Digital Commons Network^™

Slope Unit Maker (Sumak): An Efficient And Parameter-Free Algorithm For Delineating Slope Units To Improve Landslide Modeling, Jacob B. Woodard, Benjamin B. Mirus, Nathan J. Wood, Kate E. Allstadt, Benjamin A. Leshchinsky, Matthew M. Crawford

Faculty, Staff, and Affiliated Publications--KGS

Slope units are terrain partitions bounded by drainage and divide lines. In landslide modeling, including susceptibility modeling and event-specific modeling of landslide occurrence, slope units provide several advantages over gridded units, such as better capturing terrain geometry, improved incorporation of geospatial landslide-occurrence data in different formats (e.g., point and polygon), and better accommodating the varying data accuracy and precision in landslide inventories. However, the use of slope units in regional (> 100 km²) landslide studies remains limited due, in part, to the large computational costs and/or poor reproducibility with current delineation methods. We introduce a computationally efficient algorithm …

Rural And Urban Clinician Views On Covid- 19’S Impact On Substance Use Treatment For Individuals On Community Supervision In Kentucky, Carrie B. Oser, Maria Rockett, Sebastian Otero, Evan Joseph Batty, Marisa Booty, Rachel Gressick, Michele Staton, Hannah K. Knudsen

Sociology Faculty Publications

Background The COVID-19 pandemic produced system-level changes within the criminal legal system and community-based substance use disorder (SUD) treatment system with impacts on recovery efforts. This study examines rural and urban clinicians’ perspectives of COVID-19 on SUD treatment delivery for people on community supervision.

Methods Virtual qualitative interviews were conducted between April and October 2020 with 25 community supervision clinicians employed by Kentucky’s Department of Corrections (DOC), who conduct assessments and facilitate community-based treatment linkages for individuals on probation or parole. Transcripts were analyzed in NVivo using directed content analysis methods.

Results Clinicians were predominantly white (92%) and female (88%) …

Cultural Predictors Of Self-Esteem Among Black Women With Criminal Justice Involvement And Herpes Simplex Virus, Natalie Malone, Jardin N. Dogan-Dixon, Shemeka Thorpe, Shawndaya S. Thrasher, Paris Wheeler, Danelle Stevens-Watkins, Carrie B. Oser

Sociology Faculty Publications

Black women have disproportionately alarming HSV-2 infection rates yet receive little attention in sexual health literature. Using a strengths-based resilience framework, this study sought to determine culturally relevant protective predictors of self-esteem for Black women who are justice-involved and have HSV-2. The authors conducted secondary data analysis on data from the “Black Women in the Study of Epidemics (B-WISE) Project,” a longitudinal prospective study investigating health disparities and health services utilization among Black women with justice involvement. At baseline, N = 151 Black women with HSV-2 who were incarcerated or on probation completed survey measures assessing selfesteem, ethnic identity affirmation …

Precision Application Of Water To Equine Racing Surfaces, Sydney Rae Cannon

Theses and Dissertations--Biosystems and Agricultural Engineering

As the horseracing industry has come under more scrutiny as of late, horse and rider safety has become a priority. The best was to keep a rider safe is to keep them on their horse, and the best way to do that is to keep the horse upright. This all comes down to consistency both between tracks and across a single track. The most important method of managing track consistency is through moisture content. This study examined how track design can impact moisture application, how moisture content can impact the surface material, and what design elements can be implemented to …

Extracting Social Network Model Parameters From Social Science Literature, Isaac Batts

Theses and Dissertations--Computer Science

When looking at computer modeling of social situations, much of the social science literature does not include ready-to-use statistics or parameters to be included in a social model. I explore studies related to speaking about racism (and other forms of bias), and interventions designed to diminish the occurrence of biased behavior, and use those readings to synthesize plausible parameters for a social computer model.

Detecting And Recovering From Player Preference Shifts In A Player Modeled Experience Management Environment, Anton Vinogradov

Theses and Dissertations--Computer Science

An important challenge in game design is understanding and maintaining player engagement. This is particularly crucial in both entertainment and educational games, where the player's commitment to the game directly impacts their experience and learning outcomes. However, quantifying engagement proves challenging due to the diverse interests of players. This dilemma is addressed through adaptive game design techniques where the game world is personalized to suit player preferences. In computer games, this personalization is facilitated through Experience Management and Player Modeling, where an intelligent agent gathers information on the player, including their preferences and actions, and takes actions to modify the …

Finding Hierarchies To Improve Learning In Hierarchical Reinforcement Learning, Roy Mobley

Theses and Dissertations--Computer Science

Reinforcement Learning (RL) is an approach to allowing computer agents to try and learn how to solve problems by learning what actions are best to take in a given situation. RL is effective for learning what to do in an environment, but as the problem grows larger, the amount of information needed grows exponentially, making RL less effective on complex problems. A big challenge, often called the curse of dimensionality, is that the number of states and possible number of actions in an environment can grow too large to sufficiently test every possible combination of state and action. One method …

An Archaeological Investigation Of Communities Of Practice Among Coastal Georgia Potters, Elizabeth Straub

Theses and Dissertations--Anthropology

The Mission period in the southeastern United States (beginning around 1565 AD) was characterized by dramatic social and demographic change. Coastal tribes, which include the Guale, Mocama, Orista, and Yamasee, among others, were simultaneously faced with the challenge of negotiating new relationships with Europeans and the global economy, the spread of new diseases, an influx of refugees displaced by violence, and the threat of increasingly prevalent slave raiding. Since most historical documents about this region were written by Spanish men, the experience of Native American women has been neglected. This project addresses this disparity by focusing specifically on one of …

Inflammation And Tumor Progression: The Differential Impact Of Saa In Breast Cancer Models, Daniel Wilhelm Olivier, Carla Eksteen, Manisha Du Plessis, Louis De Jager, Lize Engelbrecht, Nathaniel Wade Mcgregor, Preetha Shridas, Frederick C. De Beer, Willem J. S. De Villiers, Etheresia Pretorius, Anna-Mart Engelbrecht

Saha Cardiovascular Research Center Faculty Publications

Background: Previous research has shown that the Serum Amyloid A (SAA) protein family is intricately involved in inflammatory signaling and various disease pathologies. We have previously demonstrated that SAA is associated with increased colitis disease severity and the promotion of tumorigenesis. However, the specific role of SAA proteins in breast cancer pathology remains unclear. Therefore, we investigated the role of systemic SAA1 and SAA2 (SAA1/2) in a triple-negative breast cancer mouse model.

Methods: Syngeneic breast tumors were established in wild-type mice, and mice lacking the SAA1/2 (SAADKO). Subsequently, tumor volume was monitored, species survival determined, the inflammatory profiles of mice …

Profiling The Molecular And Clinical Landscape Of Glioblastoma Utilizing The Oncology Research Information Exchange Network Brain Cancer Database, Alexandra N. Demetriou, Frances Chow, David W. Craig, Michelle G. Webb, D. Ryan Ormond, James Battiste, Arnab Chakravarti, Howard Colman, John L. Villano, Bryan P. Schneider, James K. C. Liu, Michelle L. Churchman, Gabriel Zada

Markey Cancer Center Faculty Publications

Background. Glioblastoma exhibits aggressive growth and poor outcomes despite treatment, and its marked var- iability renders therapeutic design and prognostication challenging. The Oncology Research Information Exchange Network (ORIEN) database contains complementary clinical, genomic, and transcriptomic profiling of 206 glio- blastoma patients, providing opportunities to identify novel associations between molecular features and clinical outcomes.

Methods. Survival analyses were performed using the Logrank test, and clinical features were evaluated using Wilcoxon and chi-squared tests with q-values derived via Benjamini-Hochberg correction. Mutational analyses util- ized sample-level enrichments from whole exome sequencing data, and statistical tests were performed using the one-sided Fisher Exact test …

Settlement Scaling In The Northern Maya Lowlands: Human-Scale Implications, Scott R. Hutson, Adrian S. Z. Chase, Jeffrey B. Glover, William M. Ringle, Travis W. Stanton, Walter R. T. Witschey, Traci Ardren

Anthropology Faculty Publications

Settlement scaling theory predicts that higher site densities lead to increased social interactions that, in turn, boost productivity. The scaling relationship between population and land area holds for several ancient societies, but as demonstrated by the sample of 48 sites in this study, it does not hold for the Northern Maya Lowlands. Removing smaller sites from the sample brings the results closer to scaling expectations. We argue that applications of scaling theory benefit by considering social interaction as a product not only of proximity but also of daily life and spatial layouts.

Go West: Population Genomics Reveals Unexpected Population Fluctuations And Little Gene Flow In Western Hemisphere Populations Of The Predatory Lady Beetle, Hippodamia Convergens, Arun Sethuraman, Schyler O. Nunziata, Angela Jones, John J. Obrycki, David W. Weisrock

Entomology Faculty Publications

Hippodamia convergens—the convergent lady beetle, has been used extensively in aug- mentative biological control of aphids, thrips, and whiteflies across its native range in North America, and was introduced into South America in the 1950s. Overwintering H. convergens populations from its native western range in the United States are com- mercially collected and released across its current range in the eastern USA, with little knowledge of the effectiveness of its augmentative biological control. Here we use a novel ddRADseq-based SNP/haplotype discovery approach to estimate its range- wide population diversity, differentiation, and recent evolutionary history. Our results indicate (1) significant population …

N(Alpha)-Acetyltransferase 40-Mediated Histone Acetylation Plays An Important Role In Ecdysone Regulation Of Metamorphosis In The Red Flour Beetle, Tribolium Castaneum, Sharath Chandra Gaddelapati, Smitha George, Anilkumar Moola, Karthi Sengodan, Subba Reddy Palli

Entomology Faculty Publications

Histone acetylation, a crucial epigenetic modification, is governed by histone acetyltransferases (HATs), that regulate many biological processes. Functions of HATs in insects are not well understood. We identified 27 HATs and determined their functions using RNA interference (RNAi) in the model insect, Tribolium castaneum. Among HATs studied, N-alpha-acetyltransferase 40 (NAA40) knockdown caused a severe phenotype of arrested larval development. The steroid hormone, ecdysone induced NAA40 expression through its receptor, EcR (ecdysone receptor). Interestingly, ecdysone-induced NAA40 regulates EcR expression. NAA40 acetylates histone H4 protein, associated with the promoters of ecdysone response genes: EcR, E74, E75, and HR3, and causes an increase …

Government Grant Receipts And Revenue Volatility: A Correlational Investigation Of Medium-Sized Arts Organizations, Carly Colvin

MPA/MPP/MPFM Capstone Projects

Minimal revenue volatility has been shown to enable more accurate planning by nonprofit managers and contribute to nonprofit financial sustainability. The volatility of government revenues, a major income source for nonprofit organizations, is not a well-researched topic. This capstone presents correlational tests to study the relationship between government grant receipts and revenue volatility within medium-sized nonprofit arts organizations in California. In addition, a data compilation methodology is tested and documented to enable future research. The results do not show a correlation between receipt of government grants and revenue volatility. The ensuing considerations for nonprofit managers along with areas for future …

University Of Kentucky Healthcare Community Engagement Program Strategic Plan, Madison Fyffe

MPA/MPP/MPFM Capstone Projects

Strategic planning is an essential tool in providing direction to an organization through analysis of its current state and ideal future, and development of strategic goals. The University of Kentucky HealthCare’s community engagement program is a robust program within the department of Brand Strategy, tasked with serving all 120 Kentucky counties and over 150 local, state, and national organizations through health education, event sponsorship, and promotional resources. In its current state, a strategic plan to guide and track performance does not exist. This capstone aims to develop a strategic plan through the assessment of strategic planning theory, stakeholder analysis, and …

Impact Of The Availability And Affordability Of Childcare On The Economy, Valentina Osunmade, Cameron French

MPA/MPP/MPFM Capstone Projects

Kentucky's workforce participation rates are among the lowest in the nation, thus underscoring the urgent need to strengthen and sustain its workforce (Aull, 2023). One significant barrier for many families in the workforce is the lack of accessibility and affordability of childcare. The Child Care Assistance Program (CCAP) in Kentucky aims to alleviate this burden for low-income families. Despite the program's importance, no prior study has examined the direct impact of CCAP enrollment on workforce participation in Kentucky. This research addresses this gap by conducting a multiple regression analysis using aggregate data from the Kentucky Center for Statistics, the US …

Lexington Black Prosperity Initiative: Addressing Lexington’S Equity Gap, Kinsleigh Smith, Jason Schubert

MPA/MPP/MPFM Capstone Projects

The equity gap between Black Americans and white Americans is a persistent social issue. This equity gap presents itself in a variety of measures – wealth accumulation, homeownership, healthcare, educational achievement, financial stability, and more. Locally, the Lexington Black Prosperity Initiative, a program of the Blue Grass Community Foundation, is primarily focused on strengthening Lexington’s Black community and closing this equity gap. The initiative was established in 2020. As the Lexington Black Prosperity Initiative enters its fourth year of operations, they are seeking to expand their reach within the community by enacting long-lasting and sustainable programs that will work to …

Bar-Code Variable: A Novel Approach To Efficiently Find Interaction Effects, Lee Sak Park

Theses and Dissertations--Statistics

This paper introduces the bar-code variable, a novel method for processing a sequence of binary explanatory variables efficiently in the linear regression modeling framework. Represented as an integer or a sequence of bits, the bar-code variable captures infor- mation on original binary variables and their potential interaction effects. Utilizing the bar-code variable, the study explores streamlined feature selection in linear re- gression modeling with binary explanatory variables. The paper demonstrates how the bar-code variable, through re-parameterization, facilitates the transition from cell means estimates, µ̂, in the cell-means ANOVA model to coefficient estimates, β̂, in the linear regression model, and vice …

On Generative Models And Joint Architectures For Document-Level Relation Extraction, Aviv Brokman

Theses and Dissertations--Statistics

Biomedical text is being generated at a high rate in scientific literature publications and electronic health records. Within these documents lies a wealth of potentially useful information in biomedicine. Relation extraction (RE), the process of automating the identification of structured relationships between entities within text, represents a highly sought-after goal in biomedical informatics, offering the potential to unlock deeper insights and connections from this vast corpus of data. In this dissertation, we tackle this problem with a variety of approaches.

We review the recent history of the field of document-level RE. Several themes emerge. First, graph neural networks dominate the …

Difs And Bayescluster: Novel Methods For Single_Cell Rna Sequencing Analysis, Kun Liu

Theses and Dissertations--Statistics

Single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) has transformed our understanding of cellular heterogeneity and gene expression dynamics. Despite its potential, the inherent noise and sparsity of scRNA-seq data pose significant challenges in clustering cells into biologically meaningful groups. This dissertation addresses these challenges through two novel methodologies aimed at enhancing the accuracy and robustness of scRNA-seq data analysis.

First, we introduce the Differential Feature Selection (DIFS) framework, designed to improve the identification of differential features in scRNA-seq data. DIFS employs a two-stage marker identification process. In the first stage, a modified Dip Test is used to filter and identify genes with significant …

Current Clinical Concepts: Nonoperative Management Of Shoulder Instability, Margie K. Olds, Timothy L. Uhl

Physical Therapy Faculty Publications

Nonoperative management after shoulder dislocation or subluxation remains a challenging and complex task. Accurate diagnosis of the condition and shared decision-making regarding operative and nonoperative management and timing of return to play is required. In this Current Clinical Concepts paper, we introduce a shoulder instability framework that addresses these fundamental clinical dilemmas. Valid clinical prognostic tools that can be used to predict recurrent shoulder instability are reviewed. The process of shared decision-making in the realm of shoulder instability is presented. Finally, a framework for progressive rehabilitation that addresses deficits in motor control, strength, and endurance in scapular and shoulder musculature …

Health Care For People Who Are Incarcerated: Teaching Third-Year Medical Students About Rights, Challenges, And Avenues Of Advocacy, Anna-Maria South, Kelsey N. Karnik, Sara Hieneman, Anthony A. Mangino, Michelle R. Lofwall

Biostatistics Faculty Publications

Introduction: Incarcerated patients are a vulnerable patient population with unique barriers to health care that physicians in every specialty encounter. Current medical school curricula lack universal education on health care for incarcerated people.

Methods: We developed an interactive workshop to provide third-year medical students at the University of Kentucky with information about delivering care outside of dedicated carceral settings to individuals who are incarcerated. The workshop included education on the demographic characteristics and medical conditions present in these populations along with understanding incarcerated persons’ rights to health care and how to interact with them and the associated jail/prison workforce often …

The Solo Guitar Works Of Emiliana De Zubeldia: Towards A Performing Edition, Erick Quijada

Theses and Dissertations--Music

This project lays the groundwork for a performing edition of Emiliana de Zubeldia's solo guitar works. It involves a comparative analysis between the autographs and the unpublished critical edition, uncovering discrepancies and errors that need correction in the performing edition. Decisions regarding the omission of notes are made to align the musical text with traditional guitar possibilities. These decisions are rooted in a meticulous musical analysis aimed at ensuring a deep understanding of the works. Additionally, the abstract includes a biography of the composer, providing contextual background.

The Forgotten Trio: Tenor, Bass, And Basso Continuo An Exploration Of Music For The Tenor/Bass Ensemble From The 17th And 18th Centuries, Joshua Golden

Theses and Dissertations--Music

Music written for and performed by tenors and basses has permeated vocal expressions since medieval chant. The history of male choral singing is as lengthy and storied as the history of all choral singing. However, the current canon of programming for this type of ensemble reveals a significant gap in historical tradition and presentation.

This research delves into the historical, cultural, and artistic milieu that influenced the development of tenor/bass choral music throughout this time period. Utilizing primary sources, as well as a rich body of secondary literature, the study employs a comparative analytical approach to dissect the musical styles, …

Understanding The Effects Of Hormone Treatments On The Transgender Singer: A Pedagogical Study And Voice Studio Guide, Erin M. Hannon

Theses and Dissertations--Music

Transitioning from one gender to another can be an arduous and emotionally charged experience, accompanied by many physical and mental transformations. The journey of self-discovery and vocal explorations is both unique and deeply personal. Modifications that emerge in an individual's vocal characteristics have a profound influence on their capacity to communicate and express themselves.

Transgender vocal students and professional singers must navigate the delicate balance between their vocal and gender identities while considering the possible risks of Gender Affirming Hormone Therapy. Though these therapies may significantly alter one's appearance and overall well-being, they are also capable of causing notable declines …

Barriers And Pathways To Music Teacher Professional Agency, David Dockan

Theses and Dissertations--Music

Teacher agency has been a burgeoning topic of research in education and music education. In education research, professional agency has been associated with the influence of policy, teacher demographics, teacher beliefs, professional developments, and teaching environments. In music education, music teacher professional agency is a music teacher’s perception of their capacity to exert power, act, or cause change in their curriculum. Although many researchers and scholars assume that music teachers have agency in their classroom regarding their curriculum, the landscape is shifting due to recent policy changes in the United States, specifically concerning Divisive Concept Laws. Since recent Divisive Concept …

The Trombone In Wind Band: An Analysis Of Excerpts From Seminal Works By Dr. David R. Holsinger, Kyle Aaron Davidson

Theses and Dissertations--Music

The preparation of excerpts from the orchestral canon is a standard part of musical pedagogy. For trombones, the “standard, first-round” excerpts come from a selection of orchestral masterworks, including works such as Mozart’s Requiem, Ravel’s Bolero, Wagner’s Ride of the Valkyries, and Saint-Saëns’ Third Symphony. Such excerpts are often used for wind band auditions despite being rarely, if ever, performed in a wind band setting. Rather than only learning excerpts written for an orchestral setting, the author proposes that excerpts from music written for wind band be used as well.

Unfortunately, there is no comprehensive overview of …

Expert Perceptions Of Needs Of Pregnant Individuals With Substance Use Disorder In Kentucky: A Qualitative Multiple Case Study, Emma Foret Latham

Theses and Dissertations--Music

Substance misuse is a pandemic with far reaching effects on those personally affected, their families, and their communities. Kentucky has one of the highest rates of substance use disorder (SUD) in the country, and most research has focused on how to help men in recovery. There is very little research regarding how to support pregnant individuals with SUD. The purpose of this qualitative thesis was to identify the perceived needs of pregnant individuals with SUD, define characteristics of effective care, and learn how music therapists can support this population in substance use rehabilitation settings from the perspectives of experienced professionals. …

Sculpting Time: A Performance Guide To Four Fragments Of Time By Marcus Siqueira, Luis Felipe Vargas Magdaleno De Moraes

Theses and Dissertations--Music

This dissertation investigates the musical and phenomenological aspects of Four Fragments of Time by Marcus Siqueira (b. 1974) and provides a performance guide for this work. Furthermore, this dissertation analyzes previous guitar works by the composer, seeking to understand Siqueira’s compositional idiosyncrasies and to provide context for the interpretation of Four Fragments of Time. This dissertation includes a biography of the composer, an analysis of the compositional process of Four Fragments of Time, an analysis of the recurrent idiomatic procedures in Siqueira’s guitar works, and an overview of the collaborative process between the composer and the author. Additionally, an analysis …

Border Bones – Between Borders: A Performer’S Guide To The Formation Of A Music Ensemble, Commissioning, And Recording, Juan Saldivar Jr

Theses and Dissertations--Music

Border Bones, a trombone duo formed in 2023, is committed to encouraging marginalized and underrepresented composers from Mexico and the United States. In its first project, Border Bones commissioned ten new works for the trombone repertoire. The focus and representation of this projected included Mexican, female, and LGBTQ+ composers. Once commissioned, Border Bones recorded these works through New Branch Records and released them as an album titled, Between Borders.

This dissertation is a performer’s guide to forming an ensemble, commissioning new works, and recording an album. It also includes interviews with well-known individuals from the music industry that have commissioned, …