Digital Commons Network^™

Ecological Responses Of Streams To Anthropogenic Stressors, And Watershed Cause-Effect Modeling In The Mid-Atlantic Highlands Region Of The United States, Yushun Chen

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Urban sprawl and related habitat disturbance and acidic deposition are major anthropogenic stressors in the Mid-Atlantic Highlands region of the United States. Little information is available about the impacts of these stressors and cause-effect relationships between these watershed stressors and stream biotic/abiotic conditions in this region. A 10-year study (1997-2006) in the Lost River watershed and a 6-year study (2002-2007) in a South Branch Potomac River watershed were conducted to assess the impacts of Corridor H highway construction on stream biotic and abiotic conditions. Also, a three-decade study (1980-2006) using data from 5 wet deposition stations and 21 major stream …

Novel Methods For Producing Cellulose Nanocrystals From Lignocellulosic Materials And Cellulose Nanocrystals Reinforced Polymer Nanocomposites, Paul Busumafi Filson

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Cellulose nanocrystals (nanofibers) represent a new emerging biological source of reinforcing biofillers. In this dissertation, we report the results of a study to produce cellulose nanocrystals from recycled pulp, hardwood and pine dissolving pulps using maleic acid, ultrasonic-assisted (sono-chemical treatment) and enzyme-mediated hydrolysis followed by fragmentation of cellulose crystallites using ultrasonic treatment. Additionally, the effect of two modes of heating: conventional and microwave, on enzyme-mediated and maleic acid hydrolysis were investigated. Cellulose nanocrystals yields from maleic acid hydrolysis of lignocellulosic materials were lower than that obtained from endoglucanase mediated hydrolysis of lignocellulosic materials. Sonochemical treatment of lignocellulosic materials produced both …

Steroid Analysis By Ph-Mediated Stacking Mekc, Liliya Bykova

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

This dissertation is based on research that led to the development and application of capillary electrophoresis method for the analysis of sex steroid hormones in the blood or plasma of fish species. The analysis of steroid hormones is essential to reveal chemical compounds that are suspected in endocrine disruption, but it is challenging due to the similarity of the chemical structures of steroids, their low concentrations, and limited volumes of plasma or blood samples in fish available for analysis. There is therefore an acute need to develop reliable accurate and systematic analytical methods applicable for the analysis of structurally similar …

Exploring Electron Transfer In Myoglobin-Based Transistors, Debin Li

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Electron transfer in proteins is an issue of fundamental importance in biochemistry. This is especially true for proteins whose functionality relies on redox reactions, which by definition means that electron exchange must take place between the protein and another protein, a cofactor, or the external environment. An important example consists of proteins containing heme groups, where the iron ion in the protoporphyrin ring changes valence state depending on the whether an electron is accepted or given up by the protein. Much experimental work has been carried out since the late 1950s in order to develop an understanding of protein electron …

A Spatial Optimization Approach To Watershed Water Quality Management: A Case Of The Opequon Watershed, Wilbert Karigomba

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

The Opequon Creek watershed is located in northern VA and the eastern panhandle of WV. Currently, the main creeks in the watershed do not meet VA or WV state water quality standards for recreational uses and aquatic life. In both states, the creeks are listed as impaired due to high levels of nutrients, bacteria, benthic and biologic impairment. The Opequon Creek is part of the upper Potomac River watershed, and ultimately impacts water quality in the Chesapeake Bay watershed. The main aim of this study was to develop a methodology that can be used to reduce nutrient loadings entering the …

The Fate Of Salmonella Tennessee And Salmonella Typhimurium In Peanut Butter Subjected To Electron Beam Irradiation, Andrea Lynn Hvizdzak

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Peanut butter and peanut paste products were implicated as the vehicle of contamination in an outbreak of Salmonella Typhimurium that began in September 2008 and in the November 2006 outbreak of Salmonella Tennessee; therefore based on the apparent need for intervention measure, the purpose of this research was to evaluate the effectiveness of non-thermal electron beam irradiation for reduction of Salmonella serovars Tennessee (ATCC 10722) and Typhimurium (ATCC 14028) in creamy peanut butter. Each strain was studied independently. Peanut butter samples were inoculated with approximately 7.0 log CFU/g of Salmonella and exposed to e-beam doses ranging from 0--3.1 kGy. Doses …

Applications Of Ultra Performance Liquid Chromatography (Uplc) And Tandem Mass Spectrometry For The Detection And Quantification Of Cocaine, Amphetamine, And Opiate Derivatives In Human Meconium, Joshua Adam Gunn

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Development and validation of ultra performance liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry (UPLC-MS/MS) methodologies for the purpose of detecting and quantifying common drugs of abuse in human meconium specimens is described. Meconium is the first stool passed by a newborn infant. Meconium formation occurs over several months of gestation and subsequent toxicological analysis of the specimens can be useful for identifying drugs and other xenobiotics indicative of prenatal drug exposure.;Ultra performance liquid chromatography (UPLC) is an emerging analytical technique which draws upon the principles of chromatography to run separations at higher flow rates for increased speed, while simultaneously achieving superior resolution …

Acidic Deposition Effects On Above- And Belowground Wood Biomass And Nutrient Status In A Young Hardwood Forest, Brittany Anne Johnson

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

The impact of acid deposition on forest productivity has been studied extensively during the past 30 years. Mixed results abound due to variations in forest age, species composition, land use history, climate, and different experimental procedures. However, most results suggest alterations in productivity and nutrient status as a result of elevated acid deposition. The Long-Term Soil Productivity (LTSP) site in the Fernow Experimental Forest served as the study site; it was initiated with the purpose of observing the impact of forest management and air quality on biomass production and nutrient cycling (Adams et al. 2004). In its entirety, this experiment …

Lifestyle Behaviors And Illness Related Factors As Predictors Of Recurrent Headache In Us Adolescents, Suzy Mascaro Walter

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Purpose. Successful management of recurrent headache among adolescents requires an understanding of the lifestyle behaviors (skipping meals, water intake, tobacco use, alcohol use, and physical activity) and illness related factors (depression, somatic complaints, insomnia and obesity) reported to be associated with this headache type. This study describes a multivariate model demonstrating how lifestyle behaviors and illness related factors work together to predict recurrent headache in an adolescent population.;Method. A descriptive, cross-sectional, secondary analysis using survey data from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health (Add Health) (1996) will be reported. Add Health is a large database providing a nationally representative …

Insomnia Symptoms, Nightmares And Suicidal Ideation In A University Sample, Michael R. Nadorff

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Previous research has demonstrated a link between insomnia symptoms, nightmares, and suicidal ideation. The purpose of this study was to investigate whether insomnia symptoms and nightmares were related to suicidal ideation independent of each other. Further, the study aimed to determine whether suicidal ideation and nightmares were related with suicidal ideation independent of the symptoms of anxiety, depression, and PTSD. The study consisted of 583 undergraduate students at West Virginia University. Results indicated that both nightmares (beta = .054 (SE = .008), p > .01) and insomnia symptoms (beta = .045 (SE = .009), p > .01) were related to suicidal ideation, …

Abnormal Ecg Search In Long-Term Electrocardiographic Recordings From An Animal Model Of Heart Failure, Pisut Raphisak

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Heart failure is one of the leading causes of death in the United States. Five million Americans suffer from heart failure. Advances in portable electrocardiogram (ECG) monitoring systems and large data storage space allow the ECG to be recorded continuously for long periods. Long-term monitoring could potentially lead to better diagnosis and treatment if the progression of heart failure could be followed. The challenge is to analyze the sheer mass of data. Manual analysis using the classical methods is impossible. In this dissertation, a framework for analysis of long-term ECG recording and methods for searching an abnormal ECG are presented.;The …

Characterizing The Relation Between Depressive Symptoms And Parkinson's Disease In A Sample Of Swedish Twins, Rebecca K. Widoe

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Depression commonly co-occurs with Parkinson's disease (PD). Psychosocial stressors and biochemical changes associated with PD have both been implicated in the etiology of depression in PD. The purpose of the current study was to examine whether genetic or environmental influences contribute to the increased risk for depressive symptoms among individuals with PD in a population of twins. Among individuals with PD, 24% endorsed a moderate-severe level of depressive symptoms, and 64% endorsed at least a mild level of depressive symptoms. Case-control results indicated that PD is a significant risk factor for both mild (OR = 3.11, CI = 1.82-5.31) and …

Functions Of Rx In Early Vertebrate Ocular Development, Brian G. Zamora

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Patterning of the optic vesicle is a crucial step in early vertebrate eye development that organizes uncommitted optic vesicle cells into distinct distal, dorsal, and proximal regions that will give rise to the neural retina, retinal pigment epithelium (RPE), and optic stalk, respectively. Originating from the same sheet of anterior neuroectoderm, uncommitted optic vesicle cells are patterned into neural and non-neural (RPE) retinal domains through the coordinated activities of extrinsic signaling molecules and intrinsic transcription factors. Neural retinal specification is driven by FGF signals emanating from the surface ectoderm and developing lens, while RPE is specified by signals from the …

State-Wide Fish Tissue Contaminants Survey And Effects Of Feeding Type, Season And Gender On Fish Tissue Contamination Levels, Kenneth L. Stewart

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Fish tissue fillets from benthic, predator, and mixed diet species were collected from 24 different watersheds in West Virginia. Composite samples were prepared from three to six fish fillets collected at each site, and concentrations of the chemical contaminants polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and mercury were determined for each composite sample. Differences in contaminant concentrations among three major categories of feeding type (predator, benthic, and mixed diet) were examined. Differences due to species of fish and among watersheds were also examined. Predators had significantly higher mercury concentrations than benthic or mixed diet feeders and benthic feeding fish had significantly higher PCB …

Creating A Relational Model Of Evangelism In The Texas Conference, John L. Dubosque Jr.

Doctor of Ministry Projects

Problem

Seventh-day Adventist evangelism has attracted fewer postmodern Generations X and Y persons in the recent past due to a lack of understanding subgroup culture and the church’s tendency to accommodate only didactic preaching in a public evangelistic series. Complicating transformation are some Builders and Boomers who are resistive of the needed deep changes in public evangelism ministry which includes small groups. Researched principles that could readily be applied without alienating the older generations had to be field tested in six evangelistic campaigns in order to determine if success could be obtained in reaching Generations X and Y.

Method

Three …

Encouraging Hispanic Fathers To Become More Effectively Involved In Their Children's Lives, Enoch Aguilar

Doctor of Ministry Projects

Problem

When Hispanic people immigrate to the United States, they come with their own traditions, ideas, and values. Many of these values and teachings are different from North American values, however, each system strives to achieve similar goals in forming functional families. Many of these values conflict with traditional North American values. This natural conflict can make the transition from their native countries to the United States difficult, especially when analyzing the different ways each country’s government intervenes on behalf of children. If parents are unable to modify the social norms of their native country to allow the child to …

Foster Mothers' Experience Of Parenting A Foster Child With Attachment Problems: An Empirical Phenomenological Investigation, Cynthia Byers

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation explored foster mothers' experiences of parenting a foster child who displayed problematic attachment. This topic is important because research suggests foster children presenting with attachment problems often experience disrupted foster placements, which are known to be detrimental to their continued development.

An introductory letter seeking foster mothers with difficult to care for foster children between the ages of 2 and younger than 6 years was sent by seven foster care agencies in Allegheny County to all of those agencies' foster mothers. Foster mothers were not told in advance that the study involved attachment-disordered foster children. Six foster mothers …

Fitzgerald In The Late 1910s: War And Women, Richard M. Clark

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation analyzes historical and cultural factors that influenced F. Scott Fitzgerald's portrayal of women in three of his early works. In "Sentiment—and the Use of Rouge, " This Side of Paradise, and "Head and Shoulders, " women act as usurpers and destroyers, infiltrating male territory and taking on traditionally male roles. Fitzgerald reacts to changes in the status of women that had been occurring since the late 1800s. But the late 1910s, when the author composed these works, witnessed a hastening of women's progress and an intensification of the male anxiety resulting from these changes. Repercussions of the war …

Zinc-Mediated Dimerization Of Proteins Through A -Cxcxxxxcxc- Sequence, Tyler Collins

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Dimerization of cellular proteins has become an intense field of study due to its importance in signal transduction and gene expression, amongst many other functions. Arguably the most intriguing quality regarding dimerization is the high incidence of simultaneous dimeric events occurring within the cell, where each constructed dimer individually controls a single pathway with high specificity. Additionally, the discoveries of new motifs possessing this seemingly common functionality participate in truly unique and often poorly understood mechanisms. CopY, a metal-responsive bacterial repressor from Enterococcus hirae possesses distinctive dimerization properties. We show that this cysteine metal-binding motif, which contains a metal-reactive C-terminal …

Four Observations About Hate Speech Articles & Essays, Richard Delgado, Jean Stefancic

Articles

No abstract provided.

Dialogues Between Feminists And Jacques Lacan On Female Hysteria And Femininity, Katerina Catherine Daniel

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This theoretical dissertation aims to initiate a dialogue between Lacan and Irigaray, Butler, and poststructuralist Anglophone feminists on the relationship between hysteria and femininity. The very existence of hysteria has been called into question by the majority of Anglophone feminists, who have criticized its diagnostic proliferation, claiming that it has negative implications for social change and has played a central part in women's oppression. The Anglophone feminist tradition views Lacanian psychoanalytic theories of sexuation and hysteria with a critical eye, arguing that Lacan's oeuvre is another version of patriarchal discourse, another reductionistic paradigm of female suffering, and another essentialist scheme …

Characterization Of Linear Chromosome Segregation And Condensation Of Streptomyces Coelicolor, Rebekah M. Dedrick

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

DNA segregation and condensation must occur accurately during cell division to ensure the survival of daughter cells. Most prokaryotes have a single, circular genome, which is simultaneously replicated, segregated and condensed during cell division. Streptomyces coelicolor is a sporulating, filamentous bacterium with a large, linear genome. Syncytial aerial hyphae contain numerous copies of the genome, which must be synchronously segregated into prespore compartments while up to 100 septa form. The proteins that control and accomplish this complicated process are of interest. Genetic analysis revealed that S. coelicolor can survive without three DNA segregation proteins, SMC, FtsK and ParB, which normally …

An Examination Of The Factors Underlying The Motivation And Learning Strategies Of Generation 1.5 Korean American Students, Rosa Cho Stoffa

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Comprehensive research into student learning has established that the effective use of learning strategies will enable students to take responsibility for their own learning, enhance their motivation in the learning process, and improve their academic success (Sternberg & Grigorenko, 2001). However, little research has investigated the learning strategies used by immigrant students and how these strategies relate to academic excellence. While survey instruments currently exist for assessing these constructs in the general population, the construct validity of theses scales has yet to be examined within immigrant populations.

The subjects who participated in this study were randomly selected from the Korean …

Development Of A Gene Silencing Dna Vector Derived From A Broad Host Range Geminivirus, Edward M. Golenberg, D Noah Sather, Leandria C. Hancock, Kenneth J. Buckley, Natalie M. Villafranco, David M. Bisaro

Wayne State University Associated BioMed Central Scholarship

Abstract

Background

Gene silencing is proving to be a powerful tool for genetic, developmental, and physiological analyses. The use of viral induced gene silencing (VIGS) offers advantages to transgenic approaches as it can be potentially applied to non-model systems for which transgenic techniques are not readily available. However, many VIGS vectors are derived from Gemini viruses that have limited host ranges. We present a new, unipartite vector that is derived from a curtovirus that has a broad host range and will be amenable to use in many non-model systems.

Results

The construction of a gene silencing vector derived from the …

Primate Phylogenomics: Developing Numerous Nuclear Non-Coding, Non-Repetitive Markers For Ecological And Phylogenetic Applications And Analysis Of Evolutionary Rate Variation, Zuogang Peng, Navin Elango, Derek E. Wildman, Soojin V. Yi

Wayne State University Associated BioMed Central Scholarship

Abstract

Background

Genetic analyses are often limited by the availability of appropriate molecular markers. Markers from neutrally evolving genomic regions may be particularly useful for inferring evolutionary histories because they escape the constraints of natural selection. For the majority of taxa however, obtaining such markers is challenging. Advances in genomics have the potential to alleviate the shortage of neutral markers. Here we present a method to develop numerous markers from putatively neutral regions of primate genomes.

Results

We began with the available whole genome sequences of human, chimpanzee and macaque. Using computational methods, we identified a total of 280 potential …

Incorporation Of Membrane-Bound, Mammalian-Derived Immunomodulatory Proteins Into Influenza Whole Virus Vaccines Boosts Immunogenicity And Protection Against Lethal Challenge, Andrew S. Herbert, Lynn Heffron, Roy Sundick, Paul C. Roberts

Wayne State University Associated BioMed Central Scholarship

Abstract

Background

Influenza epidemics continue to cause morbidity and mortality within the human population despite widespread vaccination efforts. This, along with the ominous threat of an avian influenza pandemic (H5N1), demonstrates the need for a much improved, more sophisticated influenza vaccine. We have developed an in vitro model system for producing a membrane-bound Cytokine-bearing Influenza Vaccine (CYT-IVAC). Numerous cytokines are involved in directing both innate and adaptive immunity and it is our goal to utilize the properties of individual cytokines and other immunomodulatory proteins to create a more immunogenic vaccine.

Results

We have evaluated the immunogenicity of inactivated cytokine-bearing influenza …

Ritonavir Blocks Akt Signaling, Activates Apoptosis And Inhibits Migration And Invasion In Ovarian Cancer Cells, Sanjeev Kumar, Christopher S. Bryant, Sreedhar Chamala, Aamer Qazi, Shelly Seward, Jagannath Pal, Christopher P. Steffes, Donald W. Weaver, Robert Morris, John M. Malone, Masood A. Shammas, Madhu Prasad, Ramesh B. Batchu

Wayne State University Associated BioMed Central Scholarship

Abstract

Background

Ovarian cancer is the leading cause of mortality from gynecological malignancies, often undetectable in early stages. The difficulty of detecting the disease in its early stages and the propensity of ovarian cancer cells to develop resistance to known chemotherapeutic treatments dramatically decreases the 5-year survival rate. Chemotherapy with paclitaxel after surgery increases median survival only by 2 to 3 years in stage IV disease highlights the need for more effective drugs. The human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection is characterized by increased risk of several solid tumors due to its inherent nature of weakening of immune system. Recent observations …

New Targets For The Treatment Of Follicular Lymphoma, Nishant Tageja, Subhash Padheye, Prasad Dandawate, Ayad Al-Katib, Ramzi M. Mohammad

Wayne State University Associated BioMed Central Scholarship

Abstract

The last two decades have witnessed striking advances in our understanding of the biological factors underlying the development of Follicular lymphoma (FL). Development of newer treatment approaches have improved the outlook for many individuals with these disorders; however, with these advances come new questions. Given the long-term survival of patients with FL, drugs with favourable side-effect profile and minimal long-term risks are desired. FL is incurable with current treatment modalities. It often runs an indolent course with multiple relapses and progressively shorter intervals of remission. The identification of new targets and development of novel targeted therapies is imperative to …

Sexual Differentiation Of The Zebra Finch Song System: Potential Roles For Sex Chromosome Genes, Michelle L. Tomaszycki, Camilla Peabody, Kirstin Replogle, David F. Clayton, Robert J. Tempelman, Juli Wade

Wayne State University Associated BioMed Central Scholarship

Abstract

Background

Recent evidence suggests that some sex differences in brain and behavior might result from direct genetic effects, and not solely the result of the organizational effects of steroid hormones. The present study examined the potential role for sex-biased gene expression during development of sexually dimorphic singing behavior and associated song nuclei in juvenile zebra finches.

Results

A microarray screen revealed more than 2400 putative genes (with a false discovery rate less than 0.05) exhibiting sex differences in the telencephalon of developing zebra finches. Increased expression in males was confirmed in 12 of 20 by qPCR using cDNA from …

Discrepant Comorbidity Between Minority And White Suicides: A National Multiple Cause-Of-Death Analysis, Ian Rh Rockett, Yinjuan Lian, Steven Stack, Alan M. Ducatman, Shuhui Wang

Wayne State University Associated BioMed Central Scholarship

Abstract

Background

Clinician training deficits and a low and declining autopsy rate adversely impact the quality of death certificates in the United States. Self-report and records data for the general population indicate that proximate mental and physical health of minority suicides was at least as poor as that of white suicides.

Methods

This cross-sectional mortality study uses data from Multiple Cause-of-Death (MCOD) public use files for 1999–2003 to describe and evaluate comorbidity among black, Hispanic, and white suicides. Unintentional injury decedents are the referent for multivariate analyses.

Results

One or more mentions of comorbid psychopathology are documented on the death …