Digital Commons Network^™

We Speak English Here: An Exploratory Study Of Language Barrier Effects In Agriculture, Camryn Clift

Honors College Theses

This thesis investigates the effects of the language barrier between English-speaking H-2A managers and their Spanish-speaking H-2A employees on Kentucky farms with special attention to the insights that can be gleaned from farm managers concerning the intersection of communication, language barriers, and the unique social and cultural environment created by the microcosm of the H-2A program. The project includes a literature review evaluating the currently documented effects of language barriers in various industries as they relate to the language barriers found within agriculture. IRB-approved interviews with farm managers provide original data to evaluate these potential effects, whether positive or negative. …

Kirsten Moore Art 399 Portfolio, Kirsten Moore

Professional Practices (ART 399)

My work questions our perceptions of space and time. I am interested in the way my personal experiences and choices are both shaped by time and are constantly changing. This ranges from broader struggles with health and identity to everyday decisions about fashion or conversations with friends. Our perceptions of our individual lives change over time, and past versions of ourselves can intermix and influence our present selves. There is nothing more intriguing to me than blending multiple dimensions by overlapping realistic figures with a two-dimensional pattern and allowing them to merge into a single landscape. This transports the viewer …

In With A Runny Nose, Out In A Body Bag: Why Is It So Difficult For Black Women To Leave The Hospital Alive?, Chelsea Carter

Liberal Arts Capstones

In the Black community, there is an unspoken understanding about going to the doctor with a runny nose, and leaving in a body bag. A recent article published by The Oprah Magazine demonstrates that racism is rampant in the United States healthcare system, and it is taking the lives of Black women at an alarmingly disproportionate rate (Stallings, 2018). When seeking medical treatment, many Black women are at the mercy of doctors who hold an implicit bias against Black women. Simply put, implicit bias describes when people behave and treat others based on negative preconceptions they have about other people, …

Investigating Media Influence On Canine Breed Popularity And Increasing Prevalence Of Genetic Linked Disorders, Callie Anderson

Honors College Theses

This study is focused on influence of social media on dog breed popularity, and if an increase in popularity leads to an increase in the prevalence of genetic-linked disorders observed in specified breeds in a clinical setting. This study was conducted by comparing an in-depth analysis of past research investigating the influence of popular culture on the trends of dog breed popularity as it relates to trends in media and fashion, with the results of a survey of clinical observations by veterinarians practicing in the area surrounding Murray, Kentucky. The results of the literary analysis revealed that humans are greatly …

The Disparities Of The Marginalized: Focusing Race And Queerness In Science And Medicine, Kearby Stiles

Honors College Theses

The United States is an immensely diverse country in which certain groups have been—and continue to be—marginalized in society because of their differences. Science and healthcare are areas in which marginalized peoples are negatively affected by a society that punishes difference and diversity. This is an immense problem because in biological and medical school education, in clinical research, and medical practices, little attention is given to marginalized populations. In this paper, I focus on the disadvantages faced by people of color, trans, and intersex people. I decided to focus on race because the history and current state of racism in …

Sustainable Water Treatment Systems: A Direct Potable Proposal, Kayla Alsup, Kayla E. Alsup

Honors College Theses

A common need among all people is water—we cannot survive without it. And yet, all around the world, achieving a high quality of drinking water is a constant struggle. This water crisis is brought on by many different factors. Some are natural, such as droughts and flooding, but as the effects of climate change continue to reveal themselves, some areas are becoming drier, while other areas are experiencing less predictable and harsher weather patterns.

Our current approach towards water is not sustainable, and we are starting to see that in both under-developed and developed countries alike. Indiscriminate use of water …

Intelligence Of Bearded Dragons, Sydney Herndon

Honors College Theses

The purpose of this thesis is to study and explain the intelligence of bearded dragons. Bearded dragons (Pogona spp.) are a species of reptile that have been popular in recent years as pets. Until recently, not much was known about their intelligence levels due to lack of appropriate research and studies on the species. Scientists have been studying the physical and social characteristics of bearded dragons to determine if they possess a higher intelligence than previously thought. One adaptation that makes bearded dragons unique is how they respond to heat. Bearded dragons optimize their metabolic functions through a …

Mental Health Among Nursing Students Amid The Coronavirus Pandemic, Cheydan Crump

Honors College Theses

The purpose of this study was to determine the effects of the current pandemic on the mental health of nursing students at a rural university. This study examined various risk factors and potential indicators for mental health, such as changes in physical activity, sleep behaviors, and differing perceptions of support they have received from the nursing program and the participating university, throughout the spread of COVID-19. This study was a non-experimental, analytical study conducted in a rural university in the southern region of the United States. This convenience sample consisted of 21 students, all of which were enrolled in the …

Suicide Risk And School Related Stressors In Veterinary Students, Deanna Nicole Arnold

Honors College Theses

Compared to the general population of the United States, veterinarians are at an increasingly higher risk for suicide. This is commonly associated with stressful work environments, long work hours, poor work-life balance, client demands and complaints, and large amounts of euthanasia procedures. While many studies have been performed to confirm the above statements, few to no studies have been done on students currently enrolled in veterinary school to assess their mental health. This study will survey graduate school students in this field and will evaluate their mental health state and risk factors towards suicide. Through comparing the results of this …

Black Maternal Mortality In The United States, Grace Phelps

Honors College Theses

Black maternal mortality is a looming issue in the United States as the rate of Black maternal deaths is 3-4 times higher than the average rate for White women. Research establishes that this is a multifaceted issue of care quality, preexisting health, biases and racism, and structural inequalities. This study aims to discuss the statistics, contributing factors, and possible solutions to the issue of Black maternal mortality. Specifically, this study aims to educate nursing students on the matter and test the implications an educational session has on knowledge about Black maternal mortality and how health care professionals can be part …

Inventing A Space To Speak: Ethos, Agency And United States' Woman Suffrage Cookbooks (1886-1916), Danielle Nielsen

Faculty & Staff Research and Creative Activity

During the last forty years of the United States’ fight for woman suffrage, a handful of suffragists wrote cookbooks sponsored by suffrage organisations. These cookbooks created a rhetorical space and ethos within and through the kitchen. Because their activism was grounded in expected feminine actions, this home-bound ethos allowed the primarily white, middle-class suffragists to simultaneously advocate for women's suffrage in public and maintain their adherence to the Cult of True Womanhood. The arguments put forth in the cookbooks illustrate an ethos that is influenced by both personal agency and the rhetor's gendered, physical location in the kitchen. From this …

Effective Imagery In Scientific Etextbooks, Jordan Moore

Scholars Week

This presentation overviews the benefits of eTextbook images in the fields of science.

In With A Runny Nose, Out In A Body Bag: Why Is It So Difficult For Black Women To Leave The Hospital Alive?, Chelsea Carter

Scholars Week

In the Black community, there is an unspoken understanding about Black people going to the doctor with a runny nose, and leaving in a body bag. A recent article published by The Oprah Magazine demonstrates that racism is rampant in the United States healthcare system, and it is taking the lives of Black women at an alarmingly disproportionate rate (Stallings, 2018). When seeking medical treatment, many Black women are at the mercy of doctors who possess an implicit bias against Black women. Simply put, implicit bias describes the phenomenon in which people behave and treat others based on negative preconceptions …

Differentiation Of The Can F 1 Allergen In Hypoallergenic Dog Saliva Compared To Shedding Dog Saliva, Rose Miller

Honors College Theses

Dog saliva contains a large variety of proteins, each with specific functions throughout the body. While some aid in digestion, others provide immune support for the body. In the case of human dog allergies, dog skin dander has been proven to cause allergic reactions to those who are sensitive to the allergens in the dogs. However, past studies have shown a difference in allergic reaction to specific breeds, breaking dog breeds into two main categories: hypoallergenic and non-hypoallergenic. Within these groups, there are different hypoallergenicity levels, but overall, the hypoallergenic dog group does not cause an allergic reaction, whereas non-hypoallergenic, …

Kinda Like, Autumn Brown

B.F.A. Practicum Exhibition (ART 498)

I was raised in a community that was raised to not empathize with queer people or their struggles. I was hyper-aware of my differences growing up, both internal and external, and spent a lot of time pondering identity and how people perceive one another. My work is the result of that introspection; sequential artworks depicting characters in states of transmutation or duality that explore both beautiful and repulsive facets of identity alike. I encourage my audience to join me in questioning the way we categorize ideas like gender, sexuality, and self image. I manipulate familiar multidimensional surfaces, primarily ceramics, mixed …

Using Modeling To Investigate Factors Driving Avian Diversity In Urban Ecosystems, Clay Bliznick

Scholars Week

Anthropogenic influences have altered global landscapes considerably throughout the past two centuries, resulting in the decline of natural land cover types. Conversely, land cover types such as cropland and urban areas that are derived from human activities have experienced vast expansion. This landscape transition has serious implications for ecosystem services. To mitigate the loss of these services, it is necessary to maintain ecological integrity within these anthropogenically-influenced systems. Being able to support high biodiversity is an indicator of well-functioning ecosystems, thus quantifying biodiversity and assessing its contributing factors can be useful for developing management strategies in artificial environments. Our objective …

Makayla Tapp Art399 Portfolio, Makayla Tapp

Professional Practices (ART 399)

My artwork is spurred from past experiences and memories, ocean life, and family, often combining several different influences into one work. I am drawn to concepts such as childhood/nostalgia, memories, misplacement, and the unknown, in both my own works and others’. I have a deep connection to the ocean and like to incorporate it into my work as well. My process usually includes looking at other peoples’ work in order to spur my thinking. This means looking at their processes and techniques, which often gives me ideas and encourages my own thinking for a piece. I then begin looking at …

Morph- And Sex-Specific Differences In Corticosterone Of The Arizona Tiger Salamander (Ambystoma Mavortium Nebulosum), Megan Zerger

Scholars Week

Life history morph, sex, and body condition are traits that may influence stress within salamander populations because of differences in physiology and environmental conditions. Given widespread declines and the effects chronic stress can have on amphibian health, it is important to understand within-population drivers of stress and how population level variation may influence population viability. Thus, the objective of our study was to assess how corticosterone varies within the Arizona tiger salamander (Ambystoma mavortium nebulosum) population at the Mexican Cut Nature Preserve. We used a non-invasive skin swabbing method to collect baseline and elevated corticosterone from paedomorph (aquatic …

The Effects Of [Diatomic Gas] On Hemp Growth In Western Kentucky, Alexandria Riddle

Scholars Week

Hemp cultivation has been increasing in popularity in western Kentucky and presenting its many uses to farmers and consumers worldwide. This new crop has intrigued those in the agriculture industry and convinced many farmers to venture away from their comfort zone and plant hemp in their fields. Many farmers have taken the risk of growing hemp causing a demand for ways to continuously improve their crop. This experiments main purpose is to be a proof of concept for delivering [diatomic gas] water to hemp plants to identify possible effects on growth. Practices used in conducting this study included the use …

Covid-19 And Its Effects On Psychological Distress Among Us Adults, Mandi Clark

Scholars Week

The COVID-19 global pandemic has had a profound impact on the mental health conditions of US adults. Even people with no pre-existing mental health conditions are at risk for psychological distress because of the impact the virus has on everyday life (Holingue et al., 2020). When examining the psychological distress during the pandemic, it is important to understand the effects of fear of COVID-19, isolation, unemployment, and financial distress. These factors may generate negative consequences in the form of stress, anxiety, and depression. Participants (N=314; mean age = 37; 61% male) recruited through the MTURK database answered a survey that …

Benefits Of Delayed Cord Clamping, Madison Martin, Chloe Robertson

Scholars Week

Our evidence-based practice project focuses on the benefits of delaying cord clamping. To guide our research, we used Sister Castilla Roy’s Adaptation Model of Nursing. Our research we used supports that delaying cord clamping is best for not only the baby, but also for the mother as well. We believe that a policy on delayed cord clamping should be implemented in order for health and adaption goals to be met.

Therapeutic Communication In Nursing Care, Evidence Obara

Scholars Week

nursing care, therapeutic communication, implemented policy.

Physical Health And Delinquency, Katy Hancock

Faculty & Staff Research and Creative Activity

While physical health can impact a variety of outcomes, little research has looked at health and delinquency. Through a lens of GST, this study examines whether health moderates the relationships between strain and delinquency and drug use. Data from the 2011 NSDUH were analyzed; results indicated that, for certain strains, very good and excellent health predicted lower risks of committing some types of delinquency and poor/fair health predicted the higher risk. For youth in “no parent” homes in very good health and from some youth with chronic illness, however, the risk of delinquency increased. The overall results dictate the expansion …

Impacts Of Digestawell Nrg Supplementation On Post Exercise Muscle Soreness In Unconditioned Horses, A Pilot Study, Jessica K. Suagee-Bedore, Yeting Shen, Shea Porr, Ivan D. Girard, Karen Bennett-Winbrush, Ashley L. Wagner

Faculty & Staff Research and Creative Activity

Exercising horses are commonly plagued by muscle fatigue and soreness, which can result in reduced performance ability. In the present study, ten unconditioned horses were fed 200g per day DigestaWell NRG, a commercial dietary supplement containing Yucca schidigera and Trigonella foenum-graecum, two herbs shown in other species to reduce post-exercise muscle pain and soreness. A control, unsupplemented group contained ten horses of similar age, breed, and gender. Horses completed a 50 minutes, ridden standardized exercise test of moderate intensity immediately prior to (Period1) and after 28 days of supplementation (Period2). Muscle soreness and tightness were evaluated 24 hours prior …

Wound Care Nurses Becoming Quitline Providers And Teaching Patients About Smoking Cessation And Nicotine Replacement Therapy, Hannah Gilbert, Lakyn Rye

Scholars Week

Our evidence-based practice project focuses on wound care nurses becoming Quitline providers and teaching patients about smoking cessation and nicotine replacement therapy. To guide our research, we used Florence Nightingale’s Environmental Theory. Smoking is a modifiable risk factor that is a part of the patient’s environment. Our research we used supports that smoking can affect wound healing. We believe that wound care nurses should be trained in smoking cessation and nicotine replacement therapy prescribing to be an advocate to patients and their journey to wound healing.

Tracheostomy Education For Pediatric Patients And Parents, Jonathon Batts, Kendall Baker

Scholars Week

To begin this project, we found that this specific facility did not have proper education given to parents about pediatric tracheostomies. Pediatric patients with tracheostomies are a very delicate population that requires extensive, round the clock care. We were able to establish a theoretical framework with Orem’s Self-Care theory that matched very well with our topic, and finally we were able to find research articles that looked at this patient population specifically. The need for a tracheostomy in pediatric patients can lead to extreme anxiety in patients and parents. Our recommendations for this facility would be to implement the “Trach …

Preventing Insulin Storage And Administration Errors, Makena Reddick

Scholars Week

■The research problem was discovered when nurses were observed storing and administering insulin improperly. The objectives of this project were to find the correct policies for these procedures, obtain research that backed these policies, and present this information to nurses to create a safer habit. In researching, it was found that reducing the physical distance between a person completing work and the materials required to do so increased compliance (Gibbs & McLernon, 2017). In a second study, the delivery of safe, effective and high-quality care for patients with diabetes in the community is dependent upon (district) nurses having appropriate knowledge …

Prevention Of Pressure Ulcers, Lauren Venegoni, Jordan Daugherty

Scholars Week

Pressure ulcers are one of the most common challenges all healthcare settings face. Since this is such a prevalent issue in all of nursing, proper interventions need to be put in place to prevent an occurrence. Utilizing risk assessment tools, early mobilization, repositioning, preventive skin care measures, good nutrition, and prophylactic dressings are just a few ways in which nurses can prevent PUs. There is emerging research on the use of silicone dressings in conjunction with other preventive measures that need to be taken in order to improve patient outcomes.

Improving The Care Of Children With Diabetes In School Through Staff Education, Taylor Mckendree, Gina Piscatelle

Scholars Week

Background: Diabetes is a growing problem in the United States. The number of school-aged children with diabetes is increasing annually. Diabetes is a disease that requires ongoing management throughout the day. Since children spend a large portion of the day at school, it is imperative that all school staff are educated about the care and management of diabetes.

Results: Research has indicated that non-medical school staff lack knowledge and are not confident in the management of diabetes. There has also been research conducted on ways to improve school staff education through policies, presentations, and eLearning materials. The material presented to …

Naloxone In Schools, Aleece M. Passman, Emily Weber

Scholars Week

All across the world there is an opioid epidemic taking place that can affect any one person. It does not discriminate by age, gender, or ethnicity. Knowing this information, one group is greatly at risk and that is the school aged population. Teenagers are focused on wanting to fit in with peers, and are easily affected by peer pressure. This puts them at an increased risk for experimenting with drugs. This information pushed us to research about policies in place in school systems to help fight the epidemic. In 2017 2.2 million people of ages 12-17 were illicit drug users …