Digital Commons Network^™

Effect Of Mechanical Strain On Gastric Smooth Muscle Cell Cultures In Vitro, Errol Omaar Ozdalga

Master's Theses

No abstract provided.

Vibrio Cholerae Biofilm Development On Natural And Artificial Chitin Substrates, Mahtab Shahkarami

Master's Theses

No abstract provided.

Creation Of A Hybridization Probe Specific To Chick Bone Morphogenetic Protein-6, Stephanya Freckelton

Master's Theses

No abstract provided.

Spotted Owl (Strix Occidentalis) Microsatellite Variation In California, Andrea L. Henke

Master's Theses

No abstract provided.

Embryonic Stem Cells For Development Of A Williams-Beuren Syndrome Mouse Model, Katherine Gayle Carlsmith

Master's Theses

No abstract provided.

In Situ Analysis Of Lymphoid Expression Of Murine Semaphorins 4a, 4d, 4f & 7a, Sreedevi Chalasani

Master's Theses

No abstract provided.

Sequence Analysis Of The Hro-Twist Promoter, Tara Ann Gurtler

Master's Theses

No abstract provided.

Simulation Of Low-Re Flow Over A Modified Naca 4415 Airfoil With Oscillating Camber, Vamsidhar Katam

University of Kentucky Master's Theses

Recent interest in Micro Aerial Vehicles (MAVs) and Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) have revived research on the performance of airfoils at relatively low Reynolds numbers. A common problem with low Reynolds number flow is that separation is almost inevitable without the application of some means of flow control, but understanding the nature of the separated flow is critical to designing an optimal flow control system. The current research presents results from a joint effort coupling numerical simulation and wind tunnel testing to investigate this flow regime. The primary airfoil for these studies is a modified 4415 with an adaptive actuator …

Xeric Limestone Prairies Of Eastern United States, Patrick Joseph Lawless

University of Kentucky Doctoral Dissertations

Xeric limestone prairies (XLPs) are open, nonforested communities dominatedby native, C4 perennial grasses. In eastern United States, they occur on shallow, rockycalcareous soils in various physiographic provinces from Missouri and Pennsylvaniasouth to Arkansas and Georgia. Floristic, vegetation, and physical environmental datawere collected from 18 XLPs in Kentucky and used in conjunction with data collected inother studies to provide a synthesis for XLP vegetation in eastern United States and acomparison of this vegetation type with limestone cedar glades and deep-soil barrens.XLPs occur on 33 soil series in five orders (Alfisols, Mollisols, Ultisols, Inceptisols, andVertisols) and on limestone, dolomite, and calcareous shale …

Characterization Of Pollutant Response In Teleosts With Varying Degrees Of Pollutant Sensitivity, Benjamin Frederick Brammell

University of Kentucky Doctoral Dissertations

Cytochrome P4501A (CYP1A), a xenobiotic metabolizing enzyme found in allvertebrates, is highly induced following exposure to a number of organic contaminants.Several populations of teleosts residing in highly contaminated areas have been found toexhibit resistance to the toxic effects of contaminants, a condition characterized byreduced expression of CYP1A.Within this work I demonstrated that expression of CYP1A mRNA, protein, andactivity in caged rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) was an effective biomarker ofpolychlorinated biphenyl (PCB) contamination. Furthermore, through the use of bothlaboratory and field studies, I demonstrated that several species inhabiting a PCBcontaminated site exhibited either acquired (Ameiurus natalis) or natural (Lepomiscyanellus) resistance to …

Insights Into Enzymatic Manipulations Of Nucleic Acids, Rashada Corine Alexander

University of Kentucky Doctoral Dissertations

This dissertation details three studies dealing with the manipulation of nucleicacids. In the first investigation, each of the four natural nucleobases were analyzed for theability to serve as a universal template at the ligation junction of a T4 DNA ligasereaction. This resulted in the first instance of sequence-independent ligation catalyzed byany DNA ligase. Although all of the nucleobases display universal templatingcapabilities, thymidine and guanosine provided the most effective results. In addition,lowered MgCl2 and ATP concentrations, as well as the inclusion of DMSO, also aided inthe sequence-independent ligation reported here. In the course of these studies, currentmethods of removing urea from …

Arr Genes From Arsenate-Reducing Low G+C Gram Positive Bacteria Bacillus Selenitireducens Strain Mls10 And Clostridium Sp. Strain Ohilas, Mrunalini Ranganathan

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The gene encoding the small subunit of the respiratory arsenate reductase (arrB) from the haloalkaliphilic low G+C Gram positive bacterium Bacillus selenitireducens strain MLS-10 was amplified by PCR, cloned and sequenced. The amplicon was larger (~ 1.2 kb) than predicted indicating that the degenerate reverse primer hybridized to a region further down stream. The amplicon contained all of arrB and the 5'end of another open reading frame. The arrB (693 bp) predicts a 26.3 kDa protein of 230 amino acids with a pI of 5.5 and four iron-sulfur binding domains. The protein shares a 50% identity and 66% similarity with …

Whither Color-Blind Love? A Foucauldian Discourse Analysis Of Love In Black And White, Brian A. Mcelwain

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Interracial marriage remains one of the most emotionally charged issues in the troubled racial history of the United States. Love in Black and White: The Triumph of Love over Prejudice and Taboo is Mark and Gail Mathabane's relatively popular memoir of their interracial marriage. Using this text as a means of access to the discourses surrounding interracial marriage in the post-Civil Rights era, this study applies the key Foucauldian concepts of discourse, power, subjectivity, and critique to an interpretation of this text in relation to its sociohistorical context. Color-Blind Love emerges as the dominant discourse of the memoir and this …

Effects Of Weight Loss On Visceral Adiposity And Metabolic Adaptations In Diabetic Versus Non-Diabetic Women, Elizabeth C. Konz

University of Kentucky Doctoral Dissertations

Obesity increases the risk for the development of cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes and other co-morbid conditions. Type 2 diabetes also is often associated with excessive visceral abdominal fat. Weight loss in obese individuals decreases the risk for developing the co-morbid conditions. Individuals with type 2 diabetes often have a greater difficulty in controlling these complications compared to individuals without type 2 diabetes. The purpose of this study was to evaluate adherence to a medically-supervised low-energy diet (LED) weight loss program and changes in body composition and metabolic parameters after weight loss in women with and without type 2 diabetes. …

Biosynthesis Of Trans-2-Hexenal In Response To Wounding In Strawberry Fruit And Interaction Of Trans-2-Hexenal With Botrytis Cinerea, Kyung Myung

University of Kentucky Doctoral Dissertations

Intact strawberry fruit did not produce detectable t-2-H which is derived from -linolenic acid (18:3). However, in response to wounding by gentle bruising, strawberry fruit emitted t-2-H with the largest quantity produced within 10 min following injury. The level of total lipid 18:3 in the fruit increased two-fold in response to wounding whereas free 18:3 declined slightly (about 30%). At 10 min following wounding, fruit exhibited a 25% increase in 13-lipoxygenase (LOX) activity, which leads to the production of 13-hydroperoxyoctadecatrienoic acid (13-HPOT) from 18:3. The activity of hydroperoxide lyase (HPL), which catalyzes formation of cis-3-hexenal (c-3-H), the precursor of t-2-H, …

His Story/Her Story: A Dialogue About Including Men And Masculinities In The Women’S Studies Curriculum, B. Berila, J. Keller, C. Krone, Jason A. Laker, O. Mayers

Faculty Publications

The article discusses the issue of inclusion of men and masculinities in the Women's Studies curriculum. Women's Studies programs were started to compensate for the male domination in the academics. Women's Studies presented a platform where scholarship for women was produced and taken seriously, female students and faculty could find their say or voice, and theoretical investigations required for the advancement of the aims of the women's movement could take place. If the academy as a whole does not sufficiently integrate Women's Studies into the curriculum, integrating Men's Studies into Women's Studies might end up further marginalizing Women's Studies by …

Neotrusteeship In Iraq, Tim Melvin

Human Rights & Human Welfare

This section deals with literature that examines the role and effectiveness of the Coalition Provisional Authority (CPA) in administering Iraq from 2003 till 2004. Foreign rule plays an important role in developing failed state’s infrastructure and institutions. By examining critical elements of the CPA’s administration, this section focuses on the overall success and failures of the CPA administrative capacity, and what this means for the future of Iraq’s new government. Since the cessation of the CPA, the Iraqi government has had its ups and downs and is still heavily reliant on the American presence. But some positive elements have been …

Accumulation Of Retinol In The Liver After Prolonged Hyporetinolemia In The Vitamin A-Sufficient Rat, Sin Gieng, Jens Raila, Francisco Rosales

Faculty Publications

We assessed the effects of prolonged reduction of plasma retinol concentrations (hyporetinolemia) on the distribution of tissue vitamin A (VA) and of its active compounds using a model of continuous recombinant human interleukin-6 (rhIL-6) infusion via osmotic minipumps in VA-sufficient male rats. Plasma retinol and retinol-binding protein (RBP) concentrations remained decreased and lower in rhIL-6-treated rats compared with controls from 7.5 h throughout 7 days of infusion (P < 0.001). This reduction was accompanied by a 68% increase in hepatic retinol concentration by 7 days (P < 0.05). Hepatic and renal retinyl palmitate and retinoic acid concentrations did not change, and renal megalin content remained unchanged; hepatic RBP concentrations were 41% lower in rhIL-6-treated rats compared with controls (P < 0.05). These results indicate that instead of being lost, retinol accumulated in the liver during inflammation and that hyporetinolemia was attributable to a decrease in the availability of hepatic RBP. A plausible consequence of the effect of rhIL-6-induced hyporetinolemia is that by 7 days tissues that are dependent on plasma retinol may become deprived of VA.These results have important implications in understanding the mechanism by which measles infection induces hyporetinolemia and VA deficiency of extrahepatic tissues.

Little Sisters: An Exploration Of Agency, Cultural Borderlands, And Institutional Constraints In The Lives Of Two Teenage Girls, Rosemary C. Henze

Faculty Publications

Part of a special issue on challenging corporate control of schools and communities. The writer discusses her experience with the Big Brothers and Big Sisters organization in Oakland, California, of mentoring two teenage girls who live in poverty and encounter crises and hardship almost daily. She examines the concepts of agency and social and cultural borderlands to help explain the divergent school performances of the two girls and investigates the concepts' utility in the pursuit of social justice for young women. She conducts her exploration within the broader context of dynamic change.

Sexual Identity Concerns For Christian Young Adults: Practical Considerations For Being A Supportive Presence And Compassionate Companion, Lisa Graham Mcminn

Faculty Publications - Department of Sociology

Most sexual identity development models disregard the importance of valuative frameworks and faith for young adults with same sex attraction. This article is a theoretical and pastoral attempt to outline practical considerations for Christian professors, staff, and laity who seek a new role, that of compassionate companion, or a supportive presence for Christian young adults with same sex attraction. Observations and recommendations are based on 11 years of teaching and mentoring college students, sexual identity development research, and a theological concept of our human will-to-relate.

Towards Conservation Of Submerged Lands: The Law And Policy Of Conservation Leasing And Ownership, The Nature Conservancy, Roger Williams University School Of Law

Marine Affairs Institute Staff Publications

No abstract provided.

Vaccine-Associated Feline Sarcoma (Vafs) With Multiple Recurrences In A Turkish Van Cat, Yilmaz Aydin, Babür Bi̇li̇r

Turkish Journal of Veterinary & Animal Sciences

Vaccine-associated feline sarcoma (VAFS) with multiple recurrences was diagnosed in the specimens at the injection site of a Turkish Van cat that had been vaccinated four months previously. The original tumor consisted of two compartments each 2.5 cm and 3.5 cm in diameter. It recurred five times following surgery and local recurrences necessitated five more radical resections within two years. Euthanasia was performed when pleural effusion developed, but evidence of metastatic disease was not observed. This article reports the first case of a vaccine-associated feline sarcoma in a Turkish Van cat clinically diagnosed as prominent evidence of postvaccinal sarcoma from …

Spontaneous Alternating Behavior In Paramecium Caudatum And Paramecium Multimicronucleatum, Nyron K. A. Bovell

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations (1964–2006)

Spontaneous alternating behavior (SAB) describes the tendency of an organism to spontaneously select the unfamiliar direction in a two choice situation. Paramecium is the only microscopic genus in which SAB has been studied. The two earlier studies regarding SAB in Paramecium have come to conclusive, but diametrically opposed results. Designing a single new experiment that incorporates the critical differences in the designs of both studies may help to clarify the results from these earlier studies, and provide an excellent opportunity to better understand the factors that influence SAB.

The overall objective of this research project was to determine whether or …

Mesoscale Circulation In The Black Sea : A Study Combining Numerical Modelling And Observations, Cecilia Elizabeth Enriquez Ortiz

School of Geography, Earth and Environmental Sciences Theses

Mesoscale dynamics play a major role in the general circulation throughout the ocean. Mesoscale eddies promote the exchange of material and physical properties between different areas of the ocean such as continental shelves and the deep seas. Despite the increasing number of studies on mesoscale processes, there are further important questions unanswered concerning the origin and evolution of eddies, the mechanisms enhancing mesoscale activity and the detachment of eddies from the coast. The present research contributes to the understanding of the mesoscale circulation in the Black Sea basin by combining hydrodynamic numerical modelling with observational data analysis. Within this research: …

Medium-Term (Months To Years) Morphodynamic Modelling Of A Complex Estuarine System, Marcos Eduardo Cordeiro Bernardes

School of Geography, Earth and Environmental Sciences Theses

This contribution focuses on the medium-term (months to years) morphodynamic modelling of natural estuaries. A 2D morphodynamic model based on the Telemac system was calibrated and validated using extensive field measurements' at Teignmouth (UK). Statistical tools indicate that the model is capable of predicting the observed hydrodynamics with 'good' accuracy, given that measurement noise is removed. Despite some qualitative agreement, morphological predictions show a more limited skill; consistent with the current 'state of the art' in this area of scientific research. The typical long simulation times associated with process-based morphodynamic models are optimised through the successful implementation of an input …

A Study Of Mediterranean Bluefin Tuna (Thunnus Thynnus L.) With Reference To Stock Identification And Management Strategies, Andreina Fenech Farrugia

School of Geography, Earth and Environmental Sciences Theses

The management of bluefin tuna (Thunnus thynnus) in the north Atlantic has been based on the assumption that there are two separate stocks (an eastern Atlantic stock, including the Mediterranean Sea and a western Atlantic stock). This hypothesis has never been scientifically confirmed. This study provides evidence of unique stock characteristics of the bluefin tuna population targeted specifically in the Mediterranean and aims at showing that it is a single stock suitable for its own management regime. This has been done through the study of the biological parameters of bluefin tunas sampled in the Mediterranean, including biometric relationships, age determination, …

Determination Of Dissolved Iron Speciation In The North East Atlantic Ocean By Flow Injection Chemiluminescence, Simon Ussher

School of Geography, Earth and Environmental Sciences Theses

The knowledge of iron biogeochemistry is constrained by paucity in the understanding of its uptake, transport and the partitioning of the element between different phases, redox states and coordination sites. The work presented in this thesis describes the optimisation and evaluation of a Flow Injection Chemiluminescence (FICL) method for the shipboard determination of dissolved Fe(II) species (< 0.2 µm) in seawater. This includes results from two ship-board trials and a study of the effects of model ligands on iron redox speciation measurements in natural waters. The method was also used to determine the distribution of dissolved iron species (< 0.2 µm) in two contrasting study areas in the North East Atlantic Ocean and for a study of aerosol iron dissolution in seawater. The FI-CL method was evaluated and was found to be robust and sensitive, to have low limits o f detection (5-12 pM) and short analysis times 3 min) suitable for the high resolution spatial and temporal sampling required for shipboard analysis of Fe(II). A study of the effects of model ligands on Fe(II) determination revealed no conclusive evidence for significant interference from organic molecules on the method but Fe(III) in the presence of certain organic molecules had the potential to cause positive and negative interference in aqueous samples. Field survey results obtained for a transect between the Bay of Biscay to the coast of the Netherlands, showed enrichment of dissolved iron (0.7 - 2 nM) on the European continental shelf in March 2002. Near the shelf break, the iron enriched shelf waters were separated from low iron open ocean surface waters (0.15 - 0.4 nM) by a well-defined mixing gradient. Elevated dissolved Fe(II) concentrations (> 100 pM) were observed at the shelf break and during a solar radiation maximum in the coastal waters of the southern North Sea. These features were attributed to the dissolution of Fe(II) from anoxic sediments and photoreduction of iron from dissolved and suspended …

Modelling The Water Quality Of The Patos Lagoon, Brazil, Deborah Ann Tyrrell

School of Geography, Earth and Environmental Sciences Theses

A two-dimensional depth integrated finite element modelling suite comprising the flow model TELEN4AC-2D and the water quality model WQFLOW-2D has been calibrated to simulate the physics and chemistry of the Patos Lagoon and Estuary system in southern Brazil for the investigation of nutrients, primary production and faecal bacteria. The model has been evaluated for use as a predictive tool to aid the decision making process for the rehabilitation and management of the shallow embayment of Saco da Mangueira adjacent to the city of Rio Grande in the lower Patos Estuary. This bay is one of several shallow areas bordering the …

The Dynamics Of A Tidal Intrusion Front In A Natural Estuary: Effects On Multibeam Sonar Accuracy, Richard Holman Collingwood Thain

School of Geography, Earth and Environmental Sciences Theses

This research has utilised high-resolution measurements of density and velocity to investigate the formation of a transient tidal intrusion front in a narrow, macrotidal estuary, and model the impact of such a frontal system on the accuracy of multibeam sonar surveys. The front was found to form during spring tides, when the barotropic inflow was sufficient to arrest the buoyant outflow from the estuary. This has been shown to be driven by changes in channel width and depth, creating a hydraulic control point. These changes in topography are demonstrated to interact with the flow m a similar manner to theoretical …

Development Of A Non-Invasive Electrophysiological System For Measuring The Auditory Capability Of Marine Animals, Jonathan Murray Lovell

School of Geography, Earth and Environmental Sciences Theses

The following work describes the development and application of a neurological system to definitively profile the auditory responses of aquatic animals, presented as audiograms showing hearing threshold verses sound frequency. The accuracy of such information is essential for the optimisation of bio-technical devices such as the Acoustic Fish Deterrent (AFD) barrier deployed in the Illinois River to prevent the migration of non-indigenous Asian carp into Lake Michigan, and in the impact assessment of anthropogenic underwater sounds on the hearing of cetaceans and other marine animals. The ensuing Auditory Brainstem Response (ABR) electrophysiological recording technique developed at the University of Plymouth …