Digital Commons Network^™

The Role Of Nedd9 In Her2-Driven Breast Cancer., Marc Louis Purazo

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Tumor initiation is often driven by unrestricted proliferation. One such driver of proliferation is Human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2). HER2 is a receptor tyrosine kinase that is part of the epidermal growth factor receptor family (EFGR) that is commonly overexpressed in breast cancer. HER2 positive (+) breast cancers often respond to anti- HER2 therapy, yet many patients eventually develop resistance. Multiple mechanisms contribute to resistance, including activation of HSP90, PI3K/Akt or Src that rely on adaptor molecules (GRB2, p130cas, NEDD9). Neural precursor cell expressed, developmentally downregulated protein 9 (NEDD9) is an adaptor protein that promotes integrin signaling. We …

Natural Fracture Evolution: Investigations Into The Middle Devonian Marcellus Shale, Appalachian Basin, Usa, Natalie Abigail Mitchell

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Optimizing recovery from unconventional shale reservoirs has generated considerable research into optimal recovery methods through hydraulic fracturing design and shale reservoir characterization in the development of long-term hydrocarbon producers. Permeability at multiple scales from nanometer-scale pore sizes and nano-darcy permeability to completion-induced fractures defining a 100’s of meter stimulated reservoir volume plays a significant role in hydrocarbon flow during production in shale reservoirs. Preexisting cemented fractures in unconventional shale reservoirs are abundant and preferentially reactivate during induced hydraulic fracturing treatment to create necessary large-scale permeability. While previous investigations have significantly improved our knowledge of shale reservoirs, it has also highlighted …

Investigating The Role Of Nudt7-Mediated Peroxisomal Coa Degradation In The Regulation Of Hepatic Coa Levels And Lipid Metabolism, Schuyler Dan Adams Vickers

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Coenzyme A (CoA) is a crucial cofactor required to support many essential metabolic processes, including fatty acid oxidation and synthesis, the TCA cycle, and bile acid synthesis. In order to support the proper functioning of these pathways, CoA levels within the cell must be properly regulated. The regulation of CoA levels is achieved through a balance between CoA synthesis and CoA degradation. While the regulation of CoA synthesis has been extensively characterized, the degradation of CoA has received less attention. As such, the contribution of CoA degradation to the regulation of metabolism is poorly understood. NUDT7 is a CoA-specific Nudix …

Antibacterial Effect Of Various Irrigants Against Enterococcus Faecalis, Morgan N. Kesecker

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Introduction:

One of the goals of endodontic therapy is to debride infected pulps of teeth and return the tooth to a state of health in preparation of restorative care and return to function. Chemically cleansing of the canal system augments mechanical debridement by flushing out debris, dissolving tissue, and disinfecting the root canal system. The purpose of this research is to compare the efficacy of five irrigants: 0.008% HOCl acid (Endocyn®), 0.03% HOCl (Vashe®), 6% and 8.25% sodium hypochlorite (NaOCl), and Ozone against a typical bacterial species found in infected pulps, Enterococcus faecalis (E. faecalis).

Methods:

After 24 hours …

Understanding And Evaluating Stereotypes Towards Obsessive Compulsive Disorder Symptom Subtypes, Gabriella T. Ponzini

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Public stigma has detrimental impacts on those with obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD). Yet, stereotypes associated with OCD are poorly understood. Given the heterogeneity of OCD symptom presentations, a conceptualization of stereotypes associated with symptom subtypes is warranted to inform stigma reduction efforts.

In Study 1 (N = 60), participants read one of five vignettes on OCD subtypes (Symmetry/Just Right, Contamination, Sexual, Harm/Aggression, or Scrupulous) prior to responding to Internet-delivered open-ended questions. Study 1 methods followed the qualitative description framework, such that data were derived from participant responses and findings were presented using participant language. Prior to final coding and …

The Development Of A New Pertussis Booster Formulation Via The Implementation Of New Adjuvants And Utilization Of Alternate Routes Of Administration, Megan Ashley Dejong

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Pertussis (whooping cough) is a respiratory disease caused by airborne transmission of the Gram-negative bacterium, Bordetella pertussis. Prior to the development of the first pertussis vaccines (whole cell (wP) vaccines), the incidence of pertussis was in the hundreds of thousands of cases per year, which led to the death of many children, as the infection is most severe in younger populations. Thankfully, the wP formulation resulted in a dramatic decrease in the number of annual pertussis cases, nearly eradicating the disease. However, as wP contained the whole B. pertussis bacterium (and its lipooligosaccharide (LOS)), reactogenicity issues became apparent, leading …

First Year Teacher In Appalachia: Place, Identity, Tensions, Michael Renee Lane

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

This study centers on one first-year Social Studies teacher who is beginning her teaching career in a rural middle school in central Appalachia. Grounded in sociocultural theory, this qualitative study focuses understanding how the focal teacher discursively constructs her teaching identity including how she makes use of sociocultural resources, social practices, and the discourses she draws from as she describes her experiences. Data is drawn from a five-month interpretive qualitative case study that included semi-structured interviews, classroom observations, and the focal teacher’s personal journals. Data analysis indicated that place is crucial in shaping teachers’ beliefs and practices—including their conceptions of …

Rehabilitation Of The River’S Role In Historic Urban Landscape Of Shushtar, Iran, Parvaneh Sabbagh-Ziarani

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Historical cities are the most complete and, indeed, the most tangible incarnation of culture. They show the relationships of different generations of inhabitants with their life context. The strata of their urban topography speak about various phases of evolution and transformation as well as growth or decline. The city of Shushtar (Khuzestan, Iran) is a perfect example of a historic city formed based on sustainable and close interactions between man and nature. Its historical hydraulic system was registered in Unesco world heritage sites in 2009. This system - combining numerous elements in a practical and harmonious entity - shows ingenuity …

A Machine Learning Approach For Early Diagnosis Of Transthyretin Amyloid Cardiomyopathy Among Heart Failure Patients, Tanjim Ahmed

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Transthyretin Amyloid Cardiomyopathy (ATTR-CM) is a rare, progressive, and fatal disease. Prevalence of ATTR-CM ranges from 4 to 17 per 100000 cases where the mean survival time is less than 4 years. It has a history of being underdiagnosed and misdiagnosed. The diagnosis delay has a weighted mean of 6.1 years for wild-type ATTR-CM. Low awareness, the necessity of invasive procedures, and lack of treatment are the key reasons for delayed diagnosis. But, with the introduction of non-invasive tests like nuclear scintigraphy with ^99mTC-PYP and the disease modifying drug Tafamidis, the diagnosis delay signifies a missed opportunity to increase …

Nature Based Interventions For Human Health And Wellbeing, Samantha I. Moyers

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Background. Nature exposure is beneficial to human health and wellbeing, but the evidence base for nature-based interventions (NBI) is still developing. Heterogeneous naming conventions, study designs, and intervention contexts create difficulty in accessing and assessing the evidence for such programming. While NBI have been utilized in a wide array of human populations, no interventions have been reported among clinical health professions students. Aims. The objectives of this dissertation project were to review the existing body of NBI literature exploring health and wellbeing outcomes, and to conduct a feasibility trial of forest bathing, a type of NBI, among clinical students. Specifically, …

Investigation Of An Implementation Of Mastery Grading Utilizing Revision And Oral Follow-Up Assessment In An Introduction-To-Proof Course, Nurul Wahyuni

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

The traditional grading method that utilizes partial credit often falls short of effectively measuring students’ mastery of course material. To address this issue, this study explores the implementation of mastery grading, designed and enacted by the instructor in an introduction-to-proof course. The mastery grading conducted utilized a revision assessment together with an oral follow-up assessment as a mode of reassessing students’ mastery. The objectives of this study were to obtain a thorough narrative of the way the instructor ran the assessment and to evaluate students’ progress throughout the assessment process.

This dissertation is comprised of two distinct studies, both utilizing …

Relationships Between Watershed Factors And Community Size Spectra Of The Fish And Macroinvertebrate Communities Of Mid-Appalachian Streams, Jarrett Hunter Landreth

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Freshwater lotic communities are complex, dynamic, and quick to respond to changes to their environment. However, some of the specific mechanisms driving those changes are yet to be fully understood. Here, I will use the community size spectrum (CSS) approach to assess how the CSS slope, elevation, and food chain length of the fish and macroinvertebrate assemblages as well as the combined CSS of 15 mid-sized (2nd-4th order) streams in north-central West Virginia respond across gradients of watershed factors (drainage area, mean drainage slope, mean drainage elevation, drainage % forest, and stream specific conductance). Field sampling was carried out in …

Investigating The Change In Pavement Cracking Data Due To Automated Data Collection Methods, Faisal Quibria Chowdhury

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Data collection on pavement surface cracks is crucial for the state Departments of Transportation (DOTs) to make informed decisions on maintenance, repair, and rehabilitation (MR&R) activities. The collected cracking data is translated into a pavement performance indicator to assess the condition of pavement sections and identify MR&R needs based on predetermined threshold values set by the state DOTs. State DOTs have transitioned from manual to automated data collection as automation offers many advantages over manual data collection, such as improved data collection rates, efficiency, cost reduction, and safety. As the state DOTs have integrated automated data into the pavement performance …

Empowering Elderpreneurs Scommerce For Genx Consignment Store Owners In West Virginia, Joyita Sarkar

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

In an ever-evolving digital landscape, this research explores Generation X (GenX) consignment store owners in West Virginia and the transformative power of Social commerce (sCommerce). Despite the ubiquity of Social media platforms, little attention has been given to the impact of sCommerce on the consignment store industry. Drawing from the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) and the Diffusion of Innovation Theory (DIT), this study examines the factors influencing sCommerce adoption decisions for GenX consignment store owners.

Through qualitative research, this study uncovers untold stories within this entrepreneurial landscape. Purposeful sampling of 11 women and 20-60 minutes of in-depth interviews reveal the …

Methane Emissions Produced By Pneumatic Devices And Produced Water Tanks On Natural Gas Wellsites, Benjamin William Thornton

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Abstract

Methane Emissions Produced by Pneumatic Devices and Produced Water Tanks on Natural Gas Wellsites

Benjamin W. Thornton

In recent years, more scrutiny has been placed on the release of greenhouse gasses (GHGs) by the oil and gas industry in North America as climate concerns increase. In the coming years, stricter regulations proposed by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) concerning the release of GHGs will further direct attention to GHG emissions quantification, modeling, and overall reduction. Active natural gas wellsites employ production equipment that routinely emits methane during normal operation. Production equipment often includes, but is not limited to, gas …

State Estimation, Covariance Estimation, And Economic Optimization Of Semi-Batch Bioprocesses, Ronald Hunter Alexander

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

One of the most critical aspects of any chemical process engineer is the ability to gather, analyze, and trust incoming process data as it is often required in control and process monitoring applications. In real processes, online data can be unreliable due to factors such as poor tuning, calibration drift, or mechanical drift. Outside of these sources of noise, it may not be economically viable to directly measure all process states of interest (e.g., component concentrations). While process models can help validate incoming process data, models are often subject to plant-model mismatches, unmodeled disturbances, or lack enough detail to track …

Development Of Inconel 718f And Inconel 718e Powders For Parts Manufacturing Utilizing Binder Jet Three-Dimensional Printing And Compressed Pellet Methods, Duncan Eric Manor Ii

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Alloy Inconel 718 is a Ni based superalloy used for high temperature applications including turbine blades, turbocharger rotors and nuclear reactors. Inconel 718 is a popular commercial atomized powder that has limitations in performance for use in additive manufacturing applications due to poor part quality and efficiency of current fabrication methods. Developing new compositions and additive manufacturing (AM) methodologies of IN718 is critical to improve the quality and the efficiency of IN718 parts manufacturing. Developing new additive manufacturing methodology that produces higher quality parts made of IN718 as compared to current methods has the potential to greatly impact industry, academia, …

Producing Hardwood Cross - Laminated Timber (Hclt) Mats From Low Grade Red Oak Lumber, Jonathan R. Norris

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

The use of cross-laminated timber (CLT) has significantly grown in North America, but hardwood species have not yet been deemed a viable material to manufacture CLT panels, whereas, softwood species continue to serve as the only approved material for CLT in structural applications according to ANSI/APA PRG-320. In order to introduce hardwoods into the CLT market, we must develop non-structural CLT products that utilize low grade lumber from hardwood species. This allows hardwood manufacturers to enter the CLT market without certification, while also displaying the strength and beauty of the hardwood resources found within this region.

Of the hardwood species …

Investigation Of Oxidation And Corrosion Resistance Of Ni-Based Alloys And Stainless Steels Under Co2 Environments At Elevated Temperatures, Spencer Roy Fultineer

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

High mechanical strength integrity, high robustness towards oxidation, and high resistance to carburization under CO2 environments at elevated temperatures are usually required for metallic systems that are employed for power generation. INCONEL 625 is a nickel-based superalloy that started development in the 1950s. This material was designed with the distinct purpose of use in high-temperature and high-pressure systems. While various materials possess the physical properties to handle these conditions, the creation of IN625 addresses the need for a material to withstand the highly corrosive properties of these kinds of environments. In order to evaluate the oxidation and corrosion resistance of …

Skirting The Law: Sensationalism And Spectacle Of British Murderesses From The 1830s To The 1860s, Sarah Elizabeth Offutt

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

“Skirting the Law: Sensationalism and Spectacle of British Murderesses from the 1830s to the 1860s” concentrates on women who committed the crime of murder during a time where print culture rose in popularity, gendered spheres of influence dictated lives, and class consciousness governed society. Due to their rarity and uniqueness, murderesses became a fascination among the public as they defined societal expectations. While some women inspired sympathy for their plight that led to their actions, others were viewed as wicked and abominations of nature. When observing how infrequently women were convicted in comparison to men, the thesis argues that their …

Interpretation Of The Tandem Mass Spectrum Of The Novel Psychoactive Substance 5f-App-Pinaca, Px-2, Christopher S. Poulos

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Designer drugs and novel psychoactive substances (NPSs) are continuously entering the black market and causing serious health problems among users. NPSs present an especially difficult challenge to forensic chemists and toxicologists because they are not well characterized and often involve families of structurally related analogs. In crime laboratories, mass spectrometry is commonly used as a part of an analytical scheme to characterize and identify unknown analytes. Towards this end, tandem mass spectra of questioned analytes are often compared to reference spectra of standards that are either collected contemporaneously with the analyte or collected previously and stored in a database. However, …

A Case Study Analysis Of The Experiences And Perceived Learning Outcomes Of Former Non-Music Majors In Applied Horn Lessons, Jordan Bennett

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Non-major music students are an integral part of university music departments, as they both bolster the department’s enrollment numbers and bring diverse perspectives to the ensembles, lessons, and classes in which they participate. Although most non-majors focus their time on ensembles, a few choose to include lessons as part of their experience. Whether motivated by external factors like scholarship money or internal factors like a desire to improve on an instrument, these non-majors are a unique part of any applied studio. However, the phenomenon of non-majors in applied lessons is understudied. Literature tends to focus on non-major enrollment in ensembles …

Fish Community Responses To Environmental And Anthropogenic Conditions In West Virginia, Katherine A. Adase

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

While Appalachia is among the oldest region in the world, Central West Virginia watersheds have been impacted by anthropogenic stressors, including extractive mining and timber harvest industries, as well as urban development and agriculture, damns, fracking, mining, and land cover use. This study aims to understand how natural environmental and human altered gradients impact affect diversity of fish communities in streams and rivers throughout Central Appalachia. The first chapter aims to provide insights into the impact of the 2016 low head dam removals on taxonomic and functional fish communities in the West Fork River, West Virginia and the potential benefits …

Meiotic Recombination In Zea Mays And Its Contribution To Genetic Diversity, Jasmine Elizabeth Freeman

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Meiotic recombination plays a vital role in shaping genome evolution by introducing genetic diversity necessary for natural selection. Recombination rates exhibit extensive variation within and between species, occurring in specific regions known as hotspots and coldspots along individual chromosomes. Maize, with its well-characterized genome, provides an excellent model for studying the nonrandom pattern of meiotic recombination. While retrotransposon activity contributes to significant intergenic variation in maize inbred lines, the genic space remains conserved in terms of gene order and sequence. To investigate recombination activity in the Bz1/Sh1 region, the maize haplotypes W22 and B73, which share genetic backgrounds but differ …

Spatial Distribution And Insect Associations Of Frangula Alnus In The Allegheny National Forest, Pennsylvania: Implications For Management, Jennifer S. Greenleaf

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Glossy buckthorn (Frangula alnus) (Rosales: Rhamnaceae) is an invasive European shrub that threatens to displace native vegetation in roadsides and disturbed forests in North America due to its lack of natural enemies, long leaf-out periods, and its ability to survive in a multitude of soil conditions. While well understood in its native range, information regarding F. alnus in North America is lacking. Currently, the management of this invasive shrub relies on an understanding of where it can be found and thus where treatments should be applied. This research investigated the spatial distribution patterns of F. alnus and profiled …

Combustion Characteristics Of Methane, Ethane, Propane, And Butane Blends Under Conditions Relevant Of A Dual-Fuel Diesel And Natural Gas Engine, Christopher Joseph Ulishney

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

As natural gas production infrastructure is already in place in most of the world and will continue expanding for the foreseeable future, natural gas is an alternative to traditional liquid petroleum fuels in heavy-duty engines. Dedicated natural gas or dual-fuel diesel-natural gas heavy-duty engines are alternatives to diesel-only power generation equipment. One challenge is the large variation in the natural gas composition available for such applications, which is known to significantly affect engine’s combustion characteristics and the emissions composition. As the literature on dual-fuel combustion under low load engine operating conditions that use more realistic natural gas mixtures (i.e., mixtures …

Role Of Cytochrome P450-Epoxygenases And Adenosine A2a Receptor In The Modulation Of Vascular Response, Stephanie Onyeka Agba

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Coronary Artery Disease (CAD) is one of the leading causes of mortality worldwide, and endothelial dysfunction is a major precursor for cardiovascular diseases (CVDs). Arachidonic acids in the vascular endothelial membrane are metabolized by the cytochrome P450-epoxygenases (CYP-2Js and 2Cs) to produce epoxyeicosatrienoic acid (EETs). These anti-inflammatory metabolites or oxylipins have been shown to be cardio-protective against ischemic/reperfusion injury and mediate vasodilation through hyperpolarization of smooth muscle cells. However, the enzyme called soluble epoxide hydrolase (sEH), mainly hydrolyzes EETs to its inactive form (DHETs) and an increase in sEH upregulates Angiotensin-II type1-receptor and facilitates endothelial dysfunction.

we previously showed vascular …

Us Buyers’ Behavior Towards Social Sustainable Certificates, Mehnaz Fatima Monamy

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Growing awareness of the fashion industry's environmental footprint in terms of water and chemical use, carbon emissions, textile waste, energy usage, and water pollution has focused international attention on sustainability issues in apparel industries. To showcase their commitment to sustainability, many fashion companies turn to certifications and accreditations from third-party organizations. These certifications and accreditations not only help improve a company's performance and marketability but also give them an advantage over their competitors. US textile buyers are also becoming more selective in their purchasing decisions, looking for high-quality products that are produced in a sustainable and socially responsible manner. This …

Vaping With Nicotine During Pregnancy Affects Aortic Structure And Function In Rat Offspring, Sydney Alexis Nassabeh

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Electronic cigarette (E-cig) use during pregnancy has grown in popularity due to the marketing of these devices as safer alternatives to traditional cigarettes. However, nicotine is a constituent in cigarettes that is cause for concern and is also present in a majority of E-cig devices. Little has been reported regarding the implications of E-cig use with nicotine during pregnancy on offspring health outcomes. This study tested the hypothesis that in-utero exposure to nicotine-containing E-cig aerosol would result in a wattage-dependent increase in vascular endothelial dysfunction and arterial stiffening that would persist throughout the lifespan of the offspring. Pregnant Sprague-Dawley rats …

Use Of Carbonation For Treatment Of Coal Mine Drainage To Increase Limestone Dissolution And Generate Alkalinity, Dietrich Henry Kuhlmann Iv

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Abstract

Use of Carbonation for Treatment of Coal Mine Drainage to Increase Limestone Dissolution and Generate Alkalinity

Dietrich Kuhlmann IV

Anoxic limestone drains (ALDs) are a common component used within passive treatment systems for coal mine drainage (CMD). Contact between limestone aggregate and CMD results in limestone dissolution, producing carbonate alkalinity. Though ALDs are one of the least expensive CMD treatment technologies, alkalinity generation is limited by limestone solubility. This necessitates a long retention time (>12 hours) and sometimes results in net acidic effluent which requires additional alkalinity generation steps downstream. One way to increase calcite dissolution and alkalinity …