Digital Commons Network^™

Expression And Characterization Of The Bacterial Mechanosensitive Channel Mscs In Xenopus Laevis Oocytes., Elizabeth S. Haswell, Grigory Maksaev

Biology Faculty Research

We have successfully expressed and characterized mechanosensitive channel of small conductance (MscS) from Escherichia coli in oocytes of the African clawed frog, Xenopus laevis. MscS expressed in oocytes has the same single-channel conductance and voltage dependence as the channel in its native environment. Two hallmarks of MscS activity, the presence of conducting substates at high potentials and reversible adaptation to a sustained stimulus, are also exhibited by oocyte-expressed MscS. In addition to its ease of use, the oocyte system allows the user to work with relatively large patches, which could be an advantage for the visualization of membrane deformation. …

Discovering Conserved Cis-Regulatory Elements That Regulate Expression In Caenorhabditis Elegans, Nnamdi Ihuegbu

All Theses and Dissertations (ETDs)

The aim of this dissertation is two-fold:: 1) To catalog all cis-regulatory elements within the intergenic and intronic regions surrounding every gene in C.elegans: i.e. the regulome) and: 2) to determine which cis-regulatory elements are associated with expression under specific conditions. We initially use PhyloNet to predict conserved motifs with instances in about half of the protein-coding genes. This initial first step was valuable as it recovered some known elements and cis-regulatory modules. Yet the results had a lot of redundant motifs and sites, and the approach was not efficiently scalable to the entire regulome of C. elegans or other …

The Structural Basis Of Flaviviridae Interaction With Antibodies And Receptors, Vincent Luca

All Theses and Dissertations (ETDs)

Flaviviridae are a family of enveloped, positive-stranded RNA viruses responsible for a variety of diseases including encephalitis, hemorrhagic fever and hepatocellular carcinoma. The envelope: E) proteins that coat the outer surface of these viruses provide the molecular machinery that drives receptor interaction and membrane fusion. The assignment of biological functions to specific structural elements of these E proteins has proven crucial to the understanding of viral entry into host cells. Clearance is dependent upon the presence of neutralizing antibodies that are able to disrupt several stages of this process. Given their fundamental role in the viral life cycle, we sought …

Egfr Signaling Regulates Synaptic Connectivity Via Gurken, Sarah Naylor

All Theses and Dissertations (ETDs)

The synapse is the essential unit of neural function. It is critical to understand how synapses form during development, how they are maintained throughout the life of an organism, and how their structure and function are affected by neural activity. An understanding of these aspects of synapses will likely provide insight into the etiology of neurodevelopmental disorders such as autism, mental retardation or epilepsy. To identify novel regulators of synaptic development, I screened for mutants with defects in synaptic morphology and growth at the Drosophila larval neuromuscular junction: NMJ). My screen identified several mutants with defects in various aspects of …

Development Of Thymic Natural Killer Cells From Double Negative 1 Thymocyte Precursors, Claudia Vargas

All Theses and Dissertations (ETDs)

While there has been much progress in defining the specificity and function of natural killer: NK) cells, their differentiation has not been fully elucidated. Previous studies of thymocyte development in vitro indicate that double negative: CD4&minusCD8&minus, DN) thymocytes can develop into cells with NK cell markers, but these cells have not been well characterized. Moreover, a subpopulation of NK cells which requires an intact thymus, i.e, thymic NK cells, has been described with selective expression of CD127 although their origin and differentiation are also poorly understood. Herein, we generated and characterized NK cells differentiating from thymic DN precursors. We enriched …

Lean To, Allan Popa

All Theses and Dissertations (ETDs)

A collection of poems.

Dynamic Measurement Of Soluble Human Aβ In A Combined Microdialysis-Experimental Traumatic Brain Injury Mouse Model, Katherine Schwetye

All Theses and Dissertations (ETDs)

The amyloid-β peptide: Aβ) plays a central pathophysiological role in Alzheimer's disease, but little is known about its dynamics in the brain's extracellular space. A recent microdialysis-based study in human patients with severe brain injuries found that extracellular Aβ dynamics correlate with changes in neurological status. Because neurological status is generally diminished following injury, this correlation suggests that extracellular Aβ is reduced relative to baseline. However, human studies cannot assess pre-injury Aβ levels, very early post-injury Aβ levels, nor the relationship between extracellular Aβ and total tissue levels. Therefore, we developed a mouse model that combines experimental TBI with microdialysis …

This Loquacious Soil: Language And Religious Experience In Early America, Natalie Spar

All Theses and Dissertations (ETDs)

This dissertation argues that early American religious leaders and lay people developed philosophically complex linguistic theories as a result of a critically under-explored tension between text and religious experience. I investigate the inner workings of this dilemma across early American genres of religious experience--sermons, tracts, letters, diaries, ethnographies, and trials. Reading the plain style sermons of John Cotton, Thomas Shepard, and Thomas Hooker, Anne Hutchinson's trial, seventeenth-century Quaker language tracts, ethnographic and missionary texts about the seventeenth-century Native Americans, and the Great Awakening diaries edited by Jonathan Edwards I argue that while originating in an immaterial experience of the invisible …

Specific Roles Of Macaque Parietal Regions In Making Saccades And Reaches, Eric Yttri

All Theses and Dissertations (ETDs)

A principle task of our brain is to guide movements, includng saccade: fast eye movements) and reaches towards things that we see. Regions in the parietal cortex such as LIP and PRR are active during visually-guided movements. Neurons in these areas respond differentially for saccades versus reaches, but in most parietal areas there is some response: in single unit recording as well as in fMRI imaging) with either type of movement. This raises an important question. What is the functional significance of the neuronal activity in parietal areas? Recording and imaging studies can only show correlations; causal roles must be …

Wifredo Lam: Negotiating Transcultural Modernism And Artistic Identity In Europe, The Caribbean, And The United States, Maria Fierro

All Theses and Dissertations (ETDs)

No abstract provided.

Personal Cognition And The Affect Regulation Process: Affect Reactivity, Affect Regulation Ability, And Responses To Cognitive Errors., Adam Augustine

All Theses and Dissertations (ETDs)

A growing body of research examines relationships between cognitive tendencies and a number of personality and affective: i.e. emotional) traits. While several mechanisms have been suggested to explain these links, the exact reasons for the observed effects remain unclear in a number of circumstances. The current research examines the potential underlying mechanisms of observed links between cognitive error reactivity and various components of the affect regulation process; those individuals who make errors in strings on standard cognitive tasks are higher in trait negative affect, react more strongly to negative daily events, and may show deficits in self-regulation ability: Compton, Robinson, …

The Association Between Traumatic Brain Injury And Alzheimer's Disease: Mouse Models And Potential Mechanisms, Hien Tran

All Theses and Dissertations (ETDs)

Alzheimer's disease: AD) is a neurodegenerative disorder characterized pathologically by progressive neuronal loss, extracellular plaques containing the amyloid-β: Aβ) peptides, and neurofibrillary tangles: NFTs) composed of hyperphosphorylated tau proteins. Aβ is thought to act upstream of tau, affecting its phosphorylation and therefore aggregation state. One of the major risk factors for AD is traumatic brain injury: TBI). Acute intra-axonal Aβ and diffuse extracellular plaques occur in approximately 30% of human subjects following severe TBI. Intra-axonal accumulations of total and phospho-tau and less frequently NFTs have also been found in these patients. Due to the lack of an appropriate small animal …

The Role Of Schwann Cell Mitochondrial Metabolism In Schwann Cell Biology And Axonal Survival, Andreu Viader

All Theses and Dissertations (ETDs)

Mitochondrial dysfunction has emerged as a common cause of peripheral neuropathies. While the role of neuronal and axonal mitochondria in peripheral nerve disease is well appreciated, whether Schwann cell: SC) mitochondrial deficits contribute to peripheral neuropathies is unclear. Greater insight into the biology and pathology of SC mitochondrial metabolism could be relevant to the treatment of peripheral neuropathies, particularly because SCs critically support axonal stability and function as well as promote peripheral nerve regeneration. The present thesis investigates the contribution of SC mitochondrial deficits to disease progression in peripheral neuropathies as well as the gene regulatory network that drives the …

Role Of The Arf Tumor Suppressor In Osteoclasts, Crystal Winkeler

All Theses and Dissertations (ETDs)

The ARF tumor suppressor is upregulated upon oncogenic stress. ARF can suppress cell proliferation in both p53-dependent and -independent mechanisms. We have focused on ARF's ability to suppress protein synthesis in a p53-independent manner. Given that protein synthesis and the cell cycle are coordinately controlled, this arm of ARF tumor suppression also contributes to the restraint of cell proliferation. Our lab has recently shown that basal ARF suppresses protein synthesis in mitotic cells. The focus of my dissertation has been to determine whether basal ARF regulates cell growth in a post-mitotic setting. We used the osteoclast: OC) as a model …

Insecure Attachment, Self-Discrepancy, Suicidal Tendency In A Sample Of Korean And Korean-American: A Path Model Of Suicide, Joongkeun Joseph Yoo

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Suicide, an intended self-destructive behavior, has various etiological risk factors related to social, biochemical, psychological, and even political components. Due to the need of psychological investigations for the multidisciplinary assessment of suicide, the current study was designed to investigate the relationship between attachment and suicide tendency with the mediator, self-discrepancy. A path analysis was utilized in this study to evaluate for the relationship among variables in the model. For the study, the Experiences in Close Relationships Scale-Short Form (ECR-S), the Integrated Self-Discrepancy Index (ISDI), and the Positive and Negative Suicide Ideation Inventory (PANSI) were employed as assessment instruments. The sample …

Pinwheel, Marni Ludwig

All Theses and Dissertations (ETDs)

A collection of poems.

Dyssynchrony In Obese Subjects Without A History Of Cardiac Disease Using Velocity Vector Imaging, Bhaskar Purushottam Md, Anoop C. Parameswaran Md, Mph, Vincent M. Figueredo Md

Division of Cardiology Faculty Papers

Abstract

Aim: To examine the occurrence of intra-left ventricular (LV) dyssynchrony in obese versus non-obese subjects without known cardiac disease using velocity vector imaging (VVI).

Methods: One hundred ninety consecutive subjects with no known cardiac disease had their echocardiograms analyzed using VVI after excluding subjects with QRS duration >120ms or LV ejection fraction (LVEF) <55%. Study subjects were divided into two groups based on body mass index (BMI): obese (BMI >30 kg/m2) and non-obese (BMI <30 kg>/m2).

Results: The final cohort included 136 subjects (74 were obese), 32% female and mean age 55 + 16 years. Occurrence of intra LV dyssynchrony was higher in the obese compared to non-obese group.

Conclusions: There was an increased prevalence of …

Mechanisms Of Observed Neuroprotection Of Dopaminergic Neurons In Wallerian Degeneration Slow (Wlds) Mice, Jo Ann Antenor-Dorsey

All Theses and Dissertations (ETDs)

An emerging hypothesis in Parkinson's disease: PD) is that dopaminergic: DA) neurons degenerate through a "dying back" axonopathy wherein degeneration begins in the distal axon and progresses over time towards the cell body. Impaired axonal transport also appears to play an early, pivotal role in PD. Thus processes that delay axonal transport dysfunction and/or axonal degeneration might slow PD progression. Previously, we and others have found that the WldS mouse mutant: "Wallerian degeneration-slow"), which exhibits delayed axonal degeneration after peripheral axonopathy, also protects DA terminal fields from the PD-mimetics 1-methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine: MPTP) and 6-hydroxydopamine: 6-OHDA) in vivo. To understand the mechanisms …

The Economic Organization Of Early Camelid Pastoralism In The Andean Highlands Of Bolivia, José Capriles Flores

All Theses and Dissertations (ETDs)

A fundamental goal of anthropological research is to understand the reasons for and consequences of the development of specialized agricultural systems. The domestication of South American camelids: llamas and alpacas) was associated with the development of specialized pastoralist societies that are still poorly understood. In the central altiplano of Bolivia, during the Formative Period: 1800 BC − AD 400) a cultural complex known as Wankarani developed. Although Wankarani is often cited as an example of early herding society, to date, there has not been an archaeologically-oriented study, focused on understanding the characteristics of its basic economic organization. The goal of …

Myosin Vi Regulates Actin Structure Specialization Through Conserved Cargo-Binding Domain Sites, Mamiko Isaji, Marta Lenartowska, Tatsuhiko Noguchi, Deborah J. Frank, Kathryn G. Miller

Biology Faculty Research

Actin structures are often stable, remaining unchanged in organization for the lifetime of a differentiated cell. Little is known about stable actin structure formation, organization, or maintenance. During Drosophila spermatid individualization, long-lived actin cones mediate cellular remodeling. Myosin VI is necessary for building the dense meshwork at the cones' fronts. We test several ideas for myosin VI's mechanism of action using domain deletions or site-specific mutations of myosin VI. The head (motor) and globular tail (cargo-binding) domains were both needed for localization at the cone front and dense meshwork formation. Several conserved partner-binding sites in the globular tail previously identified …

Will The Use Of Less Fecund Cultivars Reduce The Invasiveness Of Perennial Plants?, Tiffany M. Knight, Kayri Havens, Pati Vitt

Biology Faculty Research

Many invasive species were originally introduced for horticultural purposes, and several continue to be profitable for the green (nursery, horticulture, and landscape) industry. Recently, some plant suppliers have marketed less fecund cultivars of several invasive species, including glossy buckthorn (Frangula alnus), burning bush (Euonymus alatus), and Japanese barberry (Berberis thunbergii), as “safe” alternatives to invasive relatives. We use published matrix population models to simulate the effect of reducing fecundity on the population growth rates of invasive species. We show that large changes in fecundity result in relatively small changes to the population growth rates of long-lived species, which suggests that …

The Role Of The Complement System In Mousepox Infection, Elizabeth Moulton

All Theses and Dissertations (ETDs)

Poxviruses subvert the host immune response by producing immunomodulatory virulence factors, including a complement regulatory protein. Ectromelia virus provides a mouse model for human smallpox infection where the virus and the host's immune response have also co-evolved. Using this model, we investigated the role of the complement system in a poxvirus infection. Ectromelia virus inoculated via multiple routes caused increased mortality by 7 to 10 days post-infection in C57BL/6 mice that lack C3, the central component of the complement cascade. In C3-/- mice, ectromelia virus disseminated earlier to target organs and generated higher peak titers compared to the congenic controls. …

The Role Of Inflammation In Pathogenesis And Treatment Of Globoid-Cell Leukodystrophy, Adarsh Reddy

All Theses and Dissertations (ETDs)

Globoid-cell leukodystrophy: GLD, Krabbe's disease) is an autosomal recessive disease caused by a deficiency of the lysosomal enzyme galactosylceramidase: GALC). It results in altered catabolism of the myelin lipid Galactosylceramide. The disease predominantly affects the white matter of the CNS and the myelin sheath of the peripheral nerves. The infantile form of the disease is characterized by early onset between 3-6 months of age with symptoms of irritability, dysphagia, spasticity, cognitive and sensory deterioration and seizures. Death usually occurs by two years of age. Currently, hematopoietic stem cell transplantation is the only available option for patients with the disease. Inflammation …

Genetic And Chemical Genetic Approaches To Shiga Toxin Inhibition, Jose Saenz

All Theses and Dissertations (ETDs)

Infection with Shiga toxin-producing bacteria can place patients at risk of developing hemolytic uremic syndrome, a toxemic condition characterized by hemolytic anemia, thrombocytopenia, and acute renal failure. Though hemolytic uremic syndrome remains the leading cause of acute renal failure in children under the age of 5, treatment of this disease remains purely supportive. In order to limit the systemic effects of Shiga toxin, efforts must be undertaken to target intoxicated cells. To this end, we have focused on two aspects of Shiga toxin pathogenesis. One approach relied on a high-throughput screen of a small compound library to identify potential inhibitors …

The Ghost Of Heracles: The Lost Hero’S Haunting Of Argonautica 2, Rachel Severynse Philbrick

University of Kentucky Master's Theses

The abandonment of Heracles at the end of Book 1 in Apollonius Rhodius’ Argonautica marks a turning point for Jason and the rest of the Argonauts. The aid of their mightiest hero, upon whose strength they had relied, is lost to them and they must find a means of accomplishing their nearly impossible mission without him. Allusions to Heracles occur throughout Book 2, in all nine units of action, drawing the reader’s attention to Argonauts’ efforts to carry on in the face of their loss. These allusions can be grouped into four categories: explicit mention, verbal echo, extrapolative allusion, and …

Waterjet Injection Of Powdered Activated Carbon For Sediment Remediation, Chris J. Redell

Masters Theses

"In situ sediment remediation through waterjet-activated carbon amendment delivery is an innovative means to mitigate the dangers posed by hydrophobic organic compounds. Ease of use and applicability to inundated environments makes this technique valuable. This work made feasible low-pressure injections of a 15% (by dry weight) carbon/water slurry through a pulsating piston pump waterjet. The project fabricated nozzle tips and a unique injection apparatus comprising a quantitative system for the evaluation of bench scale models. Based on a series of iterative processes, injections of carbon were analyzed for depth and concentration. Injections varied in duration and they were made into …

Mfa11 (Mfa 2011), Sam Fox School Of Design & Visual Arts, Mildred Lane Kemper Art Museum, Buzz Spector, Patricia Olynyk, Marshall N. Klimasewiski, John Talbott Allen, Meghan Bean, Shira Berkowitz, Darrick Byers, Jisun Choi, Zlatko Ćosić, James R. Daniels, Kara Daving, Andrea Degener, Kristin Fleischmann, William Frank, Nicholas Mccullough, Jordan Mcgirk, Zachary Miller, Esther Murphy, Kathryn Neale, Christopher Ottinger, Maia Palmer, Nicole Petrescu, Lauren Pressler, Bryce Olen Robinson, Whitney Sage, Donna Smith

Books and Monographs

Catalogue of a culminating student exhibition held at the Mildred Lane Kemper Art Museum, May 6-Aug. 1, 2011. Content includes Introduction / Buzz Spector -- Patricia Olynyk -- Marshall N. Klimasewiski -- John Talbott Allen -- Meghan Bean -- Shira Berkowitz / Maggie Stanley Majors -- Darrick Byers, Bryce Olen Robinson -- Jisun Choi -- Zlatko Ćosić -- James R. Daniels -- Kara Daving -- Andrea Degener -- Kristin Fleischmann / Randi Shapiro -- William Frank / Lawrence Ypil -- Nicholas Kania -- Katherine McCullough -- Jordan McGirk / Aditi Machado -- Zachary Miller -- Esther Murphy / Maggie Stanley …

Cologne During The Witch Hunts, 1627--1662, Megan E. Mcgee

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

This thesis examined Cologne during the years that witchcraft persecution was the highest in the city, from 1627-1662. By using a microhistorical approach on primary sources it found that strained relationships were the chief causes of the accusations. This thesis also discovered that in Cologne, at least, all of those under the age of 30 confessed to witchcraft while all of those above the age of 30 denied the accusations. It did this by both statistical analysis of the questions asked of the accused as well as in depth analysis of the answers that the accused gave their judges.

Can Oxygen Set Thermal Limits In An Insect And Drive Gigantism?, Wilco C.E.P. Verberk, David T. Bilton

School of Biological and Marine Sciences

BACKGROUND: Thermal limits may arise through a mismatch between oxygen supply and demand in a range of animal taxa. Whilst this oxygen limitation hypothesis is supported by data from a range of marine fish and invertebrates, its generality remains contentious. In particular, it is unclear whether oxygen limitation determines thermal extremes in tracheated arthropods, where oxygen limitation may be unlikely due to the efficiency and plasticity of tracheal systems in supplying oxygen directly to metabolically active tissues. Although terrestrial taxa with open tracheal systems may not be prone to oxygen limitation, species may be affected during other life-history stages, particularly …

Expression Of The Cytosolic Phospholipase A2 Isozymes In The Human Breast Cancer Cell Line Models Mda-Mb 231 And Mcf-7 And The Normal Breast Cell Line Model Mcf-10a, Debolina Ganguly

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Breast cancer remains one of the leading causes of cancer related death among women worldwide. Numerous reports have provided evidence of a role of inflammation in the onset and progression of many cancers, including breast cancer. A mechanism that leads to inflammation involves the arachidonic acid (AA) pathway, which leads to the production of a group of pro-inflammatory bioactive lipids, collectively known as the eicosanoids. Despite evidence of AA and the eicosanoids in cancer, limited work has been done on the enzyme cytosolic phospholipase A2 (cPLA2) that provides the unesterified AA that can be used for eicosanoid generation. The present …