Digital Commons Network^™

The Misadventure Of Copyrighting State Law, Eric E. Johnson

Kentucky Law Journal

No abstract provided.

Limiting Lessons From Property: Reimagining The Public Domain In The Image Of The Public Trust Doctrine, Deirdré A. Keller

Kentucky Law Journal

No abstract provided.

Ai And The "Death Of Trademark", Michael Grynberg

Kentucky Law Journal

No abstract provided.

Recognized Right Or Open Question? An Exploration Of Johnson And Its Progeny, Richard Simpson

Kentucky Law Journal

No abstract provided.

Examining The Utility Of Behavioral Economic Demand In Addiction Science, Justin Charles Strickland

Theses and Dissertations--Psychology

The marriage of perspectives from behavioral economic theory and learning theory has the potential to advance an understanding of substance use and substance use disorder. Behavioral economic demand is a central concept to this interdisciplinary approach. Evaluating demand in the laboratory and clinic can improve previous research on the relative reinforcing effects of drugs by accounting for the multi-dimensional nature of reinforcement rather than viewing reinforcement as a unitary construct. Recent advances in the commodity purchase task methodology have further simplified the measurement of demand values in human participants. This dissertation project presents a programmatic series of studies designed to …

Analysis Of Automatic Judgments Of Religious Belief, Maxine Belén Najle

Theses and Dissertations--Psychology

The measurement of religious belief has some social desirability concerns that make the development of an implicit measure of religiosity advantageous. Currently, there are few options for implicitly measuring religious belief. This study attempted to add to this literature by analyzing the automatic judgements of religious belief through the use of an implicit measure known as the MouseTrack task, allowing for the measurement of latency in the expression of these beliefs as well as the certainty of these beliefs by tracking the path taken during the decision process. A sample of 121 undergraduates was recruited from the UK SONA subject …

Neurobehavioral Measurements Of Natural And Opioid Reward Value, Aaron Paul Smith

Theses and Dissertations--Psychology

In the last decade, (non)prescription opioid abuse, opioid use disorder (OUD) diagnoses, and opioid-related overdoses have risen and represent a significant public health concern. One method of understanding OUD is as a disorder of choice that requires choosing opioid rewards at the expense of other nondrug rewards. The characterization of OUD as a disorder of choice is important as it implicates decision- making processes as therapeutic targets, such as the valuation of opioid rewards. However, reward-value measurement and interpretation are traditionally different in substance abuse research compared to related fields such as economics, animal behavior, and neuroeconomics and may be …

Characterizing An In Vitro Model Of Severe Focal Traumatic Brain Injury In Hippocampal Slice Cultures: The Effects Of Ethanol And Calpain Inhibition By Mdl-28170, Julia Elaine Jagielo-Miller

Theses and Dissertations--Psychology

In the United States, 2.8 million people suffer a traumatic brain injury (TBI) annually. Between 25%-50% of TBI injuries happen under alcohol intoxication. It is not understood how alcohol impacts patient outcomes via secondary injury pathways. Secondary injury pathways offer a window for therapeutic interventions, but there has been little success finding effective medications. Slice cultures offer a way to study secondary injury mechanisms in a controlled manner. The transection injury can model excitotoxicy seen following TBI. The current studies examined the effect of alcohol intoxication and withdrawal at the time of injury, and the effect of a calpain inhibitor …

Measuring Glutamate And Oxygen In Brain Reward Circuits In Animal Models Of Cocaine Abuse And Decision-Making, Seth Richard Batten

Theses and Dissertations--Psychology

Drug-specific reward and associated effects on neural signaling are often studied between subjects, where one group self-administers drug and a separate group self-administers a natural reinforcer. However, exposure to drugs of abuse can cause long-term neural adaptations that can affect how an organism responds to drug reward, natural reward, and their reward-associated stimuli. Thus, to isolate drug-specific effects it is important to use models that expose the same organism to all of the aforementioned. Multiple schedules provide a means of dissociating the rewarding effects of a drug from the rewarding effects of food within a single animal. Further, drug users …

Development Of A Translational Model Of Co-Use Of Alcohol And Nicotine For Testing Potential Pharmacotherapies, Sarah Elizabeth Maggio

Theses and Dissertations--Psychology

Co-users of alcohol and nicotine are the largest group of polysubstance users worldwide. Although pharmacotherapies are available for alcohol (EtOH) or tobacco use disorders individually, it may be possible to develop a single pharmacotherapy to treat heavy drinking tobacco smokers through capitalizing on the commonalities in their mechanisms of action. Towards this goal, several models of concurrent access to EtOH and nicotine were explored as potential preclinical models of co-use using female alcohol-preferring (P) rats. Additionally, potential pharmacotherapeutics for the treatment of EtOH and nicotine co-use disorder were tested using different variations of our model. Treatments tested included (1) varenicline, …

Language Dysfunction In Motor Neuron Disease: Cognitive Features And Screening Sensitivity, Natasha E. Garcia-Willingham

Theses and Dissertations--Psychology

Motor neuron disease (MND) is a set of neuromuscular diseases that affect the upper and/or lower motor neurons, resulting in progressive disability. Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and Primary lateral sclerosis (PLS) are two forms of MND that both involve upper motor neuron degeneration, which can also accompany extra-motor changes in cognitive, behavioral, and/or emotional functioning for some individuals. Characterization of the cognitive profile of MND is still evolving, with growing interest in cognitive subtypes. The development of cognitive screens targeted to the MND cognitive profile aim to provide efficient and accurate brief assessments. However, empirical evaluation of tailored MND cognitive …

Middle To Late Holocene (7200-2900 Cal. Bp) Archaeological Site Formation Processes At Crumps Sink And The Origins Of Anthropogenic Environments In Central Kentucky, Usa, Justin Nels Carlson

Theses and Dissertations--Anthropology

Though some researchers have argued that the Big Barrens grasslands of Kentucky were the product of anthropogenic land clearing practices by Native Americans, heretofore, this hypothesis had not been tested archaeologically. More work was needed to refine chronologies of fire activity in the region, determine the extent to which humans played a role in the process, and integrate these findings with the paleoenvironmental and archaeological record. With these goals in mind, I conducted archaeological and geoarchaeological investigations at Crumps Sink in the Sinkhole Plain of Kentucky. The archaeological record and site formation history of Crumps Sink were compared with environmental …

Making Experts: An Ethnographic Study Of “Makers” In Fablabs In Japan, Vaughn M. Krebs

Theses and Dissertations--Anthropology

“Makers” around the world cohere in a digital and physical network of technology hobbyists. “Makers" are open-source hardware enthusiasts who use machines like 3D printers and laser cutters - manufacturing tools that have only recently become accessible to laypeople - to make things. “Makers" share a vision for a world where everyone would be able to make almost anything, supplanting top-down economic systems and channels of production. This ethnographic research examines a subset of the “maker” community: “makers” in “FabLabs” in Japan. These “FabLabs” are small workshops that house the machines that “makers” need and make them open to the …

Effects Of Methamphetamine Isomers On D-Methamphetamine Self-Administration And Food-Maintained Responding In Male Rats, Michael T. Bardo, Emily D. Denehy, Lindsey R. Hammerslag, Linda P. Dwoskin, B. E. Blough, A. Landavazo, Jack Bergman, S. J. Kohut

Psychology Faculty Publications

Rationale Methamphetamine (METH) abuse is generally attributed to the d-isomer. Self-administration of l-METH has been examined only in rhesus monkeys with a history of cocaine self-administration or drug-naïve rats using high toxic doses.

Objectives In this study, the ability of l-METH and, for comparison, d-METH to engender self-administration in experimentally naïve rats, as well as to decrease d-METH self-administration and food-maintained responding, was examined.

Methods Male Sprague-Dawley rats were used in 3 separate experiments. In experiment 1, the acquisition of l- or d-METH self-administration followed by dose-response determinations was studied. In experiment 2, rats were trained to self-administer d-METH (0.05 …

The Effects Of The Usda Summer Food Service Program On Rural Adolescents’ Nutrition Attitudes, Knowledge, Behavioral Intentions And Nutrition Behaviors, Mary Rachel Harrington

Theses and Dissertations--Kinesiology and Health Promotion

Rural adolescents suffer from poor nutrition, increasing their risk for obesity and other chronic diseases. The Summer Food Service Program (SFSP), an off-shoot of the National School Lunch Program, provides meals to qualifying children, including low-income, rural adolescents, under the age of 18. The purpose of this study was to: 1) examine the impact of the SFSP on the nutrition–related knowledge, self-reported fruit and vegetable (SRFV) consumption, and the constructs of the Theory of Planned Behavior (attitudes, subjective norms, perceived behavioral control, and behavioral intentions) of rural, low-income adolescents; and 2) examine the relationship between nutrition behaviors (quality food selection …

Chronic Low Intensity Continuous And Interval Training Prevent Heart Failure-Related Coronary Artery Stiffness, An Ouyang

Theses and Dissertations--Kinesiology and Health Promotion

Heart failure (HF) induced by aortic pressure over-load is associated with increased coronary artery stiffness. Perivascular adipose tissue (PVAT) and advanced glycation end products (AGE) both promote arterial stiffness. However, the mechanisms by which coronary PVAT promotes arterial stiffness and the efficacy of exercise to prevent coronary stiffness are unknown. The present study hypothesized both chronic continuous and interval exercise training would prevent coronary artery stiffness associated with inhibition of PVAT secreted AGE. Yucatan mininature swine were divided into four groups: control-sedentary (CON), aortic-banded sedentary heart failure (HF), aortic-banded HF continuous exercise trained (HF+CONT), and aortic-banded HF interval exercise trained …

Circadian Rhythm Phase Shifts Caused By Timed Exercise Vary With Chronotype In Young Adults, J. Matthew Thomas

Theses and Dissertations--Kinesiology and Health Promotion

The circadian system controls 24-hour cycles of behavior and physiology, such as rest-activity and feeding rhythms. The human circadian system synchronizes with, or entrains to, the light/dark cycle (sunrise/sunset) to promote activity and food consumption during the day and rest at night. However, strict work schedules and nighttime light exposure impair proper entrainment of the circadian system, resulting in chronic circadian misalignment. Numerous studies have shown that chronic circadian misalignment results in poor health. Therefore, therapeutic interventions that could shift circadian rhythms and alleviate circadian misalignment could broadly impact public health. Although light is the most salient time cue for …

The Effects Of Curcumin And Fenugreek Soluble Fiber On The Physical Working Capacity At The Fatigue Threshold, Peak Oxygen Consumption, And Time To Exhaustion, Lauren Herrick

Theses and Dissertations--Kinesiology and Health Promotion

Curcumin, a polyphenol, has been suggested to improve metabolic byproduct clearance and increase nitric oxide production in working muscle. These purported effects may delay neuromuscular fatigue. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to examine the effects of curcumin in combination with fenugreek (CUR) or fenugreek soluble fiber alone (FEN) on the neuromuscular fatigue threshold (PWC_FT), time to exhaustion (T_lim) on a graded exercise test (GXT), and O₂peak in untrained subjects.Forty-seven,college-aged, aerobically untrained individuals were randomly assigned to one of three supplementation groups; placebo (PLA, n=15),curcumin + fenugreek, CurQfen® (CUR, n=18), or fenugreek soluble …

Effects Of Curcumin And Fenugreek Soluble Fiber Supplements On Submaximal And Maximal Aerobic Performance Indices In Untrained College-Aged Subjects, Jensen Goh Zhong Sheng

Theses and Dissertations--Kinesiology and Health Promotion

Submaximal exercise performance is, in part, limited by the accumulation of metabolic byproducts and energy system capacities. Curcumin and the combination of curcumin and fenugreek soluble fiber (CurQfen^®) have been shown to increase endogenous antioxidants and metabolic byproduct clearance as well as reduce inflammation and lipid peroxidation, and therefore, may enhance submaximal aerobic thresholds. In addition, there is evidence that the galactomannan component of fenugreek, used to enhance bioavailability of curcumin, may also have potential physiological effects related to the up regulation of free fatty acid oxidation Therefore, the purpose of this study was to examine the effects …

Post-Wildfire Recovery Of An Upland Oak-Pine Forest On The Cumberland Plateau, Kentucky, Usa, Devin E. Black, Zachary W. Poynter, Claudia A. Cotton, Suraj Upadhaya, David D. Taylor, Wendy Leuenberger, Beth A. Blankenship, Mary A. Arthur

Forestry and Natural Resources Faculty Publications

Background: Many forests within the southern Appalachian region, USA, have experienced decades of fire exclusion, contributing to regeneration challenges for species such as oaks (Quercus spp. L.) and pines (Pinus spp. L.), and threatening the maintenance of oak-dominated forests in the future. While the use of prescribed fire as a forest management tool is increasing within this region, there remains a lack of information on the potential role of wildfire. A wildfire within the Daniel Boone National Forest, Kentucky, USA, provided an opportunity to investigate how wildfire affected forest vegetation response.

Results: We examined the effects of fire …

Discerning Novel Splice Junctions Derived From Rna-Seq Alignment: A Deep Learning Approach, Yi Zhang, Xinan Liu, James N. Macleod, Jinze Liu

Computer Science Faculty Publications

Background: Exon splicing is a regulated cellular process in the transcription of protein-coding genes. Technological advancements and cost reductions in RNA sequencing have made quantitative and qualitative assessments of the transcriptome both possible and widely available. RNA-seq provides unprecedented resolution to identify gene structures and resolve the diversity of splicing variants. However, currently available ab initio aligners are vulnerable to spurious alignments due to random sequence matches and sample-reference genome discordance. As a consequence, a significant set of false positive exon junction predictions would be introduced, which will further confuse downstream analyses of splice variant discovery and abundance estimation.

Results: …

Mutants Of Cocaine Esterase, Donald Landry, Chang-Guo Zhan

Pharmaceutical Sciences Faculty Patents

Provided are mutant cocaine esterase polypeptides and PEGylated formulations thereof.

Bovine Mammary Gland Biopsy Techniques, Veridiana L. Daley, Charles Dye, Sophie H. Bogers, R. Michael Akers, Francisco C. Rodriguez, John P. Cant, John Doelman, Peter Yoder, Karan Kumar, Dane Webster, Mark D. Hanigan

Animal and Food Sciences Faculty Publications

Bovine mammary gland biopsies allow researchers to collect tissue samples to study cell biology including gene expression, histological analysis, signaling pathways, and protein translation. This article describes two techniques for biopsy of the bovine mammary gland (MG). Three healthy Holstein dairy cows were the subjects. Before biopsies, cows were milked and subsequently restrained in a cattle chute. An analgesic (flunixin meglumine, 1.1 to 2.2 mg/kg of body weight) was administered via jugular intravenous [IV] injection 15-20 min prior to biopsy. For standing sedation, xylazine hydrochloride (0.01-0.05 mg/kg of body weight) was injected via the coccygeal vessels 5-10 min before the …

Kinetics Of The Chromosome 14 Microrna Cluster Ortholog And Its Potential Role During Placental Development In The Pregnant Mare, Pouya Dini, Peter Daels, Shavahn C. Loux, Alejandro Esteller-Vico, Mariano Carossino, Kirsten E. Scoggin, Barry A. Ball

Maxwell H. Gluck Equine Research Center Faculty Publications

Background: The human chromosome 14 microRNA cluster (C14MC) is a conserved microRNA (miRNA) cluster across eutherian mammals, reported to play an important role in placental development. However, the expression kinetics and function of this cluster in the mammalian placenta are poorly understood. Here, we evaluated the expression kinetics of the equine C24MC, ortholog to the human C14MC, in the chorioallantoic membrane during the course of gestation.

Results: We demonstrated that C24MC-associated miRNAs presented a higher expression level during early stages of pregnancy, followed by a decline later in gestation. Evaluation of one member of C24MC (miR-409-3p) by in situ hybridization …

Als Mutations Of Fus Suppress Protein Translation And Disrupt The Regulation Of Nonsense-Mediated Decay, Marisa Kamelgarn, Jing Chen, Lisha Kuang, Huan Jin, Edward J. Kasarskis, Haining Zhu

Toxicology and Cancer Biology Faculty Publications

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is an incurable neurodegenerative disease characterized by preferential motor neuron death. Approximately 15% of ALS cases are familial, and mutations in the fused in sarcoma (FUS) gene contribute to a subset of familial ALS cases. FUS is a multifunctional protein participating in many RNA metabolism pathways. ALS-linked mutations cause a liquid–liquid phase separation of FUS protein in vitro, inducing the formation of cytoplasmic granules and inclusions. However, it remains elusive what other proteins are sequestered into the inclusions and how such a process leads to neuronal dysfunction and degeneration. In this study, we developed …

Spoil Type Influences Soil Genesis And Forest Development On An Appalachian Surface Coal Mine Ten Years After Placement, Kenton L. Sena, Carmen T. Agouridis, Jarrod Miller, Christopher D. Barton

Lewis Honors College Faculty Publications

Surface mining for coal (or other mineral resources) is a major driver of land-use change around the world and especially in the Appalachian region of the United States. Intentional and well-informed reclamation of surface-mined land is critical for the restoration of healthy ecosystems on these disturbed sites. In Appalachia, the pre-mining land cover is predominately mixed hardwood forest, with rich species diversity. In recent years, Appalachian mine reforestation has become an issue of concern, prompting the development of the Forestry Reclamation Approach, a series of mine reforestation recommendations. One of these recommendations is to use the best available soil substitute; …

Coordinated Unmanned Aircraft System (Uas) And Ground-Based Weather Measurements To Predict Lagrangian Coherent Structures (Lcss), Peter J. Nolan, James Pinto, Javier González-Rocha, Anders Jensen, Christina N. Vezzi, Sean C. C. Bailey, Gijs De Boer, Constantin Diehl, Roger Laurence Iii, Craig W. Powers, Hosein Foroutan, Shane D. Ross, David G. Schmale Iii

Mechanical Engineering Faculty Publications

Concentrations of airborne chemical and biological agents from a hazardous release are not spread uniformly. Instead, there are regions of higher concentration, in part due to local atmospheric flow conditions which can attract agents. We equipped a ground station and two rotary-wing unmanned aircraft systems (UASs) with ultrasonic anemometers. Flights reported here were conducted 10 to 15 m above ground level (AGL) at the Leach Airfield in the San Luis Valley, Colorado as part of the Lower Atmospheric Process Studies at Elevation—a Remotely-Piloted Aircraft Team Experiment (LAPSE-RATE) campaign in 2018. The ultrasonic anemometers were used to collect simultaneous measurements of …

Unhappy Consciousness, One-Dimensionality, And The Possibility Of Social Transformation, Arnold L. Farr

Philosophy Faculty Publications

The present article departs from concepts and ideas thoroughly developed by Herbert Marcuse. As such, it deals with his approach concerning the possibility of social transformation, looking to problematize the obstacles and hardships associated to the ongoing forms of social domination. To take this through, central works such as Eros and civilization and One-dimensional man are taken up, along with a number of lesser known texts and posthumously published reflections. Asserting the influence of Hegel, Marx and Freud, it is considered possible to criticize some of the existing contradictions that mark capitalist relations, interpreting them dialectically and immanently to unveil …

Manganese-Enhanced Magnetic Resonance Imaging: Overview And Central Nervous System Applications With A Focus On Neurodegeneration, Ryan A. Cloyd, Shon A. Koren, Jose F. Abisambra

Physiology Faculty Publications

Manganese-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging (MEMRI) rose to prominence in the 1990s as a sensitive approach to high contrast imaging. Following the discovery of manganese conductance through calcium-permeable channels, MEMRI applications expanded to include functional imaging in the central nervous system (CNS) and other body systems. MEMRI has since been employed in the investigation of physiology in many animal models and in humans. Here, we review historical perspectives that follow the evolution of applied MRI research into MEMRI with particular focus on its potential toxicity. Furthermore, we discuss the more current in vivo investigative uses of MEMRI in CNS investigations and …

Effect Of Temperature Change On Synaptic Transmission At Crayfish Neuromuscular Junctions, Yuechen Zhu, Leo De Castro, Robin L. Cooper

Biology Faculty Publications

Ectothermic animals in areas characterised by seasonal changes are susceptible to extreme fluctuations in temperature. To survive through varied temperatures, ectotherms have developed unique strategies. This study focuses on synaptic transmission function at cold temperatures, as it is a vital component of ectothermic animals' survival. For determining how synaptic transmission is influenced by an acute change in temperature (20°C to 10°C within a minute) and chronic cold (10°C), the crayfish (Procambarus clarkii) neuromuscular junction (NMJ) was used as a model. To simulate chronic cold conditions, crayfish were acclimated to 15°C for 1 week and then to 10°C for …