Digital Commons Network^™

(En)Counter Cartographies: Data Collection, Interpretation, And Visualization In Lexington’S Urban Forest, Claire Hilbrecht

Theses and Dissertations--Geography

This thesis examines how urban forestry data practices shape relationships between people, trees, and knowledge in Lexington, Kentucky. Drawing on political ecology, science and technology studies, and critical making, it argues that conventional methods of data collection, interpretation, and visualization privilege Western scientific and market-based frameworks that often exclude affective, embodied, and more-than-human ways of knowing. Using autoethnography and six semi-structured interviews with urban forestry professionals, the study explores how practitioners experience tensions between treating trees as measurable commodities and engaging them as relational beings. It finds that while urban foresters rely on dominant discourses such as ecosystem services to …

Spatial Marginalization Of Emotional Support: Understanding Animal-Human Dynamics Of Care On College Campuses, Aleksandra Craine

Theses and Dissertations--Geography

In 2015 Kearny-Nebraska court case determined that student campus housing is considered a dwelling and is therefore covered by housing antidiscrimination laws. Since then, increasing numbers of students across U.S. campuses applied to bring an emotional support animal to live with them. Emotional Support Animals (ESAs) are defined by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development as “trained or untrained animals that do work, perform tasks, provide assistance, and/or provide therapeutic emotional support for individuals with disabilities.” Persons requesting ESA accommodations usually must provide documentation from a medical provider or therapist. ESAs remain a legally and socially contested category …

Entre Irse Y Quedarse: Sociolinguistic Effects Of The H-2a Program In The U.S. And Mexico, Hayden D. Holman

Theses and Dissertations--Hispanic Studies

This dissertation examines stabilized circular migration as a distinct sociolinguistic condition through a study of Mexican participants in the U.S. H-2A temporary agricultural worker program. Whereas much migration scholarship presumes linear settlement and cumulative immersion, the H-2A program institutionalizes repeated cycles of departure and return between specific origin and destination communities. This patterned mobility produces recurrent immersion in an English-dominant environment followed by re-centering in a Spanish-dominant community, creating conditions of cyclical activation and recalibration of linguistic repertoires.

The study investigates two interrelated questions: (1) how sustained participation in stabilized circular mobility shapes participants’ spoken repertoires, contact-induced features, and language …

Visual Genealogies Of Disability In Mexican Visual Culture, Daniela Calvache Garcia

Theses and Dissertations--Hispanic Studies

Disability in Mexico is a visually constructed category, shaped by a long genealogy of representation in which images of bodily difference actively participate in defining power and the management of all bodies. The discursive forces that define disability as unproductivity reduce body-minds to the service of the economic system, affecting our relationship with death, illness, reproduction, size, youth, and beauty. Across the Mesoamerican visual space, such representations have long unsettled dominant systems of truth about bodies. This dissertation examines how conceptions of disability are produced, negotiated, and reimagined through three historical moments and cultural expressions: Pre-Hispanic Mayan imagery, Mexican colonial …

Economic Inequality And Family Formation In The United States, Elizabeth S. Krause

Theses and Dissertations--Economics

This dissertation evaluates economic inequality and family formation in the United States in three essays. In Essay 1, I estimate the effect of providing subsidized access to immediate postpartum contraceptives on birth spacing and infant health among low-income teen mothers. The intent-to-treat estimates indicate a 20% reduction in the monthly short-interval birth rate among teens 12-14 months after policy enactment. I also find evidence that the policy increased the average interval between births and reduced preterm and low-birth weight births and NICU admission rates. In Essay 2, I provide evidence that single mothers and single women without children are important …

The Rhesus Macaque Model Of Mycobacterium Avium Infection Reveals That Age-Related Disease Is Due In Part To Chronic Inflammation And Lung Microbial Dysbiosis, Ethan G. Napier

Theses and Dissertations--Microbiology, Immunology, and Molecular Genetics

Aging is associated with dysregulated immunity and increased susceptibility to infection, a phenomenon dubbed as immunosenescence and characterized by reduced naïve T and B cell pools, altered innate immune function, and chronic low-grade inflammation. Nontuberculous mycobacterial (NTM) pulmonary disease (NTMPD) is an increasingly relevant chronic lung infection that disproportionately affects older adults (65+ years) and immunocompromised individuals. However, the host factors underlying increased disease severity in aged patients remain poorly defined. Literature suggests that effective control of NTM relies on coordinated innate and adaptive immune responses, particularly macrophage activation and Th1 cytokine signaling. Using a rhesus macaque model that closely …

Environmental Predictors Of Human Lyme Disease Incidence Across Appalachian Counties In Kentucky, Virginia, And West Virginia, 2000-2019, Karlie D. Rennison

Theses and Dissertations--Epidemiology and Biostatistics

This ecological study examined county-level environmental, landscape, and host-related predictors of Lyme disease incidence across Kentucky, Virginia, and West Virginia from 2000-2019. Lyme disease is an emerging public health concern in the Appalachian region, where geographic expansion and shifting ecological conditions may influence disease risk.

Lyme disease case rates (per 10,000 population) were analyzed in relation to climate variables, land cover metrics, host density measures, and rurality using publicly available data sources. Descriptive and regression analyses were conducted to evaluate associations between candidate predictors and disease incidence.

Substantial geographic variation in Lyme disease incidence was observed, with higher case rates …

Essays In Consumer Credit Markets, Sarah Najafzadeh Khoei

Theses and Dissertations--Finance and Quantitative Methods

This dissertation studies how technology, market structure, and contract design shape outcomes in consumer credit markets, with a particular focus on auto lending and leasing. In the first chapter, I investigate the performance of automated underwriting systems relative to human underwriters in the auto loan market. While prior studies document the advantages of automated underwriting, I show that its performance deteriorates under conditions of heightened data uncertainty. Exploiting the COVID-19 pandemic as an exogenous shock and using a combination of difference-in-differences and regression discontinuity designs, I find that automated underwriting performs significantly worse than human underwriting during this period, particularly …

Beyond The Veil: Critical Black Kantianism And The Ethics Of Structural (In)Visibility, Paradise A. Stanford

Theses and Dissertations--Philosophy

This dissertation develops what I call Critical Black Kantianism, a reconstructive approach to Kantian moral philosophy that centers race, recognition, and the structural conditions under which moral agency is formed. While Kantian ethics typically presumes idealized agents operating within just social contexts, this project argues that such abstraction obscures how racial domination actively shapes autonomy, dignity, and self-consciousness. Drawing on W.E.B. Du Bois’ account of double consciousness, Black feminist thought, and contemporary theories of recognition, I show that moral agency is not merely exercised within social environments but is constituted through them—often under conditions of misrecognition that fracture autonomy.

Against …

Design And Advancement Of Analytical Frameworks For In Vivo Single-Photon Calcium Imaging To Characterize Temporal- And Treatment-Dependent Neural Adaptations To Opioid Exposure And Withdrawal In The Medial Prefrontal Cortex, Alexia R. Alsum Dr.

Theses and Dissertations--Pharmacy

Despite the availability of several approved medications for opioid use disorder (OUD), it remains a significant public health concern characterized by persistent neurobiological adaptations that drive relapse and impede successful recovery. The medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC), a region critical for executive control and decision-making, undergoes pronounced functional changes during chronic opioid exposure and withdrawal, yet the cellular mechanisms underlying these adaptations remain poorly understood. This dissertation aims to investigate longitudinal alterations in mPFC neural activity across opioid exposure and withdrawal using in vivo single-photon calcium imaging and newly developed computational frameworks.

Following standard preprocessing to extract and normalize calcium traces, …

Exploring The Limitations Of Substrate Scope In Dimethylallyltryptophan Synthases, Evan T. Miller

Theses and Dissertations--Pharmacy

Natural products (NPs), are the largest source of bioactive compounds in Nature, and are essential to the treatment of human disease. Nearly 50% of drugs approved for use from 1981 to 2019 owe some aspect of their development to NPs, either in terms of their structure, pharmacophore, or mechanism of action. However, NPs are difficult to structurally optimize. Chemoenzymatic methods for NP derivatization have been increasingly seen as practical alternatives to traditional synthetic methods. Prenyltransferases (PTs) are involved in the primary and secondary metabolism of plants, bacteria, and fungi, and they are key enzymes in the biosynthesis of many clinically …

Linking S‑Pillar Empirical Criteria With Boundary And Finite Element Models For Underground Stone Pillar Analysis, Benjamin Diddle

Theses and Dissertations--Mining Engineering

The objective of this thesis is to strengthen the relationship between empirically based stone pillar design methods and two numerical modeling techniques by calibrating boundary element and finite element models to the S‑Pillar empirical criteria and observed pillar behavior in underground stone mines. The first component of the research investigates the displacement‑discontinuity boundary element method implemented in LaModel, quantifying the influence of the lamination thickness and element size on stone pillar safety factor predictions. Results showed that optimal thickness depends on overburden modulus, while larger element sizes introduce significant SF differences from S-Pillar values once the grid size exceeds 5 …

Investigating The Potential Role Of Toxoplasma Gondii In The Development Of Equine Protozoal Myeloencephalitis, Brooklyn Nicole Shirah

Theses and Dissertations--Veterinary Science

Equine protozoal myeloencephalitis (EPM) is a neurologic disease of horses prevalent in the Americas, caused by the coccidian parasites Sarcocystis neurona and Neospora hughesi. Toxoplasma gondii is a related parasite that infects nearly all warm-blooded animals, including horses. Prior studies show conflicting results on whether T. gondii contributes to EPM, in part because no validated T. gondii serologic assay exists in horses. This study developed a recombinant TgSAG1 ELISA and confirmatory Western blot. These assays evaluated T. gondii seropositivity in 789 serum samples from healthy and neurologic horses across multiple geographic regions and examined 31 paired serum:CSF samples for …

Human Resource Policy And Practice In The American Regional Theatre: The Intersection Of The Actors’ Equity Association And The League Of Resident Theatres, Kathleen Holland

Theses and Dissertations--Arts Administration

Human resource management plays a critical yet understudied role in the American regional theatre, an industry characterized by project-based labor, mixed union and nonunion workforces, and deeply ingrained cultural norms that prioritize artistic production over worker well-being. This dissertation examines how institutional human resource policies intersect with the Actors’ Equity Association (AEA) collective bargaining agreement and the League of Resident Theatres (LORT), and the implications of these intersections for human resource practice in regional theatre organizations. While entertainment-industry unions predate the formalization of contemporary human resource management, little scholarship has examined how union agreements may shape or substitute for organizational …

Improving Evaluation Practices Of Community Arts Extension Agents: A Mixed-Methods Study Leveraging Theory Of Change And Open Systems Theory, Melissa G. Bond

Theses and Dissertations--Arts Administration

This dissertation examines how a structured evaluation training and subject-based evaluation tool can strengthen evaluation practices among Community Arts Extension professionals in Kentucky. Community Arts programs often support outcomes such as belonging, connection, skill development, and cultural engagement, yet those outcomes can be difficult to document within standardized public reporting systems. Guided by Theory of Change and Open Systems Theory, this mixed-methods study combines an environmental scan of FY2020–FY2025 Community Arts indicator records and agent-authored Success Stories with three survey waves administered before training, immediately after training, and approximately 60 days later.

Findings show that routine reporting captured substantial activity …

Molecular Mechanisms And Metabolic Consequences Of Glucocorticoid Resistance, Genesee J. Martinez

Theses and Dissertations--Pharmacology and Nutritional Sciences

Glucocorticoids are vital steroid hormones that govern metabolism, stress responses, and immune functions through intricate, tissue-specific mechanisms, both genomic and non-genomic. These hormones bind to the glucocorticoid receptor (GR), which then acts as a transcription factor to modulate gene expression. Chronic elevation of glucocorticoid levels may lead to glucocorticoid resistance, resulting in adiposity, inflammation, and insulin resistance, thereby adversely affecting multiple metabolic tissues. Whether produced endogenously or administered exogenously, excessive, chronic glucocorticoid concentrations impair glucocorticoid signaling. Although there are two primary isoforms of the receptor, GR⍺ and GRβ, only GR⍺ interacts with glucocorticoids.Through the research conducted in this dissertation, we …

Expanding The Role Of Muscle Stem Cell Fusion In Muscle Under Hypertrophic Stimulus, Jensen Goh Zhong Sheng

Theses and Dissertations--Physiology

Muscle stem cells (MuSCs) are a unique stem cell population that can activate in response to both injury and growth stimuli. Studies on muscle regeneration have shown MuSC activation follows a uniform progression through proliferation, differentiation, and fusion. Therefore, to determine whether MuSC replication is a prerequisite for differentiation under hypertrophic stimulus, I used a lineage-tracking mouse model (Pax7^rtTA; TRE-H2B-GFP) to label MuSC nuclei and simultaneously tracked DNA synthesis via EdU incorporation. This dual-labeling approach allowed us to not only distinguish MuSC-derived nuclei but also demarcate which MuSC had proliferated prior to fusion. I then employed a mechanical …

A Tale Of Two Serpins: Pathologic And Protective Roles Of Agt And Pai-1 In Metabolic And Cardiovascular Disease, Alex C. Pettey

Theses and Dissertations--Physiology

Metabolic and cardiovascular diseases are leading causes of morbidity and mortality worldwide. Conditions such as metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD), aortic aneurysm, and cardiac fibrosis have limited pharmacological therapies, underscoring the need for deeper mechanistic investigations. Serine protease inhibitors (serpins) have been implicated in these pathologies and represent potential therapeutic targets. Despite structural homology, serpins regulate diverse physiological processes through both protease inhibition and non-inhibitory mechanisms. This dissertation examines the roles of two serpins, angiotensinogen (AGT) and plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 (PAI-1), in preclinical models of metabolic and cardiovascular disease to identify novel mechanisms that may inform future therapeutic strategies. …

The Association Between Learned Helplessness And Future Outlook And The Mediating Effects Of Parental Support, Engagement, And Closeness, Allison N. Loosle

Theses and Dissertations--Family Sciences

The present study examined the direct and indirect associations between learned helplessness and future outlook among emerging adults, with parental support, engagement, and closeness as potential mediating factors. Using data from 375 participants drawn from G3, Wave 4 of the Youth Development Study, two path analytic models were tested: one including a composite measure of learned helplessness and one examining its components (contingency, cognition, and behavior) individually. Results indicated that higher levels of learned helplessness were associated with a less positive future outlook. When separated, the cognition and behavior components were negatively associated with future outlook, whereas contingency was not …

Breaking The Cycle: Financial Abuse And Mental Health Outcomes Among Women Survivors Of Intimate Partner Violence Through The Abc-X Model Of Family Stress, Angel Martinez-Johnson`

Theses and Dissertations--Family Sciences

The present study examined the relationship between financial abuse and mental health outcomes among women survivors of intimate partner violence (IPV) with particular attention to the roles of perceived financial knowledge and resilience. Guided by the ABC-X Model of Family Stress, this study explored whether these perceived resources function as mediators in the association between financial abuse and symptoms of anxiety, depression, and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Findings indicated that financial abuse was significantly associated with increased psychological distress across all three outcomes. Although perceived financial knowledge and resilience were significantly related to certain mental health outcomes, analyses did not …

Seasonal Population Dynamics And Interspecific Interactions Of Drosophila Suzukii, Eleanor Mccabe

Theses and Dissertations--Entomology

Invasive species are a growing problem, and it is important to investigate how invasives interact with novel ecosystems, which are characterized by distinct abiotic and biotic factors. In this dissertation, I investigate abiotic and biotic factors affecting two invasive pests in central Kentucky, Drosophila suzukii and Zaprionus indianus. In Kentucky, seasonality, and landscape features on population dynamics and fitness are unknown. I found that D. suzukii overwinters in Kentucky and that wild berry species improve winter survival. I used local weather data to identify meteorological variables that best predict D. suzukii populations. I tested the extent to which D. suzukii …

Equid Major Histocompatibility Complex (Mhc) Evolution & Genome Organization, Lauren C. Johnson

Theses and Dissertations--Veterinary Science

The evolution of modern horses has a well-documented fossil record and has long been of interest to the genetics community. Although non-caballine equids (e.g. zebras, donkeys, and asses) can hybridize with horses, the resulting offspring are typically infertile. Despite these reproductive barriers, genomic analyses reveal regions of high sequence similarity among equid species. This dissertation investigates the role of historical introgression in the evolution of modern Equus species. The first chapter re-evaluates earlier findings derived from a limited horse population and a single reference genome. The variants of the identified regions were pushed through Ensembl’s Variant Effect Predictor to assess …

Environmental Detection And Quantification Of Equid Alphaherpesviruses In Equine Facilities Using Air Sampling, Emma E. Hyde

Theses and Dissertations--Veterinary Science

Equid alphaherpesvirus 1 and 4 (EHV-1/-4) circulate at equestrian facilities, contributing to outbreaks. Due to the complexities of the pathogen, including the limited predictability of reactivation from latency and the effects associated with secondary sites of viral replication, abortion, and neurologic disease, EHV infections are of utmost concern to the equine industry. Recent studies have highlighted the prevalence of the viruses in stabling areas at competitions, though little is known about this phenomenon in other high-traffic equine environments. This thesis presents two studies using air sampling surveillance methods to further explore the viral detection in other equine environments (veterinary facility …

Investigating The Full Annual Cycle Ecology Of Eastern Whip-Poor-Wills Breeding In Central Appalachian Forests, Nicole Notarianni

Theses and Dissertations--Forestry and Natural Resources

Data on habitat needs of migratory birds across the annual cycle is critical for the development of effective management plans, particularly for declining species. One declining species, the eastern whip-poor-will (Antrostomus vocerifus; EWPW) lacks data on habitat selection patterns through the annual cycle, and this knowledge is particularly scarce for the breeding season. In this thesis, I used archival GPS tags on EWPW to: 1) assess patterns of breeding habitat space-use for 11 EWPW breeding in central Pennsylvania, and 2) describe broad space-use patterns during migration and wintering seasons. Breeding data were paired with three LiDAR-derived habitat metrics: …

Using Camera-Based Unmarked Spatial Capture-Recapture Modeling To Estimate Reintroduced Elk (Cervus Canadensis) Population Parameters And Distribution In Southeastern Kentucky, Claire Marie Muia

Theses and Dissertations--Forestry and Natural Resources

Estimation of population parameters is important for wildlife management decisions. Elk reintroduced to southeastern Kentucky experienced early irruptive population growth and are currently monitored using a statewide harvest-based statistical population reconstruction model (SPR) across the Kentucky Elk Restoration Zone (KERZ). Because the SPR model is spatially coarse and difficult to scale to the smaller management units comprising the KERZ, we conducted a spatially explicit capture-recapture study using a clustered camera-trapping array deployed for 10 weeks from June–August 2024 to estimate elk population parameters within Management Unit 4. Due to a lack of resights of GPS-marked elk, population parameters were estimated …

Between The Rails: Experiential Education And Its Impact On Compliance And Consistency In Racetrack Surface Management, Heather Mackenzie

Theses and Dissertations--Community & Leadership Development

Recent regulatory requirements within the Thoroughbred racing industry have increased expectations for consistent collection and reporting of racetrack surface data. Despite clear standards, implementation in daily operations remains inconsistent, highlighting a gap between regulation, knowledge, and practice. This study examined the impact of an experiential education curriculum on racetrack personnel’s self-efficacy and reporting consistency.

Using a quantitative design, data were collected through pre- and post-surveys measuring self-efficacy and records of the number of days surface data were entered. Descriptive statistics, paired-samples t-tests, and effect size analyses were used. Results showed a statistically significant increase in self-efficacy (p < .001) with large effect sizes, indicating meaningful gains in confidence and comfortability. Reporting consistency did not show a statistically significant change (p = .885).

Overall, experiential education …

Understanding Knowledge And Perceptions Of The Beef Industry On A Land-Grant University Campus, Allison E. Reaves

Theses and Dissertations--Community & Leadership Development

A well-researched phenomenon in the agricultural industry is the effects of constant innovation coupled with an increasing divide between producer and consumer. This issue has been presented as especially prevalent within animal agriculture and the beef industry, a predominant concern considering Kentucky’s agricultural commodities. This study (n = 31) utilized a mixed-methods approach to understand the knowledge, perceptions, and behavior of beef consumers on a land-grant university campus. Methodologies included Python’s DeepFace emotion recognition, semi-structured interviews, and the JMALI agricultural literacy assessment. Findings revealed participants to be below expected agricultural literacy levels of high school graduates (M=11), with no …

From Floodplain To Floodplain: Analyzing Stream And Riparian Restoration Methodologies And Impacts, Noah P. Lane

Theses and Dissertations--Biosystems and Agricultural Engineering

Stream restoration is a relatively new scientific field. Currently, there is not a definitive methodology for performing restorations that all professionals in industry and academia can agree upon. This has allowed for multiple ideologies to be developed and altered that vary by geographic location and the professional using them. In addition to the methodologies used, the publicly available design guidance published by state government organizations also varies by regulatory authority, method of analysis, ecoregion, and restoration objectives. In some cases, design guidance is replicated from a different geographical area and may not satisfy local needs or existing site conditions. Since …

“They Don't Care If I'M Here Or Not”: The Impact Of Exclusionary Discipline On Black Boys In Elementary Schools, Arielle Gulley

DSW Capstone Projects

Disproportionate and exclusionary school discipline practices continue to affect African American boys as early as elementary school, with significant implications for their mental health, academic engagement, and long-term educational trajectories. This capstone project examines how racially biased discipline contributes to disparities in belonging, emotional well-being, and student-teacher relationships, and advances the need to reframe discipline as a site of mental health intervention rather than punishment.

The systematic literature review synthesizes peer-reviewed research to examine the relationship between exclusionary discipline and mental health outcomes among African American boys in elementary settings, with particular attention to patterns emerging in early educational environments. …

Unseen To Unstoppable: Critically Redefining Care For Rural Women With Alcohol Use Disorders, Nicole Gerace

DSW Capstone Projects

Research reveals that rural women with alcohol use disorders (AUDs) are up to 90% less likely to seek treatment than men or urban women. This Doctor of Social Work capstone project brings together a systematic literature review (SLR), a conceptual paper, and a practice application paper to examine the clinical social work practice problem of rural women with AUDs underutilizing treatment. Collectively, these products investigate factors contributing to these disparities, identify gaps in care, and propose more equitable and responsive approaches to treatment for these women. This project began with an SLR (2020–2025) that investigated clinical treatment interventions that demonstrated …