Digital Commons Network^™

Internationalization Of An African University In The Post-Colonial Era: A Case Study Of The University Of Nairobi, Iddah A. Otieno

Theses and Dissertations--Educational Policy Studies and Evaluation

This case study uses post-colonial and dependency theoretical lenses to investigate the forces influencing policy, procedures, and participation in international activity in the post-colonial African university environment of Kenya’s first national public university—the University of Nairobi (UoN). The research addresses (1) the approaches and strategies adopted by UoN to engage in international activity; (2) the changes that have taken place over time in international activity engagement at UoN since the attainment of political independence by the Republic of Kenya; and (3) the rationales driving participation in international activity. This investigation included library research, document analysis, multiple campus visits, and 20 …

Atypical Clinical And Diagnostic Features In Ménétrier's Disease In A Child, Michael Chung, Jaime Pittenger, Deborah Flomenhoft, Jeffrey Bennett, Eun Young Lee, Harohalli Shashidhar

Internal Medicine Faculty Publications

Ménétrier's disease is one of the rarest protein-losing gastropathies in childhood. It is characterized clinically by non-specific gastrointestinal symptoms and edema, biochemically by hypoalbuminemia, and pathologically by enlarged gastric folds. In adults, this disease can be devastating with significant morbidity and mortality. In childhood, it is a self-limiting, transient and benign illness. Its treatment is largely supportive with total parenteral nutrition (TPN) while oral intake is encouraged. Acute onset of vomiting in healthy school age children can be initially explained by acute viral gastroenteritis. However, persistent vomiting associated with hematemesis and severe abdominal pain should warrant further work-up. This case …

Infectious Cdna Clone Of The Modified Live Virus Vaccine Strain Of Equine Arteritis Virus, Udeni B. R. Balasuriya, Peter J. Timoney, Jianquan Wang

Veterinary Science Faculty Patents

An isolated polynucleotide molecule includes a DNA sequence encoding an infectious RNA molecule encoding a modified live viral strain of an Equine arteritis virus, wherein the DNA sequence is SEQ ID NO:1 or a degenerate variant thereof. Also provided are transformed or transfected host cells including that sequence, vectors including the sequence, and isolated infectious RNA molecules encoded by the sequence. Further, a modified DNA sequence encoding an infectious RNA molecule encoding a modified live viral strain of an Equine arteritis virus is provided wherein the DNA sequence is SEQ ID NO:2 or a degenerate variant thereof, including a silent …

No Evidence Of Association Between Hiv-1 And Malaria In Populations With Low Hiv-1 Prevalence, Diego F. Cuadros, Adam J. Branscum, Gisela García-Ramos

Biology Faculty Publications

BACKGROUND: The geographic overlap between HIV-1 and malaria has generated much interest in their potential interactions. A variety of studies have evidenced a complex HIV-malaria interaction within individuals and populations that may have dramatic effects, but the causes and implications of this co-infection at the population level are still unclear. In a previous publication, we showed that the prevalence of malaria caused by the parasite Plasmodium falciparum is associated with HIV infection in eastern sub-Saharan Africa. To complement our knowledge of the HIV-malaria co-infection, the objective of this work was to assess the relationship between malaria and HIV prevalence in …

Effect Of Variable Transmission Rate On The Dynamics Of Hiv In Sub-Saharan Africa, Diego F. Cuadros, Phillip H. Crowley, Ben Augustine, Sarah L. Stewart, Gisela García-Ramos

Biology Faculty Publications

BACKGROUND: The cause of the high HIV prevalence in sub-Saharan Africa is incompletely understood, with heterosexual penile-vaginal transmission proposed as the main mechanism. Heterosexual HIV transmission has been estimated to have a very low probability; but effects of cofactors that vary in space and time may substantially alter this pattern.

METHODS: To test the effect of individual variation in the HIV infectiousness generated by co-infection, we developed and analyzed a mathematical sexual network model that simulates the behavioral components of a population from Malawi, as well as the dynamics of HIV and the co-infection effect caused by other infectious diseases, …

Transylvania Medical Alumni Who Served In The Union And Confederate Armies, Charles T. Ambrose

Microbiology, Immunology, and Molecular Genetics Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Public Health Finance Management Needs And How Public Health Agencies Are Funded., F. Douglas Scutchfield Md

Preventive Medicine and Environmental Health Presentations

No abstract provided.

Transylvania Medical Alumni Served Both Sides During The Civil War, Charles T. Ambrose

Microbiology, Immunology, and Molecular Genetics Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Increased Population Sampling Confirms Low Genetic Divergence Among Pteropus (Chiroptera: Pteropodidae) Fruit Bats Of Madagascar And Other Western Indian Ocean Islands, Lauren M. Chan, Steven M. Goodman, Michael D. Nowak, David W. Weisrock, Anne D. Yoder

Biology Faculty Publications

Fruit bats of the genus Pteropus occur throughout the Austral-Asian region west to islands off the eastern coast of Africa. Recent phylogenetic analyses of Pteropus from the western Indian Ocean found low sequence divergence and poor phylogenetic resolution among several morphologically defined species. We reexamine the phylogenetic relationships of these taxa by using multiple individuals per species. In addition, we estimate population genetic structure in two well-sampled taxa occurring on Madagascar and the Comoro Islands (P. rufus and P. seychellensis comorensis). Despite finding a similar pattern of low sequence divergence among species, increased sampling provides insight into the phylogeographic history …

Aspirin Treatment Of Mice Infected With Trypanosoma Cruzi And Implications For The Pathogenesis Of Chagas Disease, Shankar Mukherjee, Fabiana S. Machado, Huang Huang, Helieh S. Oz, Linda A. Jelicks, Cibele M. Prado, Wade Koba, Eugene J. Fine, Dazhi Zhao, Stephen M. Factor, J. Elias Collado, Louis M. Weiss, Herbert B. Tanowitz, Anthony W. Ashton

Center for Oral Health Research Faculty Publications

Chagas disease, caused by infection with Trypanosoma cruzi, is an important cause of cardiovascular disease. It is increasingly clear that parasite-derived prostaglandins potently modulate host response and disease progression. Here, we report that treatment of experimental T. cruzi infection (Brazil strain) beginning 5 days post infection (dpi) with aspirin (ASA) increased mortality (2-fold) and parasitemia (12-fold). However, there were no differences regarding histopathology or cardiac structure or function. Delayed treatment with ASA (20 mg/kg) beginning 60 dpi did not increase parasitemia or mortality but improved ejection fraction. ASA treatment diminished the profile of parasite- and host-derived circulating prostaglandins in infected …

Evaluation Of Immune Responses Following Infection Of Ponies With An Ehv-1 Orf1/2 Deletion Mutant, Gisela Soboll Hussey, Stephen B. Hussey, Bettina Wagner, David W. Horohov, Gerlinde R. Van De Walle, Nikolaus Osterrieder, Lutz S. Goehring, Sangeeta Rao, David P. Lunn

Veterinary Science Faculty Publications

Equine herpesvirus-1 (EHV-1) infection remains a significant problem despite the widespread use of vaccines. The inability to generate a protective immune response to EHV-1 vaccination or infection is thought to be due to immunomodulatory properties of the virus, and the ORF1 and ORF2 gene products have been hypothesized as potential candidates with immunoregulatory properties. A pony infection study was performed to define immune responses to EHV-1, and to determine if an EHV-1 ORF1/2 deletion mutant (ΔORF1/2) would have different disease and immunoregulatory effects compared to wild type EHV-1 (WT). Infection with either virus led to cytokine responses that coincided with …

Animal Models For Periodontal Disease, Helieh S. Oz, David A. Puleo

Center for Oral Health Research Faculty Publications

Animal models and cell cultures have contributed new knowledge in biological sciences, including periodontology. Although cultured cells can be used to study physiological processes that occur during the pathogenesis of periodontitis, the complex host response fundamentally responsible for this disease cannot be reproduced in vitro. Among the animal kingdom, rodents, rabbits, pigs, dogs, and nonhuman primates have been used to model human periodontitis, each with advantages and disadvantages. Periodontitis commonly has been induced by placing a bacterial plaque retentive ligature in the gingival sulcus around the molar teeth. In addition, alveolar bone loss has been induced by inoculation or …

Determinants Of Multimethod Contraceptive Use In A Sample Of Adolescent Women Diagnosed With Psychological Disorders, Delia L. Lang, Jessica M. Sales, Laura F. Salazar, Ralph J. Diclemente, Richard A. Crosby, Larry K. Brown, Geri R. Donenberg

Health, Behavior & Society Faculty Publications

OBJECTIVE: Despite recommendations for concurrent use of contraceptives and condoms to prevent unintended pregnancy and STIs, multimethod contraceptive use among women is poor. This study examined individual-, interpersonal-, and environmental-level factors that predict multimethod use among sexually active adolescent women diagnosed with psychological disorders.

METHODS: This multisite study analyzed data from 288 sexually active adolescent women who provided sociodemographic, psychosocial, and behavioral data related to birth control and condom use.

RESULTS: 34.7% of the participants reported multimethod use in the past three months. Controlling for empirically and theoretically relevant covariates, a multivariable logistic regression identified self-efficacy, multiple partners, pregnancy history, …

A Dead Horse, You Can't Beat It: Equine Carcass Disposal Laws And Practices, Robert F. Dahlstrom, Kerry O'Neill Irwin, Emily J. Plant

Kentucky Journal of Equine, Agriculture, & Natural Resources Law

No abstract provided.

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 …

Predictors Of Readiness To Initiate Insulin Therapy In Patients With Type 2 Diabetes When Oral Medications Fail To Control Hyperglycemia, Pamela Lynn Phares

Theses and Dissertations--Nursing

Type 2 diabetes (T2DM) has reached epidemic levels worldwide during the past two decades. It affects nearly 26 million adults in the U.S. Advances in both the treatments for T2DM and guidelines for its optimal management are extensive. Despite these advances, barely half of type 2 diabetics achieve recommended glycemic targets.

Specific Aims: The specific aims were to:

1. Describe the available research on clinical inertia and interventions that have been implemented to reduce it.
2. Analyze various behavioral theories that explain and predict self-care practices in diabetes in order to develop a conceptual model on which to base an investigation …

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 …

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 …

The Role Of Co-Infection In The Spread Of Hiv In Sub-Saharan Africa, Diego Fernando Cuadros

Theses and Dissertations--Biology

The cause of the high HIV prevalence in sub-Saharan Africa is incompletely understood, with heterosexual penile-vaginal transmission proposed as the main mechanism. Heterosexual HIV transmission has a very low probability; further, a single estimation of heterosexual probability of HIV transmission fails to reproduce the variation associated with important biological cofactors. In particular, studies of HIV incidence suggest that co-infection with other infectious diseases influence the HIV transmission, and therefore might substantially vary the pattern of the spread of the infection. To assess the effect of co-infection on the spread of HIV, I developed and analyzed several mathematical and statistical models …

“All Must Combine In The Struggle Against The Microbes” Global Biopolitics And Twentieth-Century Health Organizations, Patrick Kothe

University of Kentucky Master's Theses

The following paper explores the rise of global biopolitics by focusing on the League of Nations Health Organization (LNHO) and the World Health Organization (WHO) as pivot points around which an international system transitioned into a global system. The central thesis of the paper is that the LNHO served as the first true site of deployment for global discourses on health and hygiene, not as recent scholarship has suggested, the WHO. The purpose of the paper, however, is to provide an overview of the larger transformation of public health in the twentieth century, beginning with the proliferation of nineteenth-­‐century international …

Structures, Roles And Relationships Within Public Health’S Response To The 2009-2010 H1n1 Outbreak: The Ties That Bind Public Information Officers And Emergency Risk Communication Efforts, Kathleen G. Vidoloff

University of Kentucky Doctoral Dissertations

Little is known about the role of public health public information officers (PIOs) during public health emergencies. This study uses interpretative methods to learn about the organizational structures that facilitate and constrain emergency risk communication efforts during public health emergencies. Interpretive thematic comparative analysis of PIOs experiences and reflections about their involvement in the 2009-2010 H1N1 response will be used to illustrate how social interactions between and among PIOs, public health staff, and representatives from other agencies create implicit and explicit structures that facilitate and constrain emergency risk communication. The application of three specific concepts from structuration theory, namely, agent, …

Role Of Pi3k-Akt Pathway In The Age Associated Decline In Tlr Mediated Activation Of Innate And Adaptive Immune Responses, Mosoka Papa Fallah

University of Kentucky Doctoral Dissertations

Immunosenescence results in reduced immune response to infections with Streptococcus pneumoniae as well as to pneumococcal polysaccharide vaccines. The antibody response to the capsular polysaccharide (CPS) provides protection against S. pneumoniae infection. CPS immunoresponse is T cell independent and needs the macrophage-derived cytokines such as IL-12, IL-6 and IL-1β to elicit an antibody response. We showed a cytokine dysregulation, i.e. a decrease in IL-12, IL-6 and TNF-α but an increase in IL-10, in the aged (18-24 months old comparable to >65 years in human) compared to young adult mouse (8-12 weeks less than 65 years old) splenic macrophages (SM) or …

Evaluation Of Natural Antimicrobial Phenolic Compounds Against Foodborne Pathogens, Hayriye Cetin-Karaca

University of Kentucky Master's Theses

Raw and processed foods are vulnerable to contamination during their production, distribution and sale. Thus, a wide variety of chemical preservatives are used in the food industry to prevent the growth of food spoilage and pathogenic bacteria. However, health and economic concerns have led to an intensive search for natural alternatives, such as plant extracts, that can safely be used as substitutes for synthetic antimicrobials and preservatives to partially or completely inhibit the growth of bacteria.

This study evaluated the antimicrobial effects of natural phenolic compounds extracted from vegetables, fruits, herbs and spices. The main objective was to determine the …

Differential Innate Immune Responses Correlate With The Contrasting Pathogenicity Of The Equine H7n7 Influenza Virus Demonstrated In Horses And Balb/C Mice, Liang Zhang

University of Kentucky Doctoral Dissertations

Equine influenza virus causes a mild, self-limiting upper respiratory disease in its natural host. In stark contrast, equine influenza viruses of the H7N7 subtype produce lethal infection in BALB/c mice. This dissertation explored the mechanism underlying the differential pathogenicity of the equine H7N7 influenza virus observed in horses and BALB/c mice. Initially, a comparative study of the pathogenesis was conducted in BALB/c mice inoculated intranasally with a representative isolate of either H7N7 or H3N8 subtype equine influenza virus. All H3N8 virus-infected mice survived the infection whereas 100% mortality was documented for the mice receiving the H7N7 virus by day 8 …

Leishmania Major Survival In Selective Phlebotomus Papatasi Sand Fly Vector Requires A Specific Scg-Encoded Lipophosphoglycan Galactosylation Pattern, Deborah E. Dobson, Shaden Kamhawi, Phillip Lawyer, Salvatore J. Turco, Stephen M. Beverley, David L. Sacks

Molecular and Cellular Biochemistry Faculty Publications

Phlebotomine sand flies that transmit the protozoan parasite Leishmania differ greatly in their ability to support different parasite species or strains in the laboratory: while some show considerable selectivity, others are more permissive. In "selective" sand flies, Leishmania binding and survival in the fly midgut typically depends upon the abundant promastigote surface adhesin lipophosphoglycan (LPG), which exhibits species- and strain-specific modifications of the dominant phosphoglycan (PG) repeat units. For the "selective" fly Phlebotomus papatasi PpapJ, side chain galactosyl-modifications (scGal) of PG repeats play key roles in parasite binding. We probed the specificity and properties of this scGal-LPG PAMP (Pathogen Associated …

Complement Factor H-Related Proteins Cfhr2 And Cfhr5 Represent Novel Ligands For The Infection-Associated Crasp Proteins Of Borrelia Burgdorferi, Corinna Siegel, Teresia Hallström, Christine Skerka, Hannes Eberhardt, Barbara Uzonyi, Tobias Beckhaus, Michael Karas, Reinhard Wallich, Brian Stevenson, Peter F. Zipfel, Peter Kraiczy

Microbiology, Immunology, and Molecular Genetics Faculty Publications

BACKGROUND: One virulence property of Borrelia burgdorferi is its resistance to innate immunity, in particular to complement-mediated killing. Serum-resistant B. burgdorferi express up to five distinct complement regulator-acquiring surface proteins (CRASP) which interact with complement regulator factor H (CFH) and factor H-like protein 1 (FHL1) or factor H-related protein 1 (CFHR1). In the present study we elucidate the role of the infection-associated CRASP-3 and CRASP-5 protein to serve as ligands for additional complement regulatory proteins as well as for complement resistance of B. burgdorferi.

METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: To elucidate whether CRASP-5 and CRASP-3 interact with various human proteins, both borrelial proteins …

Compositions And Methods For Inhibiting Drusen Complement Components C3a And C5a For The Treatment Of Age-Related Macular Degeneration, Jayakrishna Ambati

Ophthalmology and Visual Science Faculty Patents

Activated C3 (C3a) and its receptor (C3aR) and activated C5 (C5a) and its receptor (C5aR) have been shown to induce vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) expression in vitro and in vivo. Compositions and methods for inhibiting C3a, C3aR, C5a and C5aR for the treatment and/or prevention of neovascular disease are provided. Also provided are Novel therapeutic targets and diagnostic markers for choroidal neovascularization.

Composition And Methods For Treating Yersinia Pestis Infection, Susan C. Straley, Brian S. Murphy, Stanislav Forman, Christine R. Wulff, Robert D. Perry, Tanya Myers-Morales

Microbiology, Immunology and Molecular Genetics Faculty Patents

Compositions and methods for treating a Yersinia pestis (Y. pestis) infection are provided. Compositions and methods of for inducing an immune response in a subject are provided. Composition can include a YadC polypeptide.

Hiv-1 Reactivation Induced By The Periodontal Pathogens Fusobacterium Nucleatum And Porphyromonas Gingivalis Involves Toll-Like Receptor 2 And 9 Activation In Monocytes/Macrophages, Octavio A. Gonzalez, Mengtao Li, Jeffrey L. Ebersole, Chifu B. Huang

Center for Oral Health Research Faculty Publications

Although oral coinfections (e.g., periodontal disease) are highly prevalent in human immunodeficiency virus type 1-positive (HIV-1⁺) patients and appear to positively correlate with viral load levels, the potential for oral bacteria to induce HIV-1 reactivation in latently infected cells has received little attention. We showed that HIV-1 long terminal repeat (LTR) promoter activation can be induced by periodontopathogens in monocytes/macrophages; nevertheless, the mechanisms involved in this response remain undetermined. Since Toll-like receptor 2 (TLR2), TLR4, and TLR9 activation have been involved in HIV-1 recrudescence, we sought to determine the role of these TLRs in HIV-1 reactivation induced by …