Digital Commons Network^™

The Resiliency And Thriving Of Underrepresented Agricultural Educators: A National Mixed Methods Study, Caleb Michael Hickman

Theses and Dissertations--Community & Leadership Development

Gay men in agricultural education do not have comprehensive support within the agricultural education profession. When gay men decide to become agriculture educators, they often keep their identity private. This national mixed methods study aims to seek if gay agriculture educators are resilient and thrive in rural communities. The thriving elements of spiritual influence, personal competence, peer support, and family cohesion were surveyed and analyzed using a resiliency lens. Findings include gay male agricultural educators thriving in a heteronormative profession. Recommendations include ensuring LGBTQIA+ teachers have a voice in agricultural education.

Examining Social Mission In Kentucky Social Enterprises, Bo Milburn

Theses and Dissertations--Community & Leadership Development

Social Enterprises are business entities that incorporate social value creation into their business operations. This study aims to investigate, explore and share key insights gained through the lived experience of owners or managers of these organizations. The reputational method of sample selection was used to identify informed individuals who participated in interviews to share phenomenological knowledge by telling the stories of their organizations, describing how they manage the balance between profitability and sustainability, sharing observations about the influence of social mission at their firms and other insights. Participants identified stronger relationships between coworkers, increased professional creativity, and greater employee engagement …

The Youth - Adult Partnership Between Secondary Agriculture Educators And Native American Youth: A Qualitative Case Study, Hunter Anne Julian

Theses and Dissertations--Community & Leadership Development

This case study examines the connection made between secondary agriculture educators through Youth-Adult Partnerships (YAP). This study provides insight into the elements of YAP and contributes to the limited body of research surrounding Youth-Adult Partnership in secondary agriculture education and in the Native American community. Data was collected through qualitative interviews of six agriculture educators teaching on Native American reservations. The findings of this study indicate that YAP is present in secondary agriculture education programs and offers insight into how agriculture educators form connections with the Native American communities they teach in.

Investigating The Effects Of In-Vivo Therapeutics Hypoxia Treatment Paradigms In Neurite Outgrowth Patterns, Jae Hyun Yoo

Theses and Dissertations--Medical Sciences

Spinal cord injury, specifically in the cervical C3-C4 region of the cervical spine, contributes to impaired breathing and a diminished quality of life. Therefore it is important to find effective and safe therapeutics to restore breathing function. Indeed, there are a myriad of research being performed in addition to valuable collaboration amongst different institutions. As such, inspired by a previous experiment, we decided to test our hypothesis that an enriching environment consisting of different hypoxic environments - sustained and intermittent hypoxia alongside normoxia - would result in neurite outgrowth. Moreover, we hypothesized that sustained hypoxia would result in the greatest …

Evaluating The Microbiome To Boost Recovery From Stroke: The Embrs Study, Tyler Hammond

Theses and Dissertations--Neuroscience

Accumulating evidence suggests that gut microbes modulate brain plasticity via the bidirectional gut-brain axis and may play a role in stroke rehabilitation. A severely imbalanced microbial community has been shown to occur following stroke, causing a systemic flood of neuro- and immunomodulatory substances due to increased gut permeability and decreased gut motility. Here we measure post-stroke increased gut dysbiosis and how it correlates with gut permeability and subsequent cognitive impairment.

We recruited 12 participants with acute stroke, 12 healthy control participants, and 18 participants who had risk factors for stroke, but had not had a stroke. We measured the gut …

Interleukin-1 Receptor 1 Signaling In Mild Tbi: Do Endothelial Cells Play A Major Role?, Colleen N. Bodnar

Theses and Dissertations--Neuroscience

Across the world, over 69 million people sustain a traumatic brain injury (TBI) per year making TBI a major health concern worldwide. Of all the TBIs that occur each year, it is suggested that up to 90 percent are mild in nature. Even a mild TBI causes both physical damages to the cells of the brain and activation of a variety of biochemical cascades. Inflammation is an extremely common pathology seen in the brains of TBI survivors of all severities. Chronic inflammation can cause detrimental effects within the brain including neurodegeneration. A major pro-inflammatory cytokine, interleukin-1 (IL-1), is upregulated within …

Conceptualizing Attorney Motivation: A Study Of The Representatives For Parents And Children In The Child Welfare System, Shannon Moody

Theses and Dissertations--Social Work

Background. Attorneys who represent parents and children in dependency, neglect, and abuse (DNA) proceedings are key in influencing the outcomes of the cases they carry. These influences include the length of time a child spends in the custody of the state or the necessity for foster care, visitation with family members, length of time to reunification, and recommended services for the child and parents (Courtney & Hook, 2012; Goldman, 1993; Thornton & Gwin, 2012; Zinn & Peters, 2015). The American Bar Association’s analysis is that there are “four constants: high caseloads, low compensation, inadequate training, and lack of supervision” …

Beta Mixture And Contaminated Model With Constraints And Application With Micro-Array Data, Ya Qi

Theses and Dissertations--Statistics

This dissertation research is concentrated on the Contaminated Beta(CB) model and its application in micro-array data analysis. Modified Likelihood Ratio Test (MLRT) introduced by [Chen et al., 2001] is used for testing the omnibus null hypothesis of no contamination of Beta(1,1)([Dai and Charnigo, 2008]). We design constraints for two-component CB model, which put the mode toward the left end of the distribution to reflect the abundance of small p-values of micro-array data, to increase the test power. A three-component CB model might be useful when distinguishing high differentially expressed genes and moderate differentially expressed genes. If the null hypothesis above …

Parental Barriers Toward Seeking Mental Healthcare For Saudi Children At Risk Of Adhd, Amani Kappi

Theses and Dissertations--Nursing

Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a mental health disorder commonly diagnosed in childhood. Underdiagnosis and undertreatment of ADHD can lead to the development of other mental illnesses and disruptions in social functioning in adulthood. Therefore, parents can play a crucial role in proactively seeking mental healthcare for children who are at risk for or who have a clear diagnosis of ADHD. Studies in the United Kingdom and the United States highlight many barriers that prevent parents from seeking mental healthcare for their children, such as negative attitudes towards the mental healthcare system and stigma towards mental illnesses.

Cultural differences …

Assessing Patient Engagement With An Mhealth Application For Improving Heart Failure-Related Self-Care In Real-World Settings, Ifeanyi Madujibeya

Theses and Dissertations--Nursing

Consumer-facing mobile health applications (mHealth apps) are being increasingly integrated into routine heart failure (HF)-related self-care. However, there is a dearth of research on patient engagement with mHealth apps in real-world settings and the effect of such engagement on HF outcomes, making it challenging to inform decision-making regarding the use of mHealth apps in real-world settings.

The specific aims of this dissertation were to; 1) examine current evidence on measures of engagement with mHealth interventions in patients with HF; 2) examine the patterns of patient engagement with a consumer-facing mHealth app and the predictors of engagement in real-world settings;3) identify …

Analysis Of Potential Facilitators To Use Of Hiv Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis (Prep) In A Young Transgender Population, Noah Dixon

Theses and Dissertations--Pharmacy

Pre-exposure prophylaxis for HIV prevention (PrEP) is heavily under-utilized in transgender youth, a population which experiences high risk factors for contracting HIV and exhibits unique barriers to care. This retrospective study used a secondary data analysis of survey results from transgender youth between 16-and 24-years-old to analyze various exposures for association with PrEP use. It was hypothesized that medical gender affirming therapy, mental health care treatment, and HIV programming would be independently associated with increased use of PrEP in transgender youth. It was found that only HIV prevention services and programming related to HIV or gender identity were associated with …

Response Of Dopaminergic System To Cocaine Exposure, Recovery After Cocaine Abstinence, And Impact Of A Long-Acting Cocaine Hydrolase, Jing Deng

Theses and Dissertations--Pharmacy

Cocaine produces its physiological effects by targeting multiple proteins in the central nervous system, particularly by binding with dopamine transporter (DAT) to block the normal dopamine (DA) recycling process. This process along with the pleasure feeling would wear off shortly after the abstinence from the drug. However, chronic cocaine use is associated with neuroadaptations in the dopaminergic system, including increases in the density of DAT on plasma membrane of dopaminergic neurons. Given the critical role of DAT in neurotransmission, various studies have been carried out on animal models to learn its structure, function, and distribution. Long-standing evidence supports that DAT …

The Relative Contribution Of Liver And Intestine In Reverse Cholesterol Transport, Rupinder Kaur

Theses and Dissertations--Pharmacy

Despite decades of advances in research, death due to cardiometabolic disease remains the largest contributor to mortality in the US. While present therapies oppose “forward cholesterol transport,” and atherosclerotic plaque progression, they do not remove cholesterol from established atherosclerotic plaques. Reverse cholesterol transport (RCT) is the active process of mobilizing peripheral cholesterol for excretion through the hepatobiliary (transhepatic cholesterol elimination, THCE) or intestinal (transintestinal cholesterol elimination, TICE) pathways. Currently, there are no clinically approved therapeutics that target RCT. Elucidation of the mechanisms that govern RCT and TICE, and the subsequent identification of novel targets is of importance. The present work …

The Influence Of Distance Learning On Undergraduate Social Work Competency: An Exploratory Study At A Private University, Christine K. Fulmer

Theses and Dissertations--Social Work

This is an exploratory study of undergraduate social work education at a private faith-based university. The university offers both online and residential program options. The purpose of the study was to examine the influence of distance education and program option on the educational outcomes of graduates in a newly developed social work program. The program started in 2015 with its first graduating class in 2017. The sample (N = 262) consists of students graduating in 2017, 2018, and 2019. Students could take classes across program options and each student in the sample completed both traditional and online social work courses. …

Quantitative Methods For Total Lifecycle Risk Likelihood And Impact Assessment In Sustainable Product Design Decision Making, Christian Enyoghasi

Theses and Dissertations--Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering

Sustainable products promise significant economic, environmental, and societal benefits. Numerous methods are available for use during the new product development process to identify alternate product designs that optimize sustainability performance. Once any such design is selected and the product is launched, many uncertainties are likely to affect its performance over the total lifecycle. Such uncertainties give rise to risks that can influence the overall product sustainability performance. However, comprehensive quantitative methods to evaluate the likelihood or the impact of different risks to enable sustainable product design decision making are lacking.

This research aims to address this gap by developing a …

Formation Control With Bounded Controls And Collision Avoidance: Theory And Application To Quadrotor Unmanned Air Vehicles, Zachary S. Lippay

Theses and Dissertations--Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering

This dissertation presents new results on multi-agent formation control and applies the new control algorithms to quadrotor unmanned air vehicles. First, this dissertation presents a formation control algorithm for double-integrator agents, where the formation is time varying and the agents’ controls satisfy a priori bounds (e.g., the controls accommodate actuator saturation). The main analytic results provide sufficient conditions such that all agents converge to the desired time-varying relative positions with one another and the leader, and have a priori bounded controls (if applicable). We also present results from rotorcraft experiments that demonstrate the algorithm with time-varying formations and bounded controls. …

Small-Satellite Attitude Control Using Sinusoidal Actuator Motion: Experiments On The International Space Station, K. Ryan Lush

Theses and Dissertations--Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering

In this work, we design, build, and test two 1.25U CubeSats. These small satellites were deployed on the International Space Station to perform attitude control experiments in microgravity. These CubeSats use an oscillating-mass actuation system for attitude control as opposed to traditional flywheels. Each CubeSat uses 3 pairs of servomotors to oscillate masses about 3 orthogonal axes. The servomotors have strict rotational stroke limits. Thus, they cannot spin continually. To oscillate each pair of masses, the angle of each servomotor is commanded using signals that are continuous and piecewise sinusoidal with amplitudes that do not violate the servomotor stroke constraints. …

Kentucky Re-Entry Universal Payload System (Krups): Hypersonic Re-Entry Flight, John Daniel Schmidt

Theses and Dissertations--Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering

The Kentucky Re-entry Universal Payload System (KRUPS) is a small capsule designed as a technology testbed for re-entry experiments. For its first incarnation, KRUPS has been designed to test Thermal Protection Systems (TPS) and instruments in re-entry flights. Because of the unique environment a vehicle undergoes during re-entry, there is a high-demand for experimental data from re-entry experiments. KRUPS has been developed at the University of Kentucky (UK) over the past seven years to meet this demand. After completing sub-orbital campaigns, the first KRUPS hypersonic re-entry mission was attempted. The mission involved building three 11-inch diameter capsules each outfitted with …

Experimental Comparison Of Two Sampled-Data Adaptive Control Algorithms For Rejecting Sinusoidal Disturbances, William Grayson Woods

Theses and Dissertations--Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering

We review two adaptive control algorithms that address the problem of rejecting sinusoids with known frequencies that act on an unknown asymptotically stable linear time-invariant system. We present modifications to the algorithms that address the problems of sensor noise and actuator saturation. We demonstrate the effectiveness of the algorithms and compare the performance of the algorithms via numerical simulation and experimental testing.

In-Situ Characterization Of Burr Formation In Finish Machining Of Inconel 718, Hamzah M. Zannoun

Theses and Dissertations--Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering

One of the undesirable byproducts that occur during the machining process is the development of burrs, which are defined as rough excess material that forms around the geometric discontinuities of a part. Burrs are especially problematic because they have negative impacts across the triple bottom line: economic, environmental, societal. For one, they are expensive to remove because the deburring process is entirely manual and requires skill. Further, burr material is typically discarded which is adding to the already mounting waste generated from machining such as in coolant and chip disposal. Lastly, there are many societal implications, such as operator injury …

Formation Control With Collision Avoidance For Fixed-Wing Unmanned Air Vehicles With Speed Constraints, Christopher Heintz

Theses and Dissertations--Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering

Advances in the miniaturization of powerful electronic components and motors, the democratization of global navigation satellite systems (GNSS), and improvements in the performance, safety, and cost in lithium batteries has led to the proliferation of small and relatively inexpensive unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs). Many of these UAVs are of the multi-rotor design, however, fixed-wing designs are often more efficient than rotary-wing aircraft, leading to a reduction in the power required for a UAV of a given mass to stay airborne. Autonomous cooperation between multiple UAVs would enable them to complete objectives that would be difficult or impossible for a single …

Art Education In Medical Education: Benefits And Challenges, Sara K. Brown

Theses and Dissertations--Art and Visual Studies

Humanity is synergistic with art and medicine. Likewise, art education can be impactful throughout medical education. Art as a tool to develop the next generation of healthcare differs from the clinical goals of creative art therapies. Over the prior decade, many medical schools now provide curricular offerings in the arts and humanities. Less is known about the application in postgraduate medical settings. The focus of this thesis is to review the pairing of artist-educators with postgraduate medical training programs.

One such program is ArtsCAFE (Arts Connect Around Food and Enrichment), an intercollegiate project fusing experienced arts educators with medical educators …

Modeling The Effects Of Adverse Childhood Experiences Using A Mouse Model Of Neglect: Mechanisms Of Adiposity Expansion In Females, Jacqueline Leachman

Theses and Dissertations--Pharmacology and Nutritional Sciences

Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) are an independent risk factor for chronic disease, including obesity and metabolic syndrome. We have previously shown that a mouse model of early life stress, maternal separation and early weaning (MSEW), exacerbates high-fat diet (HF)-induced obesity only in adult female mice. In agreement, the analysis of several cohorts of participants exposed to ACEs have shown that women are more susceptible to develop obesity than men. Therefore, the aim of this study was to investigate the link between early life stress and obesity in pre-clinical and clinical settings. Male and female MSEW mice fed 1 week a …

Apoe Genotype And Cerebral Glucose Metabolism: A Multi-Omics Approach, Holden C. Williams

Theses and Dissertations--Physiology

Apolipoprotein E (APOE) is encoded by the APOE gene, present in humans as three main isoforms (E2, E3, and E4). E4 carriers face up to a 15-fold increased risk for developing late-onset Alzheimer’s disease (AD), while E2 carriers are protected. Understanding the risk conferred by E4 has been an extensive research focus for nearly three decades, but the exact mechanism has yet to be proven. Many studies have demonstrated attenuated roles of E4 in classical hallmarks of AD, notably amyloid processing and neurofibrillary formation, which normally present later in disease progression. How APOE influences hallmarks that present much earlier are …

Regulation Of Skeletal Muscle Plasticity By The Gut Microbiome, Taylor R. Valentino

Theses and Dissertations--Physiology

Recent evidence suggests that the gut microbiome could play a role in skeletal muscle plasticity, providing novel treatments for muscle wasting diseases and/or performance enhancements. I first sought to determine if the gut microbiome is necessary for skeletal muscle adaptation to exercise. Forty-two, four-month old, female C57Bl/6J underwent nine weeks of weighted wheel running or remained in cage with a locked wheel, without or without the administration of antibiotics (treated). In response to wheel running, I found that antibiotic depletion of the microbiome led to a blunted hypertrophic response in the soleus muscle as measured by normalized muscle wet weight …

Non-Normative Critical Life Events: Where Dyadic Coping And Attachment Meet, Talley Mortara

Theses and Dissertations--Family Sciences

The aim of the current study was to examine both dyadic coping and anxious attachment following the experience of a critical non-normative life event. Pairfam, a nationally representative German sample, was used as a secondary data set for this quantitative study. Paired samples t-tests were used to analyze the data from 559 German couples to track statistically significant increases or decreases in the perception of dyadic coping responses and anxious attachment levels when a non-normative critical life event happened at some point in the previous two years. Results found that the partner of the anchor showed a statistically significant increase …

“It’S Just Part Of Our Hospitality:” Examination Of Cultural Factors That May Inform Future Initiatives To Improve Health Outcomes In A Rural Appalachian Community, Lauren Cassidy Batey

Theses and Dissertations--Nutrition and Food Systems

Diet and physical activity are influenced by a person’s culture and may contribute to the presence of health disparities within a geographic region. Health disparities are evident in Appalachia where a unique cultural identity exists. Culture-based initiatives focused on improving diet quality and increasing physical activity have improved health outcomes in diverse groups, yet interventions considering geographically tied cultures, like Appalachia, are limited. This study aims to identify specific aspects of Appalachian culture that influence health outcomes to inform and increase success of health focused interventions. Five focus groups were conducted in one rural Appalachian community in summer 2021. Grounded …

Family And Consumer Sciences Extension Agents Perception Of A Sustainable Eating Curriculum For Kentuckians, Lindley Barker

Theses and Dissertations--Nutrition and Food Systems

The population is rapidly increasing all over the world. As foods are produced for us to consume, the food system generates negative environmental impacts at each step. The extent of damage generated by food production depends on the amount of land, water, and energy depleted. These environmental impacts can result in reduced quantities of food produced, damages to the land and water used to grow/produce food, pollution of food, and food waste. All of which impact the amount of product produced. Thereby, shifting food-related behaviors of consumers toward sustainable eating may be a way to promote the health of people …

Identifying Bisphosphonate Protein Biomarkers In Equine Sera Using Mass Spectrometry Methods, Malinda Jayne Alison Porter

Theses and Dissertations--Veterinary Science

Bone resorptive diseases affect humans and horses, alike. Examples of these diseases include osteoporosis, Paget’s disease, and osteogenesis imperfecta in humans, and navicular disease in the horse (Mitchell et al., 2019; Suva et al., 2021). Bisphosphonates are used to treat these diseases, and may remain in the bone for several years after administration, demonstrating the need for newer drug testing methods.

The purpose of the discovery phase of this study was to use blood samples of in-training horses which had been given an initial administration of the bisphosphonate tiludronate and identify protein biomarkers that changed in response to this class …

Dissecting The Role Of Actin-Myosin Motor And Calcium – Based Organelle Secretion In Motility Of Sarcocystis Neurona, Parul Suri

Theses and Dissertations--Veterinary Science

Sarcocystis neurona is a protozoan parasite that causes a rare neurological disorder in horses called Equine Protozoal Myeloencephalitis (EPM). Apicomplexa use actin-myosin based motor and organelle secretion to interact with the host cell and invade it. Despite the importance of motility and invasion-needed factors, the mechanisms by which S. neurona employs host cell association strategies to interact remains largely undefined. To address this knowledge gap, we hypothesize that just like other Apicomplexa, S. neurona utilizes actin polymerization for substrate-dependent gliding. Moreover, we also hypothesize that micronemes of S. neurona secrete proteins that are calcium-dependent. Based on previous studies in T. …