Digital Commons Network^™

From Buckley To Citizens United: Focusing On The Symptom Instead Of The Disease, Whittington C. Wiman

Kentucky Law Journal

No abstract provided.

The Most Dangerous Of All Subversions: Taming The At-Will Employment Doctrine By Statutorily Safeguarding Private Employees' Public Protest Speech, Joshua G. Wolford

Kentucky Law Journal

No abstract provided.

Why Color-Blind Solutions Won't Solve The Racial Wealth Gap: How We Can Overcome The Constitutional Hurdles To Race Conscious Remedies In Addressing The Wealth Gap, Malik Edwards, William A. Darity Jr.

Kentucky Law Journal

No abstract provided.

The Fact-Finders' Dialectic: Beyond Rationalist Optimism And Realist Pessimism, Michael Head

Kentucky Law Journal

No abstract provided.

The Duty To Warn In The Age Of Automation, Alexander B. Lemann

Kentucky Law Journal

No abstract provided.

Performance Of Dried Blood Spot Cards For Serologic Detection Of Hpv16 Antibodies In Oropharyngeal Squamous Cell Carcinoma Patients, Maisha Maliha Rahman, Soma Bose, Li Chen, Jessica L. Burris, Rony Aouad, Susanne M. Arnold, Melvyn Yeoh, Birgitta Michels, Tim Waterboer, Krystle A. Lang Kuhs

Epidemiology and Environmental Health Faculty Publications

Antibodies against the human papillomavirus type 16 (HPV16) E6 oncoprotein are promising biomarkers for the early detection of HPV-driven oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma (HPV+OPSCC). Standard serologic testing is challenging in underserved regions with high HPV+OPSCC incidence. Dried blood spot (DBS) cards offer a low-resource alternative but remain unevaluated for HPV antibody detection. A total of 25 OPSCC patients who provided paired serum (venipuncture) and DBS (finger-prick) samples were recruited from the University of Kentucky. HPV16 antibodies (L1, E1, E2, E4, E6, E7) were measured using multiplex serology, quantified as median fluorescence intensity (MFI) and dichotomized using established cutoffs. Correlation between …

The Neighborhoods Study, Grace C. George, Sarah A. Keller, Erin Abner, Sara Adar, Michael L. Alosco, Liana G. Apostolova, Kelly Bakulski, Lisa L. Barnes, James R. Bateman, Stuart Batterman, Thomas G. Beach, Barbara B. Bendlin, David A. Bennett, Tobey J. Betthauser, James Brewer, William Buckingham, Carmen I. Carrión, Joshua Chodosh, Suzanne Craft, Raina Croff, Anthony Fabio, Sarah Tomaszewski Farias, Eva L. Feldman, Felicia Goldstein, Stephen A. Goutman, Gina Green-Harris, Victor Henderson, Thomas K. Karikari

Epidemiology and Environmental Health Faculty Publications

INTRODUCTION: The Neighborhoods Study (TNS) is a novel investigation of adverse social exposome and brain health leveraging 22 Alzheimer's Disease Research Centers (ADRCs). TNS aims to understand if the adverse social exposures increase Alzheimer's disease and related dementias (ADRD) risk. METHODS: TNS uses innovative methods to determine lifetime addresses of living (n = ≈ 3116) and brain bank cohorts (n = ≈ 8637). Addresses are linked to time-concordant adverse social exposome using the Area Deprivation Index (ADI) and summarized over time. Brain health measures are provided by the National Alzheimer's Coordinating Center. RESULTS: We highlight a general overview and methodology …

When Performance Takes Priority, Matthew D. Whitwer, Joseph H. Hammer, Brenna Gomer, Elahe Vahidi, Sarah A. Wilson

Educational, School, and Counseling Psychology Faculty Publications

Engineering education is at a critical juncture where supporting student mental health is essential for fostering persistence, equity, and the development of a resilient and innovative workforce. Yet, undergraduate engineering students experiencing mental health concerns are often unlikely to seek professional help. To identify factors that account for this gap in treatment, this project administered the Undergraduate Engineering Mental Health Help Seeking Instrument to 1903 engineering undergraduates across five institutions. Correlations and regression were used to examine the links between help-seeking intention and (a) help-seeking mechanisms (e.g., attitude, perceived norm, self-efficacy) and (b) beliefs about seeking help. Students’ personal evaluation …

Fines, Fees, & Felon Disenfranchisement: An Unjust Punishment Barring A Fundamental Right, Molly Crain

Kentucky Law Journal

No abstract provided.

Comparative Legal Rhetoric, Lucy Jewel

Kentucky Law Journal

No abstract provided.

The Conversation Canon, Evan C. Zoldan

Kentucky Law Journal

No abstract provided.

Paying To Punish: How Criminal Legal Debt In Kentucky Extends Beyond The Proportionate Punishment, Morgan King

Kentucky Law Journal

No abstract provided.

Is Truth Truth?, James R. Steiner-Dillon

Kentucky Law Journal

No abstract provided.

Balancing Broad Disclosure And Candid Consideration: Third-Party Consultants And Intra-Agency Exemptions Under The Freedom Of Information Act, Zac Losey

Kentucky Law Journal

No abstract provided.

False Hope: How Kentucky's Unpaid Wage Lien Laws Fail To Protect Our Most Vulnerable Workers, B. Gammon Fain

Kentucky Law Journal

No abstract provided.

Underestimating Fraud, David Kwok

Kentucky Law Journal

No abstract provided.

Open Education As A Tool For Trans And Gender Diverse Inclusion, Stephen Krueger

Library Presentations

There has been little attention given to gender diversity in the open education world so far. But OER and open pedagogy have the potential to be extraordinary tools for supporting trans and gender diverse students: removing cost barriers for a population with extremely high poverty rates, adapting resources to include current and localized information about healthcare and law, and highlighting trans and gender diverse voices. This session will offer an overview of the relationship between open education and gender inclusion. It will also touch on ways in which widespread practices in open education do not serve trans and gender diverse …

Crawling Is More Fun With Friends: Active University Web Archiving Through Cross-Campus Collaboration, Ruth E. Bryan, Andrew Mcdonnell

Library Presentations

Between 2023-2024, staff of the University Archives at the University of Kentucky Libraries Special Collections Research Center (Lexington, Kentucky, United States) reviewed the sustainability of our web archiving program. Preserving our institution’s vast web presence is technologically demanding, requires ongoing specialized expertise, and is underfunded. It is also absolutely necessary: If university archives do not determine how to sustainably acquire, preserve, and provide access to online documents, we will suffer (and already have experienced) significant gaps in our understanding of the university’s actions, events, and decisions. We used Kristin R. Eschenfelder, et al.’s “nine dimensional framework for digital cultural heritage …

Candida Auris Screening, Positivity Trends, And Patient Characteristics At The University Of Kentucky Between 2021 And 2024, Faith Fursman, Natalie Fitzsimmons, Da Nelle Overton, Court Desmond, Kimberly Blanton, Kevin W. Hatton, Rachel Howard, David Olafsson, Sean Mctigue, Nicholas Van Sickels, Derek Forster, Takaaki Kobayashi

Surgery Faculty Publications

We evaluated a targeted Candida auris screening program, which revealed a 0.96% positivity rate. The proportion of community-onset cases increased from 8% to 54% following implementation. No significant differences in demographic or clinical characteristics were observed between patients with colonization and those with infection.

Do Honey Phytochemicals Modulate Forager Aggression And The Gut Microbiome In The Honey Bee (Apis Mellifera L.)?, Wade A. Pike, Jaesylin Stephens, Mariah Donohue, Katsuri Rajandran, Erin D. Tranore, Abdallah Sher, Emily Croteau, Clare C. Rittschof

Biology Faculty Publications

Plant phytochemicals found in nectar impact bee learning and memory and plant pollination success. Especially for generalist pollinators, dietary changes that alter phytochemical consumption could be common sources of behavioral variation. For honey bee (Apis mellifera L.) foragers, a major potential change in phytochemical consumption occurs when individuals switch from collecting nectar from flowers to collecting honey from neighboring colonies, a phenomenon known as honey robbing. In this study we investigated whether phytochemicals dominant in honey compared to nectar act as a short-term trigger of robbing behaviors in honey bee, which include increased aggression. We fed forager honey bees sucrose …

Investigation Of Its-Cvo Technologies, Mallory Brown, Andrew Martin, Valerie Keathley-Helil, Jennifer Walton

Kentucky Transportation Center Research Report

Staff shortages and reduced budgets have made transportation agencies increasingly reliant on intelligent transportation systems (ITS) for commercial motor (CMV) vehicle enforcement activities. Technologies such as license plate readers, US Department of Transportation (USDOT) number readers, weigh-in-motion scales, static scales, and preclearance systems like PrePass and Drivewyze help automate enforcement and free up personnel to focus on inspecting those vehicles most likely to pose compliance and/or safety risks. To document adoption rates of different technologies, researchers surveyed transportation agencies, vendors, and law enforcement agencies. Surveys responses provided useful insights into how jurisdictions are approaching the use of advanced technologies to …

Air Traffic–Collegiate Training Initiative Program Feasibility In Kentucky, Gayle Marks, Bryan Gibson

Kentucky Transportation Center Research Report

Each day, Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) air traffic control specialists (ATCSs) handle over 44,000 flights and oversee 29 million square miles of the United States National Airspace System. However, staffing shortages have grown more acute over the past 10 years, which has led to delayed and cancelled flights, a higher number of close misses over a short period of time, and frustrating air travel experiences. While the FAA has redoubled its efforts to recruit more ATCSs, it has limited training capacity. To expand training options available to prospective ATCSs, the FAA is working with postsecondary educational institutions to expand its …

Antibiotic Treatment Duration For Isolated Methicillin-Susceptible Staphylococcus Aureus Native Tricuspid Valve Endocarditis, Sami El-Dalati, Bennett Collis, Evan Hall, Talal Alnabelsi, Chloe Cao, Meredith Johnson, John Gurley, Luke Strnad, Hassan Reda, Michael Sekela, Armaghan E.Rehman Mansoor, David Olafsson, William Harris, Bobbi Jo Stoner

Surgery Faculty Publications

Background MSSA tricuspid valve infective endocarditis (TVIE) is associated with significant morbidity and there is not consensus surrounding the optimal duration of antibiotic therapy. We report the outcomes of treating MSSA TVIE endocarditis using a multidisciplinary team and cardiovascular infectious diseases consult service. Methods Patients were identified from the multidisciplinary endocarditis team registry in a single-centre retrospective study. Results Between 7 September 2021 and 7 September 2024, 34 patients, including 27 who inject drugs, with isolated native MSSA TVIE were identified. Patients received a median of 28 days (IQR 11–41) of antibiotics and 50% transitioned to oral antibiotics for a …

Health On The Rocks: Geohealth In Kentucky, Rachel L. Washburn

Special Publication--KGS

Geohealth bridges the earth and life sciences, revealing how Kentucky’s unique geology directly shapes public health risks, clinical outcomes, and opportunities for innovation. This factsheet highlights the critical intersections between geologic processes and human health across the Commonwealth—from landslides, floods, and tornadoes to radon, mine drainage, and microbial contamination. It outlines how natural and anthropogenic forces influence respiratory illness, cancer, trauma, and infectious disease, and how bedrock and weather extremes define local exposure pathways. Beyond risk, it also showcases Kentucky’s leadership in developing geoscience-informed health solutions: bioremediation, microbial drug discovery, and geologic-health monitoring networks that strengthen preparedness and resilience. Understanding …

Leveraging Academic Health Departments For Place-Based Disaster Response: Lessons From Helene In Western North Carolina, Danny Scalise Ii, Sarah B. Thach, Ellis V. Matheson

Journal of Appalachian Health

This article examines the role of two Academic Health Departments (AHDs) in Buncombe and Burke Counties, North Carolina in responding to Hurricane Helene in 2024. The partnership between local health departments and the UNC Asheville – UNC Gillings Master of Public Health (MPH) Program fostered a place-based approach to public health. After the hurricane disrupted regional infrastructure, the AHDs integrated students and faculty into recovery efforts. This paper identifies key lessons for strengthening public health preparedness through academic-practice partnerships and highlights the importance of embedding education in local contexts.

Identifying Barriers And Place-Based Solutions To Physical Activity For Older Adults In East Tennessee, Lydia Hoskins, Jodi Southerland

Journal of Appalachian Health

Introduction: Older adults in East Tennessee (TN), the fastest growing demographic, face significant health challenges, with 44% reporting four or more chronic conditions. The state ranks 45th in physical inactivity among older adults, exacerbating chronic disease risks, fall-related injuries, and mental health issues. Urban-rural disparities in East TN further complicate efforts to promote active living, particularly for rural residents.

Purpose: This qualitative study explored socioecological barriers and solutions to increase physical activity (PA).

Methods: In April 2024, two focus group were conducted in East TN, with a total of 11 participants composed of six community partners and five older adults. …

Person-Centered Trauma-Informed Care (Pctic): A Training Needs Assessment For Home And Community-Based Services In West Virginia, Ranjita Misra, A. Brianna Sheppard, Natalie Wilson, Megan C. Govindan, Matthew Myers, Amanda Acord-Vira, Steven Wheeler, Heather Henderson, Christena Ross, Laura Cooper, Rachel A. Goff

Journal of Appalachian Health

Introduction: Person-centered, trauma-informed care (PCTIC) is a combined, holistic service model promoting the well-being and empowerment of trauma survivors.

Purpose: This study examined the PCTIC knowledge, skills, and abilities needed by West Virginia (WV) Medicaid Home and Community-Based Services (HCBS) direct service professionals (DSPs) to serve clients that may have experienced trauma.

Methods: Semi-structured interviews were conducted with diverse stakeholders (n = 32) from 19 organizations that provide HCBS services in all 55 counties. Interviews focused on identifying current training, needs and knowledge gaps, and priority areas for additional PCTIC training. ATLAS.ti software was used to manage and code. Validity …

Radon Environmental Health Literacy Among Health Council Participants In Northeast Tennessee, Kawther Al Ksir, Stacy Stanifer, Hadii M. Mamudu, Megan Quinn, Deborah L. Slawson

Journal of Appalachian Health

Introduction: Radon, a radioactive gas, poses significant health risks, including lung cancer, and is prevalent in indoor environments. Understanding radon testing behavior and Environmental Health Literacy (EHL) is crucial for individuals to take appropriate preventive measures.

Purpose: This study assessed radon-related EHL among Health Council participants in seven Northeast Tennessee (NETN) counties and examined associations between sociodemographic factors and EHL levels. Understanding radon knowledge and behaviors within this influential group is critical, as they often serve as trusted public health advocates.

Methods: A cross-sectional survey was conducted from September – November 2023 among Health Council participants across seven counties in …

Finding Community: A Thematic Analysis Of Resilience During The Pandemic, Myles Kwitny, Quinn Richards, Grace Digirolamo, Shannon Freedman, Sophie Wenzel

Journal of Appalachian Health

Introduction: The Covid-19 pandemic impacted those within rural Appalachian communities, particularly people with marginalized identities.

Purpose: Through interviewing 44 participants from New River Valley, an Appalachian community in Virginia, this study sought to understand how resilience impacted individuals' experiences during the pandemic.

Methods: Participants belonged to one of the following groups: African American, Hispanic, older adults, or people who use drugs. Participants were required to reside in the New River Valley and be older than 18. Each participant was interviewed either in person, by phone, or over video call. Interviews were recorded, transcribed, then thematically analyzed for themes of resilience. …

Irp Commercial Trailer Data Feasibility Study, Brian Howell, Jennifer Walton

Kentucky Transportation Center Research Report

This study evaluates the feasibility for developing and maintaining a comprehensive tractor truck trailer database. The commercial motor vehicle (CMV) community currently lacks a cross-jurisdictional, centralized repository for commercial trailers registered in United States and Canadian jurisdictions. Existing federal databases provide information on interstate commercial motor carriers, vehicles, and drivers but exclude trailers. Similarly, IRP and IFTA do not collect trailer-level data, and trailer data is displayed inconsistently across its customer base. Approximately one fifth of violations in Kentucky during inspections from 2020 to 2022 were attributed to trailers, including worn tires, inadequate brakes or improper registration. The rise of …