Digital Commons Network^™

The Effects Of Google Smart Compose On The Process Of Open-Ended Writing, Sijan Shrestha

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Recently, a lot of new natural language models have been developed which help individuals with writing. One of the widely used tools is Google’s Smart Compose which is a text-predictive system that helps individuals to write by reducing the need for repetitive typing. Though this tool has been well established and used by a lot of people, there is a lack of studies on its impact on open-ended writing.

In this thesis, we investigate the effect of Google’s Smart Compose in open-ended writing. To do this, we built a custom software that collects data while the users are writing on …

The Effects Of Blood Flow Restriction On The Vasculature And Tolerability During A 2-Week Intervention, Daphney Michelle Stanford

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Blood flow restriction (BFR) has been used to delay muscle atrophy, but it is unclear how this impacts the vasculature. Purpose: Determine the effect of BFR on upper body vasculature. Methods: 40 participants were randomized into control (CON) or BFR. For BFR, 80% of arterial occlusion pressure (AOP) was applied daily (5/week) for 5 cycles (5min inflation, 3min deflation) on the dominant arm. Vascular assessments occurred at baseline (Pre), week 1 (Mid), and week 2 (Post). A cuff on the forearm inflated over 110% AOP for 5min while brachial artery diameter and tissue saturation index (TSI, %) were continuously measured. …

Closing The Gap: Culturally Competent Consultations In Schools, Kimmely Mechelle Williams

PCOM Psychology Dissertations

Poor academic achievement among minority students has historically been identified as one of the most pressing challenges of public education (Dorvil, 2011). However, even before the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) adoption, there has been a focus on what should be done to improve the academic achievement of the nation’s children. With each of its subsequent incarnations and legislative renaming, policymakers, educators, and researchers alike have sought to ensure that all children are afforded the opportunity to receive a high-quality education delivered by competent educators enabling them to reach predetermined but vaguely defined levels of proficiency. Despite best efforts, …

Implementing A Mobile Saliva Rinse Screening For P16 Markers For Hpv (Human Papillomavirus) Positive Head And Neck Cancers In Central Kentucky, Madeline Brown

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

Rates of HPV-related head and neck cancers are increasing across the nation and more specifically, there has been a significant increase in the state of Kentucky. This study focuses on the implementation of a mobile clinic saliva-rinse screening program. This program will be set up at UK Athletics Men's basketball and football games in hopes of recruiting middle aged men ages 45-60, who are the target audience of the study. This is the population with highest prevalence for HPV positive head and neck cancers and also the population least likely to visit their health providers regularly. A quick saliva rinse …

Changes In Severity Of Diabetes At Diagnosis Following The Onset Of The Sars-Cov-2 Pandemic, Annelise King

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

During the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic it was seen that diabetes was a risk factor for severe COVID-19. The objective of this study is to assess the severity of diabetes at diagnosis during the COVID-19 pandemic compared to pre-pandemic to see how the pandemic and SARS-CoV-2 infection impacted the severity of diabetes. This study used University of Kentucky electronic health records of 13,794 patients who developed diabetes. The majority of patients were female, white non-Hispanic, 65+, and living in an urban area. There were differences seen between the COVID-19 positive and negative cohorts in the DKA and HbA₁c variables, with …

Rapid Scoping Review Of The Epidemiological Evidence For Mercury Exposure And Prevalence Of Alzheimer’S Disease, Rebecca Mattingly

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

This rapid scoping review examines the current body of epidemiologic research evaluating the potential linkage between environmental exposure to mercury and Alzheimer's disease (AD). Alzheimer’s disease accounts for 60-80% of all neurodegenerative disease in the United States and was the seventh leading cause of death in Kentucky in 2020. The exact etiology of AD needs further investigation; however, environmental factors such as pesticides, arsenic, cadmium, lead, and mercury have been correlated with development of AD lesions, cognitive decline, and AD. Mercury is a toxic metal that can be found in air, water, and soil, both from natural and human-made sources. …

Fork It, Kylee Pipgrass

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

Obesity prevalence is at an alarmingly high rate within the United States, but especially in rural areas of Kentucky. Obesity can lead to a variety of negative physical health outcomes including heart disease, diabetes, stroke, and some cancers. There are also mental disorders associated with obesity through mechanisms such as weight stigma and self-perception. Similar to obesity rates, prevalence and mortality associated of these health outcomes are also seen at disproportionately higher rates in rural, Appalachian Kentucky. Causes for increased obesity and obesity related consequences include some genetic factors as well as behavioral factors like physical inactivity, poor diet, stress, …

Breastfeeding Promotion In The Workplace, Katie C. Nettesheim

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

Breastfeeding is one of the best things a mother can do for her baby. It has many protective qualities including a reduced risk of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS), asthma, obesity, type 1 diabetes, respiratory infections, ear infections, and stomach bugs for the baby (CDC, 2022). There are also protective qualities for the mother as well, including a reduced risk of high blood pressure, breast and ovarian cancer, and type II diabetes. Breastfeeding exclusively, the infant only receives breastmilk and no other supplementation for 6 months, which maximizes the many benefits that breastfeeding has.

Rural areas of the United States …

The Meals On Wheels-Breathitt: A Health Campaign For Reducing Food Insecurity Among The Older Adults In Breathitt County, Kentucky., Sarah Haroon

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

The population of the United States of America is aging at a faster rate than ever before. More than 1 in 6 Americans are now 65 or older (The Washington Post, 2023). Since 2010, compared to people under 65, there has been close to a two-hundred percent increase in people 65 and above (The Washington Post, 2023). The rise in the aging U.S. population is due to increased life span and people living longer (U.S. Census Bureau, 2020). Furthermore, life expectancy for the total U.S. population is projected to increase by six years, from 79.7 in 2017 to 85.6 by …

Comorbidity Of Hypertension And Chronic Renal Failure And Their Impact On Oral Complications: A Cross-Sectional Study., Dalia Ghalwash, Sara Abdelwahed, Asmaa Abobakr

Dentistry

The present study aimed to investigate the influence of both end-stage renal diseases (ESRD) and hypertension (HTN) on the various oral manifestations and periodontal condition, to evaluate and compare the oral manifestations and periodontal health status in hypertensive patients with ESRD versus control, and to explore any possible correlation of the oral findings with systemic disease status. This was a cross-sectional study which included two equal groups of patients, Group I were hypertensive patients with ESRD and Group II were hypertensive patients only. All patients were hypertensive and were on antihypertensive medications. Regarding the incidence of oral lesions in both …

Personality Traits Of Dairy Calves And Their Relationship With Feeding Behavior, Activity, And Performance, Emily A. Michalski

Theses and Dissertations--Animal and Food Sciences

Detection of individual differences in personality traits of animals may prove beneficial for producers to help tailor management for individuals and to make selection decisions. Therefore, the objectives of this thesis were to

1) review and evaluate literature on relationships between individual cattle personality traits and feeding behavior, activity, and performance; and

2) evaluate and develop tests suitable for characterizing crossbred dairy-beef calves’ personalities and associations with behavioral patterns and performance.

The existing literature indicates that growth, intake, activity, and milk production measures from precision technologies have associations with cattle personality traits and behaviors identifiable through standardized tests. This indicates …

The Effects Of Exogenous Enzyme Supplementation On The Performance, Bone Quality, And Nutrient Utilization Of Broiler Chickens, Megan Bauer

Theses and Dissertations--Animal and Food Sciences

Two experiments were conducted to examine the effects of Allzyme® Spectrum supplementation to a reduced nutrient diet on the growth performance, energy and nutrient digestibility and utilization, bone quality, and jejunal digesta viscosity in broiler chickens. Each experiment used 300 one-day old Cobb by-product breeder chicks with 5 treatments, 10 replicates, and 6 birds per replicate cage in a randomized complete block design. The only differences between the two experiments were experiment 1 lasted for 21 days using a corn-soybean meal-based diet and experiment 2 lasted for 22 days using a wheat-soybean meal-based diet. The 5 treatments included a positive …

Prevention In Schools: Examining School Personnel’S Attitudes And Knowledge Of Mandated Reporting, Aigner J. Allen

PCOM Psychology Dissertations

This study examined the factors that may affect school personnel’s implementation of mandated reporter procedures after student disclosure of child sexual abuse (CSA), with a focus on how school personnel think, reason, and act after a student discloses suspected CSA. Children spend most of their time in school, therefore, school personnel have significant roles in protecting children by being mandated reporters of child abuse. This study used a quantitative research design to examine school personnel’s attitudes and knowledge regarding mandated reporting child sexual abuse after student disclosure. The study used a cross-sectional survey methodology that included a single survey instrument. …

A Qualitative Examination Of Satisfaction And Support In Weight-Loss Surgery Patients, Simone Sims-Reiley

PCOM Psychology Dissertations

The present study investigated bariatric surgery patients’ perspectives about the factors associated with relationship success after surgery. Additionally, this study sought to recommend useful strategies to prepare partners for the postoperative changes that are required of bariatric patients. Female participants (N = 10) were chosen using voluntary response sampling to participate in semi-structured interviews before completing the Marital Adjustment Test to identify their level of relationship adjustment postoperatively. Participants reported changes to their relationship dynamic related to food choices, activities, varying levels of support from their significant others, and factors that impacted their relationship satisfaction throughout their bariatric surgery …

Epiphytic Diatom Production On The Seagrass Thalassia Testudinum In Northern Gulf Of Mexico, Jonathan L. Venable, Shayna A. Sura, Jeffrey W. Krause

Gulf and Caribbean Research

No abstract provided.

Effect Of Positive Emotion Intervention During Late Pregnancy On Improving Colostrum Secretion: A Randomised Control Trial Protocol, Kechen Xu, Ying Xie, Xiujun Han, Ying Yu, Suqing Liu, Suliu Wu, Qian Yang, Qi Zhang

Community & Environmental Health Faculty Publications

Introduction Though evidence has revealed the beneficial effects of cognitive improvement interventions on breastfeeding, the effect of psychological interventions has rarely been studied. This study aims to test whether promoting a positive emotion intervention, 'Three Good Things' intervention, during the last trimester of pregnancy can enhance early colostrum secretion and breastfeeding behaviours by modulating the hormones associated with lactation (prolactin and insulin-like growth factor I). We will attempt to promote exclusive breastfeeding by using physiological behavioural measures.

Methods and analysis This study is designed as a randomised controlled trial conducted in the Women's Hospital School of Medicine at Zhejiang University …

Obesity During Adolescence And Feeding Practices During Infancy: Cross-Sectional Study, Reem Sharaf-Alddin, Radhia Almathkoori, Hara Kostakis, Ahmed N. Albatineh, Abdullah Al-Taiar, Muge Akpinar-Elci

Community & Environmental Health Faculty Publications

Background: Breastfeeding is proposed to play a role in reducing the risk of obesity throughout life. Kuwait has an extremely high prevalence of childhood obesity (45% of adolescents are overweight/obese) and extremely low breastfeeding indicators, particularly exclusive breastfeeding. In fact, little is known about the association between breastfeeding and obesity from Kuwait and the broader Middle East.

Aims: To estimate the prevalence of overweight/obesity in female adolescents in Kuwait and assess its association with breastfeeding during infancy.

Methods: This is a cross-sectional study that included 775 girls randomly selected from public and private high schools in Kuwait. The primary exposure …

Prevalence Of Gastrointestinal Symptoms Among Autistic Individuals, With And Without Co-Occurring Intellectual Disability, Calliope Holingue, Danika Pfeiffer, Natasha N. Ludwig, Rachel Reetzke, Ji Su Hong, Luther G. Kalb, Rebecca Landa

Communication Disorders & Special Education Faculty Publications

Gastrointestinal symptoms (GI) are very common among individuals on the autism spectrum. Prior research reports mixed findings regarding whether individuals with autism and co-occurring intellectual disability (ID) have elevated risk of gastrointestinal symptoms relative to individuals with autism alone. GI symptoms can be challenging to assess in individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and/or ID given challenges with language, communication, and interoception. Prior research has tended to only include individuals with documented presence or absence of GI symptoms or conditions, that is, to exclude observations in which there is uncertainty regarding presence of GI symptoms. Therefore, none of the prior …

How Nurturing America’S Agricultural Landscape Can Alleviate Its Health Crisis, Jennifer Galardi

Pepperdine Policy Review

This paper will review current nutritional narratives that promote the extinction of animal sourced foods (ASF’s) and why they are incorrect and possibly damaging. It will also briefly address agricultural history in the United States to trace how the country arrived at current agricultural policy, how it has damaged the independence of the country’s food supply, and why it is no longer useful. In addition, it will breakdown the contemporary issues and debates within agriculture and review current policy and why it’s insufficient. Finally, it proposes policy solutions that can help return the U.S. agriculture system to a more viable …

Seventy Years Of Commitment To Dental Progress, Loma Linda University School Of Dentistry

Articulator (Dentistry)

Seventy years of dental progress at Loma Linda University, School of Dentistry, 1953-2023.

3 | Dedication to Dr. Melvin Lund
4 | Introduction
6 | Reducing Pain and Anxiety
9 | What is Dental Caries?
10 | Restoring Teeth - Innovative Methods & Materials
12 | Replacing Missing Teeth - Dental Implants
14 | Periodontics - The Loma Linda Group
15 | Orthodontics - Innovative Use of Computer Tomography
16 | Biocentric Cements - A Major Endodontic Innovation
17 | Advances in Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery
17 | The Role of Pediatric Dentistry in Orofacial Clefts
18 | Progress in …

Impacts Of Eating Disorder Recovery On Communication Of Identity Through Food, Rosemary Willett Jeter

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

Using the Communication Theory of Identity as a framework, the purpose of this thesis was to investigate how the experience of eating disorder recovery (EDR) impacts one’s communication of identity through and about food, and perceptions of others’ communication about and through food. Purposive sampling yielded 20 adult participants who self-identified as having been in EDR for at least one year. Results from a phronetic iterative data analysis of semi-structured interviews yielded several themes. When considering how EDR influences personal communication through food, main themes include: (a) the inability to share meals creates a gap between the enacted and relational …

An Examination Of The Food System, Foodscape, Dietary Patterns, And Accolated Health Outcomes Of Salish People Within The Confederated Salish And Kootenai Nation, Joshua William Brown

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

Often an individualistic, consumerist strategy is promoted as the solution to decrease the growing prevalence of diet-related diseases. Unfortunately, this logic is ahistorical and apolitical while privileging pathological individualism, capitalistic consumerism, and prevalent diets within the United States. This reasoning fails to recognize diet construction across time by ideologies, policies, and practices. Such an outlook misses the reality that many people cannot escape the grip of the modern, pervasive, ultra-processed food system.

Several Native American populations find themselves plagued with high rates of diet-related diseases. Standard mantra shoulders these communities with their plight, often framing the discourse as personal responsibility …

Utilization Of The Social Determinants Of Mental Health Framework With Older Adults For Assessment, Case Conceptualization, And Treatment Planning, Janelle L. Jones, Julia Lancaster, Lauren Robins, Wendy K. Killam, Matthew L. Nice, Bisola Duyile

Adultspan Journal

This conceptual paper will aid counselors and mental health professionals in obtaining insight to utilizing a Social Determinants of Mental Health Framework with older adult clients. Further, the article incorporates the Multicultural and Social Justice Counseling Competencies to further contextualize the therapeutic alliance. The authors utilize the Social Determinants of Mental Health Framework to frame counseling assessment, case conceptualization, and treatment planning to improve the mental health outcomes of older adults. The article utilizes a specific case example to assess, conceptualize, and plan treatment for an older adult client contextualized in their environment.

Biodiversity Of Philippine Marine Fishes: A Dna Barcode Reference Library Based On Voucher Specimens, Katherine E. Bemis, Matthew G. Girard, Mudjekeewis D. Santos, Kent E. Carpenter, Jonathan R. Deeds, Diane E. Pitassy, Nicko Amor L. Flores, Elizabeth S. Hunter, Amy C. Driskell, Kenneth S. Macdonald Iii, Lee A. Weigt, Jeffrey T. Williams

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

Accurate identification of fishes is essential for understanding their biology and to ensure food safety for consumers. DNA barcoding is an important tool because it can verify identifications of both whole and processed fishes that have had key morphological characters removed (e.g., filets, fish meal); however, DNA reference libraries are incomplete, and public repositories for sequence data contain incorrectly identified sequences. During a nine-year sampling program in the Philippines, a global biodiversity hotspot for marine fishes, we developed a verified reference library of cytochrome c oxidase subunit I (COI) sequences for 2,525 specimens representing 984 species. Specimens were primarily purchased …

Bouncing Back: Resilience And Its Limits In Late-Age Composing, Louise Wetherbee Phelps

English Faculty Publications

This essay is one of a series on my mother’s late-age composing, studying a writing project she started at age 70 and worked on for more than 25 years. Her intention was to integrate extensive reading, personal experience, and cultural observations to explain changes in parenting (and, by extension, education and enculturation of the next generation) from her childhood in the 1920s through the 2000s. When she died at 97, she left behind a 75-page draft, but was unable to complete her plans for revisions and an ending. I focus here on identifying the multiple factors in the ecology of …

Quantifying Antarctic Krill Connectivity Across The West Antarctic Peninsula And Its Role In Large-Scale Pygoscelis Penguin Population Dynamics, Katherine L. Gallagher, Michael S. Dinniman, Heather J. Lynch

CCPO Publications

Antarctic krill (Euphausia superba) are considered a keystone species for higher trophic level predators along the West Antarctic Peninsula (WAP) during the austral summer. The connectivity of krill may play a critical role in predator biogeography, especially for central-place foragers such as the Pygoscelis spp. penguins that breed along the WAP during the austral summer. Antarctic krill are also heavily fished commercially; therefore, understanding population connectivity of krill is critical to effective management. Here, we used a physical ocean model to examine adult krill connectivity in this region using simulated krill with realistic diel vertical migration behaviors across …

Evaluation Of Wic Online Ordering During The Covid-19 Pandemic: Evidence From An Oklahoma Grocery Store Chain, Qi Zhang, Junzhou Zhang, Kayoung Park, Chuanyi Tang

Community & Environmental Health Faculty Publications

The COVID-19 pandemic is worsening the disparities in food access in the United States. As consumers have been increasingly using grocery online ordering services to limit their exposure to the COVID-19 virus, participants of federal nutrition assistance programs lack the online benefit redemption option. With the support of the US Department of Agriculture (USDA), retailers are pilot-testing online food benefit ordering in the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC). By combining the Oklahoma WIC administrative data, the online ordering data from a grocery store chain in Oklahoma, and the COVID-19 data in Oklahoma, this study examines …

Of Transcription Factor And Transformation: Elucidating Gene Function In The Common Ice Plant, Mesembryanthemum Crystallinum, Chinenye Lilian Izuegbunam

Dissertations and Theses

Abiotic stresses negatively affect plant growth and development across the globe, which also affect the production of food, feed, biofuel, and fiber to meet the demands of a growing population. Thus, developing novel strategies to increase abiotic stress tolerance in crops is necessary. One of these strategies is exploring transcription factors (TFs) in Crassulacean Acid Metabolism (CAM) plants to improve plant abiotic stress tolerances. Therefore, the first objective of this dissertation determine the abiotic stress tolerance function of a CAM TF, McHB7opt in Arabidopsis. This study found that McHB7opt increased stress-responsive pathways related to seed germination and early seedling development. …

The Role That Diet And Lifestyle Factor Plays In An Increased Risk For Cardiovascular Disease In Asians And Pacific Islanders, Ethan Caragan

Nursing | Student Research Posters

Cardiovascular disease is the leading global cause of mortality, often resulting in heart attacks and strokes due to obstructed blood flow to vital organs. The risk of these events is influenced by dietary choices, smoking, and physical activity. Despite preventative measures, the impact of diet and lifestyle on cardiovascular health varies across ethnic groups. This thesis aims to evaluate how variations in dietary traditions and lifestyle among Asians and Pacific Islanders contribute to increased or decreased cardiovascular disease risks compared to other racial groups. The study focuses on the dietary and lifestyle factors of Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders in …

Perspectives On Care Coordination For Youth With Tbi: Moving Forward To Provide Better Care, Jennifer P. Lundine, Erika Hagen, Susan C. Davies

Counselor Education and Human Services Faculty Publications

BACKGROUND: Care coordination aligns services and optimizes outcomes for children with traumatic brain injury (TBI), yet numerous obstacles can impede effective care coordination following a TBI.

OBJECTIVE: The goal of this work is to identify barriers and facilitators to care coordination from the perspective of individuals who care for young people impacted by TBI.

METHODS: Twenty-one care providers participated in semi-structured interviews to gather their perspectives on systems of care coordination for youth with TBI and potential areas for improvement. Using reflexive thematic analysis, researchers identified key themes across interviews.

RESULTS: Three themes were identified: 1) gaps in knowledge; 2) …