Digital Commons Network^™

Winterkill Potential Of Alfalfa Under Different Snow Depths, R H. Leep

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

The presence and amount of insulating winter snow cover are key factors in determining the potential of winter injury of alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) In the Midwestern U.S. Four alfalfa varieties of varying fall dormancy ratings were planted in the summers of 1993 and 1994. Snow depths above the crop plots were kept constant at depths of 0, 10, and 20 cm during the subsequent winters with framed mesh covers. Winterkill percentages during the two seasons varied dramatically from 0-100% and were significantly higher for the 0 cm treatment than for 10 or 20 cm treatments. Nitro, a nondormant …

Effect Of Grazing And Soils On The Structure Of Mountain Vegetation Communities, I Alonso

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

The range of life forms of four grassland communities in the Cantabrian mountains (N. Spain) was studied under grazing and when grazing was excluded in relation to soil characteristics. Hemicryptophytes were the most abundant life form in all communities and they increased their number when ungrazed. Diversity was bigger in the communities with shrubs, which presented a more heterogeneous structure. As a whole, grasslands on calcareous soils were more diverse than those on siliceous soils.

Integrating Satellite Images And Species-Based Vegetation Maps To Manage Native Grasslands, M Hall-Beyer, Q.H. J. Gwyn

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

Satellite image mapping of grasslands is problematic when species diversity occurs at a sub-pixel scale. We propose a method, called melody classification, to map ground cover units that group several spectral classes (colours). Melodies are defined as the normalized expected frequencies of each class within the ground cover unit. Starting from an unsupervised classification, an image is created showing the probability of finding each spectral class in the vicinity of each pixel. Each pixel is classified by comparing the melody in its neighbourhood with that of each ground cover unit. Accuracies are greatly enhanced over those of supervised classification. Melody …

Small Island Risks: Research Reflections For Disaster Anthropologists And Climate Ethnographers, Crystal A. Felima

UK CARES Faculty Publications

Disasters and climate-related events, including tropical storms, droughts, coastal erosion, and ocean acidification, threaten small island nations. Given the urgency of reducing disaster risks and the effects of climate change on vulnerable populations, this reflection essay pursues three objectives. First, it highlights the role of anthropology, ethnography, and multi-sited research in exploring disaster impacts, climate crises, and public policy in island communities. It then highlights national planning and inter-regional activities to build awareness of various risk reduction efforts by island nations and multi-governmental organizations. This article concludes with discussion prompts to engage researchers, scholars, students, and practitioners studying and working …

Joint Environmental And Social Benefits From Diversified Agriculture, Laura Vang Rasmussen, Ingo Grass

Earth and Environmental Sciences Faculty Publications

Agricultural simplification continues to expand at the expense of more diverse forms of agriculture. This simplification, for example, in the form of intensively managed monocultures, poses a risk to keeping the world within safe and just Earth system boundaries. Here, we estimated how agricultural diversification simultaneously affects social and environmental outcomes. Drawing from 24 studies in 11 countries across 2655 farms, we show how five diversification strategies focusing on livestock, crops, soils, noncrop plantings, and water conservation benefit social (e.g., human well-being, yields, and food security) and environmental (e.g., biodiversity, ecosystem services, and reduced environmental externalities) outcomes. We found that …

Reducing Vehicle Licensing And Titling Fraud, Mallory Brown, Andrew Martin, Jeeyen Koo, Jennifer Walton

Kentucky Transportation Center Research Report

This study reviews Kentucky’s vehicle licensing and registration program, evaluates methods of motor vehicle title fraud, examines current anti-fraud mechanisms in Kentucky, reports on vehicle titling and anti-fraud efforts in other states, assesses Ohio’s vehicle inspection program, and develops a proposal for a new Kentucky rebuilt title inspection program. Researchers developed the proposal based on historical Kentucky vehicle registration and titling data, a survey of other states, and other information provided by Kentucky’s Division of Motor Vehicle Licensing and other agency partners. Kentucky historical data revealed consistently high numbers of salvage title applications as well as spatial concentration in rebuilt …

Colorectal Cancer Survival Disparities In The Five Regions Of Georgia, Meng-Han Tsai, Daramola N. Cabral, Caitlyn Grunert, Justin X. Moore

Markey Cancer Center Faculty Publications

Background/objective

The objective of this study was to examine 5-year colorectal cancer survival rates. We also determined whether demographics, tumor characteristics, and treatment modality were associated with 5-year CRC survival in the Clayton, West Central, East Central, Southeast, and Northeast Georgia regions because the significant higher CRC mortality rates in these regions in comparison to the overall rates in the State of Georgia.

Methods

We conducted a retrospective cohort analysis using data from the 1975–2016 Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results program aggregated CRC patients to these five regions. Five-year CRC survival was calculated and stratified by the five regions of …

Codariocalyx Gyroides- A New Forage Option For The Humid Tropics, B L. Maass, L H. Franco, G Ramirez, J E. Velásquez

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

The Southeast Asian shrub legume, Codariocalyx gyroides is adapted to acid, low-fertility soils with poor drainage. Data from 19 RIEPT (International Network for Evaluation of Tropical Pastures) trial sites conducted in the American humid and subhumid tropics were used to define the range of adaptation of C. gyroides. The results show that C. gyroides performs better under high rainfall conditions of the humid tropics with hardly any dry season, and it responds to soil fertility (Ca, P). Future research needs are identified. The release of a commercial cultivar in Colombia is being prepared.

Origin Of The World's Collection Of The Tropical Forage Legume Chamaecrista Rotundifolia, B C. Pengelly, B L. Maass, B D. Thomas, J B. Hacker

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

Round leaf cassia (Chamaecrista rotundifolia) cv. Wynn is an important legume in light textured soils in sub-tropical Queensland and forage evaluators in other regions of the tropics frequently wish to include in their evaluation trials this cultivar plus other accessions which represent the variation in the species. Provenance data of a world collection of 130 accessions of round leaf cassia were examined and a core set of 26 accessions selected.

Scaled Datasets Through Leveraging Technology Better Represent Plant Communities Classified Within National Land Cover Database (Nlcd), D. M. Johnston, D. B. Murray, Y. Y. Tsang

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

Technological advances in remote sensing have allowed for access to and application of large- scale datasets of plant communities using cover classification and chlorophyll content measurement with the use of multispectral sensors and vegetation indices. The United States’ primary remote sensing platform Landsat Thematic Mapper is a series of satellites providing 30-meter resolution imagery of the Earth’s surface. Efforts have been made to best utilize Landsat derivative National Land Cover Database (NLCD) datasets and provide spatial resolution commensurate with the needs of plant ecologists and range managers. However, usage of 30-meter spatial resolution imagery and indices does not allow detection …

Predicting Forage Provision Of Grasslands Across Climate Zones By Hyperspectral Measurements, F. A. Männer, J. Muro, J. Ferner, S. Schmidtlein, A. Linstädter

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

The potential of grasslands’ fodder production is a crucial management measure, while its quantification is still laborious and costly. Remote sensing technologies, such as hyperspectral field measurements, enable fast and non-destructive estimation. However, such methods are still limited in transferability to other locations or climatic conditions. With this study, we aim to predict forage nutritive value, quantity, and energy yield from hyperspectral canopy reflections of grasslands across three climate zones. We took hyperspectral measurements with a field spectrometer from grassland canopies in temperate, tropical and semi-arid grasslands, and analyzed corresponding biomass samples for their quantity (BM), metabolizable energy content (ME) …

Grazing Behavior Of The Endemic Lagune Cattle In The Sub-Humid Savannahs Of Benin, E. Sonon, G. G. Alowanou, B. I. Koura, O. J. Makinde, A. B. Gbangboche

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

The indigenous Lagune, a breed tolerant to trypanosomiasis, is an excellent candidate to meet the ongoing environmental changes sustainably. This cattle breed could be kept like small ruminants, tethered in grasslands, or free grazing. A study was conducted to assess the grazing behavior of Lagune cattle under the two grazing systems to identify the best systems for sustainable production and conservation of the breed. For this study, four Lagune cattle farms, 02 under free-roaming and 02 others in the tethered system, were selected in the original belt of the Lagune cattle, the agro-ecological (AEZ) zones of Valley and Pobe. The …

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 …

Mapping Urban Form Into Local Climate Zones For The Continental Us From 1986–2020, Meng Qi, Chunxue Xu, Wenwen Zhang, Matthias Demuzere, Perry Hystad, Tianjun Lu, Peter James, Benjamin Bechtel, Steve Hankey

Earth and Environmental Sciences Faculty Publications

Urbanization has altered land surface properties driving changes in micro-climates. Urban form influences people’s activities, environmental exposures, and health. Developing detailed and unified longitudinal measures of urban form is essential to quantify these relationships. Local Climate Zones [LCZ] are a culturally-neutral urban form classification scheme. To date, longitudinal LCZ maps at large scales (i.e., national, continental, or global) are not available. We developed an approach to map LCZs for the continental US from 1986 to 2020 at 100 m spatial resolution. We developed lightweight contextual random forest models using a hybrid model development pipeline that leveraged crowdsourced and expert labeling …

The Future Of Clovers In Forage Systems And As Cover Crops, J. H. Bouton, John R. Caradus

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

Clovers (Trifolium spp.) are the most widely used genera of legumes in forage systems, although only a limited number of the hundreds of perennial and annual species are commercially available. The number of varieties available within each of the main commercial species can be high and demonstrates past breeding achievements. Success relates to any clover’s ability to persist in mixtures with other forage species, across a range of soil types, management systems, and climates, while providing animal nutrition and biologically fixed nitrogen benefits. Uses range from traditional pasture mixtures with grasses to inclusion in multi-species mixtures, and as cover …

Modelling Leucaena Biomass Under Rainfed Production Systems Of Semiarid Regions, M. J. D. Cândido, J. L. G. Santos, A. C. R. Cavalcante, S. R. Maranhão, M. A. Santos, J. M. Osorio Leyton

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

The climatic variability of semiarid regions is the main source of uncertainties associated with forage and animal production, indicating a need for tools that accurately estimate forage production in order to construct a forage budgeting plan for livestock. This study simulated the biomass of Leucaena (Leucaena leucocephala) using the PHYGROW model in four locations located in Brazilian Semiarid. The work was carried out based on field data collected from 2019 to 2021. After sowing in 2018, leucaena was harvested when it reached 200 cm and to a target residual height of 70 cm. The biomass (fresh matter) was …

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 …

A Combinatory Approach To Understanding The Relationship Between Artificial Intelligence And Financial Labour Markets, Michael Samers, Yujia He

Geography Faculty Publications

This paper provides a critical conceptualization of the relationship between artificial intelligence and financial labour markets in the United States. In doing so, we ask first, what are the characteristics of ‘actually existing AI’ in the financial sector? Second, what are the various ways in which the relationship between AI and its effects on financial labour or employment over approximately the last decade are approached theoretically, conceptually, or methodologically? Third, what are the (spatial) consequences of AI for financial labour markets in the United States? In responding to these questions, we develop a combinatory approach that integrates a ‘financial ecologies’ …

Students Participating As Ambassadors For Research In Kentucky (Spark): A Health Equity Undergraduate Research Training Program, Ariel A. Arthur, Rebecca L. Delacerda Allen, Fidelis Y. Sesenu, Maxwell Groznik, Carrie B. Oser, Justin X. Moore, Jessica R. Thompson, Alexis N. James, Madeline Dunfee, Philip A. Kern, Nancy Schoenberg

Center for Health Equity Transformation Faculty Publications

The Students Participating as Ambassadors for Research in Kentucky (SPARK) program provides novel health equity research training and targeted mentorship for undergraduates, particularly those from groups underrepresented in the biomedical and behavioral research and workforce. SPARK aims to address inadequate diversity in the medical and scientific research fields by providing comprehensive research mentorship and skill-building. Unlike most existing research training programs that are brief, focus on laboratory research, or are limited to graduate students and junior faculty, SPARK delivers a 16-month intensive behavioral and population health science training, equipping students with needed tools to conceptualize, plan, execute, and analyze their …

Crowdsourcing Geospatial Data For Earth And Human Observations: A Review, Xiao Huang, Siqin Wang, Di Yang, Tao Hu, Meixu Chen, Mengxi Zhang, Guiming Zhang, Filip Biljecki, Tianjun Lu, Lei Zou, Connor Y. H. Wu, Yoo Min Park, Xiao Li, Yunzhe Liu, Hongchao Fan, Jessica Mitchell, Zhenlong Li, Alexander Hohl

Earth and Environmental Sciences Faculty Publications

The transformation from authoritative to user-generated data landscapes has garnered considerable attention, notably with the proliferation of crowdsourced geospatial data. Facilitated by advancements in digital technology and high-speed communication, this paradigm shift has democratized data collection, obliterating traditional barriers between data producers and users. While previous literature has compartmentalized this subject into distinct platforms and application domains, this review offers a holistic examination of crowdsourced geospatial data. Employing a narrative review approach due to the interdisciplinary nature of the topic, we investigate both human and Earth observations through crowdsourced initiatives. This review categorizes the diverse applications of these data and …

Multivariate Model Of Road Crashes For Vulnerable Users, Jonathan Agüero-Valverde, Darío Vargas Aguilar

Kentucky Transportation Center Presentations

No abstract provided.

Generating Impact Narratives With Ai, Sean Newell, Charity Elifritz

Research Analytics Summit 2024

Senior academic leaders face mounting pressure to communicate academic impact to various stakeholders, including faculty, students, funding bodies, government agencies, and the media. However, assessing impact extends beyond traditional bibliometrics, encompassing influence on policy, culture, environment, and technology, making it complex to define and measure. Moreover, the interpretation of research impact can vary significantly depending on the perspective. In this discussion, we explore how Elsevier leverages AI to integrate quantitative metrics and qualitative narratives, offering a comprehensive approach to addressing the nuanced challenge of understanding and quantifying research impact. Through real-world examples, we demonstrate the efficacy of this approach and …

The Impact Of Dissolved Organic Matter On Photodegradation Rates, Byproduct Formations, And Degradation Pathways For Two Neonicotinoid Insecticides In Simulated River Waters, Josephus F. Borsuah, Tiffany L. Messer, Daniel D. Snow, Steven D. Comfort, Shannon Bartelt-Hunt

UK CARES Faculty Publications

The influences of dissolved organic matter (DOM) on neonicotinoid photochemical degradation and product formation in natural waters remain unclear, potentially impacting the sustainability of river systems. Therefore, our overall objective was to investigate the photodegradation mechanisms and phototransformation byproducts of two neonicotinoid pesticides, imidacloprid and thiamethoxam, under simulated sunlight at the microcosm scale, to assess the implications of DOM for insecticide degradation in rivers. Direct and indirect photolysis were investigated using twelve water matrices to identify possible reaction pathways with two DOM sources and three quenching agents. Imidacloprid, thiamethoxam, and potential degradants were measured, and reaction pathways identified. The photodegradation …

A 3-Step, Open-Data, Ride-Hailing Ridership Model With Pricing Applications, Richard A. Mucci

Theses and Dissertations--Civil Engineering

Researchers and practitioners studied the effects ride-hailing had in cities before the covid-19 pandemic. Previous research found ride-hailing to produce negative externalities, such as reducing transit ridership and increasing congestion in various cities. Since the pandemic, ride-hailing ridership has nearly recovered to pre-pandemic levels in Chicago. Ride-hailing ridership has grown steadily since the pandemic while a rider’s willingness to share their trip stagnated. Ride-hailing ridership nearly recovering to pre-covid levels in Chicago suggests that transportation planners, and policy makers, will need to continue assessing the impacts ride-hailing trips have in their cities.

Pickup and drop off locations in the Chicago …

Who Can You Count On? Banking While Female: Money, Community, And Self-Help, Leena Haider

Gaines Fellow Senior Theses

This ethnohistorical study explores how women’s creation and participation in financial systems allow them to find the economic prosperity and build community ties which they are entitled to. Because when facts or figures may not appeal to everyone, stories can. This paper is divided into four sections: In the first section, "Contextual Background," I delve into the historical and anthropological context of ROSCAs, exploring their origins, cultural significance, and economic functions across diverse societies in the Global South, before focusing on the diasporic usage of ROSCAs among immigrant communities. The second section, "Portraits of Women from Oral Histories," presents written …

Two Perspectives On Immigrants In The Labor Market: The Immigration Act Of 1990, Shria Holla

Gaines Fellow Senior Theses

When evaluating the impact of immigration, extant economic literature has overwhelmingly focused on natives and men. The widely accepted methodology in the literature usually segments by education and by experience. Segmenting by education has been found to not be viable for immigrants due to immigrant downgrading, and experience is not conducive for women since it is calculated based on age. Through both an empirical analysis and an ethnography, this study takes the initial steps to include existent immigrants and women in the discussion. The economic empirical analysis evaluates the impact of immigration on existent immigrants, a growing portion of the …

Collabnext -A Person-Focused Open Knowledge Graph For Collaborations With Emerging Researchers, Lew Lefton

Research Analytics Summit 2024

CollabNext is being developed as part of the NSF ProtoOKN (Prototype Open Knowledge Network) effort. This project originated as a partnership between Georgia Tech and the Atlanta University Center, and is now being developed jointly by Fisk University, Georgia Tech, Morehouse College, Texas Southern University, and University at Buffalo with support from the NSF TIP Directorate.

Our goal is to develop a knowledge graph based on people, organizations, and research topics. We are adopting an intentional design approach which initially prioritizes HBCUs and emerging researchers in a deliberate effort to counterbalance the Matthew effect, a naturally accumulated advantage of well-resourced …

Analysis Of Factors Associated With The Frequency Of Turning Vehicle-Bicycle Crashes At Signalized Intersections, Faria Raha, Brendan J. Russo, Anthony M. Eschen, Steven R. Gehrke, Edward J. Smaglik

Kentucky Transportation Center Presentations

No abstract provided.

Covid-19 And Access To Healthcare At The Crossing Of Race, Poverty, And Rurality, Shavonnie R. Carthens

Law Faculty Scholarly Articles

Black Americans make up 7.7 percent of the rural population in the United States. During the COVID-19 pandemic many in this population found themselves at a unique intersection of inequity - being Black, poor, and residing in a rural area. Poverty is a known contributor to negative health outcomes and is a risk factor for death from coronavirus infection. The association between race and poverty, when examining infectivity and mortality rates of COVID-19, have disproportionately devastated Black Americans and other minorities. Further, research indicates the presence of a general “rural mortality penalty” wherein rural Black communities have higher death rates …

Multi-Jurisdictional Hazard Mitigation Plan For Landslides For The Big Sandy Area Development District, Kentucky, Matt M. Crawford, Hudson J. Koch, Jason M. Dortch

Contract Reports--KGS

Landslides are a complex geologic hazard that occurs worldwide, impacting lives, infrastructure, and property. The Big Sandy Area Development District, Kentucky incurs high landslide activity impacting several municipalities. This hazard mitigation planning project includes landslide susceptibility and risk assessments for the Big Sandy Area Development District. We based the landslide susceptibility model on statistics of hillslope morphological features such as slope, curvature, roughness, aspect, and elevation. Using a dual machine learning approach, we modeled the probability of landslide occurrence, defined as an area that is occupied, or might be occupied in the future, by a landslide. We also developed the …