Thomas D. Clark of Kentucky: An Uncommon Life in the Commonwealth

By the flip of a coin, Thomas Dionysius Clark became intertwined in the vast history of Kentucky. In 1928, Clark received scholarships to both the University of Cincinnati and to the University of Kentucky. Kentucky won the coin toss and the claim to one of the South\u27s eminent historians. In 1990, when the Kentucky General Assembly honored Clark by declaring him Kentucky’s Historian Laureate for life, Governor Brereton Jones described Clark as “Kentucky’s greatest treasure.” Historian, advocate, educator, preservationist, publisher, writer, mentor, friend, Kentuckian—Dr. Clark has filled all these roles and more. Thomas D. Clark of Kentucky is a celebration of his life and career by just a few of those who have felt his influence and shared his enthusiasm for his adopted home state of Kentucky. John E. Kleber, emeritus professor of history at Morehead State University, is the editor of The Kentucky Encyclopedia and The Encyclopedia of Louisville. Underscores how Clark remains a major force in every area of intellectual life in Kentucky through his role of state, local and regional historian; archival preservationist and publisher; agricultural, environmental and educational advocate; and friend and mentor to the people of the Commonwealth. —Bowling Green (KY) Daily News Through the reports of eighteen excellent writers from varied backgrounds, this book puts in perspective Clark’s life and contributions much better than would a conventional biography. —Indiana Magazine of History Succeeds in reminding us of Clark\u27s importance and his ubiquity in twentieth-century southern and Kentucky historiography. —Journal of Southern History A fitting way to note the historian’s 100th birthday. —Kentucky Living While many know of Clark as the state’s historian laureate and from his 32 books, these personal observations reveal what he has accomplished behind the scenes in areas such as the environment, archives and education. —Kentucky Monthly Clark is a genuine hero because he is mortal, pragmatic and inspired. With this book we salute him and his works. . . . The ultimate tribute is for present and future generations to read and then heed the insights of this remarkable Kentuckian. —Lexington Herald-Leader Marks Clark’s unsurpassed achievements as scholar, educator, preservationist, agrarian, advocate, and mentor. —Louisville Courier-Journal What a life! The chapters written here by colleagues, students, and friends recall a career of remarkable range and depth. —Register of the Kentucky Historical Society Celebrates the achievements of one of Kentucky’s most valued citizens. —Union County (KY) Advocatehttps://uknowledge.uky.edu/upk_united_states_history/1104/thumbnail.jp

Role of the intercalated disc in cardiac propagation and arrhythmogenesis

This review article discusses mechanisms underlying impulse propagation in cardiac muscle with specific emphasis on the role of the cardiac cell-to-cell junction, called the “intercalated disc.”The first part of this review deals with the role of gap junction channels, formed by connexin proteins, as a determinant of impulse propagation. It is shown that, depending on the underlying structure of the cellular network, decreasing the conductance of gap junction channels (so-called “electrical uncoupling”) may either only slow, or additionally stabilize propagation and reverse unidirectional propagation block to bidirectional propagation. This is because the safety factor for propagation increases with decreasing intercellular electrical conductance. The role of heterogeneous connexin expression, which may be present in disease states, is also discussed. The hypothesis that so-called ephaptic impulse transmission plays a role in heart and can substitute for electrical coupling has been revived recently. Whereas ephaptic transmission can be demonstrated in theoretical simulations, direct experimental evidence has not yet been presented. The second part of this review deals with the interaction of three protein complexes at the intercalated disc: (1) desmosomal and adherens junction proteins, (2) ion channel proteins, and (3) gap junction channels consisting of connexins. Recent work has revealed multiple interactions between these three protein complexes which occur, at least in part, at the level of protein trafficking. Such interactions are likely to play an important role in the pathogenesis of arrhythmogenic cardiomyopathy, and may reveal new therapeutic concepts and targets

On the Localized superluminal Solutions to the Maxwell Equations

In the first part of this article the various experimental sectors of physics in which Superluminal motions seem to appear are briefly mentioned, after a sketchy theoretical introduction. In particular, a panoramic view is presented of the experiments with evanescent waves (and/or tunneling photons), and with the "Localized superluminal Solutions" (SLS) to the wave equation, like the so-called X-shaped waves. In the second part of this paper we present a series of new SLSs to the Maxwell equations, suitable for arbitrary frequencies and arbitrary bandwidths: some of them being endowed with finite total energy. Among the others, we set forth an infinite family of generalizations of the classic X-shaped wave; and show how to deal with the case of a dispersive medium. Results of this kind may find application in other fields in which an essential role is played by a wave-equation (like acoustics, seismology, geophysics, gravitation, elementary particle physics, etc.). This e-print, in large part a review, was prepared for the special issue on "Nontraditional Forms of Light" of the IEEE JSTQE (2003); and a preliminary version of it appeared as Report NSF-ITP-02-93 (KITP, UCSB; 2002). Further material can be found in the recent e-prints arXiv:0708.1655v2 [physics.gen-ph] and arXiv:0708.1209v1 [physics.gen-ph]. The case of the very interesting (and more orthodox, in a sense) subluminal Localized Waves, solutions to the wave equations, will be dealt with in a coming paper. [Keywords: Wave equation; Wave propagation; Localized solutions to Maxwell equations; Superluminal waves; Bessel beams; Limited-dispersion beams; Electromagnetic wavelets; X-shaped waves; Finite-energy beams; Optics; Electromagnetism; Microwaves; Special relativity]Comment: LaTeX paper of 37 pages, with 20 Figures in jpg [to be processed by PDFlatex

Four-path interference and uncertainty principle in photodetachment microscopy

We study the quantal motion of electrons emitted by a pointlike monochromatic isotropic source into parallel uniform electric and magnetic fields. The two-path interference pattern in the emerging electron wave due to the electric force is modified by the magnetic lens effect which periodically focuses the beam into narrow filaments along the symmetry axis. There, four classical paths interfere. With increasing electron energy, the current distribution changes from a quantum regime governed by the uncertainty principle, to an intricate spatial pattern that yields to a semiclassical analysis.Comment: submitted to Europhysics Letter

EFFECTS OF A REVERSE OSMOSIS-WATER TREATMENT PLANT BRINY CONCENTRATE DISCHARGED INTO AN OLIGOHALINE ESTUARY.

Reverse Osmosis Water Treatment Plants (RO-WTPs) create potable water and a briny concentrate that must be disposed; often it is discharged into nearby surface waters. Currently, there is no published research to examine effects of this discharge on the ambient environment or on resident and transient biota. One established RO-WTP discharge location was used as a model and compared with a control location within the same embayment and the locations of two RO-WTPs pre-construction. These two plants may discharge up to eight times more concentrate into the estuary. A one-year study used acoustic Doppler current profilers; Hydrolab sondes; a YSI meter; and biological and water collections to profile each location. Water movements at all locations were correlated with wind velocity measured at the USCG-EC weather station and the tide cycle at Mann's Harbor marina. Average velocity was lowest at the established RO-WTP and highest at the two proposed locations in fall 2005. Salinity varied significantly (p < 0.001) between the established RO-WTP and one of the proposed locations. From the four locations, we collected 21 species of macroinvertebrates. Location and date were not found to be significant. The effect of briny discharge on two species of macroinvertebrates dissipated beyond 5 m of the diffuser. The macrozooplankton (13 taxa) showed significant differences by date but not location while for the nekton (35 species) showed significant temporal differences (Spearman's Rho = 0.669) and moderate differences by location (Spearman's Rho = 0.237). There was no evidence that the RO-WTP has a significant impact on either the macrozooplankton or nekton collected. Overall, the biotic communities sampled from the four locations are typical for oligohaline to mesohaline estuaries. There were no significant differences in diversity for any biota collected. It is recommended that 1) data collection related to the discharge continue; 2) measurable indicators of biotic integrity from oligohaline to mesohaline environments be developed; and 3) post-construction samples at the two proposed RO-WTPs continue so as to investigate the effects of increased volume of brine on the local surface water as well as the resident and transient biota.  Ph.D

Qualitative Assessment of General Aviation Pilots’ Perceptions of Preflight Weather Briefings

Prior to departing on a flight, General Aviation pilots complete a pre-flight planning process to ensure the safety of their flight. One aspect of the pre-flight planning process is obtaining a briefing on the weather conditions that the pilot might encounter along their flight route. Traditionally pilots have utilized a phone-in service run by Flight Services to aid in their assessment of weather conditions. However, research indicates that pilots are increasingly reliant on conducting self- briefing using online resources. The purpose of this study is to determine pilot perceptions of obtaining a phone-in brief in comparison to self-briefing

Long-Term Litter Decomposition Controlled by Manganese Redox Cycling

Litter decomposition is a keystone ecosystem process impacting nutrient cycling and productivity, soil properties, and the terrestrial carbon (C) balance, but the factors regulating decomposition rate are still poorly understood. Traditional models assume that the rate is controlled by litter quality, relying on parameters such as lignin content as predictors. However, a strong correlation has been observed between the manganese (Mn) content of litter and decomposition rates across a variety of forest ecosystems. Here, we show that long-term litter decomposition in forest ecosystems is tightly coupled to Mn redox cycling. Over 7 years of litter decomposition, microbial transformation of litter was paralleled by variations in Mn oxidation state and concentration. A detailed chemical imaging analysis of the litter revealed that fungi recruit and redistribute unreactive Mn2+ provided by fresh plant litter to produce oxidative Mn3+ species at sites of active decay, with Mn eventually accumulating as insoluble Mn3+/4+ oxides. Formation of reactive Mn3+ species coincided with the generation of aromatic oxidation products, providing direct proof of the previously posited role of Mn3+-based oxidizers in the breakdown of litter. Our results suggest that the litter-decomposing machinery at our coniferous forest site depends on the ability of plants and microbes to supply, accumulate, and regenerate short-lived Mn3+ species in the litter layer. This observation indicates that biogeochemical constraints on bioavailability, mobility, and reactivity of Mn in the plant–soil system may have a profound impact on litter decomposition rates