Digital Commons Network^™

Development Forecast: The Fiscal Effects On Property Taxes And Occupational License Fees And The Social Costs And Benefits Of Urban Redevelopment In Lexington-Fayette County, Kentucky, Tony J. Stoeppel

MPA/MPP/MPFM Capstone Projects

Real estate development has effects on the publicly recorded property valuation of a parcel. The extent of the relationship in Lexington-Fayette County demands further analysis. Redevelopment also has unintended social costs the public may be forced to bear. This study presents estimates of the fiscal impact a redevelopment project has on the local tax revenues. The study population used for analysis includes redevelopment projects completed within the last six years in the downtown Lexington area. The research attempts to formalize a relationship among the incremental change in the publicly recorded value, the cost of redevelopment, and the distance the project …

Economic Analysis Of Kentucky Being A Part Of The National Lambda Rail, Chithra Perumal

MPA/MPP/MPFM Capstone Projects

Electronic connectivity and information network systems form a major part of the overall modern research infrastructure. High capacity networks allow for the sharing vast amounts of data between research laboratories, analysis of complex images, and other demanding computer applications. The major electronic information network that is being established in the USA to improve electronic communication in the research field is the National Lambda Rail (NLR). NLR is a nationwide broad bandwidth computing network used by leading research institutions. NLR provides national scale infrastructure for research and experimentation. Most of the member states of NLR have high ranking in terms of …

Integrated Surface-Plasmon Waveguides For Optical Communications, Adam W. Chamberlain

University of Kentucky Master's Theses

Integrated optics present a potentially low cost and higher performance alternative to electronics in optical communication systems. Surface plasmon waveguides (SPWGs) offer a new approach for manipulating light in integrated optical chips. SPWGs provide several advantages over dielectric waveguides. In this study, a fabrication process for SPWGs is developed. SPWGs are fabricated with various lengths and bend radii to allow for study of absorption and bending losses in the waveguides at telecommunications wavelengths (~1550nm). Finite-element method models of straight, bent, and optically coupled waveguides are developed and analyzed.

Demand Determinants For U.S. Exports Of Processed Foods To Emerging Markey Economies, Sanjeev Kumar

University of Kentucky Master's Theses

The objectives of this research are to examine the demand for processed foods by emerging markets and to assess demand determinants and potential import growth. Processed foods are the fastest growing segment of U.S. agricultural exports and hence it is imperative to understand the underlying factors behind this growth. Based on a “modified gravity model,” we estimate U.S. exports of processed foods to 10 low and middle-income countries from 1980-2002 using fixed effects method. A classical linear regression model estimates U.S. exports to 60 low and middle-income countries. Results from the classical model indicate that population and income have a …

Symlet And Gabor Wavelet Prediction Of Print Defects, Elios Klemo

University of Kentucky Master's Theses

Recent studies have been done to create models that predict the response of the human visual system (HVS) based on how the HVS processes an image. The most widely known of these models is the Gabor model, since the Gabor patterns closely resemble the receptive filters in the human eye. The work of this thesis examines the use of Symlets to represent the HVS, since Symlets provide the benefit of orthogonality. One major problem with Symlets is that the energy is not stable in respective Symlet channels when the image patterns are translated spatially. This thesis addresses this problem by …

Evaluating Awareness Of Community Health And Human Services By The Hispanic Population In Lexington, Kentucky, Pilar Corbellini

MPA/MPP/MPFM Capstone Projects

Over the past 10 years, Hispanics, predominately Mexicans, have become a notable component of immigration in Kentucky. At the same time, the city of Lexington has striven to increase and stimulate community efforts to help and support people in need. Over 2000 non-profit organizations exist in the city and surrounding areas that unite community support to assist people seeking help.

Among non-profit agencies, particularly the United Way of the Bluegrass, there is a perceived idea that people in need and seeking help are overwhelmed with information about available community human and health services. Notwithstanding this perception, a different reality seems …

Interlocal Cooperation In The Bluegrass Area Development District: What Factors Lead To Success?, Lora B. Littleton

MPA/MPP/MPFM Capstone Projects

Regionalism, or interlocal cooperation, is an important consideration for elected officials in the Bluegrass Area Development District. The reasons to join in a partnership and the suspected outcome are of great concern to the judge-executives and mayors but also to the communities they serve. In order to assist elected officials in their decision-making capacities, this study was designed to primarily analyze what factors lead to success in regional projects within the Bluegrass ADD. A secondary consideration was to look at when and why local governments enter into regional efforts.

A statistical analysis was performed on a sample of regional projects …

Accountability In Public Administration Education: Assessing The Martin School, Natalie Schneider

MPA/MPP/MPFM Capstone Projects

Accountability is required for programs to maintain accreditation and is essential to the overall success of graduate programs like the Martin School. To show that it is meeting the stated goals, the Martin School has put tracking measures in place to gauge the success of the Master of Public Administration (MPA) program. These measures include pre and post skills assessments and an alumni survey among others. Analysis of the results is used to determine where goals are being met as well as areas where improvement is possible, and make necessary and appropriate adjustments.

The pre-test is given at orientation and …

Measuring Environmental Compliance Assistance Outcomes: A Benefit Cost Analysis Of The Kentucky Business Environmental Assistance Program, Kenya K. Stump

MPA/MPP/MPFM Capstone Projects

The 1990 Clean Air Act Amendments (CAAA) established, in section 507, the Small Business Stationary Source Technical and Environmental Compliance Assistance Program (SBTCP). SBTCPs under the CAAA are designed to provide small stationary air pollution sources with technical and compliance assistance, develop tools and disseminate information, communicate requirements under the Act, and assist small businesses with pollution prevention.

In Kentucky, the compliance and technical assistance program is known as the Kentucky Business Environmental Assistance Program (KBEAP). Since the program’s inception, measures of performance have primarily focused on outputs. With the establishment of Goal 5 of the 2003-2008 Environmental Protection Agency …

An Exploratory Analysis Of The Fayette-County Urban League Senior Community Service Employment Program (Scsep): What Are The Barriers Facing Scsep Participants, Kelly S. Woodall

MPA/MPP/MPFM Capstone Projects

Statement of the Problem

The Lexington Fayette County Urban League Senior Community Service Employment Program is a federally funded program designed to assist low-income senior citizens find unsubsidized employment. To accomplish this mission the SCSEP utilizes a number of activities in an effort to address barriers that inhibit successfully finding unsubsidized employment. The Executive Director believes that the extent to which she can successfully address the barriers of those considered hard-to-place will have an impact on how well the program meets future mandates.

Research Methodology

The research is an exploratory analysis of the barriers that current and former (successfully placed) …

Stages Of Evil: Occultism In Western Theater And Drama, Robert Lima

Studies in Romance Languages Series

“The evil that men do” has been chronicled for thousands of years on the European stage, and perhaps nowhere else is human fear of our own evil more detailed than in its personifications in theater. In Stages of Evil, Robert Lima explores the sociohistorical implications of Christian and pagan representations of evil and the theatrical creativity that occultism has engendered. By examining examples of alchemy, astronomy, demonology, exorcism, fairies, vampires, witchcraft, hauntings, and voodoo in prominent plays, Stages of Evil explores American and European perceptions of occultism from medieval times to the modern age.

An Improved Method And Apparatus For Automated Design And Verificaton Of Integrated Circuits, Dragomir M. Nikolic

University of Kentucky Master's Theses

Electronic Design Automation (EDA) tools have always played an important role in Very Large Scale Integrated (VLSI) Circuit development. Two major linked roles are to reduce total design cycle time of Integrated Circuits (ICs) and increase profitability. Profitability can significantly be increased through quicker development and shorter time to market which in turn can be achieved through design automation. In addition to design cycle time reduction, design automation provides consistency and repeatability, which are critical for capturing and sharing of efficient design methods. Application Specific Integrated Circuit (ASIC) development and verification is a very manual and time consuming process. The …

Development And Validation Of A Special Purpose Sensor And Processor System To Calculate Equilibrium Moisture Content Of Wood, Phani Tangirala

University of Kentucky Master's Theses

Percent Moisture Content (MC %) of wood is defined to be the weight of the moisture in the wood divided by the weight of the dry wood times 100%. Equilibrium Moisture Content (EMC), moisture content at environmental equilibrium is a very important metric affecting the performance of wood in many applications. For best performance in many applications, the goal is to maintain this value between 6% and 8%. EMC value is a function of the temperature and the relative humidity of the surrounding air of wood. It is very important to maintain this value while processing, storing or finishing the …

Has Spam Been Fried? Why The Can-Spam Act Of 2003 Can't: Regulation Of Unsolicited Commercial Electronic Mail And The Can-Spam Act Of 2003, John W. Daniel

Kentucky Law Journal

No abstract provided.

Neither Big Brother Nor Dead Brother: The Need For A New Fourth Amendment Standard Applying To Emerging Technologies, Casey Holland

Kentucky Law Journal

No abstract provided.

Essays On Precision Agriculture Technology Adoption And Risk Management, Jean-Marc A. Gandonou

University of Kentucky Doctoral Dissertations

Precision agriculture (PA) can be defined as a set of technologies that have helped propel agriculture into the computerized information-based world, and is designed to help farmers get greater control over the management of farm operations. Because of its potential to spatially reduce yield variability within the field through variable rate application of nutrients it is thought to be a production risk management instrument. Subsurface drip irrigation (SDI) is another production risk management technology that is generating interest from the farming community as a result of new technological improvements that facilitate equipment maintenance and reduces water consumption.In the first article …

Effects Of Glial Cell Line-Derived Neurotrophic Factor (Gdnf) On Stem/Progenitor Cell Proliferation And Differentiation, Yan Chen

University of Kentucky Doctoral Dissertations

Stem/progenitor cells are present in the adult brain; they undergo constantproliferation and differentiate into mature neurons in certain brain areas, a phenomenoncalled neurogenesis. This study investigated the effects of GDNF, a potent trophic factorof dopaminergic neurons, on neurogenesis in the brain. Nestin and 5-Bromo-2'-deoxyuridine (BrdU) were used as stem/progenitor cells markers.First, we observed extensive bilateral increases of stem/progenitor cells in thedentate gyrus and substantia nigra after continuous infusion of GDNF into the normal ratbrain. However, none of the BrdU+ cells showed neuronal features in the substantia nigraas characterized by immunocytochemical procedures. Next, we identified themorphology of BrdU+ cells after infusing …

Xeric Limestone Prairies Of Eastern United States, Patrick Joseph Lawless

University of Kentucky Doctoral Dissertations

Xeric limestone prairies (XLPs) are open, nonforested communities dominatedby native, C4 perennial grasses. In eastern United States, they occur on shallow, rockycalcareous soils in various physiographic provinces from Missouri and Pennsylvaniasouth to Arkansas and Georgia. Floristic, vegetation, and physical environmental datawere collected from 18 XLPs in Kentucky and used in conjunction with data collected inother studies to provide a synthesis for XLP vegetation in eastern United States and acomparison of this vegetation type with limestone cedar glades and deep-soil barrens.XLPs occur on 33 soil series in five orders (Alfisols, Mollisols, Ultisols, Inceptisols, andVertisols) and on limestone, dolomite, and calcareous shale …

Competitive Dynamics In Electronic Networks - Achieving Competitiveness Through Interorganizational Systems, Lei Chi

University of Kentucky Doctoral Dissertations

Many dramatic and potentially powerful uses of information technology involveinterorganizational systems (IOS). These systems, defined as distributed computing systems thatsupport shared processes between firms, have become fundamental to business operations,spanning multiple activities in value/supply chains. They have opened avenues to unprecedentedcollaborative linkages between firms. As IOS-mediated relational networks are rapidly evolving,roles of IOS have progressively changed beyond those of efficiency and power functions.To fully appreciate modern roles of IOS in e-business, this dissertation addresses two keyresearch questions: (1) How do firms achieve competitiveness through IOS? (2) How do IOSinfluence competitive behaviors of the competing firms in intertwined electronic networks? Itdoes …

Redox Proteomics Identification Of Oxidatively Modified Proteins And Their Pharmacological Modulation: Insight Into Oxidative Stress In Brain Aging, Age-Related Cognitive Impairment, Hung Fai Poon

University of Kentucky Doctoral Dissertations

The studies presented in this work were completed with the goal ofgaining greater insight into the roles of protein oxidation in brain aging and age-relatedcognitive impairment. Aging is associated with the impairment of physiological systemssuch as the central nervous system (CNS), homeostatic system, immune system, etc.Functional impairments of the CNS is associated with increased susceptibility to developmany neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's diseases (AD), Parkinson's disease(PD), and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). One of the most noticeable functionalimpairments of the CNS is manifested by cognitive decline. In the past three decades, thefree radical theory of aging has gained relatively strong support …

Methods Development In Biological Mass Spectrometry: Applications In Small Molecule Research And Proteomics, Taufika Islam Williams

University of Kentucky Doctoral Dissertations

Technological developments have enabled mass spectrometry (MS) to evolve asone of the most versatile, sensitive and widely used analytical methods. Key areas ofresearch in biological MS include the development of analyte-selective MSmethodologies, along with the design of MS compatible separation technology. Analytesof interest range from small, biologically active molecules in disease progressionresearch, to macromolecules such as proteins, in proteomics investigations. Advances inthese areas are vital to maintaining the level of sophistication that has become thebenchmark for MS analyses.Mass spectrometry has found a permanent station in disease progression studies,particularly in biomarker discovery. This is especially true for Alzheimer's disease (AD),a condition …

Can Interactivity Make A Difference? Effects Of Interactivity On Young Adults' Comprehension Of Online Health Content, Mia Liza Alcantara Lustria

University of Kentucky Doctoral Dissertations

The Internet is growing in popularity as a health information sourceespecially among young adults. Interactivity has been pinpointed as the keyfeature that makes the Internet a potentially powerful health communicationtool. It is being heralded as a hybrid channel that has the capacity not only todisseminate health information to mass audiences both asynchronously andsynchronously, but also has the capacity to provide an engaging and stimulatingenvironment that can promote exploratory learning and active processing ofinformation. Despite these exciting claims, there is still a dearth of theoreticallydrivenempirical studies providing support for or against these assumptions. Westill know very little about how interactive technologies …

On The Properties And Complexity Of Multicovering Radii, Andrew Eugene Mertz

University of Kentucky Doctoral Dissertations

People rely on the ability to transmit information over channels of communication that aresubject to noise and interference. This makes the ability to detect and recover from errorsextremely important. Coding theory addresses this need for reliability. A fundamentalquestion of coding theory is whether and how we can correct the errors in a message thathas been subjected to interference. One answer comes from structures known as errorcorrecting codes.A well studied parameter associated with a code is its covering radius. The coveringradius of a code is the smallest radius such that every vector in the Hamming space of thecode is contained in …

Efficient Integral Equation Method For 2.5d Microwave Circuits In Layered Media, Wee-Hua Tang

University of Kentucky Doctoral Dissertations

An efficient integral equation method based on a method of moment (MoM) discretization of the Mixed-Potential Integral Equation (MPIE) for the analysis of 2.5D or 3D planar microwave circuits is presented. The robust Discrete Complex Image Method (DCIM) is employed to approximate the Greens functions in layered media for horizontal and vertical sources of fields, where closed-form formulations of the z-integrations are derived in the spectral domain. Meanwhile, an efficient and accurate numerical integration technique based on the Khayat-Wilton transform is used to integrate functions with 1/R singularities and near singularities. The fast iterative solver - Quadrature Sampled Pre-Corrected Fast …

Power, Politics, And The 1997 Restructuring Of Higher Education Governance In Kentucky, Michael Allen Garn

University of Kentucky Doctoral Dissertations

This study describes the policymaking process and policy solutions enacted in the Kentucky Postsecondary Improvement Act of 1997 (or House Bill 1). The study employs both an historical recounting of the story of House Bill 1 and a narrative analysis of opinion-editorials and policymaker interviews to reveal and explain how political power comprised both the perennial problem of Kentuckys higher education policymaking and the tool with which conflicts over power distribution were resolved. The study uses three theoretical frameworks (the Multiple-Streams, Punctuated-Equilibrium, and Political Frame) to explore the rise of restructuring on Kentuckys policymaking agenda, its most contentious issue (separation …

Identity In Evangelical Ukraine: Negotiating Regionalism, Nationalism, And Transnationalism, Esther Grace Long

University of Kentucky Doctoral Dissertations

This dissertation examines identity formation among evangelical Protestants in contemporary Ukraine. The overarching question is this: how do Ukrainian evangelicals view themselves and their churches in the context of Ukrainian regionalism, Ukrainian nationalism, and religious transnationalism? This question demands a closer look at Ukrainian regional variation, the status of Ukrainian national identity among evangelical practitioners, and the process of religious transnationalism, including how evangelicals perceive the West. This project is primarily based on qualitative research methods carried out over a ten month period. Field methods included participant observation, focus group interviews, and individual interviews. A set of maps produced by …

Mediating Indigenous Identity: Video, Advocacy, And Knowledge In Oaxaca, Mexico, Laurel Catherine Smith

University of Kentucky Doctoral Dissertations

In the southern Mexican state of Oaxaca, many indigenous communities further their struggles for greater political and cultural autonomy by working with transnational non-governmental organizations (NGOs). Communication technology (what I call comtech) is increasingly vital to these intersecting socio-spatial relations of activism and advocacy. In this dissertation, I examine how comtech offer indigenous individuals and organizations with the means for visualizing their political-cultural agendas. Approaching the access and use of comtech, especially video technologies, as a partial and situated technoscience, I inquire into how and why these activities reconfigure the production and evaluation of authoritative knowledge about indigenous peoples, places, …

The Implied Reader In The Hispanic Children's Literature Of The "Encuento" Series, Genny D. Ballard

University of Kentucky Doctoral Dissertations

This dissertation discusses the implied reader in the EnCuento series illustrated childrens stories. All the stories are written by well-known Hispanic authors. This work elucidates historical, cultural, and semiotic gaps in the reading process. It explores the ways in which textual elements- such as style, focalization, and manipulation of readers expectations - affect the implied readers ability to produce or extract meaning. Our study will add to knowledge of the function of the implied reader in childrens texts. This study is divided into four chapters, each focusing on the implied reader. Chapter 1 provides an introduction to the series discussing …

The Effect Of Polychlorinated Biphenyls On Liver Tumor Promotion: A Role For Kupffer Cells?, Rodica Petruta Bunaciu

University of Kentucky Doctoral Dissertations

Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) are ubiquitious lipophilic environmental pollutants. At least some of the PCB congeners and mixtures are hepatic tumor promoters. The mechanisms are not fully understood and might be multifactorial Besides being the most abundant congener in the environment, 2,2,4,4,5,5-hexachlorobiphenyl (PCB-153), has been previously shown to increase hepatocyte proliferation 48h after exposure in rats. The goal of this study was to determine whether hepatic Kupffer cells are important in the promoting activity of PCBs. The hypothesis of this study was that modulation of Kupffer cell activity by PCBs may contribute to PCB-induced liver tumor promotion. The experimental approach consisted …

Determining Physical Conditions In Star Forming Regions, Nicholas Paul Abel

University of Kentucky Doctoral Dissertations

This dissertation is a study of the physical conditions in star-forming regions, and combines observational data and theoretical calculations. We studied the physical conditions of Orions Veil, which is an absorbing screen that lies along the line of sight to the Orion H II region. We computed photoionization models of the Veil. We combined calculations with UV, radio, and optical spectra that resolve the Veil into two velocity components. We derive many physical parameters for each component seen in 21 cm absorption. We find the magnetic field energy dominates turbulent and thermal energies in one component while the other component …