Digital Commons Network^™

Impact Of A High Oil And Protein On Agronomic Traits And Overall Seed Composition In Soybean, Maythem Al-Amery

Theses and Dissertations--Plant and Soil Sciences

New soybean lines have been developed with significantly higher oil, protein + oil and higher meal protein. These soybeans contain a VgD1 gene (highly active acyl-CoA:diacylglycerol acyltransferase, DGAT from Vernonia galamensis (VgDGAT1A) produces much higher oil synthesis and accumulation activity in soybean. Soybean with active DGAT from Vernonia galamensis (VgDGAT1A) has active TAG biosynthesis relative to other DGATs including from soybeans and Arabidopsis. DGATs catalyze the final step of TAG synthesis: DAG (diacylglycerol) + acyl-CoA → TAG + CoASH (Coenzyme A is notable for its role in the synthesis and oxidation of fatty acids, and the oxidation of pyruvate in …

Planet Health: A School-Based Health Promotion Program, Jane Katherine Landon

Theses and Dissertations--Public Health (M.P.H. & Dr.P.H.)

The Kentucky River District Health Department (KRDHD) proposes implementation of Planet Health, a school-based intervention aimed at increasing healthful nutrition and fitness behaviors in middle- and high-school aged students. Planet Health’s core messaging (increasing fruit and vegetable intake, increasing physical activity, decreasing screen time, decreasing sugar-sweetened beverage and trans-fat intake) contributes to our long-term goal of decreasing childhood obesity in our service area. Planet Health will be offered to 3 counties in our service area (Lee, Letcher and Wolfe) with planned expansion to all counties in the KRDHD service area within 5 years of the original pilot. This project will …

Spatio-Temporal Analysis Of Childhood Retinoblastoma And Cns Tumors In Kentucky, From 1995 Through 2014, Jennifer A. Khoury

Theses and Dissertations--Public Health (M.P.H. & Dr.P.H.)

Objectives

Childhood cancer poses a significant public health burden, both globally and in the United States (US). The most common childhood cancers affect the brain and central nervous system (CNS). Age-adjusted childhood brain tumor (CBT) incidence rates in Kentucky are larger than in the rest of the US; these rates are also higher in Appalachian Kentucky than in the rest of the state. This study determined if high-rate clusters of either CNS tumor or retinoblastoma existed in Kentucky.

Methods

Data for this study were retrieved from the Kentucky Cancer Registry for the years 1995 through 2014. Cases were individuals between …

Aluminum And Phthalates In Calcium Gluconate: Contribution From Glass And Plastic Packaging, Robert A. Yokel, Jason M. Unrine

Pharmaceutical Sciences Faculty Publications

Introduction: Aluminum contamination of parenteral nutrition solutions has been documented for three decades. It can result in elevated blood, bone, and whole body aluminum levels associated with neurotoxicity, reduced bone mass and mineral content, and perhaps hepatotoxicity. The primary aluminum source among parenteral nutrition components is glass-packaged calcium gluconate, in which aluminum concentration the past three decades has averaged~ 4000 [mu]g/L, compared to < 200 [mu]g/L in plastic container-packaged calcium gluconate. A concern about plastic packaging is leaching of plasticizers, including phthalates, which have the potential to cause endocrine (male reproductive system) disruption and neurotoxicity.

Methods: Aluminum was quantified in samples collected periodically over more than two years from three calcium gluconate sources used to prepare parenteral nutrition solutions; two packaged in glass (from France and the US) and one in plastic …

The Survival Of Various Pathogenic Organisms In Fats And Oils, Kelsey Ellen Lamb

Theses and Dissertations--Animal and Food Sciences

The research within this thesis sought to determine the ability of various animal derived fats and plant derived oils to support the survival of several pathogenic cocktails over a multitude of storage times. The Salmonella study explored the survival rate of a four strain Salmonella cocktail in beef tallow, pig lard, duck fat, coconut oil, and extra virgin olive oil over seven days at 26˚C and 37˚C storage. The animal fats and the coconut oil supported the survival of the bacteria until the conclusion of the study. The Shiga-toxin producing Escherichia coli study explored the survival rate of a five …

Differential Activity And Content Of High-Affinity Glutamate Transporters, Content Of Their Regulatory Proteins, And Capacity For Glutamine And Glutathione Synthesis In Tissues Of Finished Versus Growing Steers, Jing Huang

Theses and Dissertations--Animal and Food Sciences

Improvement of feeding regimens for production animals has been hindered by a lack of fundamental knowledge about how the capacity to regulate nutrient absorption across cell membranes affects the function of nutrient metabolizing enzymes. The objective is to determine if the activities and protein content of system X^-_AG glutamate transporter, its regulatory protein (GTRAP3-18 and ARL6IP1), glutamine synthetase (GS) and glutathione (GSH) content, changes in liver (Experiment 1), longissimus dorsi (LM) and subcutaneous adipose tissue (SF) (Experiment 2) as beef steers transitioned from predominantly-lean (growing) to -lipid (finished) tissue accretion phases. In liver (Experiment 1), system X^{- …}

The Big "Blue" Nation: Expanding Aquaculture In Kentucky, K. Cassandra Keck

Kentucky Journal of Equine, Agriculture, & Natural Resources Law

No abstract provided.

Risk Parameters And Assessment Of Dietary Dsrna Exposure In Folsomia Candida, Jeffrey Edward Noland

Theses and Dissertations--Entomology

Assessing the risk of transgenic crop products is essential when determining the safety of a crop for deregulation and commercialization. The Organization of Economic and Cooperative Development (OECD), International Standards Organization (ISO), and governmental regulatory agencies require a battery of tests to demonstrate the safety of a GM product against several surrogate species of organisms that perform various ecosystem services. Assays are performed using toxicology methods established for pesticides. These methods have been applied to testing the safety, specificity and fate of Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) Cry protein toxins engineered into crop plants and information exists on the effects on non-target …

“To Nurture Something That Nurtures You”: Care, Creativity, Class, And The Production Of Urban Environments In Deindustrial Michigan, Megan L. Maurer

Theses and Dissertations--Anthropology

In this dissertation I investigate how gardeners and beekeepers in a small, deindustrial city in Michigan used their activities to produce their environments. Drawing on fourteen months of ethnographic fieldwork, I consider what kind of labor gardening is. For residents of Elmwood, gardening was a way to care for households, communities, and ecosystems. Furthermore, this care was performed through a type of creative, material labor that served to address forms of alienation experienced by these individuals. While all sorts of Elmwoodites gardened, they did so in ways that were specific to their experiences of race and class. These experiences, in …

Filling The Gap In Obesity Prevention: Implementation Of The General’S Activity Program (Gap) In Carroll County, Kentucky, Brent Emerson

Theses and Dissertations--Public Health (M.P.H. & Dr.P.H.)

As obesity rates continue to rise, there is a significant need for public health programs that are able to effectively increase physical activity at the community level. Regular physical activity can help reduce the risk of negative health outcomes associated with obesity including cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, and some forms of cancer while also strengthening muscles, improving mental health and mood, and increasing average life expectancy. Previous research has supported that one way to increase physical activity at the community level is through social marketing of state and local parks. Through the promotion of parks, community residents are able …

Social Participation In Schools: Developing The Role Of Occupational Therapy Practitioners, Kelly L. Leigers

Theses and Dissertations--Rehabilitation Sciences

The aim of this dissertation is to build the repertoire of occupational therapy practitioners so that they are better prepared in the provision of services addressing social participation of students with disabilities in the general education classroom. Students with disabilities in general education classrooms tend to have greater difficulty establishing and maintaining friendships (Wight & Chapparo, 2008), have fewer reciprocated friendships (Kemp & Carter, 2002), and lower stability in relationships than peers without disabilities. Furthermore, studies indicate that students with disabilities are less social accepted (Ekornas, Heimann, Tjus, Heyerdahl, & Lundervold, 2011) and are more isolated (Nadeau & Tessier, 2006). …

An Analysis Of Factors Impacting Hay Auction Prices And The Potential For Nap To Reduce Alfalfa Revenue Risk, Madeline L. Dant

Theses and Dissertations--Agricultural Economics

Hay auctions have generally been understudied due to their unique market structure. Therefore, the factors that influence the price of hay at auction markets are not well-known. The price of hay at auction markets reflects the various characteristics that differentiate each lot of hay sold. This study is aimed at analyzing the determinants of Central Kentucky hay prices. A hedonic price model is estimated using data collected from a Central Kentucky hay auction. Known hay attributes include forage species, form, bale weight, and nutritive value. An important aspect of this analysis is to determine whether the quality measures of the …

Three Essays In Food Consumption And Health Related Issues, Fuad Mohammed Alagsam

Theses and Dissertations--Agricultural Economics

This dissertation consists of three essays that make contributions to the research on food consumption and health-related issues. Essay I elaborates on how the interactions of consumers’ beliefs and actions influence Food-Away-From-Home (FAFH) consumption and tests whether consumers compensate for the high caloric intake typically associated with FAFH by changing their behaviors during other meals. Essay II studies consumers’ choices related to time allocations for food consumption and tests how consumers’ lifestyles moderate the effect of secondary eating (eating while doing other activities) on obesity. Lastly, Essay III examines intertemporal choices, through which individuals make trade-offs between immediate gratifications and …

The Margin Protection Program For Dairy: A Forecast & Ad Hoc Regional Analysis, Jessica A. G. Richard

Theses and Dissertations--Agricultural Economics

This study examined The Margin Protection Program for Dairy’s impact on the “effective margins” or margins realized by dairy producers in various regions. Each selected margin and percentage of production history offered by the national policy was analyzed in a forecasting, national and regional manner. Couplet margins were simulated for fifteen regions from 2017 through 2020. Five scenarios were analyzed for the change in MPP’s effects under a 15%, 10%, and 5% drop in the price of milk as well as a 50% increase in the price of corn and a scenario where milk decreases 15% while corn prices simultaneously …

Equilibrium Moisture Content Of Kabuli, Chickpea, Black Sesame, And White Sesame Seeds, Paul R. Armstrong, Elizabeth B. Maghirang, Bhadriraju Subramanyam, Samuel G. Mcneill

Biosystems and Agricultural Engineering Faculty Publications

Sesame and chickpea are important crops in Ethiopia because both are major export crops that generate much revenue for both small farmers and the country as a whole. However, there is a lack of information about the fundamental equilibrium moisture content (EMC) relationships among these crops, which would help facilitate better monitoring and storage. Therefore, EMC adsorption and desorption prediction models based on temperature (T) and relative humidity (RH) were developed for the modified Chung-Pfost and modified Henderson models for Kabuli chickpea (KC), black sesame (BS), and white sesame (WS) seeds. The samples for conducting the adsorption and desorption tests …

Cellular And Molecular Mechanisms Underlying Alcohol-Induced Aggressiveness Of Breast Cancer, Yongchao Wang, Mei Xu, Zun-Ji Ke, Jia Luo

Pharmacology and Nutritional Sciences Faculty Publications

Breast cancer is a leading cause of morbidity and mortality in women. Both Epidemiological and experimental studies indicate a positive correlation between alcohol consumption and the risk of breast cancer. While alcohol exposure may promote the carcinogenesis or onset of breast cancer, it may as well enhance the progression and aggressiveness of existing mammary tumors. Recent progress in this line of research suggests that alcohol exposure is associated with invasive breast cancer and promotes the growth and metastasis of mammary tumors. There are multiple potential mechanisms involved in alcohol-stimulated progression and aggressiveness of breast cancer. Alcohol may increase the mobility …

A Comparison Of Sex Differences In Psychotropic Medication Use In Older People With Alzheimer's Disease In The Us And Finland, Daniela C. Moga, Heidi Taipale, Anna-Maija Tolppanen, Antti Tanskanen, Jari Tiihonen, Sirpa Hartikainen, Qishan Wu, Gregory A. Jicha, Danijela Gnjidic

Pharmacy Practice and Science Faculty Publications

Aims—Given the high prevalence of psychotropic medication use in people with dementia and the potential for different prescribing practices in men and women, our study aimed to investigate sex differences in psychotropic medication use in older adults with Alzheimer’s disease (AD) living in the US and Finland.

Methods—We used data collected between 2005 and 2011 as part of the National Alzheimer’s Coordinating Center (NACC) in the US, and Medication use and Alzheimer’s disease (MEDALZ) cohorts in Finland. We evaluated psychotropic medication use (antidepressant, antipsychotic, anxiolytic, sedative, or hypnotic) in participants aged 65 years or older. We employed multivariable …

Effects Of Chromium On Mouse Splenic T Lymphocytes And Effects Of Ethanol Exposure During Early Neurodevelopment On Behaviors In Mice, Lu Dai

Theses and Dissertations--Toxicology and Cancer Biology

The dissertation consists of three major projects with the focus on the immunotoxicity of chromium and the behavior disorders caused by early ETOH exposure respectively.

Hexavalent chromium [Cr(VI)] is widely used in various industrial processes and has been recognized as a carcinogen. As the first line of host defense system, the immune system can be a primary target of Cr(VI). T cell population represents a major arm of the immune system that plays a critical role in host anti-tumor immunity. Dysfunction of T cells compromises host anti-tumor immunity resulting in oncogenesis. Using mouse splenic T cells as an in vitro …

Respiratory Function And Associated Risk Factors In The Kentucky Women’S Health Registry, Negash Amsalu

Theses and Dissertations--Public Health (M.P.H. & Dr.P.H.)

From the University of Kentucky Women’s Health Registry Database (KWHRD) a total of 1838 women were voluntarily asked to undergo Spirometric respiratory function tests. These women came to the clinic for various reasons. Various independent variables (risk factors) were also recorded for these women. Among these risk factors were: age, BMI, smoking status, asthmatic status, educational status and ethnicity.

The purpose of the study was to investigate whether any of the risk factors had significant impacts on women’s respiratory health. Appropriate categorizations were tabulated for each risk factor so that comparisons would be possible and easier. The motivation of the …

Association Between Cerebrovascular Pathology And Anti-Hypertensive Treatment In Diabetics, Gary Owen

Theses and Dissertations--Public Health (M.P.H. & Dr.P.H.)

Background

Dementia is a growing public health concern as the population ages. Vascular dementia is the second most common type of dementia behind Alzheimer’s, and is caused by cerebrovascular damage, such as infarcts and hemorrhages. As in systemic cardiovascular disease, diabetes and hypertension are leading risk factors for cerebrovascular pathology. Anti-hypertensive treatment (AHT), therefore, may have a role in preventing cerebrovascular damage.

Methods

A case-control study design was utilized to evaluate any association between AHT during life and cerebrovascular pathology in autopsy in diabetic participants from the National Alzheimer’s Coordinating Centers (NACC). Pathology outcomes included infarcts of various sizes and …

Smart Moves Bright Bodies: A Rural Adaptation To Combat Obesity Among African-American Teenagers In Wilcox And Lowndes Counties, Alabama, Nicole D. Fields

Theses and Dissertations--Public Health (M.P.H. & Dr.P.H.)

Obesity is a significant problem in the United States; however, it is a burgeoning epidemic among youth in the United States. As of 2016, Alabama is the second-most obese state in the nation¹ and 16% of Alabama adolescents are obese². While obesity is a significant problem across all ethnic groups, minorities bear a disproportionate burden in Alabama: one in five African-American adolescents is obese². This disproportionate burden is demonstrated in two Alabama counties: Wilcox and Lowndes. Both counties are predominately African-American and rank in the bottom ten counties, statewide, for overall health outcomes^9,14. …

Revamp It: Utilization Of Socioecological Approach To Combat Adolescent Obesity In Knott County, Kentucky, Jonathan Wang

Theses and Dissertations--Public Health (M.P.H. & Dr.P.H.)

The Kentucky River District Health Department proposes the implementation of REVAMP IT in four selected elementary schools in Knott County, Kentucky to improve subjective attitudes towards various aspects of health knowledge, physical activity, social support, and screen-time, as well as reduce biometrically measured television time and increased step count. REVAMP IT is an evidence-based program that utilizes the socioecological model of Public Health to target aspects of the individual, relational, and community level to facilitate changes from multiple aspects. Screen-time and physical activity goals will be individually set by students, and Knott County Elementary School teachers will be responsible for …

A Population-Based Survival Analysis Of Mesothelioma And Smoking In Appalachian And Non-Appalachian Kentucky, Peter Van Wie

Theses and Dissertations--Public Health (M.P.H. & Dr.P.H.)

Mesothelioma is one of the most aggressive cancers in the United States and around the world, with a grim 5-year survival rate of only 8%. After diagnosis there is little that can be done to stop the progression of the disease. Smoking has been negatively associated with mesothelioma survival. This may be due to several factors including increased oxidative stress or sequestration of tobacco-related carcinogenic compounds by asbestos fibers trapped in the lung. This study investigated the association between smoking and mesothelioma survival in the Kentucky population. It examines the risk of living in the low socioeconomic region of Appalachian …

Implementing The Alive! Behavioral Intervention Program In Phillips County, Arkansas, Raeschell Williams

Theses and Dissertations--Public Health (M.P.H. & Dr.P.H.)

The Arkansas Department of Health proposes implementing the Alive! behavioral intervention program in Phillips County, Arkansas to decrease the prevalence of obesity in this community. Alive!, A Lifestyle Intervention Via Email, is an evidence-bases, email-derived, worksite intervention focused on reducing saturated fats, increasing fruit and vegetable intake, and increasing physical activity. As an email-based program, participants will receive weekly emails tailored to their individual goals with reminder emails delivered during the week with small-step goals to help the participant achieve their larger goal. As the country with the highest prevalence of obesity and second highest prevalence of obesity in 2014, …

Factors Associated With Large Vehicle Collision Fatalities From 2009-2015, An Assessment Of Factors Relevant To The 2014 Implementation Of The National Registry Of Certified Medical Examiners And Strategies For Driver Safety, Melinda L. Carol

Theses and Dissertations--Public Health (M.P.H. & Dr.P.H.)

OBJECTIVE: The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) developed a National Registry of Certified Medical Examiners (NRCME) as a stride toward greater driver safety and public health. This retrospective, observational, cross-section study is intended to trend and analyze driver related factors that are pertinent to FMCSA certifying medical examination performed by NRCME providers in addition to driver behaviors and environmental factors from the years 2009 to 2015. The results of this study are intended to speculate the effectiveness of the NRCME and propose additional public health interventions aimed to reduce large vehicle fatalities.

METHODS: Data was extracted from …

Shaping Our Appalachian Region (Soar): Beginning To Now, Samantha Zarycki

Theses and Dissertations--Public Health (M.P.H. & Dr.P.H.)

Introduction

Appalachian Kentucky has been and is currently facing difficult times including low employment rates, low education rates and less-than-favorable healthcare and health status for the people of the region (Estep, 2014). There have been multiple government and non-government agencies who have implemented interventions with the purpose of lifting up the region. Shaping Our Appalachian Region, or SOAR, is a bipartisan organization which began in 2013, and was established for the purpose of caring for the region.

Methods

A qualitative data analysis using confidential interviews with six people involved with SOAR was used for this project. Using the deductive approach …

Hepatitis C Screening And Treatment Of Prisoners: Analysis Of Policy And Practice In Kentucky, Charity Faith Kranz

Theses and Dissertations--Public Health (M.P.H. & Dr.P.H.)

INTRODUCTION

The United States and the Commonwealth of Kentucky are currently overwhelmed by a triad of complex epidemics—incarceration, opioid overdose deaths secondary to substance use disorders, and hepatitis C. Research has suggested hepatitis C screening and treatment of prisoners may be a cost-effective strategy to address the hepatitis C epidemic. Since Kentucky has been particularly impacted by these interrelated health threats, further exploration of hepatitis C in Kentucky prison populations and their potential role in addressing these epidemics is warranted.

Primary Objective

The main goal of this research was to examine hepatitis C screening and treatment policy and practice within …

Precision Dairy Farming Technology Solutions For Detecting Dairy Cow Disease To Improve Dairy Cow Well-Being, Amanda Stone

Theses and Dissertations--Animal and Food Sciences

Dairy cow health is multifactorial and complex. High producing dairy cows have been described as metabolic athletes, but metabolic and infectious diseases around calving affect many cows. These diseases have drastic negative effects on dairy cow well-being, milk production, and dairy farm economics. Early disease detection could potentially improve disease management, treatment, and future prevention techniques. The first objective of this research was to evaluate the use of activity, lying behavior, reticulorumen temperature, and rumination time determined by precision dairy farming technologies to detect transition cow diseases including hypocalcemia, ketosis, and metritis. The second objective was to evaluate the ability …

Influence Of Ergot Alkaloids On Rumen Motility: Time And Concentration Of Ergovaline + Ergovalinine Required To Impact Reticulorumen Motility, Kara Riccioni

Theses and Dissertations--Animal and Food Sciences

Fescue toxicosis is problematic for ruminant livestock, causing weight loss and low productivity when fed endophyte-infected forages. Complete underlying mechanisms of toxicosis are unknown therefore; the objective of the study was to determine if ruminally dosed ergot alkaloids impact rumen motility. Cannulated steers were pair-fed a forage diet and ruminally dosed with endophyte-free (E-) or endophyte-infected (E+) tall fescue seed. An 8-h period of rumen motility collection began 4-h after feeding by monitoring pressure change via a wireless telemetry and transducer system. In experiment 1, steers were paired by weight and assigned to E- or E+ treatment. Overall, E+ steers …

Assessment Of Bovine Vascular Serotonin Receptor Populations And Transport Of Ergot Alkaloids In The Small Intestine, Miriam A. Snider

Theses and Dissertations--Animal and Food Sciences

Prior work using a contractility bioassay determined that the serotonin (5-HT) receptor subtype 5-HT_2A is present in bovine lateral saphenous veins and plays a role in ergot alkaloid-induced vascular contraction in steers grazing endophyte-infected (Epichloë coenophiala) tall fescue (Lolium arundinaceum). A study was conducted to determine what 5-HT receptors are involved in vasoconstriction of bovine gut vasculature. The findings of this study indicate that 5-HT_2A is present and may play a role in ergot alkaloid induced vasoconstriction. A second study was conducted to determine if ergot alkaloids were transported in the small intestine. The …