Digital Commons Network^™

Avulsions Drive Ecosystem Services And Economic Changes In The Brazilian Pantanal Wetlands, Rômullo O. Louzada, Ivan Bergier, Fabio O. Roque, Michael M. Mcglue, Aguinaldo Silva, Mario L. Assine

Earth and Environmental Sciences Faculty Publications

The Pantanal wetland is a mosaic of landscapes that brings together rich biodiversity with the valuable activities of fishing, tourism and ranching. Human occupation and land use in the headwaters have intensified the rate of channel avulsions in the lower reaches of the largest megafan on the Taquari River. This study evaluates the long-term changes of landscapes in the active depositional lobe of the Taquari megafan from the perspective of local communities of pantaneiros. Maps derived from multiple decades of multispectral Landsat data have proven useful for studying land cover changes through the relationship between dry (terrestrial vegetation and …

Distribution Of Crude Fat For A Halophyte (Suaeda Glauca) Growing In The Songnen Grassland, H. X. Sun, Ch. L. Liu, Ch. Sh. L.

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

No abstract provided.

Variation Of Plant Diversity And Feeding Value In Gurbantunggut Desert Grassland, Y. B. Qian, Z. N. Wu, L. Y. Zhang, H. Y. Zhang

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

No abstract provided.

Reconsidering Extension: Defining Urban Extension In Kentucky, Kristina D. Hains, Jeff Young, Addie Reinhard, Bryan J. Hains

Community & Leadership Development Faculty Publications

As the vast majority of the population in the United States shifts to dwelling within large population centers, it is necessary to examine the responsibility and role that Cooperative Extension has to serve urban communities. Throughout its history, the land-grant system, through Cooperative Extension, has demonstrated the ability to impact the lives of individual citizens and communities positively. Within this theoretical discussion, we illuminate Cooperative Extension’s responsibility to serve urban communities in the 21st Century and highlight essential milestones in the development of urban Extension throughout the past 100 years. Also, we explore the foundations and relevance of recently developed …

Study On Optimum Cultivation Techniques Of Alfalfa On Songnen Plain, Fengjiu Chai, Zedong Liu

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

No abstract provided.

Tracking The Impact Of Diseases Of Despair In Appalachia—2015 To 2018, Megan Heffernan, Michael Meit, Margaret Cherney, Victoria A. Hallman

Journal of Appalachian Health

Introduction: This study provides an update on mortality due to diseases of despair within the Appalachian Region, comparing 2015 to 2018.

Methods: Diseases of despair include: alcohol, prescription drug and illegal drug overdose, suicide, and alcoholic liver disease/cirrhosis of the liver. Analyses are based on National Vital Statistics System (NVSS) mortality data for individuals aged 15-64.

Results: Between 2015 and 2017, the diseases of despair mortality rate increased in both Appalachia and the non-Appalachian U.S., and the disparity grew between Appalachia and the rest of the county. In 2018, the disease of despair mortality rate declined by …

Exploring Covid-19 Case Fatality In Relation To The Prevalence Of Chronic Conditions And Health Behaviors In Appalachian Kentucky, W. Jay Christian

Journal of Appalachian Health

Background: Research has demonstrated that common chronic conditions, especially those related to cardiovascular health, are important risk factors for severe COVID-19 symptoms or hospitalization. Population prevalence rates of such conditions have not previously been examined in relation to COVID-19 case fatality rates in the Central Appalachian region.

Purpose: This study examined prevalence rates of selected chronic conditions and COVID-19 case fatality rates to determine whether the relationship between them is consistent across Appalachian and non-Appalachian regions of Kentucky.

Methods: Data from Kentucky’s Behavioral Risk Factor Survey (KyBRFS) were used to calculate prevalence rates of asthma, diabetes, influenza vaccination, hypertension, obesity, …

Medicare-Paid Naloxone: Trends In Non-Metropolitan And Metropolitan Areas, Chris Delcher, Yue Cheng, Minji Sohn, Jeffery C. Talbert, Patricia R. Freeman

Rural & Underserved Health Research Center Publications

Overview of Key Findings

• Medicare pays for the largest share (> 30%) of naloxone dispensed from retail pharmacies in non-metropolitan areas.
• Medicare-paid dispensing has grown since 2013, but from 2017-2018 dispensing growth in non-metropolitan areas slowed considerably compared to metropolitan areas (42% v 121%, respectively).
• As of 2018, the rate of naloxone dispensing to Medicare enrollees in metropolitan areas was approximately double that in non-metropolitan areas (4.9 v 2.9 per 1,000 enrollees, respectively).

Application Of Eh-Ph Diagrams On Acid Leaching Systems For The Recovery Of Rees From Bastnaesite, Monazite And Xenotime, Peijia Lin, Xinbo Yang, Joshua M. Werner, Rick Q. Honaker

Mining Engineering Faculty Publications

Bastnaesite, monazite and xenotime are rare earth minerals (REMs) that are typical sources for rare earth elements (REEs). To advance the understanding of their leaching and precipitation behavior in different hydrometallurgical processes, Eh-pH diagrams were constructed and modified using the HSC 9.9 software. The aqueous stability of rare earth elements in H₂O and acid leaching systems, i.e., the REE-Ligands-H₂O systems, were depicted and studied based on the Eh-pH diagrams. This study considers the most relevant lixiviants, their resulting equilibrium states and the importance in the hydrometallurgical recovery of rare earth elements (REMs). A literature review was …

Introduction To Special Topic: Rural Education Finance And Policy, Christiana Stoddard, Eugenia F. Toma

Public Policy and Administration Faculty Publications

This special topic takes stock of the current state of rural education finance and policy research. Taken together the articles in this special topic highlight a major point. Rural districts and schools not only differ from those in urban areas but also differ from one another. This is perhaps not surprising given the heterogeneity of school size, community size, demographics, and the degree of rurality of schools across the United States. The articles pose a challenge for policymakers. Policies that serve one state or one rural community may not be relevant or helpful to another. Policy solutions must recognize the …

Detecting Recent Crop Phenology Dynamics In Corn And Soybean Cropping Systems Of Kentucky, Yanjun Yang, Bo Tao, Liang Liang, Yawen Huang, Christopher J. Matocha, Chad D. Lee, Michael Sama, Bassil El Masri, Wei Ren

Geography Faculty Publications

Accurate phenological information is essential for monitoring crop development, predicting crop yield, and enhancing resilience to cope with climate change. This study employed a curve-change-based dynamic threshold approach on NDVI (Normalized Differential Vegetation Index) time series to detect the planting and harvesting dates for corn and soybean in Kentucky, a typical climatic transition zone, from 2000 to 2018. We compared satellite-based estimates with ground observations and performed trend analyses of crop phenological stages over the study period to analyze their relationships with climate change and crop yields. Our results showed that corn and soybean planting dates were delayed by 0.01 …

Genetic Diversity Of Orchardgrass Germplasm Detected By Molecular Markers, Xinquan Zhang, Bing Zeng, Yan Peng, Ying Lan

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

No abstract provided.

Information Resources For University Of Kentucky Dei Plan, Ruth E. Bryan

Library Presentations

In this presentation, University Archivist Ruth E. Bryan discusses the various information resources available in the University of Kentucky archives and online for researching University of Kentucky, its land grant beginnings and land purchases, the laborers who constructed and maintained university buildings, and the university's growth in relation to its surrounding neighborhoods.

Landmarks And City Hall: How Historic Preservation Contributes To Municipal Government, Frank B. Gilbert

Journal of Natural Resources & Environmental Law

No abstract provided.

Clinical Geography: A Proposal To Embrace Space, Place And Wellbeing Through Person-Centered Practice, Jessica M. Finlay, Graham D. Rowles

Graduate Center for Gerontology Faculty Publications

This essay envisions how geography can operationalize nuanced understandings of space and place to enrich the lives of individuals across the lifespan. We propose a focused integration of geography into person-centered practice: a clinical geography dedicated to working directly with people to promote optimal physical and mental health outcomes and wellbeing. Our proposal integrates spatial modifications to facilitate access and utility, behavioral interventions to maximize effectiveness in using space, and therapeutic engagement to nurture a deeper sense of ‘being in place’ that enhances wellbeing and quality of life. This focus is timely given societal instability and precariousness resulting from incongruous …

Consultant As Ethnographer: Conceptualizing A New Approach To Nonprofit Arts Management Consulting, Jill Schinberg

Arts Administration Faculty Publications

Hiring a consultant can be an expensive endeavor for nonprofit arts organizations and is sometimes criticized for bearing few substantive outcomes. The unique workplace culture of such organizations calls for a differentiating consulting model. This article conceptualizes a new approach to nonprofit arts management consulting work by looking at the principles of ethnography. From the perspective of both client and consultant, the author posits one possible solution which considers the consultant as an ethnographer. Approaching consulting work with an ethnographer's lens moves away from the prescriptive toward more inclusive and organic techniques. This concept article will be of particular interest …

Legal Bases For Securing The Integrity Of The Earth-Space Environment, Myres S. Mcdougal

Journal of Natural Resources & Environmental Law

No abstract provided.

Defining Coal Dredging As Surface Mining Under Smcra: Cumberland Reclamation Co. V. United States, Stefan R. Hughes

Journal of Natural Resources & Environmental Law

No abstract provided.

Some Legal Solutions For Contemporary Problems Concerning Groundwater And Aquifers, Earl F. Murphy

Journal of Natural Resources & Environmental Law

No abstract provided.

Undoing Mastery: With Ambivalence?, Jess Linz, Anna J. Secor

Geography Graduate Research

In this commentary, we respond to Derek Ruez and Daniel Cockayne’s article ‘Feeling Otherwise: Ambivalent Affects and the Politics of Critique in Geography’. We do so by picking up ambivalence—or more precisely, ambivalence about ambivalence—as a tool with which Ruez and Cockayne leave us. We find this tool somewhat difficult to grasp, but we understand this as part of its design. Ambivalence undoes the subject’s mastery. In doing so, we find that an airing of ambivalence gives other kinds of entangled, indeterminate, and unknowing relations room to breathe.

Young Children’S Information-Seeking Practices In Center-Based Childcare, Sarah C. Barriage

Information Science Faculty Publications

Many children in the USA spend a significant amount of time in center-based childcare. However, research has yet to explore their information practices in this setting. This study investigates young children’s perceptions of the concept of information and their own information-seeking practices within the context of their day care classroom. The participants included 13 children between three and five years of age. Data was collected using participant observation, semi-structured interviews, child-led photo tours, and photo-elicitation interviews. The findings indicate that the children did not perceive the concept of information in a manner consistent with adult understandings of the term, and …

Criminal Liability For Engineers Under Kentucky's Surface Mining Laws, Marco M. Rajkovich

Journal of Natural Resources & Environmental Law

No abstract provided.

What Documents Cannot Do: Revisiting Michael Polanyi And The Tacit Knowledge Dilemma, C. Sean Burns

Information Science Faculty Publications

Our culture is dominated by digital documents in ways that are easy to overlook. These documents have changed our worldviews about science and have raised our expectations of them as tools for knowledge justification. This article explores the complexities surrounding the digital document by revisiting Michael Polanyi’s theory of tacit knowledge—the idea that “we can know more than we can tell.” The theory presents to us a dilemma: if we can know more than we can tell, then this means that the communication of science via the document as a primary form of telling will always be incomplete. This dilemma …

Big Data: Ethics, Resources, And Potential Collaboration, Matthew Zook

Geography Presentations

This presentation goes over 10 simple rules for responsible big data research.

Cancer Curriculum For Appalachian Kentucky Middle And High Schools, Lauren Hudson, Katherine Sharp, Chris Prichard, Melinda J. Ickes, Sahar Alameh, Nathan L. Vanderford

Journal of Appalachian Health

Background: Appalachian Kentucky faces the highest cancer incidence and mortality rates in the country due to poor health behaviors and lifestyle choices. These poor health behaviors are facilitated by a lack of cancer education. Youth represent a vulnerable population that could be greatly impacted by increased cancer education. Teachers have the power to facilitate this learning.

Purpose: This study examined the need for cancer education curriculum in Appalachian Kentucky middle and high schools from the perspective of educators.

Methods: An online survey was conducted with science and health teachers (n=21) in Appalachian Kentucky, consisting of questions that investigated existing cancer …

Challenges When Identifying Migration From Geo-Located Twitter Data, Caitrin Armstrong, Ate Poorthuis, Matthew Zook, Derek Ruths, Thomas Soehl

Geography Faculty Publications

Given the challenges in collecting up-to-date, comparable data on migrant populations the potential of digital trace data to study migration and migrants has sparked considerable interest among researchers and policy makers. In this paper we assess the reliability of one such data source that is heavily used within the research community: geolocated tweets. We assess strategies used in previous work to identify migrants based on their geolocation histories. We apply these approaches to infer the travel history of a set of Twitter users who regularly posted geolocated tweets between July 2012 and June 2015. In a second step we hand-code …

Discussion The Signification Of Chinese Grassland Reclamation Reasons In The Historical Period, Miao Yang

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

No abstract provided.

Maternal Proximity To Mountaintop Removal Mining And Birth Defects In Appalachian Kentucky, 1997-2003, Daniel B. Cooper

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

Background: Extraction of coal through mountaintop removal mining (MTR) alters many dimensions of the landscape, and explosive blasts, exposed rock, and coal washing have the potential to pollute air and water with substances known to increase risk of developmental and birth anomalies. Previous research suggests that infants born to mothers living in MTR coal mining counties have higher prevalence of most types of birth defects.

Objectives: This study seeks to examine further the relationship between MTR activity and birth defects by employing individual level exposure estimation through precise satellite data of MTR activity in the Appalachian region and maternal residence …

Racial Disparities In Syringe Exchange Program Access In Kentucky, Ankur Bhargava

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

Non-white Kentuckians use syringe exchange programs (SEPs) at lower rates than white Kentuckians. This analysis begins by documenting this disparity and then explores several potential causes. Access to SEPs is limited by law as only health departments may operate them. Areas of the state in which SEPs face political opposition are therefore underserved. A consequence of this legal limitation is distance to a SEP may be a barrier to access. Analysis of publicly available data indicates non-white drug users in Kentucky are located closer to syringe exchange programs in urban areas but farther away in rural areas. Proximity to a …

The Political Consequences Of State Action On Violence Against Women: How Victims And Non-Victims Form Opinions About Government, Helen Rabello Kras

Theses and Dissertations--Political Science

This dissertation examines the impact of public policies designed to prevent, address, and punish violence against women (VAW) on citizens’ political attitudes as well as news coverage in Brazil. Despite being politically important, these topics are understudied, particularly in the context of Latin America. In the dissertation, I investigate the following research questions: 1) How does government attention to gender-based violence shape news media coverage of violence against women? 2) How do policies on violence against women shape intimate partner violence survivors’ political attitudes? 3) How do encounters with the police shape survivors’ political opinions and bystander intervention attitudes? By …