imaging with photobleaching (SHRIMP). We have developed methods for utilizing SHRIMP for the determination of the separation of two fluorophores in single DNA origami constructs.

DNA Origami is extremely useful because it can address nanocomponents down to 2nm separation. It should be …

The Transsulfuration Pathway Significantly Contributes To Glutathione Biosynthesis In Human Mammary Epithelial Cells, Andrea Del Pilar Belalcazar Maya

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

Cellular methylation and antioxidant metabolism are linked by the transsulfuration pathway, which converts the methionine cycle intermediate homocysteine to cysteine, a precursor for glutathione biosynthesis, principally in hepatic cells. In mammals, the transsulfuration pathway has been identified in liver, kidney, pancreas and brain. To determine whether the pathway exists in mammary cells human breast adenocarcinoma cells (MCF-7) and normal mammary epithelial cells (HMEC) were labeled with ³⁵S-methionine for 24 hours following pre-treatment with a vehicle control, the cysteine biosynthesis inhibitor propargylglycine (PPG) or the gammaglutamyl cysteine synthesis inhibitor buthionine sulfoximine (BSO). Cell lysates were prepared and reacted with glutathione-S-transferase …

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.

Structural Determination Of The 5' Untranslated Regions Of Ire-Containing Mrnas, Chandra Sekhar Bathina

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

The expression of ferritin and amyloid precursor protein (APP) is post-transcriptionally regulated by iron-regulating proteins via binding to a stem-loop structure known as an iron-responsive element in the 5’-untranslated region (5’UTR) of ferritin and APP mRNAs. In this study, we used atomic force microscopy (AFM) to visualize the conformation of the 5’UTRs of ferritin heavy chain (Ferritin-H), ferritin light chain (Ferritin-L), and APP mRNA transcripts from human and mouse, and determined the secondary RNA structures using selective 2’-hydroxyl acylation analyzed by primer extension (SHAPE). The AFM imaging did not provide high resolution structural information about these RNAs, whereas the SHAPE …

Language And Semogenesis In Philosophy: Realizational Patternings Of Ideology In Lexico-Grammar, Joe Fincham

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

This thesis hypothesizes that the semogenetic properties of language belonging to the stratum of social context known in Systemic Functional Linguistics as ‘ideology’ are realized (at least partly) in the lexico-grammatical features of a text relating to non-categorical and grammatically metaphorical use of modality and non-categorical uses of polarity. To test this hypothesis, a section of a text by philosopher A.J. Ayer was selected. It was selected because it presents an argument in favor of a differing philosophical sense-making framework from that commonly held in society, thus making it a text more conducive to study of semogenetic properties of language …

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 …

Numeric Index To Faculty Senate Recommendations, Marshall University

Recommendations

No abstract provided.

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

Innovate Magazine (School of Information)

No abstract provided.

Engineering At San Jose State University, Winter 2009, San Jose State University, Charles W. Davidson College Of Engineering

Engineering at San Jose State University

No abstract provided.

Sjsu Erfa News, Late Spring 2009, San Jose State University, Emeritus And Retired Faculty Association

Emeritus and Retired Faculty Association (ERFA) Newsletter

Volume 22, Number 5

The Impact Of Collective Teacher Efficacy On Student Achievement In High School Science, Mark W. Burcham

Education Dissertations and Projects

This dissertation was designed to examine the impact of collective teacher efficacy on high school science achievement by looking at relationships among collective teacher efficacy, its two constructs, group competence and group task analysis, and high school science achievement scores at four rural high schools in Northwestern North Carolina.

The researcher gathered historical test data from the testing coordinator from the school system and then administered the Collective Teacher Efficacy Instrument, developed by Goddard, Hoy, and Woolfolk Hoy (2000), to 24 science teachers from the four high schools. Using this information, the researcher conducted statistical analyses to determine the relationships …

Social Capital: Relationship Between Social Capital And Teacher Job Satisfaction Within A Learning Organization, Timothy Lee Chazon

Education Dissertations and Projects

This dissertation was designed to study the relationship between Social Capital and teacher Job Satisfaction for 11 selected North Carolina Middle Schools. This study uses the learning organizational theory and social capital theory as theoretical constructs for studying the complex relationships between school as a Learning Organization (LO), Social Capital (SC), and teacher Job Satisfaction (JS). SC encompasses the interactive-interpersonal relationships and the values that are placed on those relationships whose collaborative efforts provide collective leverage to obtain an agreed-upon task. SC, according to Subramaniam and Youndt (2005), is intrinsically tied to Human Capital (HC), which is the individual knowledge, …

Invisibility And In/Di/Visuality: The Relevance Of Art Education In Curriculum Theorizing, James Haywood Rolling

Teaching and Leadership - All Scholarship

This article investigates how representation attaches meaning to bodies, how certain bodies are categorically misrepresented and masked from normativity, and proposes a curriculum theory affording the agency of the misrepresented to demask invisibility. Brief historical narratives of three kinds of invisibility are presented as they are manifested in educational practice and visual culture—masking those deemed to occupy lesser physical bodies, lesser bodies of knowledge, and bodies lesser-than-normal. The author argues the relevance of art education as a transformative pedagogical practice that can inform and promote social significance, or what the author terms as in/di/visuality, the agency to reinterpret misrepresented physical …

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 …

Office Of Grants And Research Services Annual Report 2008-2009, Office Of Grants And Research Services, Seton Hall University

Office of Grants and Research Annual Reports

No abstract provided.

In Situ Co-Hybridization Of Retroposon Sine-Ctrt1 And Hemogoblin Family Genes In The Polytene Chromosomes Of Chironomus Riparius (Diptera), Khuyen Doan

Theses

No abstract provided.