Digital Commons Network^™

Focus Groups On Consumer Attitudes On Food Safety Educational Materials In Kentucky, Holly Holbrook Coleman

University of Kentucky Master's Theses

Four focus groups were conducted in Kentucky to evaluate differences in the participants knowledge of safe food handling practices, where they obtained their knowledge, which source(s) they trusted to provide accurate food safety messages and the effectiveness of messages from three different sources. The sources of food safety messages compared by the focus groups were the Partnership for Food Safety Educations FightBAC! material, food safety materials developed by the American Dietetic Association and funded by ConAgra Foundation and food safety materials developed by the University of Kentucky. Each focus group represented a specific population, (A) limited resource parents (Louisville); (B) …

Comparative Ecology Of The Golden-Winged Warbler And Blue-Winged Warbler On Reclaimed Mines In Southeastern Kentucky, Laura L. Patton

University of Kentucky Master's Theses

The golden-winged warbler (Vermivora chrysoptera) inhabits lower elevations on reclaimed surface mines in Kentucky, an indication of recent range expansion in this imperiled species. In 2004 and 2005, I compared breeding habitat between the golden-winged warbler and blue-winged warbler (V. pinus) in eastern Kentucky at landscape, territory, and nest site scales. Distance to forest edge averaged 38 m for the golden-winged warbler and 33 m for the blue-winged warbler. Maximum territory size averaged 1.5 ha for the golden-winged warbler and 2.1 ha for the blue-winged warbler. The golden-winged warbler occurred at higher elevations (up to 912 m) than the blue-winged …

The Function Of Socs Genes In Drosophila Development And Signaling Pathways, Qian Guo

University of Kentucky Master's Theses

The duration and intensity of the JAK/stat signaling must be tightly regulated to prevent excessive transcriptional response and to reset the pathway to receive additional signals. Socs are the largest class of these regulators in mammals. Eight Socs genes have been found in mammals. CIS, and SOCS1-3, the canonical Socs, are transcriptionally activated by and down-regulate the JAK signaling. Socs4-7, the non-canonical Socs, are less studied and their relationship with the JAK/STAT pathway has not been well established. The Drosophila genome encodes three non-canonical Socs homologues, Socs16D, Socs36E, and Socs44A. Expression of Socs36E is controlled by the JAK pathway and …

Influence Of The Serotonergic System On Physiology, Development, And Behavior Of Drosophila Melanogaster, Sameera Dasari

University of Kentucky Doctoral Dissertations

The regulation and modulation of the serotonergic system is clinically significant in humans. Abnormally low levels of serotonin can result in depression and conditions like panic disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder, social anxiety disorder, sudden infant death syndrome, and eating disorders. The mechanistic role of serotonin (5-HT) on the neural circuits related with these diseases is not definitively known. Drosophila is a simple model system that provides an advantage over vertebrates to modify genetically and for electrophysiological studies on identifiable cells. In this organism the sensory-CNS-motor circuit is modulated by 5-HT, octopamine (OA), and dopamine (DA), which gives one insight that these …

Prevention Of Hormonal Mammary Carcinogenesis In Rats By Dietary Berries And Ellagic Acid, Harini Sankaran Aiyer

University of Kentucky Doctoral Dissertations

Breast cancer is the most frequently diagnosed cancer among women around the world. The hormone 17-estradiol (E2) is strongly implicated as a causative agent in this cancer. Since estrogen acts as a complete carcinogen, agents that interfere with the carcinogenic actions of E2 are required. Most agents effective against experimental mammary carcinogenesis have been employed as pure compounds disregarding the synergy that exists between several phytonutrients in a whole food. In these studies we have taken a unified approach, by employing a pure phytonutrient ellagic acid and whole foods that contain the phytonutrient at various levels berries, in the prevention …

Oxidative Stress And Mitochondrial Dysfunction In Traumatic Brain Injury In Aging, Changxing Shao

University of Kentucky Doctoral Dissertations

Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is a prominent disease in developed countries, and age is an important factor in functional outcome. Although aged patients typically show diminished recovery compared to young patients, and have higher mortality and morbidity following TBI, the mechanism is not well understood. To date, there is no effective therapeutic for TBI. Previous studies indicate a secondary injury in TBI begins immediately after impact, and is likely the major contribution to delayed neuron dysfunction and loss. Studies also suggest mitochondrial dysfunction and increased free radical species (ROS) production following TBI may play a key role in the process. …

Characterization Of Polyphenol Oxidase And Antioxidants From Pawpaw (Asimina Tribola) Fruit, Caodi Fang

University of Kentucky Master's Theses

The latest generation of fighter aircraft utilizes a 270Vdc power system [1]. Such high voltage DC power systems are difficult to protect with conventional circuit breakers because the current does not automatically go to zero twice per cycle during a fault like it does in an AC power system and thus arcing of the contacts is a problem. Solid state power controllers (SSPCs) are the solid state equivalent of a circuit breaker that do not arc and which can respond more rapidly to a fault than a mechanical breaker [2]. Present SSPCs are limited to lower voltages and currents by …

Validity Of The Pendulum Test To Measure Quadriceps Spasticity In Children Diagnosed With Cerebral Palsy, Henry Dulin White Ii

University of Kentucky Doctoral Dissertations

The stiff-knee gait pattern of children diagnosed with cerebral palsy (CP) is assumed to be caused by spasticity of the quadriceps which interferes with knee flexion normally occurring during the swing phase of walking. In current clinical practice, the ability to assess quadriceps spasticity is limited by the lack of an objective and reliable test that discriminates the role spasticity plays in functional limitations. The primary purpose of this series of studies was to assess the pendulum test as an objective measure of quadriceps spasticity. The first study assessed the reliability of the pendulum test. Moderate to very high between …

Cyclooxygenase-2-Dependent Remodeling Of The Ductus Arteriosus, Darshini Trivedi

University of Kentucky Doctoral Dissertations

Transition of the cardiopulmonary circulation at birth requires functional closure of the ductus arteriosus (DA). The DA is an arterial shunt that is vital in the fetus for diverting the pulmonary circulation away from the uninflated lungs. Failure of the vessel to functionally close after birth is known as patent DA, which is the second most common congenital heart disease. Patent DA may seriously compromise neonatal health and current pharmacological treatments are often limited by serious complications or a significant failure rate, thereby increasing the necessity for surgical intervention. Recently, we were the first to show that genetic or pharmacological …

Ambystoma: Perspectives On Adaptation And The Evolution Of Vertebrate Genomes, Jeramiah James Smith

University of Kentucky Doctoral Dissertations

Tiger salamanders, and especially the Mexican axolotl (Ambystoma mexicanum), are important model organisms in biological research. This dissertation describes new genomic resources and scientific results that greatly extend the utility of tiger salamanders. With respect to new resources, this dissertation describes the development of expressed sequence tags and assembled contigs, a comparative genome map, a web-portal that makes genomic information freely available to the scientific community, and a computer program that compares structure features of organism genomes. With respect to new scientific results, this dissertation describes a quantitative trait locus that is associated with ecologically and evolutionarily relevant …

Drug Milk To Serum Ratio Prediction And Ontogeny Of Cyp3a Clearance Pathway As A Model Of Drug Exposure In The Developing Rat, Maggie Magdi Abbassi

University of Kentucky Doctoral Dissertations

Transfer of drugs into milk and the clearance of drugs in neonates are critical determinants of the exposure of infants to drugs in breast milk. Models predicting both parameters have been proposed. The objective of this dissertation is to test two models predicting milk to serum ratio and an ontogeny clearance model predicting clearance in the neonate. Predicted milk to serum ratio (M/S) values were generated according to the Atkinson and Begg model. The model did not adequately predict M/S when comparing the predicted values to observed values in the literature. The Fleishaker model was also tested. The model was …

Investigations Of Circadian Regulation And Immune-Circadian Interaction In The Horse, Barbara Anne Murphy

University of Kentucky Doctoral Dissertations

The circadian system provides animals with a means to adapt internal physiology to the constantly changing environmental stimuli that exists on a rotating planet. Light information is translated into molecular timing mechanisms within individual pacemaker cells of the mammalian hypothalamic suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN) via transcriptionaltranslational feedback loops. Humoral and neural outputs from this master clock result in circadian rhythms of physiology and behavior. The hierarchy of the circadian system involves SCN synchronization of cellular clocks within peripheral tissues so that differential transcriptional profiles in individual organs reflect their specific function. The first step to investigating equine circadian regulation was to …

Tracing The Origin Of The Recent Rise In Neuropathogenic Ehv-1, Kathryn Laura Smith

University of Kentucky Master's Theses

Equine herpesvirus type-1(EHV-1) is a complex virus known for inducing various forms of disease in horses. In recent years, the number of cases of neurological disease caused by this virus has increased. While there are a number of possible sources for this recent surge, this project set out to determine if a genotypic shift in the latent population of the virus in favor of the neuropathogenic form of EHV-1 is the basis for the recent increase in frequency of EHV-1 neurologic disease. To ascertain if such a shift has in fact occurred, 450 EHV-1 isolates were obtained from fetal tissues …

Identification And Characterization Of Proteins That Interact With Agamous-Like 15 (Agl15), A Mads-Domain Transcription Factor That Preferentially Accumulates In The Plant Embryo, Kristine Hill

University of Kentucky Doctoral Dissertations

AGAMOUS-Like 15 (AGL15) encodes a MADS-domain transcription factor that is preferentially expressed in the plant embryo, and may function as a regulator in embryonic developmental programs. A number of direct downstream targets of AGL15 have been identified, and while some of these target genes are induced in response to AGL15, others are repressed. Additionally, direct target genes have been analyzed that exhibit strong association with AGL15 in vivo, yet in vitro, AGL15 binds only weakly. Taken together these data suggest that AGL15 may form heterodimers, or ternary complexes with other proteins, thus modulating the specificity and function of AGL15 in …

Modulation Of Endothelial Cell Activation By Omega-6 And Omega-3 Fatty Acids, Lei Wang

University of Kentucky Doctoral Dissertations

Endothelial activation is considered to be an early and critical event in the pathology of atherogenesis which can be modified by environmental factors such as diet, pollutants, and lifestyle habits. Dietary andamp;ugrave;-6 and andamp;ugrave;-3 fatty acids have been reported to either amplify or diminish inflammatory responses related to atherosclerosis development. However, the interactions of andamp;ugrave;-6 and andamp;ugrave;-3 fatty acids with inflammatory cytokines or organic pollutants on endothelial cell activation are not well understood. The studies presented in this dissertation tested the hypothesis that andamp;ugrave;-6 and andamp;ugrave;-3 fatty acids alone, or in varying ratios can differently modulate pro-atherogenic mediators and inflammatory …

Aging And The Dynorphinergic System: Evaluation Of Memory And Motor Systems In Prodynorphin Knockout Mice, Xuan V. Nguyen

University of Kentucky Doctoral Dissertations

Dynorphins, endogenous peptide neurotransmitters expressed in the central nervous system, have been implicated in diverse pathophysiological processes, including excitotoxicity, chronic inflammation, traumatic injury, cognitive impairment, and motor dysfunction, with significant changes with aging or age-related disease processes. This has led to the hypothesis that the suppression of dynorphin expression would produce beneficial effects on learning and memory and motor function. To assess the phenotypic manifestations of chronic suppression of endogenous dynorphin, knockout (KO) mice lacking the coding exons of the gene encoding the prodynorphin (Pdyn) precursor protein, were tested in a series of behavioral, biochemical, and molecular biological studies. Moderately …

Molecular Mechanisms Of Olfactory Neurodegeneration, Radhika Anand Vaishnav

University of Kentucky Doctoral Dissertations

Olfactory sensory decline has been associated with normal aging as well as neurodegenerative disorders, yet the underlying mechanisms are unclear. The overall aim of this dissertation was to investigate the fundamental molecular and cellular mechanisms associated with olfactory neurodegeneration. This investigation uses an integrative approach, combining proteomics and gene expression analyses with cellular and tissuelevel characterization. Using these approaches, two model systems were investigated: 1) normally aging C57BL/6 mice of ages 1.5-, 6- and 20-months; and 2) a mouse model of elevated endogenous oxidative stress-associated neurodegeneration, namely, the Harlequin mutant mouse. The first specific aim was to test the hypothesis …

Testing The Role Of Anxiety As An Underlying Mechanism Of The Alcohol-Aggression Relation, Joshua Parker Phillips

University of Kentucky Master's Theses

The purpose of this study was to test the hypothesis that acute alcohol consumption facilitates aggression through the reduction of adaptive anxiety/fear responses to danger/threat. Participants were 80 healthy male social drinkers between 21 and 33 years of age. They were randomly assigned to one of four groups: 1) Alcohol/anxiety induction (n=20), 2) Placebo/anxiety induction (n=20), 3) Alcohol only (n=20), and 4) Placebo only (n=20). Anxiety was induced by informing participants that they had to deliver a speech about what they liked and disliked about their body in front of a video camera. A modified version of the Taylor Aggression …

Determining Factors That Contribute To Nonpoint Source Pollution In The Lower Kentucky Watershed, James A. Wermuth

University of Kentucky Master's Theses

The water quality in the United States has greatly improved since the implementation of the Clean Water Act (CWA) in the early 1970s. Unfortunately, the Clean Water Act only addresses one kind of water pollution, point source pollution. The major problem that is present in the degradation of todays water quality has to deal with nonpoint source pollution. Agriculture is commonly regarded as the leading contributor to nonpoint source pollution in the United States. This study uses two analytical tools to try to determine the significant factors in the transport of pollutants in the Lower Kentucky Watershed, located in central …

Relationship Of Nitrogen Metabolism Capacity, Carcass Quality, And Expression Of Glutamate Transporters And Metabolizing Enzymes In Polypay And Percentage White Dorper Lambs, Andrea K. Lunsford

University of Kentucky Master's Theses

Two studies were conducted to compare nitrogen (N) and glutamate metabolism in Polypay and percentage White Dorper lambs.First, a two-phase digestion/N metabolism trial was conducted with 18 wether lambs of three genetic types: Polypay (PP), 1/2 White Dorper 1/2 Polypay (1/2 D), and 3/4 White Dorper 1/4 Polypay (3/4 D). Six lambs of each genetic type were fed a high roughage diet (HR; Phase 1) or high concentrate diet (HC; Phase 2). DM and N digestion was higher for 1/2 D than PP or 3/4 D fed HC. N retention was highest for 1/2 D regardless of diet.The second study …

Recent Advances In Basic Neurosciences And Brain Disease: From Synapses To Behavior, Guo-Qiang Bi, Vadim Bolshakov, Guojun Bu, Catherine M. Cahill, Zhou-Feng Chen, Graham L. Collingridge, Robin L. Cooper, Jens R. Coorssen, Alaa El-Husseini, Vasco Galhardo, Wen-Biao Gan, Jianguo Gu, Kazuhide Inoue, John Isaac, Koichi Iwata, Zhengping Jia, Bong-Kiun Kaang, Mikito Kawamata, Satoshi Kida, Eric Klann, Tatsuro Kohno, Min Li, Xiao-Jiang Li, John F. Macdonald, Karim Nader, Peter V. Nguyen, Uhtaek Oh, Ke Ren, John C. Roder, Michael W. Salter, Weihong Song, Shuzo Sugita, Shao-Jun Tang, Yuanxiang Tao, Yu Tian Wang, Newton Woo, Melanie A. Woodin, Zhen Yan, Megumu Yoshimura, Ming Xu, Zao C. Xu, Xia Zhang, Mei Zhen, Min Zhuo

Biology Faculty Publications

Understanding basic neuronal mechanisms hold the hope for future treatment of brain disease. The 1st international conference on synapse, memory, drug addiction and pain was held in beautiful downtown Toronto, Canada on August 21-23, 2006. Unlike other traditional conferences, this new meeting focused on three major aims: (1) to promote new and cutting edge research in neuroscience; (2) to encourage international information exchange and scientific collaborations; and (3) to provide a platform for active scientists to discuss new findings. Up to 64 investigators presented their recent discoveries, from basic synaptic mechanisms to genes related to human brain disease. This meeting …

Modified Soy Products And Methods For Reducing Odor And Improving Flavor Of Soy Products, William L. Boatright

Animal and Food Sciences Faculty Patents

A method for reducing odor in soy products and compositions containing soy products by adding or admixing a compound having one or more disulfide bonds to the soy product or composition. The disulfide compound includes a peptide containing at least cystine residue, a peptide or polypeptide containing at least one disulfide bond, L-cystine, D-cystine, DL-cystine and any combination thereof.

Evidence That Talin Alternative Splice Variants From Ciona Intestinalis Have Different Roles In Cell Adhesion, Richard H. Singiser, Richard O. Mccann

Molecular and Cellular Biochemistry Faculty Publications

BACKGROUND: Talins are large, modular cytoskeletal proteins found in animals and amoebozoans such as Dictyostelium discoideum. Since the identification of a second talin gene in vertebrates, it has become increasingly clear that vertebrate Talin1 and Talin2 have non-redundant roles as essential links between integrins and the actin cytoskeleton in distinct plasma membrane-associated adhesion complexes. The conserved C-terminal I/LWEQ module is important for talin function. This structural element mediates the interaction of talins with F-actin. The I/LWEQ module also targets mammalian Talin1 to focal adhesion complexes, which are dynamic multicomponent assemblies required for cell adhesion and cell motility. Although Talin1 is …

Forage News [2006-12], Department Of Plant And Soil Sciences, University Of Kentucky

Forage News

• Grazing Conference
• FEED: Biggest Cost Item
• Heart of America Grazing Conference
• KFGC Presents Annual Awards
• KFGC Installs New Officers
• Fayette County Producer Becomes Forage Spokesperson
• Kentucky Hay – 2006
• Methods to Manage Soil Phosphorus Levels on Kentucky Poultry Farms
• Meat Goat Performance and Carcass Parameters When Finished on Orchardgrass, Red Clover, or Alfalfa Pastures
• The Case for Forage Legumes
• Upcoming Events

Oxpat/Pat-1 Is A Ppar-Induced Lipid Droplet Protein That Promotes Fatty Acid Utilization, Nathan E. Wolins, Benjamin K. Quaynor, James R. Skinner, Anatoly Tzekov, Michelle A. Croce, Matthew C. Gropler, Vijayalakshmi Varma, Aiwei Yao-Borengasser, Neda Rasouli, Philip A. Kern, Brian N. Finck, Perry E. Bickel

Clinical and Translational Science Faculty Publications

Lipid droplet proteins of the PAT (perilipin, adipophilin, and TIP47) family regulate cellular neutral lipid stores. We have studied a new member of this family, PAT-1, and found that it is expressed in highly oxidative tissues. We refer to this protein as "OXPAT." Physiologic lipid loading of mouse liver by fasting enriches OXPAT in the lipid droplet tissue fraction. OXPAT resides on lipid droplets with the PAT protein adipophilin in primary cardiomyocytes. Ectopic expression of OXPAT promotes fatty acid-induced triacylglycerol accumulation, long-chain fatty acid oxidation, and mRNAs associated with oxidative metabolism. Consistent with these observations, OXPAT is induced in mouse …

The Pulmonary Effects Of Intravenous Adenosine In Asthmatic Subjects, Nausherwan K. Burki, Mahmud Alam, Lu-Yuan Lee

Physiology Faculty Publications

BACKGROUND: We have shown that intravenous adenosine in normal subjects does not cause bronchospasm, but causes dyspnea, most likely by an effect on vagal C fibers in the lungs [Burki et al. J Appl Physiol 2005; 98:180-5]. Since airways inflammation and bronchial hyperreactivity are features of asthma, it is possible that intravenous adenosine may be associated with an increased intensity of dyspnea, and may cause bronchospasm, as noted anecdotally in previous reports.

METHODS: We compared the effects of placebo and 10 mg intravenous adenosine, in 6 normal and 6 asthmatic subjects.

RESULTS: Placebo injection had no significant (p > 0.05) effect …

Kfgc Forage Spokesman Contest, Todd A. Clark, Farms, Inc., Robey Farms

Kentucky Grazing Conference

No abstract provided.

New Options For Extending Grazing, Edward N. Ballard

Kentucky Grazing Conference

Feed costs represent the major cost in most livestock production systems. A recently completed analysis of 225 Standardized Performance Analysis (SPA) Beef Cow Records on herds in Illinois and Iowa showed that feed cost was the overriding factor determining profitability, explaining over 57 percent of the herd-to-herd variation.

Dollars & Cents Of Intensive Grazing, Kenneth H. Burdine

Kentucky Grazing Conference

A rotational grazing system can generally be defined as the use of several pastures with one being grazed while the others are rested. On the contrary, conventional or continuous grazing systems allow livestock access to the entire pasture area and let them decide where, what, and how long to graze. In most cases, Kentucky pastures employing continuous grazing systems are too large for efficient management and forage utilization. In such instances, cattle overgraze more palatable forages and areas close to shade and water, while other sections of the pasture are underutilized. This leads to lower animal output per acre than …

Uk Horse Pasture Evaluation Program, Tom Keene, S. Ray Smith

Kentucky Grazing Conference

The University of Kentucky is developing stronger ties with the state’s horse industry in the areas of research, extension and teaching. Many horse farms in the bluegrass region are interested in UK’s assistance with pasture evaluation. During the fall of 2005 a team from the UK Forage Extension Program (Ray Smith, Tom Keene, Jesse Morrison, Gabriel Roberts) conducted a pilot project to evaluate horse pastures on 14 central KY farms. One of the focuses of the pilot was the evaluation of pastures for percent tall fescue and the potential of fescue stands to cause fescue toxicity in pregnant broodmares. We …