Digital Commons Network^™

Social Construction And Political Decision Making In The American Prison System(S), Jeremiah Olson

Theses and Dissertations--Political Science

With over two million inmates, the United States’ prison population is the largest in the world. Nearly one in one hundred Americans are behind bars, either in prisons or pre-trial detention facilities. The rapid growth in incarceration is well-documented. However, social science explanations often stop at the prison gates, with little work on treatment inside prisons. This black box approach ignores important bureaucratic decisions, including the provision of rehabilitative services and the application of punishment.

This dissertation offers a systematic analysis of treatment decisions inside the American prisons. I use a mixed methods approach, combining multiple quantitative datasets with environmental …

Kantian Peace Extended: Liberal Influences And Military Spending, Isaac M. Castellano

Theses and Dissertations--Political Science

The Kantian Triangle of democratic institutions, IGOs, and economic interdependence has received a great deal of attention by international relations scholars. This project expands on liberal theory by arguing the pacific effects of the Kantian Triangle extend beyond dyadic context, and shapes state decision making on defense spending decisions. This project asserts that as states (1) build democratic institutions, (2) increase the number of memberships in international intergovernmental organizations (IGOs), and (3) exposes domestic markets to the global economy and subsequent interdependence on foreign markets for both imports and exports, they are less likely to allocate resources toward the military. …

Blackops: Increasing Confidence In Variant Detection Through Mappability Filtering, Christopher R. Cabanski, Matthew D. Wilkerson, Matthew Soloway, Joel S. Parker, Jinze Liu, Jan F. Prins, J. S. Marron, Charles M. Perou, D. Neil Hayes

Computer Science Faculty Publications

Identifying variants using high-throughput sequencing data is currently a challenge because true biological variants can be indistinguishable from technical artifacts. One source of technical artifact results from incorrectly aligning experimentally observed sequences to their true genomic origin (‘mismapping’) and inferring differences in mismapped sequences to be true variants. We developed BlackOPs, an open-source tool that simulates experimental RNA-seq and DNA whole exome sequences derived from the reference genome, aligns these sequences by custom parameters, detects variants and outputs a blacklist of positions and alleles caused by mismapping. Blacklists contain thousands of artifact variants that are indistinguishable from true variants and, …

Forage News [2013-01], Department Of Plant And Soil Sciences, University Of Kentucky

Forage News

• Dr. Jimmy Henning to Open AFGC Conference
• Forages at KCA
• Heart of America Grazing Conference
• 2012 U.K. Forage Variety Results
• Missouri Farmers Fright Rise in Hay Thefts
• "Beef: The Real Health Food"
• More VALUE from Pastures in 2013
• Renovation: More Important in 2013
• Perennial Forages Benefit Soils, Other Crops, and Water Quality in Important Way
• JBS to Beef up Production from Grass-fed Brazil Herd

The Effect Of Context And Self-Esteem On Decision Making Competence And Preferences For Collaborative Decision Making In Older Adults, Christopher Gayer

Theses and Dissertations--Gerontology

Older adults increasingly face difficult decisions in life threatening contexts as they move closer to death, become more likely to be diagnosed with life threatening diseases, and encounter more death within their social network (Greenberg, 2011). The purpose of this research was to understand the effect of a life-threatening decision context centered around cancer, self-esteem, other individual difference factors and cancer experience on older adults’ decision making competence, and preferences for collaborative decision making.

Study participants were recruited through online circulation of the study recruitment flyer and in-person solicitations at meetings and other events at community locations (senior centers, civic …

Getting To The Other Side: An Exploration Of The Head And Neck Cancer Treatment Experience, Heather M. Wallace

Theses and Dissertations--Gerontology

Diagnosis of head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) presents a multifarious problem. Late stage diagnosis, uncertainty regarding appropriate clinical treatment, as well as the high potential for disfigurement and functional loss resulting in diminished quality of life, contributes to anxiety, stress, fear, and uncertainty throughout the cancer treatment experience. This qualitative study sought to explore the cancer treatment experience of adults with newly diagnosed HNSCC, including laryngeal, esophageal, and oral cancers. Study participants were recruited from the University of Kentucky Ear Nose and Throat Clinic in Lexington KY. Participants agreed to be interviewed after receipt of their cancer diagnosis …

The Influence Of Widowed Status And Task Complexity On Decision Making, Courtney L. Ortz

Theses and Dissertations--Gerontology

Widowhood is a stressful life event that can impact an individual’s everyday life, including her decision making abilities. The complexity of the decision is also likely to influence the decision making abilities of these widows. The purpose of this dissertation was to better understand widows’ decision making processes, their preferences for collaboration when making decisions, and their satisfaction with the decision outcomes. Data analysis consisted of a series of 3 (widowed status) x 2 (task complexity) ANOVAS and ANCOVAS which found that both complexity and widowed status influence decision making processes. Higher complexity led to less overall satisfaction, but none …

Uk Arts In Healthcare: A Study In The Aesthetics Of Community, Liz Schaller

Gaines Fellow Senior Theses

No abstract provided.

To What Extent Does The European Debt Crisis Affect Both The European And The Global Economies, Amy Yi Huang

Lewis Honors College Capstone Collection

The goal of my research is to analyze the relationship between the 2007-2009 United States financial crisis and the ongoing European Sovereign Debt Crisis and the Debt Crisis’ possible effects on the global economy and to examine the different approaches to reduce the devastating effects of the European Debt Crisis.

First, I am going to analyze the relationship between the bursting of the US Housing Bubble and the European Debt Crisis. According to Robert Kolb (2011), a Finance professor at the University of Chicago, the bursting of the US Housing Bubble in 2007 that resulted in the 2007-2009 economic recession …

The Road To The American Dream - Analysis Of Its Distortions Through The Grapes Of Wrath And Little Miss Sunshine, Autumn Murphy

Lewis Honors College Capstone Collection

While most book-to-movie adaptations are transparent, this project explores the nuanced adaptation of the novel The Grapes of Wrath into the movie Little Miss Sunshine. Little Miss Sunshine promulgates a unique approach to adaptation; additionally, the analysis of these two works provides conclusions for matters beyond literature. The project addresses the “American Dream” and differing perspectives on “winning” and “losing.” The initial step was a close reading of The Grapes of Wrath and a critical viewing of Little Miss Sunshine. From there, a research plan was developed, focusing on distortions of “The American Dream.” The research materials included …

Public Post-Secondary Experiential Internship: A Qualitative Evaluation Of Wildcat Interest Group’S Student Internship Program At The University Of Kentucky, And Its Benchmark Competitors, Nolan Jackson

Lewis Honors College Capstone Collection

This thesis will identify the early motivation for a program conceived by the Student Government Association at the University of Kentucky to penetrate civic apathy and enhance the politically engaged. This qualitative assessment of “Wildcats in Washington” of the Student Internship Program will detail the conception and implementation of the student-facilitated, student-sponsored experiential internship program reserved for the students of the University of Kentucky.

Additionally, this thesis will measure the uniqueness of the University Student Government’s governmental relations and internship initiative against similar efforts at institutions’ in three measurable populations.

Finally, this thesis will briefly address “Wildcats in Washington’s” current …

The Buzz On Bees, Rebecca Ruiz

Lewis Honors College Capstone Collection

Apis mellifera, more commonly known as the honeybee, plays a pivotal role in the ecosystem and in the survival of the planet. Many do not understand, nor realize, that the honeybee offers a wide array of products and services besides sweet honey. Honeybees have become endangered at a time when their presence is vital and evidence indicates that they can be the means to a more sustainable future for our planet. Particularly focused on in this research are the ideas of honeybees’ essential presence in medical advances, their participation in global economics, and their involvement in the development of …

The "Documentary Democracy" Of The Writings Of John Dickinson, Then And Now, Jane E. Calvert

History Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Owner Of Towing Company Dies When Struck By Box Truck, Kentucky Injury Prevention And Research Center

Fatality Case Reports--Motor Vehicle

In the early morning hours of a summer day, a 49-year-old male owner-operator of a towing company died when he was struck by a driver operating a box truck. The towing company had been called to retrieve a sport utility vehicle (SUV) that had broken down in another state and was returning the vehicle to its owner in Kentucky. It was approximately 4:00 a.m. when the towing company owner and his two sons were on an interstate returning with the SUV, when the operator thought the load felt strange. He parked his tow truck on the right hand shoulder and …

Investigating Key Post-Pks Enzymes From Gilvocarcin Biosynthetic Pathway, Nidhi Tibrewal

Theses and Dissertations--Pharmacy

Gilvocarcin V (GV) belongs to the angucycline class of antibiotics that possesses remarkable anticancer and antibacterial activities with low toxicity. Gilvocarcin exhibits its light induced anticancer activity by mediating crosslinking between DNA and histone H3. When photo-activated by near-UV light, the C8 vinyl group forms a [2+2] cycloadduct with thymine residues of double stranded DNA. _D-fucofuranose is considered essential for histone H3 interactions. However, the poor water solubility has rendered it difficult to develop gilvocarcin as a drug. We aim to design novel gilvocarcin analogues with improved pharmaceutical properties through chemo-enzymatic synthesis and mutasynthesis. Previous studies have characterized many …

Alternative Methods Of Control For Phytophthora Nicotianae Of Tobacco, Anna M. Holdcroft

Theses and Dissertations--Plant Pathology

Kentucky is the nation’s leading producer of burley tobacco and the crop’s most economically important disease is black shank, caused by Phytophthora nicotianae (Pn). Current management is effective, however, problems with expense and pathogen persistence are issues. Two alternative methods for control of Pn were examined: biofumigation and soil application of an organic, yeast fermentation‐derived product (Soil‐Set). Field studies in 2009 and 2010 found no effect on populations of fungi, disease severity of Pn, and yield between mustard‐ and wheat‐amended plots. Experiments in the greenhouse suggested that survival of Pn was impacted by biomass rather than biofumigation. Biofumigation is not …

Comparing Clinical Profiles In Alzheimer's Disease And Parkinson's Disease Dementia, Martin R. Farlow, Frederick A. Schmitt, Dag Aarsland, George T. Grossberg, Monique Somogyi, Xiangyi Meng

Sanders-Brown Center on Aging Faculty Publications

BACKGROUND: Greater understanding of differences in baseline impairment and disease progression in patients with Alzheimer's disease (AD) and Parkinson's disease dementia (PDD) may improve the interpretation of drug effects and the design of future studies.

METHODS: This was a retrospective analysis of three randomized, double-blind rivastigmine databases (one in PDD, two in AD). Impairment on the Alzheimer's Disease Assessment Scale-cognitive subscale (ADAS-cog), Alzheimer's Disease Cooperative Study-Activities of Daily Living (ADCS-ADL) scale, 10-item Neuropsychiatric Inventory (NPI-10) and the ADCS-Clinical Global Impression of Change (CGIC) was compared [standardized difference (Cohen's d), similar if <0.1].

RESULTS: Patients with AD or PDD had similar levels …

Diagnosis Of Systemic Inflammation Using Transendothelial Electrical Resistance And Low-Temperature Co-Fired Ceramic Materials, William L. Mercke

Theses and Dissertations--Chemical and Materials Engineering

Systemic inflammation involves a complex array of cytokines that can result in organ dysfunction. Mortality remains high despite the vast amount of research conducted to find an effective biomarker. The cause of systemic inflammation can be broad and non-specific; therefore, this research investigates using transendothelial electrical resistance (TEER) measurements to better define systemic inflammatory response syndrome (SIRS)/sepsis within a patient. Results show a difference in TEER measurements between healthy individuals and SIRS-rated patients. This research also displays correlations between TEER measurements and biomarkers currently studied with systemic inflammation (tumor necrosis factor-α, C- reactive protein, procalcitonin). Furthermore, this research also presents …

A Feasibility Study Using Tomodirect For Craniospinal Irradiation, Ulrich W. Langner, Janelle A. Molloy, John F. Gleason Jr., Jonathan M. Feddock

Radiation Medicine Faculty Publications

The feasibility of delivering craniospinal irradiation (CSI) with TomoDirect is investigated. A method is proposed to generate TomoDirect plans using standard three-dimensional (3D) beam arrangements on Tomotherapy with junctioning of these fields to minimize hot or cold spots at the cranial/spinal junction. These plans are evaluated and compared to a helical Tomotherapy and a three-dimensional conformal therapy (3D CRT) plan delivered on a conventional linear accelerator (linac) for CSI. The comparison shows that a TomoDirect plan with an overlap between the cranial and spinal fields might be preferable over Tomotherapy plans because of decreased low dose to large volumes of …

Identifying Values In Land Use Regulation, Adam J. Macleod

Kentucky Law Journal

No abstract provided.

Uk Law Notes, 2013, University Of Kentucky College Of Law

Annual Magazines

No abstract provided.

The Impact Of The Internet On The Sexual Health Of Adolescents: A Brief Review, Julia Springate, Hatim A. Omar

Pediatrics Faculty Publications

The object of this review is to summarize the impact of the Internet on the sexual health of adolescents. This article examines the use of websites, blogs and chat rooms as sources for sexual health information for adolescents. The influence of Internet pornography on sexual behaviors and attitudes is addressed. The use of the Internet as a place to find sexual partners is also assessed. During a time of great physical, emotional and sexual change, the Internet is playing a huge role in the decisions adolescents are making, both positive and negative.

A Constitutional "Inquiry" Into The Texas Racing Act: The Physical Presence Requirement For Wagering & The Dormant Commerce Clause, Amanda Stubblefield

Kentucky Journal of Equine, Agriculture, & Natural Resources Law

No abstract provided.

Fracking The Oil And Gas Trade Secrets Of The Marcellus Shale Natural Gas Play, Jeremy I. Maynard

Kentucky Journal of Equine, Agriculture, & Natural Resources Law

No abstract provided.

Exploring Biopsychosocial (Bps) Facets Of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (Copd) In Patients In An Acute Inpatient Physical Rehabilitation Facility (Irf), Ronnetta Williams

Theses and Dissertations--Educational, School, and Counseling Psychology

From a BPS perspective, COPD and other chronic diseases may have a significant negative impact on those living with them and may be associated with higher rates of depression and anxiety and lower levels of health-related quality of life (HRQOL). Certain factors, such as spirituality, may influence the negative impact of chronic disease on the relationship between mood and functional independence and HRQOL. Also, gender may influence the relationship between mood, spirituality, and HRQOL for men and women living with chronic diseases. The current study included 136 patients undergoing physical rehabilitation at an IRF. Anxiety, depression, spirituality, HRQOL, and functional …

Examining Kentucky Teachers' Encounters With Grieving Students: A Mixed Methods Study, Ashley M. Candelaria

Theses and Dissertations--Educational, School, and Counseling Psychology

The research on bereaved children’s outcomes is mixed, with the course of grief in young people prone to variation. Each child’s reaction following a loss is unique and should be considered in relation to psychological, academic, familial, social, environmental, and a number of additional factors. However, what is known is the important role that a supportive environment, stable adult figures, and early intervention may have for grieving youth. Teachers could be considered the first line of defense in identifying youth who are struggling with a loss, as they are significant adults with whom students have consistent contact on a daily …

The Psychological Impacts Of False Positive Ovarian Cancer Screening: Assessment Via Mixed And Trajectory Modeling, Amanda T. Wiggins

Theses and Dissertations--Epidemiology and Biostatistics

Ovarian cancer (OC) is the fifth most common cancer among women and has the highest mortality of any cancer of the female reproductive system. The majority (61%) of OC cases are diagnosed at a distant stage. Because diagnoses occur most commonly at a late-stage and prognosis for advanced disease is poor, research focusing on the development of effective OC screening methods to facilitate early detection in high-risk, asymptomatic women is fundamental in reducing OC-specific mortality. Presently, there is no screening modality proven efficacious in reducing OC-mortality. However, transvaginal ultrasonography (TVS) has shown value in early detection of OC. TVS presents …

Task-Based Noise Exposures For Farmers Involved In Grain Production, Michael J. Humann, Wayne T. Sanderson, Kelley J. Donham, Kevin M. Kelly

Epidemiology and Environmental Health Faculty Publications

Few studies have been done examining noise exposures associated with agricultural tasks. This study was conducted to address that research gap by calculating the noise exposures for tasks and equipment associated with grain production and assessing the variability in those exposures. An additional aim of this study was to identify tasks and equipment that could be targeted for intervention strategies as a means toward reducing the total noise exposures of farmers and farm workers. Through the use of personal noise dosimetry and direct observation, over 30,000 one-minute noise exposure measurements and corresponding task and equipment data were collected on 18 …

Memory, Cognition, And The Effect Of A Music Intervention On Healthy Older Adults, Shannon L. Bowles

Theses and Dissertations--Gerontology

Music is a powerful modality that can bring about changes in individuals of all ages. This research employed both an experimental and quasi-experimental design to identify the effects of music as it influenced psychological well-being, memory, and cognition among older adults. Specifically, it addressed three aims: (a) To determine to what extent learning to play a music instrument later in life influenced psychological well-being and cognitive function of non-institutionalized healthy seniors, (b) To determine the effects of the amount of music involvement on psychological well-being and cognitive function (c) To determine the benefit of music for those with limited/no music …

Global Kentucky (Winter 2013), University Of Kentucky International Center

Global Kentucky

No abstract provided.