Digital Commons Network^™

Protocol Of A Randomized Trial Of “Pathways,” A Hope Intervention For People Undergoing Treatment For Advanced Lung Cancer, Laurie E. Mclouth, Courtney Blair, Brent J. Shelton, Jennifer S. Cheavens, Vilma Bursac, Jessica L. Burris, Amy H. Peterman, Jessica Mcfarlin, Jerod L. Stapleton, Lynn Andreae, Lauren Corum, Amy Cowley, Susanne M. Arnold

Psychology Faculty Publications

Objective: Advanced cancer and its treatment can disrupt personal goal pursuits and attainment, which can imperil patient quality of life and increase risk for depression. Hope interventions foster the goal-pursuit skills exemplified by high-hope individuals and, based on a pilot trial, are a promising approach to support these patients. The current Phase II trial (NCT06047301) aims to determine the efficacy of a brief, hope intervention, “Pathways,” in improving depression symptoms for people undergoing treatment advanced stage lung cancer with elevated distress. Methods: In this two-arm randomized controlled trial, 234 people undergoing treatment for advanced stage lung cancer are randomized to …

Physical Modeling To Represent Molten-Slag Entrapment Behavior Into Molten-Steel Under Simultaneous Similitude Condition Of Multiple Dimensionless Numbers, Yuichi Tsukaguchi, Sho Nakano

Progress in Scale Modeling, an International Journal

Physical model construction and experiment are essential for scientific investigations of flow phenomena such as high temperature two phase flow of molten metal and inert gas. It has been a common method to construct a physical model with a convenient scale then proceed experiments under similitude condition of one or two dimensionless number(s) of dominant forces to represent. It is an ideal experimental method to satisfy the simultaneous similitude condition of multiple dimensionless numbers concerned with the objective flow phenomena but has been considered difficult or impossible to realize for many years. Contrarily, the concept of the simultaneous similitude of …

Frequent Snoring Is Associated With Higher Odds Of Depression In Us Adults, Nathan A. Farr, Jayani Jayawardhana, Rachel Hogg-Graham, Daniela C. Moga, Sara N. Pasha, Min Woong Sohn

Epidemiology and Environmental Health Faculty Publications

Background and objective Snoring occurs due to intermittent narrowing of the airway during sleep and may indicate more severe pathology, including obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). Evidence of an independent relationship between snoring and depression is mixed. This study sought to estimate the association between self-reported snoring frequency and depression in a sample of US adults. Methods Data from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent to Adult Health), Wave V were analyzed cross-sectionally using inverse probability of treatment weighting (IPTW). Interviews were conducted between March 2016 and November 2018. Marginal potential outcome means and population average treatment effects were estimated for …

Standard Monomials For Positroid Varieties, Ayah Almousa, Shiliang Gao, Daoji Huang

Mathematics Faculty Publications

We give an explicit characterization of the standard monomials for positroid varieties with respect to the Hodge degeneration and give a Gröbner basis. Furthermore, we show that promotion and evacuation biject standard monomials of a positroid variety with those of its cyclic shifts and w₀-reflection, respectively. The connection to promotion allows us to identify standard monomials of a positroid variety with Lam's cyclic Demazure crystal. Using a recurrence on the Hilbert series, we give an inductive formula for the character of cyclic Demazure modules.

Kentucky Traffic Collision Facts 2025 Report, Paul Ross, Eric Green, Tony Fields, Christopher Blackden, Kenneth Agent, Christopher Van Dyke

Kentucky Transportation Center Research Report

No abstract provided.

Analysis Of Traffic Crash Data In Kentucky 2021-2025, Paul Ross, Eric Green, Tony Fields, Christopher Blackden, Christopher Van Dyke

Kentucky Transportation Center Research Report

No abstract provided.

2026 Safety Belt Usage Survey In Kentucky, Erin Lammers-Staats, Derek S. Young, Kenneth R. Agent

Kentucky Transportation Center Research Report

No abstract provided.

Kentucky Transportation Cabinet Secretary’S Office Of Safety ‘Safety Academy’, Gabriel Dadi, Farshid Taherpour, Amanda Casolare

Kentucky Transportation Center Research Report

The Kentucky Transportation Cabinet (KYTC) Safety Academy was developed to provide a structured and practical safety training program that strengthens safety leadership, planning, communication, employee engagement, hazard recognition, and continuous improvement across KYTC operations. The program was refined over the course of multiple discussions with Cabinet representatives to ensure that the content reflected the needs and responsibilities of KYTC personnel. The final Safety Academy consists of six modules: Safety Academy Welcome, Safety Leadership, Safety Planning, Safety Engagement, Hazard Recognition, and Safety Academy Closeout and Evaluation. The modules combine instructional content with discussions, practical examples, group exercises, and KYTC-related scenarios to …

Combining Acute Alcohol Administration With Accelerated Prefrontal Theta Burst Stimulation, Michael J. Wesley, William J. Mcgarrigle, Mark T. Fillmore

Psychology Faculty Publications

Introduction: Acute alcohol intoxication impairs inhibitory control. Intermittent theta-burst stimulation (iTBS) of the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex may alter executive control, but little is known about whether accelerated iTBS can be combined with controlled alcohol administration. Methods: This double-blind, sham-controlled pilot study evaluated feasibility and preliminary behavioral effects of accelerated left prefrontal iTBS during acute alcohol intoxication in healthy young adults (N = 10). Participants completed a Cued Go/No-Go task at baseline and near peak breath alcohol concentration after active or sham iTBS delivered in two bouts separated by 30 min. Results: All participants in the analytic sample completed both stimulation …

Nicotine Self-Administration Suppresses Both Pro- And Anti-Inflammatory Accumbens Cytokines But Does Not Induce Apoptosis In Female Rats, Ashley M. White, Daryl L. Richie, Percell T. Kendrick, Kathleen R. Mcnealy, Robert M. Flight, Hunter N.B. Moseley, Christa L. Corley, Cassandra D. Gipson

Psychology Faculty Publications

Nicotine can alter neuroimmune signaling within the brain reward pathway, and specifically, within the nucleus accumbens (NAc). Despite clinically meaningful sex differences in nicotine use as well as known sex differences in immune system function, no studies have evaluated NAc neuroimmune consequences following nicotine use in females. Thus, the present study evaluated cytokine expression and neuronal apoptosis in the ventral striatum (which encompasses the NAc) in ovary-intact female Long-Evans rats following nicotine or saline self-administration. Circulating cytokine levels were also evaluated in serum. Overall, pro-inflammatory cytokine levels were suppressed within the ventral striatum, with tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNFα) being the …

Tailoring The Unified Protocol For The Treatment Of Burnout, Athena Gândilă, Andrei Rusu, Zselyke Pap, Bogdan T. Tulbure, Delia Vîrgă, Shannon Sauer-Zavala

Psychology Faculty Publications

Burnout persists as an unresolved issue, as the effectiveness of interventions remains a subject of ongoing debate. To address the need for more suitable intervention approaches, this study describes a methodology for adapting the Unified Protocol (UP), an evidence-based cognitive-behavioral intervention, for group-based use to treat burnout. To ensure that the intervention reflected lived experiences, we employed a co-design methodology based on the Experience-Based Co-Design Framework. The sample comprised participants currently experiencing burnout or who had experienced it within the past year (n = 4) and a panel of experts (n = 4) actively working with individuals experiencing burnout. The …

Karst Hydrogeologic Framework And Factors Contributing To Flooding In Burgin, Kentucky, Charles Taylor, Junfeng Zhu, Matthew Carmichael, Hudson J. Koch

KGS Publications and Maps

This report examines the karst hydrogeologic setting and drainage characteristics that are thought to contribute to frequent severe flooding in the city of Burgin in Mercer County, Kentucky. Burgin is located at the eastern end of an approximately 4.5 mi² mapped karst groundwater basin in the Ordovician limestone aquifer system in the Inner Bluegrass karst region. Flooding occurs within a streamless 1.4 mi² dry karst valley where almost all channelized surface runoff has been captured by sinkholes and sinking stream segments and diverted underground by con­duit piracy. The only natural outlet for water exiting from the karst valley and larger …

Systematic Contextual Biases In Segmentnt Potentially Relevant To Other Nucleotide Transformer Models, Mark T.W. Ebbert, Anna Ho, Madeline L. Page, Bram Dutch, Blake K. Byer, Kristen L. Hankins, Hady Sabra, Bernardo Aguzzoli Heberle, Mark E. Wadsworth, Grant A. Fox, Bikram Karki, Caylin Hickey, David W. Fardo, Cody Bumgardner, Yasminka A. Jakubek, Cody J. Steely, Justin B. Miller

Biostatistics Faculty Publications

Recent advances in large language models have extended to genomic applications, yet model robustness relative to context is unclear. Here, we demonstrate two intrinsic biases (input sequence length and nucleotide position) affecting SegmentNT results, a model included with the Nucleotide Transformer that provides nucleotide-level predictions of biological features. We demonstrate that nucleotide position within the input sequence (beginning, middle, or end) alters the nature of SegmentNT’s raw prediction probabilities, which can be standardized to improve prediction consistency. While longer input sequence length improves model performance, diminishing returns suggest a surprisingly small input length of ∼3072 nucleotides might be sufficient for …

Gender Disparities In Sheltered Status And Systemic Drivers Of Homelessness In Johnson City, Tennessee, Preet Patel, Dr. Opal Frye-Clark

Journal of Appalachian Health

The article examines the homelessness crisis in Johnson City, Tennessee, a mid-sized Appalachian city. First, analysis of Point-in-Time (PIT) counts from 2023 to 2025, conducted in 2025, showed persistently high unsheltered rates (35.88% – 47.17%), with men comprising 60 – 65% of the unhoused population. Men experiencing homelessness also had approximately half the odds of being counted as sheltered compared with women, indicating a gender disparity in sheltered status. Second, an interview with an experienced public health practitioner from the Appalachian Region contextualized these findings by identifying systemic drivers, including the regional housing crisis and policy restrictions, and supporting equitable …

Improving Diabetes Self-Management Through A Partnership Between Clinical Providers And Community Educators In Appalachian Communities, Soghra Jarvandi, Lydia Hoskins, Karen Carver, Andrew May

Journal of Appalachian Health

Introduction: The burden of diabetes is an increasing public health challenge, especially in the Appalachian Region.

Purpose: This study assessed the impact of a community-based diabetes education program on glycemic control.

Methods: Health Extension for Diabetes (HED) is a 4-month diabetes education program offered by Extension educators in collaboration with clinical providers. Participants’ data were collected via phone interviews at baseline and after completing the program. Assessments included self-reported HbA1c, socio-demographics, diabetes knowledge, self-efficacy, and self-management behaviors. Data were analyzed by SAS software using paired analyses.

Results: Of the 105 participants in the program, 87 (83%) completed the post-assessment. Among …

School-Centered Tobacco Retailer Exposure And Neighborhood Opportunity Across Urban And Rural Tennessee, Sima Namin Dr, Jacob Black, Jennifer Ferris, Robert E. Heidel Dr

Journal of Appalachian Health

Introduction: Tobacco retailer availability contributes to youth tobacco use, and retailers are concentrated in socioeconomically disadvantaged communities. However, few studies have examined how school-centered retailer exposure intersects with neighborhood opportunity in a predominantly rural Appalachian state.

Purpose: The purpose of this study is to assess the association between neighborhood opportunity and school-centered tobacco retailer exposure across Tennessee (TN), including differences by rurality and Appalachian status.

Methods: We constructed a tract-level, school-centered youth tobacco exposure index for TN using tobacco retailer locations and public and private K-12 school data. The index incorporated retailer proximity, density, and distance-decay accessibility measures. Child Opportunity …

Deaths Of Despair Among Cancer Survivors In Rural/Urban Appalachia (2000-2022), Jason Semprini, Anders Erickson, Nosa Osazuwa-Peters

Journal of Appalachian Health

Introduction: Rising deaths of despair (premature deaths from suicide, overdose, alcohol, and violence) in adults under age 65 persist across the United States, especially in Appalachia. People diagnosed with cancer may face elevated risks of such deaths due to pain, psychosocial distress, and financial hardship.

Purpose: Deaths of despair trends were compared among adults with cancer across Appalachian and non-Appalachian regions, stratified by sex and rurality.

Methods: Analyzing SEER-21 Incidence-Based Mortality data (2000–2022), deaths caused by suicide, cirrhosis of the liver, or accidents (includes overdose) were identified among adults aged 20–64 years. Annual mortality rates per 100,000 total population were …

Disparities In Access To Medicare-Approved Medical Specialists In Rural Kentucky, Logan Hurm, Jacob A. Welch, James Adkins

Journal of Appalachian Health

Introduction: Approximately 20% of the United States population resides in a rural community; however, only 10% of all healthcare resources and physicians are dedicated to these areas. Appalachia, and Kentucky (KY) in particular, have higher populations living in rural areas which leads to a greater number of individuals affected by medical access disparities. As of 2026, 21% of KY’s population is eligible for Medicare, making access to Medicare-accepting specialty physicians crucial for the state’s population.

Purpose: This research aims to quantify healthcare disparities among rural communities in KY through quantification of the potential distance required to travel to access specialty …

Major League Baseball's Major Labor Boondoggle: Rethinking Salary Arbitration, Matthew W. Givens

Kentucky Law Journal

No abstract provided.

The Separation Of Election Contest Powers, Casey Parker-Bell

Kentucky Law Journal

No abstract provided.

Kentucky's Alford Predicament: The Case For Curbing Qualified Guilty Pleas In The Commonwealth, Ben Whatley

Kentucky Law Journal

No abstract provided.

The Right To Have Rights In United States Territories, Anthony M. Ciolli

Kentucky Law Journal

No abstract provided.

Immigration Detainers, Local Law Enforcement, And Constraints On Bureaucratic Discretion: Recent Trends Under The Second Trump Administration, Richard T. Middleton, Sheridan Wigginton

Kentucky Law Journal

No abstract provided.

From Militarization To Military Enforcement: The U.S. Armed Forces And Immigration Control In The Second Trump Administration, Kit Johnson

Kentucky Law Journal

No abstract provided.

Immigration Bridges, Jaclyn Kelley-Widmer

Kentucky Law Journal

No abstract provided.

The Duty To Develop Imperative In Immigration Proceedings, Sabrineh Ardalan, Tiffany J. Lieu

Kentucky Law Journal

No abstract provided.

Deportation After Death By Incarceration: A Right To Redemption, Jennifer Lee Koh, Tin Nguyen

Kentucky Law Journal

No abstract provided.

Table Of Contents For Volume 114, Issue 4, Kentucky Law Journal

Kentucky Law Journal

No abstract provided.

A Sherbert Colored Lens: Apache Stronghold And The Uphill Battle For The Recognition Of A Substantial Burden For Indigenous Plaintiffs, Emma P. Collins

Kentucky Law Journal

No abstract provided.

Enforcement Mechanisms For Supreme Court Ethics Codes: Applying State Models To Scotus, Katherine Nipper

Kentucky Law Journal

No abstract provided.