Research

Dear Editor, I am responding to Erin Avery’s letter “Yes, we can vote Republican.” In her letter, Erin says, “We don’t need to support progressive agendas on the local level.” We don’t? Since when is progress a bad thing? If ever there was a time in history when we should be forward thinking, it is now. Our country is in turmoil — financially and socially. Our foreign relations are strained, and our infrastructure is collapsing around us. We need to be as progressive as we can in order to turn our country around.

For many college students, "pulling an all-nighter" is a familiar routine typically accomplished with copious amounts of caffeine. Often, the go-to option is a so-called "energy shot" drink that boasts a special blend of energy-boosting ingredients.  New research by a behavioral neuroscience professor and her students at Centre College calls the popular drink - and the extra boost it claims to provide - into question. And their preliminary findings are creating quite a buzz. According to the recent study, "The effect of energy drinks on visual attention task performance," led by Centre's KatieAnn Skogsberg, assistant professor of psychology and behavioral neuroscience, the energy drinks may be no more effective than other sources of caffeine.

Research funded by the American Lung Association aims to help people with lung disease - from the tiniest babies to the elderly - breathe easier. One Kentucky researcher funded by the Lung Association is looking to do this by studying the role a particular chemical plays in causing the airways to become inflamed. Dr. Qihai Gu and his team at the University of Kentucky are trying to find out how a chemical called PAR2 relates to making the lungs and airways overly sensitive. This chemical-protease-activated receptor-2-is produced in various cells in the airways and lungs.

Dear Editor: As I read some of the comments from some of the readers, I see that they have no idea how this country is run. First of all, the House and Senate make the rules and spend the money in this country, not the president. The president can't do anything without their permission and their vote, yet he gets all the blame when something has gone wrong. Before you pass judgment on our president, check Congress to see who voted for anything that you think the president has done wrong.

LIBERTY - Rolls of microfilm that contain all available death records filed in Kentucky through 1954 arrived Monday at the Casey County Public Library. The shipment is a portion of the 480 rolls transferred to CDs that were purchased by a $5,900 grant plus $100 donation that will be housed in the genealogical section of the library. "An individual from Indiana donated the $100 to make the money an even $6,000," said Brenda Sanders, who does research for the woman. The records indexed on CDs were purchased through a Community Development Block Grant from the Southern and Eastern Tourism Development Association that covers Casey, Boyle, Garrard, Lincoln and Jessamine counties.

FORKLAND - It's as if Abe Lincoln had gathered up a handful of his own tribe to celebrate the 200th anniversary of his birth year in a way only family can. As Forkland prepares for its 37th annual festival on Friday and Saturday, they're gearing everything toward telling the story of the 16th president of the United States and his descendants. This year's theme is "Roots, Trunk, & Branches: Abraham Lincoln's Connections to the Forkland Community. " And there are many. After officially opening a museum in February to honor Lincoln, the community obtained a Lincoln Bicentennial grant to aid in producing a play and a book.

To never stop learning is the goal for Eve Kersey, a sixth-grade teacher at King Middle School in Harrodsburg. “I love learning, so I'm just going to learn as much as I can. That's probably why I became a teacher, because I love learning so much,” Kersey said, laughing. “I could probably be a professional college student.” In the spirit of learning, Kersey, who lives in Boyle County, will join about 40 middle and high school teachers nationwide July 16 to participate in the Siemens Teachers as Researchers fellowship program for two weeks.

In his classic bestseller “Capitalism and Freedom,” Milton Friedman proclaimed that “The greatest advances of civilization, whether in architecture or painting, in science and literature, in industry or agriculture, have never come from centralized government.” Instead, we owe it all to private enterprise. For right-wing ideologues and the Palin, Beck and Limbaugh congregations, Friedman’s claim has always had a lot of truthiness. It sounds so good that it must be true, and was made by a world-famous economist and Nobel laureate.

International biotechnology company Alltech Inc. will be expanding operations to include a Winchester facility. Alltech officials announced Thursday that the company will acquire $14 million worth of assets and property from Martek Bioscience Corporation. “It was a natural fit,” said Todd Denham, director of the Winchester-Clark County Industrial Authority. Martek specializes in algae fermentation, and Alltech will continue research and development in that area.

FRANKFORT ? The Kentucky Historical Society and the Kentucky Genealogical Society will host a free family-history workshop that will include two sessions, "More than a Birdseye View of Kentucky" and "Documenting Cemeteries," from 10:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. on Saturday at the Thomas D. Clark Center for Kentucky History in downtown Frankfort. Presenters will discuss the Kentucky Department for Libraries and Archives aerial photograph collections and the cemetery research process. In the afternoon, Mike Peters, who has many years of experience traveling to cemeteries from North Carolina to Pennsylvania, will describe the cemetery research process in detail.

For many college students, "pulling an all-nighter" is a familiar routine typically accomplished with copious amounts of caffeine. Often, the go-to option is a so-called "energy shot" drink that boasts a special blend of energy-boosting ingredients.  New research by a behavioral neuroscience professor and her students at Centre College calls the popular drink - and the extra boost it claims to provide - into question. And their preliminary findings are creating quite a buzz. According to the recent study, "The effect of energy drinks on visual attention task performance," led by Centre's KatieAnn Skogsberg, assistant professor of psychology and behavioral neuroscience, the energy drinks may be no more effective than other sources of caffeine.

The University of Kentucky's DanceBlue dance marathon will be making its way to George Rogers Clark High School. The mini-marathon will take place from noon to 8 p.m. Saturday in the GRCHS gym. For eight hours, participants in DanceBlue will dance to raise money and awareness for childhood cancer through the University of Kentucky Pediatric Oncology Unit. DanceBlue is an organization run by UK students year-round and takes place on UK's campus. There is no sitting or sleeping allowed during the 24-hour period - only dancing.

To never stop learning is the goal for Eve Kersey, a sixth-grade teacher at King Middle School in Harrodsburg. “I love learning, so I'm just going to learn as much as I can. That's probably why I became a teacher, because I love learning so much,” Kersey said, laughing. “I could probably be a professional college student.” In the spirit of learning, Kersey, who lives in Boyle County, will join about 40 middle and high school teachers nationwide July 16 to participate in the Siemens Teachers as Researchers fellowship program for two weeks.

The Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources is turning to Boyle County residents to aid in the research of barn owls. Biologist Kate Heyden said Boyle County is one of the top three areas in the state for barn owls, which have been declining since the 1960s. Heyden said there are only about 25 nesting sites statewide for the owls, which have heart-shaped faces and dark eyes.  The decline is likely a result of less farms and more construction, Heyden said. But Boyle County still features a large amount of farm land and barns, which Heyden said are “hot spots” for barn owls.

Finally, I had been offered my “dream job.” I am a huge fan of Berea College and the work they do primarily with young people from the nearby mountains. When they read my resume and we talked and they wanted to hire me for a special summer program, I said “yes” with no reservations. But actually there was a reservation. My daughter Phoebe was due to have twins in late summer and I chose to have the faith that I could do my Berea program and then go on to Denver to be with Phoebe.

Where could you go last week to learn about flamenco, the liberation of a concentration camp and Madonna? East Jessamine Middle School -  that's where. East Middle hosted its first “I Love History Day” on Valentine's Day, with 43 students displaying months of research on their chosen history topics that fit the theme of “turning points in history.” The 34 presentations last week will be at a preliminary competition Saturday leading up to the district competition at Eastern Kentucky University's “History Day,” sponsored by the Kentucky Junior Historical Society.

LEXINGTON - The USDA-Natural Resources Conservation Service in Kentucky is encouraging landowners, farmers and producers to visit their local NRCS office now to receive information and apply for conservation technical assistance and possible financial funding opportunities. The Kentucky NRCS first application cutoff period date for consideration for 2013 funds is Jan. 18. Applications received after Jan. 18 will be held until the next application cut-off period, which will be April 19. NRCS State Conservationist Karen Woodrich announced this month that technical and financial assistance is available to eligible applicants for the Environmental Quality Incentives Program.

STANFORD - Many people find that, as they get older, their memory seems to become less and less reliable, and some start to question, Am I getting Alzheimer's? Sadly, the answer to that question is so often “yes,” with Alzheimer's growing at an alarming rate to rob them of their memory. Estimates are that 5.4 million Americans suffer from the disease.  On Sunday afternoon, hundreds of people took time to remember those affected by the disease by participating in the fifth annual Jingle Bell Jog 5K Run/Walk through the downtown streets of Stanford.

LEXINGTON - It has been more than 150 years since the first battle of the Civil War, but it is estimated that thousands of individuals spend billions of dollars each year to participate in or attend Civil War re-enactments. Kim Miller-Spillman, an associate professor in the University of Kentucky College of Agriculture, has spent her career researching historical re-enactors to learn the importance of period clothing in recreating historical events and in their lives. “I've always had a fascination with how we can become somebody else by changing what we wear,” she said.

In keeping with what has become a student-faculty tradition, this summer, Jordan Shewmaker has stayed on campus at Centre College to work with Assistant Professor of Government Ben Knoll on a project assessing political attitudes at both the local and national levels. “We had one primary project, but also many smaller ones,” Knoll says. “Our primary project looked at two areas. The first specifically studied political attitudes in the United States and how perceptions of American identity affect those attitudes.