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Translocation of Timber Rattlesnakes at Two West Virginia State Forests
Get PDFIn wildlife management, translocation is defined as the purposeful movement of an individual(s) from one place to another with a wildlife management goal. Translocation has become a common tool for mitigating negative human-wildlife interactions. We conducted a translocation study on timber rattlesnakes (Crotalus horridus) in response to numerous human-rattlesnake encounters with the goal of developing a translocation protocol that would allow natural resources personnel to mitigate negative encounters between the public and rattlesnakes and reduce impacts to local timber rattlesnake populations. In this study, we scaled translocation distance to site-specific home range characteristics to assess whether translocation outcomes benefit from using biologically relevant distances based on insight into local population movement patterns. We randomly assigned individuals to one of two treatment groups: intrahome range translocation (0.5 km) and extra-home range translocation (2.0 km). We did not detect an effect of translocation treatment on home-range size. We found a significant effect of the interaction between treatment group and time since release on daily distance moved. We used-known fate models to examine survival probability, and survival was negatively associated with extra-home range translocation and SVL. We suggest translocation can be an effective means of mitigating negative human-rattlesnake interactions, but site- and species-specific home-range size and movement patterns should be taken into consideration when determining translocation distances
SARS-COV-2 and its impact on emergency medicine
Get PDFThe SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19) pandemic impacted hospitals and healthcare workers throughout the world. This research sought to determine how the pandemic affected the mental health of healthcare workers in critical care, primarily because of hospitals’ focus on finances instead of healthcare workers’ mental well-being. This research included extensive literature review as well as a semi-structured interview with an emergency medicine physician in Ashland, KY, who worked before the COVID-19 pandemic and during the COVID-19 pandemic. It was hypothesized that as hospitals attempted to focus primarily on recovering financial losses incurred from the pandemic, the mental health of clinicians fell through the cracks. Hospitals sustained many financial hardships as they experienced increased rates of emergency department Left Without Being Seen (LWBS), hospital Length of Stay (LOS), overcrowding, and increased rates of ED diversion. There were limitations in this research as the pandemic was relatively new. While these were avoided, there were still several limitations secondary to publication bias, researcher bias, and limited available data. With only one interviewee, opinions were limited, as well. Further research will be necessary to determine future repercussions of the pandemic on healthcare workers\u27 mental well-being
20220616: School of Music, 1965-2019
Get PDFThese items include materials from the School of Music at Marshall University from 1965-2019. Items were received in 2022 and include Music Programs within the school of music from 1965-2019
Current and Novel Neuroregenerative Therapies
Get PDFUnderlying the physical and cognitive deficits consequent of many neuropathologies is one common factor, the loss of neurons. While neurodegenerative diseases, stroke, and traumatic brain injury arise from a variety of etiologies, they all ultimately result in injury and/or death of neuronal cells and concomitant functional deficits. In the present work we primarily focus on current and potential treatments for localized lesions, particularly those in the striatum of Parkinson’s disease (PD) or the cortex as in stroke. First, we discuss a new surgical technique for deep brain stimulator (DBS) placement, as DBS is a mainstay treatment for movement disorders including PD. We then explore a novel brain implant capable of rerouting endogenous neural stem cells (NSCs) within the brain from their usual route to new areas of the brain. These implants are intended to recruit NSCs and regenerate lost brain tissue in disorders like PD and stroke. Finally, we investigate the varying effects of nicotine in the brain. Nicotine has been shown to be both neuroprotective for certain neuronal populations, yet neurotoxic to others. Therefore, awareness of the influences of nicotine on neural cells is vital for understanding how nicotine may be of help or detriment to current and prospective treatments for neurodegenerative disease
Investigation of the Effects of Prenatal Drug Exposure on Astrocyte-Mediated Synaptogenic Signaling
Get PDFOne of the most significant outcomes of the rise in rates of opioid abuse in the United States has been a dramatic increase in the incidence of neonatal abstinence syndrome (NAS), the clinical diagnosis for the collection of withdrawal-like signs and symptoms commonly observed in the newborns of mothers who abused certain drugs, such as opioids, during pregnancy. While a great deal of research has investigated the short-term symptoms and potential treatments for NAS, including my own studies to identify emerging trends among a local population of NAS patients, there remains a critical need to investigate the long-term effects of prenatal drug exposure on neurological development. A potential route through which drugs of abuse likely interact with the developing nervous system lies in astrocyte-mediated synaptic development, more specifically in signaling involving thrombospondins, a class of astrocyte secreted glycoproteins that act through binding to the neuronal cell surface receptor α2δ-1. α2δ-1 is also the receptor for the antiepileptic drug gabapentin. Co-abuse of opioids and gabapentin during pregnancy is associated with a unique presentation of NAS. I have therefore hypothesized that prenatal exposure to drugs of abuse leads to significant disruptions in astrocyte mediated synaptogenic signaling, resulting in permanent deficits in synapse formation and alterations in behaviors associated with addiction. To test this, I treated pregnant mice transgenic for α2δ-1 with one of four treatments: the opioid drug buprenorphine, gabapentin, a combination of both drugs, or a vehicle control. α2δ-1 wild-type, heterozygous, and knockout littermate pups of both sexes at 21 days of age were used for studies involving immunohistochemistry and confocal fluorescence microscopy to investigate synaptic connectivity within brain regions associated with reward. A second cohort of pups at 70 days of age underwent the same studies after first undergoing behavioral experiments examining anxiety, locomotion, and reward seeking. By completing these studies, I hoped to contribute to a greater understanding of the effects of prenatal opioid exposure on neurological and behavioral development that would inform parents, healthcare providers, and educators looking to meet the unique developmental and educational needs of children impacted by drug abuse
Black and White Student Adaptability to College at a Predominately White Historically Black University: A Single Institution Examination of West Virginia State University
Get PDFWith respect to studies examining Black students at predominately White historically Black colleges or universities (HBCU), very little data exists; therefore, the purpose of this study was to examine the extent to which the specific benefits to Black and White students attending an HBCU (i.e., academic adjustment, social adjustment, personal-emotional adjustment, and attachment to the institution) also accrue to those students whose HBCU is predominantly White. When comparing Black and White students, no research has been conducted on whether the benefits of attending an HBCU, for Black or White students, also accrue if the HBCU’s student population is majority White. To conduct this nonexperimental and descriptive study, the Student Adaptation to College Questionnaire (SACQ) was used. This instrument was distributed to approximately 1,100 West Virginia State University (WVSU) full-time students during the 2021 spring semester at WVSU via campus email. The research shows Black students at West Virginia State University (WVSU) are academically adjusting better to college than White students; however, White students are adjusting better socially and personally. According to the data, White students also have a stronger sense of attachment to WVSU; however, the cause for these outcomes is inconclusive
The Role of Fear and Stigma in Perpetuating Racial Health Orientation Disparities in Emerging Adults
Get PDFThis study examined relationships between cancer fear, race, anticipated stigma of chronic illness, and health orientation in emerging adults (N = 152). Hierarchical regressions and moderation analyses were used to evaluate the predictive nature of these variables on health orientation, as well as to determine the moderating role of race between cancer fear, anticipated stigma of chronic illness, and health orientation. Family history of chronic illness and cancer fear were both found to predict health orientation scores significantly. In addition, although people of color reported greater levels of anticipated stigma of chronic illness, race did not moderate the relationship between anticipated stigma of chronic illness and health orientation. With the findings of this study in mind, mental health professionals have an opportunity to work with clients, particularly clients of color, to combat stigma of chronic illness
An Examination of Teacher Perceptions of the Effectiveness of Online, On-Demand Professional Development for West Virginia Educators
Get PDFThis research investigated West Virginia teachers’ perceptions of online, on-demand professional development. The researcher used a mixed-methods, nonexperimental study that utilized a 16-item survey and a six-item follow-up survey to examine teacher perceptions. A convenience sample was used and was comprised of participants of the West Virginia Behavior/Mental Health Technical Assistance Center at Marshall University’s 2021 online, on-demand professional development, Keynotes for Key People. The purpose of the study was to determine if effectiveness characteristics of in-person professional development could be embodied by online, on-demand professional development. The premise of the study was that if the effectiveness characteristics of in-person professional development could not align to online, on-demand professional development, additional studies might need to be conducted in order to develop an effectiveness characteristic framework specific to online, on-demand professional development offerings. The study found that West Virginia teachers had an overall positive opinion of online, on-demand offerings and felt that Keynotes for Key People embodied effectiveness characteristics derived from traditional professional development research, however, more research needs to be done to determine whether the results are generalizable to other online, on-demand professional development offerings and other populations