Digital Commons Network^™

Self Referencing Spr Sensor By Simultaneous Excitation Of Long And Short Range Surface Plasmon Modes, Raghunandan K. Donipudi

University of Kentucky Master's Theses

A novel surface plasmon resonance sensor is fabricated to evaluate its use in biochemical sensing. The sensor can differentiate between bulk refractive index changes and surface binding reactions of interest. There has been a great interest in developing sensors to differentiate biological or chemical agents from interfering effects, but they still remain in research phase. In this work, a prism coupler is used to simultaneously excite both long and short range surface plasmon modes of the sensor. The differing sensitivities of the long and short range modes allow one to distinguish surface binding reactions of interest from refractive index fluctuations. …

Gouging: Terrorist Attacks, Hurricanes, And The Legal And Economic Aspects Of Post-Disaster Price Regulation, Geoffrey C. Rapp

Kentucky Law Journal

No abstract provided.

How To Give An Old Song A New License: A Recently Adopted Alternative To Rodgers And Hammerstein Organization V. Umg Recordings, Jacqueline M. Allshouse-Hutchens

Kentucky Law Journal

No abstract provided.

Implications Of The Small V. United States Decision, Anwar K. Malik

Kentucky Law Journal

No abstract provided.

Academic Misconduct, Athletics Academic Support Services, And The Ncaa, Josephine R. Potuto

Kentucky Law Journal

No abstract provided.

Copyright, Originality, And The End Of The Scenes A Faire And Merger Doctrines For Visual Works, Michael D. Murray

Law Faculty Scholarly Articles

The merger doctrine in copyright states that if an idea and the expression of the idea are so tied together that the idea and its expression are one - there is only one conceivable way or a drastically limited number of ways to express and embody the idea in a work - then the expression of the idea is uncopyrightable because ideas may not be copyrighted. The scenes a faire doctrine complements the merger doctrine by providing that certain subject matter - stock images, tried and true story lines, fables and folklore, scenes of nature, common visual and cultural references, …

Products Liability In The Twenty-First Century: A Review Of Owen’S Products Liability Law, Richard C. Ausness

Law Faculty Scholarly Articles

Professor Richard C. Ausness reviews Products Liability Law, a treatise by David Owen.

Should Louisville Build A Dual Tenant Or Single Tenant Arena?, Chad Allen Harpole

MPA/MPP/MPFM Capstone Projects

The purpose of this research design was to make recommendations to Louisville Metro Council Members, members of the Kentucky General Assembly from Jefferson County and Louisville Metro Mayor Jerry Abramson on the potential revenue and economic impact a potential franchise of the National Basketball Association (NBA) could have on the proposed Louisville Arena Project and the city of Louisville.

Research in the literature review showed that stadiums, arenas and professional teams are poor investments by communities. Despite the research, the new Louisville Arena is going to be built because the Kentucky General Assembly included $75-million in bond financing for the …

A Retrospective Analysis Of The Impact Of The Henry Toll Fellowship Leadership Development Program, Lizeth C. Fowler

MPA/MPP/MPFM Capstone Projects

The Council of State Governments (CSG) is the premier organization forecasting policy trends for state leaders in all three branches of government. Central to its mission is the development of leadership training for improved decision-making of state elected and appointed officials.

CSG has sponsored the Henry Toll Fellowship Leadership Development Program for state and government officials since 1986. This competitive program invites ten state officials from each of the four regions, West, Midwest, South and East, to participate in an intensive five-day program to learn practical leadership skills and strategies to meet challenges and lead change and innovation.

While the …

An External Communication Audit Of The Kentucky Arts Council: An Analysis Of The Publications Distributed By A State Agency, Jess N. Kropczynski

MPA/MPP/MPFM Capstone Projects

Problem

The specific objective of the audit is to conduct a formal examination of how the Kentucky Arts Council (KAC) is communicating with target authorizing groups outside of KAC, such as artists, arts administrators, educators, media and legislators.

Research Strategy

The external communication audit is an instrument used to gauge authorizers’ feedback on the publications distributed regularly by the agency. This audit is designed to paint a picture of the current communication patterns, policies, practices, capabilities and needs in order to make informed recommendations for the improvement of communication. The specific research question guiding this audit is: How effective are …

Does The Voluntary Standards For Excellence Program Improve Reporting Qualities & Financial Ratios Of Nonprofit Organizations?, Harmony Little

MPA/MPP/MPFM Capstone Projects

Problem Statement

The issue of accountability in the nonprofit sector has increased over the past few years, and along with it, questions about the adequacy of information in the 990 forms filed annually by nonprofits to the IRS. The intent of the 990 form is to provide the public with necessary information to evaluate the performance of a nonprofit; however, a number of studies show that there are significant errors on the 990 returns. At the same time, there has been a rise in nonprofit watchdog groups who use the information available on the 990 forms to calculate nonprofits’ financial …

Surface Wave Scattering From Metallic Nano Particles: Theoretical Framework And Numerical Analysis, Pradeep Kumar Garudadri Venkata

University of Kentucky Master's Theses

Recent advances in nano technology have opened doors to several next generation devices and sensors. Characterizing nano particles and structures in a simple and effective way is imperative for monitoring and detecting processes at nano scale in a variety of environments. In recent years, the problem of studying nano particle interactions with surface plasmons or evanescent waves has gained significant interest. Here, a numerical model is presented to characterize nano-size particles and agglomerates near a metal or a dielectric interface. The methodology is based on a hybrid method, where the T-matrix approach is coupled with the image theory. The far …

Epoxygenase Expression In Soybean And Biological Effects Of Epoxy Fatty Acids, Purnima Kamlakar Wagh

University of Kentucky Master's Theses

Epoxy fatty acids (EXA) are valuable to industry as they are used in synthesizing plasticizers such as of poly vinyl chloride, resins, adhesives, coating materials such as paint, lubricant, lubricant additives, insecticides, insect repellants, crop oil concentrates and formulations of carriers for slow release pesticides and herbicides. There is interest in developing commercial oilseeds accumulating epoxy fatty acids to at least 50% of the seed oil. Soybeans are the most widely cultivated oilseed and its oil has high levels of linoleic acid which can be a substrate for epoxygenase enzymes. Cahoon et al., expressed a cytochrome P450 enzyme (CYP726A1) from …

Thermal Heat Transport At The Nano-Scale Level And Its Application To Nano-Machining, Basil T. Wong

University of Kentucky Doctoral Dissertations

Nano-manufacturing is receiving significant attention in industry due to the ever-growing interest in nanotechnology in research institutions. It is hypothesized that single-step or direct-write nano-scale machining might be achieved by coupling nano-probe field emission with radiation transfer. A laser may be used to heat a workpiece within a microscopic region that encloses an even smaller nanoscopic region subjected to a focused electron beam. The electron-beam supplies marginal heat sufficient to remove a minute volume of material by evaporation or sublimation. Experimentally investigating this hypothesis requires an estimate of the power needed in the electron-beam. To this end, a detailed numerical …

The Development Of Colletotrichum Graminicola Inside Maize Stalk Tissues, Claire Marie-Pierre Venard

University of Kentucky Doctoral Dissertations

Colleotrichum graminicola is the causal agent of anthracnose stalk rot, and is one of the most common and aggressive pathogens of maize. The goal of my Ph.D. project was to contribute to a better understanding of the biology of the interaction between C. graminicola and its host. C. graminicola produces two type of asexual spores: one is produced on the surface of infected tissues and is thought to be involved in the spread of the disease in the field. The second type of spore, oval in shape, is produced inside the infected plant tissues, and was believed to be involved …

The Changing Relationships Of Women Helping Women: Patterns And Trends In Domestic Violence Advocacy, Jennifer Rose Wies

University of Kentucky Doctoral Dissertations

This research explores the themes of participation and professionalization as they intersect with power in domestic violence advocacy by using a case study from one region in Kentucky. Throughout this dissertation, I investigate the ways political and economic pressures influence local domestic violence advocates and the ways these macro-level pressures influence 1) an advocate's level of participation in the organization and 2) a transition in social service provision to a professional model of advocacy. The research illustrates that the nature of domestic violence service provision is changing in the United States as a result of the increasingly privatized nature of …

Influence Of Flux Deposition Non-Uniformity On Molten Metal Spreading In Aluminum Joining By Brazing, Ramnath Narayanaswamy

University of Kentucky Master's Theses

The objective of this thesis is to study the effects of flux deposition non uniformity on spreading of molten metal. Flux deposition non-uniformity here means as to whether the amount of flux deposited in a non-uniform or uniform pattern helps in the better wetting and spreading characteristics of the molten metal or is detrimental to the process. The material selection constraint to the study was imposed by selecting brazing of aluminum i.e., aluminum alloy melting and flow over an aluminum alloy substrate. The study was carried out by conducting a number of Hot Stage microscopy tests using aluminum silicon alloy …

Initial Assessment Of The "Compressible Poor Man's Navier{Stokes (Cpmns) Equation" For Subgrid-Scale Models In Large-Eddy Simulation, Chetan Babu Velkur

University of Kentucky Master's Theses

Large-eddy simulation is rapidly becoming the preferred method for calculations involving turbulent phenomena. However, filtering equations as performed in traditional LES procedures leads to significant problems. In this work we present some key components in the construction of a novel LES solver for compressible turbulent flow, designed to overcome most of the problems faced by traditional LES procedures. We describe the construction of the large-scale algorithm, which employs fairly standard numerical techniques to solve the Navier{Stokes equations. We validate the algorithm for both transonic and supersonic ow scenarios. We further explicitly show that the solver is capable of capturing boundary …

Process Optimization And Validation Of An Assay For High-Throughput Screening, Padma Priya Ravindranath

University of Kentucky Master's Theses

A biological assay is designed to set up a rapid and robust drug-screening system on a small scale. An assay is considered as a single unit of a platform to screen various compounds for aiding in drug discovery. Each assay is carried out in a 96-well plate, each of whose wells consists of the biological component called the Spheroids. The value of each assay lies in it facilitating for versatile screening applications. The spheroid is considered as a micro-structural product. And the addition of various compounds for testing is performed in each well (consisting of the spheroids). The focus has …

Hepatic Cytochrome P450 Reductase-Null Mice As An Animal Model To Study Electron Transfer Pathways In Cholesterol Synthesis And Cyp2e1-Mediated Drug Metabolism, Li Li

University of Kentucky Doctoral Dissertations

NADPH-cytochrome P450 reductase (CPR) is a flavoprotein containing both FAD and FMN and functions as the electron donor protein for several oxygenase enzymes found on the endoplasmic reticulum of eukaryotic cells, including cytochrome P450s involved in drug metabolism and cholesterol biosynthesis. As many as three enzymes in the cholesterol biosynthetic pathway have been demonstrated, or proposed, to use CPR as a redox partner: squalene monooxygenase, which converts squalene to 2,3-oxidosqualene; lanosterol demethylase, a cytochrome P450 (CYP51); and 7-dehydrocholesterol reductase, the final step in cholesterol synthesis. In yeast CPR can be replaced by the NADH-cytochrome b5 pathway, but this has not …

Pharmaceutically Engineered Nanoparticles For Enhancing Immune Responses To Hiv-1 Tat And Gag P24 Proteins, Jigna D. Patel

University of Kentucky Doctoral Dissertations

These studies were aimed at investigating the potential application of nanoparticles engineered from oil-in-water microemulsion precursors for enhancing immune responses to HIV-1 Tat and Gag p24 proteins. Both of the HIV-1 proteins have been reported to be critical in the virus life cycle and are being evaluated in clinical trials as vaccine candidates. Anionic nanoparticles were prepared using emulsifying wax as the oil phase and Brij 78 and sodium dodecyl sulfate as the surfactants. The resulting nanoparticles were coated with Tat and were demonstrated to produce superior immune responses after administration to BALB/c mice compared to Tat adjuvanted with Alum. …

Manipulation Of Thinness And Restricting Expectancies: Further Evidence For A Causal Role Of Thinness And Restricting Expectancies In The Etiology Of Eating Disorders, Agnes M. Annus

University of Kentucky Master's Theses

Eating disorder expectancy theory proposes a causal role for expectancies for reinforcement from thinness. The authors conducted an experimental test of that hypothesis. Undergraduate college women (N = 154) were randomized to either a psychoeducational control of proven effectiveness or an experimental manipulation of thinness and restricting expectancies. Participants in each condition attended three experimental sessions and one, follow-up session, each one week apart. For both groups, body dissatisfaction, disordered eating, purging frequency, and binge eating frequency declined over the course of the study. In addition, the thinness expectancy manipulation produced greater declines in thinness expectancies, body dissatisfaction, and purging …

Adversity Politics: The Effect Of Structure And Ideology On American Politcal Outcomes, Jeffrey Allen Fine

University of Kentucky Doctoral Dissertations

Divided government has been studied at length in the political science literature, much of which has focused on the effect of this phenomenon on various legislative outcomes. Despite this high level of attention, the literature has employed a narrow definition of divided government that equates the phenomenon with divided party control. This dissertation demonstrates that divided government is comprised of several distinct components, of which party control is only part. To determine whether government is truly divided, one must include measures of both party (party control and the strength of party majorities) and ideology (in terms of the ideological distance …

Timing Of Campaign Contributions In State Legislatures: An Examination Of The Motives And Strategies Of Contributors, David W. Prince

University of Kentucky Doctoral Dissertations

There is a great deal of work on campaign finance at the national level, however, state level research is sparse. My dissertation fills this void in the literature by examining the motivations of contributors to state legislators. The literature discusses two major motivations of contributors universalistic contributors, who hope to influence election outcomes, and particularistic contributors who hope to influence legislative votes. The primary hypothesis is that proximity to the general election is the primary factor in explaining contribution patterns in state legislatures; however, proximity to a legislative vote of interest to the contributor will also be significant in explaining …

Ecological Weed Management For Organic Farming Systems, Derek M. Law

University of Kentucky Master's Theses

Two field studies examining direct ecological weed control practices were conducted in Lexington, Kentucky. The first evaluated weed control efficacy and influence on yields of several mulches in two organically-managed bell pepper (Capsicum annum) production systems for two years. Peppers were planted in double rows in flat, bare ground or on black polyethylene-covered raised beds with drip irrigation, and four mulches (straw, compost, wood chips, and undersown white dutch clover (Trifolium repens L.) living mulch) were applied to the two production systems. In both years, polyethylene-covered raised beds produced higher yields than the flat, bare ground system. In the second …

Peptide Deformylase: A Modeling Study Of The Active Sites Of Plants And Bacteria And The Design, Synthesis, And Biological Activity Analysis Of Peptide-Based Inhibitors, Jonathan C. Barnes

University of Kentucky Master's Theses

All nascent polypeptides synthesized in bacteria, mitochondria, or chloroplastsstart with a N-formylmethionine. Peptide deformylase (PDF) is a mononuclear metal ionprotein that is responsible for removing the N-formyl group of nascent proteins found inbacteria and chloroplasts in order for them to become mature proteins. It is possible, asseen from the literature with actinonin, to chelate the enzyme's metal ion and inhibit thefunction of protein production essentially resulting in death of the bacteria, or plant. Thisstudy examines the active site of Arabidopsis thaliana (At) types of PDF (AtDEF1 andAtDEF2, respectively) as well as bacterial DEF2 using sequence alignments andcomputational modeling. This work …

Neurochemical Studies Of Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder Medications In The Striatum And Nucleus Accumbens Of The Fischer 344 Rat, Barry Matthew Joyce

University of Kentucky Doctoral Dissertations

Stimulant medications such as D-amphetamine, mixed-salts (75% D- and25% L-) amphetamine; Adderall®, and methylphenidate are first-line treatmentsfor Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). In vivo studies havepredominantly focused on these stimulants in the context of drug abuse, andtheir therapeutic mechanistic properties are only theoretical. Previously, in vivotechniques have been limited by poor temporal and spatial resolution, andcharacterizations of these medications in rodent models have not been possibleat low, clinically relevant levels. In order to address these issues, our laboratoryused in vivo high speed chronoamperometric microelectrodes to characterize theeffects of local applications of D-amphetamine, L-amphetamine, D,Lamphetamine,and Adderall® at low levels in the striatum and …

Structural And Functional Studies Of Synaptic Enzymes, Eun Jeong Lim

University of Kentucky Doctoral Dissertations

Thimet oligopeptidase (TOP, EC 3.4.24.15) and neurolysin (EC 3.4.24.16) are zincdependent metallopeptidases that metabolize small bioactive peptides. The two enzymes share60 % sequence identity and their crystal structures demonstrate that they adopt nearly identicalfolds. They generally cleave at the same sites, but they recognize different positions on somepeptides, including neurotensin, a 13-residue peptide involved in modulation of dopaminergiccircuits, pain perception, and thermoregulation.On the basis of crystal structures and previous mapping studies, four residues(E469/R470, M490/R491, H495/N496, and R498/T499, TOP residues listed first) in thesubstrate-binding channel appear positioned to account for differences in specificity. TOPmutated to the neurolysin residues at all four …

The Universal Media Book, Shilpi Gupta

University of Kentucky Master's Theses

We explore the integration of projected imagery with a physical book that acts as a tangible interface to multimedia data. Using a camera and projector pair, a tracking framework is presented wherein the 3D position of planar pages are monitored as they are turned back and forth by a user, and data is correctly warped and projected onto each page at interactive rates to provide the user with an intuitive mixed-reality experience. The book pages are blank, so traditional camera-based approaches to tracking physical features on the display surface do not apply. Instead, in each frame, feature points are independently …

Solution And Solid State Interactions Between Ionic Π-Systems, Jing Chen

University of Kentucky Doctoral Dissertations

Although attractive interactions between π systems (π-π interaction) have been known for many years, understanding of its origin is still incomplete. Quantitative measuring of π-stacking is challenging due to the weak nature of the π-π interaction. This dissertation aims at elucidating a quantitative conformational analysis by NMR ring current anisotropy of an organic compound capable of intramolecular π-stacking in solution and studying charge effects on the stacking of π-systems. This dissertation offers four contributions to the area. (1) A general approach to four-state, conformational analysis based on the magnetic anisotropy of molecules undergoing fast dynamic exchange is described. (2) Study …