Digital Commons Network^™

Perception And Use Of Communication Care Plans By Certified Nursing Assistants In Nursing Homes: The Role Of Professional Support, Christen G. Page

Theses and Dissertations--Rehabilitation Sciences

The majority of individuals in nursing homes have cognitive-communication impairments which impact quality of care because direct care providers, certified nursing assistants, (CNAs) are unsure how to respond to resident’s communication behaviors. One intervention that facilitates staff-resident communication in nursing homes is communication plans; however, the research to date about communication plans has not specifically involved CNAs.

The purpose of this study, using a grounded theory qualitative approach, was to describe development, implementation and evaluation of communication care plans (CCPs) for residents with cognitive-communication impairments in nursing homes by CNAs who did and did not receive professional support. Communication care …

Problem Solving Of Typically Developing Children On An Adaptation Of The Twenty Questions Task, Janice Carter Smith

Theses and Dissertations--Rehabilitation Sciences

This cross sectional study examined problem solving by typically developing children on the Rapid Assessment of Problem Solving test (RAPS). The RAPS, a modification of Mosher and Hornsby’s 20Q task, requires the examinee to solve three problems. Each problem involves asking yes/no questions to identify a target picture from a 32-picture array with as few questions as possible. Participants were 73 young (ages 7-9), 79 early adolescent (ages 10-13) and 77 adolescent (ages 14-17) children residing in Kentucky. Children were seen in the summer months and administered the RAPS on a single occasion, with 22 of the children being testing …

The Joys Of Earth: Evolutionary Kinship In Victorian Atheist And Agnostic Authors, Keri R. Stevenson

Theses and Dissertations--English

Darwin’s evolutionary theory provided, for some atheist and agnostic authors in Victorian England, a theory of kinship and community, of investment in the world, that had been missing before. Without a “creation” story that could match the Biblical version, those who stood outside the dominant Christian paradigm rarely had the words or concepts to construct their own visions of how humans fit into the existence of other species, into landscapes, and into a world that, if unfallen, seemed resistant to other explanations. Those who did construct alternate mythologies usually reared them on a Christian base.

Into the Victorian loss of …

Role Of Ionotropic Glutamate Receptors In Delay And Probability Discounting In The Rat, Justin R. Yates, Seth R. Batten, Michael T. Bardo, Joshua S. Beckmann

Psychology Faculty Publications

Rationale Discounting of delayed and probabilistic reinforcement is linked to increased drug use and pathological gambling. Understanding the neurobiology of discounting is important for designing treatments for these disorders. Glutamate is considered to be involved in addiction-like behaviors; however, the role of ionotropic glutamate receptors (iGluRs) in discounting remains unclear.

Objectives The current study examined the effects of N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) and α-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methyl-4-isoxazolepropionic acid (AMPA) glutamate receptor blockade on performance in delay and probability discounting tasks.

Methods Following training in either delay or probability discounting, rats (n=12, each task) received pretreatments of the NMDA receptor antagonists MK-801 (0, 0.01, 0.03, 0.1, …

Pack Factor Measurements For Corn In Grain Storage Bins, Rumela Bhadra, Aaron P. Turner, Mark E. Casada, Michael D. Montross, Sidney A. Thompson, Josephine M. Boac, Samuel G. Mcneill, Ronaldo G. Maghirang

Biosystems and Agricultural Engineering Faculty Publications

Shelled yellow corn is commonly stored in concrete or corrugated steel bins. Granular materials compact under their own weight, primarily due to particle rearrangement, leading to an increase in bulk density and a change in volume when stored. Reliable grain pack factors are needed to estimate storage capacities and to accurately monitor grain inventories. A science-based model (WPACKING) of pack factors is available that uses the differential form of Janssen's equation and takes into account the variation in density caused by pressure variation with height and moisture content of the grain and accounts for the effects of grain type, test …

Coffee: A Selected Overview Of Beneficial Or Harmful Effects On The Cardiovascular System?, Thomas F. Whayne Jr.

Internal Medicine Faculty Publications

With a history that began in 800 A.D., coffee is the most popular drink known and as a result, the issues regarding its physiologic effects deserve attention. Maintaining alertness is a well-known benefit and in addition, the cardiovascular (CV) effects of the active compounds, which include polyphenols and caffeine, must be considered. Genetics are relevant and where slow caffeine metabolism is inherent, the risk of nonfatal myocardial (MI) has been shown to be increased. Overall risk for coronary heart disease (CHD) is not supported and unless there is excessive intake, congestive heart failure (CHF) is not adversely affected; in moderation, …

Hiv And Minority Youth, Mandakini Sadhir, Hatim A. Omar

Pediatrics Faculty Publications

Human Immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection is a major public health problem with the burden of disease increasing in adolescents and young adults particularly among black males and males who have sex with males (MSM).

Paper I: Stress In Adolescents, Stephanie Stockburger, Hatim A. Omar

Pediatrics Faculty Publications

It is well known that adolescents experience stress. In this article, sources of adolescent stress will be discussed as well as the physiological effects of stress on the body. Stress disorders will also be briefly reviewed. Mainly, research on stress management strategies that have been evaluated in adolescents will be presented. Many studies have a small number of participants and lack control groups. Therefore, there is a need for ongoing research in this important area.

Part Ii - Stress And Stress Management Strategies In Adolescents, Stephanie Stockburger, Hatim A. Omar

Pediatrics Faculty Publications

It is well known that adolescents experience stress. In this article, sources of adolescent stress will be discussed as well as the physiological effects of stress on the body. Stress disorders will also be briefly reviewed. Mainly, research on stress management strategies that have been evaluated in adolescents will be presented. Many studies have a small number of participants and lack control groups. Therefore, there is a need for ongoing research in this important area.

Cross-Talk Between The Tumor Suppressors Par-4 And P53, Tripti Shrestha Bhattarai

Theses and Dissertations--Toxicology and Cancer Biology

This work describes the fascinating interplay between two tumor suppressors Prostate apoptosis response-4 (Par-4) and p53. The guardian of the genome, p53, is frequently mutated in human cancers, and may contribute to therapeutic resistance. However, p53 is intact and functional in normal tissues, and we observed that specific activation of p53 in normal fibroblasts could induce apoptosis selectively in p53-deficient cancer cells. This paracrine apoptotic effect was executed by Par-4 secreted in response to p53 activation. Accordingly, activation of p53 in wild-type mice, but not in p53^-/- or Par-4^-/- mice, caused systemic elevation of Par-4 that induced apoptosis …

Demographic Disparities In Children With Behavioral Or Conduct Disorders, Caitlin Dunworth

Theses and Dissertations--Public Health (M.P.H. & Dr.P.H.)

This study examines the demographic disparities in children with externalizing behavior disorders, such as oppositional defiant disorder and conduct disorder, utilizing secondary data from the 2011/2012 National Survey of Children’s Health (NSCH). Current literature suggests that children with externalizing behavior disorders are more likely to be male, live in a low-­‐income family, receive lower grades in school, and to develop later conditions such as depression. Chi square tests and logistic regression were used to examine the associations of presence of a current behavioral or conduct problems with age group, race/ethnicity, sex, household income level, and insurance type. Additionally, associations were …

Fatal Injuries Among Young Workers In Kentucky, 2005-2014, Allison Christian

Theses and Dissertations--Public Health (M.P.H. & Dr.P.H.)

Background: Young workers have been more vulnerable to fatal and nonfatal work injuries. To gain a comprehensive understanding of the injuries that led to fatalities in younger workers, the goal of this study was to compare characteristics of young worker fatal injuries in those aged 16-24 to all workers aged 25 and older in Kentucky using a descriptive analysis.

Methods: A retrospective analysis of fatalities among workers under the age of 25 compared to workers aged 25 and older was performed over a ten-year period from 2005-2014 using Kentucky Fatality Assessment and Control Evaluation (FACE) program data.

Results …

Pulmonary Function Among Latino Thoroughbred Workers - A Pilot Study, John C. Flunker

Theses and Dissertations--Public Health (M.P.H. & Dr.P.H.)

Background/Objectives

Evidence suggests working in horse barns is associated with adverse respiratory effects among Latino thoroughbred workers, yet no studies to date have measured pulmonary function. We examined the prevalence of self-reported respiratory symptoms, abnormal pulmonary function, and associated occupational factors among Latino thoroughbred farmworkers.

Methods

Participants were recruited via a community-based, purposive sampling strategy and participated in an interview-administered survey and spirometer test. Surveys and spirometry tests were administered to 80 participants by two trained health promoters (Promotoras) in July-September 2014. Pulmonary function (abnormal/normal) was classified by a pulmonologist. Demographic and occupational factors were assessed for associations with respiratory …

Correlates Of Depression And Poor Respiratory Health: A Cohort Study In A Rural County, Stephanie Courtney

Theses and Dissertations--Public Health (M.P.H. & Dr.P.H.)

Objective

High rates of depression are widespread globally and are among the leading causes of disability. To better understand the effects of depression on health outcomes, more research is necessary. This study examines the associations between depression and adverse respiratory outcomes among a cohort of Iowa residents living in a rural county. This study also investigates differences in the reporting of chronic and incident respiratory outcomes.

Methods

Data were obtained from the Keokuk County Rural Health Study (1994-2004) for individuals 18 years of age or older (N=1012). The primary outcome, poor respiratory health (PRH), was based on self-reported diagnoses for …

Salmonellosis In Kentucky Cattle - 2003-2014, Azia Elizabeth Ramirez

Theses and Dissertations--Public Health (M.P.H. & Dr.P.H.)

The group of bacteria known collectively as Salmonella has historically been a major cause of both health and economic hardships. In particular, Salmonella in bovine has been estimated to cause the economy to lose billions of dollars annually, both due to the increased morbidity and mortality rates of the cattle themselves and the indirect loss of potential profits, and also results in the spread of the bacteria to humans to ill effect. Salmonella thus can be quite taxing to agricultural communities, the animals upon which they rely, and the consumers that buy said communities’ commodities. Thus, the importance of an …

Outbreak Severity Index: The International Response To The Global Outbreaks, Mohamed A. Abofaye

Theses and Dissertations--Public Health (M.P.H. & Dr.P.H.)

Outbreaks are emergency situations that carry hazards of death, disability, loss of home and property, and variety of other calamities. With technological advancement, not only people and commodities are easy to transfer but also disease outbreaks. However, outbreaks are dealt with by different countries based on the differences in their healthcare systems and their ability to achieve effective control of the outbreak. SARS, MERS, and Ebola are example of such outbreaks that traveled around the globe and successful control was different according to the virulence of outbreak agent and to the effectiveness of local health system control measures. This capstone …

The Effect Of Dietary Nucleotides In Sow And Nursery Piglet Diets On Reproduction, Growth, And Immune Response, I-Fen Hung

Theses and Dissertations--Animal and Food Sciences

The objectives of these studies was to evaluate the effects of nucleotide (NT) supplementation of sow diets during late gestation and lactation and in nursery diets to elucidate the potential value of nucleotides for a variety of biological responses.

The studies conducted in the university research facilities showed that supplying nucleotides to sow diets during late gestation and throughout lactation had no effect on routinely measured reproductive responses or piglet growth postweaning. Nucleotides in the nursery diet had no effects on growth performance and intestinal morphology. However, the LPS-challenged pigs that consumed NT diets tended to lose less weight and …

Steroid-Dependent Regulation Of The Oviduct: A Cross-Species Transcriptomal Analysis, Katheryn L. Cerny

Theses and Dissertations--Animal and Food Sciences

Reproductive success depends on a functional oviduct for gamete storage, maturation, fertilization, and early-conceptus development. The ovarian-derived sex steroids estradiol and progesterone are known to affect functionality of the oviduct. Advances in microarray and NanoString technology allow for gene expression analysis to increase understanding of processes critical for fertility. Studies were conducted to investigate mechanisms regulating oviductal function in cattle and mice by using the Bovine Gene 1.0 ST array and the Mouse Gene 430-2.0 arrays (Affymetrix Inc., CA), respectively.

For the first study, oviducts were collected from heifers assigned to luteal or follicular phase groups. In the second study …

Impact Of Endophyte-Infected Tall Fescue Seed On The Acute Phase And Metabolic Responses Of Cattle During An Immunological Challenge, Alexander W. Altman

Theses and Dissertations--Animal and Food Sciences

Acute phase responses (APR) and circadian rhythm of body temperature (CRT) changes to a minor, chronic stressor (endophyte) and major, acute stressor, lipopolysaccharide (LPS) were evaluated in two experiments (E1:22 heifers; E2:24 heifers). Vaginal (E1 and E2) and rectal (E2) temperature probes recorded body temperature. Temperature was analyzed by cosinor analysis in each of 4 Phases: pre-endophyte (P1), endophyte exposure, pre-LPS (P2), post-LPS spike 1 (P3), post-LPS spike 2 (P4). During P1 of E1, amplitude (P=0.05), but not mean temperatures (P>0.10), differed across days (P=0.05). Endophyte affected E2 vaginal temperature amplitudes in P2 (P=0.07) and P4 (P=0.08) without influencing …

Interaction Of Dietary Supplements Of Organic Trace Minerals And Phytase On Growth Performance And Mineral Metabolism Of Replacement Pullets, Alfredo Mañón

Theses and Dissertations--Animal and Food Sciences

Effects of dietary supplementation with low levels of organic sources of trace minerals in place of normal levels of their inorganic salts and phytase on growth performance and mineral metabolism were evaluated in two studies using pullets of white and brown shell laying strains. The organic sources were proteinates of copper, iron, manganese and zinc and selenium yeast. A corn-soybean meal diet was fed alone, plus inorganic minerals or plus organic minerals, and with or without phytase in a 3 x 2 factorial arrangement. Twelve groups of 16 pullets, 2 weeks old, were used per treatment. Compared with inorganic minerals, …

The Effect Of Β-Hydroxy-Β-Methylbutyrate (Hmb) Supplementation On Neuromuscular Performance Following Fatiguing Exercise In Healthy Subjects, Jordon W. Macht

Theses and Dissertations--Kinesiology and Health Promotion

Supporters of a nutritional supplement, β-Hydroxy-β-Methylbutyrate (HMB) supplementation, claim that it will increase the muscular strength gains and lean muscle mass gains seen during a resistance training program. It has been suggested that HMB supplementation does this by preventing muscle damage or by regenerating damaged muscle cell membranes. However, no research has evaluated the effect of HMB supplementation on low frequency fatigue. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to determine if three weeks of HMB supplementation could attenuate the effects of low frequency fatigue caused by eccentric muscle contractions of the tibialis anterior muscle. A total of 33 healthy …

The Effect Of Cholesterol On The Osteoblast Responsiveness To Hydrodynamic Pressure Stimulation, Kristen Lough

Theses and Dissertations--Biomedical Engineering

Hypercholesterolemia is a risk factor for osteoporosis but the underlying mechanism is unknown. Previous evidence suggests that osteoporosis results from an impaired regulation of osteoblasts by fluid pressure fluctuations in the bone matrix. Recently, our laboratory showed that enhanced cholesterol in the cell membrane, due to hypercholesterolemia, alters leukocyte mechanosensitivity. We predict a similar link between osteoblasts and hypercholesterolemia leading to osteoporosis. Specifically, we hypothesize that extracellular cholesterol modifies the osteoblast sensitivity to pressure. MC3T3-E1 cells were exposed to hydrodynamic pressures regimes (mean=40mmHg, amplitude=0-20mmHg, frequency=1Hz) for 1-12 hours. To assess the impact of membrane cholesterol enrichment, cells were pre-treated with …

The Adaptation Of Loanwords In Classical Arabic: The Governing Factors, Noor M. Bueasa

Theses and Dissertations--Linguistics

Loanwords are integrated into Classical Arabic from various languages such as Latin, Greek, Persian, Syriac, Turkish, and others. When such words get borrowed into Arabic, they either get adopted, remaining as they are in the source language, or get adapted by undergoing certain phonological and morphological alterations. Such morphophonological changes would be defined within an adaptability scale which exhibits three different positions. The first position is occupied by merely adopted (MA) loanwords, like khurasān ‘cement’ (Persian), the second position is assigned for partially adapted (PA) loanwords, as shatarandj ‘chess’ (Persian chatrang), and the third position is for the fully …

The Shawnee Alignment System: Applying Paradigm Function Morphology To Lexical-Functional Grammar's M-Structure, Nathan Hardymon

Theses and Dissertations--Linguistics

Shawnee is a language whose alignment system is of the type first proposed by Nichols (1992) and Siewierska (1998): hierarchical alignment. This alignment system was proposed to account for languages where distinctions between agent (A) and object (O) are not formally manifested. Such is the case in Shawnee; there are person-marking inflections on the verb for both A and O, but there is not set order. Instead, Shawnee makes reference to an animacy hierarchy and is an inverse system. This thesis explores how hierarchical alignment is accounted for by Lexical Functional Grammar (LFG), and also applies Paradigm Function Morphology to …

For The Love Of Robots: Posthumanism In Latin American Science Fiction Between 1960-1999, Grace A. Martin

Theses and Dissertations--Hispanic Studies

Posthumanism—understood as a symbiotic relationship between humans and technology—is quickly and surely becoming an inextricable part of daily life. In an era where technology can be worn as an extension of—and an enhancement to—our bodies, traditional science fiction tropes such as robots and cyborgs resurface and reformulate questions on critical aspects of human experience: who are we and what do our (imagined) technologies say about our world? Such questions are far more complex than they appear. Their answers should not come from one source alone, as humanness is experienced differently across time and cultural systems. In this sense, it is …

A Public Duty: Medicine And Commerce In Nineteenth-Century American Literature And Culture, Heather E. Chacon

Theses and Dissertations--English

Using recent criticism on speculation and disability in addition to archival materials, “A Public Duty: Medicine and Commerce in Nineteenth-Century American Literature and Culture” demonstrates that reform-minded nineteenth-century authors drew upon the representational power of public health to express excitement and anxiety about the United States’ emerging economic and political prominence. Breaking with a critical tradition holding that the professionalization of medicine and authorship served primarily to support and define an ascending middle class, I argue that the authors such as Robert Montgomery Bird, Fanny Fern, George Washington Cable, and Pauline Hopkins fuse the rhetoric of economic policy and public …

State Violence, Mobility And Everyday Life In Cairo, Egypt, Christine E. Smith

Theses and Dissertations--Geography

State violence in Egypt is an embedded part of daily life and popular culture, and well documented in social and news media. The uprisings of January 11, which took place in Egypt were organized in large part against violence and torture regularly delivered by police forces. In this dissertation I examine the implications of chronic state violence on everyday life for low-income Egyptians. In doing so, this dissertation provides analysis of how violence shapes forms of intimacy within social life, how it shapes urban landscapes and the politics therein and how it informs individual piety and banal practices of security. …

Social Space And Social Media: Analyzing Urban Space With Big Data, Ate Poorthuis

Theses and Dissertations--Geography

This dissertation focuses on the key role that big data can play in minimizing the perceived disconnect between social theory and quantitative methods in the discipline of geography. It takes as its starting point the geographic concept of space, which is conceptualized very differently in social theory versus quantitative methodology. Contrary to this disparity, an examination of the disciplinary history reveals a number of historic precedents and potential pathways for a rapprochement, especially when combined with some of the new possibilities of big data. This dissertation also proposes solutions to two common barriers to the adoption of big data in …

Critical-Reflective Thinking: A Phenomenology, Margot D. Wielgus

Theses and Dissertations--Philosophy

This dissertation formulates and describes a type of thinking called critical-reflective thinking. Examples of critical-reflective thinking appear in the works of many major Western philosophical figures, including the main thinkers considered here, Plato, Martin Heidegger, Hannah Arendt, and Henry David Thoreau. Although this list of thinkers is eclectic, these philosophers come together in describing a common phenomenon, although they do not thematically designate or explain it. Their works illustrate a type of thinking in which people are invited by prompting events to consider their presuppositions—notions they have taken as true without prior consideration. I have deemed this phenomenon “critical-reflective thinking” …

Insights Into Perspectives On Environmental Sustainability, Amber R. Shobe

Theses and Dissertations--Community & Leadership Development

As scientists become more aware of the imposing threats associated with climate change, university leaders are encouraged to become familiar with the principles of sustainability. Abundant research already supports the relevance of environmental sustainability in higher education; however, there exists a gap in the literature which investigates an understanding of environmental sustainability and the implementation of its practices. By examining colleges at the University of Kentucky, this study identifies organizational barriers to recognizing a thorough understanding of environmental sustainability at the departmental level. The results indicate that out of the eight colleges selected, two have no existing environmental sustainability programs …