Digital Commons Network^™

An Evaluation Of Lfucg Economic Development: Making Strides Towards Strategic, Performance-Driven Partnerships, Sarah Ausmus Smith

MPA/MPP/MPFM Capstone Projects

Like many other municipal governments, Lexington utilizes a web of partnerships to support economic development. These relationships take many forms; LFUCG employs grants, tax incentives for businesses, and contracts with other organizations. Unlike some of its peers, though, LFUCG does not have a strategic plan in place to drive decision-making processes and sharpen its focus on outcomes. This report sets the foundation for future strategic management efforts by identifying opportunities and weaknesses that might be addressed by LFUCG through an environmental scan and establishing a performance management framework for existing contractual economic development partners. The key findings are as follows: …

Immune Evasion By Division Of Labor: The Trophic Life Cycle Stage Of Pneumocystis Murina Suppresses Innate Immunity To This Opportunistic, Fungal Pathogen, Heather M. Evans

Theses and Dissertations--Microbiology, Immunology, and Molecular Genetics

Pneumocystis species are opportunistic fungal pathogens that cause severe pneumonia in immunocompromised hosts, including AIDS patients. Pneumocystis species have a biphasic life cycle consisting of single-nucleated trophic forms and ascus-like cysts. Both stages live within the host, and, thus, must contend with threats from the host immune system. The cyst cell wall β-glucans have been shown to stimulate immune responses in lung epithelial cells, dendritic cells and alveolar macrophages. Little is known about how the trophic life forms, which do not have a fungal cell wall, interact with immune cells. In this study, the immune response to the life cycle …

Transcendental Idealism’S Theory Of Selfhood: Fichte On The Relationship Between Knowing Oneself And Moral Deliberation, Caroline Ann Buchanan

Theses and Dissertations--Philosophy

In this dissertation, I take on an exegetical project of understanding how Fichte’s theory of the self influences his account of moral deliberation, and specifically, his account of conscience. I argue that moral action can only be understood within Fichte’s system as possible on the basis of the individual’s own cognitive awareness that they are not only bound by the moral law, but that they are so in virtue of their essential nature as selves. In other words, the feeling of conscience in Fichte’s work, and the decision to abide it, requires that the acting individual recognize that the ought …

Comparison Of General And High Probability Motor Sequence Attentional Cues For Increasing Vocabulary Identification In Students With Autism, Ashleigh G. Obst

Theses and Dissertations--Early Childhood, Special Education, and Counselor Education

The present study assessed if embedding high probability responding (high-p) into an attentional cue, versus a general attentional cue (GA), would result in students with moderate and severe disabilities displaying differential responding for grade level science vocabulary word identification. Using an adapted alternating treatments design, three students with autism spectrum disorder received an intervention involving a GA cue and one with a high-p to determine which is more efficient. Hypothesized results are that the attentional cue with a high-probability motor sequence would be more effective for teaching vocabulary word identification.

Antisense Afp Transcripts In Mouse Liver And Their Potential Role In Afp Gene Regulation, Maria S. Dixon

Theses and Dissertations--Microbiology, Immunology, and Molecular Genetics

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the most common form of primary liver cancer, ranking the sixth most common cancer and third most common cause of cancer mortality worldwide. Alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) is a plasma protein that is highly expressed in the fetal liver and shut off after birth. AFP expression is elevated in regenerating adult liver and HCC and has been used extensively as a diagnostic marker of liver cancer. We have been studying mouse liver gene regulation to better understand mechanisms by which changes in gene expression contribute to liver development, homeostasis and disease. Zinc Fingers and Homeoboxes 2 (Zhx2) has …

Therapeutic Potential Of Targeting Reactive Oxygen Species (Ros) Stress In Myelodysplastic Syndrome (Mds), Karine Z. Oben

Theses and Dissertations--Microbiology, Immunology, and Molecular Genetics

Myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS) are a diverse group of clonal hematologic disorders characterized by ineffective blood cell production (hematopoiesis), dysplastic (abnormal) cell morphology in one or more hematopoietic lineages, and progression to acute myeloid leukemia (AML). The response rate to current FDA approved therapies is low and not durable. Just about 50% of MDS patients respond to these drug therapies and a majority of responders relapse within 2-3 years. Hence there is a compelling need to investigate new therapy options.

We investigated the anticancer potential and possible underlying molecular mechanisms of action of a plant-derived compound, Withaferin A (WFA) in MDS. …

“I Wonder What You Think Of Me”: A Qualitative Approach To Examining Stereotype Awareness In Appalachian Students, Chelsea G. Adams

Theses and Dissertations--Educational, School, and Counseling Psychology

Historically, Appalachia has been stereotyped as being a culture bred in poverty and ignorance. Much research has shown that stereotyping reveals a pattern of behavioral change and an impact on psychological well-being for the stereotyped (e.g., Pinel, 1999; Woodcock, Jernandez, Estrada, & Schultz, 2012), and has largely been centered on race and gender (e.g., Byrnes, 2008; Tuckman & Monetti, 2011). Less is known about the development of culture-specific stereotypes such as those related to Appalachians – a highly stigmatized group (Daniels, 2014; Otto, 2002). The purpose of this study was to gain an understanding of how adolescents in rural Appalachia …

Environmental Values, Stated Preferences, And Hypothetical Bias, Jerrod M. Penn

Theses and Dissertations--Agricultural Economics

Contingent Valuation (CV) methods are a primary tool in environmental economics to ascertain non-use or other values not observable through existing market mechanisms. Because common CV approaches typically rely on hypothetical answers from surveys in order to generate welfare estimates, these are often labelled stated preferences. Results from stated preference methods often diverge from those obtained when actual preference or behavior are involved. This divergence is commonly known as Hypothetical Bias (HB). This dissertation addresses HB as it applies to environmental applications. To begin, a meta-analysis using a sample of studies many times larger than previous works was performed. Its …

Memes: The Interaction Between Imagery And Subculture: An Analysis Of Situation, Race, And Gender On The Pi Kappa Delta Social Media App, Veronica Scott, Timothy Bill

Oswald Research and Creativity Competition

Collegiate speech and debate participants are committed to performance excellence and organizational unity. Pi Kappa Delta, a central organization for this subculture, annually hosts a national competition, during which competitors can create and post memes via the tournament phone app. While it is well-known that memes are a function of participatory culture, no analysis has yet examined memes exclusively consumed by the same subculture which created them. In this study, we examine the implicit messaging of this memetic imagery, and by doing so, gain insight into both the collegiate forensics subculture, and the function of memes in a small group.

Increasing Self-Initiated Question Asking With Adults With Autism Using Pivotal Response Training Strategies And Constant Time Delay, John Colin Vogler

Theses and Dissertations--Early Childhood, Special Education, and Counselor Education

The purpose of this study was to implement pivotal response training (PRT) strategies paired with constant time delay (CTD) to teach an individual with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and intellectual disability (ID) to self-initiate through question asking. A multiple probe across behaviors design was used to evaluate effectiveness of implementation. Results show that this naturalistic intervention is effective for some questions, while other questions need to be taught in more contrived scenarios.

The Role Of The Community Capital Framework And Christian Faith-Based Community Development Organizations In Kentucky, Samson S. Tarpeh

Theses and Dissertations--Community & Leadership Development

The purpose of this study is to investigate the work of Christian faith-based organizations (FBO) doing community development work in Kentucky and to learn about how they might be using community development concepts and system approaches as articulated in the Community Capitals Framework (CCF) and to critically examine those findings. The CCF is comprised of seven capitals including Natural, Cultural, Human, Social, Political, Financial, and Built. Emery and Flora (2006) assert that the “CCF offers a way to analyze community and economic development efforts from a systems perspective by identifying the assets in each capital (stock), the types of capital …

Aβ Vaccination In Combination With Behavioral Enrichment In Aged Beagles: Effects On Cognition, Aβ, And Microhemorrhages, Paulina R. Davis, Ginevra Giannini, Karin Rudolph, Nathaniel Calloway, Christopher M. Royer, Tina L. Beckett, M. Paul Murphy, Frederick Bresch, Dieter Pagani, Thomas Platt, Xiaohong Wang, Amy Skinner Donovan, Tiffany L. Sudduth, Wenjie Lou, Erin L. Abner, Richard J. Kryscio, Donna M. Wilcock, Edward G. Barrett, Elizabeth Head

Sanders-Brown Center on Aging Faculty Publications

Beta-amyloid (Aβ) immunotherapy is a promising intervention to slow Alzheimer’s disease (AD). Aging dogs naturally accumulate Aβ and show cognitive decline. An active vaccine against fibrillar Aβ 1–42 (VAC) in aged beagles resulted in maintenance but not improvement of cognition along with reduced brain Aβ. Behavioral enrichment (ENR) led to cognitive benefits but no reduction in Aβ. We hypothesized cognitive outcomes could be improved by combining VAC with ENR in aged dogs. Aged dogs (11–12 years) were placed into 4 groups: (1) control/control (C/C); (2) control/VAC (C/V); (3) ENR/control (E/C); (4) ENR and VAC (E/V) and treated for 20 months. …

Chunchucmil’S Urban Population, Scott R. Hutson, Aline Magnoni, Traci Ardren, Chelsea Blackmore, Travis W. Stanton

Anthropology Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Actus Reus, Mens Rea, And Brain Science: What Do Volition And Intent Really Mean?, Erica Beecher-Monas, Edgar Garcia-Rill

Kentucky Law Journal

The foundational elements of criminal law, actus reus and mens rea, are vague, imprecise, and indeterminate categories that are based on outdated notions about human behavior. These confused categories affect not only what legally constitutes choice, volition, and intent, but also the defendant's ability to present evidence (since the categories define the evidence that will be admissible), and ultimately, criminal liability. In this Article we explain how neuroscience allows us to reconsider these legal concepts and conceive a more informed view of human behavior (and therefore criminal liabilty). The Article explains how distortions in brain function affect the way …

Thoroughbred Horse Racing: Why A Uniform Approach To Drug Regulation Is Necessary, Cody M. Conner

Kentucky Journal of Equine, Agriculture, & Natural Resources Law

No abstract provided.

Differences In Behavioral And Physiological Variables Measured With Precision Dairy Monitoring Technologies Associated With Postpartum Diseases, I Ching Tsai

Theses and Dissertations--Animal and Food Sciences

The transition period is defined as the three weeks before and three weeks after the cow calves. Transition cow diseases are considered production diseases. Precision dairy monitoring (PDM) technologies measure physiological, behavioral, and production indicators on individual animals to improve management strategies and farm performance. The objective of the first study was to assess how hypocalcemia, hyperketonemia, and metritis affected variables measured by PDM technologies. The objective of the second study was to use variables from multiple commercially available PDM to examine alert performance generated from different analyses.

An Examination Of Milk Quality Effects On Milk Yield And Dairy Production Economics In The Southeastern United States, Derek T. Nolan

Theses and Dissertations--Animal and Food Sciences

Mastitis is one of the most costly diseases to dairy producers around the world with milk yield loss being the biggest contributor to economic losses. The objective of first study of this thesis was to determine the impacts of high somatic cell counts on milk yield loss. To accomplish this, over one million cow data records were collected from Southeastern US dairy herds. The objective of the second study was to determine optimum treatment cost of clinical mastitis by combining two economic modeling approaches used in animal health economics. The last objective of this thesis was to determine how much …

Molecularly Imprinted Polymers Synthesized As Adsorbents For Ergot Alkaloids: Characterization And In Vitro And Ex Vivo Assessment Of Effects On Ergot Alkaloid Bioavailability, Manoj B. Kudupoje

Theses and Dissertations--Animal and Food Sciences

Alkaloid toxicities negatively impact livestock health and production and are of serious economic concern to animal industries. To date, few strategies have been developed to evaluate alkaloid levels in feed or to counteract alkaloid toxicities. The present research evaluated the applicability of imprinting technology to synthesize polymers that have potential to interact with ergot alkaloids and therefore reduce their bioavailability in the GIT. The studies also evaluated applicability of synthesized polymers for use in the ruminal environment using an in vitro ruminal fermentation model, and for the ability to ameliorate vasoconstriction using ex vivo myographic evaluations.

In the first experiment, …

Sediment Transport Modelling Using Dynamic (Dis)Connectivity Prediction For A Bedrock Controlled Catchment, David Tyler Mahoney

Theses and Dissertations--Civil Engineering

The (dis)connectivity of sediment, defined as the detachment and transport of sediment from source to sink between geomorphic zones, is a major control on sediment transport rates but has seldom taken precedence in sediment transport models that focus on assessment of sediment impacts on water supply. A watershed-scale sediment transport model was formulated that incorporates sediment (dis)connectivity knowledge and subroutines and predicts sediment flux through coupling with an excessive shear stress erosion equation. The intersecting probabilities of sediment supply, detachment, transport, and (dis)connectivity produce the probability of sediment connectivity for a watershed or region of a watershed. The integration of …

Uk Law Notes, 2017, University Of Kentucky College Of Law

Annual Magazines

No abstract provided.

Influences Of Probability Instruction On Undergraduates' Understanding Of Counting Processes, Kayla Blyman

Theses and Dissertations--Education Sciences

Historically, students in an introductory finite mathematics course at a major university in the mid-south have struggled the most with the counting and probability unit, leading instructors to question if there was a better way to help students master the material. The purpose of this study was to begin to understand connections that undergraduate finite mathematics students are making between counting and probability. By examining student performance in counting and probability, this study provides insights that inform future instruction in courses that include counting and probability. Consequently, this study lays the groundwork for future inquiries in the field of undergraduate …

Field-Observed Angles Of Repose For Stored Grain In The United States, Rumela Bhadra, Mark E. Casada, Sidney A. Thompson, Josephine M. Boac, Ronaldo G. Maghirang, Michael D. Montross, Aaron P. Turner, Samuel G. Mcneill

Biosystems and Agricultural Engineering Faculty Publications

Bulk grain angle of repose (AoR) is a key parameter for inventorying grain, predicting flow characteristics, and designing bins and grain handling systems. The AoR is defined for two cases, piling (dynamic) or emptying (static), and usually varies with grain type. The objective of this study was to measure piling angles of repose for corn, sorghum, barley, soybeans, oats, and hard red winter (HRW) wheat in steel and concrete bins in the United States. Angles were measured in 182 bins and 7 outdoor piles. The piling AoR for corn ranged from 15.7° to 30.2° (median of 20.4° and standard deviation …

Automated Calibration Of Electrochemical Oxygen Sensors For Use In Compost Bedded Pack Barns, John T. Evans, Michael P. Sama, Joseph L. Taraba, George B. Day

Biosystems and Agricultural Engineering Faculty Publications

The objective of this study was to develop an automated calibration process for a galvanic cell type oxygen sensor. The manufacturer recommended a two-point calibration at room temperature; however, testing revealed that the response was not linear when both the temperature and oxygen concentrations varied. Thus, additional points were needed to generate a representative calibration equation and to reduce the sensor prediction interval. The calibration process needed to be capable of automatically recording sensor response (voltage) at an array of temperatures and oxygen concentrations. Calibration gases were used to precisely control the oxygen concentration inside a small manifold, and an …

Ammonia And Carbon Dioxide Emissions Of Three Laying-Hen Housing Systems As Affected By Manure Accumulation Time, Timothy A. Shepherd, Hongwei Xin, John P. Stinn, Morgan D. Hayes, Yang Zhao, Hong Li

Biosystems and Agricultural Engineering Faculty Publications

Laying-hen housing design and management are the most significant factors affecting the generation and release of gaseous ammonia to the atmosphere. Transitioning the hen housing type from traditional high-rise (where manure is stored within the house for about one year) to modern manure-belt style (where manure is removed every 1 to 4 d and placed into long-term storage) has significantly improved in-barn air quality and reduced farm-level ammonia emissions. As a direct result of the advantages, 100% of new construction for U.S. egg production incorporates manure-belt systems that regularly remove manure from the houses. However, manure-belt system designs (e.g., active …

Development And Evaluation Of A Low-Cost Probe-Type Instrument To Measure The Equilibrium Moisture Content Of Grain, Paul R. Armstrong, Samuel G. Mcneill, Naomi Manu, Augustine Bosomtwe, James K. Danso, Enoch Osekre, George Opit

Biosystems and Agricultural Engineering Faculty Publications

Storage of grain in bags is common in Africa, Asia, and many other less developed countries making a bag probing method well-suited for moisture content (MC) measurement. A low-cost meter was developed under a USAID project to reduce post-harvest loss (PHL). The meter, referred to as the PHL meter, measures the MC of maize and other grains based on relative humidity (RH) and temperature (T) measurements obtained by a small digital sensor located in the tip of a tubular probe that can be inserted into bags of grain or other grain bulks. Measurements are used by equilibrium moisture content (EMC) …

Evaluating Ventilation Rates Based On New Heat And Moisture Production Data For Swine Production, Yanxi Lu, Morgan D. Hayes, John P. Stinn, Tami M. Brown-Brandl, Hongwei Xin

Biosystems and Agricultural Engineering Faculty Publications

Heat and moisture production (HMP) rates of animals are used for calculation of ventilation rate (VR) in animal housing. New swine HMP data revealed considerable differences from previously reported data. This project determined new design VRs and evaluated differences from previously recommended VRs. The swine production stages evaluated included gestation, farrowing, nursery, growing, and finishing. The ranges of ambient temperature and ambient relative humidity (RH) evaluated for VR were -25°C to 15°C in 10°C increments and 15% to 75% in 15% increments, respectively. Indoor set points for temperature and RH were, respectively, 15°C, 20°C, 25°C and 60%, 70%, 80% for …

Effects Of Biochar Treatment Of Municipal Biosolids And Horse Manure On Quality Of Runoff From Fescue Plots, Rachel Williams, Dwayne R. Edwards

Biosystems and Agricultural Engineering Faculty Publications

Land-applied horse manure and municipal biosolids can increase nutrient and bacteria concentrations in runoff. Biochar has been demonstrated to have beneficial impacts on nutrient retention and runoff quality when used to treat other land-applied organic soil amendments (e.g., poultry manure). The objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of biochar addition to horse manure and municipal biosolids on runoff concentrations of nutrients and fecal coliforms. Biochar was added at 5% to 8% (wet basis) to horse manure and biosolids that were applied to 2.4 m x 6.1 m fescue plots followed by application of simulated rainfall (102 mm …

Geopolymerization Of Coal Ash To Produce Cementless Binders, Hamid Akbari, Robert Mensah-Biney, Jonathan Simms

Coal Combustion and Gasification Products Journal Archive

The main objective of this study was to evaluate geopolymer concrete made from coal combustion by-products, disposed of in landfills, as a potential substitute for the ordinary Portland cement (OPC), which is responsible for 5-8% of the total CO2 emissions in the world. In this study, a coal fly ash sample from the Carolinas was used in a chemical process known as geopolymerization to produce a “geopolymer” binder. The developed geopolymer binder could competently substitute the OPC binder in regular concrete applications. An experimental design program was conducted to optimize parameters of the geopolymerization affecting the strength of the final …

Kentucky Annual Economic Report 2017, Christopher R. Bollinger, William H. Hoyt, David Blackwell, Michael T. Childress

Kentucky Annual Economic Report

No abstract provided.

Genetic Analysis Of Serf Gene Function In Drosophila Melanogaster And Its Contribution To A Fly Model Of Spinal Muscular Atrophy, Swagata Ghosh

Theses and Dissertations--Biology

The Serf gene is evolutionarily highly conserved but its biological function is not known in any organism. In human, SERF1/H4F5 was first identified as a modifier of the disease Spinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA). SMA is caused by mutations in the Survival Motor Neuron 1(SMN1) gene leading to diminished levels of the Smn protein. More than 90% of patients with the most severe form of SMA have deletions that remove SERF1 as well as mutaions within SMN1. Hence, loss of Serf activity is hypothesized to exacerbate SMA disease progression. The primary motivation of this thesis was to test …