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Development Of A New Curriculum In A Positive Youth Development Program: The Project P.A.T.H.S. In Hong Kong, Daniel T. L. Shek, Hing Keung Ma, Rachel C. F. Sun

Pediatrics Faculty Publications

The design of a new curriculum in a positive youth development program (Project P.A.T.H.S.) in Hong Kong is outlined. The Tier 1 Program of the original phase of the Project P.A.T.H.S. is a universal positive youth development program for students in Secondary 1 to Secondary 3 with the curricula developed by a research team comprising scholars in different disciplines (e.g., social work, psychology, and education). The 120 teaching units are designed with reference to 15 positive youth development constructs identified in the successful positive youth development programs. In the extension phase of the project, a new curriculum with 60 teaching …

Fungal Desaturases And Related Methods, David F. Hildebrand, Suryadevara S. Rao, John Thoguru

Plant and Soil Sciences Faculty Patents

The presently-disclosed subject matter provides isolated nucleic acid and amino acid sequences encoding mushroom desaturase polypeptides that are active with both palmitic and stearic acid, as well as vectors and transgenic plant cells comprising nucleic acids of the presently-disclosed subject matter. The presently-disclosed subject matter further provides methods of producing monounsaturated fatty acids, such as palmitoleic acid (16:1), and monounsaturated fatty acids prepared by the methods disclosed herein.

Nanoparticulate Formulations Of Mithramycin Analogs For Enhanced Cytotoxicity, Daniel Scott, Jürgen Rohr, Younsoo Bae

Pharmaceutical Sciences Faculty Publications

Mithramycin (MTM), a natural product of soil bacteria from the Streptomyces genus, displays potent anticancer activity but has been limited clinically by severe side effects and toxicities. Engineering of the MTM biosynthetic pathway has produced the 3-side-chain-modified analogs MTM SK (SK) and MTM SDK (SDK), which have exhibited increased anticancer activity and improved therapeutic index. However, these analogs still suffer from low bioavailability, short plasma retention time, and low tumor accumulation. In an effort to aid with these shortcomings, two nanoparticulate formulations, poly(ethylene glycol)-poly(aspartate hydrazide) self-assembled and cross-linked micelles, were investigated with regard to the ability to load and pH …

Daily Administration Of Ibuprofen Modifies Neuroinflammation Gene Expression, But Not Neuroplasticity Gene Expression In Traumatic Brain Injured Rats, Tuoxin Cao

Kaleidoscope

No abstract provided.

Age-Associated Disruption Of Molecular Clock Expression In Skeletal Muscle Of The Spontaneously Hypertensive Rat, Mitsunori Miyazaki, Elizabeth Schroder, Stephanie E. Edelmann, Michael E. Hughes, Karl Kornacker, C. William Balke, Karyn A. Esser

Physiology Faculty Publications

It is well known that spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR) develop muscle pathologies with hypertension and heart failure, though the mechanism remains poorly understood. Woon et al. (2007) linked the circadian clock gene Bmal1 to hypertension and metabolic dysfunction in the SHR. Building on these findings, we compared the expression pattern of several core-clock genes in the gastrocnemius muscle of aged SHR (80 weeks; overt heart failure) compared to aged-matched control WKY strain. Heart failure was associated with marked effects on the expression of Bmal1, Clock and Rora in addition to several non-circadian genes important in regulating skeletal muscle phenotype including …

Animals As Metaphor: Feminist Art And Animal Rights In The 1970s And Beyond, Ashley Watson

Kaleidoscope

No abstract provided.

Jessica Houtz: A Beckman Research Experience, Jessica Houtz

Kaleidoscope

No abstract provided.

Developing Hands-On Physiology Labs For The Department Of Biology At The University Of Kentucky, Ann Cooper

Kaleidoscope

No abstract provided.

Sag101 Forms A Ternary Complex With Eds1 And Pad4 And Is Required For Resistance Signaling Against Turnip Crinkle Virus, Shifeng Zhu, Rae-Dong Jeong, Srivathsa C. Venugopal, Ludmila Lapchyk, Duroy Navarre, Aardra Kachroo, Pradeep Kachroo

Plant Pathology Faculty Publications

EDS1, PAD4, and SAG101 are common regulators of plant immunity against many pathogens. EDS1 interacts with both PAD4 and SAG101 but direct interaction between PAD4 and SAG101 has not been detected, leading to the suggestion that the EDS1-PAD4 and EDS1-SAG101 complexes are distinct. We show that EDS1, PAD4, and SAG101 are present in a single complex in planta. While this complex is preferentially nuclear localized, it can be redirected to the cytoplasm in the presence of an extranuclear form of EDS1. PAD4 and SAG101 can in turn, regulate the subcellular localization of EDS1. We also show that the Arabidopsis genome …

Ghrelin Receptor Deficiency Does Not Affect Diet-Induced Atherosclerosis In Low-Density Lipoprotein Receptor-Null Mice, Kirk M. Habegger, Erin Grant, Paul Thomas Pfluger, Diego Perez-Tilve, Alan Daugherty, Dennis Bruemmer, Matthias H. Tschöp, Susanna M. Hofmann

Saha Cardiovascular Research Center Faculty Publications

OBJECTIVE: Ghrelin, a stomach-derived, secreted peptide, and its receptor (growth hormone secretagogue receptor, GHSR) are known to modulate food intake and energy homeostasis. The ghrelin system is also expressed broadly in cardiovascular tissues. Since ghrelin has been associated with anti-inflammatory and anti-atherogenic properties, but is also well known to promote obesity and impair glucose metabolism, we investigated whether ghrelin has any impact on the development of atherosclerosis. The hypothesis that endogenous ghrelin signaling may be involved in atherosclerosis has not been tested previously.

METHODS AND RESULTS: We crossed ghrelin receptor knockout mice (GHSr^-/-) into a low-density lipoprotein receptor-null …

Forage News [2011-11], Department Of Plant And Soil Sciences, University Of Kentucky

Forage News

• Brent White is Kentucky Forage Spokesman
• KFGC Presents Awards
• KFGC Nominating Committee Report
• AFGC Coming to Louisville
• Forages at KCA
• Selling & Shipping Hay to Texas and Other Southern Tier States
• Hay Production Changes in Kentucky
• Climate Change Effects on Forage Quality of Kentucky Hay Fields
• Be Alert to Health Risks When Grazing Turnips

Differential Effects Of Accumbens Core Vs. Shell Lesions In A Rat Concurrent Conditioned Place Preference Paradigm For Cocaine Vs. Social Interaction, Michael Fritz, Rana El Rawas, Sabine Klement, Kai Kummer, Michael J. Mayr, Vincent Eggart, Ahmad Salti, Michael T. Bardo, Alois Saria, Gerald Zernig

Center for Drug Abuse Research Translation Faculty Publications

BACKGROUND: A main challenge in the therapy of drug dependent individuals is to help them reactivate interest in non-drug-associated activities. Among these activities, social interaction is doubly important because treatment adherence itself depends on it. We previously developed a rat experimental model based on the conditioned place preference (CPP) paradigm in which only four 15-min episodes of social interaction with a gender- and weight-matched male conspecific (i) reversed CPP from cocaine to social interaction despite continuing cocaine training and (ii) prevented the reinstatement of cocaine CPP. In the present study, we investigated if the two subregions of the nucleus accumbens …

Elevated Stearoyl-Coa Desaturase In Brains Of Patients With Alzheimer's Disease, Giuseppe Astarita, Kwang-Mook Jung, Vitaly Vasilevko, Nicholas V. Dipatrizio, Sarah K. Martin, David H. Cribbs, Elizabeth Head, Carl W. Cotman, Daniele Piomelli

Sanders-Brown Center on Aging Faculty Publications

The molecular bases of Alzheimer's disease (AD) remain unclear. We used a lipidomic approach to identify lipid abnormalities in the brains of subjects with AD (N = 37) compared to age-matched controls (N = 17). The analyses revealed statistically detectable elevations in levels of non-esterified monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFAs) and mead acid (20:3n-9) in mid-frontal cortex, temporal cortex and hippocampus of AD patients. Further studies showed that brain mRNAs encoding for isoforms of the rate-limiting enzyme in MUFAs biosynthesis, stearoyl-CoA desaturase (SCD-1, SCD-5a and SCD-5b), were elevated in subjects with AD. The monounsaturated/saturated fatty acid ratio ('desaturation index')--displayed a strong …

Reversal Of Glial And Neurovascular Markers Of Unhealthy Brain Aging By Exercise In Middle-Aged Female Mice, Caitlin S. Latimer, James L. Searcy, Michael T. Bridges, Lawrence D. Brewer, Jelena Popović, Eric M. Blalock, Philip W. Landfield, Olivier Thibault, Nada M. Porter

Pharmacology and Nutritional Sciences Faculty Publications

Healthy brain aging and cognitive function are promoted by exercise. The benefits of exercise are attributed to several mechanisms, many which highlight its neuroprotective role via actions that enhance neurogenesis, neuronal morphology and/or neurotrophin release. However, the brain is also composed of glial and vascular elements, and comparatively less is known regarding the effects of exercise on these components in the aging brain. Here, we show that aerobic exercise at mid-age decreased markers of unhealthy brain aging including astrocyte hypertrophy, a hallmark of brain aging. Middle-aged female mice were assigned to a sedentary group or provided a running wheel for …

Thrombospondin1 Deficiency Reduces Obesity-Associated Inflammation And Improves Insulin Sensitivity In A Diet-Induced Obese Mouse Model, Yanzhang Li, Xiaopeng Tong, Courtney Rumala, Kate Clemons, Shuxia Wang

Graduate Center for Nutritional Sciences Faculty Publications

BACKGROUND: Obesity is prevalent worldwide and is associated with insulin resistance. Advanced studies suggest that obesity-associated low-grade chronic inflammation contributes to the development of insulin resistance and other metabolic complications. Thrombospondin 1 (TSP1) is a multifunctional extracellular matrix protein that is up-regulated in inflamed adipose tissue. A recent study suggests a positive correlation of TSP1 with obesity, adipose inflammation, and insulin resistance. However, the direct effect of TSP1 on obesity and insulin resistance is not known. Therefore, we investigated the role of TSP1 in mediating obesity-associated inflammation and insulin resistance by using TSP1 knockout mice.

METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: Male TSP1-/- mice …

Manganese Superoxide Dismutase: Guardian Of The Powerhouse, Aaron K. Holley, Vasudevan Bakthavatchalu, Joyce M. Velez-Roman, Daret K. St. Clair

Toxicology and Cancer Biology Faculty Publications

The mitochondrion is vital for many metabolic pathways in the cell, contributing all or important constituent enzymes for diverse functions such as β-oxidation of fatty acids, the urea cycle, the citric acid cycle, and ATP synthesis. The mitochondrion is also a major site of reactive oxygen species (ROS) production in the cell. Aberrant production of mitochondrial ROS can have dramatic effects on cellular function, in part, due to oxidative modification of key metabolic proteins localized in the mitochondrion. The cell is equipped with myriad antioxidant enzyme systems to combat deleterious ROS production in mitochondria, with the mitochondrial antioxidant enzyme manganese …

Anatomical Correlates To Nectar Feeding Among The Strepsirrhines Of Madagascar: Implications For Interpreting The Fossil Record, Magdalena N. Muchlinski, Jonathan M. G. Perry

Neuroscience Faculty Publications

One possible ecological scenario for the origin of primates is the archaic pollination and coevolution hypothesis. Its proponents contend that the consumption of nectar by some early primates and the resulting cross-pollination is an example of coevolution that drove adaptive radiations in some primates. This hypothesis is perhaps ecologically sound, but it lacks the morphology-behavior links that would allow us to test it using the fossil record. Here we attempt to identify cranial adaptations to nectar feeding among the strepsirrhines of Madagascar in order to provide such links. Many Malagasy strepsirrhines are considered effective cross-pollinators of the flowers they feed …

Taking “Grazing” To The Next Level, Edward N. Ballard

Kentucky Grazing Conference

Since the late 1980’s, producer awareness of pasture management has been increasing. A number of factors have brought this about. Mainly, economic conditions have forced producers to look at their bottom line and this has reflected the low returns from mismanagement of forages and pastures. Also, advancements in the technology of pasture management and improvement have made more intensive utilization of the forage resource more economically viable. Advances in equipment, especially fencing and water equipment, have also helped bring about the increased interest in better grassland management.

Options For Getting Water In Every Paddock, Kevin Laurent

Kentucky Grazing Conference

Whether you call it rotational grazing, intensive grazing or management intensive grazing, the economic benefits of controlling how and where your cattle graze are well documented. Increased forage utilization, greater stocking rates, greater legume persistence, reduced hay feeding and more uniform nutrient recycling are just some of the many benefits producers can take advantage of when practicing some form of controlled grazing. However, one of the greatest challenges to implementing a controlled grazing system is the delivery of stock water to the grazing animal.

Stockpiling Tall Fescue: Cost & Return, Greg S. Halich

Kentucky Grazing Conference

An opportunity that Kentucky cattle farmers have in reducing their hay requirements is to apply nitrogen on select pastures to stockpile for fall and winter grazing. By increasing the total pasture production during this time period, the grazing season can be extended and the amount of hay required can be reduced.

Benefits Of "Improved" Grazing--More Important Now Than Ever!, Garry D. Lacefield

Kentucky Grazing Conference

At this Conference twelve years ago I talked about the “Benefits of Improved Grazing”. We have had aspects of that theme at every Kentucky Grazing Conference since and also emphasized that message at 10 Heart of America Grazing Conferences and three National Grazing Conferences. With all that emphasis, why do I bring this up again and even have the nerve to say “More Important Now than Ever”? Well, the short answer is “things are different now!”

Wolbachia Infections That Reduce Immature Insect Survival: Predicted Impacts On Population Replacement, Philip R. Crain, James W. Mains, Eunho Suh, Yunxin Huang, Philip H. Crowley, Stephen L. Dobson

Entomology Faculty Publications

BACKGROUND: The evolutionary success of Wolbachia bacteria, infections of which are widespread in invertebrates, is largely attributed to an ability to manipulate host reproduction without imposing substantial fitness costs. Here, we describe a stage-structured model with deterministic immature lifestages and a stochastic adult female lifestage. Simulations were conducted to better understand Wolbachia invasions into uninfected host populations. The model includes conventional Wolbachia parameters (the level of cytoplasmic incompatibility, maternal inheritance, the relative fecundity of infected females, and the initial Wolbachia infection frequency) and a new parameter termed relative larval viability (RLV), which is the survival of infected larvae relative to …

Methods And Pharmaceutical Compositions For Decorporation Of Radioactive Compounds, Michael Jay, Russell J. Mumper

Pharmaceutical Sciences Faculty Patents

A composition for removing a radioactive element or compound such as systemic transuranic compounds, from mammals comprises a pharmaceutical carrier and a decorporation agent comprising ester and amide derivatives of DTPA. A method of treating a mammal to remove systemic compounds utilizing the DTPA derivatives is also disclosed.

Forage News [2011-10], Department Of Plant And Soil Sciences, University Of Kentucky

Forage News

• 12th Kentucky Grazing Conference
• Frost Approaching: Beware of Prussic Acid!
• KFGC Field Day
• Don't Overgraze Warm-Season Grasses
• Freeze Tolerance of Forage Bermudagrass
• Performance by Spring and Fall-Calving Cows Grazing with Full Access, or No Access to Toxic, Wild-Type Endophyte-Infected Tall Fescue - 3-Year Summary
• The Determination of Switchgrass Growth Curves
• Chemical Suppression of Seedhead Emergence in Toxic Endophyte-Infected Tall Fescue for Improving Cattle WEight Gain and Physiology
• Reducing Feed Costs with Grazing Management

Reconciling Chevron, Mead, And The Review Of Agency Discretion: Source Of Law And The Standards Of Judicial Review, Michael P. Healy

Law Faculty Scholarly Articles

Although the Supreme Court's watershed decision in Chevron U.S.A. Inc. v. Natural Resources Defense Council, Inc. has been understood by many as defining the framework for judicial review of agency legal determinations, there have been longstanding questions about the application of the standards for reviewing administrative action. These questions have become more troublesome following the Supreme Court's 2001 decision in United States v. Mead Corp. Mead established that Chevron review only applies when defined requirements are met and held that so-called Skidmore deference applies when Chevron deference does not apply. Surveying the aftermath of Mead and its effect on the …

A Mathematical Model Of Muscle Containing Heterogeneous Half-Sarcomeres Exhibits Residual Force Enhancement, Stuart G. Campbell, P. Chris Hatfield, Kenneth S. Campbell

Physiology Faculty Publications

A skeletal muscle fiber that is stimulated to contract and then stretched from L₁ to L₂ produces more force after the initial transient decays than if it is stimulated at L₂. This behavior has been well studied experimentally, and is known as residual force enhancement. The underlying mechanism remains controversial. We hypothesized that residual force enhancement could reflect mechanical interactions between heterogeneous half-sarcomeres. To test this hypothesis, we subjected a computational model of interacting heterogeneous half-sarcomeres to the same activation and stretch protocols that produce residual force enhancement in real preparations. Following a transient period of elevated force associated with …

Functional Plasticity Of Central Trpv1 Receptors In Brainstem Dorsal Vagal Complex Circuits Of Streptozotocin-Treated Hyperglycemic Mice, Andrea Zsombok, Muthu D. Bhaskaran, Hong Gao, Andrei V. Derbenev, Bret N. Smith

Physiology Faculty Publications

Emerging data indicate that central neurons participate in diabetic processes by modulating autonomic output from neurons in the dorsal motor nucleus of the vagus (DMV). We tested the hypothesis that synaptic modulation by transient receptor potential vanilloid type 1 (TRPV1) receptors is reduced in the DMV in slices from a murine model of type 1 diabetes. The TRPV1 agonist capsaicin robustly enhanced glutamate release onto DMV neurons by acting at preterminal receptors in slices from intact mice, but failed to do so in slices from diabetic mice. TRPV1 receptor protein expression in the vagal complex was unaltered. Brief insulin preapplication …

Widespread Horizontal Gene Transfer From Circular Single-Stranded Dna Viruses To Eukaryotic Genomes, Huiquan Liu, Yanping Fu, Bo Li, Xiao Yu, Jiatao Xie, Jiasen Cheng, Said A. Ghabrial, Guoqing Li, Xianhong Yi, Daohong Jiang

Plant Pathology Faculty Publications

BACKGROUND: In addition to vertical transmission, organisms can also acquire genes from other distantly related species or from their extra-chromosomal elements (plasmids and viruses) via horizontal gene transfer (HGT). It has been suggested that phages represent substantial forces in prokaryotic evolution. In eukaryotes, retroviruses, which can integrate into host genome as an obligate step in their replication strategy, comprise approximately 8% of the human genome. Unlike retroviruses, few members of other virus families are known to transfer genes to host genomes.

RESULTS: Here we performed a systematic search for sequences related to circular single-stranded DNA (ssDNA) viruses in publicly available …

Degradable Cross-Linked Nanoassemblies As Drug Carriers For Heat Shock Protein 90 Inhibitor 17-N-Allylamino-17-Demethoxy-Geldanamycin, Andrei G. Ponta, Shanjida Akter, Younsoo Bae

Pharmaceutical Sciences Faculty Publications

Cross-linked nanoassemblies (CNAs) with a degradable core were prepared for sustained release of 17-N-allylamino-17-demethoxygeldanamycin (17-AAG), a potent inhibitor of heat shock protein 90 (HSP90). The particle size of CNAs ranged between 100 and 250 nm, which changed depending on the cross-linking yields and drug entrapment method. CNAs with a 1% cross-linking yield entrapped 17-AAG in aqueous solutions, yet degraded in 3 hrs. CNAs entrapped 5.2 weight% of 17-AAG as the cross-linking yield increased to 10%, retaining more than 80% of particles for 24 hrs. CNAs with drugs entrapped after the cross-linking reactions were 100 nm and remained stable in both …

Sequential Alterations In Catabolic And Anabolic Gene Expression Parallel Pathological Changes During Progression Of Monoiodoacetate-Induced Arthritis, Jin Nam, Priyangi Perera, Jie Liu, Bjoern Rath, James Deschner, Robert Gassner, Timothy A. Butterfield, Sudha Agarwal

Physical Therapy Faculty Publications

Chronic inflammation is one of the major causes of cartilage destruction in osteoarthritis. Here, we systematically analyzed the changes in gene expression associated with the progression of cartilage destruction in monoiodoacetate-induced arthritis (MIA) of the rat knee. Sprague Dawley female rats were given intra-articular injection of monoiodoacetate in the knee. The progression of MIA was monitored macroscopically, microscopically and by micro-computed tomography. Grade 1 damage was observed by day 5 post-monoiodoacetate injection, progressively increasing to Grade 2 by day 9, and to Grade 3-3.5 by day 21. Affymetrix GeneChip was utilized to analyze the transcriptome-wide changes in gene expression, and …