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Helping To Resolve Taxonomic Conflicts Within The Genus Amblyomma (Acari:Ixodidae) From A Molecular Perspective, Paula Lado

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

This work sought to reassess the taxonomic status of Amblyomma parvum Aragao, 1908 and of the A. maculatum group of ticks Camicas, 1998. By using different molecular markers, 12SrDNA, 16SrDNA, DL, COI, COII (mitochondrial) and ITS2 (nuclear), I analyzed the systematic relationships between these taxa and their closest relatives. Phylogenetic analyses by maximum parsimony, maximum likelihood, and Bayesian analysis were performed in order to determine relationships among species and populations, and to determine the evolutionary history of these ixodids. The data obtained supported the hypothesis of cryptic speciation occurring within A. parvum, with the northern populations of Central America being …

The Role Of Artificial Structures In Facilitating Range Expansion Of The Introduced Barnacle Megabalanus Coccopoma In The Southeastern U.S.A., Alicia M. Reigel

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

The barnacle Megabalanus coccopoma is a recent invader of the southeastern U.S.A. from the tropical eastern Pacific. In Georgia, M. coccopoma populations along the immediate coastline often suffer extensive mortality during the winter, but population rebuilding is common after these events suggesting that there may be nearby larval sources. I investigated the hypothesis that artificial structures (i.e., buoys, towers), occurring far enough offshore of Georgia for water temperatures to be moderated by the Gulf Stream, provide refuges for breeding adults of M. coccopoma and can serve as the larval source. I investigated this hypothesis by first developing thirteen microsatellite primer …

Examination Of Racial/Ethnic Disparities In Ovarian Cancer Stage Of Diagnosis, Surgery Treatment And Survival: Multilevel Analysis Of 2001-2012 Seer Data, Chen Chen

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

Context. Racial/ethnic disparities in cancer outcomes are major public health concerns. Ovarian cancer is the tenth most common cancer and the fifth leading cause of cancer-related deaths among women. Identifying individual- and contextual-level factors contributing to racial/ethnic disparities in ovarian cancer stage of diagnosis, surgery treatment and survival is necessary for reducing and eliminating these disparities.

Objective. The study aims to examine racial/ethnic disparities in ovarian cancer diagnosis, surgery treatment and survival outcomes; to explore individual- and contextual-level factors contributing to these disparities, and to examine the trend of ovarian cancer racial/ethnic disparities from 2001 to 2012.

Methods. The …

Ammonia Oxygen Demand Determination For The Design Of An Oxygenation System In A Water Supply Reservoir, Armond Jenkins

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

The Occoquan Reservoir is a eutrophic reservoir that is part of an indirect potable reuse system. To protect the reservoir water quality, a high quality nitrified product water from a water reclamation facility and an oxygenation system are used during periods of thermal stratification to prevent the onset of anaerobic conditions above the sediments. During the stratified warmest months of the year, oxygen depletion rates exceed nitrate and artificial oxygen supply rates near the dam resulting in ammonia accumulation in the water column. Field observations and laboratory experiments revealed that sediment ammonia release rates ranged from 170-542 mg/m²∙day. …

Compiled Occurrence Data Of Migratory Hooded Cranes In Southeast Asia, T. Cai, Y. Guo, F. Huettmann, K. Lee

Faculty

This dataset represents the best available science-based ocurrences (presence only) of Hooded Cranes during fall and spring migration along the flyway in Asia. This dataset consists of 115 geo-referenced sightings with the source/observer in a comma delimited file format. The geo-referencing was done in decimal latitude and longitude with six decimals. Each record carries a source information and is derived from 21 sources. The biggest data sections come from field obervations of the local authors as well as GBIF, satellite telemetry, and Higuchi (1994) and Chang (1999). This data set has four columns and 115 rows with a size of …

Invisible Suffering: Practitioner Reflections On Peacebuilding Programs With Youth Exposed To Traumatic Stressors In Intergroup Conflict, Liza Hester

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

For decades, the international community has recognized that youth are some of the most vulnerable to mental and emotional distress within the intractable and cyclical nature of identity-based violent conflict. Exposure to traumatic stressors within these intergroup conflicts poses unique risks not only to the neurological and social development of youth, but also to the capacities of youth to fully participate in peacebuilding interventions. The peacebuilding field has yet to strongly consider how traumatic stress affects dynamics within programs for youth and how these programs may need to modify expectations of youth’s cognitive, social, and emotional functioning to account for …

A Computational Model Of Innate Directional Selectivity Refined By Visual Experience, Sv Adams, Cm Harris

School of Psychology

No abstract provided.

The Extreme 2013/2014 Winter Storms: Hydrodynamic Forcing And Coastal Response Along The Southwest Coast Of England, Gerd Masselink, Tim Scott, Tim Poate, Paul Russell, Mark Davidson, Daniel Conley

School of Biological and Marine Sciences

No abstract provided.

Does Lure Colour Influence Catch Per Unit Effort, Fish Capture Size And Hooking Injury In Angled Largemouth Bass?, Andrew D. Moraga, Alexander D.M. Wilson, Steven J. Cooke

School of Biological and Marine Sciences

No abstract provided.

Impact Of Withholding Breastfeeding At The Time Of Vaccination On The Immunogenicity Of Oral Rotavirus Vaccine--A Randomized Trial, Asad Ali, Abdul Momin Kazi, Margaret M. Cortese, Jessica A. Fleming, Sungsil Moon, Umesh D. Parashar, Baoming Jiang, Monica M. Mcneal, Duncan Steele, Zulfiqar Bhutta

Department of Paediatrics and Child Health

Background: Breast milk contains anti-rotavirus IgA antibodies and other innate immune factors that inhibit rotavirus replication in vitro. These factors could diminish the immunogenicity of oral rotavirus vaccines, particularly if breastfeeding occurs close to the time of vaccine administration.
Methods: Between April 2011 and November 2012, we conducted an open label, randomized trial to compare the immunogenicity of Rotarix (RV1) in infants whose breastfeeding was withheld one hour before through one hour after vaccination with that in infants breastfed at the time of vaccination. The trial was conducted in the peri-urban area of Ibrahim Hyderi in Karachi, Pakistan. Both groups …

Clinical Isolates Of Salmonella Enterica Serovar Agona Producing Ndm-1 Metallo-Beta-Lactamase: First Report From Pakistan, Seema Irfan, Erum Khan, Kauser Jabeen, Pushpa Bhawan, Katie L. Hopkins, Martin Day, Amna Nasir, Daniele Meunier, Neil Woodford

Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine

We report two cases of infantile diarrhea due to multidrug-resistant, NDM-1 metallo-beta-lactamase-producing Salmonella enterica serovar Agona from Pakistan. This study alerts toward possible risk of NDM-1 transmission to enteric fever pathogens and encourages microbiologists to consider active screening of carbapenem resistance in nontyphoidal Salmonella isolates.

Beyond Instrumentalism: A Relational Approach To Negotiation, Marc-Charles Ingerson, Kristen Bell Detienne, Katie A. Liljenquist

Faculty Publications

Instrumentalism, the philosophy that rational people will behave in ways that promote self-interest, is often the default assumption that scholars and practitioners rely upon when interpreting and predicting human behavior in negotiations. Instrumentalism, however, need not be the only lens through which negotiators and negotiations are viewed. In this article, we discuss some of the problems associated with too heavy a reliance on instrumentalism and propose an alternative relational approach, one in which negotiators see themselves as agents embedded in a system of relationships, who are motivated to understand and advance the welfare of others. We discuss some of the …

The Role Of Adenosine Monophosphate Activated Protein Kinase In Luteal Progesterone Production, Elizabeth Compton Bowdridge

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Prostaglandin F2 alpha (PGF2&agr;) has in vivo luteolytic actions on the bovine corpus luteum (CL). Although PGF2&agr; is utilized extensively in livestock to synchronize estrus, its actions in vitro are controversial and do not always result in a reduction in progesterone (P4) secretion. The mechanism of action of PGF2&agr; is thought to involve activation of the phospholipase C-Ca2+ pathway. The luteolytic actions of PGF2&agr; are mediated through an elevation of cytosolic Ca2+ involving activation of protein kinase C (PKC). Expression of PKC isozymes and calcium/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase kinase 2 (CAMKK2) change as the CL develops to a mature stage. Either …

Development Of Graphene And Graphene-Nanoparticle Composites For Sensor Applications, Saurabh Chaudhari

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

The goal of this research was the synthesis of graphene and graphene nanocomposite for use as sensor materials. This dissertation describes the optimization of a novel approach to the synthesis of few layer graphene films on SiC, the modification of the graphene surface by wet chemical methods, the nucleation of nanoparticles to form graphene-nanoparticle composites, the fabrication of chemoresistive sensor structures from these materials, and the characterization of these surfaces and films.;In this work, the basic graphene synthesis method which uses halogen based plasma etching and ultra-high vacuum annealing (UHVA), has been optimized to reliably produce one, two, and three …

Role Of Mitochondria In Tnf-Alpha Neurotoxicity In Stroke, Danielle N. Doll

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

TNF-alpha is known to exacerbate infarct volume in animal models and elevated levels of TNF-alpha are correlated with worse outcomes in stroke patients. However, the mechanism is not well understood. TNF-alpha has been shown to be neurotoxic at high doses and after long exposure times which is not clinically relevant. Thus, we show for the first time that TNF-alpha at clinically relevant concentrations seen in the serum of stroke patients rapidly and profoundly decreases mitochondrial function resulting in neuronal cell death through activation of caspase 8 and cytochrome c release. A slight decrease in mitochondrial function is detrimental to neurons …

Metal Oxide Nanoparticles: The Importance Of Size, Shape, Chemical Composition, And Valence State In Determining Toxicity, Katherine Dunnick

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Nanoparticles, which are defined as a structure with at least one dimension between 1 and 100 nm, have the potential to be used in a variety of consumer products due to their improved functionality compared to similar particles of larger size. Their small size is associated with increased strength, improved catalytic properties, and increased reactivity; however, their size is also associated with increased toxicity in vitro and in vivo. Numerous toxicological studies have been conducted to determine the properties of nanomaterials that increase their toxicity in order to manufacture new nanomaterials with decreased toxicity. Data indicates that size, shape, chemical …

Polyploidy Affects Growth, Fillet Composition, And Fatty Acid Profile In Two Year Old Rainbow Trout, Oncorhynchus Mykiss, Jeremy Lynn Everson

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Gonadal development is a dominant physiological process that alters growth and fat metabolism, thereby reducing fillet quality. Sterile, triploid (3N) female rainbow trout, generated by pressure-induced shock of zygotes 30 minutes after fertilization (3NP), are used to eliminate reduced growth and quality associated with gonadogenesis. However, this method does not produce 100% 3N offspring. Crossing a diploid (2N; fertile) female and a tetraploid (4N; fertile) male produces triploid offspring 100% of the time (3NC; sterile). This method is not widely used in the industry because it requires 4N brood stock. The current study examines growth, fatty acid composition, and fillet …

Development Of A Conservation Action Plan For The Eastern Hellbender (Cryptobranchus Alleganiensis Alleganiensis) In West Virginia, William J. Greathouse

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

The Eastern hellbender (Cryptobranchus alleganiensis alleganiensis ) is the largest salamander in North America growing to 75 centimeters in length. This fully aquatic species is an indicator of good stream and river quality and has been considered to be in decline or rare throughout its range. This study focused on the current distribution of the Eastern hellbender at sites of historic occurrence in West Virginia in order to determine the species' current range and factors impacting its distribution in order to facilitate planned reintroductions and translocations of hellbenders reared in human care. The success of the reintroduction and translocation efforts …

"The Whistling Wife": Women And Popular Song In The Postbellum American South, Melanie J. Green

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

This study discusses the practice of music-making by middle and upper class women in the nineteenth-century American South, and the ways in which the practice was continued in the decades following the Civil War amid changing class and gender politics. The study examines two sheet music collections, one from the South and one from the North, dating from the 1880s and 1890s. An examination of the content of these collections reveals differing attitudes over changing class and gender politics and acceptable practices for music-making in the North and South. A discussion of these young women and their families tells their …

The Longest Common Subsequence Via Generalized Suffix Trees, Tazin Afrin

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Given two strings S1 and S 2, finding the longest common subsequence (LCS) is a classical problem in computer science. Many algorithms have been proposed to find the longest common subsequence between two strings. The most common and widely used method is the dynamic programming approach, which runs in quadratic time and takes quadratic space. Other algorithms have been introduced later to solve the LCS problem in less time and space. In this work, we present a new algorithm to find the longest common subsequence using the generalized suffix tree and directed acyclic graph.;The Generalized suffix tree (GST) is the …

The "Boom" And "Bust" Patterns Of Communities Within The Energy Rich Region Of West Virginia: A Case Study Of Moundsville, Brandon S. Kiger

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

The increasing worldwide demand for energy will provide Energy Rich Regions (ERRs) the opportunity to increase their wealth and quality of living. However, a reoccurring pattern of boom and bust cycles in ERRs suggests the need for more sustainable development strategies.;A mixed methods approach (case study) is employed to explore the "wicked human problems" occurring in one community, Moundsville, WV and to discover development patterns that might inform sustainable development strategies for the future.;This study explores briefly the distant past development patterns, and in greater detail the pre-boom and most current boom in natural gas. First, data will be derived …

Biodiesel From Tall Oil Fatty Acids And Physico Thermal Properties Of Tropical Tree Fruit Oils As Thermal Energy Storage Systems, Gideon Sackey Lawer-Yolar

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Research into biodiesel as a substitute for petroleum diesel has been ongoing since the energy crisis of the 1970's. The concern for the effect on the use of edible vegetable oils as feedstock has increased. Tall oil fatty acids have been considered as a non-food substitute and various works have been done on it. In this study, sulfuric acid and Amberlyst BD 20 were used as homogeneous and heterogeneous catalysts respectively in the production of biodiesel from Tall oil fatty acids in a batch reactor. The treatment conditions for the homogeneous catalysis varied the factors of fatty acid to methanol …

Brazilian Adventist Women And Their Needs: Toward Theological-Missiological Education With An Initial Curriculum Proposal, Hanny Brcic Guzman

Doctor of Ministry Projects

Problem

Brazilian Adventist women have had limited access to theological-missiological education, partly because of a hierarchical, male-centered biblical interpretation of gender relations as applied to female teaching and learning experiences within the community of faith. Although the church intends to involve women in a kind of ministry that assumes a hierarchical paradigm, this remediative action is limited to motivation, outreach, and Christian piety.

Method

This theological-missiological non-formal curricular intervention provides access to theological education as well as role models for women in the church. It attempts to transform this restrictive scenario by the interpretation of the perspective and values of …

A Family Enrichment Workshop To Enhance Communication Skills Among African-American Families At The Berean Seventh-Day Adventist Church In Baton Rouge, Louisiana, Robert L. Davis Sr.

Doctor of Ministry Projects

Problem

Research has established that healthy communication skills contribute to marital and family satisfaction among African-Americans. African-American families, in particular, are in need of communication skills and enhancement resources that address their specific ethnic and cultural dynamics. The Berean Seventh-day Adventist Church is a predominately African-American church located in the Belfair community of Baton Rouge, Louisiana. Currently the Seventh-day Adventist Church does not provide any researched family enrichment resources that address the specific dynamics of African-American Seventh-day Adventist families, which makes it necessary for research, resources, and programs to be developed that assist Seventh-day Adventist African-American families with healthy communication …

Secretion Of Malaria Transmission-Blocking Proteins From Paratransgenic Bacteria, Nicholas Bongio

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Malaria is a debilitating and deadly disease that afflicts over 200 million people and kills over 600 thousand each year. Due to quickly evolving drug resistance and lack of an affordable vaccine, novel interventions are needed to fight the Plasmodium parasites that cause malaria. Targeting Plasmodium inside their mosquito hosts is one approach that could complement other preventative and medicinal interventions by reducing the ability of the mosquitoes to transmit the disease to humans. The research presented here uses paratransgenesis, the genetic modification of symbiotic bacteria within the mosquito midgut, to provide antimalarial protein to the mosquito and to interfere …

Genomes Of Three Arsenic Metabolizing Bacteria, Xue Chen

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Although arsenic is toxic to most living cells, many microbes live in environments with high concentrations of arsenic. In addition to being resistant to arsenic, some actively couple arsenic oxidation/reduction reactions to respiration gaining energy in the process. Following a current review of the literature, the genomes of the three such bacteria, one arsenite oxidizer, Alkalilimnicola ehrlichii MLHE-1, and two arsenate reducers, Alkaliphilus oremlandii OhILAs, and Bacillus selenitireducens MLS-10 are presented. The genome of Alkalilimnicola ehrlichii MLHE-1 consists of 3,275,944 bp with a 67.53% GC content; the genome of Alkaliphilus oremlandii OhILAs consists of 3,123,558 bp with a 36.26% GC …

Lgb Sexual Orientation And Perceived Parental Acceptance, Sarah Dalton

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this investigation was to determine whether perceived maternal, paternal, and/or parental acceptance for a lesbian, gay, or bisexual (LGB) person's sexual orientation correlated with well-being and/or moderated the relationship between the LGB person's levels of self-acceptance and well-being. The following dissertation outlines the negative mental health and well-being implications of unsupportive social and family systems for LGB individuals. Given the importance of parental support for all individuals, the study extends the available research literature as it seeks to understand how parental acceptance for one's sexual orientation impacts self-acceptance and well-being, for which little research has previously been …

Design And Synthesis Of Pyrimido[4,5-B]Indoles And Furo[2,3-D]Pyrimidines As Single Agents With Combination Chemotherapy Potential Or As Inhibitors Of Tubulin Or Thymidylate Synthase, Ravi Kumar Vyas Devambatla

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation describes an introduction, background and research progress in the areas of multitargeted single agents and tubulin inhibitors in cancer chemotherapy and selective Toxoplasma gondii TS inhibitors for the treatment of toxoplasmosis.

Tubulin inhibitors are important antitumor agents that disrupt microtubule dynamics. Thymidylate synthase (TS) inhibitors prevent cell division by interfering with de novo thymidylate synthesis. Antiangiogenic agents target tumor angiogenesis crucial for tumor growth and metastasis. Under normal circumstances, angiogenesis is typically limited to tumor cells and is mediated by receptor tyrosine kinases (RTKs). Combination chemotherapies of RTK inhibitors with cytotoxic agents that target either TS or tubulin …

The Feasibility, Acceptability, And Effectiveness Of A School-Based Motivational Interviewing Intervention For Adolescent Females, Vanessa Durand

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Motivational Interviewing (MI) is an evidence-based therapeutic approach shown to elicit behavior change in adolescents engaged in risky behavior. MI is used to increase the individuals feeling of self-efficacy and outcome expectancy. Female adolescents engaged in substance use, sexual activity and identified as academically disengaged were provided an MI intervention in their alternative education setting. According to the Social Cognitive Theory, MI is well suited toward supporting individual behavior change. Results showed that MI is an acceptable intervention to at-risk adolescent females. However, feasibility considerations highlighted the implementation barriers present in this alternative high school as well as those in …

Effect Of Somatostatin On Voltage-Gated Calcium Influx In Isolated Neonatal Rat Carotid Body Type I Cells, Eric J. Dunn

Browse all Theses and Dissertations

Somatostatin (SST) is a neuropeptide hormone that regulates the release of secondary hormones. Evidence suggests SST plays a neuromodulatory role due to its distribution throughout the central nervous system. Interestingly, SST has been suggested to affect the carotid body, the small peripheral chemoreceptors that regulate breathing. It has been shown that the peripheral chemoreflex sensitivity to CO2 and hypoxia is reduced by SST in humans (Pedersen et al., 1999; Pandit et al., 2014). SST has also been found to inhibit whole cell Ca2+ currents recorded from adult rat carotid body type I cells (e Silva & Lewis, 1995), but the …