Digital Commons Network^™

North-East Indian Monsoon Rainfall Variability Over Southeastern Peninsular India, Jothiganesh Shanmugasundaram

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

North-East Indian Monsoon rainfall (NEIMR) during October-December is of immense socio-economic importance to the agriculture dependent population in the southeastern peninsular India. NEIMR is subject to extreme year-to-year and intra-seasonal variability that needs to be understood to enhance climate resilience. An understanding of NEIMR variability and the physical processes behind this variability would help to improve the predictability of NEIMR variation over the southeastern peninsular of India. An insight into past societal responses to monsoon variability would be a great lesson for adapting to future climate challenges. This dissertation seeks to examine the intra-seasonal variability of NEIMR and its driving …

Cardiac And Mitochondrial Dysfunction During Diabetes Mellitus: Examination Of Mitochondrial Import Mechanisms, Danielle Lee Shepherd

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Approximately 9% of the United States population is diagnosed with diabetes mellitus (DM), which is comprised of 2 distinct pathologies: type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM) and type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). T1DM, which is caused by insufficient insulin production, affects approximately 5% of diabetic patients, while T2DM results from insulin resistance and affects 95% of all diabetic patients. Within diabetic patients, cardiac complications, such as diabetic cardiomyopathy, are the leading cause of morbidity and mortality. The mitochondrion has been implicated as an underlying factor in the etiology and progression of the cardiac contractile deficits and cardiac failure that accompany DM. …

Investigating Social Perceptions Associated With Water Quality In Morgantown, West Virginia, Jonas G. Leveque

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

This dissertation investigates public perceptions of water quality in Morgantown, West Virginia. In recent years, water has become an increasingly critical issue in terms of quantity worldwide, and also in terms of quality. In developed countries such as the United States, water quality is often taken for granted by the general public. Nonetheless, recent water crises in Flint, Michigan and Charleston, West Virginia, are examples showing there are environmental risks associated with human activities. This dissertation explores the context of West Virginia, with coal mining that is decreasing and non-conventional oil and gas drilling that is increasing in the Appalachia …

Subspace Representations And Learning For Visual Recognition, Farzad Siyahjani

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Pervasive and affordable sensor and storage technology enables the acquisition of an ever-rising amount of visual data. The ability to extract semantic information by interpreting, indexing and searching visual data is impacting domains such as surveillance, robotics, intelligence, human- computer interaction, navigation, healthcare, and several others. This further stimulates the investigation of automated extraction techniques that are more efficient, and robust against the many sources of noise affecting the already complex visual data, which is carrying the semantic information of interest. We address the problem by designing novel visual data representations, based on learning data subspace decompositions that are invariant …

Design, Construction, And Analysis Of A Pilot-Scale Automated Drilling Platform, Cody Smith

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

This project and the associated research investigates automation techniques for drilling operations, along with the analysis involved in building an automated pilot-scale drilling platform. The outcome from this research investigates feasible technologies and techniques that can be used to automate a pilot-scale drilling rig, with the intent that these practices may provide insight into the construction or procedures of full scale rigs. Both the theory and lab exercise components of this research were completed in association with the Drillbotics competition sponsored by the Drilling Systems Automation Technical Section (DSATS) committee of the Society of Petroleum Engineers (SPE). This study includes …

A New Compactification For Celestial Mechanics, Daniel Solomon

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

This is an exposition of a new compactification of Euclidean space enabling the study of trajectories at and approaching spatial infinity, as well as results obtained for polynomial differential systems and Celestial Mechanics. The Lorenz system has an attractor for all real values of its parameters, and almost all of the complete quadratic systems share an interesting feature with the Lorenz system.;Informed by these results, the main theorem is established via a contraction mapping arising from an integral equation derived from the Celestial Mechanics equations of motion. We establish the existence of an open set of initial conditions through which …

Endoplasmic Reticulum Stress Is Transmissible Among Cells Of The Central Nervous System, Neil T. Sprenkle

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Improper protein folding and trafficking are common pathological events observed in various cell types in neurodegenerative diseases. If the protein quality control mechanisms of the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) fail to re-establish proteostasis, misfolded proteins accumulate within the lumen of the ER and perturb normal cellular processes. While low-level stimulation of the unfolded protein response (UPR) is considered a beneficial physiological response to transient protein misfolding stress, or ER stress, sustained UPR activation resulting from prolonged ER stress can promote neurotoxicity. The cell-autonomous mechanisms of the UPR have been extensively characterized in the context of neuropathology. Nevertheless, there still remain unanswered …

Clarifying Resource Dependence: A Multi-Dimensional Approach To Dependence And Autonomy In Entrepreneurial Firms, Curtis R. Sproul

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Entrepreneurial firms face dependence on other firms in the external environment to access resources critical for the development and survival of the firm. While substantial research has examined resource dependence and how firms may remedy such dependencies, the literature often fails to acknowledge key factors that can predict and explain firm behavior and outcomes in such situations. Firms are shown to enter into inter-organizational relationships in order to remedy resource dependencies, but studies typically evaluate such relationships according to their structure, rather than the resource being sought. Research also frequently ignores the role of autonomy in resource dependence. As gaining …

Pedagod: God As Teacher, Avner Segall, Scott Jarvie

Faculty Research, Scholarly, and Creative Activity

No abstract provided.

The Effects Of A Kinesio® Tape Application On Intramuscular Tissue Temperature Change During A 20-Minute Cryotherapy Application, Michael Samuel Mccrone

Health Nutrition and Exercise Science

The methodology for this research study was specifically designed to investigate whether or not Kinesio® Tape would act as a barrier during a cryotherapy application. Previous research has concluded that certain dressings can act as a barrier and impede the decrease in temperature in the underlying tissue. However, the properties of Kinesio® Tape are supposed to mimic the properties of skin. The thickness of Kinesio® Tape is miniscule compared to other barriers such as a plaster cast or an ace bandage. Due to this property, there were no statistically significant results found in intramuscular tissue temperature change comparing the use …

Acute Exercise Response Of Caffeine And Nitric Oxide Stimulating Pre-Workout Supplement Among Healthy Male Recreational Athletes, Michael Scott Blake

Health Nutrition and Exercise Science

The effect of cocktail or “pre-workout” supplements containing L-arginine nitrate and caffeine are equivocal with anaerobic performance. The purpose of this study was to compare anaerobic performance and blood flow of pre-workout supplement containing L-arginine-nitrate and caffeine-to-caffeine and placebo. In a randomized, double-blind study, 12 resistance-trained males (caffeine users) completed three trials. Biodex concentric-concentric elbow-flexion and extension (5-sets, 10-repetitions). Ultrasound measured brachial blood flow (M-Vel, V- r2 and V-C). Statistical analyses revealed a significant difference in total dynamic work PRE-PLA (P<0.0001) and CAF-to-PLA (P<0.0001) but not PRE-to-CAF (P=0.9581). Furthermore, a significant difference V- r2 PRE-to-CAF (P=0.0391) and PLA-to-CAF (P=0.0070) and M-Vel PRE-to-CAF (P=0.0281). Conclusion, PRE did not differ CAF in strength measures other than a difference in M-Vel. PRE compared to PLA were not statically different in blood flow. The study illustrated no improvement beyond individual ingredient. This research may be useful for future cocktail supplement and Nitric Oxide research.

Strength And Rate Of Force Development Needs For Effective Combat Casualty Evacuations, Whitney Mckenzie Larsen Poser

Health Nutrition and Exercise Science

The purpose was to examine the necessary strength and rate of force development to complete a modified fireman’s carry in unweighted and weighted conditions. Eighteen male participants from North Dakota State Universities Army Reserve Officers Training Corp (ROTC) participated in this study. An isometric deadlift was performed on an AcuPower force plate to determine maximum peak force and rate of force development. The unweighted trial used a 75kg dummy, and the 50m course. The weighted trial added 9.09kg weight vests onto the dummy and the participant. Participants (n=13) that completed the fireman’s carry for both weighted and unweighted conditions had …

Updated List Of The Subfamily Omaliinae (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae)From Kazakhstan With Some New Records, Peter Hlavac, Matus Kocian, Oto Nakladal

Turkish Journal of Zoology

A detailed, updated list of the subfamily Omaliinae known from Kazakhstan is provided.

Damaged Bodies, Damaged Lives: Immigrant Worker Injuries As Dignity Takings, Jayesh Rathod, Rachel Nadas

Scholarly Articles in Law Reviews & Journals

Government data consistently affirm that foreign-born workers in the U.S. experience high rates of on-the-job illness and injury. This article explores whether—and under what circumstances—these occupational harms suffered by immigrant workers constitute a dignity taking. The article argues that some injuries suffered by foreign-born workers are indirect takings by the state due to the government’s lackluster oversight and limited penalties for violations of occupational safety and health laws. Using a framework of the body as property, the article then explores when work-related injury constitutes an infringement upon a property right. The article contends that the government’s weak enforcement apparatus, coupled …

Access To Data Across Borders: The Critical Role For Congress To Play Now, Jennifer Daskal

Scholarly Articles in Law Reviews & Journals

No abstract provided.

Temperature Influences The Development, Survival, And Life History Ofaxinoscymnus Apioides Kuznetsov & Ren (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae), A Predator Of Whitefly, Huiping Zhou, Shaukat Ali, Xinming Wang, Xiaosheng Chen, Shunxiang Ren

Turkish Journal of Zoology

The current work was aimed at studying the biology of Axinoscymnus apioides Kuznetsov & Ren (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae) under different temperature regimes. These studies were performed at 6 constant temperature regimes (17, 20, 23, 26, 29, and 32 °C) under laboratory conditions in which A. apioides was fed with Bemisia tabaci Gennadius (Hemiptera: Aleyrodidae) nymphs on Hibiscus rosa-sinensis plants. Results indicated that the developmental period for different immature stages decreased with increases in temperature from 17 to 29 °C. The developmental periods of first instar larvae and pupae decreased, while those of second, third, and fourth larval instars increased for the …

Year-Round Monitoring Of Bat Records In An Urban Area:Kharkiv (Ne Ukraine), 2013, As A Case Study, Kseniia Kravchenko, Anton Vlaschenko, Alona Prylutska, Olena Rodenko, Vitalii Hukov, Volodymyr Shuvaev

Turkish Journal of Zoology

This study presents information about the year-round phenology of bats of temperate zones in a city area for the first time. In total, 967 individuals of 5 bat species (Nyctalus noctula [87.5%], Eptesicus serotinus [10.6%], Pipistrellus kuhlii [0.8%], Vespertilio murinus [0.9%], and Plecotus auritus [0.1%]) were recorded during 2013 in Kharkiv. The population structures of temperate bat species are complex; segregation of sex and age groups varies spatially and seasonally. Most of the bats (88%) were collected during the hibernation period (January-March and November-December) and the autumn invasion (August-mid-September). The breeding period saw a lower number of bats collected, making …

The First Record Of Bruchophagus Sophorae (Hymenoptera: Eurytomidae) Developing In Seeds Of Styphnolobium And Sophora (Fabaceae) In Turkey, France, And Kazakhstan, Victor Fursov, Marina Zerova, Münevver Kodan

Turkish Journal of Zoology

The phytophagous chalcid wasp Bruchophagus sophorae (Hymenoptera: Chalcidoidea: Eurytomidae) is redescribed and illustrated. B. sophorae is recorded for the first time in Turkey and France, from seeds of Styphnolobium japonicum, and from Kazakhstan, from seeds of a new host plant, Sophora alopecuroides. New data on the biology, the stages of oviposition, and the distribution are given. Details of the oviposition of B. sophorae into the pods of S. japonicum are described for the first time.

Mtdna Diversity In A Rabbit Population From Sicily (Italy), Mario Lo Valvo, Roberta Russo, Francesco Paolo Mancuso, Franco Palla

Turkish Journal of Zoology

The European rabbit Oryctolagus cuniculus (O. c.) is a small game species found in several parts of the world and represents an important resource for many predators. It has been classified as a Near-Threatened species on the Red List of Italian Vertebrates even though it is also considered to be an agricultural pest species in many areas. It is a polytypic species present as two known subspecies:

Biometric Variation In Martes Foina From Mainland Greece And The Aegean Islands, Malamati Papakosta

Turkish Journal of Zoology

The geographical morphometric variations in the stone marten (Martes foina) from mainland Greece, the Aegean Islands, and Crete were analyzed. Samples taken from the three areas were compared regarding 18 craniometrical and 5 body size variables. According to univariate statistics, 13 skull measurements from males and 15 from females (72% and 83% of total skull variables for males and females, respectively) did not differ significantly among mainland Greece, the Aegean Islands, and Crete. The morphological differences among mainland and insular populations showed a tendency for separation (63% overall correct classification from skull measurements of males, 72.5% and 73.6% for body …

First Records Of The Genus Paratrombium Bruyant, 1910(Acari: Trombidiidae) From Turkey, Sevgi̇ Sevsay, Evren Buğa, Sezai̇ Adi̇l, İbrahi̇m Karakurt

Turkish Journal of Zoology

The genus Paratrombium Bruyant (Acari: Trombidiidae) is recorded from Turkey for the first time based on collections of P. insulare (Berlese, 1910) and P. megalochirum (Berlese, 1910). Each species is illustrated, and briefly redescribed with accompanying drawings. Larvae of both species were obtained by experimental rearing. The updated distribution of species is provided.

Microhabitat Partitioning Of Closely Related Sarawak (Malaysian Borneo)Frog Species Previously Assigned To The Genus Hylarana (Amphibia: Anura), Ramlah Zainudin, Badrul Munir Md Zain, Norhayati Ahmad, Shukor Mohd Nor

Turkish Journal of Zoology

Microhabitats play an important role as resources that are partitioned between phylogenetically related or ecologically similar species (i.e., a guild). This hypothesis was tested by first elucidating phylogenetically closed Sarawak frog species via DNA sequencing of the 16S rRNA mitochondrial DNA gene, and later determining their microhabitat guild and partitioning via nonmetric dimensional scale. Mitochondrial 16S gene revealed 5 monophyletic groups consisting of Hylarana erythraea + Amnirana nicobariensis, Chalcorana raniceps, Abavorana luctuosa, Pulchrana signata + P. picturata, and P. baramica + P. glandulosa + P. laterimaculata. On the other hand, microhabitat utilization grouped the frogs into 5 ecological guilds consisting …

The First Record Of Greek Endemic Weevil Hypera (Boreohypera) Moczarskii (Coleoptera: Curculionoidea, Curculionidae) In Central Serbia, With Elements For Species Redescription, Snezana Pesic

Turkish Journal of Zoology

The rare weevil species Hypera (Boreohypera) moczarskii Penecke, 1936, previously recorded only in Greece, has been registered for the first time in Central Serbia. Two adult males were collected in 1993 and 1994, in two places in the area of Kragujevac (Central Serbia). These findings extend H. moczarskii's distribution area to the north, and this rare species should no longer be considered as Greek, but rather as endemic to the Balkan Peninsula. Both specimens are males, and drawings of the aedeagus are shown for the first time. Hypera moczarskii is one of two European members of the subgenus Boreohypera Korotyaev, …

Experiential Learning And Assessment In The Era Of Donald Trump, Jamie Abrams

Scholarly Articles in Law Reviews & Journals

Law teaching is turning a critical corner with the implementation of new ABA accreditation standards requiring greater skills development, experiential learning, and student assessment. Years of debate and discourse preceded the adoption of these ABA Standards, followed by a surge in programming, conferencing, and list-serv activity to prepare to implement these standards effectively. Missing from the dialogue about effective implementation of standards has been thoughtful consideration of how implementing these requirements will intersect with the challenges, realities, opportunities, and complexities of political divisiveness and polarization so prevalent in society and university campuses today.

Law schools are notably implementing these pedagogical …

Leading With Conviction: The Transformative Role Of Formerly Incarcerated Leaders In Reducing Mass Incarceration, Susan Sturm, Haran Tae

Faculty Scholarship

This report documents the roles of formerly incarcerated leaders engaged in work related to reducing incarceration and rebuilding communities, drawing on in-depth interviews with 48 of these leaders conducted over a period of 14 months. These “leaders with conviction” have developed a set of capabilities that enable them to advance transformative change, both in the lives of individuals affected by mass incarceration and in the criminal legal systems that have devastated so many lives and communities. Their leadership assumes particular importance in the era of the Trump Presidency, when the durability of the ideological coalitions to undo the failed apparatus …

Introduction: Judges As Diplomats In Advancing The Rule Of Law: A Conversation With President Koen Lenaerts And Justice Stephen Breyer, Fernanda Nicola

Scholarly Articles in Law Reviews & Journals

Introduction. On both sides of the Atlantic, Western countries have taken a well publicized and perhaps poorly understood turn toward leaders espousing extremist, xenophobic, and introspective politics that threaten the core tenets of liberal democracy. Electorates appear divided and confused as political leadership in Europe and the U.S. take measures that undermine the basic principles of the rule of law and human rights. Above all else, the designated defenders of the constitutional order, the supreme courts, have come under direct political attack in countries such as Hungary and Poland. Even in traditional bastions of Western democracy, like the United States …

The Shade Of A Criminal Record: Colorism, Incarceration, And External Racial Classification, Steven L. Foy, Victor Ray, Ashley Hummel

Sociology Faculty Publications

Recent high-profile research suggests that social indicators like incarceration influence racial categorization. Yet, this research has largely ignored colorism—intraracial differences in skin tone that matter for stratification outcomes. In two experiments, we address how skin tone interacts with criminal background to produce external racial classification and skin tone attributions. We find no evidence that criminal history affects external racial classification or skin tone attribution. However, we find that skin tone is a strong and consistent predictor of external racial classification and skin tone attribution.

Ending Disparities And Achieving Justice For Individuals With Mental Disabilities, Robert K. Goldman, Sheila Shea

Scholarly Articles in Law Reviews & Journals

No abstract provided.

We Have Lost A Sense Of Purpose About Eliminating Torture, Juan E. Mendez

Scholarly Articles in Law Reviews & Journals

No abstract provided.

Paying It Forward To Build The Perfect Lawyer, David Spratt

Scholarly Articles in Law Reviews & Journals

No abstract provided.