Digital Commons Network^™

Research: My Undergraduate Journey, Robin Petroze

Kaleidoscope

No abstract provided.

Reflections On Mentoring Undergraduate Research, Robin L. Cooper

Kaleidoscope

No abstract provided.

The Role Of Oxidative Stress In Alzheimer's Disease, Robin Petroze

Kaleidoscope

Over four million individuals in the United States currently suffer from Alzheimer's disease (AD), a devastating disorder of progressive dementia. Within the next several decades, AD is expected to affect over 22 million people globally. AD can only be definitively diagnosed by postmortem examination. Thus, investigation into the specific pathogenesis of neuronal degeneration and death in AD on a biochemical level is essential for both earlier diagnosis and potential treatment and prevention options. Overproduction of amyloid [3-peptide (A[3) in the brain leads to both free radical oxidative stress and toxicity to neurons in AD. My undergraduate biochemical studies with regard …

Anorexia, Bulimia, And Crayfish (Or, Why I Study The Pharmacology Of Serotonin Receptors In Glutamatergic Invertebrate Systems), Garrett Sparks

Kaleidoscope

No abstract provided.

Oswald Research And Creativity Program, Uk Office Of Undergraduate Research

Kaleidoscope

No abstract provided.

Undergraduate Awards And Honors, Uk Office Of Undergraduate Research

Kaleidoscope

No abstract provided.

Special Programs, Uk Office Of Undergraduate Research

Kaleidoscope

No abstract provided.

Cellular Trafficking Properties And Physiological Functions Of The Á1-Adrenoceptor Subtypes, Dan Chalothorn

University of Kentucky Doctoral Dissertations

The 1-adrenoceptors (1-ARs) serve as an interface between the sympathetic nervous system and the cardiovascular system where they are mediators of systemic arterial blood pressure, initiators of positive inotropy, and regulators of cellular growth responses. There are three subtypes: 1A-, 1B-, and 1D-ARs. This dissertation research investigated the trafficking properties of the 1-ARs at the cellular level as well as physiological relevance of the 1-ARs at the tissue level. In vitro studies using transiently transfected 1-AR/GFP subtypes revealed distinct basal localization patterns and different agonist-mediated activation and desensitization properties. The 1A- and the 1B-AR/GFP subtypes displayed agonist-mediated receptor redistribution, in …

Manganese Distribution Across The Blood-Brain Barrier. I. Evidence For Carrier-Mediated Influx Of Managanese Citrate As Well As Manganese And Manganese Transferrin, Janelle S. Crossgrove, David D. Allen, Bonny L. Bukaveckas, Susan S. Rhineheimer, Robert A. Yokel

Pharmaceutical Sciences Faculty Publications

Manganese (Mn) is an essential element and a neurotoxicant. Regulation of Mn movement across the blood–brain barrier (BBB) contributes to whether the brain Mn concentration is functional or toxic. In plasma, Mn associates with water, small molecular weight ligands and proteins. Mn speciation may influence the kinetics of its movement through the BBB. In the present work, the brain influx rates of ⁵⁴Mn²⁺, ⁵⁴Mn citrate and ⁵⁴Mn transferrin (⁵⁴Mn Tf) were determined using the in situ brain perfusion technique. The influx rates were compared to their predicted diffusion rates, which were determined from …

Geologic Maps And Geologic Issues In Kentucky: A Citizen's Guide, Carol Ruthven, John D. Kiefer, Stephen F. Greb, William M. Andrews Jr.

Special Publication--KGS

Citizens in all walks of life benefit from the information on geologic maps. Geologic maps are used to:

• Identify areas prone to natural hazards, such as landslides, erosion, sinkholes, and flooding
• Select locations that are suitable for tunnels, bridges, dams, and quarries
• Identify suitable sites for safe construction of homes and commercial buildings
• Select safe places for building septic systems and landfills to minimize the risk of polluting soils and groundwater
• Help farmers, landowners, and government officials locate groundwater resources and protect water quality
• Help citizens understand geologic features (such as faults, mineral deposits, and impact structures) in the landscape …

Las Culturas Del Pleistoceno Tardío En Suramérica, Tom D. Dillehay

Anthropology Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Minimum Inhibitory Concentrations Of Two Common Food Phenolic Compounds And Their Effect On The Microbial Ecology Of Swine Feces In Vitro, Jennifer I. Zaffarano

University of Kentucky Master's Theses

Feeding sub-therapeutic levels of antibiotics to livestock has been associated withdevelopment and spread of antibiotic resistant bacteria. The present experiment was conductedto investigate the effect of antibiotic alternatives (caffeic acid, chlorogenic acid, and carbadox)on the microbial ecology of swine feces in vitro.Minimum inhibitory concentrations of caffeic and chlorogenic acids were determined forseveral pathogens using macrobroth and agar dilution techniques. Gram-negative bacteria werenot inhibited. Caffeic acid inhibited four Staphylococcus aureus strains at 200 ppm or less, andtwo Clostridium perfringens strains at 300 ppm. Chlorogenic acid inhibited all S. aureus strainsat 500 ppm, and one C. perfringens strain at 400 ppm.Effects of …

The Role Of P53 In Oxidative Stress And Polyglutamine Neurotoxicity, Jay C. Dunn

University of Kentucky Doctoral Dissertations

Polyglutamine expansion disorders are progressive neurodegenerative diseasesthat are caused by the pathological expansion of polyglutamine repeats. Huntington'sdisease (HD) is a polyglutamine disorder caused by the expansion of an existingpolyglutamine tract in a novel protein, Huntingtin (Htt). Oxidative stress has beenimplicated in the neural dysfunction observed in multiple neurodegenerative conditionsincluding HD. The tumor suppressor p53 is a multifunctional protein that has roles inthe cell cycle, apoptosis and neurodevelopment. The role of p53 in HD-associatedneurodegeneration has been studied but not fully elucidated, nor has the role of p53 inoxidative stress toxicity been fully elucidated.Here I present work that demonstrates polyglutamine expansion inducedalterations …

Analysis Of Hydrodynamic Effects Of Microasperity Shapes On Thrust Bearing Surfaces, Ravinder Babu Siripuram

University of Kentucky Master's Theses

The present thesis is a comparative study of the hydrodynamic effects of a few deterministic microasperity shapes in a thrust slider application. Numerical study based on finite difference methods is used to find the trend of important tribological properties such as friction and leakage. Also, this work utilizes a distinctive and practical approach for comparison by considering constant load conditions, instead of constant film thickness, as is expected in an operating thrust bearing. The results are encouraging and clearly reveal the existence of a transition point for asperity area fraction where a reversal in trends for both the coefficient of …

Elk Calf Survival, Mortality, And Neonatal Habitat Use In Eastern Kentucky, Nathan W. Seward

University of Kentucky Master's Theses

I estimated survival, cause-specific mortality, and neonatal habitat use of elk (Cervus elaphus nelsoni) calves in eastern Kentucky. I also measured habitat characteristics of elk parturition sites and annual calf production . Radio-collared females were fitted with vaginal implant transmitters and monitored for parturition behavior to locate, capture, and radio-collar calves during the springs of 2001 and 2002. Thirty-seven adult females with implant transmitters were translocated from Logan, Utah, to Addington Wildlife Management Area (WMA) in eastern Kentucky. Additional females from previous releases during 1997 and 1998 were monitored for parturition behavior. Mean calf production for all females monitored (n=77) …

The Effect Of Visual Art On Music Listening, Jennifer Sue Shank

University of Kentucky Doctoral Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to examine the effect of visual stimuli on music listening skills in pre-service elementary teachers. Visual Stimuli in this study refers to the presentation of arts elements in selected visually projected images of paintings. Music listening skills are defined as those skills needed to identify and interpret musical excerpts. A Pretest-Posttest Control-group Design was used in this study. Subjects were pre-service elementary general educators enrolled in a large southern university (N=93). Students from intact classes were randomly placed into either the experimental group or the control group. The treatment consisted of six music listening …

Modification Of The Nucleotide Cofactor-Binding Site Of Cytochrome P450 Reductase To Enhance Turnover With Nadh In Vivo, Calvin Lee Elmore

University of Kentucky Doctoral Dissertations

NADPH-cytochrome P450 reductase is the electron transfer partner for the cytochromes P450, heme oxygenase, and squalene monooxygenase, and is a component of the nitric oxide synthases and methionine synthase reductase. P450 reductase shows very high selectivity for NADPH and uses NADH only poorly. Substitution of tryptophan 677 with alanine (W677A) has been shown by others to yield a 3-fold increase in turnover with NADH, but profound inhibition by NADP+ makes the enzyme unsuitable for in vivo applications. In the present study site-directed mutagenesis of amino acids in the 2'-phosphate-binding site of the NADPH domain, coupled with the W677A substitution, was …

Hiv And The Direct Threat Defense, Katrina Atkins, Richard Bales

Kentucky Law Journal

No abstract provided.

Identification And Characterization Of Contact Sites Between Human Chorionic Gonadotropin And Luteinizing Hormone/Choriogonadotropin Receptor, Myoungkun Jeoung

University of Kentucky Doctoral Dissertations

The luteinizing hormone receptor (LHR) belongs to the G protein-coupled receptorfamily. It consists of two distinct domains; the N-terminal extracellular exodomain and themembrane associated endodomain which includes 7 transmembrane domains, 3 exoloops, 3cytoloops and a C-terminal tail. Sequence alignment and computer modeling suggest thepresence of Leu Rich Repeat (LRR) motifs in the exodomain. Although their structuralsimilarity is high, each LRR is not equally important for hormone binding. Ala-scanning andtruncation studies performed in our laboratory suggest that LRR2 and LRR4 appear to be themost crucial. The Ala-scanning data suggest that Leu103 and Ile105 in LRR4 are important forhormone binding. However, it …

Pre-Copulatory Sexual Cannibalism In Fishing Spiders: The Ecology Of An Extreme Sexual Conflict, J. Chadwick Johnson

University of Kentucky Doctoral Dissertations

Pre-copulatory sexual cannibalism (pre-SC), or predation of a potential mate before sperm transfer, provides an ideal model system for behavioral ecology's current focus on inter-sexual conflict. Studying the North American fishing spider (Dolomedes triton), I tested three female-benefit hypotheses for pre-SC: indirect benefits, direct benefits, and aggressive spillover. First, pre-SC may reflect a mating bias providing females with 'good-genes' benefits. By manipulating each female's options with regard to the most cited phenotypic advantage in male spiders, body size, I show that while females exhibit no bias in their attack tendency on males of different body sizes, large males mate significantly …

Origins Of Isoprenoid Diversity: A Study Of Structure-Function Relationships In Sesquiterpene Synthases, Bryan T. Greenhagen

University of Kentucky Doctoral Dissertations

Plant sesquiterpene synthases catalyze the conversion of the linear substrate farnesyl diphosphate, FPP, into a remarkable array of secondary metabolites. These secondary metabolites in turn mediate a number of important interactions between plants and their environment, such as plant-plant, plant-insect and plant-pathogen interactions. Given the relative biological importance of sesquiterpenes and their use in numerous practical applications, the current thesis was directed towards developing a better understanding of the mechanisms employed by sesquiterpene synthases in the biosynthesis of such a diverse class of compounds. Substrate preference for sesquiterpene synthases initially isolated from Nicotiana tabacum (TEAS), Hyoscyamus muticus (HPS) and Artemisia …

Cis- And Trans-Activation Of Hormone Receptors: The Lh Receptor, Changwoo Lee

University of Kentucky Doctoral Dissertations

The Luteinizing hormone receptor (LHR) belongs to the G protein-coupled receptor family, asdo the other glycoprotein hormone receptors for FSH, TSH, and CG. The LHR comprises twohalves of ~350 amino acids: an extracellular hormone binding exodomain and a seventransmembrane-spanning endodomain responsible for signal generation. Hormone binds to theexodomain with high affinity, and the resulting conformational changes in thehormone/exodomain complex modulate the endodomain to generate hormone signals. Hormonebinding to an LHR produces hormonal signals (cis-activation), but it is not known whether aliganded LHR could activate other unoccupied LHRs (trans-activation). The LHR activates bothadenylyl cyclase and phospholipase C??. This dissertation shows that …

Comparative Gene Mapping For Equus Przewalskii And E. Hemionus Onager With Investigation Of A Homologous Chromosome Polymorphism In Equidae, Jennifer Leigh Myka

University of Kentucky Doctoral Dissertations

The ten extant species in the genus Equus are separated by less than 3.7 million years of evolution. Three lines of investigation were pursued to further characterize equid genome organization. 1.) The Przewalski.s wild horse (E. przewalskii, EPR) has a diploid chromosome number of 2n=66, while the domestic horse (E. caballus, ECA) has 2n=64. A comparative gene map for E. przewalskii was constructed using 46 bacterial artificial chromosome (BAC) probes previously mapped to 38 of 44 E. caballus chromosome arms and ECAX. BAC clones were hybridized to metaphase spreads of E. przewalskii and localized by fluorescent in situ hybridization (FISH). …

Coevolution And Genetic Diversity In Grass-Endophyte Symbioses, Kelly D. Craven

University of Kentucky Doctoral Dissertations

Symbioses between cool-season grasses (Subfamily Pooideae) and endophytic fungi in the genera Epichlo and Neotyphodium straddle a continuum of interactions from antagonistic to highly mutualistic. Although these two genera of endophytes are closely related, Neotyphodium endophytes are strictly seed-transmitted and provide many physiological and defensive benefits to their hosts, while Epichlo spp. have an obligately sexual contagious stage wherein host inflorescences are replaced by fungal sexual structures (stromata), effectively sterilizing the plant. Between these two extremes of interactions are Epichlo spp. with a mixed strategy, where some grass tillers are sterilized while others develop normally and yield healthy endophyte-infected seeds. …

Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging Study Of Pain And Emotion, Claude Ervin Davis

University of Kentucky Doctoral Dissertations

Neuroscience research has followed two fairly distinct paths in investigating central neural mechanisms of pain and emotion. Rarely have studies been conducted which intentionally combined painful and emotional stimulation while observing brain function. Theories of emotion and pain processing predict an interaction between pain and emotion such that emotional states may serve to both increase or decrease pain. This increase or decrease may also correspond to different effects on different dimensions of the overall pain experience as defined in pain neuromatrix theory. Theories of emotion begin with emotions as interpretations of bodily states, to more contemporary theories focusing on the …

Traits Underlying Invasiveness: A Comparison Of Widespread And Endemic Species In The Genus Gambusia (Poeciliidae), Jennifer Schopf Rehage

University of Kentucky Doctoral Dissertations

Due to the irreversible nature of biological invasions, prediction has been a key area of emphasis in invasion biology. Specifically, the degree to which species-specific traits may help us predict invasion success is a core issue in the field. My research examined a series of traits and asked whether they were good predictors of invasion success, particularly establishment success. I compared traits among four species of the poeciliid fish Gambusia, two of them highly invasive (G. affinis and G. holbrooki) and two of them non-invasive (G. hispaniolae and G. geiseri).I examined abiotic tolerances, feeding behavior, behavioral responses to novel predation …

Synthases, Joseph Chappell, Kathleen R. Manna, Joseph P. Noel, Courtney M. Starks

Pharmaceutical Sciences Faculty Patents

Novel synthases and the corresponding nucleic acids encoding such synthases are disclosed herein. Such synthases possess an active site pocket that includes key amino acid residues that are modified to generate desired terpenoid reaction intermediates and products. Synthase modifications are designed based on, e.g., the three-dimensional coordinates of tobacco 5-epi-aristolochene synthase with or without a substrate bound in the active site.

Plasma Pge-2 Levels And Altered Cytokine Profiles In Adherent Peripheral Blood Mononuclear Cells In Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer (Nsclc), Giovanna E. Hidalgo, Li Zhong, Dennis E. Doherty, Edward A. Hirschowitz

Internal Medicine Faculty Publications

INTRODUCTION: PGE-2 is constitutively produced by many non-small cell lung cancers (NSCLC) and its immunosuppressive effects have been linked to altered immune responses in lung cancer. We asked whether elevated levels of plasma PGE-2 correlated with monocyte IL10 production in the NSCLC environment. Looking for correlation in NSCLC patient blood we assayed plasma from NSCLC patients for PGE2 and IL10; we further evaluated production of IL10 by adherent mononuclear cells from a subset of these patients looking for an altered cytokine profile.

RESULTS: Our initial in vitro experiments show that monocyte IL10 induction correlates with tumor cell PGE-2 production, confirming …

The Translational Regulation Of Lipoprotein Lipase By Epinephrine Involves An Rna Binding Complex Including The Catalytic Subunit Of Protein Kinase A, Gouri Ranganathan, Dan Phan, Irina D. Pokrovskaya, Joan E. Mcewen, Chunling Li, Philip A. Kern

Clinical and Translational Science Faculty Publications

The balance of lipid flux in adipocytes is controlled by the opposing actions of lipolysis and lipogenesis, which are controlled primarily by hormone-sensitive lipase and lipoprotein lipase (LPL), respectively. Catecholamines stimulate adipocyte lipolysis through reversible phosphorylation of hormone-sensitive lipase, and simultaneously inhibit LPL activity. However, LPL regulation is complex and previous studies have described translational regulation of LPL in response to catecholamines because of an RNA-binding protein that interacts with the 3′-untranslated region of LPL mRNA. In this study, we identified several protein components of an LPL RNA binding complex. Using an LPL RNA affinity column, we identified two of …

Gag Proteins Of The Two Drosophila Telomeric Retrotransposons Are Targeted To Chromosome Ends, Svetlana Rashkova, Sarah E. Karam, Rebecca Kellum, Mary-Lou Pardue

Biology Faculty Publications

Drosophila telomeres are formed by two non-LTR retrotransposons, HeT-A and TART, which transpose only to chromosome ends. Successive transpositions of these telomeric elements yield arrays that are functionally equivalent to the arrays generated by telomerase in other organisms. In contrast, other Drosophila non-LTR retrotransposons transpose widely through gene-rich regions, but not to ends. The two telomeric elements encode very similar Gag proteins, suggesting that Gag may be involved in their unique targeting to chromosome ends. To test the intrinsic potential of these Gag proteins for targeting, we tagged the coding sequences with sequence of GFP and expressed the constructs …