Digital Commons Network^™

State Child Welfare Policy: Causes And Consequences, Dana D. Connelly

Theses and Dissertations--Public Policy and Administration

On any given day almost 400,000 children in the United States are living in an out-of-home care placement due to government intervention. Federal law allows for substantial variance in state child welfare policy on a number of topics. These policy decisions, however, are understudied both in terms of the forces driving them and also the impacts the policies have on actual outcomes for children in care.

Utilizing a unique panel data set comprised of thirteen child welfare policies that vary both between states and over time we examine how well redistributive theory (constituent, institutional, paternalistic and resource pressures) explains state …

A Hypernet Architecture, Shufeng Huang

Theses and Dissertations--Computer Science

Network virtualization is becoming a fundamental building block of future Internet architectures. By adding networking resources into the “cloud”, it is possible for users to rent virtual routers from the underlying network infrastructure, connect them with virtual channels to form a virtual network, and tailor the virtual network (e.g., load application-specific networking protocols, libraries and software stacks on to the virtual routers) to carry out a specific task. In addition, network virtualization technology allows such special-purpose virtual networks to co-exist on the same set of network infrastructure without interfering with each other.

Although the underlying network resources needed to support …

Warmikuna Juyayay! Ecuadorian And Latin American Indigenous Women Gaining Spaces In Ethnic Politics, Maria S. Moreno Parra

Theses and Dissertations--Anthropology

This research utilizes an agency framework to examine the complexities of the participation of indigenous women in local, national, and global spaces of activism. By examining the connections between processes of globalization of indigenous and women’s rights, development agendas, local politics, and gender dynamics in indigenous organizations, this research highlights the connection of ethnicity, gender, and power in an indigenous organization of Cotacachi, Ecuador, and for Ecuadorian and Latin American indigenous leaders and professionals working in national and global arenas.

Four interconnected topics are explored: (1) the understanding of indigenous women’s participation in the history of their organization within a …

Mobile Delivery Of Treatment For Alcohol Use Disorders: A Review Of The Literature, Andrew Quanbeck, Ming-Yuan Chih, Andrew Isham, David H. Gustafson

Health and Clinical Sciences Faculty Publications

Several systems for treating alcohol-use disorders (AUDs) exist that operate on mobile phones. These systems are categorized into four groups: text-messaging monitoring and reminder systems, text-messaging intervention systems, comprehensive recovery management systems, and game-based systems. Text-messaging monitoring and reminder systems deliver reminders and prompt reporting of alcohol consumption, enabling continuous monitoring of alcohol use. Text-messaging intervention systems additionally deliver text messages designed to promote abstinence and recovery. Comprehensive recovery management systems use the capabilities of smart-phones to provide a variety of tools and services that can be tailored to individuals, including in-the-moment assessments and access to peer discussion groups. Game-based …

Sleep Disturbance And Outcomes In Patients With Heart Failure And Their Family Caregivers, Sami Al-Rawashdeh

Theses and Dissertations--Nursing

Sleep disturbance is common in patients with heart failure (HF) and the family caregivers. Sleep disturbance is known as a predictor of poor quality of life (QoL) in individual level. The manner in which patients’ and caregivers’ sleep disturbances influence each other’s QoL has not been determined. The purpose of this dissertation was to investigate the associations of sleep disturbance and outcomes in patients with HF and their primary family caregivers. The specific aims were to: 1) examine whether sleep disturbance of patients and their family caregivers predict their own and their partners’ QoL; 2) examine the mediator effects of …

Transmural Heterogeneity Of Cellular Level Cardiac Contractile Properties In Aging And Heart Failure, Premi Haynes

Theses and Dissertations--Physiology

The left ventricle of the heart relaxes when it fills with blood and contracts to eject blood into circulation to meet the body’s metabolic demands. Dysfunction in either relaxation or contraction of the left ventricle can lead to heart failure. Transmural heterogeneity is thought to contribute to normal ventricular wall motion but it is not well understood how transmural modifications affect the failing left ventricle. The overall hypothesis of this dissertation is that normal left ventricles exhibit transmural heterogeneity in cellular level contractile properties and with aging and heart failure there are region-specific changes in cellular level contractile mechanisms.

Age …

Peer-To-Peer Based Trading And File Distribution For Cloud Computing, Ping Yi

Theses and Dissertations--Computer Science

In this dissertation we take a peer-to-peer approach to deal with two specific issues, fair trading and file distribution, arisen from data management for cloud computing.

In mobile cloud computing environment cloud providers may collaborate with each other and essentially organize some dedicated resources as a peer to peer sharing system. One well-known problem in such peer to peer systems with exchange of resources is free riding. Providing incentives for peers to contribute to the system is an important issue in peer to peer systems. We design a reputation-based fair trading mechanism that favors peers with higher reputation. Based on …

Family Support Caseloads--Determinants Of Kentucky's Division Of Family Support Personnel Allocation, David Bachert

MPA/MPP/MPFM Capstone Projects

This paper is an examination of the determinants of Family Support employee allocation. Specifically, related to Kentucky, the goal of this research is to determine if public assistance caseloads are equitable across nine geographic regions. A review of relevant literature provides a larger context to this topic. Literature primarily suggests three mechanisms by which Family Support resources might be allocated: legal regulations, postcode lottery, and Tiebout migration.

Supported by literature the larger context for this paper leads to the examination of five independent variables: (1) percent of Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program recipients \, (2) total population, (3) percent of the …

Study Of Thoroughbred Workers: Physical Health, Mental Health, And Income, Marina Byrd

MPA/MPP/MPFM Capstone Projects

Horse racing is a well-known sport and the part of the horse industry best known to the public; however, there is little information on the health status and health needs of people who work in this business. Past research shows that the thoroughbred worker population faces a myriad of health challenges. Swanberg et al. (2013) studied demographics, working conditions, and health of Latinos who work on thoroughbred farms in the United States by analyzing phone interviews, face-to-face interviews, and injury logs. The majority of injuries in this study are general injuries such as getting kicked or injuring fingers.

This study …

Myscouting: An Assessment Of User Satisfaction And Suggestions For Improvement, Donald H. Combs Iii

MPA/MPP/MPFM Capstone Projects

The Boy Scouts of America was established as a non-profit organization in 1910 and now has over three million active volunteers in the United States. Since the organization was founded in America, the program has grown not only in membership, but also in complexity with many new awards, training requirements, and programs. Originally the organization tracked this information via paper submission. After the development of the disk operation system (DOS), the organization started tracking and storing information in this data system. Yet, while today the DOS-based databases are outdated, the Boy Scouts of America still continues to use this technology …

Does Overhead Spending Affect Fiscal Performance Of Nonprofits?, Shan Sandee Huang

MPA/MPP/MPFM Capstone Projects

Overhead spending has been used to view nonprofits for decades. Donors consider overhead cost as extra “price” of a donation’s impact and would like to apply limits on overhead costs, thus improving impact ratios. However, nonprofit practitioners and researchers claim that constraints on overhead spending may hinder organizational development. This paper aims to analyze whether overhead spending affects positive fiscal performance.

The research employs the NCCS (National Center for Charitable Statistics) database containing all the data reported on IRS 990 Forms from 1,397 arts, culture and humanities organizations from 2000 to 2003. This paper uses two regression models to evaluate …

Postsecondary Instruction: Changes In The Academic Workforce And State Appropriations For Community Colleges, R. Ryan Kendrick

MPA/MPP/MPFM Capstone Projects

Over the last 30 years continued decline in state appropriations for public institutions has been accompanied by an increase in the use of part-time instruction. Community colleges have been particularly susceptible to both of these problems. Two-year institutions have less freedom than their larger counterparts to raise tuition rates and part time instructors constitute a larger percentage of their workforce. Less revenue has resulted in fewer resources to devote to instruction and student support. Part-time time instruction, on the whole, results in lower student retention and graduation rates.

This analysis intended to establish a connection between cuts to state appropriations …

Analyzing Perceptions Of Barriers To Self-Sufficiency Of Local Social Service Officials And Their Priorities For Local Government Funding, Zheng Li

MPA/MPP/MPFM Capstone Projects

Self-sufficiency means a family can adequately meet their basic needs without repeated assistance from public or private social service organizations. However, there are many barriers preventing Fayette County residents from becoming self-sufficient. Because Lexington Fayette Urban County officials wanted to consider a new way to allocate local government resources, a needs assessment was conducted to assess the barriers to self-sufficiency for residents in Fayette County. As one part of the needs assessment, my research was to design and analyze a survey instrument to assess the perceptions of barriers to self-sufficiency of local social service providers and their priorities for local …

The Socioeconomic Impact Of Coal In The Appalachian Region Of Kentucky, Laura Oxley

MPA/MPP/MPFM Capstone Projects

The coal debate seems to be in a state of inertia. Proponents of coal claim the industry brings economic benefit to Kentucky. Environmentalists claim the industry creates irreparable harm to the Appalachian Mountain region. While these opinions are not unfounded, seldom do stakeholders explore the impact incurred directly in the Appalachian communities that mine coal. Moving the debate to a discussion about coal’s direct impact in the communities that support the industry may broaden stakeholders’ perspective. Determining whether the industry helps or harms the Appalachian community may be the break in the debate’s stalemate. Thus, this paper explores the socioeconomic …

An Analysis Of The Effects Of Formula Funding Project In The Korea Higher Education System, Kyungsoo Park

MPA/MPP/MPFM Capstone Projects

In 2008, the Korean government launched a funding project that used formulas to select which four-year universities received funding from the government. The aim of the project was to improve university performance and educational quality, particularly with respect to undergraduate student outcome. However, there were few empirical studies on the project's actual impact. This study is an examination of three effects of the project. First, I analyze whether the project itself, regardless of funding, can bring about change in five formula indicators of all universities: employment rate, enrollment rate, full-time faculty rate, educational expenses per student, and scholarship rate. Second, …

Measuring Academic Achievement Of University Of Kentucky Student Athletes: Helping The Center For Academic And Tutorial Services Better Allocate Resources, Chatham Penrod

MPA/MPP/MPFM Capstone Projects

The NCAA requires its member institutions and student athletes to maintain certain academic requirements to remain eligible for competition. To ensure academic success, many institutions establish academic centers for their student athletes. The University of Kentucky was the first institution to develop a facility of this type. The Center for Academic and Tutorial Services (CATS) provides academic enhancement for its student athletes.

After a brief overview on current NCAA academic eligibility requirements, this paper looks at the organization of CATS and at the current literature on student athlete academic achievement. Then a few analyses were conducted on the academic achievement …

Determining Undergraduate Factors That Predict Academic Success In Pharmacy School, Stephen Polley

MPA/MPP/MPFM Capstone Projects

Admission into pharmacy school is a very competitive process, and as a result multiple authors have looked at a variety of factors in an effort to create a systematic process that admissions committees can use to identify candidates who are likely to succeed in the rigorous pharmacy curriculum. One of the issues with this approach is that these analyses tend to be very institution-specific. In this paper I hope to identify a mechanism that the University of Kentucky (UK) College of Pharmacy admissions committee can use to efficiently and thoroughly evaluate candidates using scientifically validated factors.

This study uses a …

Preventing Underage Drinking: A Salvadoran Program Evaluation, Fransheska Quijada

MPA/MPP/MPFM Capstone Projects

Through the direct effects on brain development, social choices, and changes in experiences, underage alcohol drinking is a problem that causes long term damage to psychological, social, and economic outcomes. While this is problematic for all underage drinkers, it is especially damaging for middle school students.

Through the direct effects on brain development, social choices, and changes in experiences, underage alcohol drinking is a problem that causes long term damage to psychological, social, and economic outcomes. While this is problematic for all underage drinkers, it is especially damaging for middle school students.

In this study, I evaluate the success of …

A Novel Link Between Abl Family Kinases And Nm23-H1 During Metastatic Progression, Leann S. Fiore

Theses and Dissertations--Pharmacology and Nutritional Sciences

Cancer patient mortality is caused by the ability of tumor cells to invade the extracellular matrix and metastasize. Our lab was the first to identify the role of Abl family of non-receptor tyrosine kinases (c-Abl and Arg) in the progression of solid tumor cancers. In our previous studies, we showed that high c-Abl/Arg activity promotes proliferation, invasion, and metastasis in melanoma and breast cancer cells lines. Here, we demonstrate that our previous findings are clinically relevant by showing increased c-Abl/Arg kinase activity in primary melanoma tumor tissue in comparison to low activity as compared to benign nevi. Additionally, in breast …

The Impact Of Institutional Complexity On The Implementation Of The English-Medium Instruction (Emi) Reform Concept In Three Northern European Universities, Becky Unites

Theses and Dissertations--Educational Policy Studies and Evaluation

This study examines university English-medium Instruction (EMI) reform implementation approaches from a comparative organizational perspective. Over the last decade, the number of master’s degree programs instructed exclusively in English in non-Anglophone Europe increased dramatically. Europe is an interesting case as it actively promotes multilingual learning; however, many European policies over the last twenty years accelerated the rise of monolingual EMI reforms, especially at the graduate-level. The purpose of this exploratory study is to contribute to our understanding of how widespread EMI reforms impact structures and behaviors at the organizational level in European universities in ways that respond to the organization’s …

Relationships & Capital In Living Learning Communities: A Social Network Analysis, Leslie Nicole Woltenberg

Theses and Dissertations--Educational Policy Studies and Evaluation

This study was designed to explore the possible connections between student peer relationships and individual students’ roles in a network as it pertained to outcomes such as self-reported academic achievement and personal satisfaction with the first year of college. The research question directing this inquiry is: How does a student’s role within a residential community of peers relate to success in college? Social network analysis was employed for examination of individual engagement within the context of a larger community.

The vast learning community literature tells an interesting story: 1.) a history of co-curricular peer learning environments, 2) a tradition of …

Measuring Post-Secondary Stem Majors' Engagement In Sustainability: The Creation, Assessment, And Validation Of An Instrument For Sustainability Curricula Evaluation, David L. Little Ii

Theses and Dissertations--Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) Education

Ongoing changes in values, pedagogy, and curriculum concerning sustainability education necessitate that strong curricular elements are identified in sustainability education. However, quantitative research in sustainability education is largely undeveloped or relies on outdated instruments. In part, this is because no widespread quantitative instrument for measuring related educational outcomes has been developed for the field, though their development is pivotal for future efforts in sustainability education related to STEM majors.

This research study details the creation, evaluation, and validation of an instrument – the STEM Sustainability Engagement Instrument (STEMSEI) – designed to measure sustainability engagement in post-secondary STEM majors. The study …

Behind The Mirrors: Examining The Role Of African American Cosmetologists And Salons In Domestic Violence Advocacy And Education, Pangela H. Dawson

Theses and Dissertations--Educational Policy Studies and Evaluation

African American beauty salons across the country have historically served as settings for social interaction, political activism, and community organizing in the African American community. These settings often offer opportunities for intimacy between cosmetologists and their clients. Research findings suggest that the unique bonds between women in salons can be a viable option when providing health intervention and education to large numbers of women. Data indicates that salon campaigns and promotions which focused on health issues such as stroke and diabetes education, breast and cervical cancer awareness, healthy living, and smoking cessation, have been efficacious in changing unhealthy habits or …

The Role Of Laryngeal Function In Breathing For Singing, Ellen V. Graham

Theses and Dissertations--Music

Poor breath management is problematic for singing. Voice students and singing teachers typically attribute breath management issues to abdominal-diaphragmatic breathing technique. The present study seeks to determine whether glottal insufficiency may also contribute to singer’s breath management problems. Studies have revealed a relationship between incomplete vocal fold closure and inefficiency in the speaking voice. However, the effect of incomplete vocal fold closure on vocal efficiency in singers has yet to be determined. Since the larynx cannot be observed without the assistance of clinical instrumentation, not readily available in the voice studio, issues at the glottal level may be underappreciated as …

A Study Of J.S. Bach’S Sacred And Secular Vocal Works Influenced By Popular Stylized Dance Of The French Baroque Court: A Performer’S Guide, Dione J. Napier

Theses and Dissertations--Music

Among the existing body of literature on J.S. Bach’s massive compositional output, a scarce percentage of this research is dedicated specifically to the study of French Baroque court dances and their influence on Bach’s solo vocal repertoire. This study presents secular and sacred solo vocal works by J.S. Bach that were influenced by popular French court dances of the eighteenth century. The study explores musical and dance traits extracted from some of the most popular French Baroque court dances and incorporated into solo vocal repertoire. The intent of this paper is to provide a resource from a performer’s perspective that …

The Effect Of Family Centered Music Therapy Sessions On Relaxation States Of Informal Caregivers Of Hospice And Palliative Care Patients, Adrienne Claire Steiner

Theses and Dissertations--Music

Advances in healthcare and shifts toward patient and family centered care have allowed healthcare professionals to focus on the entirety of a patient and what affects his/her health. In noting such changes, and in consideration of what affects quality of life, findings in the literature address the physiological and physiological differences between those who are caregivers versus those who are not caregivers. This study investigated the relaxation state of those who were considered informal caregivers of hospice and palliative patients in an acute hospitalized setting.

A family centered music therapy session was conducted utilizing a music-­‐ assisted relaxation intervention incorporating …

Zilphia Horton, A Voice For Change, Alicia R. Massie-Legg

Theses and Dissertations--Music

This dissertation examines the role of Zilphia Horton (1910-1956) in helping to establish the use of music as a powerful tool to unify and train groups involved in social reform at seminars led by Highlander Folk School. In engaging in what has been termed the “mobilization of music,” Mrs. Horton was active in labor disputes, training seminars in the United States and Canada, and the formation of women’s union auxiliaries from 1935 until 1956. The study uses correspondence written by Horton to her husband, Myles Horton; business letters to labor union officials and contributors to songsters; and writings revealing her …

The Power Of Multiplying: Reproductive Control In American Culture, 1850-1930, Virginia B. Engholm

Theses and Dissertations--English

Prior to the advent of modern birth control beginning in the nineteenth century, the biological reproductive cycle of pregnancy, post-partum recovery, and nursing dominated women’s adult years. The average birth rate per woman in 1800 was just over seven, but by 1900, that rate had fallen to just under than three and a half. The question that this dissertation explores is what cultural narratives about reproduction and reproductive control emerge in the wake of this demographic shift. What’s at stake in a woman’s decision to reproduce, for herself, her family, her nation? How do women, and society, control birth?

In …

Knowing And Being Known: Sexual Delinquency, Stardom, And Adolescent Girlhood In Midcentury American Film, Michael Todd Hendricks

Theses and Dissertations--English

Sexual delinquency marked midcentury cinematic representations of adolescent girls in 1940s, 50, and early 60s. Drawing from the history of adolescence and the context of midcentury female juvenile delinquency, I argue that studios and teen girl stars struggled for decades with publicity, censorship, and social expectations regarding the sexual license of teenage girls. Until the late 1950s, exploitation films and B movies exploited teen sex and pregnancy while mainstream Hollywood ignored those issues, struggling to promote teen girl stars by tightly controlling their private lives but depriving fan magazines of the gossip and scandals that normally fueled the machinery of …

Quality Assurance Privilege In Nursing Home Litigation: Why Kentucky Should Adopt The Narrow Approach, Hannah R. Jamison

Kentucky Law Journal

No abstract provided.