Digital Commons Network^™

The Effects Of Country Of Origin Image And Patriotism On Consumer Preference For Domestic Versus Imported Beef, Thong Meas

Theses and Dissertations--Agricultural Economics

Country of origin (COO) effect is a well-researched topic in the international marketing literature. It is well recognized that consumers are biased against imports, due to consumer ethnocentrism or patriotism tendency. However, the research on COO effects also suggests that consumers form certain image of origin countries (COO image) and favorable image, be it associated with the countries, their people, or general product quality, improves the evaluation and acceptance of foreign imports.

The publications related to COO effects which focus on consumer durables are abundant. However, the contrasting COO effects on food products are much less investigated. This study surveys …

Economic Analysis And Willingness To Pay For Alternative Charcoal And Clean Cook Stoves In Haiti, Nicaise S. Sagbo

Theses and Dissertations--Agricultural Economics

Conventional charcoal and firewood are the main source of energy in Haiti. They provide up to 90% of the country’s energy for domestic and industrial use, resulting in severe environmental and health issues. The present study is initiated to better understand the reasons why two promising alternative technologies (improved cookstoves and alternative charcoal briquettes) have experienced low adoption in Haiti. The research was carried out in two districts in southern Haiti where the improved stoves and briquettes production units exist and where households benefited from a program distributing the improved stoves.

This project contributes to the literature by gauging interest …

Heritage Hog Carcass Yields: Red Wattle Hog, Bob Perry

Heritage Hog Carcass Yields

The saleable yield of a Red Wattle Hog, cut in the American style, is 65%. The overall percentage of lean muscle using the industry formula based on backfat at 1st and 10th rib, loin eye area and hot carcass weight is 37%. Cut for Charcuterie, the saleable yield is 64%, not including bones, trim and backfat.

Realizing Value And Creating Protection: A Practical Approach To Monetizing The Value Of A Racehorse While Retaining Control Over Future Interests, Brad Butler

Kentucky Journal of Equine, Agriculture, & Natural Resources Law

No abstract provided.

Practice Patterns Of Equine Assisted Psychotherapists, Haley Gresham

Theses and Dissertations--Family Sciences

Modeled after Doherty & Simmons’ (1996) study on the practice patterns of marriage and family therapists, this project explored similar questions about equine assisted/facilitated psychotherapists who are members of two main certification organizations, EAGALA and PATH Intl. An Internet survey distributed to equine assisted/facilitated practitioners across the country explored demographic information of the clinician, their clients, and their typical work setting. Equine assisted/facilitated psychotherapy is a growing field and gaining an understanding of the current position of the field allows for growth in areas that are currently underdeveloped within this sector of the mental health field.

Farmers’ Willingness To Pay For Breeding Sow Insurance: Evidence From China’S Hubei Province, Wei Wan

Theses and Dissertations--Agricultural Economics

China is the world’s largest pork producer and consumer, and Hubei Province is one of the top pork production provinces in China. Since problems and risks have led to large-scale reduction of pork production and farmers’ income, Chinese government offers various policy measures to help farmers. Breeding sow insurance is considered as one of the most effective measures started in 2007. To better understand farmer’s need for breeding sow insurance and make proper policy insights, our research is the first empirical study in Hubei Province and one of the pioneer studies investigate farmer’s willingness to pay(WTP) for breeding sow insurance …

The Hidden Rise Of Efficient (De)Listing, Zachary A. Bray

Law Faculty Scholarly Articles

What is the value of the gray wolf, and what might be the costs of including a tiny desert lizard on the list of endangered species? For decades, Congress has formally excluded questions about the economic value of species and the costs of their protection from agency decisions about whether a species should be listed under the Endangered Species Act. Recently, however, a number of federal legislators have sought to incorporate their own ad hoc views about the value of individual species in peril, and the costs of protecting such species, into listing decisions. This goal has been accomplished through …

Monocular Pose Estimation And Shape Reconstruction Of Quasi-Articulated Objects With Consumer Depth Camera, Mao Ye

Theses and Dissertations--Computer Science

Quasi-articulated objects, such as human beings, are among the most commonly seen objects in our daily lives. Extensive research have been dedicated to 3D shape reconstruction and motion analysis for this type of objects for decades. A major motivation is their wide applications, such as in entertainment, surveillance and health care. Most of existing studies relied on one or more regular video cameras. In recent years, commodity depth sensors have become more and more widely available. The geometric measurements delivered by the depth sensors provide significantly valuable information for these tasks. In this dissertation, we propose three algorithms for monocular …

Computational Multimedia For Video Self Modeling, Ju Shen

Theses and Dissertations--Computer Science

Video self modeling (VSM) is a behavioral intervention technique in which a learner models a target behavior by watching a video of oneself. This is the idea behind the psychological theory of self-efficacy - you can learn or model to perform certain tasks because you see yourself doing it, which provides the most ideal form of behavior modeling. The effectiveness of VSM has been demonstrated for many different types of disabilities and behavioral problems ranging from stuttering, inappropriate social behaviors, autism, selective mutism to sports training. However, there is an inherent difficulty associated with the production of VSM material. Prolonged …

Hyperglycemia-Induced Diaphragm Weakness Is Mediated By Oxidative Stress, Leigh Ann Callahan, Gerald S. Supinski

Internal Medicine Faculty Publications

INTRODUCTION: A major consequence of ICU-acquired weakness (ICUAW) is diaphragm weakness, which prolongs the duration of mechanical ventilation. Hyperglycemia (HG) is a risk factor for ICUAW. However, the mechanisms underlying HG-induced respiratory muscle weakness are not known. Excessive reactive oxygen species (ROS) injure multiple tissues during HG, but only one study suggests that excessive ROS generation may be linked to HG-induced diaphragm weakness. We hypothesized that HG-induced diaphragm dysfunction is mediated by excessive superoxide generation and that administration of a specific superoxide scavenger, polyethylene glycol superoxide dismutase (PEG-SOD), would ameliorate these effects.

METHODS: HG was induced in rats using streptozotocin …

Heritage Hog Carcass Yields: Gloucestershire Old Spots Hog, Bob Perry

Heritage Hog Carcass Yields

The saleable yield of a Gloucestershire Old Spot Hog, cut in the American style, is 71%. The overall percentage of lean muscle using the industry formula based on backfat at 1st and 10th rib, loin eye area and hot carcass weight is 46%. Cut for Charcuterie, the saleable yield is 71%, not including bones, trim and backfat.

Key Roles Of Sub-Cellular Membranes And Co-Chaperone In Tombusvirus Replication, Kai Xu

Theses and Dissertations--Plant Pathology

Positive strand RNA viruses, inculding tombusviruses, are known to utilize cellular membranes to assemble their replicase complexes (VRCs). Two tombusviruses , Tomato bushy stunt virus (TBSV) and Carnation Italian ringspot virus (CIRV), replicate on different organellar membranes, peroxisomes or endoplasmic reticulum (ER) for TBSV and mitochodria outer membranes in case of CIRV. I showed that both TBSV and CIRV replicase proteins could assemble VRCs and replicate viral RNA on purified microsomes (ER) and mitochondria. Different efficiencies of assembly was shown determined by multiple domains on TBSV or CIRV replication proteins.

To study why VRC assembly could occur on an alternative …

Vicarious Villainy: A Critical Literary Analysis Of Sympathetic Villainy In American Musical Theatre, Mary Christopher Grogan

Theses and Dissertations--Theatre and Dance

A disproportionate amount of research into musical theatre focuses on the positive and accessible nature of the books and librettos. Very little, if any, research into musical theatre explores its darker side, specifically the considerable amount of villainy (i.e., traditionally immoral and/or criminal behavior) practiced by some of its protagonists. Moreover, it is important to note that several of the most popular musicals contain villainous characters, and that many of these characters are highly popular and even sympathetic (i.e., understandable, pitiable, and deserving of compassion) to audiences. Therefore, this thesis explores sympathetic villainous personalities in popular American musicals, focusing on …

Forage News [2014-01], Department Of Plant And Soil Sciences, University Of Kentucky

Forage News

• Grazing, Health & Animal Rights
• Forage Workers Heading for Memphis
• Forage Variety Reports Now Available
• Heart of America Grazing Conference will help Producers Improve Forages
• Dugger Brings Cotton Council Experience to National Hay Association
• Bermudagrass Stem Maggot found in Allen County
• Farmland Value Reaches Historic $8,716 Statewide Average
• Farmer-to-Farmer Mentoring - Delivering Real Change in Practice on UK Livestock Farms
• Novel Approaches to Developing On-farm Biomass Production Systems

Effects Of Acute And Chronic Sleep Deprivation On Eating Behavior, Stephanie Frank

Lewis Honors College Capstone Collection

Sleep-deprivation is thought to be a factor in the rising American obesity epidemic. Altered sleep cycles affect appetite-regulating hormone levels and enhance the hedonic effect of food consumption. As a result, sleep restriction has been associated with an increased daily energy intake of more than 500 calories and high-carbohydrate/high-fat consumption. However, past studies have not examined the relationship between sleep deprivation and decreased intake of nutrient-dense fruits and vegetables as a factor in increased energy consumption. This paper aims to 1) determine the affect average hours of sleep or acute sleep deprivation (defined as less than 6 hour sleep per …

Self-Evaluation With And Without External Feedback To Increase Room Cleaning Skills In Students With Mild Intellectual Disabilities Or Behavior Disorders, Allison Smith Varisco

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

As students with disabilities age out of school-age resources, the need for self-evaluative skills in work tasks becomes more important. This study compared self-evaluation with reinforcement and self-evaluation with reinforcement plus external evaluation when completing room cleaning skills. The younger students did not demonstrate the ability to self-evaluate without external evaluation. Both conditions were effective when evaluating the older group of students. The author proposes additional research in looking at self-evaluative skills for specific age groups and conditions.

Nuclear Import And Interactions Of Potato Yellow Dwarf Virus Nucleocapsid, Matrix, And Phosphoprotein, Gavin Lloyd Franklin Anderson

Theses and Dissertations--Plant Pathology

Potato yellow dwarf virus (PYDV) is the type species of the genus Nucleorhabdovirus and, like all members of this genus, replication and morphogenesis occurs inside the nuclei of infected cells. Protein localization prediction algorithms failed to identify a nuclear localization signal (NLS) in PYDV nucleocapsid (N) protein, although PYDV-N has been shown to localize exclusively to the nucleus when expressed as a green fluorescent protein (GFP):N fusion in plant cells. Deletion analysis and alanine-scanning mutagenesis identified two amino acid motifs, ⁴¹⁹QKR⁴²¹ and ⁴³²KR⁴³³, that were shown to be essential for nuclear import and interaction with …

Ether Bridge Formation And Chemical Diversification In Loline Alkaloid Biosynthesis, Juan Pan

Theses and Dissertations--Plant Pathology

Loline alkaloids, found in many grass-Epichloë symbiota, are toxic or feeding deterrent to invertebrates. The loline alkaloids all share a saturated pyrrolizidine ring with a 1-amine group and an ether bridge linking C2 and C7. The steps in biosynthesis of loline alkaloids are catalyzed by enzymes encoded by a gene cluster, designated LOL, in the Epichloë genome. This dissertation addresses the enzymatic, genetic and evolutionary basis for diversification of these alkaloids, focusing on ether bridge formation and the subsequent modifications of the 1-amine to form different loline alkaloids.

Through gene complementation of a natural lolO mutant and comparison …

Impact Of Positive And Negative Health Behaviors On Female Mice And/Or Their Offspring, Kristen M. Platt

Theses and Dissertations--Pharmacology and Nutritional Sciences

Obesity is an ever-growing concern in the developed world that carries with it a plethora of health issues. For example, obesity increases an individual’s risk for Type 2 Diabetes and cardiovascular disease. Pregnancy is a vital time for a woman to maintain optimal health, both for her own benefit as well as that of her offspring, and yet almost half of women in the United States who are of age to bear children are overweight or obese. In mice, we found that offspring born to dams fed a high fat diet did not have impaired glucose tolerance, contrary to our …

Sexting And Freedom Of Expression: A Comparative Approach, Joanne Sweeny

Kentucky Law Journal

No abstract provided.

Visualizing And Predicting The Effects Of Rheumatoid Arthritis On Hands, Radu P. Mihail

Theses and Dissertations--Computer Science

This dissertation was inspired by difficult decisions patients of chronic diseases have to make about about treatment options in light of uncertainty. We look at rheumatoid arthritis (RA), a chronic, autoimmune disease that primarily affects the synovial joints of the hands and causes pain and deformities. In this work, we focus on several parts of a computer-based decision tool that patients can interact with using gestures, ask questions about the disease, and visualize possible futures. We propose a hand gesture based interaction method that is easily setup in a doctor's office and can be trained using a custom set of …

The Influence Of Task Type And Working Memory On The Syntactic Complexity Of Narrative Discourse Production In Healthy Aging Adults, Kacie N. Gamm

Theses and Dissertations--Communication Sciences and Disorders

This study investigated the lifespan influences of task type and working memory on the syntactic complexity of narrative discourse production. Participants included 180 healthy adults across three age cohorts: 20-29 years (Young Group), 60-69 years (Older Group) and 75-89 years (Elderly Group). Participants completed standardized working memory measures and four discourse tasks (single/sequential picture description, storytelling and personal recount). Syntactic complexity for each sample was measured via clausal density yielding a complexity index. For analysis, participants were placed into one of two groups based on working memory scores above (High Working Memory Group) or below (Low Working Memory Group) the …

Uk Ag Equine Programs 2014 Calendar: A 12-Month Planning Calendar For The Care And Use Of Your Horses, Jason R. Philips, Glenn Mackie, Don Sorrell, Nicholas L. Carter, Paula A. Jerrell, Brian Newman, Daniel O. Wilson, Christopher Jeffcoat, Karen Douglas, Katheryn Cerny, Fernanda Camargo, Robert Coleman, Essie Rodgers, Jim Smith

Agriculture and Natural Resources Publications

The information in this calendar is provided to aid owners in planning for the care and use of their horses. When necessary, information is discussed in the month prior to application to allow horse owners adequate time to plan for activities such as weed control, soil testing, and vaccinations.

Contact your local veterinarian for health-related issues and your county extension agent for further information. Phone numbers are listed at the end of the calendar.

Home Vegetable Gardening In Kentucky, Richard Durham, Shubin Saha, John Strang, Mark A. Williams, Shawn Wright, Ricardo Bessin, Kenneth W. Seebold, Nicole Ward

Agriculture and Natural Resources Publications

Before You Begin

Every aspiring gardener should follow seven steps to have a successful gardening season:

1. Plan your garden on paper before you begin.
2. Select a good gardening site that is:
   a. in full sun for at least eight hours each day,
   b. relatively level,
   c. well‑drained,
   d. close to a water source,
   e. not shaded.
3. Prepare the soil properly and add fertilizer and lime according to soil test recommendations.
4. Plan only as large a garden as you can easily maintain. Beginning gardeners often overplant, and then they fail because they cannot keep up with the tasks required. Weeds and …

Long-Term Trends Of Participation In Physical Activity During Adolescence With Educational Ambition And Attainment, Frances Jillian Priesmeyer

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

Insufficient physical activity is a serious concern for the youth of this nation. In 2008, more than one third of children and adolescents could be classified as either obese or overweight (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2011). Poor nutrition and lack of physical activity are two major factors contributing to this epidemic. A physically active lifestyle during youth not only improves physical health, but has also been shown to improve emotional health, behavior, and academic performance. It is important that this area of research is continued and expanded so appropriate educational policies that support the health and well-being of …

A Life Span Approach To The Relationship Between Cholesterol, Late Onset Alzheimer’S Disease, And Cognitive Functioning Among Older Adults, Brian Downer

Theses and Dissertations--Gerontology

There is evidence that cholesterol presents an important risk factor for Alzheimer’s disease (AD), but the direction of this relationship is modified by age. High cholesterol during midlife and low cholesterol during late life are both associated with an increased risk for AD. This dissertation research engaged a life span approach to study the relationship between cholesterol, AD and cognitive functioning among older adults. The purpose of this research was to determine if trajectories of cholesterol from midlife through late life differ according to AD status and if these trajectories are associated with cognitive functioning during old age.

This research …

The Effects Of Food Safety Standards On Trade And Welfare: The Case Of Eu Shrimp Imports, Xiaoqian Li

Theses and Dissertations--Agricultural Economics

This research explores the link between a gravity model and welfare frameworks and then applies the quantitative model system to analyze how trade and welfare is affected by the Minimum Required Performance Limits (MRPL) in the shrimp importing market of European Union.

The quantitative model system consists of two parts: first, this study uses the “phi-ness” gravity model to investigate the trade effects of MRPL on EU shrimp market. The “phi-ness” gravity model partitions the standard variables to avoid biased estimation caused by the correlation between time and country fixed effects and policy variables. The Poisson Pseudo Maximum Likelihood (PPML) …

Investigation Of Cardiac Electrophysiology In Human Ventricular Tissue, Kathleen Brownson

Theses and Dissertations--Biomedical Engineering

Individuals with cardiomyopathy are at higher risk to die from sudden cardiac arrest than those with non-failing (NF) hearts. This study examined the differences in electrical properties of failing and NF human hearts in terms of cardiac memory through explicit control of diastolic intervals in a sinusoidal fashion, restitution of action potential duration (APD) through standard and dynamic pacing protocols, maximum rate of depolarization and APD alternans. Recordings of transmembrane potentials were made in tissues extracted from patients with heart failure and one donor NF heart. Computational simulations were performed using the O’Hara Rudy model for generating surrogates of control …

Chemical Control Of Turfgrass Diseases 2014, Paul Vincelli, Gregg Munshaw

Agriculture and Natural Resources Publications

Turfgrasses under intensive management are often subject to outbreaks of infectious diseases. Diseases usually are most damaging when weather or cultural conditions favor the disease-causing agent but not plant growth and vigor. Cultural conditions that predispose turfgrass to diseases include close mowing, inadequate or excessive nitrogen fertility, light or frequent irrigation, excessive thatch, poor drainage, and shade.

Good turf management practices often greatly reduce the impact of disease by promoting healthy plants that are better able to resist infections. Even under good management, however, diseases sometimes cause excessive damage to highly managed turfgrasses. The proper use of fungicides in these …

Fly Ash As A Potential Scrubber Of Acidic Wastes From The Phosphate Industries In Israel, Roy Nir Lieberman, Eli Lederman, Ithamar Pelly, Haim Cohen

Coal Combustion and Gasification Products Journal Archive

Fly ash (FA) is produced in Israeli utilities via bituminous coal combustion. It is used as a cement additive or in concrete production, and its economic value is low. The FA produced in Israel is very basic (defined as class F) owing to ambient air quality standards that impose low sulfur content in the imported coals. Because the lime content is high (in the South African coal, ,10 wt%), it is a good potential chemical scrubber to acidic wastes. The phosphate industry in Israel produces mainly phosphate fertilizers and water-treatment products as well as phosphoric acid. The production methods rely …