Digital Commons Network^™

Learning Semantic Features For Visual Recognition, Jingen Liu

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Visual recognition (e.g., object, scene and action recognition) is an active area of research in computer vision due to its increasing number of real-world applications such as video (image) indexing and search, intelligent surveillance, human-machine interaction, robot navigation, etc. Effective modeling of the objects, scenes and actions is critical for visual recognition. Recently, bag of visual words (BoVW) representation, in which the image patches or video cuboids are quantized into visual words (i.e., mid-level features) based on their appearance similarity using clustering, has been widely and successfully explored. The advantages of this representation are: no explicit detection of objects or …

New Computational Approaches For Multiple Rna Alignment And Rna Search, Daniel Deblasio

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

In this thesis we explore the the theory and history behind RNA alignment. Normal sequence alignments as studied by computer scientists can be completed in O(n2) time in the naive case. The process involves taking two input sequences and finding the list of edits that can transform one sequence into the other. This process is applied to biology in many forms, such as the creation of multiple alignments and the search of genomic sequences. When you take into account the RNA sequence structure the problem becomes even harder. Multiple RNA structure alignment is particularly challenging because covarying mutations make sequence …

Vortex Model Of Open Channel Flows With Gravel Beds, Brian James Belcher

University of Kentucky Doctoral Dissertations

Turbulent structures are known to be important physical processes in gravel-bed rivers. A number of limitations exist that prohibit the advancement and prediction of turbulence structures for optimization of civil infrastructure, biological habitats and sediment transport in gravel-bed rivers. This includes measurement limitations that prohibit characterization of size and strength of turbulent structures in the riverine environment for different case studies as well as traditional numerical modeling limitations that prohibit modeling and prediction of turbulent structure for heterogeneous beds under high Reynolds number flows using the Navier-Stokes equations. While these limitations exist, researchers have developed various theories for the structure …

The Role Of The Hip Abductor Muscle Complex In The Function Of The Pathological Hip Joint, Maureen Kelly Dwyer

University of Kentucky Doctoral Dissertations

The number of patients electing to undergo total hip arthroplasty (THA) in the United States has been projected to double by the year 2030, with a growing number of these patients below the age of 65 years. This cohort of patients not only desires to return to pain free daily activity, but wishes to participate in recreation and sporting activities. However, many of these patients report pain, impairments, and functional limitations following THA. The number one deficit observed for patients who fail conventional post-operative rehabilitation is persistent weakness of the hip abductor muscles. In order to safely progress these patients …

Investigations Of S-Glutathionylation Of Brain Proteins In The Progression Of Alzheimer's Disease And Of A Potential Glutatione Mimetic As A Treatment Of Alzheimer's Disease, Shelley Faye Newman

University of Kentucky Doctoral Dissertations

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is a neurodegenerative disorder characterized by neurofibrillary tangles, senile plaques and loss of synapses. Many studies support the notion that oxidative stress plays an important role in AD pathogenesis. Previous studies from our laboratory employed redox proteomics to identify oxidatively modified proteins in the AD inferior parietal lobule (IPL). The proteins were consistent with AD pathology and have been central to further investigations of the disease. The present study was focused on the identification of specific targets of protein S-glutathionylation in AD, early AD (EAD), and mild cognative impairment (MCI) using a redox proteomics approach. In AD …

Lipid-Based Paclitaxel And Doxorubicin Nanoparticles To Overcome P-Gp-Mediated Drug Resistance In Solid Tumors, Xiaowei Dong

University of Kentucky Doctoral Dissertations

Multidrug resistance (MDR) is a major obstacle limiting chemotherapeutic efficacy. The purpose of these studies was to investigate the potential application of injectable paclitaxel (PX) and doxorubicin (Dox)-loaded nanoparticles (NPs) engineered from oil-in-water microemulsion precursors for overcoming P-glycoprotein (P-gp)- mediated drug resistance in solid tumors.

An in-vitro study was performed to test whether the oil (stearyl alcohol and cetyl alcohol) used to make lipid nanoparticles could be metabolized. The results showed that the concentrations of the fatty alcohols within nanoparticles, which were quantitatively determined over time by gas chromatography, decreased to only 10-20% of the initial concentration after 15-24 h …

Studies On The Role Of Acid Sphingomyelinase And Ceramide In The Regulation Of Tace Activity And Tnfα Secretion By Macrophages, Krasimira Rozenova

University of Kentucky Doctoral Dissertations

Acid Sphingomyelinase (ASMase) activity has been proposed to mediate LPS signaling in various cell types. This study shows that in macrophages, ASMase is a negative regulator of LPS-induced TNFα secretion. ASMasedeficient (asm^-/-) mice and isolated peritoneal macrophages produce several fold more TNFα than their wild-type (asm^+/+) counterparts when stimulated with LPS. The mechanism for these differences however is not transcriptional but post-translational.

The TNFα converting enzyme (TACE) catalyzes the maturation of the 26kD precursor (proTNFα) to the active 17kD form (sTNFα). In mouse peritoneal macrophages, the activity of TACE rather than the rate of TNFα mRNA …

Synthesis And Evaluation Of Prouteolysis Taurgeting Chimeras (Protacs): A Potential Chemical Genetic Approach To Breast Cancer Therapy, Kedra C. Cyrus

University of Kentucky Doctoral Dissertations

The use of small molecules to probe the function of proteins is referred to as chemical genetics. The Proteolysis Targeting Chimera (PROTAC) is a chemical genetic tool that contains the ligand for a target protein of interest and the recognition motif for an E3 ubiquitin ligase attached by a linker. The PROTAC is capable of binding to and recruiting specific target proteins to the intracellular degradation system, the ubiquitin proteasome system (UPS). While the approach has had success it has not been optimized to be used on a broader scale.

Optimization efforts focused on elucidating the ideal linker length between …

The Social Construction Of Client Participation: The Evolution And Transformation Of The Role Of Service Recipients In Child Welfare And Mental Disabilities, Terry Mizrahi, Mayra Humphreys-Lopez, Denise Torres

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

This article presents a comparative analysis of client participation (CP) in child welfare and mental health and mental retardation systems. It identifies three rationales for client participation (philosophical, pragmatic, and political), along with the limitations surrounding each rationale. It uses social construction theory to examine the historical and ideological underpinnings of organized, institutionally-sanctioned client involvement inside and outside government. In order to enhance the capacity of clients to influence service and benefit systems, their role must evolve through the mutual efforts of government-strengthening client participation policies and independent organizing from the bottom up through community development and advocacy programs.

At The End Of The Clinical Trial: Does Access To Investigational Technology End As Well?, Richard S. Saver

Western New England Law Review

No abstract provided.

Environmental Law/Administrative Law--United States V. Rapanos: Justice Stevens's Suggestion May Not Be The Yellow Brick Road, But It Is The Best Pathway To Oz, Kristen M. Sopet

Western New England Law Review

No abstract provided.

Opening The Door To "Hard-Look" Review Of Agency Preemption, Karen A. Jordan

Western New England Law Review

No abstract provided.

Bridging The Gap Between Real World Polar Science And The Classroom, William Robertson, Vanessa Lougheed, Craig Tweedie, Aaron Velasco, Claudia Garcia

Departmental Papers (TE)

The International Polar Year - Research and Educational Opportunities in Antarctica for Minorities (IPY-ROAM) program was designed to increase minority participation in polar science by immersing participants in an academic program that included a trip to Antarctica. The IPY-ROAM program was focused on increasing the public understanding of the Polar Regions and stimulating a new interest in polar science. This effort was coordinated by faculty from the University of Texas at El Paso (UTEP) and was implemented to positively contribute to the intense, internationally coordinated IPY scientific campaign. Through a grant from the National Science Foundation (NSF), a team of …

International Human Rights Law, Co-Parent Adoption, And The Recognition Of Gay And Lesbian Families, Elizabeth Burleson

Elisabeth Haub School of Law Faculty Publications

Children would benefit substantially if governments legally recognized same sex marriages and parenting. This article analyzes international human rights law, co-parent adoption, and the legal recognition of gay and lesbian families. It addresses civil marriage and adoption challenges for same sex families and assesses European Court of Human Rights jurisprudence relating to same-sex adoption. This Article considers the international community's efforts to implement the best interest of the child standard concluding that recognition of same sex families is in the best interest of the child and should be facilitated in a timely manner by jurisdictions at all levels.

Feeding Climate Change: Federal Food Procurement And Its Effects On Global Warming, Amanda Hungerford

Sabin Center for Climate Change Law

This paper examines the technical aspects and policy implications of each of four strategies to effectuate environmentally conscious policies in the federal government's food procurement procedures: a litigation strategy, a rulemaking strategy, a NEPA strategy, and a legislative strategy.

"Free Seeds, Not Free Beer": Participatory Plant Breeding, Opensource Seeds, And Acknowledging User Innovation In Agriculture, Keith Aoki

Fordham Law Review

No abstract provided.

The Mismatch Between Probable Cause And Partial Matching, Natalie Ram

All Faculty Scholarship

No abstract provided.

Balancing The Interests Of Researchers And Donors In The Commercial Scientific Research Marketplace, Meghan M. Overgaard

Brooklyn Law Review

No abstract provided.

The Natural Logic Of Morals And Laws, Ray Jackendoff

Brooklyn Law Review

No abstract provided.

The Natures Of Universal Moralities, Bailey Kuklin

Brooklyn Law Review

No abstract provided.

Judging Gina: Does The Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act Of 2008 Offer Adequate Protection?, Joanne Barken

Brooklyn Law Review

No abstract provided.

On Restating Products Liability Preemption, Mary J. Davis

Brooklyn Law Review

No abstract provided.

Territorial Claims In The Domain Of Accidental Harm: Conflicting Conceptions Of Tort Preemption, Robert L. Rabin

Brooklyn Law Review

No abstract provided.

This Is Your Products Liability Restatement On Drugs, Lars Noah

Brooklyn Law Review

No abstract provided.

2009 Aasu Volleyball Guide, Armstrong State University

Armstrong Athletics: Women's Volleyball Records (Archived)

No abstract provided.

William James On The Mind And Its Fringes, B. Baars

CCRG Papers

No abstract provided.

Evolutionary Pressures For Perceptual Stability And Self As Guides To Machine Consciousness, S. Franklin, S. Mello, B. Baars, U. Ramamurthy

CCRG Papers

No abstract provided.

Docetaxel And Irinotecan In Recurrent Or Metastatic Head And Neck Cancer, Athanassios Argiris, L. Buchanan, Bruce Brockstein, Jill Kolesar, Musie Ghebremichael, Michael Pins, Kristine Hahn, Rita Axelrod, Arlene Forestiere

Pharmacy Practice and Clinical Research Faculty Publications

Background:

Docetaxel and irinotecan have single-agent antitumor activity in squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck (SCCHN). The authors sought to evaluate their combination in the treatment of patients with recurrent or metastatic SCCHN.

Methods:

Eligibility criteria included recurrent or metastatic SCCHN with measurable disease, good performance status, and adequate laboratory parameters. Patients received docetaxel 35 mg/m² and irinotecan 60 mg/m², intravenously, on Days 1 and 8, every 21 days, until disease progression. The authors assessed UGT1A1 genotype, vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) in serum, and cyclooxygenase-2 and VEGF in baseline tumor tissue.

Results …

The Effects Of Buckminster Fullerenes On Mitochondrial Function, Sara Rosario

Undergraduate Honors Theses

Since the discovery of Buckminster Fullerenes (C60), this carbon nanoparticle has been the subject of intense study. C60 has been investigated in such applications as photodynamic therapy of cancer, photovoltaic cells, semiconductors, and enzyme inhibition. Despite two decades of research, the biological effects of C60 remain a mystery. The intention of this study was to examine the effects of Buckminster Fullerenes on mitochondrial function in an effort to determine the concentration of C60 as well as the time frame of exposure that causes maximum dysfunction. Thus, bovine heart mitochondria were exposed to different doses of C60 (2 -35 ppm). To …

Stat5 Regulation Of Bcl10 Parallels Constitutive Nfkappab Activation In Lymphoid Tumor Cells., Zsuzsanna S Nagy, Matthew J Lebaron, Jeremy A Ross, Abhisek Mitra, Hallgeir Rui, Robert A Kirken

Department of Cancer Biology Faculty Papers

BACKGROUND: Signal Transducer and Activator of Transcription 5 A and B (STAT5) are key survival factors in cells of the lymphoid lineage. Identification of novel, tissue-specific STAT5 regulated genes would advance the ability to combat diseases due to aberrant STAT5 signaling. In the present work a library of human STAT5 bound genomic elements was created and validated. RESULTS: Of several STAT5 responsive genomic regulatory elements identified, one was located within the first intron of the human BCL10 gene. Chromatin immuno-precipitation reactions confirmed constitutive in vivo STAT5 binding to this intronic fragment in various human lymphoid tumor cell lines. Interestingly, non-phosphorylated …