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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 …

Estimating The Value Of Public Health Services & Systems: Evidence, Uncertainties, And Research Needs, Glen P. Mays

Health Management and Policy Presentations

The Affordable Care Act authorized the largest expansion in federal funding for public health services and delivery systems in decades. These provisions, designed to support programs and services that promote health and prevent disease and injury on a population-wide basis, remain controversial because of uncertainties regarding their effectiveness in improving health and constraining medical cost growth. This session examines a series of recent studies to shed light on the health and economic value of spending on public health.

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 …

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 …

Oswald Research And Creativity Program, Uk Office Of Undergraduate Research

Kaleidoscope

No abstract provided.

P40: The Missing Link Between Autophagy And Cancer?, Mittul Patel

Kaleidoscope

No abstract provided.

Diurnal Variations Of Genes Contributing To Sodium And Potassium Cardiac Currents, Parvathi Nataraj

Kaleidoscope

No abstract provided.

Jessica Houtz: A Beckman Research Experience, Jessica Houtz

Kaleidoscope

No abstract provided.

The Consequences Of Early Onset Alcohol Experimentation: Adaptive Exploration On Downward Trajectory, Marjorie Grefer

Kaleidoscope

No abstract provided.

Behavioral Health Change In Appalachian Women With High Cardiovascular Disease Risk Report, Sarah Cole

Kaleidoscope

No abstract provided.

The Design Of A Psychiatric Residential Treatment Facility In Wheelwright, Kentucky Serving Adolescent Males, Jenna Clem

Kaleidoscope

During the spring semester of 2010, I have been working on the design of a psychiatric residential treatment facility in Wheelwright, Kentucky as part of the requirements for ID 659, Interior Design Graduate Studio. I am a senior, but was allowed permission to enroll in this class because of my interest in research-based design. The facility will offer therapy services in a home environment for seven adolescents between the ages of ten and seventeen. This paper describes the process that I followed throughout the design process and the specific issues that were addressed in the final solution. The design process …

Disparities Research In Public Health Pbrns, Glen P. Mays

Health Management and Policy Presentations

Public health agencies are well positioned within the health system to play key roles in addressing oral health issues on a population-wide basis, However, current evidence reveals wide geographic variation in the delivery of public health interventions for oral health promotion. This session explores the factors contributing to this variation, and it highlights studies underway through the Public Health Practice-Based Research Networks (PBRNs) to produce more and better evidence about public health delivery and impact.

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 …

Tobacco Use Dependence And Approaches To Treatment, Audrey Darville, Chizimuzo T.C. Okoli

Nursing Presentations

Counseling Demonstrates a Dose-Response Effect/Comes in Many Forms

• Brief advice during a “window of opportunity” can increase quit attempts by 40%

• Medication combined with counseling doubles the success rate

• Quitlines: proactive fax to quitline most effective

• Online (becomeanex.org, smokefree.gov, mylastdip.com)

• Cooper Clayton Classes at many local health departments; schedules and provision of medication varies

• I-Phone apps/text to quit

Tailoring NRT to the tobacco user

• Studies show efficacy in smokers and smokeless tobacco users (Ebbert, et al, 2010)

• Combining patch with shorter acting form of NRT has been shown to be safe and effective (Stead, et al, Cochrane Review, 2008; Kozlowski, …

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

Smoking And Breast Cancer: Girls’ And Boys’ Reactions To Tailored, Internet Delivered Messages, Joan L. Bottorff, Chris G. Richardson, Rebecca Haines-Saah, John Oliff, Peter Hutchinson, Pamela A. Ratner, Chizimuzo T.C. Okoli, Carolyn Gotay, Kenneth Johnson

Nursing Presentations

Background

• Active smoking and exposure to secondhand smoke (SHS) are causally linked to premenopausal breast cancer (BC).

• To date, there have been few efforts to raise awareness of active smoking and SHS as risk factors for BC.

Purpose

• To develop and evaluate messages for Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal adolescent girls and boys to raise awareness about tobacco exposure as a risk factor for BC.

Smoking On The Margins? Assessing The Health Equity Effects Of A Smoke-Free Law In Parks And Beaches, Chizimuzo T.C. Okoli, Ann Pederson, Steve Chasey, Wendy Rice, Phoebe M. Long, Lorraine Greaves, Joan L. Bottorff, Nancy Poole, Natalie Hemsing

Nursing Presentations

Policies which aim to limit secondhand smoke (SHS) exposure by restricting spaces where people can smoke have been shown to improve population health and garner a high level of support from the public, health professionals and policy makers. Following local, national and international examples, Vancouver’s Board of Parks and Recreation approved a smoke-free by-law for the city’s parks, beaches, and facilities effective September 1, 2010. Research suggests that such smoke-free by-laws, when enacted indoors, may affect men and women in different ways, but little research has examined the effects of such outdoor smoking bans on women and men and other …

Effects Of A Smoke-Free Law In Parks And Beaches On Smoking Behaviour: Methods To Determine Effectiveness, Chizimuzo T.C. Okoli, Andrew Johnson, Amanda Fallin, Ann Pederson, Anna Liwander

Nursing Presentations

As part of a comprehensive approach to tobacco control,smoke free laws have resulted in reductions of indoor air pollution, improvements in respiratory and cardiovascular health, reduction of smoking uptake by youth, and increasing tobacco use cessation in various jurisdictions. Although many studies have demonstrated the beneficial effects of smoke-free policies in indoor spaces (e.g., restaurants, bars, workplaces, hospital settings, etc.), little is known about the effectiveness of such policies in outdoor public spaces. On September 1st, 2010, Vancouver’s smoke-free by-law for the city’s parks, beaches, and facilities came into effect. The aims of this study are two-fold: a) to examine …

An Evidence-Based Approach To Address Tobacco Dependence Treatment In Mental Health And Addictions Settings, Chizimuzo T.C. Okoli

Nursing Presentations

Purpose: To examine the program completion and smoking cessation outcomes of a tobacco dependence treatment program for individuals with a history of substance use (SUD) and/or psychiatric disorders (PD). Despite the steady decline in the overall smoking prevalence in North America during the last decade some subsets of the population continue to smoke at high rates, particularly individuals with a SUD and/or PD. Among clinical samples, an estimated 75% of individuals with SUD and up to 90% of individuals with PD concurrently smoke. Such findings have prompted the need for tailored tobacco dependence treatment approaches in this population.

Methods: The …

States’ Support Of Non-Highway Modes Of Transportation: Investigation And Synthesis, Chuck Knowles, Candice Y. Wallace, Benjamin L. Blandford, Timothy J. Brock, Andrew Martin

Kentucky Transportation Center Research Report

The objective of this study was to determine how Kentucky and other selected states support and assist non-highway transportation modes and to identify leading and innovative initiatives. For the purposes of this study, the non-highway modes are aviation, public transportation, rail, and waterways. This summary will briefly discuss the rationale, objectives, and methodology for this study. It also provides an overview of the outcomes of the study and the modal matrices.

Outcomes Of An Intensive Smoking Cessation Program For Individuals With Substance Use Disorders, Milan Khara, Lindsay Killam, Chizimuzo T.C. Okoli

Nursing Presentations

BACKGROUND: Individuals with substance use disorders (SUD) are disproportionately affected by tobacco use morbidity and mortality. Yet, with adequate intervention, such individuals can be successful in their smoking cessation efforts. The Tobacco Dependence Clinic (TDC) provides tobacco dependence treatment using combined behavioural counseling and pharmacotherapy for clients through the Mental Health and Addiction Services of the Vancouver Coastal Health Authority, British Columbia, Canada.

OBJECTIVES: To a) provide smoking cessation outcomes of participants accessing the TDC b) examine predictors of program completion and smoking cessation of participants of the TDC.

METHODS: Participants of the TDC receive a structured 8 week group …

Linking Impulsivity And Inhibitory Control Using Manual And Oculomotor Response Inhibition Tasks, Walter Roberts, Mark T. Fillmore, Richard Milich

Psychology Faculty Publications

Separate cognitive processes govern the inhibitory control of manual and oculomotor movements. Despite this fundamental distinction, little is known about how these inhibitory control processes relate to more complex domains of behavioral functioning. This study sought to determine how these inhibitory control mechanisms relate to broadly defined domains of impulsive behavior. Thirty adults with attention-deficit/ hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and 28 comparison adults performed behavioral measures of inhibitory control and completed impulsivity inventories. Results suggest that oculomotor inhibitory control, but not manual inhibitory control, is related to specific domains of self-reported impulsivity. This finding was limited to the ADHD group; no …

Intrastate Switched Telephone Access Charges In Kentucky, Christopher Jepsen, Frank Scott, Jesse Zenthoefer

CBER Research Report

Excerpt from the executive summary:

This report examines the economic consequences of the current access rate system for intrastate long-distance calls, governed by the Kentucky Public Service Commission. At the time Kentucky created an access rate system for telephone service in 1984, the main goal of telecommunication policy was universal wireline access. Since then the telecommunications landscape has changed dramatically, as well as current policy goals. New forms of communication and policy have emerged such as cellular phones and cable telephony, as well as the introduction of the National Broadband Plan and the strong desire both nationally and in Kentucky …

Two Tree Trimmers Die When Struck By Errant Semi Tractor-Trailer, Kentucky Injury Prevention And Research Center

Fatality Case Reports--Motor Vehicle

One spring morning in 2010, three male tree trimmers set up a work site in a highway intersection at the base of a mountain. As one tree trimmer removed equipment from the truck, two other tree trimmers, 21- and 32-years old, posted signage in the intersection. The two tree trimmers were located on the shoulder of the highway. A semi tractor-trailer was driving down the mountain toward the intersection, when its brakes failed. To avoid hitting vehicles in front of the semi, the driver steered to the left, crossed the intersection, striking both tree trimmers with the semi tractor-trailer. Both …

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 …

Smoking Cessation Outcomes Among Individuals With Substance Use And/Or Psychiatric Disorders, Milan Khara, Chizimuzo T.C. Okoli

Nursing Faculty Publications

Objectives: The population of individuals with substance use (SUD) and/or psychiatric disorders (PD) has a high prevalence of smoking and a consequent increase in tobacco-related morbidity and mortality when compared to the general population. The aim of this study is to examine the outcomes of a program in a real-life setting which takes a tailored approach to smoking cessation among individuals with SUD and/or PD.

Methods: A retrospective chart review of tailored tobacco dependence treatment was performed on individuals with histories of SUD and/or PD attending a Tobacco Dependence Clinic (TDC) program in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. Participants of the …