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Modified Chromenes As Precursors To Taar Regulators, Jonathan Lehmann, Matthew Hart

Student Summer Scholars Manuscripts

200 million people worldwide are living with a thyroid disorder related to a hormonal imbalance. Symptoms of this imbalance include deviations from normal heart rates and metabolic rates. A chemical messenger known as T3 has been shown to raise cardiac and metabolic rates, but this takes place on a timescale of hours. However, recent discoveries have revealed that a different thyroid hormone known as T1AM is capable of affecting some of these same physiological conditions in a matter of minutes. T1AM is a potent, selective agonist for the Trace Amine Associated Receptor (TAAR). Several studies have probed the structural basis …

Synthesis And Characterization Of Lanthanide Based Nanomaterials For Radiation Detection And Biomedical Applications, Mingzhen Yao

Physics Dissertations - Archive

Lanthanide based nanomaterials have shown a great potential in various areas such as luminescence imaging, luminescent labels, and detection of cellular functions. Due to the f-f transitions of the metal ion, luminescence of lanthanide ions is characterized by sharp and narrow emissions. In this dissertation lanthanide based nanoparticles such as Ce3+, Eu3+ and other lanthanide ions doped LaF3 were synthesized, their characterization, encapsulation and embedding into hybrid matrix were investigated and some of their biomedical and radiological applications were studied.DMSO is a common solvent which has been used widely for biological applications.LaF3:Ce nanoparticles were synthesized in DMSO and it was …

Enhancements To The Modified Composite Pattern Method Of Structured Light 3d Capture, Charles Joseph Casey

University of Kentucky Doctoral Dissertations

The use of structured light illumination techniques for three-dimensional data acquisition is, in many cases, limited to stationary subjects due to the multiple pattern projections needed for depth analysis. Traditional Composite Pattern (CP) multiplexing utilizes sinusoidal modulation of individual projection patterns to allow numerous patterns to be combined into a single image. However, due to demodulation artifacts, it is often difficult to accurately recover the subject surface contour information. On the other hand, if one were to project an image consisting of many thin, identical stripes onto the surface, one could, by isolating each stripe center, recreate a very accurate …

Single-Parent Families In Bangkok, Thailand: Factors Affecting Children Living In Single-Parent Families, Waruesporn Jiumpanyarach

Theses and Dissertations--Sociology

There has been a transformation in family structure in Thailand due to the changes in economic and social structures over time. Though not recorded in census data the rise in single-parent families can be expected due to a rise in divorce rates, that have been recorded, over the past decades. However, the literature on single-parent families is limited and little is known about the experiences of single-mothers and children of singlemother families in Thailand. This study examines the factors that have major impacts on the well-being of children of single-parent families in Bangkok, Thailand.

A qualitative methodology was employed to …

Exposures To Multiple Environmental Chemicals (Lead, Methylmercury And Polychlorinated Biphenyls) Among Childbearing-Aged Women In The U.S., Marcella Remer Thompson

Open Access Dissertations

It is estimated that 5 to 20% of neurodevelopmental disabilities in children are caused by environmental toxic exposures. Lead, methylmercury and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) are known to have neurobehavioral and neurodevelopmental consequences in animal models and human population studies. Bioaccumulation and exposures during gestation transfer from mother to fetus via the placenta and to an infant and young child through lactation. Little is known about multiple environmental chemical exposures, especially among childbearing-aged women.

This descriptive and exploratory study involved analysis of existing data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES), a national probability sample. Lead, methylmercury and the …

Rit Gtpase Signaling Mediates Oxidative Stress Resistance And Survival Of Adult Newborn Neurons After Traumatic Brain Injury, Weikang Cai

Theses and Dissertations--Molecular and Cellular Biochemistry

The small GTPases function as molecular switches to control diverse signaling cascades. The mammalian Rit and Rin, along with Drosophila Ric, comprise an evolutionarily conserved subfamily of the Ras-related GTPases. Previous studies using cultured cell models suggested that Rit was involved in the control of cell proliferation, transformation, neuronal differentiation, morphogenesis, and cell survival, but the principal physiological function of Rit remained uncharacterized.

To address this outstanding question, we employed a genetic approach, engineering a Rit knockout mouse. Using this animal model, we demonstrate a central role of Rit in governing cell survival in a p38-dependent fashion. Primary mouse embryonic …

African American Males Diagnosed With Schizophrenia: A Phenomenological Study, Lorraine Anderson

Theses and Dissertations

Abstract Little is known about how African American men with schizophrenia experience their every day existence. Through applying interpretive phenomenology and using a methodological structure designed by van Manen (1990, 1997), this research aimed to enrich the understanding of living with schizophrenia for these African American males. In this study, five men ranging in age from 21 to 57 described their lives within the context of existing with the diagnosis of schizophrenia. The lived experiences across the interviews revealed four overarching themes: They know that they are mentally ill; they make a special effort to test reality; they assert their …

Introduction—Creative Capital: Intellectual Property Creation And Venture Capital, Michael S. Mireles Jr.

McGeorge School of Law Scholarly Articles

No abstract provided.

Siting Offshore Hydrokinetic Energy Projects: A Comparative Look At Wave Energy Regulation In The Pacific Northwest, Rachael E. Salcido

McGeorge School of Law Scholarly Articles

No abstract provided.

Intrapsychic Predictors Of Professional Quality Of Life: Mindfulness, Empathy, And Emotional Separation, Jacky T. Thomas

University of Kentucky Doctoral Dissertations

A growing literature documents the inherently stressful nature of working with persons who are suffering or traumatized, and the potential for the development of stress disorders among social workers and other helpers. Previous studies of compassion fatigue and burnout have provided important information about professional and workplace variables that might influence risk, but little attention has been given to studying intrapersonal skills/abilities that might reduce risk and/or increase resilience and work satisfaction among helping professionals. This exploratory study asked whether levels of mindfulness, empathy, and emotional separation would influence professional quality of life, including compassion fatigue, burnout, and compassion satisfaction. …

Geriatric Care As An Introductory Pharmacy Practice Experience, Joseph A. Woelfel, Eric Boyce, Rajul A. Patel

School of Pharmacy Faculty Articles

Objective. To describe the design, delivery, and impact of a geriatric introductory pharmacy practice experience (IPPE) to develop students’ skills related to consultant pharmacists’ roles and patient care responsibilities.

Design. A required 2-unit geriatric IPPE, involving 40 hours in a geriatric-care facility, 5 reflection hours, and 12 classroom-discussion hours, was developed for first- and second-year pharmacy students. Students interviewed patients and caregivers, reviewed patient charts, triaged patient needs, prepared care plans, and performed quality-assurance functions.

Assessment. After completing the IPPE, students’ geriatric- and patient-care abilities were enhanced, based on review of their interactions, care plans, reflections, and examinations, and they …

Installments, Issue 46, January/February 2011, Renee Montgomery

Libraries' Newsletters

No abstract provided.

Nutritional Properties Of The Invasive Lionfish: A Delicious And Nutritious Approach For Controlling The Invasion, James A. Morris, Jr., Amber Thomas, Andrew L. Rhyne, Nancy Breen E. Breen, Lad Akins, Barry Nash

Arts & Sciences Faculty Publications

Lionfish, Pterois volitans and P. miles, are native to the Indo-Pacific and have recently invaded the Western Atlantic Ocean. Strategies for control of this invasion have included limited removal programs and promotion of lionfish consumption at both local and commercial scales. We demonstrate that lionfish meat contains higher levels of healthy n-3 fatty acids than some frequently consumed native marine fish species. Mean lionfish fillet yield was 30.5% of the total body wet weight, a value that is similar to that of some grouper and porgy species. A sensory evaluation indicated that lionfish meet the acceptability threshold of most consumers.

Two Distinct, Geographically Overlapping Lineages Of The Corallimorpharian Ricordea Florida (Cnidaria: Hexacorallia: Ricordeidae), H. Torres-Pratts, T. Lado-Insua, Andrew L. Rhyne, L. Rodríguez-Matos, N. V. Schizas

Arts & Sciences Faculty Publications

We examined the genetic variation of the corallimorpharian Ricordea florida; it is distributed throughout the Caribbean region and is heavily harvested for the marine aquarium trade. Eighty-four distinct individuals of R. florida were sequenced from four geographically distant Caribbean locations (Curaçao, Florida, Guadeloupe, and Puerto Rico). Analysis of the ribosomal nuclear region (ITS1, 5.8S, ITS2) uncovered two geographically partially overlapping genetic lineages in R. florida, probably representing two cryptic species. Lineage 1 was found in Florida and Puerto Rico, and Lineage 2 was found in Florida, Puerto Rico, Guadeloupe, and Curaçao. Because of the multi-allelic nature of the ITS …

The Jackprot Simulation Couples Mutation Rate With Natural Selection To Illustrate How Protein Evolution Is Not Random, Guillermo Paz-Y-Miño C, Avelina Espinosa, Chunyan Bai

Arts & Sciences Faculty Publications

Protein evolution is not a random process. Views which attribute randomness to molecular change, deleterious nature to single-gene mutations, insufficient geological time, or population size for molecular improvements to occur, or invoke “design creationism” to account for complexity in molecular structures and biological processes, are unfounded. Scientific evidence suggests that natural selection tinkers with molecular improvements by retaining adaptive peptide sequence. We used slot-machine probabilities and ion channels to show biological directionality on molecular change. Because ion channels reside in the lipid bilayer of cell membranes, their residue location must be in balance with the membrane’s hydrophobic/philic nature; a selective …

On The Theory Of Evolution Versus The Concept Of Evolution: Three Observations, Guillermo Paz-Y-Miño C, Avelina Espinosa

Arts & Sciences Faculty Publications

Here we address three misconceptions stated by Rice et al. in their observations of our article Paz-y-Miño and Espinosa (Evo Edu Outreach 2:655–675, 2009), published in this journal. The five authors titled their note “The Theory of Evolution is Not an Explanation for the Origin of Life.” First, we argue that it is fallacious to believe that because the formulation of the theory of evolution, as conceived in the 1800s, did not include an explanation for the origin of life, nor of the universe, the concept of evolution would not allow us to hypothesize the possible beginnings of …

Pornography As Pollution, John Copeland Nagle

Journal Articles

Pornography is often compared to pollution. But little effort has been made to consider what it means to describe pornography as a pollution problem, even as many legal scholars have concluded that the law has failed to control internet pornography. Opponents of pornography maintain passionate convictions about how sexually-explicit materials harm both those who are exposed to them and the broader cultural environment. Viewers of pornography may generally hold less fervent beliefs, but champions of free speech and of a free internet object to anti-pornography regulations with strong convictions of their own. The challenge is how to address the widespread …

Parents: Trusted But Not Trustees Or (Foster) Parents As Fiduciaries, Margaret F. Brinig

Journal Articles

Some fifteen years ago, Elizabeth and Robert Scott wrote an important article making the case that parents could be usefully described using a fiduciary model. This paper explains why their model fits foster parents better than biological or adoptive parents, at least in the sense that Tamar Frankel explains in her new book on fiduciary law.

Exploring The Potential For Independent Control With The Nia/Brainfingers System - Is Independent Control Of Glance, Muscle, Alpha And Beta Waves Possible?, Jehangir Cooper

Browse all Theses and Dissertations

BCI (Brain-Computer-Interface) devices on the market today, such as the NIA, have the capability to assign computer commands to specific channels (e.g., EMG, EOG, Alpha, and Beta) associated with different methods of control. However, the utility of this capability is dependent on the ability of users to selectively/independently control the specific channels. The NIA system was evaluated to determine if independent control of its channels is possible. Two users with varying levels of experience were used in this study. The users played pong using each of the channels to control the pong paddle, while the data on the activation levels …

Quantum Chemical Analysis Of The Pka's Of Alcohols And A Cellular Automata Model For The Distribution Of Gases In The Earth's Atmosphere, Edur Basha Boyinipalli

Browse all Theses and Dissertations

Alcohols play important roles in many chemical and biological processes, and their acid/base behaviors are often important for these roles. In this study we ask the question, "Can the electronic properties of these compounds offer clues to the compounds' acid/base behaviors?" The study considers whether selected quantum chemical properties can be used to find correlations with the experimental pKa's of the alcohols (aliphatic and aromatic). Calculations were carried out for these alcohols using the semi-empirical RM1 method and the more advanced density functional theory (DFT) B3LYP/6-31+G* method. Significant correlations were found for several quantum chemical descriptors. It was also found …

Measuring Uncertainty Of Protein Secondary Structure, Alan Eugene Herner

Browse all Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation develops and demonstrates a method to measure the uncertainty of secondary structure of protein sequences using Shannon's information theory. This method is applied to a newly developed large dataset of chameleon sequences and to several protein hinges culled from the Hinge Atlas. The uncertainty of the central residue in each tripeptide is computed for each amino acid in a sequence using Cuff and Barton's CB513 as the reference set. It is shown that while secondary structure uncertainty is relatively high in chameleon regions [avg = 1.27 bits] it is relatively low in the regions 1-7 residues nearest a …

Aberrant Dna Replication At An Ectopic Chromosomal Site In Human Cells, Xiaomi Chen

Browse all Theses and Dissertations

Aberrant DNA replication, including over-replication or under-replication may lead to life-threatening mutation or even cause human diseases. This thesis focused on three issues related to abnormal DNA replication in human chromosomes including: I) to define the function of DNA unwinding element (DUE) and DNA unwinding element-binding protein (DUE-B) to maintain an active c-myc replicator; II) to determine the role of trans-acting factors in defining a replication origin on human chromosomes; III) to investigate the mechanism by which hairpins affect DNA replication and instability of (CTG)n•(CAG)n trinucleotide repeat tracts in human cells.

Our laboratory previously demonstrated that both DUE and DUE-B, …

Environmental Enrichment-Mediated Neuroprotection Against Traumatic Brain Injury:Role Of Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor, Kyle Leann Traver

Browse all Theses and Dissertations

Each year there are over 1.7 million traumatic brain injuries (TBI) in the United States causing long-term health deficits and significant medical costs. This growing epidemic has led researchers to find methods for treating and preventing these injuries. Environmental Enrichment (EE) is an innovative technique shown to improve cognitive and functional outcomes following a TBI; however, the beneficial effects before injury have not been established. Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor (BDNF) has been determined as a neuroprotective biomolecule in TBI. This research examined these two protective components and their roles in TBI. It was hypothesized that BDNF mRNA and protein levels would …

Hsv-1 Infection In Keratinocyte Cell Lines Treated With Mitotic Inhibitors, Asma A. Abbas

Browse all Theses and Dissertations

The hypothesis for this research was: Herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1) infection of murine keratinocyte cell lines (HEL-30 and PAM-212) treated with mitotic inhibitors leads to silencing of virus replication. At 0.1 (Multiplicity of infection) MOI, PAM-212 keratinocytes showed some cell lysis and viral plaques were seen in HEL-30 keratinocyte cultures. PAM-212 keratinocytes, infected at 0.01 MOI, were more susceptible to the lytic effect of HSV-1 than were HEL-30 cells. In this study, 5-fluoro-2'-deoxyuridine (FUDR) treatment of both keratinocyte cell lines permitted an increase survival of HSV-1- infected keratinocytes especially for PAM-212 cell line which was further examined for …

Persisiting Sensitization Of Depressive-Like Behavior And Thermogenic Response During Maternal Separation In Pre- And Post Weaning Guinea Pigs, Randi Lynn Schneider

Browse all Theses and Dissertations

Early attachment disruption is thought to promote later onset of depressive illness through a process involving sensitization. Maternal separation in guinea pig pups (~21 days of age) produces depressive-like behavior and core body temperature fluctuations that appear to be mediated by proinflammatory activity. These responses are enhanced during repeated separations over several days. Here, enhanced depressive-like behavior and core body temperature responses were observed from the early pre-weaning to the periadolescent period (~10-40 days of age) and persisted for more than a week. The greatest temperature response was observed during the final separation. These results demonstrate persisting sensitization of behavioral …

Sex And Racial Differences In Socially Desirable Responding, Kathryn G. Van Dixhorn

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The purpose of this study was to examine the magnitude of sex and racial differences in faking behavior, specifically socially desirable responding, in a large (N = 295,517), applied sample. Results indicated that females are engaging in more intentional socially desirable responding, whereas males are engaging in more inadvertent socially desirable responding. However, these differences are not likely to influence selection. Caucasians are displaying more intentional socially desirable responding than African Americans (d = 0.55), Hispanics (d = 0.57), and Asian Americans (d = 0.29). Asian Americans - iii - engaged in less inadvertent socially desirable responding than Caucasians (d …

The Decision To Pursue Self-Interests: Cultural Implications At The Individual Level, Corinne Patrice Wright

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In the current study I examined the relationships between personality, culture, and the decision to pursue self-interests. Specifically, I proposed that conscientiousness, extraversion, idiocentrism, masculinity, and power distance would be positively related to the decision to pursue self-interests whereas agreeableness would be negatively related to the pursuit of self-interests. I also proposed an exploratory examination of interactions between personality and individual cultural values in predicting the decision to pursue self- interests. As predicted, idiocentrism and masculinity significantly predicted the decision to pursue self-interests. In addition, masculinity moderated the effects of both agreeableness and neuroticism on the pursuit of self-interests. Also, …

Bio-Functionalized Clay Nanoparticles For Wound Healing Applications, Christopher Anthony Vaiana

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Wound healing is a complex, multi-step process that can be summarized into three stages, namely hemostasis and inflammation, proliferation, and finally tissue remodeling. Battlefield wound healing demands rapid hemostasis using clotting or cauterizing agents to immediately limit blood loss, but this occurs at the expense of proper tissue repair beyond hemostasis. Layered silicate clays such as kaolin and montmorillonite (MMT) have been previously shown to induce blood clotting due to their ability to form charged interactions with clotting factors. The charge characteristics of sodium MMT (Na-MMT) also enable functionalization with active biomolecules. Herein we first functionalize three types of alumoinosilicate …

An Evaluation Of Habitat Structure And The Distribution Of Rare And Common Darters In Ohio, Erin Lee Kingdom

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Darters are small benthic-feeding fish. I examined reasons why some darter species are rarer than others based on geographic range, habitat specificity, and local population size using the Ohio EPA database and field research. The Qualitative Habitat Evaluation Index (QHEI) represented habitat quality. I examined drainage area and gradient at the landscape-scale, riparian and channel characteristics at the reach-scale, and substrate, cover, and riffle/pool characteristics at the microhabitat scale. Some rare species occur in few rivers in Ohio, but throughout a basin, while other rare species occur only in moderate-sized rivers. Most rare species occur at only a few sites …

Changes In Avian Community Composition At Sugarcreek Metropark Between 1978 And 2010, Jennifer Lynne Hays

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Quantifying changes in forest avian diversity is a challenging, but necessary task for development of effective conservation plans. While small changes in diversity accumulate over time, these changes do not necessarily reflect overall long-term trends in species diversity. Long-term changes from established baseline conditions may be more interpretable because the changes in diversity are assessed over longer periods. In 1978, Dr. Reed Noss (1981) initiated a study of thirty-three breeding bird censuses at Sugarcreek Reserve (Metropark) in Southwestern Ohio and evaluated the species richness and composition during the breeding and post-breeding season to inform ecological reserve design theory. In 2010, …