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The Politics Of Richard Wright, Jane Anna Gordon, Cyrus Ernesto Zirakzadeh

Civil Rights

A pillar of African American literature, Richard Wright is one of the most celebrated and controversial authors in American history. His work championed intellectual freedom amid social and political chaos. Despite the popular and critical success of books such as Uncle Tom's Children (1938), Black Boy (1945), and Native Son (1941), Wright faced staunch criticism and even censorship throughout his career for the graphic sexuality, intense violence, and communist themes in his work. Yet, many political theorists have ignored his radical ideas.

In The Politics of Richard Wright, an interdisciplinary group of scholars embraces the controversies surrounding Wright as …

Antisense Oligonucleotides Targeting Angiotensinogen: Insights From Animal Studies, Chia-Hua Wu, Ya Wang, Murong Ma, Adam E. Mullick, Rosanne M. Crooke, Mark J. Graham, Alan Daugherty, Hong S. Lu

Saha Cardiovascular Research Center Faculty Publications

Angiotensinogen (AGT) is the unique substrate of all angiotensin peptides. We review the recent preclinical research of AGT antisense oligonucleotides (ASOs), a rapidly evolving therapeutic approach. The scope of the research findings not only opens doors for potentially new therapeutics of hypertension and many other diseases, but also provides insights into understanding critical physiological and pathophysiological roles mediated by AGT.

Bishydrazone-Based Antifungal Agents, Sylvie Garneau-Tsodikova, David S. Watt

Pharmaceutical Sciences Faculty Patents

Hydrazone compounds and pharmaceutical compositions including same are disclosed as having antifungal activity. Such compounds are useful for treating or preventing fungal conditions in a subject in need thereof by administering same.

Plasmodium Para-Aminobenzoate Synthesis And Salvage Resolve Avoidance Of Folate Competition And Adaptation To Host Diet, Joachim Michael Matz, Mutsumi Watanabe, Mofolusho Falade, Takayuki Tohge, Rainer Hoefgen, Kai Matuschewski

Pharmaceutical Sciences Faculty Publications

Folate metabolism is essential for DNA synthesis and a validated drug target in fast-growing cell populations, including tumors and malaria parasites. Genome data suggest that Plasmodium has retained its capacity to generate folates de novo. However, the metabolic plasticity of folate uptake and biosynthesis by the malaria parasite remains unresolved. Here, we demonstrate that Plasmodium uses an aminodeoxychorismate synthase and an aminodeoxychorismate lyase to promote the biogenesis of the central folate precursor para-aminobenzoate (pABA) in the cytoplasm. We show that the parasite depends on de novo folate synthesis only when dietary intake of pABA by …

Disruption Of The Hippocampal And Hypothalamic Blood-Brain Barrier In A Diet-Induced Obese Model Of Type Ii Diabetes: Prevention And Treatment By The Mitochondrial Carbonic Anhydrase Inhibitor, Topiramate, Therese S. Salameh, William G. Mortell, Aric F. Logsdon, D. Allan Butterfield, William A. Banks

Chemistry Faculty Publications

Background: Type II diabetes is a vascular risk factor for cognitive impairment and increased risk of dementia. Disruption of the blood–retinal barrier (BRB) and blood–brain barrier (BBB) are hallmarks of subsequent retinal edema and central nervous system dysfunction. However, the mechanisms by which diet or metabolic syndrome induces dysfunction are not understood. A proposed mechanism is an increase in reactive oxygen species (ROS) and oxidative stress. Inhibition of mitochondrial carbonic anhydrase (mCA) decreases ROS and oxidative stress. In this study, topiramate, a mCA inhibitor, was examined for its ability to protect the BRB and BBB in diet-induced obese type II …

Star-Related Lipid Transfer Protein 10 (Stard10): A Novel Key Player In Alcohol-Induced Breast Cancer Progression, Andrea Floris, Jia Luo, Jacqueline A. Frank, Jennifer Zhou, Sandro Orrù, Michela Biancolella, Sabina Pucci, Augusto Orlandi, Paolo Campagna, Antonella Balzano, Komal Ramani, Maria Lauda Tomasi

Pharmacology and Nutritional Sciences Faculty Publications

Background: Ethanol abuse promotes breast cancer development, metastasis and recurrence stimulating mammary tumorigenesis by mechanisms that remain unclear. Normally, 35% of breast cancer is Erb-B2 Receptor Tyrosine Kinase 2 (ERBB2)-positive that predisposes to poor prognosis and relapse, while ethanol drinking leads to invasion of their ERBB2 positive cells triggering the phosphorylation status of mitogen-activated protein kinase. StAR-related lipid transfer protein 10 (STARD10) is a lipid transporter of phosphatidylcholine (PC) and phosphatidylethanolamine (PE); changes on membrane composition of PC and PE occur before the morphological tumorigenic events. Interestingly, STARD10 has been described to be highly expressed in 35–40% of ERBB2-positive breast …

Toward An Understanding Of Behavioral And Sensory Experiences When Living With Dementia And Related Disorders: An Environmental Gerontology Perspective, Elizabeth K. Rhodus

Theses and Dissertations--Gerontology

Behavioral and psychological symptoms of dementia create challenges for those living with neurodegenerative cognitive impairment and their care partners. Pharmacological approaches for treatment of challenging behaviors seen in dementia have limited success and serious side effects. Because of this, nonpharmacological approaches are being investigated with increasing frequency. Of particular interest are nonpharmacological approaches involving environmental stimulation to change behaviors. Success of such approaches relies on sensory processing systems, personal preferences, and environmental congruence. There is limited evidence describing behaviors of persons with cognitive impairment in relation to these components. Currently, there is no guiding model for implementation of environmental and …

Evaluating Water Management Policy In Saudi Arabia Using A Bilevel, Multi-Objective, Multi-Follower Programming Approach, Jawad Alhashim

Theses and Dissertations--Agricultural Economics

Over the past five decades, the Saudi government has adopted many agricultural policies aimed to: achieve self-sufficiency of food, increase the participation of the agricultural sector in the economy, and reduce the consumption of irrigation water. Due to conflicts among government objectives and the incompatibility of farmers' objectives with those of some agricultural policies, the government has not been able to fully achieve its objectives.

To accomplish its goals the government, or decision maker needs to understand the farmer, or follower, reaction when s/he adopts a new decision. The dissertation aims to build a model that achieves government goals of …

Special Problems In Agricultural Economics, Alexander Ogden Swartz

Theses and Dissertations--Agricultural Economics

According to the USDA Economic Research service, farm-level prices are on the decline. This decline in prices particularly hurts smaller scale operators with many needing to rely on off-farm income in order to ensure they remain in operation. This thesis studies two problems of key interest to the Southeast region and the State of Kentucky by investigating dairy management practices and the environmental benefits of hemp production. As dairy prices have been on the decline and dairy co-ops have tightened their restrictions on somatic cell count (SCC) levels, dairy farmers and farm managers must decide the best course of action …

Two Essays On Input Substitution And Optimal Decision Making In Crop And Livestock Production Systems, John T. Allison Jr.

Theses and Dissertations--Agricultural Economics

The thesis presented consists of two essays that analyze input substitution and decision making in crop and livestock production systems. The first essay consists of a whole-farm analysis that sought to optimize feed mixes and enterprise combinations for an organic dairy operation in the Southeastern United States. This was accomplished through mathematical programming where whole-farm net returns were maximized, and total feed costs were minimized simultaneously for four milk production level cases. Additionally, the sensitivity of the system and break-even milk price were explored. Results suggest substitutability in ration components where an increase in supplemental feeds is justified by additional …

2018 Kentucky River Watershed Watch: Annual Report, Malissa Mcalister

Kentucky River Watershed Watch

No abstract provided.

Forage News [2019-01], Department Of Plant And Soil Sciences, University Of Kentucky

Forage News

• Get NAFA's 2019 Alfalfa Variety Ratings
• Evaluation of the Efficacy of Various Herbicides for the Control of Broadleaf and Buckhorn Plantain in Alfalfa
• Save Hay by Reducing Feeding Waste
• Don't Miss "The Dollars and Sense of Grazing", Forages at KCA, January 18th in Owensboro
• Taking Stock
• Winter Meeting Rundown

Standardizing The Law On Working Animals, Mallie A. Myers

Kentucky Journal of Equine, Agriculture, & Natural Resources Law

No abstract provided.

Learning To Write In An Academic Genre: Adult English Learners’ Use Of Sociocultural Resources, Lyudmyla Ivanyuk

Theses and Dissertations--Curriculum and Instruction

In this multiple case study, I examined what types of sociocultural resources adult English learners brought with them from their previous contexts and what new resources they drew upon in the U.S. while learning to write in the essay genre. The study also identified how the participants chose to use previous and new sociocultural resources as mediated by the essay genre in the U.S. The following research foci shaped this study: (1) What types of sociocultural resources do adult English learners use while learning to write in the essay genre prior to and after their arrival in the U.S.? (2) …

Forms Of Supplemental Selenium In Vitamin-Mineral Mixes Differentially Affect Serological And Hepatic Parameters Of Growing Beef Steers Grazing Endophyte-Infected Tall Fescue, Yang Jia

Theses and Dissertations--Animal and Food Sciences

Consumption of endophyte-infected tall fescue results in a syndrome of negatively altered physiological systems, collectively known as fescue toxicosis. Another challenge to endophyte-infected tall fescue -based beef cattle operations is that the soils often are selenium (Se) poor, necessitating the need to provide supplemental Se. To test the general hypothesis that different forms of supplemental Se would ameliorate the negative effects of fescue toxicosis, predominately-Angus steers (BW = 183 ± 34 kg) were randomly selected from herds of fall-calving cows grazing an endophyte-infected tall fescue pasture and consuming vitamin-mineral mixes that contained 35 ppm Se as sodium selenite (ISe), SELPLEX …

The Role Of Nrf2 Signalling In Cell Proliferation And Tumorigenesis Of Chromium Transformed Human Bronchial Epithelial Cells, Marco Antonio De Freitas Clementino

Theses and Dissertations--Toxicology and Cancer Biology

Hexavalent Chromium (Cr(VI) induces malignant cell transformation in normal bronchial epithelial (BEAS-2B) cells. Cr(VI)-transformed cells exhibit increased level of antioxidants, are resistant to apoptosis, and are tumorigenic. RNAseq analysis in Cr(VI)-transformed cells showed that expression of transcripts associated with mitochondrial oxidative phosphorylation is reduced, and the expression of transcripts associated with pentose phosphate pathway, glycolysis, and glutaminolysis are increased. Sirtuin-3 (SIRT3) regulates mitochondrial adaptive response to stress, such as metabolic reprogramming and antioxidant defense mechanisms. SIRT3 was upregulated and it positively regulated mitochondrial oxidative phosphorylation in Cr(VI)-transformed cells. Our results suggests that SIRT3 plays an important role in mitophagy deficiency …

A Compromised Liver Alters Pcb Toxicity And Nutrient Metabolism, Jazmyne D. L. Barney

Theses and Dissertations--Toxicology and Cancer Biology

Environmental contamination is a public health concern. In particular persistent organic pollutants like Polychlorinated Biphenyls (PCBs) have been associated with multiple chronic inflammatory diseases, including non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). NAFLD prevalence has steadily increased and is expected to continue to rise with an estimated 25% of the world’s population and 80-100 million people affected in the United States alone. Importantly, the liver is the primary site for endobiotic and xenobiotic metabolism, hence its proper function is critical for the body’s response to innate and extrinsic molecules. One way to combat the deleterious effects of PCB toxicity and fatty liver …

Trade-Offs Shape Carotenoid-Based Color Variation In Redheaded Pine Sawfly (Neodiprion Lecontei) Larvae, Maranda Gaines

Lewis Honors College Capstone Collection

Carotenoids serve various ecological roles in animals including coloration, immune responses, and vision. Carotenoid-derived coloration is greatly emphasized in the literature, particularly relating to mate choice and aposematic warning. However, the trade-offs between the color and non-color functions of carotenoids are not thoroughly explored. In the redheaded pine sawfly (Neodiprion lecontei), some larval populations have yellow pigmentation, using carotenoids derived from their diets for aposematic warning coloration. Other larval populations are white in color, having genetically lost the ability to produce the yellow pigment. Because carotenoids are essential to life functions in both the yellow and white populations, we aim …

Host Restriction Factors In The Replication Of Tombusviruses: From Rna Helicases To Nucleocytoplasmic Shuttling, Cheng-Yu Wu

Theses and Dissertations--Plant Pathology

Positive-stranded (+)RNA viruses replicate inside cells and depend on many cellular factors to complete their infection cycle. In the meanwhile, (+)RNA viruses face the host innate immunity, such as cell-intrinsic restriction factors that could block virus replication.

Firstly, I have established that the plant DDX17-like RH30 DEAD-box helicase conducts strong inhibitory function on tombusvirus replication when expressed in plants and yeast surrogate host. This study demonstrates that RH30 blocks the assembly of viral replicase complex, the activation of RNA-dependent RNA polymerase function of p92pol and viral RNA template recruitment.

In addition, the features rendering the abundant plant DEAD-box helicases either …

Strain-Specific Protein Interaction And Localization Of Two Strains Of Potato Yellow Dwarf Virus And Functional Domains Of Their Matrix Protein, Chanyong Jang

Theses and Dissertations--Plant Pathology

Potato yellow dwarf virus (PYDV) is the type species of the genus nucleorhabdovirus which is typified by its nucleotropic characters of the members. The virus accomplishes its replication and morphogenesis in the nuclei of infected cells. Two strains, Constricta strain (CYDV) and Sanguinolenta strain (SYDV) have been described at the level of vector-specificity. CYDV is vectored by Agallia constricta and SYDV is transmitted by Aceratagllia sanguinolenta. The full-length genome of CYDV was sequenced. The 12,792 nt antisense genome encodes seven open reading frames in the order of, nucleocapsid protein (N), unknown protein (X), phosphoprotein (P), movement protein (Y), matrix …

Validations Of Apomorphine-Induced Bold Activation Correlations In Hemiparkinsonian Rhesus Macaques, Jorge E. Quintero, Yi Ai, Anders H. Andersen, Peter A. Hardy, Richard Grondin, Zain Guduru, Don M. Gash, Greg A. Gerhardt, Zhiming Zhang

Neuroscience Faculty Publications

Identification of Parkinson's disease at the earliest possible stage of the disease may provide the best opportunity for the use of disease modifying treatments. However, diagnosing the disease during the pre-symptomatic period remains an unmet goal. To that end, we used pharmacological MRI (phMRI) to assess the function of the cortico-basal ganglia circuit in a non-human primate model of dopamine deficiency to determine the possible relationships between phMRI signals with behavioral, neurochemical, and histological measurements. Animals with unilateral treatments with the neurotoxin, 1-methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine (MPTP), that expressed stable, long-term hemiparkinsonism were challenged with the dopaminergic receptor agonist, apomorphine, and structure-specific phMRI …

Placing Our Wager On Equine Assisted Therapy For Kids: Utilizing Kentucky's Sb 200 Reinvestment Funds On Programs That Work, Amanda Mullins Bear

Kentucky Journal of Equine, Agriculture, & Natural Resources Law

No abstract provided.

Effectiveness Of Prophylactic Lingual Strengthening Exercises For Patients With Head And Neck Cancer A Systematic Review, Cassidy Pickens

Theses and Dissertations--Communication Sciences and Disorders

Radiation treatment for head and neck cancer has devastating effects on swallowing ability. Prophylactic swallowing exercises are often recommended. However, the evidence for these exercises is equivocal and information regarding critical components of an exercise program is lacking. The purpose of this systematic review was to examine the evidence regarding lingual strengthening exercises as a component of a prophylactic swallowing program.

Relationships Between Animal Temperament And Systemic Immune Responses In Beef Cattle Exposed To Conditions Associated With Conventional Management, Alexander W. Altman

Theses and Dissertations--Animal and Food Sciences

Measures of temperament have been shown to influence physiological responses. Exit velocity (EV) has been identified as an objective, robust measure of temperament that can be used to predict subsequent performance of cattle. Additionally, previous studies from our lab indicate this measure of temperament may be related to production of interferon-γ (IFN-γ), a cytokine associated with cell-mediated immunity (CMI). Whereas research has investigated effects of EV upon immune responses, the overall goal of these studies was to examine this relationship under a variety of scenarios including human handling, transportation, and exposure to endophyte-infected tall fescue (E+) for determination of its …

Improved Iron Status In Weanling Pigs Leads To Improved Growth Performance In The Subsequent Nursery Period, Tyler Chevalier

Theses and Dissertations--Animal and Food Sciences

The objectives of this thesis were: 1) to assess the iron status of piglets, 2) to thoroughly evaluate the blood profile, growth performance, and tissue mineral concentration of young pigs during the pre and postweaning periods after receiving various dosages of iron (0, 50, 100, 200, and 300 mg iron) at birth, 3) as well as evaluate the effects of an additional iron injection before weaning on hematological measures, growth performance, and tissue mineral concentration postweaning. In the initial experiment, there was a 60% incidence of iron deficiency at weaning after administration of a 150 mg iron injection at birth. …

Microalgae And Zinc Source Supplementation Of Broiler Breeder Diets Affects Broiler Breeder Skeletal Development And Reproduction With Transgenerational Impacts On Offspring Performance And Skeletal Characteristics, Marquisha A. Paul

Theses and Dissertations--Animal and Food Sciences

Leg problems and disorders are of major concern for the poultry industry and animal welfare. Previous studies suggest that it may be possible to improve skeletal characteristics through nutrition. Omega-3 fatty acids, including Docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), are essential nutrients and are known to play an important role in bone tissue development. FORPLUS™ (Alltech, Inc.) is an unextracted, whole-cell microalgae (Aurantiochytrium limacinum CCAP 4087/2) that contains 64% fat and 16% DHA. Zinc (Zn) is a trace element and essential nutrient for growth and skeletal development. Bioplex^® Zn (Alltech, Inc.) is a Zn proteinate that has been shown to be …

Remembering Wonder, Emily Andreasson, Lindsey L. Fay

Oswald Research and Creativity Competition

This is a booklet about research on alternative play and memorial structures.

Image-Based Roadway Assessment Using Convolutional Neural Networks, Weilian Song

Theses and Dissertations--Computer Science

Road crashes are one of the main causes of death in the United States. To reduce the number of accidents, roadway assessment programs take a proactive approach, collecting data and identifying high-risk roads before crashes occur. However, the cost of data acquisition and manual annotation has restricted the effect of these programs. In this thesis, we propose methods to automate the task of roadway safety assessment using deep learning. Specifically, we trained convolutional neural networks on publicly available roadway images to predict safety-related metrics: the star rating score and free-flow speed. Inference speeds for our methods are mere milliseconds, enabling …

Enhance Nmf-Based Recommendation Systems With Auxiliary Information Imputation, Fatemah Alghamedy

Theses and Dissertations--Computer Science

This dissertation studies the factors that negatively impact the accuracy of the collaborative filtering recommendation systems based on nonnegative matrix factorization (NMF). The keystone in the recommendation system is the rating that expresses the user's opinion about an item. One of the most significant issues in the recommendation systems is the lack of ratings. This issue is called "cold-start" issue, which appears clearly with New-Users who did not rate any item and New-Items, which did not receive any rating.

The traditional recommendation systems assume that users are independent and identically distributed and ignore the connections among users whereas the recommendation …

Reducing Survey Hypothetical Bias Through Revealed Behavior Priming: A Case Of Student Preference For Beef Served By University Dining, Gaby De Nascimento Mandlhate

Theses and Dissertations--Agricultural Economics

Economists are still searching for methods to reduce/eliminate Hypothetical Bias (HB). Different methods have been previously applied some with success and others without. In this study, we aimed to further test the cognitive dissonance approach (CD) through a learning design method to estimate the WTP for five beef attributes: Non-quality, Kentucky Proud, Appalachian, Grass Fed and a mix of 25% Non-quality and 75% Kentucky Proud, using a one and one half bounded model. To test the CD, 881 participants from the University of Kentucky, were randomly assigned to a real/hypothetical market for a battery recycling project at first and afterwards …