Digital Commons Network^™

A Comparative Analysis Of The Lexington Police Department’S Disability Pension Plan, Eric A. Miller

MPA/MPP/MPFM Capstone Projects

Injuries are taking Lexington police officers off of the streets and placing them on the disability pension rolls in rising numbers. Police officers in Lexington must have a total and permanent disability according to American Medical Association guidelines of impairment ratings to receive a disability pension. There is no minimum percentage of impairment an officer must have to receive a disability pension. This poses a problem because the Lexington police department gives at least 60 percent of their final pay to disabled officers regardless of the percentage of their impairment. Some Lexington police officers who are receiving disability pension payments …

Mental Illness And Barriers To Health Care Access, Charlene Powell

MPA/MPP/MPFM Capstone Projects

Statement of Problem

Access to health care in the United States is major concern, despite the fact that the country spends more per capita on health care than any other country. Individuals with mental illness may face greater access problems than the general population.

Research Question

• Does mental illness predict greater difficulties with access to health care?

Methodology

The 2004 National Health Interview Survey (NHIS) was used to examine the barriers to health care among individuals reporting a mental illness diagnosis. Nine questions relating to health access problems were drawn from the survey and combined into an access index. Multivariate …

Ky Pharmacists’ Perceptions On Medication Errors (Me): A Tool For Legitimate Discussions With The Kentucky Board Of Pharmacy?, J. D. Hammond

MPA/MPP/MPFM Capstone Projects

No executive summary.

Light-Rail In Louisville: Assessing The Financial Feasibility Of Mass Transit, Brian K. Howell

MPA/MPP/MPFM Capstone Projects

The Louisville-Jefferson County area encompasses a vast area and large population of citizens. To meet the transportation needs of this growing city, the Transit Authority of River City or TARC undertook a study in 1996 to determine potential transportation solutions to traffic congestion in the area. Based on their analysis, TARC determined that a 15-mile light rail transit system would best service their needs. This light rail system would run from the downtown central business district to a park-and-ride facility at the Gene Snyder Freeway.

Prior to undertaking this project, TARC and all those parties involved should ask the fundamental …

Matching A Publishing Model To Board Values: A Decision Analysis For The American Society Of Missiology, Betsy A. Northrup

MPA/MPP/MPFM Capstone Projects

Statement of the Problem

Faced with declining revenue, increasing print costs, and an increasingly electronic world, The American Society of Missiology (ASM) has to make a decision and can choose between three alternatives: 1) Continue to publish its quarterly journal, Missiology: An International Review, using its current print-only model and contracting out on-line availability to the American Theological Library Association (ATLA); 2) Accept the offer of a commercial firm in the United Kingdom to manage, publish, and distribute Missiology in return for immediate on-line availability, increased exposure through marketing, and a guaranteed modest income for the Society; or 3) …

Outcome Evaluation Of The Center For Women, Children And Families' Parenting Program, Elena Buzarnescu

MPA/MPP/MPFM Capstone Projects

The evaluation of family support programs employing parent education to achieve prevention of child abuse and neglect is an important consideration for professionals as it can provide a good insight into possible improvements of a program.

A parent education program administered by the Center for Women, Children and Families (CWCF) was assessed using participants’ pre- and post-program scores on the Adult-Adolescent Parenting Inventory (AAPI-2) from 148 parents.

Statistical analysis indicated that parenting knowledge has significantly improved on all five dimensions measured following program attendance. This finding supported the answer to the first research question. To answer the second research question, …

Unreimbursed Emergency Department Costs Incurred By Hispanic Workers And Their Dependents In Central Kentucky, Sandra L. Senft

MPA/MPP/MPFM Capstone Projects

Health care costs in the United States are a concern to policy makers, healthcare providers, and the population using medical services. Because fewer individuals have health insurance, as costs continue to rise, so have the levels of charity care provided through the Emergency Departments at many hospitals. Hispanics are a growing population thought to be receiving an increasing portion of this care. The Hispanic population in Kentucky has seen a significant increase in recent years, in large part because of the demand for agricultural workers. It has been established that a sizeable part of the Hispanic migrant worker community is …

A Retrospective Analysis Of The Impact Of The Henry Toll Fellowship Leadership Development Program, Lizeth C. Fowler

MPA/MPP/MPFM Capstone Projects

The Council of State Governments (CSG) is the premier organization forecasting policy trends for state leaders in all three branches of government. Central to its mission is the development of leadership training for improved decision-making of state elected and appointed officials.

CSG has sponsored the Henry Toll Fellowship Leadership Development Program for state and government officials since 1986. This competitive program invites ten state officials from each of the four regions, West, Midwest, South and East, to participate in an intensive five-day program to learn practical leadership skills and strategies to meet challenges and lead change and innovation.

While the …

Financial Efficiency In The Nonprofit Sector: An Analysis Of Factors Affecting Expense Ratios Of Kentucky Nonprofits, Emily A. Lane

MPA/MPP/MPFM Capstone Projects

Statement of Problem

Recent events in both the public and private sectors have lead to an environment of mistrust and caution surrounding the way organizations are managed and funds are handled. For the nonprofit sector, this has led to an emergence of charity rating or watchdog organizations and increased scrutiny of finances. Individual donors, charity rating agencies, and funding institutions have begun using expense ratios as a measure of financial efficiency. Decisions on the financial efficiency of organizations are being made without a good understanding of what factors affect these ratios.

Research Questions

The purpose of this paper is to …

Basis Variability And Its Effects On Hedging Efficiency For Kentucky Feeder Cattle, Nathaniel J. Routt

University of Kentucky Master's Theses

Kentucky plays a vital role in the beef supply chain. The cow/calf producers,back-grounding operations, and order buying industry are important parts of Kentucky'sagricultural economy. Basis risk is an issue that affects these groups in a negative way. Agood estimate of the expected basis must be available to make hedging efficient.Simulations were performed on Kentucky price data to determine the effectiveness ofshort hedging for Kentucky producers. A model was also used to describe some of thefactors that determine basis levels. The research revealed that it is difficult to predictbasis within an acceptable range to make short hedging with futures efficient. Eventhough …

The Prevalence Of Temporomandibular Disorders In Fibromyalgia Patients Compared To That Of Failed Back Syndrome Patients: A Blinded Prospective Study, Ramesh Balasubramaniam

University of Kentucky Master's Theses

The purpose of this study was to determine the prevalence of temporomandibular disorders (TMD) in fibromyalgia (FM) patients compared to failed back syndrome (FBS) patients. In addition, the FM and FBS patients were assessed and compared with regard to their psychosocial dysfunction. The study included 51 adult patients (FM = 32, FBS = 19) recruited from a physical medicine and rehabilitation clinic and a FM workshop. Questionnaires included an orofacial pain questionnaire and a battery of psychological questionnaires that included the Symptom Check List-90-Revised, the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index, the Multi-dimensional Pain Inventory, the Post-traumatic Stress Disorder Checklist-Civilian Version, and …

Dynamics Of Action Potential Duration: Effects On Restitution And Repolarization Alternans, Runze Wu

University of Kentucky Doctoral Dissertations

The presented studies investigate dynamics of action potential duration (APD) tobetter understand the underlying mechanism for repolarization alternans.We recorded trans-membrane potentials (TMP) in canine endocardial muscle tissueusing standard glass microelectrode under the control of an explicit diastolic interval (DI)control pacing protocol, i.e. feedback protocol. During sequential sinusoidal DI activation,the trajectory of APD dynamics has multiple values of APD correspondent to the sameDI, i.e. restitution is a bi-modal relationship. Our results indicate that: 1) there is a delay,similar to hysteresis, of change in APD responding to change in DI, 2) and the timecourse of the delay is asymmetric for fast or …

Self Reported Pain Diary For Assessment Of Chronic Pain In The Communicative, Cognitively Intact Nursing Home Resident, Kathy K. Hager

DNP Projects

This paper describes a clinical project using a self-reported pain diary for the assessment of chronic pain in the communicative, cognitively-intact nursing home resident. There are estimates of chronic pain among nursing home residents that range from 4 – 83%. The goal of this clinical project was to evaluate a chronic pain diary in relation to its effectiveness and efficiency in accurately assessing pain among nursing home residents. Assessment has been identified as a major barrier in the control of chronic pain, and the self-report is accepted as the most reliable measure of a person’s pain. The self-reported pain diary’s …

Spectral Reflectance Of Canopies Of Rainfed And Subsurface Irrigated Alfalfa, Dennis Wayne Hancock

University of Kentucky Doctoral Dissertations

The site-specific management of alfalfa has not been well-evaluated, despite the economic importance of this crop. The objectives of this work were to i) characterize the effects of soil moisture deficits on alfalfa and alfalfa yield components and ii) evaluate the use of canopy reflectance patterns in measuring treatment-induced differences in alfalfa yield. A randomized complete block design with five replicates of subsurface drip irrigation (SDI) and rainfed treatments of alfalfa was established at the University of Kentucky Animal Research Center in 2003. Potassium, as KCl, was broadcast on split-plots on 1 October 2004 at 0, 112, 336, and 448 …

Effects Of Management On Reproductive Efficiency In Thoroughbreds, Reka Nagy

University of Kentucky Master's Theses

Many factors influence the reproductive efficiency of thoroughbred mares. This thesisestimated two separate models for 13 farms in the 2004 breeding season. One model isestimated for pregnancy outcomes, the other is estimated for breeding intervals.Statistically significant variables include age of the mare, number of breedings, certainmedications, farm size, last date of breeding for the first model. Statistically significantvariables for the second model include age, status of mare, number of breedings, certainmedication, and farm size. The model has implication to achieve an optimal breedingschedule and associated management decisions

Differences In Dimensions Of Childhood Functioning In Children Of Preterm Versus Full Term Birth Status, Tameika Shenay Turner

University of Kentucky Doctoral Dissertations

As medical advances are made in the area of neonatology, more and more premature babies are surviving at younger gestational ages and lower birth weights. Growth in the survival rates of preterm infants leads to questions regarding the long term developmental trajectory of these children. The current study sought to expand on research regarding dimensions of childhood functioning and to apply it to the problem of prematurity by (a) utilizing a new instrument: the Merrill Palmer Revised edition, (b) including children of preterm and full term birth statuses from as young as 2 months of age, and (c) collecting data …

Hepatic Cytochrome P450 Reductase-Null Mice As An Animal Model To Study Electron Transfer Pathways In Cholesterol Synthesis And Cyp2e1-Mediated Drug Metabolism, Li Li

University of Kentucky Doctoral Dissertations

NADPH-cytochrome P450 reductase (CPR) is a flavoprotein containing both FAD and FMN and functions as the electron donor protein for several oxygenase enzymes found on the endoplasmic reticulum of eukaryotic cells, including cytochrome P450s involved in drug metabolism and cholesterol biosynthesis. As many as three enzymes in the cholesterol biosynthetic pathway have been demonstrated, or proposed, to use CPR as a redox partner: squalene monooxygenase, which converts squalene to 2,3-oxidosqualene; lanosterol demethylase, a cytochrome P450 (CYP51); and 7-dehydrocholesterol reductase, the final step in cholesterol synthesis. In yeast CPR can be replaced by the NADH-cytochrome b5 pathway, but this has not …

Pharmaceutically Engineered Nanoparticles For Enhancing Immune Responses To Hiv-1 Tat And Gag P24 Proteins, Jigna D. Patel

University of Kentucky Doctoral Dissertations

These studies were aimed at investigating the potential application of nanoparticles engineered from oil-in-water microemulsion precursors for enhancing immune responses to HIV-1 Tat and Gag p24 proteins. Both of the HIV-1 proteins have been reported to be critical in the virus life cycle and are being evaluated in clinical trials as vaccine candidates. Anionic nanoparticles were prepared using emulsifying wax as the oil phase and Brij 78 and sodium dodecyl sulfate as the surfactants. The resulting nanoparticles were coated with Tat and were demonstrated to produce superior immune responses after administration to BALB/c mice compared to Tat adjuvanted with Alum. …

Exergy Metric For The Assesment Of Material Processing In Manufacturing, Venkata- Sandeep Boddapati

University of Kentucky Master's Theses

Exergy utilization calculations have been in the past repeatedly used to quantify the quality and quantity of energy used in thermal energy processes. This thesis is an attempt to derive a common language exergy utilization and compare for the first time two entirely different manufacturing processes, namely material processing by a mechanical method of straining of the material and simple heating of the same mass of the material using exergy utilization as a metric. The exergy utilization of material processing is determined by performed work and utilized heat transfer using 1) Ramberg-Osgood equation and 2) Lumped heat capacitance method. A …

Synthesis And Evaluation Of Pyridinium Derivatives As Central Nervous System Nicotinic Acetylcholine Receptor Ligands, Joshua Thomas Longen Ayers

University of Kentucky Doctoral Dissertations

This project utilized synthesis and in vitro assays to generate antagonist SARs at various nAChR subtypes. Alkylation of the pyridino nitrogen of the nicotine molecule afforded subtype specific antagonists at a42* nAChR subtypes and nAChR subtypes that mediate nicotine-evoked dopamine release. Using this data, a series of mono-azaaromatic quaternary salts were produced and evaluated in binding and functional assays for a42* and a7* nAChR subtypes and nAChR subtypes that mediate nicotine-evoked dopamine release. Additionally, bis-azaaromatic quaternary salts were synthesized and evaluated in the same assays. Two potent lead compounds were identified. N-n-dodecylnicotinium iodide (NDDNI) was found to be very potent …

Differentiating Acculturation And Ethnic Identity In Predicting African American Psychosocial Functioning, Andrea Michelle Smith

University of Kentucky Master's Theses

Ethnic identity is a significant psychological variable for the study of African Americans in the United States and often associated with psychological health. However, the nature of this relationship is sometimes unclear. One reason for the confusion may be that ethnic identity is often confounded with acculturation as they are sometimes used interchangeably in research. Because of this confounding problem, it is not clear whether the relationship between ethnic identity and psychological health is really a reflection of ethnic identity or of ethnic identity confounded with acculturation. Thus, the aim of this study was to use factor analysis to separate …

The Utility Of The Structured Inventory Of Malingered Symptomatology As A Screen For The Feigning Of Neurocognitive Deficit And Psychopathology In A Civil Forensic Sample, Yvonne Renee Alwes

University of Kentucky Master's Theses

Detection of malingering is a significant concern in forensic psychological assessments. The best-validated tests currently available are time-intensive for both test-takers and mental health professionals. Thus, well-validated, brief screening measures for malingering would be useful in a forensic environment. The Structured Inventory of Malingered Symptomatology (SIMS; Smith andamp; Burger, 1997) has demonstrated potential in this role. The present study attempts replication of previous studies while extending validation from analogue and male criminal forensic samples to both men and women in a civil forensic setting. The SIMS accuracy in the detection of both neurocognitive and psychiatric symptom feigning is evaluated by …

Exploring Facets Of Mindfulness In Experienced Meditators, Emily Lauren Brown Lykins

University of Kentucky Master's Theses

Mindfulness is increasingly recognized as an important phenomenon in both clinical and empirical domains, though debate regarding the exact definition of mindfulness continues. Selfreport mindfulness measures have begun to appear, which is important as each measure represents an independent attempt to conceptualize mindfulness. Baer, Smith, Hopkins, Krietemeyer, and Toney (2006) recently identified five facets of mindfulness (observing, describing, acting with awareness, nonjudging, and nonreactivity) and developed the Five Facet Mindfulness Questionnaire (FFMQ) to assess them. They also provided preliminary evidence that the five facets were aspects of an overall mindfulness construct, demonstrated support for the convergent and discriminant validity of …

Validation Of The Miller Forensic Assessment Of Symptoms Test (M-Fast) In A Civil Forensic Population, Jessica A. Clark

University of Kentucky Master's Theses

The Miller Forensic Assessment of Symptoms Test (M-FAST) is a relatively new measure shown to be a valid and effective tool for screening psychiatric malingering in criminal forensic and psychiatric inpatient settings. The present study attempts to cross-validate the M-FAST in civil forensic and neurologic samples. Three-hundred-eight civil forensic patients referred by their attorneys for neuropsychological testing were studied. Assessment batteries administered included tests of both psychiatric and neurocognitive feigning. Based on these gold standards, 4 sets of contrasts were formed in order to examine how the M-FAST performs in identifying psychiatric malingering, neurocognitive malingering, any malingering (including either or …

The Effects Of Thematic Importance On Recall Of Children With Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder And Comparison Children, Rebecca Alycson Flake

University of Kentucky Master's Theses

This study examined the recall of televised stories for younger (4-6 years) and older (7-9 years) children with and without ADHD under two different viewing conditions (toys present/toys absent). Each child watched two Rugrats television programs, once with toys present and once with toys absent. Immediately after viewing a program, the child completed a free recall of the observed story. Nonreferred childrens recall increased more than ADHD childrens as importance level increased, and older nonreferred children recalled more information overall than older children with ADHD. For the toys condition, children with ADHD had smaller correlations between the story units recalled …

Identification Of Viral And Host Factors Involved In Tombusvirus Replication And Recombination, Natalia Shapka

University of Kentucky Doctoral Dissertations

Rapid evolution of RNA viruses with mRNA-sense genomes is a major concern to health and economic welfare due to the devastating diseases these viruses inflict on humans, animals and plants. Rapid viral RNA evolution is frequently due to RNA recombination, which can be facilitated by recombination signals present in viral RNAs. Among such signals are short sequences with high AU contents that constitute recombination hot spots in Brome mosaic virus (BMV) and retroviruses. We have demonstrated that a defective interfering (DI) RNA, a model template associated with Tomato bushy stunt virus (TBSV), a tombusvirus, undergoes frequent recombination in plants and …

Timing Of Campaign Contributions In State Legislatures: An Examination Of The Motives And Strategies Of Contributors, David W. Prince

University of Kentucky Doctoral Dissertations

There is a great deal of work on campaign finance at the national level, however, state level research is sparse. My dissertation fills this void in the literature by examining the motivations of contributors to state legislators. The literature discusses two major motivations of contributors universalistic contributors, who hope to influence election outcomes, and particularistic contributors who hope to influence legislative votes. The primary hypothesis is that proximity to the general election is the primary factor in explaining contribution patterns in state legislatures; however, proximity to a legislative vote of interest to the contributor will also be significant in explaining …

The Role Of Book Type In The Retention Of Novel Vocabulary Among Children African American Children With Vocabulary Deficits, Sherri Lovelace

University of Kentucky Doctoral Dissertations

Research has shown that cultural differences and the lack of experiences in the lives of young children can affect the rate of vocabulary development. In particular, children from different ability, socioeconomic status, and culturally and linguistically diverse groups are considered at risk for later academic achievement because their home experiences and word usage may be incongruent with that of the mainstream school cultural environment. Therefore, it has been suggested that to decrease the gap between children in need of vocabulary development and their typically achieving peers, instruction in vocabulary should systematically provide information about words and their uses. Thus, the …

Ecological Weed Management For Organic Farming Systems, Derek M. Law

University of Kentucky Master's Theses

Two field studies examining direct ecological weed control practices were conducted in Lexington, Kentucky. The first evaluated weed control efficacy and influence on yields of several mulches in two organically-managed bell pepper (Capsicum annum) production systems for two years. Peppers were planted in double rows in flat, bare ground or on black polyethylene-covered raised beds with drip irrigation, and four mulches (straw, compost, wood chips, and undersown white dutch clover (Trifolium repens L.) living mulch) were applied to the two production systems. In both years, polyethylene-covered raised beds produced higher yields than the flat, bare ground system. In the second …

Destruction Study Of Toxic Chlorinated Organics Using Bimetallic Nanoparticles And Membrane Reactor: Synthesis, Characterization, And Modeling, Yit-Hong Tee

University of Kentucky Master's Theses

Zero-valent metals such as bulk iron and zinc are known to dechlorinate toxicorganic compounds. Enhancement in reaction rates has been achieved through bimetallicnanosized particles such as nickel/iron (Ni/Fe) and palladium/iron (Pd/Fe). Batchdegradation of model compounds, trichlroethylene (TCE) and 2,2'-dichlorobiphenyls(DCB), were conducted using bimetallic Ni/Fe and Pd/Fe nanoparticles. Completedegradation of TCE and DCB is achieved at room temperature. Zero-valent iron, as themajor element, undergoes corrosion to provide hydrogen and electrons for the reductivecatalytic hydrodechlorination reaction. The second dopant metals of nickel and palladium(in nanoscale) act as catalyst for hydrogenation through metal hydride formation thatproduces completely dechlorinated final product. Different compositions of …