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From Bones to Bias: Exploring Demographic Gaps in the West Virginia University Osteological Collection
Get PDFOsteological collections are essential to forensic anthropology and bioarchaeology but often refl ect historical biases. Analysis of 26 individuals from West Virginia University’s osteological collection revealed disproportionate representation: 46.2% Asian/Native American, 34.6% African American, and 19.2% European American, with a skew toward middle-aged adults. Sex estimations varied, with 26.9% indeterminate. These imbalances stem from unethical collection practices, such as grave robbing and using unclaimed bodies. Addressing these issues requires transparency, provenance research, and ethical sourcing. This study underscores the need for equitable representation, ethical stewardship, and revised methods to mitigate bias in osteological teaching and research
No Man’s a Stone: A Qualitative Approach to Characterizing Masculinity in Older Adulthood
Get PDFSuicide rates are exceedingly high in U.S. older men (aged 65 years and older). In 2020, older men were about 6.5 times more likely to die by suicide than older women and 1.14 times more likely than men aged 18 to 64 years. Masculine norms (e.g., emotional suppression, self-reliance, anger, physical toughness risk-taking behaviors, alcohol misuse) are believed to influence the presentation of mental disorders, such as depression, which has led to the conceptualization of masculine depression. Research on masculinity often focuses on the experiences of younger men, ignoring how gender identities may change as one progresses through adulthood. Meanwhile, theories on gender and aging such as Guttman’s crossover theory and Silver’s degendering theory lack empirical evidence. This has left a gap in the literature of investigating how theories on masculinity apply to older men, specifically focusing on how older men have constructed and altered their masculinity. Additionally, it is unclear how older men view suicide and how suicide may or may not fit into conceptualizations of masculinity. The present qualitative, semi-structured interview study asked twenty (N = 20) men over the age of 65 years (M = 75.95) about topics including the formation of their masculine identity; how, if at all, this identity has changed over the years; the personal meaning of their masculinity; their perceptions of suicidal ideation and behaviors; how, if at all, masculinity relates to suicide; and how to prevent suicide among older men. Acting as a community builder, being compassionate, being family-oriented, having integrity, having male interests, personhood, physical ability, power/control, relation to other men, relation to women, and self-actualization were themes that emerged in the context of what it means to be a man. Importantly, the men in this study did not consider suicide to be a manly act, and they believed that increased education, having hobbies, improved healthcare, having male camaraderie, and social connectedness would decrease the suicide rate among older men. Study results indicated that, while the men in this study described ways in which they shed some traditional masculine social norms as they aged, being a man remains salient in older adulthood. Researchers should consider the development of a new theory on gender and aging that incorporates the individuality of experiencing both the gender and aging processes, possibly through blending social constructionist theory of masculinity and Guttman’s crossover theory of gender and aging
Inactivation Kinetics of Escherichia coli and Listeria Monocytogenes in Edible insects
No full textEdible insects are emerging as sustainable and nutritious alternatives to conventional protein sources. However, concerns about food safety, particularly the presence of pathogenic bacteria such as Escherichia coli and Listeria monocytogenes, remain a barrier to consumer acceptance and industrial use. This study evaluated the effectiveness of thermal processing in inactivating E. coli, L. monocytogenes, and their non-pathogenic surrogates (E. coli JM109 and Listeria innocua) in both fresh and dehydrated forms of Tenebrio molitor (mealworm) and Acheta domesticus (cricket). It also evaluated the influence of insect species, moisture content, and temperature on microbial inactivation. A microbial challenge study was conducted by inoculating fresh mealworms and crickets with the target bacteria to levels above 9 log CFU/g. Dehydrated samples were produced via oven and freeze-drying. Inoculated samples were vacuum-sealed in thin pouches (\u3c 1 mm) and subjected to thermal treatment at 60–90°C for up to 5 minutes using a circulating water bath. Survivors were enumerated via standard 10-fold serial dilution and spread plating. D- and z-values were calculated to determine inactivation kinetics. Data were analyzed using a generalized linear mixed model (GLIMMIX) with a Negative Binomial distribution. Thermal resistance, indicated by D-values, was significantly influenced by bacterial strain and temperature (p \u3c 0.0001) and by treatment type (p = 0.0075) but not by insect species (p = 0.5065). D-values varied depending on processing, with fresh samples having significantly higher values than dehydrated ones (p = 0.0020), and both treatments having lower values than desiccated bacteria, which had the highest D-value (p \u3c 0.0001); however, no significant difference was observed between freeze-dried and oven-dried samples (p = 0.4886). Across insect types, the non-pathogenic E. coli JM109 exhibited the highest D70, 144 seconds, indicating increased thermal resistance, while E. coli O157:H7, L. monocytogenes, and L. innocua had lower D-values (D70) of 36, 29, and 31 seconds, respectively, for mealworm samples in the fresh treatment group. L. innocua showed comparable thermal resistance to L. monocytogenes, supporting its use as a suitable non-pathogenic surrogate. In contrast, the high D- and z-values observed for E. coli JM109 suggest that it may overestimate pathogen resistance under real-world conditions. Intrinsic properties of insects such as water activity, moisture content, and pH results were used to understand their effects on microbial inactivation kinetics. This study provides critical insights into the thermal inactivation kinetics of key foodborne pathogens and their surrogates in edible insects. While L. innocua is validated as a suitable surrogate for L. monocytogenes, the elevated resistance of E. coli JM109 highlights its limitations in simulating E. coli O157:H7. The findings support the development of safe thermal processing strategies for edible insects, contributing to food safety assurance in this emerging protein source. Additionally, the reduction in water activity, pH, and moisture content due to dehydration plays a significant role in influencing thermal resistance
A Strategic Infrastructure Improvement Framework for Intermodal Transportation Networks
No full textIn this research, we propose a novel approach to design infrastructure networks for intermodal freight transportation systems, which incorporates railways, highways, and inland waterways (IWW). The objective of our study is to identify the optimal set of hubs to be built and operated over an extended time, based on the projected domestic cargo demand. Unlike traditional hub location models, our approach introduces hybrid hubs, where hybrid transportation modes are integrated to facilitate cargo handling. This innovative integration enables more efficient intermodal connections, leading to tangible reductions in operating costs, and carbon emissions. Specifically, we propose a mixed integer programming model to optimize infrasructure improvement, facility utilization, and cargo transportation decisions jointly. Due to the complexity of our model, solving large-scale problems become intractable. As such, we develop efficient decomposition solution algorithms, including Benders decomposition and a branch-and-cut (B&C) approach utilizing Benders optimality cuts. We further conduct comprehensive computational experiments to validate model performance and algorithm efficiency. Our case study shows that the proposed model holistically improves the efficiency, cost-effectiveness, and sustainability of the intermodal freight transportation system in the United States
A Comparison of the Strategies and Methods Influencing Success among Formally Trained Artists v. Outsider, Naive, or Self-Taught Artists
No full textThis thesis examines the contrasting strategies and methods formally trained artists, self- taught artists, naive artists, and outsider artists used to influence their success in their chosen field. The study explored each of their educational backgrounds, available resources, and unique expertises that allowed them to achieve a successful art career. Every pathway has unique advantages and challenges (Langley, 2024). Formally trained artists and exhibiting artists typically have degrees in art from a university or post-secondary art school. My research highlighted the benefits of having a formal art education, a structured learning environment, access to resources, networking opportunities, and professional mentorship. The research was also used to further determine whether the success of a formally trained, self-taught, outsider, or naive artist was influenced by their educational background, skills, opportunities, personal drive, and available resources. To analyze success among artists I used a phenomenology approach to my conceptual framework and quantitative methods of online surveys, which I sent to 43 self- taught and formally educated artists. The qualitative data obtained from the surveys focus on the formal education, strategies, and motivation artists employed in their journey to success. The findings of my study appeared to show that access to these tools increases the likelihood of artists achieving success without the hindrance of building their career from scratch. My research also illuminated how these tools, however, may not be the universal solution to success. A lack of formal constraints allowed for self-taught, outside, and naive artists to develop unconventional techniques and perspectives that lead to more innovative and original artwork. This contrast created a unique understanding of what it truly means to succeed in the field of art
Delineating Underground Geological Formations: An Integrated LiDAR and Camera-based Approach for Enhanced Feature Identification in Poorly Lit Mining Environments
No full textUnderground mining environments present challenges in accurately identifying geological formations and potential hazards due to poor lighting conditions and confined spaces. Traditional imaging methods often fall short, making it difficult to detect critical geological features such as limestone, shale, and other rock formations. This research addresses these challenges by integrating camera imagery with Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR) data to improve geological formation detection in poorly lit mining settings.
LiDAR, with its ability to generate high-resolution three-dimensional models in low-light or dark conditions, offers a promising solution to these limitations. By combining LiDAR’s precise 3D models with camera imagery, the study applies advanced computer vision techniques, including deep learning-based semantic segmentation, to analyze and interpret the integrated data. Additionally, the research examines the effect of lighting conditions on the quality of visual data and its impact on geological feature recognition. A comprehensive dataset of geological images, captured under various lighting conditions, is developed to train deep learning models for improved detection.
This research aims to enhance the identification of geological features, leading to more accurate hazard assessments, better rock mass characterization, and ultimately, safer mining practices. The integration of LiDAR and computer vision techniques holds the potential to improve geological assessments, contributing to the prevention of roof fall accidents and advancing the application of technology in underground mining operations
The Economics of Substance Use: Treatment, Intervention, and Regulation
No full textSubstance use in the United States has remained an area of concern with rates of overdose deaths increasing steadily over the years. Historically, the United States has relied on abstinence based treatment options for individuals with substance use disorder. Economists have long been interested in the affects of various supply and demand side policy interventions to help reduce the instance of substance use disorder, especially following the prescription opioid crisis of the 1990s and early 2000s. Supply side policies are most commonly enacted as a way to reduce the supply of illicit substances that enter the market. However, these supply side interventions have led to unintended consequences and substitution to alternative and more potent substances such as heroin. This dissertation investigates the effectiveness of alternative treatment and intervention options for substance use disorder as well as the regulatory environment that impacts the accessibility for abstinence based treatment.
Chapter 1 evaluates the role of supply side changes in the illicit market supply on the evaluation of harm reduction services. Following the passing of SB 192, the state of Kentucky legalized the provision of syringe service programs (SSPs). Harm reduction is an alternative option for intervening during active substance use in order to reduce the associated risks. Using the National Vital Statistics System’s restricted-use multiple cause of death data I track overdose deaths before and after a syringe exchange is opened in a county. Using a synthetic difference in differences design, I find that counties with a SSP experience an additional 2 overdose deaths per 100,000 population. However, when separating by substance type listed at the time of death, these increases are primarily driven by increases in fentanyl related overdose deaths. Further, when I account for the proportion of fentanyl within the illicit market supply, the difference in outcome is indistinguishable from zero. This indicates that the makeup of the supply within the illicit substance market must be accounted for when evaluating the effectiveness of these programs otherwise there is risk of over estimating the effects.
In Chapter 2, alongside Dr. Shishir Shakya, we evaluate the effect of substance use facility certificate of need state laws on access to abstinence based treatment facilities. Using the National Directory of Drug and Alcohol Abuse Treatment Facilities we measure the differences in access in states with these laws compared to those without. We develop a novel access indicator that accounts for the duration and distance of traveling to and from a facility from a county population weighted centroid. Findings suggest that states with certificate of need laws have approximately 10% less spatial accessibility to facilities in terms of driving time. This means that patients in these states have to travel longer to access services as a result of policy.
Chapter 3, in collaboration with Dr. Nathaniel Burke, investigates the behavioral affects of binding and non-binding goals on worker productivity. Labor market regulation often includes licensing and certifications that are used as signals of quality and regulatory compliance. These licenses and certifications can be seen as binding and non-binding goals, respectively, when applied to a labor market environment. We implement a lab experiment to test how individuals respond to different types of goals in the context of occupational regulation. We find that when participants set goals, there is an increase in productivity compared to non-goal setting participants. We use these results to provide a framework for evaluating how workers, producers, and regulators respond to different types of goals in simulated labor market
Approaches to the Synthesis of Highly Substituted Arenes
No full textWhile benzene rings and their derivatives are among the most frequently encountered ring systems in natural products, pharmaceuticals, agrochemicals, dyes, and functional materials, polysubstituted arenes are relatively scarce. The analysis of FDA-approved small molecules provides valuable insights into the characteristics of successful drugs while also highlighting gaps in the availability of synthetic methods capable of efficiently accessing diverse substitution patterns on aromatic rings. Highly substituted arenes are typically synthesized through sequential modification of a pre-existing benzene core; however, this stepwise approach becomes increasingly challenging with each additional substitution. An alternative strategy involves the direct construction of benzene rings via annulation reactions, which offer significant advantages over traditional methods in terms of efficiency, versatility, and atom economy.
In our study, we explored the medicinal chemistry of the sesquiterpene natural product Illudalic acid (IA1), which contains a hexa-substituted aromatic ring constituting its trifunctional pharmacophore for protein tyrosine phosphatase (PTP) inhibition. Using benzannulation chemistry to install the polysubstituted benzene core, we developed synthetic routes to IA1 and its analogs to evaluate their selective inhibition of LAR-PTP enzymes.
Additionally, we investigated a cationic Rh(I)-catalyzed diyne-alkyne cyclotrimerization reaction for the synthesis of polysubstituted benzenoids. By modifying the functionalities on the reactants, we achieved regioselective control over this cycloaddition reaction and applied it to the concise synthesis of a penultimate precursor of the norilludalane sesquiterpene, puraquinonic acid.
Furthermore, we developed a streamlined process for synthesizing neopentylene-tethered (NPT) 1,6-enynes in three steps from the inexpensive and readily available material dimedone via tandem fragmentation/olefination. NPT 1,6-enynes are crucial intermediates for reaction discovery and target-oriented synthesis due to their strategic importance in accessing complex chemical architectures.
The development of novel synthetic approaches for the construction of highly substituted arenes is crucial for advancing organic synthesis. Strategies that address the limitations of traditional methods, improve regioselectivity, and broaden the range of accessible substitution patterns will have far-reaching implications in medicinal chemistry, materials science, and beyond
Mathematical Contributions to the Study of Chemotaxis and Cell Signaling
No full textThis dissertation presents results from two mathematical projects concerned with the biology of cells. Chapter 1 provides biological background and places the two mathematical problems in the context of cell signaling. The larger project, with Prof. H. Hattori on a chemotaxis model is presented in Chapters 3 and 4. Work with Prof. \\u27{A}. Hal\\u27{a}sz on a chemical reaction network system with linear multimers and two types of labels is presented in Chapter 2. The chemotaxis system describes the one-dimensional dynamics of a species of cells with two chemical species, a chemo-attractant and chemo-repellent. The goal is to analyze the behavior of the system at steady state (in time), find critical points and investigate their stability properties. The main approach relies on singular perturbation theory with various choices for the fast and slow variables. Chapter 3 provides the general definition of the chemotaxis model, as a time dependent system in one spatial dimension, with diffusion, transport, and chemical interaction terms. A simplifying assumption (damping) is introduced, and the rest of the chapter is devoted to the study of this model at steady state in time. The resulting Ordinary Differential Equation system is investigated using Singular Perturbation Theory (SPT). We focus on the critical points and related orbits. There are four branches of critical points, an all related orbits are homoclinic. In Chapter 4 we return to the full system and perform a steady-state analysis using a different SPT approach. We obtain a structure of critical (point) branches similar to the damping case. However, in addition to homiclinic orbits, there are heteroclinic orbits associated to some of the critical points. In Chapter 2 we develop a mathematical framework to help connect molecular-resolution experimental data to chemical reaction network (CRN) models of dimerization and oligomerizaion. We analyze a CRN system where a base (monomer) species of molecules can form dimers, trimers, and larger oligomers. This type of behavior is often seen with receptors and is directly relevant to the evolution of clinical conditions. One experimental approach relies on the visualisation of individual monomers by adding fluorescent tags. We use the results from the CRN model to analyze the relation between observable patterns (frequency of one- or two-color aggregates) and the distribution of oligomer sizes
Not Everyone Believes Sports Are a Safe Space: Development of a Toxic Sports Fandom Scale
No full textDysfunctional Fan Behavior is a concept developed by Wakefield & Wann (2006), that describes fan conduct, consisting of complaining and confrontation, that ruins the experience of sporting events for others. However, there is some evidence that although the items featured in the Dysfunctional Fan Behavior Scale are perceived as negative, they are also viewed as relatively normal and appropriate of sports fans. Bobbitt et al.’s (in press) qualitative analysis suggests that these behaviors are not always considered destructive or toxic in the context of sport, but the line between benignly rude and genuinely antisocial behavior is somewhat difficult to define. Drawing from this research, this dissertation argues that a measure of potentially harmful fan engagement could benefit from a focus on the beliefs that breed such toxic or dysfunctional behaviors, rather than the behaviors themselves. This dissertation develops a measure of Toxic Sports Fandom in an effort to more precisely capture the beliefs that underlie destructive and antisocial sports fan involvement. Following scale development guidelines laid out by Furr (2011) and Carpenter (2018), this research consists of two studies. In the first study, undergraduate students (N = 288) completed a survey of 50-items that were based on Bobbitt et al.’s research and designed to tap into five potential factors of toxic fandom. Exploratory factor analysis was used to reduce the scale into four dimensions. In the second study, the scale was subjected to confirmatory factor analysis with data from a sample recruited on CloudResearch (N = 451). After eliminating a few items from the initial model which demonstrated poor fit, the resultant 10-item scale of toxic sports fandom showed good model fit and reliability. The final scale consists of three dimensions: Entitlement to Aggression, Emotional Dysregulation, and Fan Loyalty. This dissertation concludes with a discussion of the scale’s factor structure and the scale’s applications in future research