Digital Commons Network^™

Processes For Identifying Caregivers And Screening For Caregiver And Patient Distress In Community Oncology: Results From Wf-1803cd., Chandylen L. Nightingale, Anna C. Snavely, Laurie E. Mclouth, Emily V. Dressler, Erin E. Kent, Christian S. Adonizio, Suzanne C. Danhauer, Rachel Cannady, Judith O. Hopkins, Heather Kehn, Kathryn E. Weaver, Katherine R. Sterba

Behavioral Science Faculty Publications

BACKGROUND: Despite their vital roles, informal caregivers of adult cancer patients are commonly overlooked in cancer care. This study describes processes for identifying cancer caregivers and processes for distress screening and management among caregivers and patients in the understudied community oncology setting.

METHODS: Supportive care leaders from the National Cancer Institute Community Oncology Research Program practices completed online survey questions regarding caregiver identification, caregiver and patient distress screening, and distress management strategies. We described practice group characteristics and prevalence of study outcomes. Multivariable logistic regression explored associations between practice group characteristics and caregiver identification in the electronic health record (EHR). …

Harmonious Healing: A Review Of Music Therapy, A Humanities-Based Approach To Alzheimer’S Disease Treatment, Rohan K. Desai

Kentucky Undergraduate Journal for the Health Humanities

Alzheimer’s Disease (AD) is a progressive neurodegenerative disease often characterized by memory loss, confusion, and overall cognitive decline. The aging global population has, in recent years, highlighted the fundamental lack of pharmacological treatments for individuals facing an AD diagnosis. In response, a growing body of research has shifted focus to non-pharmacological humanities-based interventions. One such intervention has been music therapy (MT). Music-focused measures have shown great promise as a method of slowing cognitive decline, but mixed results in the literature warrant the need for further investigation. Often, socioeconomic barriers can limit an individual’s access to drug-related treatments, but the affordable …

Impact Of The Communities That Heal Intervention On Buprenorphine-Waivered Practitioners And Buprenorphine Prescribing, Thomas J Stopka, Denise C Babineau, Erin B Gibson, Charles E Knott, Debbie M Cheng, Jennifer Villani, Jonathan M Wai, Derek Blevins, James L David, Dawn A Goddard-Eckrich, Michelle R Lofwall, Richard Massatti, Jolene Defiore-Hyrmer, Michael S Lyons, Laura C Fanucchi, Daniel R Harris, Jeffery Talbert, Lindsey Hammerslag, Devin Oller, Raymond R Balise, Daniel J Feaster, William Soares, Gary A Zarkin, Lashawn Glasgow, Emmanuel Oga, John Mccarthy, Lauren D'Costa, Rouba Chahine

Biostatistics Faculty Publications

IMPORTANCE: Buprenorphine significantly reduces opioid-related overdose mortality. From 2002 to 2022, the Drug Addiction Treatment Act of 2000 (DATA 2000) required qualified practitioners to receive a waiver from the Drug Enforcement Agency to prescribe buprenorphine for treatment of opioid use disorder. During this period, waiver uptake among practitioners was modest; subsequent changes need to be examined.

OBJECTIVE: To determine whether the Communities That HEAL (CTH) intervention increased the rate of practitioners with DATA 2000 waivers and buprenorphine prescribing.

DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS: This prespecified secondary analysis of the HEALing Communities Study, a multisite, 2-arm, parallel, community-level, cluster randomized, open, wait-list-controlled …

Cripping Girlhood On Service Dog Tok, Anastasia Todd

Gender and Women's Studies Faculty Publications

This article explores how disabled girl handlers crip girlhood on service dog tok, the emergent subculture on TikTok comprised of disabled handlers who upload and post videos about their everyday life in partnership with a service dog. Looking at the TikTok accounts and self-representational practices of three disabled girl handlers—Ava of @avaandcheddar, Claire of @rosie.the.sd, and Lexy of @muslimservicedogmom28—this article traces how their videos evince an audio–visual representation of interspecies intimacy, a becoming with, that complicates the familiar story of the disabled girl handler/service dog dyad that one might see or scroll past online—one of rehabilitative exceptionalism, disability disavowal, and …

A Social Media–Delivered Melanoma Prevention Program For Young Women Engaged In Frequent Uv Tanning: Protocol For A Randomized Controlled Trial, Jerod L. Stapleton, Sharon L. Manne, Sherry L. Pagoto, Allison Leip, Kathryn Greene, Joel Hillhouse, Allison S. Merritt, Brent J. Shelton

UK CARES Faculty Publications

Background: Rates of melanoma have increased dramatically in the United States over the past 25 years, and it has become among the most prevalent cancers for young adult women. Intentional skin tanning leads to a pattern of intense and intermittent UV radiation exposure that is associated with increased risk of melanoma. Frequent tanning is most common among young women and is linked to a variety of sociocultural pressures that negatively impact body image and drive appearance control behaviors. Unfortunately, there are no established interventions designed for frequent tanners. This intervention addresses this gap with unique content informed by body image …

Firefighter Health: A Narrative Review Of Occupational Threats And Countermeasures, Drew E. Gonzalez, Sarah N. Lanham, Steven E. Martin, Richard E. Cleveland, Thad E. Wilson, Emily L. Langford, Mark G. Abel

UK CARES Faculty Publications

Structural firefighters are responsible for protecting properties and saving lives during emergency operations. Despite efforts to prepare firefighters for these hazardous occupational demands, the unfortunate reality is that the incidence of health morbidities is increasing within the fire service. Specifically, cardiovascular disease, cancer, and mental health disorders are among the most documented morbidities in firefighters. Pubmed and Google Scholar search engines were used to identify peer-reviewed English language manuscripts that evaluated firefighters’ occupational health threats, allostatic factors associated with their occurrence, and evidence-based strategies to mitigate their impact. This narrative review provides fire departments, practitioners, and researchers with evidence-based practices …

Advancing Universal Id Through Demonstration Of Enabling Technologies, Joseph Crabtree, Andrew Martin, Jeeyen Koo, Brian Beaven

Kentucky Transportation Center Research Report

The purpose of this project was to install, demonstrate, and evaluate two candidate technologies that could be used to achieve “Universal ID” (i.e., having a unique, electronically readable identifier on every commercial motor vehicle in the United States). The two technologies selected for this demonstration represent (1) a potential low-cost near-term solution (simple RFID tags and roadside readers) and (2) a potential future solution that leverages technology that is anticipated to be installed on all future vehicles to support a variety of connected-vehicle (CV) applications. For this demonstration project, both types of roadside reader technology were installed at three existing …

Alzheimer’S Disease And Inflammatory Biomarkers Positively Correlate In Plasma In The Uk-Adrc Cohort, Kate E. Foley, Zachary Winder, Tiffany L. Sudduth, Barbara J. Martin, Peter T. Nelson, Gregory Jicha, Jordan P. Harp, Erica M. Weekman, Donna M. Wilcock

Neurology Faculty Publications

INTRODUCTION: Protein-based plasma assays provide hope for improving accessibility and specificity of molecular diagnostics to diagnose dementia. METHODS: Plasma was obtained from participants (N = 837) in our community-based University of Kentucky Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center cohort. We evaluated six Alzheimer’s disease (AD)- and neurodegeneration-related (Aβ40, Aβ42, Aβ42/40, p- tau181, total tau, and NfLight) and five inflammatory biomarkers (TNF𝛼, IL6, IL8, IL10, and GFAP) using the SIMOA-based protein assay platform. Statistics were performed to assess correlations. RESULTS: Our large cohort reflects previous plasma biomarker findings. Relationships between biomarkers to understand AD–inflammatory biomarker correlations showed significant associations between AD and inflammatory …

The Roles Of Carbonaceous Wastes For Catalysis, Energy, And Environmental Remediation, Chi Huey Ng, Mohd Aizzan Mistoh, Siow Hwa Teo, Andrea Galassi, Hin Taufiq-Yap, Nancy Julius Siambun, Jurry Foo, Coswald Stephen Sipaut, Jeffrey Seay, Jidon Janaun

Chemical and Materials Engineering Faculty Publications

This article reviews recent studies about various generations of the carbon materials for their applications in energy and environmental remediation. The synthesis routes of the carbon materials including the condition parameters, interaction of precursors, dopants and carbon materials, as well as their physical/chemical properties are explicated first. Then, the application and mechanism of metal-free/metal-doped/non-metal-doped carbon materials are discussed in detail. Lastly, this review is ended with a summary and invigorating perspectives on the challenges and future directions at the forefront of the catalysis platform to take a step further for real application.

Concentrations Of Lead And Arsenic In Mother's Milk And Children's Blood In Peruvian Breastfeeding Dyads., Ana Maria Linares, Amanda Thaxton-Wiggins, Jason M Unrine

Nursing Faculty Publications

BACKGROUND: Toxic trace elements could enter human milk through mothers' food consumption, drinking water, air, or incidental soil ingestion, and are of concern to the nursing infant.

RESEARCH AIM: To determine the concentration of toxic trace elements (lead and arsenic) in Peruvian mothers' milk and their association with blood concentrations in their own infants 3-20 months old.

METHOD: This exploratory, cross-sectional study, carried out in Peru, included breastfeeding mother/child dyads (N = 40). Following standardized protocols, biospecimens of human milk and child's blood were collected.

RESULTS: Lead and arsenic concentrations in milk were above the method detection limits in …

A Dyadic Analysis Of Financial Toxicity And Health-Related Quality Of Life Among Bone Marrow Transplant Patients And Their Caregivers., Jean S Edward, Mary Kay Rayens, Laurie E. Mclouth, Lori P Eisele, Joan Scales, Lovoria B. Williams, Gerhard C. Hildebrandt

Nursing Faculty Publications

OBJECTIVE: Relatively few dyad-based studies have evaluated the shared psychosocial and financial toxicity (FT) experiences of hematologic patients and their caregivers, especially those undergoing bone marrow transplantations (BMTs). This study evaluated the association of FT with health-related quality of life (QOL) among BMT patient-caregiver dyads.

METHODS: Survey and electronic health record data were collected between April 2021 and January 2022 from BMT patients and their caregivers pre- (T1) and post-intervention (T2). Thirty-four patient-caregiver dyads completed surveys; all dyads included a patient experiencing elevated T1 FT. The effect of the total FT score (i.e., the combination of psychological response, coping behaviors, …

Feasibility And Clinical Utility Of Reporting Hereditary Cancer Predisposition Pathogenic Variants Identified In Research Germline Sequencing: A Prospective Interventional Study, Megan L. Hutchcraft, Shulin Zhang, Nan Lin, Justine C. Pickarski, Elizabeth Belcher, Sainan Wei, Therese J. Bocklage, Rachel W. Miller, John L. Villano, Michael J. Cavnar, Joseph Kim, Susanne M. Arnold, Frederick R. Ueland, Jill M. Kolesar

Markey Cancer Center Faculty Publications

PURPOSE

Patients with cancer frequently undergo research-grade germline sequencing but clinically actionable results are not routinely disclosed. The objective of this study is to evaluate the feasibility of reporting clinically relevant sec- ondary findings (SF) identified in germline research sequencing using the institutional molecular tumor board (MTB) and the treating oncology physician.

METHODS

This prospective, interventional cohort study enrolled Total Cancer Care par- ticipants with any cancer diagnosis at a single institution. Patients underwent research-grade germline whole-exome sequencing, with bioinformatic anal- ysis in a Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendments–certified laboratory to verify pathogenic/likely pathogenic germline variants (PGVs) in any American College …

Developing A Simple Bioassay For Detection Of Alfalfa Autotoxicity In Field Soils, P. Baisley, K. Cassida, S. Gruss, E. Hill

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

Alfalfa autotoxicity causes yield reductions in alfalfa production by inhibiting plant establishment and decreasing plant productivity. Accurate predictions regarding autotoxic potential of the soil in a given field at a given time are an essential tool for alfalfa growers to make appropriate planting decisions. To address this issue, we are developing a soil bioassay that can be conducted as a mail-in soil test for alfalfa growers through plant diagnostic service laboratories. We hypothesize that we will detect differences in seed germination, emergence, root length, and root morphology between control and autotoxic soils. A preliminary trial testing alfalfa field soils and …

Industry Perspectives, Challenges, And Opportunities To Enhance Alfalfa In Warm Climates, J. H. Bouton

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

Alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.; aka lucerne) acreage is low in comparison to perennial grasses in warm humid regions. This includes the tropics and subtropics, and in the USA, the Southeastern states. The alfalfa seed industry therefore saw few reasons to target sales and marketing in these regions. This overlooked logical opportunities. In this paper, these opportunities are examined for Southeastern USA. The Southeast contains a majority of beef herd, a high percentage of the dairy herd, and millions of acres suitable for conversion to alfalfa. Alfalfa is also now viewed as the best crop to solve problems inherent with …

Evaluation Of Apomictic Megathyrsus Maximus Accessions And Ecotypes To Improve Feed Availability In Western Kenya, David Miano Mwangi, S. W. Mwendia, Joseph G. Mureithi, P. Karimi, Maurice Mudeheri, An Notenbaert, Andres Juan, Tarus David

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

In Kenya, the dairy sub-sector is dominated by smallholder farmers, who keep between 1-10 dairy cows, and produce over 80% of the marketed milk in the country. The sub-sector is characterized by low milk production, long calving intervals and high calf mortality. The main constraint is the lack of year- round quality feeds hence the low lactation yield of 1,400 litres from animals capable of 3,500 - 4,000 litres. The main feed is Napier grass (Cenchrus purpureus) formerly Pennisetum purpureum. However, in the last decade the productivity and reliability of Napier grass has been constrained by the emergence Napier …

Addressing Pedagogical Challenges In Teaching Social Justice Issues: Are We Scared Yet?, Laneshia R. Conner, Rujeko Machinga

Social Work Faculty Publications

While films are popular as teaching tools in social work education, to critique social inequalities, horror films have not been the conventional genre. This teaching note describes the creation and deployment of a course that uses horror films to address social justice issues as part of different critical reflection, which is linked to practice wisdom. The author describes the structure of course, readings, activities, and reflections for expanding the use of this genre and well as limitations. The
use of horror films can be a useful and salient tool to engage students to draw upon social constructions of what it …

Horse Owner Preferences For Equine Veterinary Services, Olivia Gibson

Theses and Dissertations--Agricultural Economics

The decline in the number of equine veterinarians creates significant challenges for the future of equine veterinary medicine. One crucial aspect of this issue is how the financial health of equine veterinary practices might be improved. Examining how horse owners respond to changes in the prices of veterinary services allows practices to determine whether adjusting prices can improve practices’ financial standing. Using an online stated preference survey completed by 4,992 horse owners in the U.S., this study investigates horse owner preferences for equine veterinary services. First, horse owners’ utilization of equine veterinary services and willingness to adapt to the changes …

You Are What You Eat ... And Enter Into Data Fields, Hansa Magee, Nick Bilyk

Research Analytics Summit 2024

No abstract provided.

Finding And Hiring A Research Analyst Unicorn, Hansa Magee, Nick Bilyk

Research Analytics Summit 2024

As more data analytics programs pop up, we see graduates with these degrees and certificates in our applicant pool. However, the analyst that works in higher ed administration is not like a data scientist that looks for biomarkers in genomic data or the programmer that writes in R all day. What are the skills needed for this job? What exactly is this job that we are hiring for? Should managers prioritize applicants with analytics certificates? Or is experience with sponsored projects more important? We (your presenters) don’t have perfect answers but we (the collective conference attendees) can come up with …

Routine Outcome Monitoring In Emotionally Focused Therapy: A Clinical Perspective, Lillian Dunn

Theses and Dissertations--Family Sciences

The field of couple and family therapy has a foundation in systems theory and recognizes the intricate dynamics of relationships. Therapists often navigate complex webs of connection, aiming to enhance communication, foster healthy interaction patterns, and cultivate emotional well-being to strengthen relational bonds. This thesis focuses on the integration of routine outcome monitoring (ROM) within Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT) and aims to shed light on its role in achieving therapeutic goals. ROM tools offer insights into the therapeutic process, facilitating tailored interventions to meet clients' needs. The findings suggest that integrating ROM into EFT benefits therapists and clients, enhancing our …

A Recruited Participant Study Of Pedestrian Infrastructure, Amy Wyman, Hisham Jashami, David S. Hurwitz

Kentucky Transportation Center Presentations

No abstract provided.

A Geometric Model For Syzygies Over 2-Calabi–Yau Tilted Algebras Ii, Ralf Schiffler, Khrystyna Serhiyenko

Mathematics Faculty Publications

In this article, we continue the study of a certain family of 2-Calabi–Yau tilted algebras, called dimer tree algebras. The terminology comes from the fact that these algebras can also be realized as quotients of dimer algebras on a disk. They are defined by a quiver with potential whose dual graph is a tree, and they are generally of wild representation type. Given such an algebra B, we construct a polygon S with a checkerboard pattern in its interior, which defines a category Diag(S). The indecomposable objects of Diag(S) are the 2-diagonals in S, and its morphisms are certain pivoting …

The Role Of Local Knowledge In Climate Change Research, Ryan E. Mccoy

Theses and Dissertations--Philosophy

This dissertation addresses the growing need within climate research for improvements in regional and local climate information. I argue that knowledge gaps in regional climate information constitute a form of climate injustice in which harm largely falls on regions most vulnerable to climate change. Moreover, I show that our current methods for garnering regional climate information fail to provide information on place-specific factors, such as local culture, socio-economic systems, and ecology, which mediate climate change impacts. In order to address these knowledge gaps, as well as provide information necessary for effective mitigation and adaptation, I argue for the inclusion of …

Relationships Between Cognitive And Physical Performance And Readiness In Military Populations, Lina Ochoa

Theses and Dissertations--Rehabilitation Sciences

Military missions and operations expose warfighters to stressful and demanding situations and dynamic environments. These situations and environments require that warfighters have optimal performance in several dimensions of human performance, such as cognitive and physical performance. Military readiness is the potential these military units or personnel have to successfully deploy and sustain assigned operational missions worldwide. Military readiness is essential for increased physical and cognitive performance, ensuring augmented individual and unit effectiveness, lethality, and national security. The primary challenge is understanding and finding ways to measure and assess the cognitive, behavioral, and physical performance effects of complex and challenging environments …

Neuroimmune Response And Neurodegeneration In Adolescent Rats Following Binge Alcohol Exposure, Catherine Van Doorn

Theses and Dissertations--Pharmacy

Studies of adolescent drinking show a distinct prevalence of binge drinking, including at extreme levels, and this type of drinking has been identified as increasing risk of developing an Alcohol Use Disorder (AUD). Additionally, females suffer greater levels of harm from binge drinking and AUD and in an abbreviated timeline compared to males. Neuroimmune reactivity, specifically with microglial reactivity following binge drinking, may influence the sex differences seen in negative alcohol-related health disparities.

The first set of experiments sought to examine a marker of microglial reactivity, TSPO, in adolescent females and males and found the sexes displayed different temporal and …

A Case Study In Program Evaluation, Alyssa Osborne

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

As a result of a Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus (MRSA) outbreak at a local high school, the Lexington Fayette County Health Department (LFCHD) has been tasked with developing a program to ensure timely reporting of actions taken in the event of a MRSA outbreak or disease outbreak of similar nature (1). This program evaluation is guided by the CDC’s 6-step program evaluation framework (2), which was used to inform this assessment.

Evaluation Of Public Radon Messaging In Kentucky As Compared To Three Other States, Abigail Knapp

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

Radon poses a large health risk to those exposed to it, as it is an invisible, odorless, carcinogenic gas. Kentucky has high ambient levels of radon, but public awareness remains low as tobacco has been publicized as the main cause of lung cancer. As Kentucky has the highest incidence of lung and bronchial cancers in the United States, we aimed to examine the state’s health department radon page to see if it has sufficient information to warn residents about radon and provide resources. We reviewed the current Kentucky public messaging, radon rates, testing rates, and legislation compared to Ohio, Washington, …

Analysis Of Potential Safety Benefits Resulting From Different Automation Levels And Penetration Rates Of Automated Vehicles: A Case Study In The Netherlands, Dimitra Michalaka, Amna Chaudhry, Eleonora Papadimitriou, Joshua Wetmore

Kentucky Transportation Center Presentations

No abstract provided.

Navigating The Road To Safety: The Role Of Automated Enforcement In Metro Phoenix Region, Sushmita Bhandari, Alyssa Ryan, Henrick Haule, Yao-Jan Wu

Kentucky Transportation Center Presentations

No abstract provided.

Effects Of Auditory And Visual Warnings On Improvement Of Bicycle Safety At Signalized Intersections, Ismet Goksad Erdagi, Aleksandar Stevanovic

Kentucky Transportation Center Presentations

No abstract provided.