Digital Commons Network^™

Evidence For Decline In The Unionidae Of The East Branch Rocky River, Ohio, Daniel A. Gouch, Mark S. Lyons, Robert A. Krebs

Biological, Geological, and Environmental Faculty Publications

A survey of freshwater mussels (Mollusca: Bivalvia: Unionidae) was conducted for the East Branch Rocky River, Ohio, during the summer of 2006. Development in this watershed is moderate though rapidly expanding, particularly in the upstream reaches. Perhaps as a consequence, a preliminary search failed to reveal any live mussels in the river in 2003 . The present report is of an extensive survey covering 21 two-hour timed searches for live mussels and shells combined with visual assessments of disturbance and tests for water quality at each site. All searches were visual or by feeling for mussels embedded in the stream …

A Newly Discovered Role Of Telomeres In An Ancient Organism, Bibo Li

Biological, Geological, and Environmental Faculty Publications

Trypanosoma brucei expresses Variant Surface Glycoprotein (VSG) genes in a strictly monoallelic fashion in its mammalian hosts, and the regulation of this important virulence mechanism has been the research focus for decades. Telomere position effect (TPE), an epigenetic phenomenon, has been proposed to play a critical role in VSG regulation, yet no telomeric protein was identified whose disruption led to VSG derepression. We recently identified tbRAP1 as an intrinsic component of the T. brucei telomere complex and a major regulator for silencing VSG expression sites (ESs). Knockdown of tbRAP1 led to derepression of all ES-linked VSGs but not VSGs located …

Seeing Is Believing: Body Motion Dominates In Multisensory Conversations, Cathy Ennis, Rachel Mcdonnell, Carol O'Sullivan

Articles

In many scenes with human characters, interacting groups are an important factor for maintaining a sense of realism. However, little is known about what makes these characters appear realistic. In this paper, we investigate human sensitivity to audio mismatches (i.e., when individuals’ voices are not matched to their gestures) and visual desynchronization (i.e., when the body motions of the individuals in a group are mis-aligned in time) in virtual human conversers. Using motion capture data from a range of both polite conversations and arguments, we conduct a series of perceptual experiments and determine some factors that contribute to the plausibility …

An Adventure In Service-Learning: Developing Knowledge, Values And Responsibility, Anto Kerins

Books / Book chapters

An Adventure in Service-Learning argues that education can provide not just knowledge and skills but it can also encourage the development of values and responsibility. It does so by discussing a relatively new teaching method called service-learning. Where a lecture operates through presentation and explanation and a tutorial, through discussion, questions and answers, service-learning is different. Service-learning is a teaching method that allows students to use their classroom theory to help others through relevant service or volunteering activity. In so doing, it gives students the opportunity to use the experiences of helping others to strengthen their understanding of subject material. …

Contemporary Issues In Irish And Global Tourism And Hospitality, Geraldine Gorham, Ziene Mottiar

Books / Book chapters

This book contains an edited collection of papers presented at the Tourism and Hospitality Research in Ireland Conference 2009 (THRIC). This annual conference provides an invaluable opportunity for Irish and international tourism and hospitality academics and practitioners to debate the key contemporary challenges facing the sector. Based on this selection of conference papers a broad range of issues are addressed in the following chapters. These are issues, which are pertinent not only for Irish tourism and hospitality academics, policy makers and industry, but also resonate with international counterparts. Contributions to this book are made by an eclectic mix of highly …

Note: A Critique Of Brazil's New Land Reform Law: How Lei No. 11.952 Disregards The Constituicao, International Law, And The Quilombolas, Joao M. Da Fonseca

Law Raza

No abstract provided.

Dendritic Cell Targeted Hiv Gag Protein Vaccine Provides Help To A Dna Vaccine Including Mobilization Of Protective Cd8+ T Cells, Godwin W. Nchinda, David Amadu, Christine Trumpfheller

Publications

To improve the efficacy of T cell-based vaccination, we pursued the principle that CD4⁺ T cells provide help for functional CD8 ⁺ T cell immunity. To do so, we administered HIV gag to mice successively as protein and DNA vaccines. To achieve strong CD4⁺ T cell immunity, the protein vaccine was targeted selectively to DEC-205, a receptor for antigen presentation on dendritic cells. This targeting helped CD8⁺ T cell immunity develop to a subsequent DNA vaccine and improved protection to intranasal challenge with recombinant vaccinia gag virus, including more rapid accumulation of CD8⁺ T cells in …

Estimating The Amount Of Information Carried By A Neuronal Population, Yunguo Yu, Marshall Crumiller, Bruce Knight, Ehud Kaplan

Knight Laboratory

Although all brain functions require coordinated activity of many neurons, it has been difficult to estimate the amount of information carried by a population of spiking neurons. We present here a Fourier-based method for estimating the information delivery rate from a population of neurons, which allows us to measure the redundancy of information within and between functional neuronal classes. We illustrate the use of the method on some artificial spike trains and on simultaneous recordings from a small population of neurons from the lateral geniculate nucleus of an anesthetized macaque monkey

12th Annual Student Academic Conference: Showcasing The Work And Talents Of Msum Students, Minnesota State University Moorhead

Student Academic Conference Abstract Books

Minnesota State University Moorhead Student Academic Conference abstract book.

Comparison Of Carbon Stocks & Importance Values In Correlation With Past Land Use In The Gordon Natural Area, Timothy Hoffer, Steffen Lubbe

Forest Carbon Storage Study Documents

No abstract provided.

Bite Marks Of The Giant Crocodylian Deinosuchus On Late Cretaceous (Campanian) Bones, David R. Schwimmer

Faculty Bibliography

The giant (~10 m) Late Cretaceous eusuchian crocodylians of the genus Deinosuchus are shown to have left large, blunt, sometimes penetrating bite marks on a significant number of sea turtle shells, and on several dinosaur specimens. The morphology of crocodylian bite marks is generally well documented, and the identification of bite traces specifically attributable to Deinosuchus may be made by reference to their size, age, habitat and prey selection. Deinosuchus species, and bite traces referable to the genus, are present on both sides of the Late Cretaceous Interior Seaway, and known only from Campanian deposits in the USA and northern …

Terrestrial And Marine Geobiophysical Spatial Analysis And Modeling Of Phytoplankton And Nutrients In Haifa Bay, Israel, Sinaya Dayan

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

Haifa Bay, Israel, is considered one of the most polluted environments in the nation. The bay water is enriched with nutrients and shows elevated levels of phytoplankton biomass. This requires continuous data collection to monitor productivity. The objectives of these remote sensing geobiophysical models were to (1) create a terrestrial model component to identify sources for the elevated levels of nutrients in the bay, and (2) marine model component to validate remote sensing algorithms for the detection of Chlorophyll in an oceanic setting. Methods included Spatial Analysis, Principal Component Analysis, Unsupervised Classification, Map Algebra, Band Ratios, and Statistical Regression of …

Gender Differences In The Prevalence Rates Of Self-Injury Among Individuals Who Suppress Thoughts, Kristina Isaacs

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

A previous study (Najmi, Wegner, & Nock, 2007) has concluded that thought suppression and self-injury are related. Gender differences have been contradictory among those who self-injure. However, it has been found that females score higher than males on thought suppression scales (Wegner & Zanakos, 1994). Based on these findings, it was hypothesized that females would suppress their thoughts more than males. It was also hypothesized that females who suppress their thoughts would think about and engage in self-injury more than males who suppress their thoughts. Participants completed both the Self-Injurious Thoughts and Behavior Interview (SITBI) and the White Bear Suppression …

"A Cage Of Ovulating Females" : Mary Breckinridge And The Politics Of Contraception In Rural Appalachia, Dana Allen Johnson

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

Mary Breckinridge and the Frontier Nursing Service have been the focus of intense scholarly effort over the last twenty years. Scholarship on Mary Breckinridge has centered on her healthcare reform work in Appalachia and its effects on the local residents and culture. This thesis examines the oral contraceptive trial that the FNS performed in Leslie County in the late 1950s and early 1960s. Although Breckinridge and the FNS maintained a restrictive contraceptive stance, they paradoxically permitted the contraceptive trial to be conducted on their patients in Leslie County. The decision to participate in the contraceptive trial resulted from a complex …

Growth And Age At Reproductive Maturity Of The Carolina Pigmy Rattlesnake, Sistrurus M. Miliarius (Reptilia: Serpentes), Kevin Robert Messenger

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

Growth and age at reproductive maturity are life history attributes that play an important role in the development of proper management strategies. The Carolina Pigmy Rattlesnake, Sistrurus m. miliarius, is one of two dwarf rattlesnake species. The subspecies ranges from eastern NC to nearly the southern tip of SC and into the northeastern portion of GA. In NC, where the species’ status is of Special Concern, fragmentation and land development have destroyed most of its historic range. Its small size also makes it highly susceptible to predation. In some parts of the range, commercial collection is another pressure the species …

Determining The Rate Of Transcription Of T7 Rna Polymerase Using Single Molecule Fluorescence Imaging, Dawn Renee Nichola

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

It is important to understand the many factors impacting the rate at which an RNA polymerase incorporates nucleotides. The transcription rate of T7 RNA polymerase has been determined using single molecule fluorescence microscopy. A Cy3 labeled circular 45nt ssDNA molecule was used to monitor the transcription process. T7 RNA polymerase was used because it is a single subunit polymerase that does not need any cofactors and will transcribe single-stranded DNA circles that do not contain a promoter. The transcription was monitored by measuring the quasi-periodic change in intensity associated with the transit of the probe through the polymerase as the …

Treatment Strategies In Acute Myelogenous Leukemia : Investigating Hsp90 And P53 As Targets, Jennifer M. Napper

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

Acute myelogenous leukemia (AML) is the deadliest of the lymphatic and bone marrow cancers. Patients diagnosed with AML have a five year survival rate of 23.4%. AML is characterized by an accumulation of undifferentiated and functionless myeloid precursors in the bone marrow and blood. Heat shock protein 90 (Hsp90) inhibitors, such as 17-AAG, an analog of geldanamycin (GM), are currently undergoing phase I, and II and III clinical trials for various cancers with mixed results. I found distinct responses to 17-AAG treatment among the AML cell lines tested. I also discovered two mutant TP53 alleles in Kasumi-3 cells, an AML …

Exploring Obesity And After-School Supervision With Adolescents In Rural West Virginia, Sallie Dawn Richards

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

Both childhood obesity and the number of children in self-care have increased during the past several decades. Child care arrangements for working parents of middle school children can be a complex problem because unsupervised children who “hang out” with peers after school are more likely to engage in risky behaviors, although unsupervised children at home after school tend to watch more television than their supervised peers. Because children in self-care at home after school tend to engage in more sedentary activities, they may be at greater risk for becoming overweight or obese. The purpose of the present study was to …

Genetic And Environmental Factors Suggest That Dietary Fatty Acid Content, Lipid Metabolism, And Bone Properties Are Key Regulators Of Myeloid Progenitor Cell Frequency, Melinda E. Varney

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

Acute myelogenous leukemia (AML) and its precursors are the result of the dysregulation of hematopoiesis. Hematopoiesis proceeds in a stepwise manner, beginning with hematopoietic stem cells, continuing to develop into various stages of progenitor cells, and finally becoming fully functional blood cells. As this process goes awry, immature, functionless cells of the myeloid lineage proliferate out of control. Discerning how myeloid progenitor frequency is regulated allows for a better understanding of how the process may lose control. Hematopoiesis has been shown to depend on genetic and environmental factors. In this work, I have added to this knowledge base by providing …

Marriage Vows And Economic Discrimination: The Married Teacher Problem, Sabrina Thomas

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

This study analyzes the rapid increase of economic discrimination against married women teachers in the early twentieth century, particularly during the Depression. It challenges the notion that economic discrimination against married women teachers was simple, easy, and largely was unchallenged. I argue that the creation and proliferation of marriage bars in the early twentieth century involved a compounded and multifaceted set of economic and social concerns. Support for this argument is accomplished by examination of the national debate on marriage bars as well as careful investigation of the local debate illustrated in Huntington, West Virginia.

Dropping Out: A Cross-Case Exploration Of Why Students In One West Virginia County Choose To Leave School, Debra Hunt Young

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

The indicators and predictors of dropout as documented in the literature are vast and encompass influences such as family, motivation, socio-economic status, and academic achievement, and could be accepted as universal reasons students choose to leave school and not return. This qualitative study investigated the reasons why students in one West Virginia county choose to drop out of school. Using cross-case analysis, the perceptions of current students identified as at-risk of dropping out, former students, and Attendance Directors and Guidance Counselors were explored to determine emergent themes and provide proactive and reactive strategies to prevent dropout. This study resulted in …

Movement Patterns And Artificial Arboreal Cover Use Of Green Salamanders (Aneides Aeneus) In Kanawha County, West Virginia, Sarah Elizabeth Miloski

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

Global amphibian declines have spawned a need for amphibian monitoring studies using standardized sampling techniques for early detection of population declines. The Green Salamander (Aneides aeneus) is a declining plethodontid salamander (Family: Plethodontidae) associated with rock outcrops and arboreal habitat. The unique habitat requirements of this species make A. aeneus populations particularly susceptible to habitat perturbations. Although primarily associated with rock outcrops, A. aeneus morphology and ecology suggest that A. aeneus may be highly mobile. High mobility has important implications for habitat management, particularly pertaining to land surrounding rock outcrops. However, few studies have addressed plethodontid movement patterns, which are …

Modeling Super-Spreading Events For Sars, Thembinkosi P. Mkhatshwa

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

One of the intriguing characteristics of the 2003 severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) epidemics was the occurrence of super spreading events (SSEs). Super-spreading events for a specific infectious disease occur when infected individuals infect more than the average number of secondary cases. The understanding of these SSEs is critical to under- standing the spread of SARS. In this thesis, we present a modification of the basic SIR (Susceptible - Infected - Removed) disease model, an SIPR (Susceptible - Regular Infected - Super-spreader - Removed) model, which captures the effect of the SSEs.

The Natural History & Distribution Of Riverine Turtles In West Virginia, Linh Diem Phu

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

Turtles are unique evolutionary marvels that evolved from amphibians and developed their protective shelled form more than 200 million years ago. In West Virginia, there are 10 native species of turtles, 9 of which are aquatic. Most of these aquatic turtles feed on carrion and dead plant matter, in the water and essentially "clean" our water systems. Turtles are long-lived animals with sensitive life stages that can serve as both long-term and short-term bioindicators of environmental health. With the increase in commercial trade, habitat fragmentation, degradation, destruction, there has been a marked decline in turtle species. The need for well …

Ed/Bd Eligibility Related To Gender And Community Size In West Virginia|Ed/Bd Eligibility Related To Gender And Community Size In West Virginia, Matthew Joseph Smart

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

Over-representation of males in special education is an area of concern. Research studies have confirmed West Virginia as one of the states having the highest male-to-female ratios for Emotionally Disturbed/Behavior Disorder (ED/BD) students. The current study compares the most and least populated areas in West Virginia with regard to ED/BD eligibility. Male/female student ratios of ED/BD were examined utilizing chi-square analysis. This study used the September 2009 regulations under West Virginia Policy 2419, and those regulations were in place when these data were collected. Results indicated that a statistically significant difference exists between the total number of ED/BD students made …

The Role Of Chmp1 In Drosophila Melanogaster, Meagan E. Valentine

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

Chmp1A has recently been linked to pancreatic cancer, a leading cause of cancer death in humans. Pancreatic tumors have lowered Chmp1A expression, and it has been described as a tumor suppressor. Chmp1A is also a member of ESCRT III (Endosomal Sorting Complex Required for Transport), a conserved protein complex involved in the degradation and recycling of activated transmembrane receptors. There is a single Chmp1 protein in Drosophila that is homologous to vertebrate Chmp1A; however, Chmp1 hasn’t been studied in Drosophila. The objective of this study was to characterize Chmp1 in Drosophila using gene knockdown and over-expression. We used an …

The Coal River Basin: A 2009 Water Budget Study, R. Dale Biller

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

The Coal River Watershed covers an area of some 890 square miles in southern West Virginia of which 863 square miles was investigated in this study. Both online and field data were collected over period from January 13, 2009 to January 13, 2010. The basin was studied as a closed system having an input, which was precipitation, and outputs, rainfall interception, evapotranspiration, and stream discharge that was separated into base flow and overland flow.

The effective rainfall of the watershed was calculated using the Thiessen polygon method to be 42 inches for the year, 48% of that water discharged by …

Effect Of Snake Populations On Salamanders As A Result Of Forest Fragmentation, Casey Renee Bradshaw

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

Forest fragmentation is one of the main causes for the loss of native biodiversity. One consequence is increased proportion of edge habitat that introduces new “edge” species, and makes habitat for interior forest-living species less-suitable. This study was conducted at three sites in Tucker County, West Virginia and included one downhill ski slope, one cross country ski slope, and one gravel road. The main objectives of this study were to determine relative abundance of snake communities, how far species move from edge habitat into the forest and to determine whether snakes are a predatory threat to salamanders, specifically the federally …

Testing The Behavioral Responses Of West Virginia Turtles To Roads And Vehicles, Aaron Clinton Gooley

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

Road mortality has been identified as a major threat to many turtle species; however, response to passing vehicles, crossing speed, and general behavior while crossing roads has never been investigated in turtles. To investigate these factors, Midland Painted Turtles (Chrysemys picta marginata), Eastern Box Turtles (Terrapene c. carolina), and Stinkpots (Sternotherus odoratus) were collected and placed in a release box on the side of a closed road with an active road running parallel to it 26 m away. Turtles were released via a pulley-operated door facing the road, and their actions videotaped by an …

Parental Cognitive Factors And Treatment Choices For Externalizing Behavior Problems, Danielle R. Hemmings

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

Understanding the relationship between parental cognitive variables and outcomes related to the treatment of externalizing disorders has received limited attention in the research literature. The present study was completed in order to determine whether the parental cognitive variables of self-efficacy or locus of control were related to the level of involvement parents had in addressing their child’s behavior problems. It was hypothesized that a) parents with external locus of control would be likely to be less involved in their child’s treatment than parents with a more internal locus of control and b) that parents with low parental self-efficacy would be …