Digital Commons Network^™

Determining Population Structure In Kentucky Parascaris Univalens Specimens, Constance Finnerty

Theses and Dissertations--Veterinary Science

Parascaris univalens is a highly pathogenic nematode that affects the gastrointestinal system of young horses. When unaddressed, this parasite causes severe intestinal impactions and even death. Parascaris univalens is also found to have an emergence of anthelmintic resistances, causing a concern for horse owners. Despite its clinical significance, very little work has been done on Parascaris univalens to identify its population structure. This study aimed to determine the population structure of Parascaris univalens through Illumina next generation sequencing (NGS) on three hierarchical categorizations: within a horse, within an isolated herd, and within horses in the state of Kentucky. A total …

Genomic Studies Of The Equine Bloodworm, Strongylus Vulgaris, Nichol Ripley

Theses and Dissertations--Veterinary Science

Strongylus vulgaris is the most pathogenic nematode parasite of grazing horses worldwide. This gastrointestinal parasitic nematode is in the family Strongylidae under the subfamily Strongylinae, or Strongylins. While the epidemiology, complete life cycle, and high pathogenicity of the fourth and fifth larval stages of S. vulgaris are well established, we understand very little about its biology. This parasite is renowned for its unique life cycle and capacity to cause arterial damage, leading to significant health and economic impacts for the equine industry. It also is the most intensively documented Strongylin; however, S. vulgaris has yet to gain drug resistance as …

Surface Mining Interacts With Timber Harvesting To Facilitate The Invasion Of Woody Invasive Species In A Temperate Forest Of Central Appalachia, Usa, William Wittenbraker

Theses and Dissertations--Forestry and Natural Resources

Appalachian forests are subjected to various short- and long-term anthropogenic disturbances. Surface mining is among the most potent drivers of land use change in the Appalachian region, reducing native forest cover and causing landscape fragmentation. Furthermore, the ecological footprint of surface mining could be expanded to adjacent forests, and such spill-over effects may be exacerbated by in-situ forest disturbances such as timber harvesting. However, it remains elusive how these two disturbance agents may be compounded to degrade forest health and landscape integrity. One of the major threats to forest health in the Appalachian forests is the invasive species. Many woody …

Communicating Climate Change: Adaptive Silviculture In Central Appalachian Kentucky, Logan Baker

Theses and Dissertations--Forestry and Natural Resources

Climate change communication is an emerging field that requires a multidisciplinary understanding of both climate and social science. Communicating with underrepresented woodland owners about climate change, specifically climate change adaptation in forestry applications, necessitates appropriately adjusted approaches. In Central Appalachian Kentucky, outreach with underrepresented woodland owners on forest adaptation topics has not been examined in depth. The recent establishment of an Adaptive Silviculture for Climate Change research site in the University of Kentucky’s Robinson Forest has created an opportunity to generate regionally specific climate adaptation information for Appalachian Kentucky forests. It is imperative to investigate how best to approach communicating …

Manrrs Advisors And Their Perceptions Of Their Mentor Strategies, Dallas L. Cooks

Theses and Dissertations--Community & Leadership Development

Minorities in Agriculture Natural Resources and Related Sciences, also known as MANRRS, is an organization with chapters nationwide. Their main focus is to provide professional development, academic advancement, and networking to those in agriculture and related sciences. This research focuses on the advisors of MANRRS chapters across the country and at various institutions. Advisors were asked a series of questions through a Qualtrics survey about their mentor strategies with their students. Chapter Advisors were asked demographic, Likert Scale, and questions based on their personal MANRRS experience. As a result of the data, five research questions were answered. Chapter Advisors and …

"We Are The Mycelium" Exploring Mutual Aid Networks And Food System Resilience In Eastern Kentucky, Lindsey A. Windland

Theses and Dissertations--Community & Leadership Development

The effects of climate change are predicted to have a widespread impact on numerous aspects of the U.S. food system. Industrialization and consolidation within the U.S. food system have decreased the food system’s capacity for adaptation to external stressors. In recent years local food systems have demonstrated a potential for adaptation during and after disasters. More research is needed to better understand local food systems and their adaptative innovations, as a better understanding of these innovations is important for developing local food systems with strong adaptative capacities. This exploratory study examines how the local food systems of Eastern Kentucky pivoted …

Evaluating The Caring Cards Program And Its Effect On Mental Health Indicators Among A Self-Defined Agricultural Group In Rural Kentucky, Katrina Clontz

Theses and Dissertations--Community & Leadership Development

Suicide is currently the 11^th leading cause of death in the Unites States (American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, 2024), and is especially high among the farming and agricultural population (Kennedy et al., 2021; Klingelschmidt et al., 2022; Monteith et al., 2020). Additionally, mental health access and outcomes are worse among this population, partially due to the inaccessibility of care in rural areas (Taylor, 2019). Communication among caring individuals is thought to be an effective suicide prevention strategy (Long, 2023; Ross & Bassilos, 2019). The Caring Cards program was developed as a way to facilitate mental health communications among a …

Autism In Agricultural Education: A Case Study Of An Adolescent With Autism Spectrum Disorder And Their Parent On Career And Technical Education, Grace Miller

Theses and Dissertations--Community & Leadership Development

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a unique and often misunderstood diagnosis. Little is known about the experiences of adolescents with ASD. As students with ASD graduate high school, many are under- and unemployed. Career and technical education (CTE) in U.S. schools is intended to prepare all students for careers post-secondary. Agricultural education is one of the predominate career clusters within CTE. This qualitative single case study sought to create a platform for both a student and their parent to share their experiences in agricultural education and CTE. Participants were an adolescent with ASD who had taken at least one year …

Exploring The Impact Of An Appalachian Higher Education Institution Had On Fostering Solidarity, Capacity, And Agency Of Female Appalachian Students Seeking To Positively Influence The Quality Of Life For Themselves And Appalachian Communities, Analiese Mitchell

Theses and Dissertations--Community & Leadership Development

Appalachian women navigating higher education encounter multifaceted challenges, often confronting marginalization and a lack of representation within academic spaces. This study investigates the experiences of female Appalachian students at Mountain University in Kentucky, aiming to shed light on their journey and the university's impact on their lives and communities. Drawing on qualitative data from interviews, the research explores themes of solidarity, capacity, agency, and Quality of Life. Findings reveal a robust sense of solidarity among Appalachian peers and faculty, fostering a supportive environment conducive to personal and academic growth. Participants express opportunities to engage with their communities positively, contributing to …

Development Of Lignin Derived Hydrophobic Deep Eutectic Solvents As Sustainable Solvents And Their Applications, Yuxuan Zhang

Theses and Dissertations--Biosystems and Agricultural Engineering

The development of green solvents is a pivotal endeavor in achieving the goals of green chemistry. Ionic liquids (ILs) and deep eutectic solvents (DESs) have emerged as promising green alternatives to conventional organic solvents due to their low toxicity, potential biodegradability, low volatility, and high tunability. Compared to ILs, DESs have attracted more attention recently as they are easier and less expensive to produce. Hydrophobic DESs (HDESs), a new generation of DESs introduced in 2015, have gained considerable interest for their ability to overcome the instability issues of traditional DESs when exposed to water. This advancement extensively broadens the application …

Implications Of Nanopesticides On Downstream Wetland Ecosystems, Kiley Power

Theses and Dissertations--Biosystems and Agricultural Engineering

Nanopesticides are thought to be a promising course of action for reducing agricultural impacts on the environment, however, little is known regarding the fate and transport of nanopesticides, specifically their influence on downstream wetland ecosystems. The objective of this study was to assess the implications of a nano-Cu fungicide (Kocide 3000) and a neonicotinoid insecticide (imidacloprid) on downstream wetland habitats, particularly their effects on wetland nutrient cycling, using fifteen mesocosm wetlands. The complex interactions between nitrogen, Kocide 3000, and imidacloprid were found to increase nitrate removal rates, decrease phosphate removal rates, and inhibit nitrogen uptake in below-ground biomass. Each treatment, …

The Characterization, Assessment, And Shear Strength Of Turfgrass Soil In North American Thoroughbred Racing, Peter Schmitt

Theses and Dissertations--Biosystems and Agricultural Engineering

Minimizing catastrophic injuries to racehorses, which also protects the riders, is critical for the future of the Thoroughbred racing industry. While the causes of catastrophic injuries are multifactorial, the condition of the racing surface is one of only a few factors that affects all horses in competition. Horse racing surfaces must retain enough shear strength to support the hoof of a Thoroughbred at a gallop. Turfgrass racing surfaces also require healthy turf to reinforce the footing while also achieving a high infiltration rate to allow races to run on the turf soon after or even during rain. This research is …

Wetland Treatment Systems For Municipal Wastewater At A Bourbon Distillery And Potential Value Of Incorporating Stillage For Water Treatment Enhancement, Katherine J. Ristola

Theses and Dissertations--Biosystems and Agricultural Engineering

The use of constructed treatment wetlands, as a secondary treatment method for wastewater effluent from package treatment plants and distillery stillage has potential to be an innovative, sustainable method for improving water quality in the Central Kentucky region. However, the use of constructed wetlands to treat stillage and wastewater treatment plant effluent has been limited. Therefore, the objectives of this study were to: 1) quantify constructed wetland removal as a secondary treatment method for distillery’s wastewater; 2) explore the potential to utilize constructed treatment wetlands to remove nutrients from bourbon stillage; and 3) optimize treatment design to meet wastewater effluent …

Utilizing Isotope Tracing To Assess Land Use Implications To Tap And Stream Water Chemistry, Katrina Alexis Mcfadden

Theses and Dissertations--Biosystems and Agricultural Engineering

Water quality is an issue that continues to be worsened by extreme flooding, specifically in Eastern Kentucky. The most recent 2022 flooding event in Eastern Kentucky resulted in loss of human life, over $23.3 billion in damaged infrastructure, and impaired human health. Infrastructure failures, such as leaky pipes, are a growing challenge in these regions as rebuilding has occurred. Therefore, the goal of this project was to evaluate water quality in two of the counties most impacted by the 2022 flood in Kentucky, Breathitt and Perry Counties, using sulfur isotopes as a novel tracer to identify potentially failures in distribution …

The Efficacy Of Wetland Treatment Systems Used To Treat Runoff Mixtures From Different Landscapes Across Kentucky, Emily Nottingham

Theses and Dissertations--Biosystems and Agricultural Engineering

The overarching goal was to improve our understanding of the cumulative effect of increased use and occurrence of commonly detected contaminants of potential concern (CPCs) on nitrogen (N) transformation processes in wetlands. The central hypothesis was that those various mixtures of nutrients and CPCs entering treatment wetlands impact N removal pathways. The first study assessed the current state of the literature on the implications to N removal in wetlands in the presence of pesticides and antibiotics. 181 primary studies were identified. Removal efficiencies for nitrate varied widely across the studies, with CPCs impacting microbial communities. A knowledge gap remains in …

Valorization Of Bourbon Distilling Waste Using Thermal Conversion Processes For Nutrient-Rich Food Products, Tosin Olayemi Olanrewaju

Theses and Dissertations--Biosystems and Agricultural Engineering

The Commonwealth of Kentucky accounts for over 95% of global bourbon production. A primary byproduct of bourbon production is stillage, which has a very high moisture content (91–94%) and high biochemical oxygen demand, making it challenging to manage. The recent expansion of the bourbon industry has heightened environmental concerns regarding the best methods to handle this byproduct. Dewatering and drying of stillage produce distillers' spent grains (DSG-B), which are rich in dietary fiber and protein and could serve as an excellent source of functional fiber in human nutrition.

This study examined the approach for dewatering, drying, inclusion of DSG-B as …

Improving Healthcare Provider Knowledge And Confidence With Treating The Lgbtq Population Through A Web-Based Education Module, Logan Price

DNP Projects

Background: There is a need for improved healthcare staff and provider knowledge and confidence when treating the LGBTQ population, as many healthcare providers are insufficiently prepared to treat LGBTQ patients (Rowe et al., 2017). This population is at greater risk for mental illness, substance use, and physical illness than the general population due to societal factors such as minority stress and stigma (Cochran et al., 2004; Cochran & Mays 2007; Cochran et al., 2003; Meyer, 2003). Purpose: The purpose of this project is to educate healthcare staff and providers about the LGBTQ population to improve their knowledge and confidence when …

Point Of Care Ultrasound (Pocus) For Advanced Practice Providers (Apps), Crystal S. Rogers

DNP Projects

Background: Advanced practice providers (APPs) routinely lack the skillset to perform Point of Care Ultrasound (POCUS) because currently, there is not a standardized curriculum within scholarly programs (Santos et al., 2018) and/or inadequate hospital training to perform these competencies (Huang et al., 2021). The absence of a standard curriculum has limited the ability of APPs to practice with full scope, provide care that is comparable to physician partners in the acute care setting, and deliver highest quality of patient care. Implementing standard education to train APPs for POCUS addresses this identified gap.

Purpose: The purpose of this project was to …

Investigating The Correlation Between Social Determinants Of Health And Drug Selling Among People Who Use Drugs In Rural Appalachia, Kentucky, Grace A. Debo

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

Abstract

Aims: To identify demographic, socioeconomic, health and access to resources, and drug use correlates associated with drug selling among adult, people who use drugs (PWUD) in rural Appalachia.

Methods: This cross-sectional study analyzed survey data from the ongoing KyOSK and SNAP projects. The surveys included information on participant characteristics (demographic, socioeconomic), and health and drug use behaviors. Our analysis was restricted to only those who answered the question regarding drug selling (n=738). Both univariate and multivariate logistic regression models were employed to identify correlates of drug selling.

Results: Among 738 participants, 20.6% reported selling or attempting to sell drugs …

Pharmacy Involvement In Increased Access To Opioid Treatment Programs, Catherine O'Rourke

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

The opioid epidemic still affects many Americans today. Despite approved medication treatments for opioid use disorder (OUD), a majority of the population with OUD have not received treatment. Since pharmacists are the most accessible health care professional and had an important role providing care during the COVID-19 pandemic, there has been a push to expand pharmacists’ scope of practice. The primary purpose of this investigation was to identify the benefits and barriers to community pharmacist-led treatment of OUD. The secondary purpose was to determine whether pharmacist participation in opioid treatment programs (OTPs) or office based opioid treatment (OBOT) would be …

The Effects Of Stigma Within The Prep Care Cascade Among People Who Inject Drugs In Rural Kentucky, Abby Burton

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

Background: Injection drug use has increased HIV burden in low-prevalence communities, specifically within rural Kentucky. Pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) has been successful in terms of HIV prevention, yet uptake remains low among people who inject drugs (PWID). PWID living in rural areas face unique challenges to receiving PrEP care, including significant barriers of substance use- and HIV-related stigma. Recent studies have only started to explore the overlapping effects of these two stigmas. Considering the barriers each stigma independently poses to PrEP care, it is important to investigate their role in tandem for any compounding effects. This paper is a secondary analysis …

A Case Study In Program Evaluation, Lydia Williams

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

The three core functions of public health are assessment, policy development, and assurance, and program evaluation falls under the latter category. A program is incomplete without an in-depth understanding of how well it works and what steps can be taken to make sure there is continuous progress and improvement.

In this case study, I developed an evaluation plan for the Lexington-Fayette County Health Department’s (LFCHD) infectious disease outbreak education program. The need for such a program was realized after a MRSA outbreak among a Kentucky high school football team. This case study employed the Center for Disease Control and Prevention …

Trust In Local Health Departments: A Cross-Sector Analysis Of Urban And Rural Communities, Kelsie Kwok

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

Cross-sector collaboration is being looked to as best-practice for addressing complex issues. Given that trust is an important aspect of a well-functioning network, partners may have varying perceptions of trust regarding their counterparts. The primary objective is to examine partnerships and trust scores among six Kentucky communities (three urban, three rural) and their efforts to address unmet social needs. The secondary objective is to discuss differences among urban and rural communities regarding local health departments and the role of trust. A social network analysis (SNA) was conducted using the Program to Analyze, Record, and Track Networks to Enhance Relationships (PARTNER) …

Patterns Into Pathways For Improving Safety Culture: Refined Latent Class Analysis Informs Tailored Decision Support For South Carolina Dss Safety Culture Improvements, Michaela Voit

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

The rising prevalence of exposures to adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) demands a coordinated public health response, as a significant body of research details the cumulative impact of ACEs on chronic morbidities contributing to reduced life expectancy. Child welfare workers (CWW) are embedded in this public health effort, tasked with preventing and mitigating the impacts of ACEs through family and prevention services. The National Partnership for Child Safety (NPCS) may improve the wellbeing of CWWs and the effectiveness of Child Welfare (CW) services by improving the quality of safety culture within CW organizations. To inform NPCS quality improvement efforts, our project …

Association Of Race, Ethnicity, And Gender To Disparities In Functional Recovery And Social Health After Major Lower Limb Amputation: A Cross-Sectional Pilot Study, Sheila M. Clemens, Kiarri N. Kershaw, Zoran Bursac, Szu Ping Lee

Physical Therapy Faculty Publications

Objective: To assess if evidence of disparities exists in functional recovery and social health post-lower limb amputation.

Design: Race-ethnicity, gender, and income-based group comparisons of functioning and social health in a convenience sample of lower limb prosthetic users.

Setting: Prosthetic clinics in 4 states.

Participants: A geographically diverse cohort of 56 English and Spanish speaking community-dwelling individuals with dysvascular lower limb amputation, between 18-80 years old.

Interventions: None.

Main Outcomes Measures: Primary outcomes included 2 physical performance measures, the Timed Up and Go test and 2-minute walk test, and thirdly, the Prosthetic Limb Users Survey of Mobility. The PROMIS Ability …

Combined Motivational Interviewing And Ecological Momentary Intervention To Reduce Hazardous Alcohol Use Among Sexual Minority Cisgender Men And Transgender Individuals, Carolyn Lauckner, Bryce Puesta Takenaka, Fidelis Sesenu, Jaime S. Brown, Sally J. Kirklewski, Erin Nicholson, Kimberly Haney, Reuben Adatorwovor, Donte T. Boyd, Keisa Fallin-Bennett, Arjee Javellana Restar, Trace Kershaw

Biostatistics Faculty Publications

Background: Sexual minority cisgender men and transgender (SMMT) individuals, particularly emerging adults (aged 18-34 years), often report hazardous drinking. Given that alcohol use increases the likelihood of HIV risk behaviors, and HIV disproportionately affects SMMT individuals, there is a need to test interventions that reduce hazardous alcohol use and subsequent HIV risk behaviors among this population. Ecological momentary interventions (EMIs), which use mobile phones to deliver risk reduction messages based on current location and behaviors, can help to address triggers that lead to drinking in real time. Objective: This study will test an EMI that uses motivational interviewing (MI), smartphone …

Bayesian And Frequentist Approaches To Rescuing Disrupted Trials, Cornelia Ursula Kunz, Sergey Tarima, Gary L. Rosner, Richard Emsley, Madeline Bauer, Christopher Jennison, James L. Rosenberger, Nigel Stallard, Sarah Zohar, Nancy Flournoy

Biostatistics Faculty Publications

The COVID-19 pandemic impacted clinical trials in ways never expected. However, similar challenges should now be expected going forward. These challenges made us aware of statistical problems arising from other types of disruptions that had not previously captured the attention of the statistical community. This article describes some frequentist and Bayesian statistical tools that can be used with future disruptions and illuminates issues that could benefit from more statistical research. Disruptions may threaten a clinical trial’s validity. Here, we address two resultant challenges: (a) performing an unplanned analysis with options to stop and/or change the sample size; and (b) changes …

Using Randomization Tests To Address Disruptions In Clinical Trials, Diane Uschner, Oleksandr Sverdlov, Kerstine Carter, Jonathan Chipman, Olga Kuznetsova, Jone Renteria, Adam Lane, Chris Barker, Nancy Geller, Michael Proschan, Martin Posch, Sergey Tarima, Frank Bretz, William F. Rosenberger

Biostatistics Faculty Publications

Recent examples for unplanned external events are the global COVID-19 pandemic, the war in Ukraine, or most recently Hurricane Ian in Puerto Rico. Disruptions due to unplanned external events can lead to violation of assumptions in clinical trials. In certain situations, randomization tests can provide nonparametric inference that is robust to violation of the assumptions usually made in clinical trials. The ICH E9 (R1) Addendum on estimands and sensitivity analyses provides a guideline for aligning the trial objectives with strategies to address disruptions in clinical trials. In this article, we embed randomization tests within the estimand framework to allow for …

Respiranalyzer, Teng Zhang, Xinzheng Dong, Dandan Wang, Chen Huang, Xiaohua Douglas Zhang

Biostatistics Faculty Publications

Motivation: The analysis of data obtained from continuous monitoring of respiratory signals (CMRS) holds significant importance in improving patient care, optimizing sports performance, and advancing scientific understanding in the field of respiratory health. Results: The R package RespirAnalyzer provides an analytic tool specifically for feature extraction, fractal and complexity analysis for CMRS data. The package covers a wide and comprehensive range of data analysis methods including obtaining inter-breath intervals (IBI) series, plotting time series, obtaining summary statistics of IBI series, conducting power spectral density, multifractal detrended fluctuation analysis (MFDFA) and multiscale sample entropy analysis, fitting the MFDFA results with the …

Individual-Network Based Predictions Of Microbial Interaction Signatures For Response To Biological Therapies In Ibd Patients, Federico Melograna, Padhmanand Sudhakar, Behnam Yousefi, Clara Caenepeel, Gwen Falony, Sara Vieira-Silva, Sreenikhitha Krishnamoorthy, David Fardo, Bram Verstockt, Jeroen Raes, Severine Vermeire, Kristel Van Steen

Biostatistics Faculty Publications

Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD), which includes Ulcerative Colitis (UC) and Crohn’s Disease (CD), is marked by dysbiosis of the gut microbiome. Despite therapeutic interventions with biological agents like Vedolizumab, Ustekinumab, and anti-TNF agents, the variability in clinical, histological, and molecular responses remains significant due to inter-individual and inter-population differences. This study introduces a novel approach using Individual Specific Networks (ISNs) derived from faecal microbial measurements of IBD patients across multiple cohorts. These ISNs, constructed from baseline and follow-up data post-treatment, successfully predict therapeutic outcomes based on endoscopic remission criteria. Our analysis revealed that ISNs characterised by core gut microbial families, …