Digital Commons Network^™

Assessing Ecosystem Services From The Forestry-Based Reclamation Of Surface Mined Areas In The North Fork Of The Kentucky River Watershed, Kumari Gurung

Theses and Dissertations--Forestry and Natural Resources

Land Use Land Cover (LULC) changes can take place at the expense of degrading environmental conditions and undermining ecosystem’s capacity to deliver benefits to people. In the Appalachian region, surface mining for coal is a major driver of LULC change. The Surface Mining Control and Reclamation Act (SMCRA) of 1977 requires mine site reclamation but typical reclamation practices often result in land cover dominated by grass and shrubs. The Forestry Reclamation Approach (FRA) is a promising reclamation strategy but not in widespread use by industry. Assessing ecosystem services that can be obtained from a forest landscape may help policy-makers and …

Statistical Analysis Of Rabies Submissions In Kentucky And Weather As A Potential Predictor Of Positive Cases, Hannah Free

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

Background

The rabies virus is a zoonotic pathogen that is nearly 100 percent fatal once symptoms occur. Because it is still active in wildlife populations in Kentucky, the need for preventive measures and surveillance is critical. Temperature and precipitation have been shown to affect rabies. This study examined rabies submissions in Kentucky, weather and geographical distribution to both describe and predict cases.

Methods

Data from the University of Kentucky Veterinary Diagnostics laboratory were used to assess rabies submissions from 2005 through 2015. These submissions were anonymously submitted by the public and the Florescent Antibody Test was used to determine infection …

Music Therapy And Multicultural Competence: A Survey Of Music Therapists' Training And Perceptions, Laura Kay Cahoon

Theses and Dissertations--Music

The changing demographics of the United States directly impacts the populations that music therapists serve. The American Music Therapy Association (AMTA) provides a list of competencies regarding race, culture, and diversity, but how these are addressed in the classroom is not standardized. The purpose of this study was to examine music therapists’ perceptions of their training in multicultural competence. The researcher emailed 7,539 board-certified music therapists, 631 of whom completed the survey. Results indicated that 55.6% of music therapists think that multicultural competence is important, and the majority said that they felt prepared to demonstrate multicultural competence after completion of …

Leveraging Overhead Imagery For Localization, Mapping, And Understanding, Scott Workman

Theses and Dissertations--Computer Science

Ground-level and overhead images provide complementary viewpoints of the world. This thesis proposes methods which leverage dense overhead imagery, in addition to sparsely distributed ground-level imagery, to advance traditional computer vision problems, such as ground-level image localization and fine-grained urban mapping. Our work focuses on three primary research areas: learning a joint feature representation between ground-level and overhead imagery to enable direct comparison for the task of image geolocalization, incorporating unlabeled overhead images by inferring labels from nearby ground-level images to improve image-driven mapping, and fusing ground-level imagery with overhead imagery to enhance understanding. The ultimate contribution of this thesis …

The Effect Of Occupational Licensing On Wages And Employment: Evidence From Electricians And Massage Therapists, Matt Shafer

MPA/MPP/MPFM Capstone Projects

No executive summary.

Max Neuhaus, R. Murray Schafer, And The Challenges Of Noise, Megan Elizabeth Murph

Theses and Dissertations--Music

In this dissertation, I analyzed Max Neuhaus’s (1939-2009) and R. Murray Schafer’s (b. 1932) commentary and work regarding noise, its control, and its relationship with the environment from the 1960 to the 1980s. Both Neuhaus and Schafer as well as those more directly involved with noise abatement research and policy were responding to the challenges and possibilities that noise posed in the latter twentieth century. In this project, I delved into these substantial links and argued that responding to and engaging with noise abatement policies was a key impetus to much of their work, which scholarship has yet to critically …

Three Essays On Local Public Finance, Thomas Daniel Woodbury

Theses and Dissertations--Public Policy and Administration

This dissertation seeks to develop the subject of local public finance in a manner consistent with the political economy of local governments. For ease of description, each essay will be discussed briefly.

The first essay is titled "The Provision of Generalized Local Public Goods Financed by Distortionary Taxation." This essay models the provision of a local public good that is simultaneously utilized as a public consumption good and a public intermediate good. Since the public good can simultaneously enter both utility and production functions, it is considered a "generalized public good." This is done to model the provision of infrastructure …

Antibiotic Prescribing For Treatment Of Acute Pediatric Illnesses By Advanced Practice Nurses, Deborah J. Whitehurst

DNP Projects

Antibiotic over-prescribing by physicians for the treatment of acute respiratory tract illnesses have been examined in a variety of settings. Different studies have examined nurse practitioner (NP) prescribing practices both in the United States and various international settings. There have been limited studies specifically examining antibiotic prescribing practices in the pediatric population. However, no studies were found which compared population specific NP groups. The purpose of this study was to understand differences in antibiotic prescribing practices among advanced practice pediatric providers.

The goal of this project was to describe and compare antibiotic prescribing practices of pediatric nurse practitioners (PNP) and …

Comparison Of Soil-Applied And Postemergence Herbicides With Multiple Sites Of Herbicidal Activity On Two Populations Of Herbicide-Resistant Palmer Amaranth In Kentucky, Nicholas J. Fleitz

Theses and Dissertations--Plant and Soil Sciences

With the introduction of herbicide resistant Palmer amaranth into Kentucky during the past 10 years there has been an increasing concern for effective control measures in grain production. Field trials were performed in 2016 and 2017 near Barlow and Paris, KY to determine efficacy of chemical control programs targeting herbicide resistant Palmer amaranth. Percent visual control, effects on plant density and plant height were measured in 2016 to determine treatment effectiveness. Treatments containing four different sites of herbicide activity achieved an average of 98% control. Treatments containing only 3, 2 or 1 site of activity only achieved 64%, 45% and …

Exploring Spatial And Temporal Variability Of Soil And Crop Processes For Irrigation Management, Javier Reyes

Theses and Dissertations--Plant and Soil Sciences

Irrigation needs to be applied to soils in relatively humid regions such as western Kentucky to supply water for crop uptake to optimize and stabilize yields. Characterization of soil and crop variability at the field scale is needed to apply site specific management and to optimize water application. The objective of this work is to propose a characterization and modeling of soil and crop processes to improve irrigation management. Through an analysis of spatial and temporal behavior of soil and crop variables the variability in the field was identified. Integrative analysis of soil, crop, proximal and remote sensing data was …

Gender, Sexuality, And Categories Of Risk: Physician Views Of Cervical Cancer In Bangalore, India, Emily G. Capilouto

Theses and Dissertations--Anthropology

India has one of the highest rates of cervical cancer morbidity and mortality globally. Despite this, there are no national or state-wide screening efforts for cervical cancer and its prevention in India. In an effort to understand the magnitude of cervical cancer in Bangalore, India, this research draws upon data collected in hospital contexts over a month-long period to explore the ways in which physician attitudes contribute to understandings of cervical cancer and its prevention in the growing urban context of Bangalore.

“We’Re Being Left To Blight”: Green Urban Development And Racialized Space In Kansas City, Chhaya Kolavalli

Theses and Dissertations--Anthropology

In this dissertation, I explore ‘green’ urban development and urban agriculture projects from the perspective of residents of an African American majority neighborhood in Kansas City—who reside in an area referred to as a ‘blighted food desert’ by local policy makers. In Kansas City, extensive city government support exists for urban agricultural projects, which are touted not just as a solution to poverty associated issues such food insecurity and obesity, but also as a remedy for ‘blight,’ violence and crime, and vacant urban land. Specific narratives of Kansas City’s past are used to prop up and legitimate these future visions …

Creating Identity: How Steve Biko Cultural Institute’S Black Consciousness And Citizenship Influences Student Identity Formation In Salvador, Bahia, Brazil, Sheryl Felecia Means

Theses and Dissertations--Education Sciences

The research presented in “Creating Identity” investigates Black identity formation within the Steve Biko Cultural Institute (Biko) in Salvador, Bahia, Brazil, a pre-vestibular – or college entrance exam preparation course – for Afro-Brazilian high school and aspiring college students. The curriculum, Cidadania e Consciência Negra (Black Consciousness and Citizenship; abbreviated CCN) serves as a vital pillar to the institutional approach to Black identity. In a Eurocentric society like Brazil and a world where Black identity is largely discriminated against including in educational spaces, Biko represents a movement to combat the exclusion of Afro-descendant youth from university, improve self-esteem and perceptions …

American Mnemonic: Racial Identity In Women’S Life Writing Of The Civil War, Katherine Waddell

Theses and Dissertations--English

American Mnemonic: Racial Identity in Women’s Life Writing of the Civil War takes up three American women's autobiographies: Emilie Davis’s pocket diaries (1863-65), Elizabeth Keckley’s Behind the Scenes: Thirty Years a Slave and Four in the White House (1868), and Louisa May Alcott’s Hospital Sketches (1863). Chapter one is devoted to literary review and methodology. Chapter two, "the all-absorbing topic': Belonging and Isolation in Emilie Davis’s Diaries," explores the everyday record of Emilie Davis in the context of Philadelphia’s free black community during the war. Davis’s position as a working-class free woman offers a fresh perspective on the much-discussed “elite” …

An Investigation Of Factors Predicting The Type Of Bladder Antimuscarinics Initiated In Medicare Nursing Homes Residents, Daniela C. Moga, Qishan Wu, Pratik Doshi, Amie J. Goodin

Pharmacy Practice and Science Faculty Publications

Background: To examine factors predicting type of bladder antimuscarinics (BAM) initiated in nursing home (NH) residents.

Methods: Incident BAM initiators following NH admission were identified by constructing a retrospective cohort from Medicare files and Minimum Data Set (MDS). Participants included all residents 65 years and older admitted in Medicare-certified NH between January 1, 2007 and December 31, 2008 who were prescribed BAM and had continuous Medicare (Part A, B, and D) enrollment. Patient characteristics, medications, and comorbidities were derived from Medicare enrollment and claims. NH characteristics and health status were derived from MDS assessments. The outcome was defined as type …

Integrating Herbivore Population Dynamics Into A Global Land Biosphere Model: Plugging Animals Into The Earth System, Shree R. S. Dangal, Hanqin Tian, Chaoqun Lu, Wei Ren, Shufen Pan, Jia Yang, Nicola Di Cosmo, Amy Hessl

Plant and Soil Sciences Faculty Publications

Mammalian herbivores are an essential component of grassland and savanna ecosystems, and with feedbacks to the climate system. To date, the response and feedbacks of mammalian herbivores to changes in both abiotic and biotic factors are poorly quantified and not adequately represented in the current global land surface modeling framework. In this study, we coupled herbivore population dynamics in a global land model (the Dynamic Land Ecosystem Model, DLEM 3.0) to simulate populations of horses, cattle, sheep, and goats, and their responses to changes in multiple environmental factors at the site level across different continents during 1980–2010. Simulated results show …

Revision Of The Species Of Lytopylus From Area De Conservación Guanacaste, Northwestern Costa Rica (Hymenoptera, Braconidae, Agathidinae), Ilgoo Kang, Eric G. Chapman, Daniel H. Janzen, Winnie Hallwachs, Tanya Dapkey, M. Alex Smith, Michael J. Sharkey

Entomology Faculty Publications

Thirty two new species of Lytopylus (Agathidinae) are described with image plates for each species: Lytopylus alejandromasisi sp. n., Lytopylus alfredomainieri sp. n., Lytopylusanamariamongeae sp. n., Lytopylus angelagonzalezae sp. n., Lytopylus cesarmorai sp. n., Lytopylus eddysanchezi sp. n., Lytopylus eliethcantillanoae sp. n., Lytopylus ericchapmani sp. n., Lytopylus gahyunae sp. n., Lytopylus gisukae sp. n., Lytopylus guillermopereirai sp. n., Lytopylusgustavoindunii sp. n., Lytopylus hartmanguidoi sp. n., Lytopylus hernanbravoi sp. n., Lytopylushokwoni sp. n., Lytopylus ivanniasandovalae sp. n., Lytopylus johanvalerioi sp. n., Lytopylusjosecortesi sp. n. …

Strengths And Limitations Of Nitrogen Rate Recommendations For Corn And Opportunities For Improvement, Thomas F. Morris, T. Scott Murrell, Douglas B. Beegle, James J. Camberato, Richard B. Ferguson, John H. Grove, Quirine Ketterings, Peter M. Kyveryga, Carrie A.M. Laboski, Joshua M. Mcgrath, John J. Meisinger, Jeff Melkonian, Bianca N. Moebius-Clune, Emerson D. Nafziger, Deanna Osmond, John E. Sawyer, Peter C. Scharf, Walter Smith, John T. Spargo, Harold M. Van Es, Haishun Yang

Plant and Soil Sciences Faculty Publications

Nitrogen fi xation by the Haber–Bosch process has more than doubled the amount of fi xed N on Earth, significantly influencing the global N cycle. Much of this fi xed N is made into N fertilizer that is used to produce nearly half of the world’s food. Too much of the N fertilizer pollutes air and water when it is lost from agroecosystems through volatilization, denitrification, leaching, and runoff. Most of the N fertilizer used in the United States is applied to corn (Zea mays L.), and the profitability and environmental footprint of corn production is directly tied to N …

Economic Impact Of The Sugarcane Aphid Outbreak In South Texas, Samuel D. Zapata, Rebekka Dudensing, Danielle Sekula, Gabriela Esparza-Díaz, Raul Villanueva

Entomology Faculty Publications

The objective of this study was to estimate the economic impact of the sugarcane aphid (SCA) outbreak in the Rio Grande Valley (RGV), Texas. Local producers were surveyed to gather detailed information about crop production and pest control practices. Collected data were used to estimate the reduction in profit associated with the SCA infestation, as well as the monetary value of the prevented loss attributed to control efforts. Sorghum industry losses were then used to assess the overall economic impact of the SCA outbreak in the RGV economy.

Why Munch?, Robert Jensen

Art and Visual Studies Presentations

Why Munch? was a keynote lecture for the conference "Marketing the North," sponsored by the society Munch, Markets and Modernism, in November 2017. In asking the question, the paper explores Munch's canonical status, especially vis-a-vis other Scandinavian artists of his time. In particular, the essay addresses the evolving nature of artistic professionalism at the end of the 19th century, and how Munch's personal and artistic behavior evoked a new definition of bohemianism that resonated deeply with the rise of European modernism and the post-1900 avant-gardes.

A Political Companion To James Baldwin, Susan J. Mcwilliams

Civil Rights

In seminal works such as Go Tell It on the Mountain, Notes of a Native Son, and The Fire Next Time, acclaimed author and social critic James Baldwin (1924–1987) expresses his profound belief that writers have the power to transform society, to engage the public, and to inspire and channel conversation to achieve lasting change. While Baldwin is best known for his writings on racial consciousness and injustice, he is also one of the country's most eloquent theorists of democratic life and the national psyche. In A Political Companion to James Baldwin, a group of prominent scholars assess the prolific …

A Rural/Urban Comparison Of Privacy And Confidentiality Concerns Associated With Providing Sensitive Location Information In Epidemiologic Research Involving Persons Who Use Drugs, Abby E. Rudolph, April M. Young, Jennifer R. Havens

Epidemiology and Environmental Health Faculty Publications

Background—Analyses that link contextual factors with individual-level data can improve our understanding of the "risk environment"; however, the accuracy of information provided by participants about locations where illegal/stigmatized behaviors occur may be influenced by privacy/confidentiality concerns that may vary by setting and/or data collection approach.

Methods—We recruited thirty-five persons who use drugs from a rural Appalachian town and a Mid-Atlantic city to participate in in-depth interviews. Through thematic analyses, we identified and compared privacy/confidentiality concerns associated with two survey methods that (1) collect self-reported addresses/cross-streets and (2) use an interactive web-based map to find/confirm locations in rural and …

Language And Socioeconomics Predict Geographic Variation In Peer Review Outcomes At An Ecology Journal, C. Sean Burns, Charles W. Fox

Information Science Faculty Publications

Papers submitted by scientists located in western nations generally fare better in the peer review process than do papers submitted by scientists from elsewhere. This paper examines geographic variation in peer review outcomes (whether a manuscript is sent for review, review scores obtained, and final decisions by editors) for 3529 submissions over a 4.5 year period at the journal Functional Ecology. In particular, we test whether geographic variation in language and socioeconomics are adequate to explain most or are all of this variation. There was no relationship between the geographic regions of handling editors and the decisions to send …

The Building Blocks Of History, Nicole Martin

Greater Faculties: A Review of Teaching and Learning

Dr. Steve Davis is an Assistant Professor of History at the University of Kentucky, where he teaches precolonial and modern South African history using the popular video game Minecraft. CELT's Dr. Nicole Martin asked Dr. Davis about his goals for student learning, and how he encourages students to develop skills in historical analysis through virtual world-building.

Long-Term Impact Of Changing Childhood Malnutrition On Rotavirus Diarrhoea: Two Decades Of Adjusted Association With Climate And Socio-Demographic Factors From Urban Bangladesh, Sumon Kumar Das, Mohammod Jobayer Chisti, Mohammad Habibur Rahman Sarker, Jui Das, Shawnawaz Ahmed, K. M. Shahunja, Shamsun Nahar, Nora Gibbons, Tahmeed Ahmed, Abu Syed Golam Faruque, Mustafizur Rahman, George J. Fuchs Iii, Abdullah Al Mamun, Peter John Baker

Pediatrics Faculty Publications

Background

There is strong association between childhood rotavirus, diarrhoea, climate factors and malnutrition. Conversely, a significant nutritional transition (reduced under-nutrition) with a concurrent increasing trend of rotavirus infection in last decade was also observed among under 5 children, especially in developing countries including Bangladesh. Considering the pathophysiology of rotavirus, there might be an interaction of this nutrition transition which plays a pivotal role in increasing rotavirus infection in addition to climate and other man-made factors in urban areas such as Dhaka, Bangladesh.

Methods

Relevant monthly data from 1993–2012 were extracted from the archive of the Diarrhoeal Disease Surveillance System of …

Vena Cava Filter Retrieval Rates And Factors Associated With Retrieval In A Large Us Cohort, Joshua D. Brown, Driss Raissi, Qiong Han, Val R. Adams, Jeffery Talbert

Pharmacy Practice and Science Faculty Publications

Background Retrieval of vena cava filters (VCFs) is important for safety as complications increase with longer dwell times. This study assessed VCF retrieval rates and factors associated with retrieval in a national cohort.

Methods and Results VCFs were identified by procedural codes from an administrative claims database. Patients were identified who had a VCF placement during a hospitalization from a national commercial administrative claims database. Indications for VCF placement were identified as pulmonary embolism with or without deep vein thrombosis, deep vein thrombosis only, or prophylactic. Patient demographic and clinical characteristics were included in proportional hazard regression models to find …

[Review Of] Pedagogues And Protesters: The Harvard College Student Diary Of Stephen Peabody, 1767-1768. Edited By Conrad Edick Wright., John R. Thelin

Educational Policy Studies and Evaluation Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Effects Of Climate Warming On Net Primary Productivity In China During 1961–2010, Fengxue Gu, Yuandong Zhang, Mei Huang, Bo Tao, Rui Guo, Changrong Yan

Plant and Soil Sciences Faculty Publications

The response of ecosystems to different magnitudes of climate warming and corresponding precipitation changes during the last few decades may provide an important reference for predicting the magnitude and trajectory of net primary productivity (NPP) in the future. In this study, a process-based ecosystem model, Carbon Exchange between Vegetation, Soil and Atmosphere (CEVSA), was used to investigate the response of NPP to warming at both national and subregional scales during 1961–2010. The results suggest that a 1.3°C increase in temperature stimulated the positive changing trend in NPP at national scale during the past 50 years. Regardless of the magnitude of …

Nonmeteorological Influences On Severe Thunderstorm Warning Issuance: A Geographically Weighted Regression-Based Analysis Of County Warning Area Boundaries, Land Cover, And Demographic Variables, Megan L. White, J. Anthony Stallins

Geography Faculty Publications

Studies have shown that the spatial distribution of severe thunderstorm warnings demonstrates variation beyond what can be attributed to weather and climate alone. Investigating spatial patterns of these variations can provide insight into nonmeteorological factors that might lead forecasters to issue warnings. Geographically weighted regression was performed on a set of demographic and land cover descriptors to ascertain their relationships with National Weather Service (NWS) severe thunderstorm warning polygons issued by 36 NWS forecast offices in the central and southeastern United States from 2008 to 2015. County warning area (CWA) boundaries and cities were predominant sources of variability in warning …

Was There A Regular Provincia Africa In The Second Century?, Daniel J. Gargola

History Faculty Publications

Scholars agree that Africa became a province after the destruction of Carthage in 146, but close examination of the evidence for the practice reveals that it is, at best, limited. Instead, the senate probably began to send magistrates to the region with any regularity at some uncertain point after the conclusion of the war against Jugurtha. This interpretation of the evidence brings Roman practice in Africa more into line with recent models of Roman imperialism in the second century, in which consuls and praetors were dispatched primarily to wage war, exert military pressure, or preserve Rome's position in an unstable …