Thesis (Ed. D.)--West Virginia University, 2003. / Title from document title page. Document formatted into pages; contains iv, 73 p. + HTML presentation (ports., facsims.). Includes an HTML document: A lecture on John Brown by "Porte Crayon" alias David Hunter Strother, an annotated edition with primary materials by Hilary Attfield. Includes abstract. Includes bibliographical references.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Missouri-Columbia, 2002. / Typescript. Vita. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 159-171). Also available on the Internet.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Oregon, 2002. / Typescript. Includes vita and abstract. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 292-309).

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Missouri-Columbia, 2002. / Typescript. Vita. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 159-171). Also available on the Internet.

Energy and vegetable oil prices have caused many biodiesel producers to turn to waste cooking oils as feedstocks. These oils contain high levels of free fatty acids (FFAs) which make them difficult or impossible to convert to biodiesel by conventional production methods. Esterification is required for ultra-high FFA feedstocks such as Brown Grease. In addition, ultrasonic irradiation has the potential to improve the kinetics of the esterification reaction. 2-level, multi-factor DOE experiments were conducted to characterize the esterification reaction in ultra-high FFA oils as well as determine whether ultrasonic irradiation gives any benefit besides energy input. The study determined that sulfuric acid content had the greatest effect followed by temperature and water content (inhibited reaction). Methanol content had no effect in the range studied. A small interaction term existed between sulfuric acid and temperature. The study also concluded that sonication did not give any additional benefit over energy input.

In streams, wood provides protection, food and substrate for benthic macroinvertebrates, which leads a higher density and diversity of the benthic fauna compared to streams without wood. To examine wood and its effect on drift of macroinvertebrates an experiment was done in 18 sections of six semi-natural streams where fine woody debris (Salix sp.) was added to half of the sections (1-2 per stream). The purpose was to investigate possible differences in density and diversity of macroinvertebrates aswell as to investigate if there was any effect of location, upstream or downstream, in the streams. The results showed no significant effect of woody debris on total drift. The lack of an effect is probably related to the high abundance of predators (fish, brown trout) and the time of the day when the samples were taken. There was a significant effect of time on total drift; with more drift in September than in October. An effect of time was also found for the taxon Diptera (Chironomidae not included), with drift decreasing with temperature over the season. / Ved i ett vattendrag ger skydd, föda och substrat åt bentiska makroevertebrater, vilket leder till en högre täthet och diversitet av makroevertebrater än i vattendrag utan ved. För att undersöka vedens inverkan på makroevertebraternas drift utfördes ett experiment i sammanlagt 18 inhägnader i semi-naturliga bäckar där hälften av inhägnaderna behandlades med fin ved (Salix sp.). Syftet var att undersöka eventuella skillnader i täthet och diversitet av makroevertebrater samt om det fanns en skillnad i läge, uppströms och nedströms i bäckarna. Resultatet visade ingen signifikant effekt av ved med avseende på den totala driften. Det fanns heller ingen signifikant effekt av ved på tätheten i enskilda på ved än utan. De bakomliggande faktorerna till varför ingen signifikant effekt av ved visades är troligtvis den höga tätheten av predatorer (öring) och tidpunkten då proverna togs. Det fanns dock en signifikant effekt av tid gällande den totala driften, i september var det mer drift än i oktober. Det fanns även en signifikant effekt av tiden på Diptera (alla Diptera taxa förutom Chironomidae). Detta tros vara på grund av den sjunkande temperaturen mellan månaderna.

We search for planets and brown dwarves around white dwarves (WDs). Finding extra-solar planets is the first step toward establishing the existence and abundance of life in the Universe. The low mass and luminosity of WDs make them ideal stars to search for low mass companion objects. Theoretical predictions generally agree that a star will consume and destroy close-in, low mass planets as it ascends the red giant and asymptotic giant branch evolutionary tracks, but larger mass objects and those further out will survive. The matter ejected from the star as it evolves into a white dwarf may also be accreted onto daughter planets, or may coalesce into a disk from which planets can form. We employ two techniques to search for planets and brown dwarves (BDs) around WDs. A subset of pulsating white dwarf stars have a pulsational stability that rivals pulsars and atomic clocks. When a planet is in orbit around a such a star the orbital motion of the star around the centre of mass is detectable as a change in arrival times of the otherwise stable pulsations. We search for, and find, a sample of suitable pulsators, monitor them for between three and four years, and place limits on companions by constraining the variation consistent with a 2.4M[subscript J] planet in a 4.6 year orbit. We also observe a large sample of WDs to search for a mid-infrared excess caused by the presence of sub-stellar companions. We present evidence for a potential binary system consisting of a WD and a BD on the basis of an observed excess flux at near and mind-infrared wavelengths. We also place limits on the presence of planetary mass companions around those stars and compare our results to predictions of planetary survival theories. Our findings do not support suggestions of planet formation or accretion of extra mass during stellar death.

\(PGC1\alpha\) is a key transcriptional coregulator of mitochondrial biogenesis, oxidative metabolism and thermogenesis. We developed a quantitative high throughput screen to identify small molecules that can induce \(PGC1\alpha\) expression in adipocytes. Small molecules antagonizing the TRPVs (Transient Receptor Potential Vanilloid), a family of ion channels, induced \(PGC1\alpha\) expression in adipocytes. In particular, inhibition of TRPV4 increased expression of \(PGC1\alpha\), UCP1 and cellular respiration; conversely, chemical activation of TRPV4 repressed this pathway. Blocking TRPV4 in cultured adipocytes also reduced the expression of multiple proinflammatory genes that are involved in the development of insulin resistance. These effects of TRPV4 were mediated by the activation of ERK1/2. Finally, mice with a null mutation for TRPV4 showed higher energy expenditure with no change in movement or food intake, and were protected from diet-induced obesity, adipose inflammation and insulin resistance. This study links TRPV4 to robust pathways that offer therapeutic potential in obesity and related metabolic diseases.

Faced with an environment of constantly changing nutrient availability, mammals have adapted complex homeostatic mechanisms to maintain energy balance. Deviations from this balance are largely corrected through a concerted, multi-organ effort that integrates hormonal signals with transcriptional regulatory networks. When these relationships are altered, as with over-nutrition and insulin resistance, metabolic disease ensues. Here, I present data concerning two distinct transcriptional pathways--one for thyroid hormone (TH) and one for insulin--that confer hormone responsiveness on metabolic gene programs that preserve energy homeostasis.

Previous studies have shown that ice cover has many positive effects on brown trout (Salmo trutta), including protection from endothermic predators. I tested whether it is the cover provided by the ice itself or the reduction in light that causes behavioral changes in juvenile brown trout. To distinguish between these two effects, behavioural observations were made with and without ice at the same light intensity (500 lux). An additional ice-free, high light (3000 lux) treatment was included to be able to measure brown trout’s response to light reduction. A mink model was used to simulate predation risk to be able to measure the fish’s anti-predator response under these three conditions. I found a significant treatment effect on body and eye coloruration. For eye colouration, I found that fish under ice had a paler eye colouration than fish that experienced high light, which in turn were paler than fish subjected to low light. For body colouration, fish under ice had paler body colouration than fish from the two ice-free treatments, which did not differ from each other. There was no effect of treatment on ventilation rate, time to initiate foraging, time to initiate activity or swimming activity, although both foraging and activity were lowest and swimming activity highest under ice. The changes in body and eye colouration indicate that trout are less stressed under ice, presumably because they perceive ice as a barrier against terrestrial predators. These results suggest that the ongoing climate change, which is leading to shorter periods of sustained ice cover, may have negative consequences for trout populations in the near future. / Tidigare studier har visat att yttäckande is medför många positiva effekter för öring (Salmo trutta), bland annat genom att utgöra skydd mot endoterma predatorer. Jag undersökte om det är den yttäckande isen i sig som medför beteendeförändringar hos juvenila öringar eller om det är det reducerade ljusinsläppet som isen medför. För att separera dessa två effekter gjordes beteendeobservationer med och utan ytis under samma ljusintensitet (500 lux). En ytterligare isfri behandling gjordes, med starkt ljus (3000 lux), för att kunna mäta öringens respons på ljusreduceringen. En uppstoppad mink användes för att simulera predationsrisken, detta för att kunna mäta fiskarnas antipredationsresponser under dessa tre förhållanden. Jag fann en signifikant behandlingseffekt på kropps- och ögonfärg. Under is hade fiskarna en blekare ögonfärg än när de befann sig under starkt ljus, som i sin tur resulterade i blekare färg än när fiskarna utsattes för svagt ljus. När det gäller kroppsfärg uppvisade fiskarna en blekare kroppsfärg under is än när de utsattes för de två isfria behandlingarna, vilka inte skiljde sig från varandra. Behandlingarna gav ingen effekt på gälslagsfrekvens, tid till att initiera födosök, tid till att initiera aktivitet eller simaktivitet, dock var tid till både födosök och aktivitet lägst och simaktivitet störst under is. Förändringarna i kropps- och ögonfärg indikerar att öring är mindre stressad under is, vilket eventuellt kan bero på att de uppfattar isen som en barriär mot terrestra predatorer. Dessa resultat tyder på att den pågående klimatförändringen, som innebär kortare perioder av ihållande yttäckande is, kan medföra negativa konsekvenser för öringpopulationer inom den närmaste framtiden.