Digital Commons Network^™

An Assessment Of Agreement In Detection Methods For Histophilus Somni In Bovine Lungs, Laura Michelle Arnold

Theses and Dissertations--Public Health (M.P.H. & Dr.P.H.)

Objectives: To examine the inter-laboratory agreement between multiplex realtime quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) assay results and aerobic culture results on bovine lung samples for detection of Histophilus somni (HS), and to assess associations of laboratory-derived factors on test agreement.

Methods: A survey of records from the University of Kentucky Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory (UKVDL) was conducted to evaluate test results from grossly pneumonic bovine lung samples submitted during the period April 1, 2015 through August 31, 2018. Cohen’s kappa coefficient with 95% confidence interval (CI) was calculated to describe the extent of agreement. Animal, environmental and laboratory factors were examined …

Burying Lochner: Why Courts Should Reject Coming Attempts To Revive Economic Due Process, Brandon R. Magner

Kentucky Law Journal

No abstract provided.

Intra-Arterial Nitroglycerin As Directed Acute Treatment In Experimental Ischemic Stroke, Michael E. Maniskas, Jill M. Roberts, Rebecca Trueman, Annastazia E. Learoyd, Amanda A. Gorman, Justin F. Fraser, Gregory J. Bix

Neuroscience Faculty Publications

BACKGROUND: Nitroglycerin (also known as glyceryl trinitrate (GTN)), a vasodilator best known for treatment of ischemic heart disease, has also been investigated for its potential therapeutic benefit in ischemic stroke. The completed Efficacy of Nitric Oxide in Stroke trial suggested that GTN has therapeutic benefit with acute (within 6 hours) transdermal systemic sustained release therapy.

OBJECTIVE: To examine an alternative use of GTN as an acute therapy for ischemic stroke following successful recanalization.

METHODS: We administered GTN IA following transient middle cerebral artery occlusion in mice. Because no standard dose of GTN is available following emergent large vessel occlusion, we …

Autonomic Dysreflexia After Spinal Cord Injury: Systemic Pathophysiology And Methods Of Management, Khalid C. Eldahan, Alexander G. Rabchevsky

Physiology Faculty Publications

Traumatic spinal cord injury (SCI) has widespread physiological effects beyond the disruption of sensory and motor function, notably the loss of normal autonomic and cardiovascular control. Injury at or above the sixth thoracic spinal cord segment segregates critical spinal sympathetic neurons from supraspinal modulation which can result in a syndrome known as autonomic dysreflexia (AD). AD is defined as episodic hypertension and concomitant baroreflex-mediated bradycardia initiated by unmodulated sympathetic reflexes in the decentralized cord. This condition is often triggered by noxious yet unperceived visceral or somatic stimuli below the injury level and if severe enough can require immediate medical attention. …

Serum Tumor Necrosis Factor-Alpha Associates With Myocardial Oxygen Demand And Exercise Tolerance In Postmenopausal Women, Stephen J. Carter, David R. Bryan, William H. Neumeier, Stephen P. Glasser, Gary R. Hunter

Internal Medicine Faculty Publications

The functional implications of serum tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α), a marker of oxidative stress, on hemodynamic parameters at rest and during physical exertion are unclear. The aims of this investigation were to examine the independent associations of TNF-α on myocardial oxygen demand at rest and during submaximal exercise, while also evaluating the association of TNF-α on exercise tolerance. Forty, postmenopausal women, provided blood samples and completed a modified-Balke protocol to measure maximal oxygen uptake (VO_2max). Large artery compliance was measured by pulse contour analyses while rate-pressure product (RPP), an index of myocardial oxygen demand, was measured at rest …

Effects Of The Nicotinic Agonist Varenicline, Nicotinic Antagonist R-Bpidi, And Dat Inhibitor (R)-Modafinil On Co-Use Of Ethanol And Nicotine In Female P Rats, Sarah E. Maggio, Meredith A. Saunders, Thomas A. Baxter, Kimberly Nixon, Mark A. Prendergast, Guangrong Zheng, Peter A. Crooks, Linda P. Dwoskin, Rachel D. Slack, Amy H. Newman, Richard L. Bell

Psychology Faculty Publications

Rationale: Co-users of alcohol and nicotine are the largest group of polysubstance users worldwide. Commonalities in mechanisms of action for ethanol (EtOH) and nicotine proposes the possibility of developing a single pharmacotherapeutic to treat co-use.

Objectives: Toward developing a preclinical model of co-use, female alcohol-preferring (P) rats were trained for voluntary EtOH drinking and i.v. nicotine self-administration in three phases: (1) EtOH alone (0 vs. 15%, two-bottle choice), (2) nicotine alone (0.03 mg/kg/infusion, active vs. inactive lever), and (3) concurrent access to both EtOH and nicotine. Using this model, we examined the effects of (1) varenicline, a nicotinic acetylcholine receptor …

A Novel Role For The Tumor-Suppressor Par-4 In Regulation Of Adipogenesis And Obesity, James Sledziona

Theses and Dissertations--Toxicology and Cancer Biology

Prostate Apoptosis Response-4 (Par-4) is a conserved and ubiquitous tumor-suppressor factor which can selectively induce apoptosis in tumor cells, while leaving normal cells unaffected. While Par-4 is well established as a tumor-suppressor, there have yet been no formal investigations as to whether it has a physiologic role in normal tissues.

Early observations of Par-4 knockout mouse lines yielded that the adult mice displayed significant weight gain and fat accumulation compared to their wild-type counterparts while on a conventional chow diet. Interestingly, obese mouse and human subjects were found to exhibit reduced expression of Par-4 in adipose tissue as well as …

Evaluation Of Barriers For Small-Scale Fruit And Vegetable Growers In Kentucky, Amanda Schroeder Hege

Theses and Dissertations--Public Health (M.P.H. & Dr.P.H.)

The food system in the United States has witnessed significant challenges resulting in food security and safety concerns, environmental damage, economic distress, and a decline in our population’s health. While the last fifty years showed a drop in land and workforce dedicated to farming, industrialized farms are producing an overabundance of cheap corn that directly supplies inexpensive, unhealthy foods leading to American’s diets falling short of recommendations for good health, thus contributing to the obesity epidemic. This study utilizes an upstream approach to learn from farmers’ ability to grow good food that promotes healthy people, environments, and communities. Specifically, the …

Community Of Hope: A Comprehensive Suicide Prevention Intervention At Mit, Kyra Patel

Theses and Dissertations--Public Health (M.P.H. & Dr.P.H.)

Suicide is the second leading cause of death for most age groups in the United States. The current rate of suicide among college students is 7.5 per 100,000 with the rate remaining fairly steady over the past 30 years. While the rate is lower on college campuses, compared to the general population ages 18-24, the issue is still much larger on a college campus due to suicide bereavement or the number of people affected and to what degree they were impacted. As of 2015, MIT (Massachusetts Institute of Technology) had the highest suicide of all reporting colleges. The primary objective …

Estimating The Effects Of Z-Drugs On The Risk Of Cognitive Impairment, Xuan Zhang

Theses and Dissertations--Public Health (M.P.H. & Dr.P.H.)

Background: Dementia and sleep disorders are two significant health problems in older adults. Studies suggest that sleep disorders and their treatment might associate with the risk of dementia. Z-drugs are one of the most widely used prescription hypnosedatives in the United States (US) for insomnia in addition to benzodiazepines (BZDs). Studies have shown that BZDs are associated with dementia among senior users. Study Aim: The purpose of this study is to evaluate the association between Z-drug initiation and cognitive impairment among the elderly in the US. Study Design and Data Source: We conducted a retrospective cohort study with a new …

Latino Worker Reported Respiratory Symptoms And Stall Bedding On Thoroughbred Horse Farms, Lacy Jinks

Theses and Dissertations--Public Health (M.P.H. & Dr.P.H.)

Objective: The purpose of this study is to assess the association between self-reported respiratory symptoms in Latino workers and bedding type used in stalls on thoroughbred horse farms.

Methods: Self-reported community-based questionnaire data from 225 Latino horse farm workers in the southeastern US collected from October 2013-April 2014 were used to investigate associations between upper and lower respiratory symptom prevalence and the type of bedding used in stalls (straw, sawdust, or straw plus wood shavings or sawdust). Analysis was performed by chi-square to compare frequencies of symptoms and demographic and exposure risk factors. Logistic regression was used to adjust …

Technology Aided Instruction And Intervention To Teach Grade Level Science Term Definitions To Middle School Students With Autism Spectrum Disorder, Jessica L. Richards

Theses and Dissertations--Early Childhood, Special Education, and Counselor Education

The purpose of this study was to teach middle school students with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) academic, grade level science term definitions. Three students with ASD who were served in a self-contained classroom for students with moderate and severe disabilities participated in the study. A multiple probe (days) across behaviors research design was used to evaluate the effectiveness of a model-lead-test procedure delivered using a computer software program to teach three sets of five science term definitions from the general education academic standards. Generalization probes were conducted in the general education setting by giving each student terms that they learned …

Training Teachers To Implement Systematic Strategies In Preschool Classrooms With Fidelity, Rebecca V. Crawford

Theses and Dissertations--Early Childhood, Special Education, and Counselor Education

This study examined the fidelity of implementation by four Head Start teachers using the teaching strategies of constant time delay, enhanced milieu teaching, and system of least prompts with children with and without disabilities in an inclusive early childhood setting. The teachers worked with the researcher to determine appropriate skills to target for each teaching strategy. A multiple probe across behaviors design replicated across four teachers was used to determine the effects of teachers’ fidelity of implementation of evidence-based teaching strategies. The results showed that Head Start teachers could implement systematic teaching strategies with fidelity. The study also examined if …

Using A Video Modeling-Based Intervention Package To Teach Hand Washing To Children With Autism, Ndaru Prapti

Theses and Dissertations--Early Childhood, Special Education, and Counselor Education

The purpose of this study was to teach four preschool children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) to wash their hands independently using a video modeling-based intervention package. A research questions was asked: Is there a functional relation between a video modeling-based intervention package and increases in level and trend for washing hands independently? A multiple probe across participants design was used to answer this question. Results indicated that the intervention package had functional relation with the increase in level and trend of the three participants’ performance in washing hands. The intervention package of video modeling and least-to-most prompting was found …

Influence Of Dietary Ractopamine And Supranutritional Supplementation Of Vitamin E On Proteome Profile Of Postmortem Beef Longissimus Lumborum Muscle, Hyun Mok Kim

Theses and Dissertations--Animal and Food Sciences

The effects of dietary ingredients on the proteome profile of postmortem beef longissimus lumborum (LL) muscle were evaluated. In the first experiment, the influence of dietary ractopamine on the whole-muscle proteome of beef LL was examined. Five proteins were differentially abundant between ractopamine-fed (RAC) and non-ractopamine fed (CON) groups. The differentially abundant proteins were over-abundant in RAC and were related to muscle structure development (F-actin-capping protein subunit beta-2 and PDZ and LIM domain protein-3), chaperone (heat shock protein beta-1), oxygen transportation (myoglobin), and glycolysis (L-lactate dehydrogenase A chain). These findings indicated that ractopamine influences the abundance of proteins associated with …

Comparing Dairy Farm Performance And Heat Stress Abatment Strategies In The United States Using Summer To Winter Ratios, Jenna M. Guinn

Theses and Dissertations--Animal and Food Sciences

Heat stress abatement is a challenge for producers in the United States, especially in the southern states. Dairy producers could benefit by having a simply metric to measure heat stress abatement strategies with the goal of motivating improvement in heat stress management. Managing heat stress is key to ameliorating the effects on dairy cow performance. A study was performed to explore the use of a heat stress metric called the Summer to Winter performance ratio (S:W ratio), to quantify and compare farm performance variables among regions of the United States. Summer to Winter ratios were closest to 1.0 in the …

Long-Term Effects Of Dietary Copper Source And Level On Performance And Health Of Sows And Piglets, Ning Lu

Theses and Dissertations--Animal and Food Sciences

The objectives of this study were to investigate the long-term effects of feeding increasing supplemental levels (20, 120, or 220 mg/kg) of dietary copper (Cu) as tribasic copper chloride (TBCC) or copper sulfate (CuSO₄) on performance, antioxidant status, nutrient digestibility, and trace mineral deposition of sows and piglets; as well as to assess nursery dietary Cu levels on growth performance and response to immunological challenge in nursery pigs from sows fed either high or low Cu diets. In the long-term sow experiment, sows fed TBCC diets had greater adjusted weaning weight for litter and piglet (P < 0.10), as well as adjusted litter and piglet weight gain (P …