Digital Commons Network^™

How Congress Killed Investment Crowdfunding: A Tale Of Political Pressure, Hasty Decisions, And Inexpert Judgments That Begs For A Happy Ending, Joan Macleod Heminway

Kentucky Law Journal

No abstract provided.

Tweets From The Grave: Social Media Life After Death, James R. Hollon

Kentucky Law Journal

No abstract provided.

Examining The Interaction Of Neonatal Alcohol And Hypoxia In Vitro, Megan L. Carter

Theses and Dissertations--Psychology

Exposure to ethanol (ETOH) during fetal development results in a range of cognitive/behavioral deficits. There are differences in sensitivity to the effects of ETOH that could be explained by other factors, such as hypoxia. Similar mechanisms of damage underlie both ETOH, more specifically ETOH withdrawal, and hypoxia. Based on this overlap, it was hypothesized that sub threshold levels of these insults may interact to produce increased damage in sensitive brain regions. This study used a rodent organotypic hippocampal slice culture model to investigate the interaction of hypoxia and ETOH withdrawal and to determine possible developmental differences in the sensitivity to …

The Impact Of Religiosity Dimensions And Ethnic Identity On Well-Being In African American Women, Ebony S. Vinson

Theses and Dissertations--Psychology

Religiosity is considered to be an important component of the cultural orientation and worldview of African Americans. African American women, in particular, have been found to be unique in their level of religious devotion and activity compared to other demographic groups but there has been minimal research examining the positive effects of religiosity over time. The purpose of the current study was to investigate the role of religiosity dimensions and ethnic identity in predicting self-esteem, social support, healthy behaviors, and licit drug use in African American women over time. Results indicate that behavioral and cognitive components of religiosity predict different …

The Mesocorticolimbic Dopamine Pathway Reconstituted In Vitro: Glutamate Receptors And Corticosteroid-Methamphetamine Neurotoxicity, Jennifer N. Berry

Theses and Dissertations--Psychology

Stress promotes the use of methamphetamine and other recreational substances and is often implicated in relapse to stimulant use. Thus, it is of critical importance to examine the consequences of the co-occurance of stress and methamphetamine use. Activity of the glutamatergic N-methyl D-aspartate (NMDA) receptor system appears to be involved in the neurotoxic effects of both chronic stress and methamphetamine exposure. The current studies investigated the hypothesis that chronic pre-exposure to the stress hormone corticosterone (CORT) results in an increase of NMDA receptor activity and that this will potentiate the neurotoxic effects of methamphetamine (METH). Co-cultures of the …

The Sexualized Girl: The Development Of An Expanded (Sexualized) Gender Stereotype Among Children, Ellen A. Stone

Theses and Dissertations--Psychology

The current study examined children’s stereotypes about sexualized girls. Elementary school children (n = 208) from the mid-South between the ages of 6 and 11 completed a survey assessing their stereotypes about sexualized girls and non-sexualized girls. Participants were asked to justify, in their own words, their responses to several stereotypic evaluations. Children’s cognitive development was analyzed through classification skill as a moderator of belief in stereotypes about girls. Results revealed that children perceived the sexualized girl to be more popular and better liked by boys than the non-sexualized girl. However, the sexualized girl was also rated as less athletic, …

The Cultural Politics Of Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders And The Diagnosis Of Difference, Travis H. Hedwig

Theses and Dissertations--Anthropology

This dissertation is based on an ethnographic study of Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders (FASD) and the racial, cultural and political considerations that shape the meaning of diagnosis for Alaska Native individuals and families in Anchorage, Alaska. During the period from August 6, 2010 to through August 5, 2011, I worked with foster families and extended natural families living with and supporting individuals diagnosed with FASD. Documenting the experiences of families in their interactions with clinical, state, tribal and non-profit institutions, I sought to understand how a diagnosis of FASD structures opportunities, outcomes and everyday life experiences across several critical life …

Advice, Influence, And Independence: Adolescent Nutritional Practices And Outcomes In Belfast, Northern Ireland, Jennifer L. Williams

Theses and Dissertations--Anthropology

The goal of this dissertation is to discuss relationships between the sociocultural environment and nutritional status outcomes in an urban industrialized city with high rates of poverty. The purpose is to highlight the complex web of factors shaping nutritional status outcomes and move beyond cause and effect approaches to nutrition in an environment where obesity is a central nutritional concern. To accomplish this goal, I examine a range of factors that relate to adolescent nutritional practices and nutritional status outcomes in a sample population of adolescents living in Belfast, Northern Ireland. I discuss connections between social locations such as age, …

Behavioral Intentions And Nonmedical Anabolic Steroid Use Among Non Intercollegiate Athlete Males Ages 18-30, Vitesh Enaker

Theses and Dissertations--Kinesiology and Health Promotion

The purpose of this study was to increase understanding of factors associated with nonmedical anabolic steroid use among males ages 18-30 who do not participate in intercollegiate athletics. The Behavioral Intentions and Ergogenic Aid/Performance Enhancer use among non-intercollegiate athlete males survey instrument was developed, reviewed for content validity by a jury of experts, and pilot tested. The pilot testing results (n=25) demonstrated acceptable reliability (Cronbach’s alpha= 0.74). The final version of the Behavioral Intentions and Ergogenic Aid/Performance Enhancer use among non-intercollegiate athlete males survey instrument was administered at two distribution sites which included Ford’s Fitness Center in Lexington, Kentucky and …

Orofacial Neuropathic Pain Mouse Model Induced By Trigeminal Inflammatory Compression (Tic) Of The Infraorbital Nerve, Fei Ma, Liping Zhang, Danielle Lyons, Karin N. Westlund

Physiology Faculty Publications

BACKGROUND: Trigeminal neuropathic pain attacks can be excruciating for patients, even after being lightly touched. Although there are rodent trigeminal nerve research models to study orofacial pain, few models have been applied to studies in mice. A mouse trigeminal inflammatory compression (TIC) model is introduced here which successfully and reliably promotes vibrissal whisker pad hypersensitivity.

RESULTS: The chronic orofacial neuropathic pain model is induced after surgical placement of chromic gut suture in the infraorbital nerve fissure in the maxillary bone. Slight compression and chemical effects of the chromic gut suture on the portion of the infraorbital nerve contacted cause mild …

Use Of The County Health Rankings By Local Health Departments In Florida, 2010 - 2011, Nancy L. Winterbauer, Bonita Sorensen, James B. Tidwell

Frontiers in Public Health Services and Systems Research

This paper describes how local health departments (LHDs) in Florida used the County Health Rankings over the first two years of their release (2010 – 2011). We surveyed LHD leadership to describe if, how and to what extent the Rankings were used by Florida’s 67 LHDs to improve the health of their communities and describe changes in use from the 2010 to the 2011 release. Our results indicate substantial use of the Rankings by Florida’s LHDs, particularly as applied to community health assessments, staff education, as a starting point for examining other indicators and databases, and in grant applications. From …

Luteolin Inhibits Human Prostate Tumor Growth By Suppressing Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor Receptor 2-Mediated Angiogenesis, Poyil Pratheeshkumar, Young-Ok Son, Amit Budhraja, Xin Wang, Songze Ding, Lei Wang, Andrew Hitron, Jeong-Chae Lee, Donghern Kim, Sasidharan Padmaja Divya, Gang Chen, Zhuo Zhang, Jia Luo, Xianglin Shi

Toxicology and Cancer Biology Faculty Publications

Angiogenesis, the formation of new blood vessels from pre-existing vascular beds, is essential for tumor growth, invasion, and metastasis. Luteolin is a common dietary flavonoid found in fruits and vegetables. We studied the antiangiogenic activity of luteolin using in vitro, ex vivo, and in vivo models. In vitro studies using rat aortic ring assay showed that luteolin at non-toxic concentrations significantly inhibited microvessel sprouting and proliferation, migration, invasion and tube formation of endothelial cells, which are key events in the process of angiogenesis. Luteolin also inhibited ex vivo angiogenesis as revealed by chicken egg chorioallantoic membrane assay (CAM) …

Depletion Of Endothelial Or Smooth Muscle Cell-Specific Angiotensin Ii Type 1a Receptors Does Not Influence Aortic Aneurysms Or Atherosclerosis In Ldl Receptor Deficient Mice, Debra L. Rateri, Jessica J. Moorleghen, Victoria Knight, Anju Balakrishnan, Deborah A. Howatt, Lisa A. Cassis, Alan Daugherty

Saha Cardiovascular Research Center Faculty Publications

BACKGROUND: Whole body genetic deletion of AT1a receptors in mice uniformly reduces hypercholesterolemia and angiotensin II-(AngII) induced atherosclerosis and abdominal aortic aneurysms (AAAs). However, the role of AT1a receptor stimulation of principal cell types resident in the arterial wall remains undefined. Therefore, the aim of this study was to determine whether deletion of AT1a receptors in either endothelial cells or smooth muscle cells influences the development of atherosclerosis and AAAs.

METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: AT1a receptor floxed mice were developed in an LDL receptor -/- background. To generate endothelial or smooth muscle cell specific deficiency, AT1a receptor floxed mice were bred with …

Comparative Effectiveness Research And Patient Centered Outcomes Research In Public Health Settings: Design, Analysis, And Funding Considerations, Glen P. Mays

Health Management and Policy Presentations

The principles and methods of CER and PCOR have developed primarily with therapeutics in mind, but they must also be applied to the study of public health programs, policies, and delivery systems. This session surveys the emerging field, and provides examples of CER/PCOR methods applied in public health settings using practice-based research networks (PBRNs).

Fak Is A Critical Regulator Of Neuroblastoma Liver Metastasis, Sora Lee, Jingbo Qiao, Pritha Paul, Kathleen L. O'Connor, B. Mark Evers, Dai H. Chung

Surgery Faculty Publications

Neuroblastomas express increased levels of gastrin-releasing peptide receptor (GRP-R). However, the exact molecular mechanisms involved in GRP-R-mediated cell signaling in neuroblastoma growth and metastasis are unknown. Here, we report that focal adhesion kinase (FAK), as a critical downstream target of GRP-R, is an important regulator of neuroblastoma tumorigenicity. We found that FAK expression correlates with GRP-R expression in human neuroblastoma sections and cell lines. GRP-R overexpression in SK-N-SH cells increased FAK, integrin α3 and β1 expressions and cell migration. These cells demonstrated flatter cell morphology with broad lamellae, in which intense FAK expression was localized to the leading edges of …

"Apps"—An Innovative Way To Share Extension Knowledge, Joseph S. Dvorak, Tanya C. Franke-Dvorak, Randy R. Price

Biosystems and Agricultural Engineering Faculty Publications

Extension professionals across the country are continuously seeking innovative ways to reach clientele and to disseminate timely, educational information. A new avenue to reach clientele includes the use of smartphone "apps." The "Machinery Sizing" app, which was developed to ease the estimation of tractor horsepower to implement sizing for Extension clientele anytime, anywhere, is explained as a key example for Extension professionals to utilize apps in disseminating information to clientele. There are many benefits to using apps, including information availability wherever Internet service is available on the smartphone, ease of computations of equations, and automatic updates being sent to users.

Cyclooxygenase-2 Inhibition Attenuates Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm Progression In Hyperlipidemic Mice, Sarbani Ghoshal, Charles D Loftin

Pharmaceutical Sciences Faculty Publications

Abdominal aortic aneurysms (AAAs) are a chronic inflammatory disease that increase the risk of life-threatening aortic rupture. In humans, AAAs have been characterized by increased expression of cyclooxygenase-2 and the inactivation of COX-2 prior to disease initiation reduces AAA incidence in a mouse model of the disease. The current study examined the effectiveness of selective cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) inhibition on reducing AAA progression when administered after the initiation of AAA formation. AAAs were induced in hyperlipidemic apolipoprotein E-deficient mice by chronic angiotensin II (AngII) infusion and the effect of treatment with the COX-2 inhibitor celecoxib was examined when initiated at different …

Controls Of Nucleosome Positioning In The Human Genome, Daniel J. Gaffney, Graham Mcvicker, Athma A. Pai, Yvonne N. Fondufe-Mittendorf, Noah Lewellen, Katelyn Michelini, Jonathan Widom, Yoav Gilad, Jonathan K. Pritchard

Molecular and Cellular Biochemistry Faculty Publications

Nucleosomes are important for gene regulation because their arrangement on the genome can control which proteins bind to DNA. Currently, few human nucleosomes are thought to be consistently positioned across cells; however, this has been difficult to assess due to the limited resolution of existing data. We performed paired-end sequencing of micrococcal nuclease-digested chromatin (MNase-seq) from seven lymphoblastoid cell lines and mapped over 3.6 billion MNase-seq fragments to the human genome to create the highest-resolution map of nucleosome occupancy to date in a human cell type. In contrast to previous results, we find that most nucleosomes have more consistent positioning …

Open Release Of Male Mosquitoes Infected With A Wolbachia Biopesticide: Field Performance And Infection Containment, Linda O'Connor, Catherine Plichart, Ayo Cheong Sang, Corey L. Brelsfoard, Hervé C. Bossin, Stephen L. Dobson

Entomology Faculty Publications

BACKGROUND: Lymphatic filariasis (LF) is a globally significant disease, with 1.3 billion persons in 83 countries at risk. A coordinated effort of administering annual macrofilaricidal prophylactics to the entire at-risk population has succeeded in impacting and eliminating LF transmission in multiple regions. However, some areas in the South Pacific are predicted to persist as transmission sites, due in part to the biology of the mosquito vector, which has led to a call for additional tools to augment drug treatments. Autocidal strategies against mosquitoes are resurging in the effort against invasive mosquitoes and vector borne disease, with examples that include field …

Toward The Beginning Of Time: Circadian Rhythms In Metabolism Precede Rhythms In Clock Gene Expression In Mouse Embryonic Stem Cells, Jiffin K. Paulose, Edmund B. Rucker Iii, Vincent M. Cassone

Biology Faculty Publications

The appearance, progression, and potential role for circadian rhythms during early development have previously focused mainly on the suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN) and peri- and postnatal expression of canonical clock genes. More recently, gene expression studies in embryonic stem cells have shown that some clock genes are expressed in undifferentiated cells; however rhythmicity was only established when cells are directed toward a neural fate. These studies also concluded that a functional clock is not present in ESCs, based solely on their gene expression. The null hypothesis underlying the present study is that embryonic stem cells become rhythmic in both clock gene …

Mechanism Of Selective Vegf-A Binding By Neuropilin-1 Reveals A Basis For Specific Ligand Inhibition, Matthew W. Parker, Ping Xu, Hou-Fu Guo, Craig W. Vander Kooi

Molecular and Cellular Biochemistry Faculty Publications

Neuropilin (Nrp) receptors function as essential cell surface receptors for the Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor (VEGF) family of proangiogenic cytokines and the semaphorin 3 (Sema3) family of axon guidance molecules. There are two Nrp homologues, Nrp1 and Nrp2, which bind to both overlapping and distinct members of the VEGF and Sema3 family of molecules. Nrp1 specifically binds the VEGF-A_164/5 isoform, which is essential for developmental angiogenesis. We demonstrate that VEGF-A specific binding is governed by Nrp1 residues in the b1 coagulation factor domain surrounding the invariant Nrp C-terminal arginine binding pocket. Further, we show that Sema3F does not display …

Indole Compounds And Their Use As Radiation Sensitizing Agents And Chemotherapeutic Agents, Peter A. Crooks, Thirupathi R. Yerramreddy, Narsimha Reddy Penthala, Michael L. Freeman, Sekhar R. Konjeti

Pharmaceutical Sciences Faculty Patents

Indole derivatives that are useful in the treatment of cancer as a chemotherapeutic agent or radiosensitizing agent.

Multigenerational Families And Food Insecurity, James P. Ziliak, Craig Gundersen

University of Kentucky Center for Poverty Research Discussion Paper Series

The prevalence of multigenerational families is on the rise in the United States, as is food insecurity. We estimate the effect of resident grandchildren on the risk of and transitions in food insecurity using repeated cross sections and longitudinally linked two-year panels of the Current Population Survey from 2001-2010. We find that rates of food insecurity in families with a grandchild present are at least twice as high in a typical year compared to families without a resident grandchild, and the extent of very low food security increased substantially faster among these households over the past decade. The rise in …

Smoking On The Margins: An Equity Analysis Of The Outcomes Of An Outdoor Smoke-Free Policy, Chizimuzo T.C. Okoli, Ann Pederson

Nursing Presentations

• Purpose: To analyze the health and health equity impact of the newly implemented smoke-free policy for Vancouver’s parks and beaches

• CIHR Operating Grant: Population Health Intervention Research – designed to study an intervention in action not controlled by the investigators

• End date of funding, March 31, 2013 (with potential 12-month extension)

Noninvasive Optical Characterization Of Muscle Blood Flow, Oxygenation, And Metabolism In Women With Fibromyalgia, Yu Shang, Katelyn Gurley, Brock Symons, Douglas Long, Ratchakrit Srikuea, Leslie J. Crofford, Charlotte A. Peterson, Guoqiang Yu

Biomedical Engineering Faculty Publications

INTRODUCTION: Women with fibromyalgia (FM) have symptoms of increased muscular fatigue and reduced exercise tolerance, which may be associated with alterations in muscle microcirculation and oxygen metabolism. This study used near-infrared diffuse optical spectroscopies to noninvasively evaluate muscle blood flow, blood oxygenation and oxygen metabolism during leg fatiguing exercise and during arm arterial cuff occlusion in post-menopausal women with and without FM.

METHODS: Fourteen women with FM and twenty-three well-matched healthy controls participated in this study. For the fatiguing exercise protocol, the subject was instructed to perform 6 sets of 12 isometric contractions of knee extensor muscles with intensity steadily …

Multifactorial Patterns Of Gene Expression In Colonic Epithelial Cells Predict Disease Phenotypes In Experimental Colitis, Aubrey Leigh Frantz, Maria E. C. Bruno, Eric William Rogier, Halide Tuna, Donald A. Cohen, Subbarao Bondada, Ralph Lakshman Chelvarajan, J. Anthony Brandon, C. Darrell Jennings, Charlotte S. Kaetzel

Microbiology, Immunology, and Molecular Genetics Faculty Publications

Background— The pathogenesis of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is complex and the need to identify molecular biomarkers is critical. Epithelial cells play a central role in maintaining intestinal homeostasis. We previously identified five “signature” biomarkers in colonic epithelial cells (CEC) that are predictive of disease phenotype in Crohn's disease. Here we investigate the ability of CEC biomarkers to define the mechanism and severity of intestinal inflammation.

Methods— We analyzed the expression of RelA, A20, pIgR, tumor necrosis factor (TNF), and macrophage inflammatory protein (MIP)-2 in CEC of mice with dextran sodium sulfate (DSS) acute colitis or T-cell-mediated chronic colitis. …

Cultural Models Of Bodily Images Of Women Teachers, Christine A. Mallozzi

Gender and Women's Studies Faculty Publications

Cultural models are simplified images and storylines that encapsulated what is regarded as typical for a social group. Cultural models of teachers include body images of dress, adornment, and comportment, and are useful in examining society’s standards and values. Two participants, Erin and Gabbie (pseudonyms), shared stories about their tattoos, which in the U.S. have historically been seen as a mode of resistance. These tattoos that reflected the teachers’ personal lives were regarded in light of the cultural model of the U.S. teacher, a typically conservatively dressed and coiffed female. According to discourse analysis of the participants’ stories, each teacher’s …

Regional Variation In Aortic At1b Receptor Mrna Abundance Is Associated With Contractility But Unrelated To Atherosclerosis And Aortic Aneurysms, Aruna Poduri, A. Phillip Owens, Deborah A. Howatt, Jessica J. Moorleghen, Anju Balakrishnan, Lisa A. Cassis, Alan Daugherty

Pharmacology and Nutritional Sciences Faculty Publications

BACKGROUND: Angiotensin II (AngII), the main bioactive peptide of the renin angiotensin system, exerts most of its biological actions through stimulation of AngII type 1 (AT1) receptors. This receptor is expressed as 2 structurally similar subtypes in rodents, termed AT1a and AT1b. Although AT1a receptors have been studied comprehensively, roles of AT1b receptors in the aorta have not been defined.

METHODOLOGY/RESULTS: We initially compared the regional distribution of AT1b receptor mRNA with AT1a receptor mRNA in the aorta. mRNA abundance of both subtypes increased from the proximal to the distal aorta, with the greatest abundance in the infra-renal region. Corresponding …

Rod Microglia: Elongation, Alignment, And Coupling To Form Trains Across The Somatosensory Cortex After Experimental Diffuse Brain Injury, Jenna M. Ziebell, Samuel E. Taylor, Tuoxin Cao, Jordan L. Harrison, Jonathan Lifshitz

Neuroscience Faculty Publications

BACKGROUND: Since their discovery, the morphology of microglia has been interpreted to mirror their function, with ramified microglia constantly surveying the micro-environment and rapidly activating when changes occur. In 1899, Franz Nissl discovered what we now recognize as a distinct microglial activation state, microglial rod cells (Stäbchenzellen), which he observed adjacent to neurons. These rod-shaped microglia are typically found in human autopsy cases of paralysis of the insane, a disease of the pre-penicillin era, and best known today from HIV-1-infected brains. Microglial rod cells have been implicated in cortical 'synaptic stripping' but their exact role has remained unclear. This is …

Organics In Environmental Ices: Sources, Chemistry, And Impacts, V. F. Mcneill, A. M. Grannas, J. P. D. Abbatt, M. Ammann, P. Ariya, T. Bartels-Rausch, F. Domine, D. J. Donaldson, Marcelo I. Guzman, D. Heger, T. F. Kahan, P. Klán, S. Masclin, C. Toubin, D. Voisin

Chemistry Faculty Publications

The physical, chemical, and biological processes involving organics in ice in the environment impact a number of atmospheric and biogeochemical cycles. Organic material in snow or ice may be biological in origin, deposited from aerosols or atmospheric gases, or formed chemically in situ. In this manuscript, we review the current state of knowledge regarding the sources, properties, and chemistry of organic materials in environmental ices. Several outstanding questions remain to be resolved and fundamental data gathered before an accurate model of transformations and transport of organic species in the cryosphere will be possible. For example, more information is needed regarding …