Digital Commons Network^™

Naturally Confusing Consumers: Express Federal Preemption Of State Claims Regarding False And Misleading Food Product Labels, Taryn M. Deveau

Kentucky Journal of Equine, Agriculture, & Natural Resources Law

No abstract provided.

Decision-Making Processes And Health Behaviors Among Adults Diagnosed With Schizophrenia, Lillian J. Findlay

Theses and Dissertations--Nursing

Individuals diagnosed with schizophrenia commonly experience problems with accurately assessing their health status due to cognitive deficits including impaired working memory, amotivation, and communication difficulties. Little is known about whether these deficiencies influence health behavior decision-making among individuals with schizophrenia. Individuals with schizophrenia die an average of 25 years earlier than those without a mental illness. Approximately 60% of premature deaths in this population are from medical comorbidities; mortality rates due to cardiovascular and pulmonary diseases are two to three times higher than the general population. In order to reduce morbidity and mortality, it is important to find effective ways …

Coplanar Pcb77 And Angii Induced Vascular Disorders, Madhura Parulkar

Theses and Dissertations--Nutritional Sciences

Previous studies demonstrated that coplanar PCBs promote inflammation by release of pro-inflammatory cytokines like TNF, MCP-1, and VCAM-1 from endothelial cells as well as adipocytes. Also these PCBs at small doses may contribute to the development of obesity by inducing adipocyte differentiation. Obesity is a known risk factor that promotes cardiovascular disorders like atherosclerosis and AAAs. Evidence shows Ang II, a component of the RAS, leads to the formation of atherosclerosis and AAAs in both normal as well as hyperlipidemic mice. Earlier studies in our laboratory have also shown that coplanar PCB-77 promotes atherosclerotic lesion formation in ApoE-/- mice. The …

Diet, Bacteria And Inflammation: The Intestinal Mucosa And Metabolic Syndrome, Nadeem K. Mohammed

Theses and Dissertations--Nutritional Sciences

Long term consumption of a high fat diet (HFD) increases the risk of developing Metabolic Syndrome and type 2 diabetes. This led us to hypothesize that long term HFD consumption impairs immune tolerance to the intestinal bacteria. Our studies had two goals. First, we characterized the effect of long term HFD consumption on the systemic immune response by comparing C57BL6 mice fed a HFD and low fat diet (LFD). Plasma immunoglobulin G (IgG) against Escherichia coli (LF-82), E. coli (Nissle 1917), Bacteroides thetaiotaomicron and Lactobacillus acidophilus were measured by a lab-developed ELISA. Fasting blood glucose and inflammation were measured in …

Associations Between Serum Concentrations Of Polychlorinated Biphenyls, Serum Carotenoids, And The Probability Of Metabolic Syndrome In The National Health And Nutrition Examination Survey 2003-2004, Carolyn R. Hofe

Theses and Dissertations--Nutritional Sciences

Diabetes and cardiovascular disease are leading causes of death and disability in the United States. These chronic diseases are clinical sequelae of metabolic syndrome (MetS), a condition that affects approximately one-third (1/3) of American adults. Metabolic syndrome occurs in response to environmental and genetic influences, among them food intake, a sedentary lifestyle, BMI, advancing age, and exposure to persistent organic pollutants (POPs). POPs are known to cause endocrine disruption and PCBs cause oxidative stress, disrupt endothelial cell integrity, and promote atherosclerosis. Nutrition plays a significant role in the prevention and management of these chronic diseases and has been shown to …

Effects Of Adipocyte Deficiency Of Angiotensin Type 1a Receptors In Models Of Obesity And Hypercholesterolemia, Kelly Anne Putnam

Theses and Dissertations--Nutritional Sciences

Adipocytes express angiotensin II (AngII) receptors; however the direct effects of AngII at the adipocyte remain unclear. Knockout mouse models of renin-angiotensin system components exhibit reduced body weight, reduced adiposity, improved glucose tolerance, and improved blood pressure when fed high fat diets, which may be due to reduced action of AngII through the AT1aR in adipocytes. Additionally, hypercholesterolemic AT1aR deficient mice are protected from AngII-induced increases in atherosclerosis and abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) formation. We hypothesized that deficiency of AT1aR in adipocytes would reduce the development of obesity, obesity-induced disorders, and vascular diseases. To test this hypothesis, we created a …

Deficiency Of Ace2 In Bone-Marrow-Derived Cells Increases Expression Of Tnf-Α In Adipose Stromal Cells And Augments Glucose Intolerance In Obese C57bl/6 Mice, Sean E. Thatcher, Manisha Gupte, Nicholas Hatch, Lisa A. Cassis

Graduate Center for Nutritional Sciences Faculty Publications

Deficiency of ACE2 in macrophages has been suggested to promote the development of an inflammatory M1 macrophage phenotype. We evaluated effects of ACE2 deficiency in bone-marrow-derived stem cells on adipose inflammation and glucose tolerance in C57BL/6 mice fed a high fat (HF) diet. ACE2 activity was increased in the stromal vascular fraction (SVF) isolated from visceral, but not subcutaneous adipose tissue of HF-fed mice. Deficiency of ACE2 in bone marrow cells significantly increased mRNA abundance of F4/80 and TNF-α in the SVF isolated from visceral adipose tissue of HF-fed chimeric mice, supporting increased presence of inflammatory macrophages in adipose tissue. …

Summary Report: Kentucky River Watershed Watch 2012 Water Sampling Results, Kentucky Water Resources Research Institute

Kentucky River Watershed Watch

No abstract provided.

American School Finance Litigation And The Right To Education In South Africa, Scott R. Bauries

Law Faculty Scholarly Articles

This paper addresses the South African Constitution's invitation to the Constitutional Court to 'consider foreign law' when interpreting its provisions. Focusing on the education provisions found in section 29 of the Constitution, I make two claims. Firstly, contrary to the developing consensus, American state supreme court jurisprudence in school funding cases makes a poor resource to aid the interpretation of the basic South African right to education, regardless of the quantum of education that the Constitutional Court decides is encompassed by the word 'basic'. Secondly, however, certain aspects of these same American decisions, particularly the space they provide for a …

Sensing Development Of A Soybean Canopy Under P Or K Nutritional Stress, Martin M. Navarro

Theses and Dissertations--Plant and Soil Sciences

The normalized difference vegetative index (NDVI) has been correlated with physiological plant parameters and used to evaluate plant growth. There is little information about the use of this technique to detect soybean nutrient deficiencies. The objective of this work was to determine the ability of the NDVI sensor to detect P and K deficiencies, and grain yield reduction, in soybean. During 2010 and 2011, NDVI measurements were made on a soybean field trial site known to exhibit yield responses to both P and K nutrition. Four replicates of 8 levels each of P and K nutrition were evaluated. The NDVI …

Invasive Ecology Of Exotic Old World Bluestem Grasses And Insights For Coastal Prairie Restoration In South Texas, Marvin E. Ruffner

Theses and Dissertations--Plant and Soil Sciences

Despite the agronomic benefits of exotic grass plantings for pasture and rangeland forage, exotic grass invasions are capable of having dramatic and widespread impacts on native communities and ecosystems. Exotic Old World bluestem grasses (OWBG; Bothriochloa and Dichanthium spp.) have become increasingly invasive throughout the central and southern U.S. Little is known regarding the impacts of OWBG invasion on native grassland and savannah ecology and how to successfully control OWBG invasions in natural areas. Accordingly, this dissertation research had several objectives: 1) Evaluate the efficacy of herbicide and/or disking to control OWBG; 2) Assess the relative competitive ability of the …

The Role Of Auxin Resistant 1 (Axr1) In Arabidopsis Cytokinin Signaling, Yan Li

Theses and Dissertations--Plant and Soil Sciences

The plant hormone cytokinin plays essential roles in many aspects of growth and development. The cytokinin signal is transmitted by a multistep phosphorelay to the members of two functionally antagonistic classes of Arabidopsis response regulators (ARRs): the type-B ARRs (response activators) and type-A ARRs (negative-feedback regulators). Previous studies have shown that mutations in AXR1, encoding a subunit of the E1 enzyme in the related to ubiquitin (RUB) modification pathway, leads to decreased cytokinin sensitivity. This research shows that the cytokinin resistance of axr1 seedlings is suppressed by loss-of-function of type-A ARRs and that the cytokinin resistance caused by …

In Ovo Selenium (Se) Injection Of Incubating Chicken Eggs: Effects On Embryo Viability, Tissue Se Concentration, Lipid Peroxidation, Immune Response And Post Hatch Development, Lizza M. Macalintal

Theses and Dissertations--Animal and Food Sciences

Studies were conducted to investigate the effects of in ovo injection of selenium (Se) either as seleno-methionine (Se-Met) or sodium selenite (Na₂SeO₃) into the yolk of incubating eggs on tissue Se concentration, embryo livability, lipid peroxidation, immune response and growth performance. When white-shelled eggs were injected with 0.1ml of solutions providing 0, 2.5, 5, 10 or 20 μg Se/egg, no detrimental effects on embryo viability at 20 days of incubation were noted. The effects on tissue Se concentrations suggested that Se-Met and Na₂SeO₃ were metabolized differently by the chick embryo. In a subsequent …

Effect Of Feeding A Blend Of Naturally-Contaminated Corn On Nutrient Digestibility And Feed Preference In Weanling Pigs, Carlos Santiago Escobar

Theses and Dissertations--Animal and Food Sciences

Two experiments were conducted to determine the effect of feeding diets with a 2009 and 2010 naturally-contaminated corn to weaning pigs. For both experiments three diets were blended to contain 100% 2010 naturally-contaminated corn (control), 50-50% blend of the 2009 naturally-contaminated corn and 2010 corn (Diet 2), and 100% 2009 naturally-contaminated corn (Diet 3). In Exp. 1, 24 crossbred pigs with an average body weight of 7.64 ± 0.70 kg were allotted to 4 replicates of 3 treatments with 2 pigs per pen, on the basis of gender, litter mate, and BW in a randomized complete block design. Fecal and …

Evaluating The Effects Of Maternal And Progeny Dietary Supplementation Of Selenium Yeast And Vitamin E On The Performance Of Broiler-Breeder Hens And Performance And Meat Quality Of Progeny, Anthony D. Quant

Theses and Dissertations--Animal and Food Sciences

The objectives of these experiments were to evaluate the effects of selenium (Se) and vitamin E (Vit.E) supplementation in maternal and progeny diets on the performance of breeder hens and the performance and meat quality characteristics of progeny.

Inclusion of Se, as Se yeast, in the diets of developing broiler breeder pullets resulted in greater Se accumulation of Se (P<0.01) in liver, pancreas, and breast tissues than when Se yeast was not provided. Improving the overall Se status of breeder pullets in the early stages may help maintain adequate tissue Se concentrations during egg production.

Maternal supplementation of Se yeast and Vit.E increased the liver and breast Se concentration (P<0.05) of newly hatched chicks compared to the chicks originating from hens not receiving dietary Se. At 7d of age, Se yeast supplementation in either the chick or maternal diet increased breast and liver Se concentrations (P<0.01). At 14d of age, breast and liver Se concentrations remained the highest for chicks supplemented with Se yeast (P<0.01), however there was no effect of maternal Se supplementation. Vitamin E supplementation in either the chick or maternal diets did not affect the liver Vit.E concentrations of chicks at 7 or 14d of age.

Supplementing broiler diets with Se yeast and Vit.E improved the meat quality characteristics of raw and marinated breast fillets. The Se …

Influence Of Dietary Selenium Supplementation Form On Hepatic Transcriptome Profiles Of Maturing Beef Heifers, Zhi Zhang

Theses and Dissertations--Animal and Food Sciences

Our objective was to know how the hepatic transcriptome expression of growing beef (Angus-cross) heifers (0.5 kg gain/day) was affected by the feeding of different sources of dietary (3 mg/day) Se supplements: inorganic Se (ISe, sodium selenite), organic (OSe, Sel-Plex®), or a blend (1.5 mg:1.5 mg) of ISe:OSe (Mix), compared to the adequate but non-Se supplemented “Control”. The biopsied hepatic tissues of these four groups heifers collected at day 168 (when liver Se assimilation had stabilized) after supplements of Se, was subjected to the microarray analysis to assess Se treatment effects.

The results suggest that there were clear differences in …

Effect Of Nutrition Merchandising And Consumer Preferences On Willingness To Pay For Local Tomatoes And Strawberries In Kentucky And Ohio, Lyudmyla Kompaniyets

Theses and Dissertations--Agricultural Economics

This project investigates the impacts of nutrition merchandising on consumers’ willingness to pay for local tomatoes and strawberries. The data come from survey of Kentucky and Ohio residents in June 2011. Two thousand one hundred twelve individuals from Kentucky and Ohio were surveyed, to find out the impact of selfawareness of health benefits and health benefits information on their willingness to pay. The consumers were offered one of the three survey versions. The versions varied by how much nutrition information was provided to the consumer related to both strawberries and tomatoes – otherwise identical. A had the most, B had …

Prescribed Grazing On Pasturelands, Lynn E. Sollenberger, Carmen T. Agouridis, Eric S. Vanzant, Alan J. Franzluebbers, Lloyd B. Owens

Biosystems and Agricultural Engineering Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Sterol Lipid Metabolism In Down Syndrome Revisited: Down Syndrome Is Associated With A Selective Reduction In Serum Brassicasterol Levels, Gavin Tansley, Daniel T. Holmes, Dieter Lütjohann, Elizabeth Head, Cheryl L. Wellington

Pharmacology and Nutritional Sciences Faculty Publications

Over the past 15 years, insights into sterol metabolism have improved our understanding of the relationship between lipids and common conditions such as atherosclerosis and Alzheimer's Disease (AD). A better understanding of sterol lipid metabolism in individuals with Down Syndrome (DS) may help elucidate how this population's unique metabolic characteristics influence their risks for atherosclerosis and AD. To revisit the question of whether sterol lipid parameters may be altered in DS subjects, we performed a pilot study to assess traditional serum sterol lipids and lipoproteins, as well as markers of sterol biosynthesis, metabolites, and plant sterols in 20 subjects with …

Aging And Down Syndrome, Elizabeth Head, Wayne Silverman, David Patterson, Ira T. Lott

Pharmacology and Nutritional Sciences Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Adolescent Pregnancy, Donald E. Greydanus, Marlene B. Huff, Hatim A. Omar

Pediatrics Faculty Publications

More than 14 million adolescents in the world annually give birth, and nearly 800,000 adolescents in the United States become pregnant each year. This chapter considers concepts of teen pregnancy including risks to the mother as well as offspring, the adolescent father, issues related to abortion, and concepts of prevention of unwanted pregnancy in youth. Adolescent pregnancy is global phenomenon affecting all societies and cultures.

Menstrual Disorders In The Adolescent Female, Donald E. Greydanus, Shawn Sorrel, Hatim A. Omar

Pediatrics Faculty Publications

This chapter reviews basic concepts of menstrual disorders in adolescents beginning with an overview of menstrual physiology followed by consideration of various abnormal menstrual patterns: amenorrhea (primary and secondary), dysfunctional uterine bleeding, dysmenorrhea (primary and secondary), and premenstrual syndrome.

Pregnancy In Adolescence, Donald E. Greydanus, Marlene B. Huff, Hatim A. Omar, Colleen B. Dodich

Pediatrics Faculty Publications

Over 14 million adolescents in the world annually give birth and nearly 800.000 adolescents in the United States become pregnant each year. This paper considers concepts of teen pregnancy including risks to the mother as well as offspring, the adolescent father, issues related to abortion, and concepts of prevention of unwanted pregnancy in youth. Adolescent pregnancy is a global phenomenon affecting all societies and cultures.

Adolescent Female Menstrual Disorders, Donald E. Greydanus, Shawn Sorrel, Hatim A. Omar, Colleen B. Dodich

Pediatrics Faculty Publications

This paper reviews basic concepts of menstrual disorders in adolescents beginning with an overview of menstrual physiology followed by consideration of various abnormal menstrual patterns: amenorrhea (primary and secondary), dysfunctional uterine bleeding, dysmenorrhea (primary and secondary), and premenstrual syndrome.

Factors Influencing Acceptance Of A Worksite Wellness Program In A Major Urban Healthcare System - A Cross-Sectional Analysis, Deborah A. Ballard

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

Abstract

Adults spend a significant portion of their lives at their workplace. Thus the workplace provides an important venue for public health interventions aimed at prevention and wellness. Best practices for workplace wellness programs are continually being refined. Ironically, health care workers are often less healthy than other professionals and face significant barriers to participating in workplace wellness programs. This paper analyzes the experience of a large urban health care system as it instituted a workplace wellness program and offers recommendations to increase participation in healthcare workplace wellness program and create an overall healthier work environment for healthcare workers.

Factors …

Factors Related To Sibling Involvement In Early Childhood Intervention, Julie Harp Rutland

Theses and Dissertations--Early Childhood, Special Education, and Counselor Education

Professionals in early intervention have little information about the levels of sibling involvement in intervention, factors that contribute to sibling involvement, or how sibling involvement is related to families’ perceptions of self-efficacy. Few studies have investigated siblings in early intervention, and none have focused on relationships between sibling involvement in early intervention and parent self-efficacy. Using quantitative survey research this study investigated factors related to sibling involvement in early intervention strategies. Respondents completing the survey consisted of 129 parents who had a child enrolled in Michigan’s early intervention program, and at least one sibling in the home. Results indicated a …

The Effects Of Slow Release Urea On Nitrogen Metabolism In Cattle, Vaughn B. Holder

Theses and Dissertations--Animal and Food Sciences

The objective of this research was to investigate the effects of slow release urea on N metabolism in cattle. The ruminal behavior of Optigen®II and the effect of basal diet on the in situ degradability of urea and Optigen®II were evaluated. The effect of slow release urea and its interaction with degradable intake protein (DIP) level in the diet on N retention and excretion was evaluated utilizing 8 Holstein steers in a 4 x 4 Latin square experiment. In addition, the effect of slow release urea and DIP level on ruminal and systemic urea kinetics was evaluated using stable isotope …

The Influence Of Selenium Status On Immune Function And Antioxidant Status In The Horse, Mieke Brummer

Theses and Dissertations--Animal and Food Sciences

Selenium (Se) has received a lot of attention for its antioxidant and immune modulating properties. Yet, comparably few studies have focused on the horse. Therefore the objectives of this research were to evaluate the influences of Se status on immune function and antioxidant defense in horses. Twenty eight horses were allocated to one of 4 dietary Se treatments: low (LS), adequate (AS), high organic (SP) and high inorganic (SS). First, horses assigned to LS, SP and SS were depleted of Se and received a low Se diet (0.07 ppm Se) for 35 wk, while AS received an adequate Se diet …

Validation Of Computational Fluid Dynamic Simulations Of Membrane Artificial Lungs With X-Ray Imaging, Cameron Christopher Jones

Theses and Dissertations--Biomedical Engineering

The functional performance of membrane oxygenators is directly related to the perfusion dynamics of blood flow through the fiber bundle. Non-uniform flow and design characteristics can limit gas exchange efficiency and influence susceptibility of thrombus development in the fiber membrane. Computational fluid dynamics (CFD) is a powerful tool for predicting properties of the flow field based on prescribed geometrical domains and boundary conditions. Validation of numerical results in membrane oxygenators has been predominantly based on experimental pressure measurements with little emphasis placed on confirmation of the velocity fields due to opacity of the fiber membrane and limitations of optical velocimetric …

Physical Activity, Sleep Patterns, And Health Outcomes In University Law Enforcement Officers, Nicole C. Koebke

Theses and Dissertations--Kinesiology and Health Promotion

Research indicates that law enforcement officers (LEOs) have a higher prevalence of developing coronary artery disease (CAD) compared to the general population. Sleep deprivation and physical inactivity have been found to be related to many risk factors for CAD. This cross-sectional study examined the health status and the relationship between sleep and physical activity outcomes versus CAD risk factors among 27 University LEOs. The subjects’ health behaviors, and CAD and metabolic syndrome risk factors were described using basic statistics. Accelerometer derived sleep and physical activity outcomes were correlated to measures of health to identify potential relationships. 33% of LEOs were …