Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Beyond Telling: A Phenomenology Of Adoptive Parents' Adoption Communication Openness With Early Adolescents, Jane D. Samuel

Theses and Dissertations--Family Sciences

Despite calls for increased Adoption Communication Openness (ACO) within the adoptive family, research indicates that families still struggle to accomplish the recommended elements and levels of openness. What could be holding families back from this key process? Three focus groups comprised of 17 adoptive parents of early adolescents (aged 10-14) who were age 0-2 at the time of placement were thematically coded. This inductive analysis revealed the complexity rooted in being —sometimes successfully and sometimes not—communicatively open. Four key themes emerged painting a vivid and rich picture of: a) the breadth and depth of this experience; b) the work entailed; …

Special Problems In Agricultural Economics, Alexander Ogden Swartz

Theses and Dissertations--Agricultural Economics

According to the USDA Economic Research service, farm-level prices are on the decline. This decline in prices particularly hurts smaller scale operators with many needing to rely on off-farm income in order to ensure they remain in operation. This thesis studies two problems of key interest to the Southeast region and the State of Kentucky by investigating dairy management practices and the environmental benefits of hemp production. As dairy prices have been on the decline and dairy co-ops have tightened their restrictions on somatic cell count (SCC) levels, dairy farmers and farm managers must decide the best course of action …

Economic Impact Of Ethanol Biorefineries In The U.S. Midwest From 2001 To 2015: A Quasi-Experimental Approach, Scott W. Hall

Theses and Dissertations--Agricultural Economics

The objective of this dissertation is to analyze the economic impact of newly operational ethanol biorefineries on rural counties in the U.S. Midwest region for the period 2001 to 2015 using a quasi-experimental approach. Rapid growth in the ethanol industry expanded the number of ethanol plants located in the U.S. Midwest from 54 in 2001 to 173 in 2015. Out of the counties with 119 new ethanol biorefineries, 97 counties met the general treatment criteria defined in this dissertation, but only 56 of those counties qualified for the rural treatment criteria. Counties with ethanol biorefineries that qualified for treatment were …

Reducing Survey Hypothetical Bias Through Revealed Behavior Priming: A Case Of Student Preference For Beef Served By University Dining, Gaby De Nascimento Mandlhate

Theses and Dissertations--Agricultural Economics

Economists are still searching for methods to reduce/eliminate Hypothetical Bias (HB). Different methods have been previously applied some with success and others without. In this study, we aimed to further test the cognitive dissonance approach (CD) through a learning design method to estimate the WTP for five beef attributes: Non-quality, Kentucky Proud, Appalachian, Grass Fed and a mix of 25% Non-quality and 75% Kentucky Proud, using a one and one half bounded model. To test the CD, 881 participants from the University of Kentucky, were randomly assigned to a real/hypothetical market for a battery recycling project at first and afterwards …

Maternal Relationships, Bullying, And Deviance: A Comparison Of Adolescents With And Without Medical Conditions, Kristina M. Hayes

Theses and Dissertations--Family Sciences

The purpose of the current study was to examine and compare the quality of the mother-adolescent relationship, the prevalence of bullying and cyberbullying perpetration and victimization, and the prevalence of externalizing behaviors, as well as the relationship among these constructs, in a clinical and a nonclinical sample of adolescents. It tested a series of hypotheses focused on group differences in the mother-adolescent relationship, peer victimization, and externalizing behaviors (i.e. deviant behaviors and bullying perpetration) for the clinical and nonclinical samples. It also tested the relationships between the mother-adolescent relationship and peer victimization, deviant behaviors, and bullying perpetration, and whether these …

Unsettling Refuge: Syrian Refugees’ Account Of Life In Denmark, Malene H. Jacobsen

Theses and Dissertations--Geography

This doctoral dissertation examines the lived experiences of refuge in Denmark from the perspectives of Syrian refugees. Situated within feminist political geography, it moves beyond examining geopolitics merely from the perspective of the law, the state, and policy makers. Instead, it seeks to grasp the ways in which geopolitics are encountered, experienced, and negotiated on the ground – by the people who are most affected by state policies and practices. It draws on more than ten months of ethnographic fieldwork in Denmark with Syrian refugees, including semi-structured interviews, focus groups, and participant observations, as well as interviews with state and …

Visualizing Barrier Dune Topographic State Space And Inference Of Resilience Properties, Li-Chih Hsu

Theses and Dissertations--Geography

The linkage between barrier island morphologies and dune topographies, vegetation, and biogeomorphic feedbacks, has been examined. The two-fold stability domain (i.e., overwash-resisting and overwash-reinforcing stability domains) model from case studies in a couple of islands along the Georgia Bight and Virginia coast has been proposed to examine the resilience properties in the barrier dune systems. Thus, there is a need to examine geographic variations in the dune topography among and within islands. Meanwhile, previous studies just analyzed and compared dune topographies based on transect-based point elevations or dune crest elevations; therefore, it is necessary to further examine dune topography in …

The Effect Of States Of Emergency On Gubernatorial Approval Ratings, Meghan Steinbeiss

Theses and Dissertations--Political Science

To what extent do unexpected, apolitical events affect governors’ popularity? Individuals’ attitudes towards government are often random, and executives at both the state-level and national-level are held accountable for events that they have little control over. In this study, I seek to understand how these unplanned events affect support for elected officials. Specifically, I examine the effect of the declaration of a State of Emergency on gubernatorial approval. I use an ordinary least squares (OLS) model and data from FEMA as well as the United States Officials Job Approval Ratings dataset to answer such questions. The results indicate that not …

Essays On Price Discrimination And Demand Learning, Benjamin E. Wallace

Theses and Dissertations--Economics

This dissertation consists of three essays examining how and why firms set prices in markets. In particular, this dissertation shows how firms may utilize nonlinear pricing to price discriminate, how firms may experiment with the prices they set to learn about the demand function in the market they serve in later periods and the effects of these pricing strategies on consumer welfare.

In Essay 1, I show how firms in the milk market use nonlinear price schedules -- quantity discounts -- to price discriminate and increase profits. I find that firms have a greater ability to price discriminate on their …

Application Of Boolean Logic To Natural Language Complexity In Political Discourse, Austin Taing

Theses and Dissertations--Computer Science

Press releases serve as a major influence on public opinion of a politician, since they are a primary means of communicating with the public and directing discussion. Thus, the public’s ability to digest them is an important factor for politicians to consider. This study employs several well-studied measures of linguistic complexity and proposes a new one to examine whether politicians change their language to become more or less difficult to parse in different situations. This study uses 27,500 press releases from the US Senate between 2004–2008 and examines election cycles and natural disasters, namely hurricanes, as situations where politicians’ language …

Women Into Advanced Manufacturing: Can Community College Open This Door?, Carissa Bradley Schutzman

Theses and Dissertations--Educational Policy Studies and Evaluation

Women still rarely choose to seek employment in advanced manufacturing. Lack of familiarity with manufacturing jobs and education programs, lack of role models, and too few experiential opportunities contribute to women not choosing manufacturing jobs as well as other jobs traditionally held by men (Reha, Lufkin, & Harrison, 2009; St. Rose & Hill, 2013; Starobin & Laanan, 2008). Nontraditional jobs for women often provide higher wages and more opportunity for advancement than traditional jobs for women. This study is a qualitative thematic narrative analysis of factors that influenced women who chose an advanced manufacturing program at a community college to …

Self-Compassion And Cultural Values: A Cross-Cultural Study Of Self-Compassion Using A Multitrait-Multimethod (Mtmm) Analytical Procedure, Jesus Montero-Marin, Willem Kuyken, Catherine Crane, Jenny Gu, Ruth A. Baer, Aida A. Al-Awamleh, Satoshi Akutsu, Claudio Araya-Véliz, Nima Ghorbani, Zhuo Job Chen, Min-Sun Kim, Michail Mantzios, Danilo N. Rolim Dos Santos, Luiz C. Serramo López, Ahmed A. Teleb, P. J. Watson, Ayano Yamaguchi, Eunjoo Yang, Javier García-Campayo

Psychology Faculty Publications

Self-compassion is natural, trainable and multi-faceted human capacity. To date there has been little research into the role of culture in influencing the conceptual structure of the underlying construct, the relative importance of different facets of self-compassion, nor its relationships to cultural values. This study employed a cross-cultural design, with 4,124 participants from 11 purposively sampled datasets drawn from different countries. We aimed to assess the relevance of positive and negative items when building the self-compassion construct, the convergence among the self-compassion components, and the possible influence of cultural values. Each dataset comprised undergraduate students who completed the “Self-Compassion Scale” …

Intimate Political Economies Of The Andes, Carmen Martínez Novo

Anthropology Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Is Individualism-Collectivism Associated With Self-Control? Evidence From Chinese And U.S. Samples, Jian-Bin Li, Alexander T. Vazsonyi, Kai Dou

Family Sciences Faculty Publications

Self-control plays an important role in human’s daily life. In the recent two decades, scholars have exerted tremendous effort to examine the etiologies of the individual differences in self-control. Among numerous predictors of self-control, the role of culture has been relatively overlooked. In this study, the influences of cultural orientation on self-control were examined based on the collectivism-individualism framework using both self-report and behavioral task to assess self-control. A convenience sample of 542 Chinese and 446 U.S. undergraduates participated in the research. They were invited to fill out self-report questionnaires reporting their levels of attitudinal self-control and individualistic-collectivistic orientation after …

Completion Of An Experiment, Michael J. Imperiale, Ira Blader, Patricia Bradford, Sarah E. F. D'Orazio, W. Paul Duprex, Craig D. Ellermeier, Ana Fernandez-Sesma, Katherine Mcmahon, Aaron Mitchell, Marcela F. Pasetti, Susannah Tringe

Microbiology, Immunology, and Molecular Genetics Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Association Between Spatial Access To Food Outlets, Frequency Of Grocery Shopping, And Objectively-Assessed And Self-Reported Fruit And Vegetable Consumption, Jared T. Mcguirt, Stephanie B. Jilcott Pitts, Alison Gustafson

Dietetics and Human Nutrition Faculty Publications

Because supermarkets are a critical part of the community food environment, the purpose of this paper is to examine the association between accessibility to the supermarket where participants were surveyed, frequency of shopping at the supermarket, and self-reported and objectively-assessed fruit and vegetable consumption. Accessibility was assessed using Geographic Information Systems (GIS) measured distance and multiple versions of the modified Retail Food Environment Index (mRFEI), including a localized road network buffer version. Frequency of shopping was assessed using self-report. The National Cancer Institute Fruit and Vegetable screener was used to calculate daily servings of fruits and vegetables. Skin carotenoids were …

Clinician Identified Barriers To Treatment For Individuals In Appalachia With Opioid Use Disorder Following Release From Prison: A Social Ecological Approach, Amanda M. Bunting, Carrie B. Oser, Michele Staton, Katherine S. Eddens, Hannah K. Knudsen

Sociology Faculty Publications

Background: The non-medical use of opioids has reached epidemic levels nationwide, and rural areas have been particularly affected by increasing rates of overdose mortality as well as increases in the prison population. Individuals with opioid use disorder (OUD) are at increased risk for relapse and overdose upon reentry to the community due to decreased tolerance during incarceration. It is crucial to identify barriers to substance use disorder treatment post-release from prison because treatment can be particularly difficult to access in resource-limited rural Appalachia.

Methods: A social ecological framework was utilized to examine barriers to community-based substance use treatment among individuals …

Patterns Of Authorship In Ecology And Evolution: First, Last, And Corresponding Authorship Vary With Gender And Geography, Charles W. Fox, Josiah P. Ritchey, C. E. Timothy Paine

Entomology Faculty Publications

The position of an author on the byline of a paper affects the inferences readers make about their contributions to the research. We examine gender differences in authorship in the ecology literature using two datasets: submissions to six journals between 2010 and 2015 (regardless of whether they were accepted), and manuscripts published by 151 journals between 2009 and 2015. Women were less likely to be last (i.e., “senior”) authors (averaging ~23% across journals, years, and datasets) and sole authors (~24%), but more likely to be first author (~38%), relative to their overall frequency of authorship (~31%). However, the proportion of …

The Importance Of Mentoring, Julene L. Jones

Library Presentations

No abstract provided.

Meta-Analysis Challenges A Textbook Example Of Status Signalling And Demonstrates Publication Bias, Alfredo Sánchez-Tójar, Shinichi Nakagawa, Moisès Sánchez-Fortún, Dominic A. Martin, Sukanya Ramani, Antje Girndt, Veronika Bókony, Bart Kempenaers, András Liker, David F. Westneat, Terry Burke, Julia Schroeder

Biology Faculty Publications

The status signalling hypothesis aims to explain within-species variation in ornamentation by suggesting that some ornaments signal dominance status. Here, we use multilevel meta-analytic models to challenge the textbook example of this hypothesis, the black bib of male house sparrows (Passer domesticus). We conducted a systematic review, and obtained primary data from published and unpublished studies to test whether dominance rank is positively associated with bib size across studies. Contrary to previous studies, the overall effect size (i.e. meta-analytic mean) was small and uncertain. Furthermore, we found several biases in the literature that further question the support available …

Future And Value: The Library As Strategic Partner, Antje Mays

Library Presentations

Broader economic trends spawn budget pressures for education and libraries, prompting a plethora of studies on the value and relevance of libraries. Numerous reports on economic decline in libraries and studies with mixed pronouncements on the value of libraries have led to a negative self-image within the library profession. Yet libraries' leadership in connecting learners to knowledge is at the heart of producing many of the key skills sorely needed in robust societies and economies. Librarianship has many untapped opportunities for positioning itself as a prominent strategic partner. This paper outlines current research on the economic and societal context for …

Dangerous Liaisons: Brainstorming The 21st Century Academic Liaison, Antje Mays

Library Presentations

Academic liaison roles have seen massive changes over time and grown into an ever-broadening range of duties. What began as subject-focused collection involvement has evolved into a mix of instruction, reference, and various forms of course-embedded services, all while also retaining the earlier focus on subject-specific collection management. This paper outlines current research on academic liaison roles and summarizes the interactive exchanges from the 2018 Charleston Conference Lively Session on academic liaisons presented November 7. Through live polling and discussion, session participants identified key functions and core competencies for liaisons, as well as factors contributing to success or hindrance …

Odontogenic Abscesses In Rhesus Macaques (Macaca Mulatta) Of Cayo Santiago, Hong Li, Wenjing Luo, Anna Feng, Michelle L. Tang, Terry B. Kensler, Elizabeth Maldonado, Octavio A. Gonzalez, Matthew J. Kessler, Paul C. Dechow, Jeffrey L. Ebersole, Qian Wang

Center for Oral Health Research Faculty Publications

Objectives
Odontogenic abscesses are one of the most common dental diseases causing maxillofacial skeletal lesions. They affect the individual's ability to maintain the dental structures necessary to obtain adequate nutrition for survival and reproduction. In this study, the prevalence and pattern of odontogenic abscesses in relation to age, sex, matriline, and living periods were investigated in adult rhesus macaque skeletons of the free-ranging colony on Cayo Santiago, Puerto Rico.

Materials and Methods
The skulls used for this study were from the skeletons of 752 adult rhesus macaques, aged 8–31 years, and born between 1951 and 2000. They came from 66 …

Nominal Gdp Versus Price Level Targeting: An Empirical Evaluation, James S. Fackler, W. Douglas Mcmillin

Institute for the Study of Free Enterprise Working Papers

In response to the ongoing discussion in the literature of the appropriate framework for monetary policy, we compare two of the most frequently discussed alternatives to inflation targeting—targeting either the level of nominal GDP or the price level—within the context of a simple vector autoregressive (VAR) model. Our approach can be considered a constrained-discretion approach. The model is estimated using quarterly data over the period 1979:4-2003:4, a period in which the economy was buffeted by substantial supply and demand shocks. The paths of the federal funds rate, nominal GDP, real GDP, and the price level under nominal GDP and price …

Project Management In Libraries, Jennifer A. Bartlett

Library Faculty and Staff Publications

This issue's "New and Noteworthy" column focuses on several books, journal articles, and websites that will serve as an introduction to project management in library and information organization settings.

Integrating Multiple Genetic Detection Methods To Estimate Population Density Of Social And Territorial Carnivores, Sean M. Murphy, Ben C. Augustine, Jennifer R. Adams, Lisette P. Waits, John J. Cox

Forestry and Natural Resources Faculty Publications

Spatial capture–recapture models can produce unbiased estimates of population density, but sparse detection data often plague studies of social and territorial carnivores. Integrating multiple types of detection data can improve estimation of the spatial scale parameter (σ), activity center locations, and density. Noninvasive genetic sampling is effective for detecting carnivores, but social structure and territoriality could cause differential detectability among population cohorts for different detection methods. Using three observation models, we evaluated the integration of genetic detection data from noninvasive hair and scat sampling of the social and territorial coyote (Canis latrans). Although precision of estimated density was …

Octo- And Nonagenarians' Outlook On Life And Death When Living With An Implantable Cardioverter Defibrillator: A Cross-Sectional Survey, Ingela Thylén, Debra K. Moser, Anna Strömberg

Nursing Faculty Publications

Background: Elderly individuals are increasingly represented among patients with implantable cardioverter defibrillators (ICD), but data describing life with an ICD are scarse among octo- and nonagenarians. Moreover, few studies have reported those elderly patients’ perspective on timly discussions concerning what shock deactivation involves, preferences on battery replacement, and their attitudes about turning off the ICD nearing end-of-life. Consequently, the aim of the study was to describe outlooks on life and death in octo- and nonagenarian ICD-recipients.

Methods: Participants were identified via the Swedish Pacemaker- and ICD-registry, with 229 octo- and nonagenarians (82.0 ± 2.2 years, 12% female) completing the survey …

Using Spectral And Cross-Spectral Analysis To Identify Patterns And Synchrony In Couples' Sexual Desire, Matthew J. Vowels, Kristen P. Mark, Laura M. Vowels, Nathan D. Wood

Kinesiology and Health Promotion Faculty Publications

Sexual desire discrepancy is one of the most frequently reported sexual concerns for individuals and couples and has been shown to be negatively associated with sexual and relationship satisfaction. Sexual desire has increasingly been examined as a state-like construct that ebbs and flows, but little is known about whether there are patterns in the fluctuation of sexual desire. Utilizing spectral and cross-spectral analysis, we transformed 30 days of dyadic daily diary data for perceived levels of sexual desire for a non-clinical sample of 133 couples (266 individuals) into the frequency domain to identify shared periodic state fluctuations in sexual desire. …

Appraisal Of Faculty Personal Papers In American Public University Archives: The Public Records Retention Schedule Versus Cultural And Historical Selection Criteria And The Role Of The Archives In The University, Ruth E. Bryan

Library Presentations

In the United States, university archives are part of the university organizational structure. The archives can be formed strictly of permanent university records or can also include the personal papers of individuals related to the university, most often faculty, but also administrators and students/alumni. In addition, by law, the records produced by American public universities--including many of the personal papers acquired by public university archives--are also public records, which must be appraised using their specific state-mandated records retention schedule.

The main goal of the schedule is to manage the current and non-current records of the organization in order to mitigate …

Can Maternity Benefits Have Long-Term Effects On Childbearing? Evidence From Soviet Russia, Olga Malkova

Economics Faculty Publications

This paper quantifies the effects of Russia’s 1981 expansion in maternity benefits on completed childbearing. The program provided one year of partially paid parental leave and a small cash transfer upon a child’s birth. I exploit the program’s two-stage implementation and find evidence that women had more children as a result of the program. Fertility rates rose immediately by 8.2% over twelve months. The increase in fertility rates not only persisted for the ten-year duration of the program, but it reflected large increases in higher-order births to older women who already had children before the program started.