Digital Commons Network^™

Congress's Mistaken Ip Power And Our Hybrid Constitutionalism, Barry P. Mcdonald

Kentucky Law Journal

No abstract provided.

A Tale Of Two Landlords, Christopher J. Ryan Jr.

Kentucky Law Journal

No abstract provided.

Impeachment Can Be Based On Non-Criminal Misconduct: Corpus-Linguistic And Historical Evidence, Clark D. Cunningham, Ute Römer-Barron

Kentucky Law Journal

No abstract provided.

Federal Prosecution In The Shadows Of Constitutional Immunity, J. Richard Broughton

Kentucky Law Journal

No abstract provided.

President Biden's Influence On The Use Of Executive Privilege, Mitchel A. Sollenberger, Mark J. Rozell

Kentucky Law Journal

No abstract provided.

Executive Immunity, Corruption, And The Rule Of Law: Death By A Thousand Cuts, Kimberly Breedon

Kentucky Law Journal

No abstract provided.

Somebody's Watching Me: Modern Abusers Use Modern Methods Of Control, Savannah Molyneaux

Kentucky Law Journal

No abstract provided.

Decolonizing The Law Of The U.S. Virgin Islands, Anthony M. Ciolli

Kentucky Law Journal

No abstract provided.

Campus Coverage: How Biden's Title Ix Regulations Threaten Free Speech, Academic Freedom, And University Liability, Alex Drury

Kentucky Law Journal

No abstract provided.

Reaching For Starz: The Negative Impact Of Creating Limitations On Damages In Timely Copyright Claims, Lindley Williams

Kentucky Law Journal

No abstract provided.

Understanding Desired Greater Collaboration Ties, Seong Won Yang, Giuseppe Labianca, James A. Coutinho, Andrew Pilny, Daniel J. Brass, Carlo J. Labianca

Sociology Faculty Publications

Whereas organizational network studies infer employees’ agentic desires through observed network changes, we capture desires to collaborate more closely with co-workers directly through a survey. We argue that formal structures create workflow dependencies between employees as they gather others’ inputs to complete their tasks, and individuals desire to alter their networks to manage those dependencies using the following two main collaborative approaches: (1) collaborating more intensely with existing formal workflow network partners; and (2) engaging in bypassing approaches with specific partners outside of their prescribed formal workflow. We found that employees pursued a tie-strengthening approach with formal partners they already …

Sacbe 1 And Classic Maya Urban Culture, Traci Ardren, Scott R. Hutson, Travis W. Stanton, Patrick Rohrer, Justin P. Lowry

Anthropology Faculty Publications

One of the most significant engineering accomplishments of Maya civilization is Sacbe 1, a raised road connecting the ancient urban centers of Yaxuna and Coba. Using new lidar data in concert with excavation, epigraphic inscriptions, and landscape reconnaissance, we show that settlement and an urban experience emanated westward from Coba along the sacbe. The leaders of Coba - in particular, an ambitious seventh-century queen - used the sacbe to expand the political and cultural influence of their dynasty into the center of the peninsula while securing territory and resources. Gaps in the sacbe, precise delineation of its many curves, and …

Stress-Induced Bandgap Modulation In Semiconductor Quantum Wells, Saurabh Singh, Fuqian Yang

Chemical and Materials Engineering Faculty Publications

Strained semiconductor quantum wells have been an active area of research for more than three decades. However, a major part of the reported literature has shown a core focus on the theoretical and experimental investigations of their energy band structures under different internal and external perturbations, taking strain parameters as the basis and studying their resulting effects on various optoelectrical properties of the strained quantum wells. However, since stress parameters can be measured more easily and with an enhanced level of accuracy compared to strain parameters, developing a stress-based analytical framework offers distinct advantages. This study focuses on the theoretical …

Genetic Modifiers Of Apoe-Ε4-Associated Cognitive Decline, Alex G. Contreras, Skylar Walters, Jaclyn M. Eissman, Derek B. Archer, Alexandra N. Regelson, Alaina Durant, Michelle Clifton, Subhabrata Mukherjee, Michael L. Lee, Seo Eun Choi, Phoebe Scollard, Emily H. Trittschuh, Jesse Mez, William S. Bush, Brian W. Kunkle, Carlos Cruchaga, Adam C. Naj, Katherine A. Gifford, Murat Bilgel, Amanda B. Kuzma, Balebail Ashok Raj, Kristin Fargher, Amanda Smith, Lisa Raudin, Gloria Chaing

Epidemiology and Environmental Health Faculty Publications

The APOE-ε4 allele is the strongest genetic risk factor for late-onset Alzheimer’s disease. However, APOE-ε4 is not deterministic, highlighting the need to identify additional genetic and environmental factors. APOE-ε4 has been linked to accelerated cognitive decline, so we sought to investigate genetic factors that modify APOE-ε4–associated cognitive decline. We conduct cross-ancestry APOE-ε4-stratified and interaction GWAS using harmonized cognitive data from 32,778 participants, including 29,354 non-Hispanic White and 3,424 non-Hispanic Black individuals. Our primary outcome is late-life cognition, measured using harmonized composite scores for memory, executive function, and language, modeled as continuous traits reflecting both normative cognitive aging and disease-related decline. …

Kytc Digital Project Delivery Phase 1 Summary, Rachel Catchings

Kentucky Transportation Center Research Report

The Kentucky Transportation Cabinet (KYTC) launched its Digital Project Delivery (DPD) Initiative in September 2020 with the goal of expanding the use of digitally formatted plan and project information throughout the transportation asset life cycle, from project delivery through asset management. KYTC retained Kentucky Transportation Center (KTC) staff with expertise in construction and design to facilitate DPD implementation. This document summarizes DPD-related efforts undertaken by the Cabinet over the past five years. Key activities completed during this period include a survey of Kentucky Association of Highway Contractors members to document their perspectives on design file usage and preferences, coordinating multiple …

Kentucky Cdl Adjudication Pilot And Compliance Needs Study, Jeeyen Koo, Andrew Martin, Jennifer Walton

Kentucky Transportation Center Research Report

This report examines trends in how Kentucky District Courts have adjudicated charges related to commercial driver’s license (CDL) and commercial motor vehicles (CMVs). Using court data, researchers evaluated historical patterns in charge filing volumes as well as conviction, dismissal, amendment, and diversion rates. Between 2002 and 2024, conviction rates declined and dismissals increased. Convictions peaked in the mid-70% range in the early 2000s, but fell to the mid-50% range by 2024. Speeding and other serious traffic violations — many of which are advanceable offenses — were dismissed or amended at rates that could have substantively affected the integrity of CDL …

Duration And Properties Of The Embedded Phase Of Star Formation In 37 Nearby Galaxies From Phangs-Jwst, Lise Ramambason, Mélanie Chevance, Jaeyeon Kim, Francesco Belfiore, J. M. Diederik Kruijssen, Andrea Romanelli, Amirnezam Amiri, Médéric Boquien, Ryan Chown, Daniel A. Dale, Simthembile Dlamini, Oleg V. Egorov, Ivan Gerasimov, Simon C.O. Glover, Kathryn Grasha, Hamid Hassani, Hwihyun Kim, Kathryn Kreckel, Hannah Koziol, Adam K. Leroy, José Eduardo Méndez-Delgado, Justus Neumann, Lukas Neumann, Hsi An Pan, Debosmita Pathak, Karin Sandstrom, Sumit K. Sarbadhicary, Eva Schinnerer, Jiayi Sun, Jessica Sutter, David A. Thilker, Leonardo Ubeda

Physics and Astronomy Faculty Publications

Light reprocessed by dust grains emitting in the infrared enables the study of the physics at play in dusty embedded regions, where ultraviolet and optical wavelengths are attenuated. Infrared telescopes such as JWST have made it possible to study the earliest feedback phases, when stars are shielded by cocoons of gas and dust. Comprehending this phase is crucial for unravelling the effects of feedback from young stars that leads to their emergence and the dispersal of their host molecular clouds. Here we show that the transition from the embedded to the exposed phase of star formation is short (< 4 Myr) and sometimes almost absent (< 1 Myr) across a sample of 37 nearby star-forming galaxies covering a wide range of morphologies, from massive barred spirals to irregular dwarfs. The short duration of the dust-clearing timescales suggests a predominant role of pre-supernova feedback mechanisms in revealing newborn stars, confirming previous results on smaller samples and allowing, for the first time, a statistical analysis of their dependencies. We find that the timescales associated with mid-infrared emission at 21 μm, tracing a dust-embedded feedback phase, are controlled by a complex interplay between giant molecular cloud properties (masses and velocity dispersions) and galaxy morphology. We report relatively longer durations of the embedded phase of star formation in barred spiral galaxies, while this phase is significantly reduced in low-mass irregular dwarf galaxies. We discuss tentative trends with gas-phase metallicity, which may favor faster cloud dispersal at low metallicities.

From Leaky Pipelines To Watering Cans, Samantha Fladd, Sarah Kurnick, Laura E. Heath-Stout, Nala K. Williams, Sarah Simeonoff, Sasha Buckser, Katelyn J. Bishop, Scott R. Hutson, Jessica Maclellan, Marie Matsuda, Sarah E. Oas, Jocelyne M. Ponce, Bruno Athie Teruel, Jaycee Castro, Breeanna Charolla, Adriana M. De León, Luisa Escobar Galo, Lydia D. Evans, Isabella N. Garcia, Kelsey Hoppes, Elena Lompe

Anthropology Faculty Publications

Despite improvement over the past few decades, particularly for white, cisgender women, intersectional gender-based inequality remains prominent within anthropological archaeology and beyond. Building on critiques of the leaky pipeline metaphor laid out in the introduction to this themed issue, and drawing on Black, Indigenous, and Posthumanist Feminisms, we advocate for a metaphorical shift focused on care, inclusivity, and diversity—that of a garden. The garden metaphor provides a way to express and explore the complex and intertwined ways disciplinary norms, institutions, and individuals structure and shape experiences in archaeology. After reviewing the garden metaphor and summarizing previous suggestions for improving equity …

Single-Cell Transcriptomics Of The Drosophila Ring Gland Identifies The Soxn–Vvl Complex As A Key Regulator Of Juvenile Hormone Biosynthesis, Yuhan Luo, Nan Chen, Yue Gao, Wei Luo, Shanshan Liu, Yang Li, Hanyue Wang, Xiangbin Gao, Jiawei Chen, Haosheng Ye, Kirst King-Jones, Subba Reddy Palli, Sheng Li, Suning Liu

Entomology Faculty Publications

Juvenile hormone (JH) is essential for maintaining juvenile status and promoting reproduction in insects, yet the transcriptional regulation of JH biosynthesis remains poorly understood. Previous transcriptomic studies of the Drosophila ring gland—which is composed of the corpus allatum (CA), prothoracic gland (PG), and corpora cardiaca (CC)—have treated the ring gland as a single tissue. As a result, these approaches lacked the resolution necessary to dissect JH biosynthesis and its regulation in a cell-type-specific manner. To overcome this limitation, we performed single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) of 7,919 cells isolated from the larval ring glands. This analysis resolved distinct transcriptional profiles for …

Gimyb76, A Meja-Inducible R2r3-Type Transcription Factor, Regulates Licochalcone A Biosynthesis In Licorice (Glycyrrhiza Inflata), Yuping Li, Zhigeng Wu, Jixiang Zhu, Jiangyi Zeng, Yongliang Liu, Jihua Wang, Ling Yuan, Ying Wang, Yongqing Li

Plant and Soil Sciences Faculty Publications

Licochalcone A (LCA) is a characteristic compound in licorice Glycyrrhiza inflata and is widely utilized in pharmaceutical and cosmetic industries. However, the biosynthetic pathway and regulatory mechanisms of LCA remain poorly understood. In this study, we first found the accumulation of LCA is induced by methyl jasmonate (MeJA). Given that MYB transcriptional factors are well-documented as key regulators of flavonoid biosynthesis, we identified a total of 147 GiR2R3-MYB genes in G. inflata, which were classified into 28 subgroups. The chromosome distributions, sequence characteristics, gene structures, duplication events and cis-acting elements were also investigated. Through integrated analysis of GiR2R3-MYBs expression patterns …

Post-Translational Control Of Biotic Stress-Related Nicotine Biosynthesis By A Map Kinase Signaling Cascade, Yan Zhou, Yongliang Liu, Ruiqing Lyu, Sanjay Kumar Singh, Xueyi Sui, Xin Hou, Sitakanta Pattanaik, Ling Yuan

Plant and Soil Sciences Faculty Publications

The evolutionarily conserved mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) cascades relay extracellular signals into cells, triggering a variety of cellular responses. We previously revealed NtMPK4 as a positive regulator of nicotine biosynthesis; however, its upstream regulation remains unclear. Here, we characterized a MAPK cascade, comprising NtMEKK1b, NtMPKK2a, and NtMPK4, that promotes nicotine biosynthesis. This signaling module transduces external cues, including jasmonate and pathogen elicitors such as flg22, into post-translational modifications that enhance transcriptional activity and pathway gene expression. NtMPKK2a physically interacts with and phosphorylates NtMPK4 in vivo, confirming its role as an upstream kinase. RNAi-mediated silencing of NtMPKK2a significantly reduced the expression …

Association Of Clinical Severity In Autism Spectrum Disorder With Biomolecules Involved In Lipid Metabolism, Inflammation And Mirnas, Maria Gevezova, Michael Maes, Iliana Pacheva, Nikolay Mehterov, Zdravko Ivanov, Elena Timova, Stefka Spassieva, Erhard Bieberich, Maria Kazakova, Ivan Ivanov, Victoria Sarafian

Markey Cancer Center Faculty Publications

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a heterogeneous neurological condition with an unclear etiology and pathogenesis. In recent years, studies have identified changes in lipid metabolism, inflammation, mitochondrial dysfunction, and mitophagy in patients with ASD. However, the specific interactions between these molecular signatures and their clinical applications in ASD remain largely unexplored. The aim of our study is to search for correlations between changes in gene and miRNA expression and the clinical characteristics of ASD. The investigation included a cohort of children with idiopathic ASD and healthy controls (HC). Diagnosis was established based on ADOS assessment (autism diagnostic observation schedule). Gene …

The American College Of Radiology Diagnostic Fluoroscopy Dose Index Registry Pilot, Steve D. Mann, Donald L. Miller, Grant Fong, Allen R. Goode, Emily L. Marshall, Thomas Nishino, Pavlina Boxx, Liqiang Ren, Celalettin Topbas, Alan H. Schoenfeld, Vivek Singh, Jie Zhang

Radiology Faculty Publications

Background: The ACR Diagnostic Fluoroscopy Dose Index Registry (DIR-Fluoro) is expanding to include diagnostic fluoroscopy. Variations in dose reference points and overhead radiography events may introduce unique challenges for benchmarking. Purpose: To survey the technological status and dosimetric performance of fluoroscopes participating in the DIR-Fluoro pilot project, focusing on longitudinal stability and variability of fluoroscopic dose reporting accuracy across multiple institutions and vendors. Methods: Sixty-six fluoroscopic systems from nine institutions (24 facilities) were surveyed for facility type, fluoroscope type, image receptor type, age, dose reporting capabilities, and other key features. Of these, 56 were evaluable. Semi-annual measurements assessed reference air …

Toward An Emerging Public Health Paradigm, Rod Wallace, Katherine Frels, Maria Itria Ibba, Conrad Lyford, Devin Rose, David Baltensperger, Jan A. Delcour, Steven Greenspan, Alison Lovegrove, Barbara Schneeman, Peter Shewry, Edward Souza, William W. Wilson, Gary W. Yohe, Jim Anderson, George Annor, Jayne Bock, Claudia Carter, Brett Carver, Jianli Chen, Edward C. Deehan, Noah Dewitt, Lisa Diewald, Jason Donovan, Corrine K. Hanson, David Holding, Amir Ibrahim, Mariah Jackson

Animal and Food Sciences Faculty Publications

An emerging paradigm in public health focuses on enhancing nutrition in existing food staples to reduce chronic disease at the population scale, rather than relying on individuals to change their behavior. This paradigm leverages plant and animal breeding, production practices, and processing to enhance nutrition, whereby foods consumed by millions can be improved at low incremental cost. This article supports and operationalizes this paradigm, illustrating the potential to improve diets through a case study that increases the arabinoxylan fiber content of commodity wheat through classical plant breeding (a non-GMO technology). The approach described in this article proposes to link agricultural …

Study Of Clustering Technique And Communication Topologies For Cooperative Control-Based Volt-Var Optimization, Gaurav Yadav, Yuan Liao, Dan M. Ionel

Electrical and Computer Engineering Faculty Publications

Introducing renewable distributed generation (DG) in the power distribution system causes rapid voltage fluctuations due to its intermittency. This intermittency renders conventional voltage regulation devices such as on-load tap changers (OLTCs) and capacitor banks (CBs) inefficient to regulate rapid voltage changes and leads to reduced equipment lifetime and high operation and maintenance costs. Hence, this calls for non-conventional methods to mitigate such voltage fluctuations. This paper presents a cooperative control-based method aimed to optimally control the reactive power of DG inverters to mitigate the voltage deviations by establishing communication among the DG nodes, and between DG and non-DG nodes. This …

Leadership And Creative Placemaking In Central Appalachia: Morehead, Kentucky, Toni C. Hobbs

Theses and Dissertations--Arts Administration

In rural Appalachia, longstanding patterns of extractive economic development, coupled with limited public investment and uneven institutional support, have contributed to persistent economic stagnation and a diminished sense of pride among residents. These conditions reflect deeper structural challenges, including economies shaped by resource extraction and external control. Addressing these conditions is critical to fostering economic growth, promoting cultural heritage, and enhancing overall well-being in the region. By cultivating resilient communities, leaders can create environments in which both the economy and local pride can thrive, contributing to a more prosperous and unified Appalachian region.

This study investigates the organizational and leadership …

The Association Between Personal Particulate Matter Exposures And Cognitive Function Among Stroke Patients, Kentucky, Usa, Nana Afua Ankomah Dei

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

Stroke, a major cause of long-term disability and cognitive problems in the U.S., significantly affects people’s quality of life. Exposure to particulate matter (PM_2.5) may result in systemic inflammation and oxidative stress, which can worsen the cognitive function of post-thrombectomy stroke patients. This project thus assessed the relationship between PM_2.5 exposure and its effect on the cognitive function of post-thrombectomy stroke patients. Fifteen stroke patients (9 non-Appalachian and 6 Appalachian) undergone thrombectomy were recruited. Personal PM_2.5 exposure was measured using wearable sensors for a week during the study period. Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) scores and covariates …

Teachers, Dispositions, And Classroom Management: Social Origins, Professional Development, And The Datafication Of School Discipline, Paul L. Poggemeyer

Theses and Dissertations--Sociology

How do teachers’ social backgrounds and professional orientations shape the disciplinary and relational dimensions of their work? This dissertation takes up that question across three related but self-contained studies in the sociology of education, set in Central School District, a public school district in the southeastern United States. Each study examines a different facet of how teachers establish authority, manage behavior, and exercise care: the social origins of their orientations toward classroom management, the experience of becoming professionally competent in the early career, and the use of digital tools that increasingly govern how school discipline is recorded. Drawing broadly on …

Philsongs: A Study Of Campfire Music Performed At Scouting America’S Philmont Scout Ranch (2014 To 2021), Ellyn Rager

Theses and Dissertations--Music

This dissertation focuses on Philmont Scout Ranch, a national Scouting America high adventure base in New Mexico and the largest youth camp in the world, arguing that music at Philmont serves as a cultural force that fosters an intensive communal bond among staff and campers by blending participatory and presentational music-making practices, while producing and reinforcing memories of Philmont through interpretive performances that negotiate the place’s historical narratives. Using surveys, interviews, and Thomas Turino’s framework of participatory and presentational music-making to interpret the author’s 100 hours of field recordings, this study examines aspects of Philmont’s musical habits between 2014 and …

Elevating Teacher Agency In School Decision-Making Through Trust-Building: Applying Appreciative Inquiry Within A Mixed Methods Action Research Framework, Alison S. Bellamy

University of Kentucky Doctoral Dissertations

This mixed methods action research (MMAR) study examined how Appreciative Inquiry–based professional learning influenced relational trust, teacher voice, and teacher agency in elementary school decision-making within New Hanover County Schools. Grounded in Teacher Agency Theory, Distributed Leadership Theory, and Appreciative Inquiry, the study addressed the gap between teachers’ perceptions of trust and their opportunities to influence school-level decisions. The study was conducted across three mid-quintile elementary schools using a concurrent QUAN–QUAL design. Quantitative data was collected through pre- and post-intervention relational trust surveys. Qualitative data included focus groups, participant reflections, field notes, and collaborative dialogue from two professional learning sessions …