Digital Commons Network^™

The Ghost Of Heracles: The Lost Hero’S Haunting Of Argonautica 2, Rachel Severynse Philbrick

University of Kentucky Master's Theses

The abandonment of Heracles at the end of Book 1 in Apollonius Rhodius’ Argonautica marks a turning point for Jason and the rest of the Argonauts. The aid of their mightiest hero, upon whose strength they had relied, is lost to them and they must find a means of accomplishing their nearly impossible mission without him. Allusions to Heracles occur throughout Book 2, in all nine units of action, drawing the reader’s attention to Argonauts’ efforts to carry on in the face of their loss. These allusions can be grouped into four categories: explicit mention, verbal echo, extrapolative allusion, and …

Kentucky Landscapes Through Geologic Time, Daniel I. Carey

Map and Chart--KGS

We now understand that the earth’s crust is broken up into a number of plates, some of continental size, and that these plates have been moving— centimeters a year—throughout geologic history, driven by the internal heat of the earth. This movement creates our mountain chains, earthquakes, geologic faults, and volcanoes. The theory of plate tectonics (from the Greek, tektonikos: pertaining to building) attempts to describe the process and helps explain the geology of Kentucky.

The geologic story of the rocks that form Kentucky’s landscape began a half billion years ago when the area was covered by water. Deposits of sand, …

Lipopolysaccharide Animal Models For Parkinson's Disease, Mei Liu, Guoying Bing

Neuroscience Faculty Publications

Lipopolysaccharide (LPS), an endotoxin from Gram-negative bacteria, acts as a potent stimulator of microglia and has been used to study the inflammatory process in the pathogenesis of Parkinson's disease (PD) and anti-inflammatory therapy for PD treatment. Here, we review the growing body of literature on both in vitro and in vivo LPS PD models. Primary cell cultures from mesencephalic tissue were exposed to LPS in vitro; LPS was stereotaxically injected into the substantia nigra, striatum, or globus pallidus of brain or injected into the peritoneal cavity of the animal in vivo. In conclusion, the LPS PD models are summarized as …

Mitochondria, Amyloid Β, And Alzheimer's Disease, Ryan Douglas Readnower, Andrew David Sauerbeck, Patrick G. Sullivan

Spinal Cord and Brain Injury Research Center Faculty Publications

Hypometabolism is a hallmark of Alzheimer's disease (AD) and implicates a mitochondrial role in the neuropathology associated with AD. Mitochondrial amyloid-beta (Aβ) accumulation precedes extracellular Aβ deposition. In addition to increasing oxidative stress, Aβ has been shown to directly inhibit mitochondrial enzymes. Inhibition of mitochondrial enzymes as a result of oxidative damage or Aβ interaction perpetuates oxidative stress and leads to a hypometabolic state. Additionally, Aβ has also been shown to interact with cyclophilin D, a component of the mitochondrial permeability transition pore, which may promote cell death. Therefore, ample evidence exists indicating that …

Institutional Repositories: A Plethora Of Possibilities, Carol A. Watson, James M. Donovan

Law Faculty Scholarly Articles

The law library can be a major contributing partner to the success of its law school by establishing a digital repository to preserve and promote the institution's intellectual memory. Today's law school repositories have matured to include many more types of materials than simply faculty law review and journal articles. Librarians are ideally poised to capture, organize and preserve their institution's history in this new and powerful showcase.

Correlation Between Alternans Of Early And Late Phases Of Ventricular Action Potential, Sonam Chourasia

Theses and Dissertations--Biomedical Engineering

Several studies suggest that action potential duration (APD) alternans play an important role in initiation of arrhythmias, while less is known about the alternans of early phases of action potential (AP) and phase relation between the two. Transmembrane potentials recorded from swine and canine ventricles were analyzed to determine the correlation and phase relation between alternans of early and late phases of an AP. In both species, for activation intervals ≤ 400 ms, action potential amplitude (APA) alternans occurred≥ 50% of times when APD alternans occurred and vice versa, both were mostly in phase. Also, alternans of APA and APD …

Poetics Of Enchantment: Language, Sacramentality, And Meaning In Twentieth-Century Argentine Poetry, Adam Gregory Glover

Theses and Dissertations--Hispanic Studies

This dissertation explores the relationship between language, sacramentality, and enchantment in three twentieth-century Argentine poets: Francisco Luis Bernárdez (1900-1976), Jorge Luis Borges (1899-1986), and Alejandra Pizarnik (1936-1972). It seeks to ask and answer two fundamental questions. First, to what extent might it be possible to understand the conception of poetic language characteristic of modern poetry as an articulation, however muffled and secularized, of a sacramental apprehension of language and world? Second, how might such a conception be related to what Max Weber famously called “the disenchantment of the world”? The dissertation begins with a broad overview of the development of …

Locating Hot Spots Of Fecal Pollution In An Urban Watershed Of Central Kentucky Using Bacteroides 16s Rrna Markers, Tricia L. Coakley

Theses and Dissertations--Earth and Environmental Sciences

The field of molecular fecal source tracking in the water environment has developed rapidly since the first PCR assays for general and host-­‐specific Bacteroides 16s rRNA markers were published. Numerous host-­‐specific molecular markers and PCR assays have been developed, adding greater specificity, sensitivity and quantitative methods to the array of options. The public demand for readying methods for transfer to the commercial lab, so that they may be used to generate data for public utilities, citizen action groups and regulatory agencies, has fueled the development of an entire new research community. These methods, however plentiful, have not found community agreement …

Rotate And Hold And Scan (Rahas): Structured Light Illumination For Use In Remote Areas, Eli Ross Crane

University of Kentucky Master's Theses

As a critical step after the discovery of material culture in the field, archaeologists have a need to document these findings with a slew of different physical measurements and photographs from varying perspectives. 3-D imaging is becoming increasingly popular as the primary documenting method to replace the plethora of tests and measurements, but for remote areas 3-D becomes more cumbersome due to physical and environmental constraints. The difficulty of using a 3-D imaging system in such environments is drastically lessened while using the RAHAS technique, since it acquires scans untethered to a computer. The goal of this thesis is to …

Moisture Control Methodology For Gas Phase Compost Biofilters, Lucas Dutra De Melo

Theses and Dissertations--Biosystems and Agricultural Engineering

Gas phase biofilters are used for controlling odors from animal facilities. Some characteristics can affect their performance and moisture content is one very important. A methodology for controlling and measuring moisture content is required to optimize these systems. An experiment was conducted to determine the appropriate placement of a set of soaker hoses 1.2 m in length for water application. It was found that the soaker hose installed in the lower region of the biofilter coupled with appropriate and timely application of water was able to minimize drying of the compost. Thermal conductance proved to be a reliable indicator for …

Nigrostriatal Dopamine-Neuron Function From Neurotrophic-Like Peptide Treatment And Neurotrophic Factor Depletion, Ofelia Meagan Littrell

Theses and Dissertations--Neuroscience

Trophic factors have shown great promise in their potential to treat neurological disease. In particular, glial cell line-derived neurotrophic factor (GDNF) has been identified as a potent neurotrophic factor for midbrain dopamine (DA) neurons in the substantia nigra (SN), which lose function in Parkinson’s disease (PD). GDNF progressed to phase II clinical trials, which did not meet proposed endpoints. The large size and binding characteristics of GDNF have been suspected to contribute to some of the shortcomings of GDNF related to delivery to target brain regions. Smaller peptides derived from GDNF (Dopamine-Neuron Stimulating Peptides – DNSPs) have been recently investigated …

Lysophosphatidic Acid Production And Signaling In Platelets, Zachary Bennett Fulkerson

Theses and Dissertations--Physiology

Lysophosphatidic acid (LPA) belongs to a class of extracellular lipid signaling molecules. In the vasculature, LPA may regulate platelet activation and modulate endothelial and smooth muscle cell function. LPA has therefore been proposed as a mediator of cardiovascular disease.

The bulk of circulating LPA is produced from plasma lysophosphatidylcholine (LPC) by autotaxin (ATX), a secreted lysophospholipase D (lysoPLD). Early studies suggest that some of the production of circulating LPA is platelet-dependent. ATX possesses an N-terminal somatomedin B-like domain suggesting the hypothesis that ATX interacts with platelet integrins which may localize ATX to substrate in the membrane and/or alter the catalytic …

Target Validation Of Uk-101 And Functional Studies Of Β1i, Marie V. Wehenkel

Theses and Dissertations--Pharmacy

β1i is a major catalytic subunit of the immunoproteasome, an alternative form of the constitutive proteasome, and its upregulation has been demonstrated in a variety of disease states including cancer. Our lab has developed a small molecule inhibitor of β1i, dubbed UK-101. While UK-101 causes apoptosis in cancer cell lines, it was not clear whether this apoptotic effect was directly mediated by its irreversible inhibition of β1i. Since off-target effects are major roadblocks for the development of new and effective pharmaceuticals, target validation studies in this system would assist in the further progression of β1i inhibitors towards preclinical trials. Our …

Preclinical Evaluation Of Lobeline For The Treatment Of Adhd: Comparison With Psychostimulant Therapies, Yolanda D. Williams

Theses and Dissertations--Pharmacy

This dissertation work investigated the effect of acute and repeated in vivo administration of lobeline on dopamine transporter (DAT) and vesicular monoamine transporter (VMAT2) function. The effects of lobeline were then compared to the effects of acute and repeated in vivo administration of methylphenidate and amphetamine to determine if lobeline produced similar effects compared to these Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) medications. These medications are considered the first line of pharmacotherapy for ADHD, although there is a growing concern associated with their potential for abuse and other side effects. This merits the need for novel ADHD treatments that have a …

Role Of The Sexual Cycle In Development Of Genotypic And Phenotypic Diversity In Gibberella Zeae, Sladana Bec

Theses and Dissertations--Plant Pathology

Gibberella zeae (anamorph Fusarium graminearum) is a homothallic ascomycete pathogen that is responsible for causing Fusarium head blight (FHB) of wheat and small grains. In addition to causing a reduction in yield, harvested grain is frequently contaminated with trichothecene mycotoxins that are harmful for human and animal health. Use of wheat varieties with resistance to FHB is an important strategy to lower its impact. In order to produce varieties with durable resistance, we must understand the origin and degree of genetic diversity present in the pathogen population. In my research, I focused my efforts on an investigation of the …

Status Of A Reintroduced Black Bear Population In The Big South Fork Area Of Kentucky, Sean Mccarthy Murphy

Theses and Dissertations--Forestry and Natural Resources

Large carnivores have been subjected to overexploitation and extensive habitat loss for centuries. Reintroduction has become an increasingly used tool for recovering and reestablishing large carnivore populations; however, most reintroductions have either failed or resulted in small populations that are vulnerable to deleterious demographic, environmental, and genetic effects that can lead to population loss or extinction. Longterm monitoring of small, reintroduced populations is critical to population persistence and viability. To evaluate long-term reintroduction success and current status of a recently reintroduced, small black bear (Ursus americanus) population in the Big South Fork area of Kentucky, I used non-invasive …

Genetic Immunization In The Horse: The Potential For Enhanced Immune Responses With Deacylated Polyethyleneimine (Pei) And Immunostimulatory Cytokines As Vaccine Adjuvants, Deborah Lee Even

Theses and Dissertations--Veterinary Science

DNA vaccines in larger animals, such as horses, are generally less effective and elicit significantly weaker immune responses, than in small animal model systems. To provide optimal protection against pathogenic microorganisms, the induction of both humoral and cellular immune responses from DNA vaccination may be necessary. One limitation to DNA immunization in the horse is the difficulty in generating high levels of antigen-specific antibody and CTL responses. Previous work in the laboratory has demonstrated that expression constructs containing native sequences encoding the surface unit (SU) envelope glycoprotein (pCiSU) of the Equine Infectious Anemia Virus (EIAV) are ineffective at stimulating immune …

Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder In Childhood Is Associated With Cognitive Test Profiles In The Geriatric Population But Not With Mild Cognitive Impairment Or Alzheimer's Disease, N. Ivanchak, Erin L. Abner, S. A. Carr, S. J. Freeman, A. Seybert, John Ranseen, Gregory A. Jicha

Sanders-Brown Center on Aging Faculty Publications

The frequency of ADHD in the aging population and its relationship to late-life cognitive decline has not been studied previously. To address this gap in our understanding, the Wender-Utah ADHD Rating scale (WURS) was administered to 310 geriatric subjects with cognitive status ranging from normal cognition to mild cognitive impairment to overt dementia. The frequency of WURS-positive ADHD in this sample was 4.4%. WURS scores were not related to cognitive diagnoses, but did show nonlinear associations with tasks requiring sustained attention. The frequency of ADHD appears stable across generations and does not appear to be associated with MCI or dementia …

Evaluating Algal Growth At Different Temperatures, Keelin Owen Cassidy

Theses and Dissertations--Biosystems and Agricultural Engineering

In recent years, there has been a concern for the amount of carbon dioxide released into the atmosphere and how it will be captured. One way to capture carbon dioxide is with algae. In this study, algae's growth was measured at different temperatures. The first part of the study was to grow Scenedesmus and Chlorella with M8 or urea growth media at a temperature of 25, 30 or 35ºC. It was found that 30ºC had the best growth rates for both algae. The second part studied Scenedesmus growth with urea, more in-depth, and found the optimum growth temperature to be …

Traumatic Brain Injury: Cyclophilin D As A Therapeutic Target And The Neuropathology Caused By Blast, Ryan Douglas Readnower

University of Kentucky Doctoral Dissertations

With an estimated incidence of 1.5 million each year, traumatic brain injury (TBI) is a major cause of mortality and morbidity in the United States. Opening of the mitochondrial permeability transition pore (mPTP) is a key event contributing to TBI pathology. Cyclophilin D (CypD), a matrix peptidyl-prolyl cis-trans isomerase, is believed to be the regulating component of the mPTP. Cyclosporin A, an immunosuppressant drug, inhibits CypD and blocks mPTP formation and has been shown to be neuroprotective following TBI. However, it is unclear if CsA’s neuroprotective mechanism is due to inhibition of CypD and/or immuno-suppression. Therefore to directly assess the …

Direct Cloning Of Double-Stranded Rnas From Rnase Protection Analysis Reveals Processing Patterns Of C/D Box Snornas And Provides Evidence For Widespread Antisense Transcript Expression, Manli Shen, Eduardo Eyras, Jie Wu, Amit Khanna, Serene Josiah, Mathieu Rederstorff, Michael Q. Zhang, Stefan Stamm

Molecular and Cellular Biochemistry Faculty Publications

We describe a new method that allows cloning of double-stranded RNAs (dsRNAs) that are generated in RNase protection experiments. We demonstrate that the mouse C/D box snoRNA MBII-85 (SNORD116) is processed into at least five shorter RNAs using processing sites near known functional elements of C/D box snoRNAs. Surprisingly, the majority of cloned RNAs from RNase protection experiments were derived from endogenous cellular RNA, indicating widespread antisense expression. The cloned dsRNAs could be mapped to genome areas that show RNA expression on both DNA strands and partially overlapped with experimentally determined argonaute-binding sites. The data suggest a conserved processing pattern …

Development And Characterization Of Novel Monoclonal Antibodies For Studying Prion Pathogenesis, Chu-Chun Weng

University of Kentucky Master's Theses

Monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) recognizing different regions of PrP are potential tools in the study of prion diseases and immunotherapy. We used shuffled recombinant prion protein containing elk and mouse PrP as antigen to produce monoclonal antibodies in mice. We found that mAb 5C6 mapped to a discontinuous epitope comprised of amino acid 132 and 158 (mouse numbering). Monoclonal anibody 9E9 which maps to a unique N-terminal epitope at amino acid preferentially recognized cervid PrP. In contrast, the epitope of mAb 9H9 is located in the C-terminus and only reacted with mouse and hamster. The epitope for mAb 7H11 appears to …

Construct Validity Of A Laboratory Aggression Paradigm: A Multitrait-Multimethod Approach, Joshua Parker Phillips

University of Kentucky Doctoral Dissertations

There continues to be doubt regarding the validity of laboratory aggression paradigms. This paper provides an investigation of the construct validity of one prominent aggression task, the Taylor Aggression Paradigm (TAP), within a Multitrait Multimethod Matrix (MTMM) methodology. Participants consisted of 151 male undergraduate psychology students with a median age of 19 years old (M=19.45, SD = 2.03). Participants completed self-report and behavioral measures of aggression, impulsivity, and pro-social behavior which were analyzed using a Correlated Trait – Correlated Method Confirmatory Factor Analysis model. Results supported the construct validity of the MTMM model and the TAP. This study …

Boundaries And Breaches: Complexities And Strategies Down On The Farm, Debra S. Kershaw

University of Kentucky Doctoral Dissertations

Employing a wide range of theoretical and methodological tools, practitioners within an array of disciplines have attempted to gain new understanding about the structural changes in the agricultural system in the United States and around the world. From Agricultural Economists to Sociologists, quantitative and qualitative research has attempted to shed light on structural change in agriculture and its implications for the real lives of farmers, their families, and consumers of their goods. The current research adopts a comparative-historical approach to examining the particular affects of structural change in six counties in central Nebraska. The general theoretical frame on which this …

T-Phylloplanin And Cis-Abienol, Two Natural Products From Tobacco Have Broad Spectrum, Anti-Fungal Activities, Brian Christopher King

University of Kentucky Doctoral Dissertations

Tobacco phylloplanins (T-phylloplanin) are a group of closely-related glycoproteins that are formed and disposed at the interface between the plant aerial surface (the phylloplane) and the atmosphere. They are synthesized in short procumbent trichomes and are secreted to aerial surfaces where they are thought to serve the plant as a first line of defense against fungal pathogens. Here it is shown using in vitro and in planta assays that tobacco and sunflower phylloplanins have broad-spectrum antifungal activities against spores - and also hyphae for two species - of several true fungi. Field tests show that T-phylloplanin reduces diseases caused by …

Effect Of Azithromycin On Macrophage Phenotype During Pulmonary Infections And Cystic Fibrosis, Theodore James Cory

University of Kentucky Doctoral Dissertations

Azithromycin improves clinical outcomes in patients with cystic fibrosis (CF), specifically in patients infected with Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Azithromycin shifts macrophage programming away from a pro-inflammatory classical (M1) phenotype, and towards an anti-inflammatory alternative (M2) phenotype; however, little is known about this mechanism, nor of its impact upon immune response to pulmonary infection. We set out to determine the mechanism by which azithromycin is able to alter macrophage phenotype, and assess the effect of azithromycin induced macrophage polarization on inflammation during pulmonary infections.

Utilizing macrophage cell culture, we found that azithromycin increased IKKβ, a signaling molecule in the NFκB pathway, which …

An Analysis Of Behavioral Flexibility And Cue Preference In Pigeons Under Variable Reversal Learning Conditions, Rebecca Marie Rayburn-Reeves

Theses and Dissertations--Psychology

Behavioral flexibility, the ability to change behavior in accordance with the changing environment, was studied in pigeons using a series of reversal learning paradigms. All experiments involved a series of 5-trial sequences and I was interested in whether pigeons are sensitive to the reversal by switching to the other alternative after a single error. In Experiments 1 and 2, the overall probability of the two stimuli was equated over sequences, but the probability correct of the two stimuli changed across trials. In both experiments, subjects showed no sensitivity to the differences in sequence type. Instead they used the overall average …

Six Japanese Gardens And Trois Rivières: Delta: An Analysis Of Kaija Saariaho’S Two Major Works For Solo Percussion And Electronics, Bradley Edward Meyer

Theses and Dissertations--Music

Music for solo multiple-percussion (“multi-percussion”) has been rapidly developing in terms of quantity of and creativity exhibited within works since this genre was established in the late 1950s. It is important to underscore, analyze, and question the music of composers who have helped further multi-percussion towards the highest level of musical excellence possible as the genre continues to expand and mature. Finnish-born composer Kaija Saairaho has achieved international fame and success with her acoustic, electronic, and electro-acoustic (the simultaneous combination of electronic and acoustic elements) compositions. She has a large body of musical works, including two compositions for solo percussionist …

An Examination Of Compressed Natural Gas For Use In Municipal Fleets: Would Cng Work For Lexington, Ky?, Robert Kahne

MPA/MPP/MPFM Capstone Projects

Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) is an alternative fuel source which could replace diesel as a fuel for municipal fleets. This paper seeks to examine the viability of CNG and its potential to power Lexington-Fayette Urban County Government’s fleet of waste removal trucks. This paper takes into account financial and environmental factors in determining CNG’s potential, but gives priority to financial considerations. The results of this analysis are mixed—under some future scenarios, compressed natural gas would be a favorable option for the fleet, but given other future scenarios, CNG would not be viable. In terms of environmental benefits, a switch to …

Local Economic Development: Researching Clusters In Woodford County, Kentucky, Tom Middleton

MPA/MPP/MPFM Capstone Projects

Woodford Tomorrow, a citizen economic development planning group in Woodford County, is interested in promoting cluster development. Clusters are a geographic concentration of businesses and institutions which interact and collaborate within a particular economic sector. This report provides quantitative analysis of three clusters: (1) health, (2) agriculture, and (3) arts, entertainment, and tourism. The majority of this data comes from the consulting firm Economic Modeling Specialists Inc.

The agriculture cluster has many industries, specifically in the crop and animal production and manufacturing sectors, which appear to be potential industries to target. The hotel and motel industry seems to be an …