Digital Commons Network^™

Evaluating The Biotic Condition Of Restored Streams In Kentucky’S Inner Bluegrass Region, Charles Cole Crankshaw

Theses and Dissertations--Biosystems and Agricultural Engineering

Numerous stream restoration projects have been implemented in Kentucky’s Inner Bluegrass region to offset anthropogenic impacts. These projects range from full channel realignments to volunteer-led riparian installations. To assess the ability of said projects to restore stream habitat and biota, full restoration (n=12) and riparian (n=6) sites were compared to reference (n=6) and disturbed (n=12) sites using RBP and SVAP protocols, macroinvertebrate samples, and geomorphology. General trends for SVAP, RBP, and BI scores, starting with highest habitat or biotic quality, were reference sites, full and riparian restoration sites, then disturbed sites. The number of EPT taxa, another indicator of biological …

Comparing Beopt (Energyplus) Energy Predictions To Measured Circuit Level Energy Consumption Of 12 Similar Small Energy-Efficient Single-Family Residences, Braydi Mcpherson-Hathaway

Theses and Dissertations--Biosystems and Agricultural Engineering

Residential energy usage patterns change as a result of new building codes, renewable technologies, household electronics, and changes in occupancy habits. Building simulations have used end-use energy studies to inform occupancy profiles and overall usage characteristics for the building simulations. Building simulations allow designers, engineers, policymakers, code developers, and building owners to model proposed designs to new and existing buildings, thus it is imperative that the energy profiles used in the models are accurate. In this study, the building simulation engine BEopt is used to model energy-efficient homes recently constructed in Southern Kentucky. The homes have well defined building characteristics …

Southern Pine Beetle-Specific Rna Interference Demonstrates No Effects On Nontarget Insects, Hannah Marie Hollowell

Theses and Dissertations--Entomology

The endemic southern pine beetle (SPB), Dendroctonus frontalis Zimmermann, is a highly destructive bark beetle that has devastated coniferous forests of the southern United States for decades. Traditional management strategies have been unable to respond effectively to largescale SPB outbreaks, prompting exploration of novel techniques including RNA interference (RNAi). Double-stranded RNAs (dsRNAs) are effective at triggering gene silencing and inducing mortality in SPB, but determining delivery methods and demonstrating specificity of the treatments is necessary before this technology may progress to deployment.

I evaluated three SPB-specific dsRNAs on model nontarget insects to assess potential lethal effects, sublethal effects such as …

Distribution And Diversity Of Heliothine And Other Lepidopteran Nudiviruses, Emrah Ozel

Theses and Dissertations--Entomology

Helicoverpa zea nudivirus 2 (HzNV-2) is the only known sterilizing and sexually-transmitted insect virus and causes pathological symptoms in H. zea reproductive tissues. HzNV-2 has features that make it a candidate as a H. zea (corn earworm) control agent, such as the ability to cause asymptomatic (latent) and symptomatic (lytic) infections and the ability to influence mating behavior of its host to favor virus spread. HzNV pathology has been studied and its genome sequenced, however, its prevalence in natural populations is largely unknown. In this study, we developed and used a low-cost PCR-based molecular survey to investigate HzNV-2 prevalence and …

Spiritual Mentoring During Emerging Adulthood: A Dyadic Perspective, Jeffrey L. Reed

Theses and Dissertations--Family Sciences

Mentoring relationships have long been identified as a valuable means for supporting identity development in young adults and assisting these individuals in navigating life transitions. The guidance and stability afforded by mentoring relationships can be particularly beneficial to individuals undergoing transitions in their personal or professional lives, or both, and are thus well-suited to play a meaningful role in the lives of emerging adults. Emerging adults are also in a unique developmental stage in which they experience increased freedom and opportunity for exploration away from parents and guardians. While this freedom often results in increased risky behavior, it also allows …

The Lived Experience Of Hope In The Midst Of Recovery From A Substance Use Disorder: A Phenomenology, Mary Katherine Lance

Theses and Dissertations--Family Sciences

Substance use disorder (SUD) is difficult to treat, as evidenced by its high prevalence and relapse rates. Research shows, however, that hope may have the potential to create effective and efficient change in the way we prevent and treat SUD. In order to utilize hope in this way, we must have a good understanding of what hope is. This phenomenological study aims to explore and describe the essence of hope through the lived experience of individuals in recovery from a SUD. Through interviews with 20 informants to generate data and an iterative interpretative process to identify shared meanings, hope emerged …

A Qualitative Examination Of The Agency Of Women In Their 30s And 40s Who Use Dating Applications, Tera Buerkle

Theses and Dissertations--Family Sciences

The use of dating applications (apps) to find romantic and sexual partners is widespread across age groups, however, there is a paucity of research on dating apps with those in middle adulthood. Sexual script theory suggests that women’s agency (i.e. the ability to act in one’s own best interest) may be impacted by expectations from an inherently sexualized context, such as dating apps. Feminist theory contends that women’s agency is complicated by gender socialization due to the imbalance of power in society that greatly favors men. In this study seventeen women aged 30 to 49 completed in-depth semi-structured interviews, and …

Procuring Produce In A Rural, Appalachian County: A Thematic Analysis Of Community Member Experiences, Caroline Blincoe

Theses and Dissertations--Nutrition and Food Systems

Rates of obesity and other health disparities are exceptionally high in rural Appalachian counties compared to the nation as a whole. One causal factor of these health disparities in Appalachian counties is the inequitable allocation of healthy food. Food insecurity and the local food environment are large drivers for obesity experienced by Martin County, Kentucky residents. Successful socioecological model (SEM) and policy, systems, and environmental (PSE) interventions have shown promising results in reducing obesity and enhancing food security in this population. Through the transcription of semi-structured focus group interviews, thematic analysis aimed to obtain perspectives on the local food system. …

Exploring The Effects Of Colorism On Relationship Quality, Kara Burns

Theses and Dissertations--Family Sciences

Many scholars have suggested that the division of enslaved Black people based on skin tone was one of the biggest factors that influence current intraracial tension and biases, referred to as colorism. The present study examined how colorism can affect romantic relationships through aspects of colorism, skin tone satisfaction, social comparison, racial awareness, and couples satisfaction. The present study used individual data from 46 middle income Black individuals residing in the South, who self-reported on colorism, racial identity, and relationship quality via online survey. Correlations between the key variables were examined. Correlations between colorism and skin tone satisfaction, a negative …

Financial Literacy And Retirement Preparedness In Sri Lanka: Evidence From The Private Sector Employees, Tiyani Lakshmi Rodrigo

Theses and Dissertations--Family Sciences

The South Asian country of Sri Lanka has a rapidly aging population, but little attention has been paid to individuals and families' financial preparedness for retirement. This study aims to overview the current system of retirement preparedness in Sri Lanka, and to examine financial and pension literacy's role on the retirement preparedness. Specifically, this study evaluated three domains of retirement preparedness: planning for retirement and perceived retirement income adequacy (subjective measures, n = 142), and wealth accumulation (objective measure, n = 115). Results show that (1) financial literacy had a positive and statistically significant association with retirement preparedness (only with …

Assessing Self-Perceived Nutrition-Related Lifestyle Behaviors And Knowledge Of University Music Students Following A Targeted Presentation, Gretchen Trumbo

Theses and Dissertations--Nutrition and Food Systems

Although proven that nutrition can impact physical health, limited research examines the relationship between nutrition-related lifestyle behaviors, nutrition knowledge, and the prevalence of injury in university music students. The objective of this study is to evaluate nutrition-related lifestyle behaviors and self-perceived nutrition knowledge of university music students before and after a targeted nutrition education session. A baseline Qualtrics survey was administered to undergraduate and graduate music students (18+ years) via the University of Kentucky School of Music Listserv to gather data related to demographics, anthropometrics, history of playing-related injury, nutrition knowledge, attitudes, beliefs, and behaviors. A nutrition education presentation, focused …

Sexual Expression And Self-Confidence In Long-Distance Relationships, Morgann Kidwell

Theses and Dissertations--Family Sciences

Little is known about the impact of distance on sexual expression and self-confidence in long-distance relationships, especially as mediated by technology. The purpose of the present study is to investigate how sexual expression and self-confidence vary in romantic relationships between those in long- versus short-distance relationships. Data from 327 participants—156 in long-distance relationships and 171 in short-distance relationships—were collected via Amazon MTurk. Results indicate that forms of technology-mediated sexual expression are widely used in long-distance relationships. Technology-mediated sexual expression is positively associated with sexual satisfaction in both long- and short-distance relationships; however, technology-mediated sexual expression was not statistically associated with …

Psychological Distress And Relationship Satisfaction Among Survivors Of Sexual Violence, Alyssa Campbell

Theses and Dissertations--Family Sciences

The World Health Organization (WHO; 2002) has indicated that sexual violence is a serious public health concern, and both the WHO and the United Nations (UN) have declared that violence against women, in particular, is a profound violation of human rights (UN General Assembly, 1993; WHO, 2017). Although the systemic and negative impact of trauma on family and intimate relationships have been well documented, the empirical literature regarding the effects of adult sexual trauma on relationship satisfaction is less robust. These studies are designed to address this gap and will do so with analyses centered on an understudied population: the …

Birth Mothers’ Experiences Of Support Before, During, And After Adoptive Placement, Ciara Watkins

Theses and Dissertations--Family Sciences

The current study explores the perceptions and experiences of support in a sample of birth mothers who relinquished parental rights though open or closed private adoption (e.g., religiously, and non-religiously affiliated private adoption agencies, adoption attorneys). Participants (N = 51) were birth mothers who placed a child for adoption at birth or within several months and who relinquished parenting rights 8 months to 50 years ago, with (M = 15.39) years since placement. A thematic analysis uncovered six overarching themes throughout the relinquishment process. Further, prevalence of themes in certain phases (i.e., pre-placement, during placement, post-placement) were shared among all …

A Comparative Study Of Stress, Trauma, Well-Being, And Future Orientation Among Community College Students, Melinda A. Lemaster

Theses and Dissertations--Family Sciences

This study measured perceived stress, past trauma, well-being, and future orientation in a sample of community college students located in the Southeast United States. The sample included 412 participants (78%) female; 59% of student participants reported living in a rural community and 41% in a non-rural community. The mean age was 22 for 70% of participants, while 30% were over age 30. Framed by Family Stress Theory and Human Ecological Systems Theory, the study tested whether rural college students would report higher levels of stress, more past trauma, lower well-being and future orientation when compared with non-rural students. In addition, …

The Evaluation Of An Amino Acid- Oral Re-Hydration Solution (Enterade®) To Improve Quality Of Life In Solid Tumor Cancer Patients By Reduction Of Chemotherapy Related Diarrhea, Holly Chitwood

DNP Projects

Background: Chemotherapy related diarrhea (CRD) is a common adverse effect of many chemotherapy agents used to treat cancer. CRD negatively affects quality of life (QOL) for cancer patients and often results in treatment delays, hold, dose reductions, and hospitalizations affecting morbidity and mortality. Proper management of CRD with novel therapeutics is needed to improve the quality of life and patient outcomes for this population.

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the use of a proprietary amino acid-oral rehydration solution (AA-ORS) known as Enterade® to reduce the severity of CRD, to improve patient reported QOL among patients over …

Equine West Nile Virus In Kentucky: Characteristics Of Historical Testing And Analysis Of Causal Factors, Kaelyn Short

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

As the arbovirus with the highest incidence in both humans and horses in the United States, West Nile Virus (WNV) presents a significant risk to the equine population of Kentucky. Widespread infection has the potential to cause a significant economic impact to the state and long-term health complications for the horses. To better understand the burden of equine WNV, historical diagnostic testing archives the University of Kentucky Veterinary Diagnostic Lab were analyzed along with environmental and census data collected from additional sources. A total of 2146 test results were analyzed utilizing descriptive statistics, chi-square tests of independence, and binary logistic …

Secular Trends In Low Birth Weight And Preterm Birth Disparity Between Infants Born To Teenage And Adult Mothers: An Exploratory Analysis, Elizabeth Edwards

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

Introduction. Increased risk of preterm birth and low birthweight for infants born to teenage mothers (15-19), when compared to infants born to adult mothers (20-29), is well documented in the United States. Trends in preterm birth and low birthweight are also well documented over time. Examination of the difference in incidence of preterm birth or low birthweight between infants born to teenage mothers and to adult mothers over time is not present in the literature. This study aimed to fill this gap in the literature and determine how preterm birth and low birthweight differences have changed over time.

Methods. Natality …

Colorectal Cancer Differences In Staging And Survival: Appalachian And Non-Appalchian Kentuckians, Ripley Lucas

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

Colorectal cancer is the third most commonly diagnosed cancer in the United States. Historically, the Appalachian region of Kentucky has experienced disparities in colorectal cancer screening and survival as compared to both the non-Appalachian region of the state and the United States. The aim of this paper is to investigate the differences in cancer staging and survival after diagnosis in Appalachian and non-Appalachian Kentuckians. The present time period of study is a retrospective, population-based cohort with data taken from the Kentucky Cancer Registry. Binomial logistic regression and Cox proportional hazards models were used to estimate unadjusted and adjusted odds ratios …

Accumbens Cholinergic Interneurons Mediate Cue-Induced Nicotine Seeking And Associated Glutamatergic Plasticity, Jonna M. Leyrer-Jackson, Michael Holter, Paula F. Overby, Jason M. Newbern, Michael D. Scofield, M. Foster Olive, Cassandra D. Gipson

Family and Community Medicine Faculty Publications

Nicotine, the primary addictive substance in tobacco, is widely abused. Relapse to cues associated with nicotine results in increased glutamate release within nucleus accumbens core (NAcore), modifying synaptic plasticity of medium spiny neurons (MSNs), which contributes to reinstatement of nicotine seeking. However, the role of cholinergic interneurons (ChIs) within the NAcore in mediating these neurobehavioral processes is unknown. ChIs represent less than 1% of the accumbens neuronal population and are activated during drug seeking and reward-predicting events. Thus, we hypothesized that ChIs may play a significant role in mediating glutamatergic plasticity that underlies nicotine-seeking behavior. Using chemogenetics in transgenic rats …

Applying Mixed-Effects Modeling To Behavioral Economic Demand: An Introduction, Brent A. Kaplan, Christopher T. Franck, Kevin Mckee, Shawn P. Gilroy, Mikhail N. Koffarnus

Family and Community Medicine Faculty Publications

Behavioral economic demand methodology is increasingly being used in various fields such as substance use and consumer behavior analysis. Traditional analytical techniques to fitting demand data have proven useful yet some of these approaches require preprocessing of data, ignore dependence in the data, and present statistical limitations. We term these approaches “fit to group” and “two stage” with the former interested in group or population level estimates and the latter interested in individual subject estimates. As an extension to these regression techniques, mixed-effect (or multilevel) modeling can serve as an improvement over these traditional methods. Notable benefits include providing simultaneous …

Reproducibility And Discriminant Validity Of The Posterior Shoulder Endurance Test In Healthy And Painful Populations, Neil A. Evans, Suzanne Konz, Arthur J. Nitz, Timothy L. Uhl

Physical Therapy Faculty Publications

OBJECTIVE: This investigation measured the reproducibility and discriminant validity of the Posterior Shoulder Endurance Test (PSET) on painful and non-painful populations.

DESIGN: Reliability and validity study.

SETTING: Laboratory setting.

PARTICIPANTS: Thirty subjects (male = 11; female = 19).

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Time to failure (TTF) was the primary outcome measure to determine reliability of the PSET. Discriminant validity identified with receiver operator characteristic (ROC) curves utilized TTF separately in men and women since they used different loads.

RESULTS: There were 25/30 subjects (painful = 12; non-painful = 13) tested a second time. ICC, SEM, and MDC90 ranged respectively from 0.77, …

The Impact Of Personal Income Tax On State Government Revenues, Christianah Odubena

MPA/MPP/MPFM Capstone Projects

There are competing theories on the impact of tax policy on the economy. Many policymakers believe that cutting income taxes stimulates the economy, while others believe that tax cuts adversely affect the economy. Income taxes face the most opposition from governors and legislators, despite generating huge amounts of revenue. However, whether policymakers decide on cutting or raising personal income taxes, this can significantly affect state government revenues—either negatively or positively, most especially states whose primary source of revenue is personal income tax. Recently, Tennessee and Kentucky passed major tax reforms in 2017 and 2018 respectively, with broadly different policy goals. …

The Fiscal Impact Of Covid-19: A Study Of Five States, Jacob Jansen

MPA/MPP/MPFM Capstone Projects

The COVID-19 pandemic has taken its toll on states’ coffers due to declining revenues and in response state budget authorities have taken action to adjust budgets in order to maintain proper financial balance. At the end of fiscal year 2020 on June 30, 2020, budget authorities in 46 states likely found themselves straining to make sure their state’s bottom line was not grossly negative. That strain has since continued into fiscal year 2021, which started the day after. As revenues appear to be on the rise again and the financial hardships lessened, an evaluation of the responses to the pandemic’s …

The Evaluation Of The Role Of Research Administrators In The Biomedical Research Grant Lifecycle And How Public Universities’ Policies Are Designed To Protect Funding, Megan Eder

MPA/MPP/MPFM Capstone Projects

There was a time in the not-so-distant past, where a simple infection had the opportunity to send an individual to an early grave. With advancements in biomedical research, medical professionals can treat simple infections as well as more complicated illnesses. Medical research has come a long way, but there is still a need for research in order to find, treat, and advance cures for illness and disease. Last year, during the COVID-19 pandemic, the entire world was waiting for researchers to create a vaccine to help slow the spread and get the world back to operating at a normal capacity. …

The State Of Woodford County’S Assistance Network, Katherine Connair

MPA/MPP/MPFM Capstone Projects

This study seeks to determine what the overall picture of assistance network serving the Woodford County region is. The goal was to determine if there are any observable gaps in the network and to have a clear understanding of what the assistance network is. Gaps were identified by studying the existing network, surveying network members, and examining publicly available resources. A Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats (SWOT) analysis was conducted to analysis the whole network. Assistance for this study refers to programs/organizations that provide cash or in-kind benefits/services to people (U.S. Census Bureau). The assistance network is all of the …

Pharmacy Student Opinions Related To Question, Persuade, And Refer (Qpr) Suicide Prevention Training, Alexandra Sutphin

MPA/MPP/MPFM Capstone Projects

Suicide is one of the leading causes of death in the United States (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention [CDC], 2017). The Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has increased concerns related to suicide, with additional attention placed on the potential long-term negative impact of COVID-19 on mental health. Pharmacists are healthcare providers who are readily accessible and underutilized in suicide prevention efforts. This study uses survey methodology and comparative analyses to develop recommendations for the timing and administration of Question, Persuade, and Refer (QPR) suicide prevention training in the Doctor of Pharmacy (PharmD) curriculum at the University of Kentucky College …

The Effects Of Npo’S Revenue Diversification On Financial Vulnerability, Junoh Jeon

MPA/MPP/MPFM Capstone Projects

This capstone project investigates whether revenue diversification leads to reduce financial vulnerability of nonprofit organizations. The findings of this study suggest that organizations with more diversified revenue portfolios have lower levels of financial vulnerability over time, which means that revenue diversification is a reasonable strategy for organizational stability. This study has also examined the effects of relying on specific restricted and non-restricted revenue sources on financial vulnerabilities of organizations. Although hypothesis was that the nonprofit organizations relying on restricted with instable revenue sources would have a relatively higher financial vulnerability compared to other organizations, the findings suggest different results. The …

The Effect Of Veteran Status On Economic Reintegration, Amanda Buck

MPA/MPP/MPFM Capstone Projects

Veteran unemployment rates are often understated in reports due to the generalization of the individuals that make up the veteran population. While veterans overall suffer a larger penalty than non-veterans in the civilian labor market, different demographics of veterans deal with diverse consequences of service. Specifically looking at Gulf War Era-II veterans compared with their similarly aged civilian peers, two linear regressions are used with main effects and differential effects to show the different probabilities of unemployment for distinct groups. Veterans’ probability of unemployment is 0.66 percent higher than their non-veteran peers. However, I find that Black veterans have a …

Health Impact Of Mountaintop Removal And Federal Air Quality-Related Policies: A Study On Respiratory Disease And Lung Cancer Mortality Rates In Ky, Hannah Harrison

MPA/MPP/MPFM Capstone Projects

Coal mining has been a major industry in Central Appalachia for over a century, and in the 1970s, it went through a major transition. In an effort to access coal seams previously inaccessible to traditional underground mining methods, coal companies began to adopt a new extraction method known as mountaintop removal (MTR). This new approach to surface mining involved deforesting a mountaintop and then removing the remaining rock and vegetation that is sitting atop a coal seam via explosives and heaving machinery. Compared to underground mining, MTR released more air pollution than underground mining in the form of particulate matter …