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"We Talk About It At The Dinner Table": Parent Discussions Of Identity And Politics In Diverse Adoptive Families In The United States, Abigail L. Moore Jan 2025

"We Talk About It At The Dinner Table": Parent Discussions Of Identity And Politics In Diverse Adoptive Families In The United States, Abigail L. Moore

Theses and Dissertations--Psychology

Parents discussing identity and politics with their diverse adolescents can be protective against experiences of political stress and negative outcomes (Anderson, 2023). Identity discrepancies between parents and adolescents may complicate these conversations (McCrimmon et al., 2024). However, this research often only focuses on only one identity (e.g., race or gender; Mendez, 2022). Because negative political climates affect multiple identities simultaneously (Kassing et al., 2021), the current study explores political conversations in diverse, adoptive family contexts with varying (un)shared identities. Through reflexive thematic analysis (Braun & Clarke, 2021), 7 major themes were developed. Results suggest that identity discrepancies may underlie a …


Associations Between Queer Parent Family Socialization And Adolescent Outcomes Among Diverse Lgbtq+ Parent Families In The U.S., Nita U. Kulkarni Jan 2025

Associations Between Queer Parent Family Socialization And Adolescent Outcomes Among Diverse Lgbtq+ Parent Families In The U.S., Nita U. Kulkarni

Theses and Dissertations--Psychology

Queer parent family socialization refers to the way LGBTQ+ parents talk with their children about what it means to be queer in society, how to handle discrimination, and ways to have pride in their family’s identity. This construct has been linked with positive well-being outcomes in children, and this study used a strengths-based, mixed- methods framework informed by Minority Stress Theory and intersectionality to examine how queer parent family socialization related to several adolescent well-being outcomes, namely internalizing behaviors, social competence, and adaptive coping. Participants recruited across two projects were 191 queer parents with an adolescent and 114 adolescents with …


Living With Flying Colors: Associations Among Lgbtq+ Identity, Religiosity, Spirituality, Community, And Overall Well-Being Among Lgbtq+ Older Adults, Madison T. Diomede Jan 2025

Living With Flying Colors: Associations Among Lgbtq+ Identity, Religiosity, Spirituality, Community, And Overall Well-Being Among Lgbtq+ Older Adults, Madison T. Diomede

Theses and Dissertations--Psychology

Experiences of discrimination and prejudice place LGBTQ+ individuals in older adulthood (i.e., 55 years old and older) at risk for poor overall well-being. This risk can be especially salient in the Southern and Midwestern U.S., where LGBTQ+ individuals enjoy fewer legal protections than in the Northeast and Western regions of the U.S. In defiance of these odds, LGBTQ+ individuals in older adulthood cultivate overall well-being through psychological-level constructs, like LGBTQ+ identity affirmation, and community-level constructs, LGBTQ+ community connection. Yet, little research has examined these avenues of strength among LGBTQ+ individuals in older adulthood. Guided by Iridescent Life Course Theory and …


Weighted Family History Density Of Substance Use: Influence On Participant Substance Use Onset, Escalation, And Duration, Carleigh A. Litteral Jan 2025

Weighted Family History Density Of Substance Use: Influence On Participant Substance Use Onset, Escalation, And Duration, Carleigh A. Litteral

Theses and Dissertations--Psychology

Substance use disorders impose a staggering toll on the United States (U.S.), straining healthcare systems, destabilizing communities, and profoundly impacting both individuals and families. Approximately one in six Americans aged 12 and older had a past-year substance use disorder in 2022 (Key Substance Use, 2022), and nearly one-third of adults experience a substance use disorder in their lifetime (Wu, 2010), contributing to an economic burden exceeding $400 billion annually (National Drug Threat Assessment, 2011). Family history of substance use disorders is a key predictor of vulnerability, with individuals who have affected relatives being 2–8 times more …


Exploring The Effects Of Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation Of The Right Inferior Frontal Gyrus On Inhibitory Control In Posttraumatic Stress Disorder, Colton Rippey Jan 2025

Exploring The Effects Of Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation Of The Right Inferior Frontal Gyrus On Inhibitory Control In Posttraumatic Stress Disorder, Colton Rippey

Theses and Dissertations--Psychology

Background: The right inferior frontal gyrus (rIFG) is implicated in stop signal reaction time (SSRT) performance – a common measure of inhibitory control – and emotional expression and control. Individuals with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) exhibit poorer stop SSRT performance, which is associated with rIFG hypoactivity. Neuromodulation of the rIFG with transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) can significantly improve inhibitory control and reduce fearful responding to threatening stimuli. Research has yet to test the effects of multifocal tDCS targeting the rIFG on inhibitory control or emotional reactivity in individuals with PTSD.

Methods: The current study aims to examine the impact …


Relationship Between Anticipated Stress And Individuals’ Health-Related Behaviors, Julie Parsons Jan 2025

Relationship Between Anticipated Stress And Individuals’ Health-Related Behaviors, Julie Parsons

Theses and Dissertations--Psychology

Prior work in assessing the relationship between stress and health behaviors has identified the complex and multi-directional nature of these relationships. However, minimal work has assessed the possible relationships between stress anticipation and health behaviors such as diet, physical activity, and sleep outcomes in individuals. This work seeks to address this gap by conducting a daily diary study assessing within-person associations between stress anticipation and health behaviors over the course of a week. We hypothesized that daily stress anticipation would be negatively associated with dietary scores, physical activity engagement reports, sleep quality, and sleep duration while being positively correlated with …


Interparental Conflict And Sibling Relationship Quality In Emerging Adulthood: An Emotional Security Perspective, Courtlyn A. Fields Jan 2025

Interparental Conflict And Sibling Relationship Quality In Emerging Adulthood: An Emotional Security Perspective, Courtlyn A. Fields

Theses and Dissertations--Psychology

Sibling relationships are among the earliest lifelong relationships and have been found to be protective against family dysfunction and positive adjustment outcomes. Yet research on sibling relationships remains limited. The current study aims to expand understanding of sibling relationship quality in emerging adulthood through the application of Emotional Security Theory (EST). EST provides a framework for understanding how adult sibling relationships may be impacted by childhood experiences of destructive interparental conflict. A sample of 1222 undergraduates with siblings completed an online survey. Participants retrospectively reported on interparental conflict and emotional security in childhood, and reported on their current emotion regulation, …


Global Sleep Quality, Emotion Regulation Difficulties, And Ptsd Symptom Severity In Trauma-Exposed College Women, Grace M. Seymour Jan 2025

Global Sleep Quality, Emotion Regulation Difficulties, And Ptsd Symptom Severity In Trauma-Exposed College Women, Grace M. Seymour

Theses and Dissertations--Psychology

Sleep problems are common among college women and may contribute to PTSD symptoms. Those with emotion regulation difficulties may have increased difficulty managing distress worsened by poor sleep, though it is unclear which specific facets of emotion regulation are most relevant. This study examined interactions between sleep quality and facets of emotion regulation difficulties on PTSD symptoms among college women (N = 1,037) using self-report measures: the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), PTSD Checklist for DSM-5 (PCL-5), and Difficulties in Emotion Regulation Scale (DERS-18). Two significant interactions emerged. Sleep disturbance interacted with difficulties engaging in goal-directed behavior (b …


Putative Mechanisms Of Personality Change In Treatment, Hannah Croom Jan 2025

Putative Mechanisms Of Personality Change In Treatment, Hannah Croom

Theses and Dissertations--Psychology

BPD Compass was designed to engage the BPD-relevant traits from the Alternative Model of Personality Disorders in the DSM-5 by targeting putative mechanisms associated with these personality domains: aversive reactivity to engage negative affectivity, attachment insecurity to engage antagonism, and self-efficacy to engage disinhibition. The goal of the present study was to test the associations between putative mechanisms and respective personality traits. We used multilevel structural equation modeling to test if personality domains and putative mechanisms changed in treatment, if changes in putative mechanism were associated with changes in respective personality domain, and if within-person changes in putative mechanisms predicted …


Why Are Women Tired? Examining Sex-Dependent Effects Of Behavioral Rhythms On Perceived Sleepiness, Maricel Schuler Jan 2025

Why Are Women Tired? Examining Sex-Dependent Effects Of Behavioral Rhythms On Perceived Sleepiness, Maricel Schuler

Theses and Dissertations--Psychology

Sleep complaints in women emerge at menarche and coincide with reproductive hormonal fluctuations throughout the monthly menstrual cycle. To our knowledge, we are the first study (N = 44) to utilize a validated algorithm that uses actigraphy-derived light and activity data in a novel approach to estimate circadian phase, referred here as the photobehavioral phase. We hypothesize that women will have earlier photobehavioral phases, larger phase angles, poorer perceived sleep quality, and greater sleepiness compared to men. In addition, we hypothesize that the perimenstrual phase will be associated with poorer sleep within a subsample of women (N = 15). Contrary …


The Effects Of Plx 3397 On Fentanyl Escalation In Male And Female Sprague-Dawley Rats, Jakob Shaykin Jan 2025

The Effects Of Plx 3397 On Fentanyl Escalation In Male And Female Sprague-Dawley Rats, Jakob Shaykin

Theses and Dissertations--Psychology

Purpose: A hallmark characteristic of opioid use disorder (OUD) is a persons’ ‘loss of control’, which leads to the compulsion to seek and obtain opioids, resulting in increased consumption. This phenomenon is known as ‘escalation of drug intake’. Chronic opioid use causes microglial reactivity and subsequent release of proinflammatory cytokines leading to neuroinflammation, weakening one’s executive control over drug taking and ultimately leading to greater use. Previous research in our laboratory has explored heterogeneity of fentanyl intake in extended access (6-hr) sessions and identified distinct endophenotypes of fentanyl intake. Moreover, we have observed a positive correlation between Treml1 expression …


Examining Values In The Treatment Of Borderline Personality Disorder: A Single-Case Experimental Design, Nicole Stumpp Jan 2025

Examining Values In The Treatment Of Borderline Personality Disorder: A Single-Case Experimental Design, Nicole Stumpp

Theses and Dissertations--Psychology

Borderline personality disorder impacts roughly 1.6% of the general population yet only a quarter of people with BPD are able to access treatment. Understanding the mechanisms that promote behavior change in treatment is crucial for improving care for this population. Experiential avoidance has been linked to risky behaviors, a prevalent and debilitating symptom observed in BPD. Values identification may be a fruitful avenue for engaging experiential avoidance in treatment. The goal of the present study is to understand the unique and combined effects of values identification and behavior change skills (i.e., opposite actions, exposure) on experiential avoidance (target), maladaptive behavior …


Randomized Controlled Trial Of A Single-Session Mechanism-Focused Intervention For Suicidal Thoughts And Behaviors, Martina Fruhbauerova Jan 2025

Randomized Controlled Trial Of A Single-Session Mechanism-Focused Intervention For Suicidal Thoughts And Behaviors, Martina Fruhbauerova

Theses and Dissertations--Psychology

Suicide remains a critical public health concern, with increasing rates and millions experiencing suicidal ideation annually. Although evidence-based treatments exist, many are time-intensive, underutilized, and often inaccessible to high-risk individuals, especially those recently discharged from inpatient psychiatric care. Brief, scalable interventions targeting core psychological mechanisms implicated in suicidal thoughts and behaviors (STBs) are needed. This study evaluated a novel Single Session Mechanism-Focused Intervention (SSMFI) designed to reduce hopelessness and negative perceptions of social relatedness among adults hospitalized for STBs. In a randomized controlled trial (N = 38) conducted on two inpatient psychiatric units, participants were assigned to either the SSMFI …


Community Health Worker-Delivered Tobacco Cessation In A Small Rural County, Ellen J. Hahn, Amanda Bucher, Amanda T. Wiggins, Kathy Rademacher, Whitney Beckett, Leeann Taylor, Audrey Darville, Jean Edward Jan 2025

Community Health Worker-Delivered Tobacco Cessation In A Small Rural County, Ellen J. Hahn, Amanda Bucher, Amanda T. Wiggins, Kathy Rademacher, Whitney Beckett, Leeann Taylor, Audrey Darville, Jean Edward

BREATHE Faculty Publications

Purpose: We evaluated a Community Health Worker (CHW)-Tobacco Treatment Specialist (TTS) model for delivering tailored tobacco treatment counseling and support in a rural, low-resourced county.

Methods: This was an exploratory, prospective study of people 18 years or older who used any tobacco product including e-cigarettes or vapes in the past 30 days. The CHW assessed tobacco use, secondhand smoke exposure, and quit history; and collected an expired breath carbon monoxide sample and a brief health history before providing 4–6 in-person or phone-based sessions involving tailored tobacco treatment counseling and support. The CHW connected participants to a prescriber at a federally …


Implementing And Evaluating A Pilot Interprofessional Training Program To Engage Health Care Teams In Cost Of Care Conversations, Jean Edward, Kimberly D. Northrip, Mary Kay Rayens, Julia Costich, Andrea Welker, Rachel O’Farrell, John A. D'Orazio Jan 2025

Implementing And Evaluating A Pilot Interprofessional Training Program To Engage Health Care Teams In Cost Of Care Conversations, Jean Edward, Kimberly D. Northrip, Mary Kay Rayens, Julia Costich, Andrea Welker, Rachel O’Farrell, John A. D'Orazio

Nursing Faculty Publications

Introduction: This study evaluated the impact of Financial and Insurance Navigation Assistance-Training – a pilot interprofessional training program to facilitate cost of care (CoC) conversations and address health-harming social determinants of health in a pediatric hematology–oncology clinic.

Methods: A pre–post study design was used to evaluate the impact of Financial and Insurance Navigation Assistance-Training on an interprofessional health care team's (clinicians, social workers, financial navigator, and legal advocates) knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors related to CoC conversations and screening, referring, and collaborating with interprofessional team members. Data were collected …


Diet Quality Mediates The Relationship Between Chronic Stress And Inflammation In Patients With Metabolic Syndrome, Junghee Kang, Debra K. Moser, Terry A. Lennie, Misook L. Chung, D. Travis Thomas, Martha J. Biddle Jan 2025

Diet Quality Mediates The Relationship Between Chronic Stress And Inflammation In Patients With Metabolic Syndrome, Junghee Kang, Debra K. Moser, Terry A. Lennie, Misook L. Chung, D. Travis Thomas, Martha J. Biddle

Nursing Faculty Publications

Background 

Chronic stress is associated with promotion of inflammation and development of metabolic syndrome, as well as deterioration of diet quality. Inflammation can be modified by changes in dietary intake.

Objective 

The aim of this study was to test the hypothesis that diet quality mediates the relationship of chronic stress with inflammation in patients with metabolic syndrome.

Methods 

Participants with metabolic syndrome (n = 73, 62 ± 12 years old, 71% female) completed questionnaires on chronic stress (Perceived Stress Scale-10) and diet quality (Healthy Eating Index-2020). The Perceived Stress Scale-10 was dichotomized. The Healthy Eating Index-2020 score was used as …


Championing Reproductive And Perinatal Health With The Recovery Community: Improving Access To Healthcare And Health Promotion Resources To Support Recovery, Hartley C. Feld, Alex Elswick, Jeremy Byard, Whitney Beckett, Amanda Fallin-Bennett Jan 2025

Championing Reproductive And Perinatal Health With The Recovery Community: Improving Access To Healthcare And Health Promotion Resources To Support Recovery, Hartley C. Feld, Alex Elswick, Jeremy Byard, Whitney Beckett, Amanda Fallin-Bennett

Nursing Faculty Publications

Peer recovery support services are instrumental in the promotion of long-term recovery primarily by focusing on building the recovery capital of people with substance use disorders. Women may have specific health-related needs that are not generally part of recovery support staff training. Our team co-created a model by training people with lived experience as coaches to promote the health of women with SUD during the critical period of their reproductive years when mortality from overdose risk is high and can be compounded by issues surrounding pregnancy. We explored the outcomes of a small pilot test of this model to promote …


Evaluating Potential Determinants Of Health System Implementation Of A Virtual Oncology Financial And Legal Navigation Intervention To Address Cancer-Related Financial Toxicity, Jean Edward, Haafsah Fariduddin, Mackenzie Caldwell, Lori P Eisele, Joanna Doran, Monica Bryant, John A. D'Orazio, Anne E. Ray, Kimberly D. Northrip Jan 2025

Evaluating Potential Determinants Of Health System Implementation Of A Virtual Oncology Financial And Legal Navigation Intervention To Address Cancer-Related Financial Toxicity, Jean Edward, Haafsah Fariduddin, Mackenzie Caldwell, Lori P Eisele, Joanna Doran, Monica Bryant, John A. D'Orazio, Anne E. Ray, Kimberly D. Northrip

Nursing Faculty Publications

Background

Integration of comprehensive oncology financial and legal navigation (OFLN) programs within health systems are needed to address cancer-related financial toxicity, however, implementation challenges exist.

Objectives

The aim of this study was to assess contextual factors that may influence implementation of a virtual OFLN intervention within a pediatric and adolescent and young adult oncology clinic and to inform necessary modifications to the proposed implementation strategies, pathways, and workflows.

Methods

We conducted 18 key informant interviews with healthcare team members, patients and caregivers. Data collection and analysis were guided by the Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research (CFIR) to provide a structured …


Degree Of Rurality Moderates The Association Of Sedentary Time With Cognitive Function In Rural Patients With Cardiac Diseases And Depressive Symptoms, Chin-Yen Lin, Jia-Rong Wu, Geunyeong Cha, Junghee Kang, Martha J. Biddle, Misook L. Chung, Ashmita Thapa, Mary Kay Rayens, Linda Gibson-Young, Debra K. Moser Jan 2025

Degree Of Rurality Moderates The Association Of Sedentary Time With Cognitive Function In Rural Patients With Cardiac Diseases And Depressive Symptoms, Chin-Yen Lin, Jia-Rong Wu, Geunyeong Cha, Junghee Kang, Martha J. Biddle, Misook L. Chung, Ashmita Thapa, Mary Kay Rayens, Linda Gibson-Young, Debra K. Moser

Nursing Faculty Publications

Background: Prolonged sedentary time has been linked to impaired cognitive outcomes. However, the impact of sedentary time on cognitive function at different degrees of rurality is not yet well understood in patients with cardiac diseases and depressive symptoms.

Purpose: To determine whether degree of rurality moderates the relationship between sedentary time and cognitive function.

Methods: This study includes 135 coronary heart disease or heart failure patients, primarily residing in rural Kentucky, including Appalachian areas, United States. Sedentary time was measured by the average daily sedentary time (in minutes) using accelerometry (ActiGraph). Cognitive function was assessed using the Montreal Cognitive Assessment-Blind. …


Challenges And Lessons Learned While Conducting A Diabetes Prevention Program Among Black Churches During The Covid-19 Pandemic, Erika R. Karle, Destiny Cozart, Bassema Abu Farsakh, Victor Afolayan, Treasure Ebikwo, Maranda Brooks, Lovoria B. Williams Jan 2025

Challenges And Lessons Learned While Conducting A Diabetes Prevention Program Among Black Churches During The Covid-19 Pandemic, Erika R. Karle, Destiny Cozart, Bassema Abu Farsakh, Victor Afolayan, Treasure Ebikwo, Maranda Brooks, Lovoria B. Williams

Nursing Faculty Publications

We share our experiences conducting a 5-year randomized controlled diabetes prevention project among 20 Black churches in central Kentucky during the COVID-19 pandemic and offer strategies to inform future church-based interventions. Researchers have long recognized the potential to reach Black adults in church settings for health promotion interventions and have implemented trials within this socially rich setting. However, there is a dearth of literature that describes the challenges and lessons learned while conducting these trials. We describe the challenges we experienced and the strategies we used to overcome them to successfully conduct the trial. During the study, we maintained detailed …


Hpv Self-Sampling Promotion Among African American (Aa) And Sub-Saharan African (Sai) Immigrant Women: Adaptation And Usability Testing, Adebola Adegboyega, Gia Mudd-Martin, Nancy Schoenberg, Mark Dignan Jan 2025

Hpv Self-Sampling Promotion Among African American (Aa) And Sub-Saharan African (Sai) Immigrant Women: Adaptation And Usability Testing, Adebola Adegboyega, Gia Mudd-Martin, Nancy Schoenberg, Mark Dignan

Nursing Faculty Publications

Background: Cervical cancer (CC) rates have declined nationally but rates remain high in Black women with most cases occurring among unscreened and under-screened women. This paper describes the adaptation, acceptability, and useability of an education intervention, “Health is Wealth: A Cervical Health Intervention”, to promote cervical screening and reduce perceived barriers to CC screening among two subgroups of Black women: African American (AA) and sub-Saharan African immigrant (SAI) women.

Methods: In this paper, we describe the process of adapting the Health is Wealth intervention using the Barrera and Castro adaptation framework. The iterative adaptation process included formative focus groups (n …


Improving Lung Cancer Education And Screening Navigation Skills Among Hbcu Health Trainees: A Pilot Study Of Program Connect, Shanada Monestime, Erika L. Thompson, Monica Wilson, Tamara Mccants, Lovoria B. Williams Jan 2025

Improving Lung Cancer Education And Screening Navigation Skills Among Hbcu Health Trainees: A Pilot Study Of Program Connect, Shanada Monestime, Erika L. Thompson, Monica Wilson, Tamara Mccants, Lovoria B. Williams

Nursing Faculty Publications

Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer death, disproportionately affecting Black communities due to delayed diagnoses and low screening rates. While these disparities persist, few educational interventions aim to equip health professional trainees—particularly those at Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs)—with the knowledge and confidence to address them. Empowering providers early in their training through culturally tailored education may help build a more prepared, equity-focused workforce. The purpose of this project was to evaluate a culturally tailored lung cancer education program, Program CONNECT, for health professional trainees at HBCUs. Program CONNECT was implemented in regions where lung cancer mortality …


Expression Of Dementia Biomarkers In Appalachian And Non-Appalachian Elvo Patients During Thrombectomy, Neha Anil, Christopher J. Mclouth, Hunter S. Hazelwood, Elise Dahlke, Jacqueline A. Frank, Nathan Millson, Mais Al-Kawaz, Jordan P. Harp, Will Cranford, Shivani Pahwa, David Dornbos, Justin F. Fraser, Keith R. Pennypacker Jan 2025

Expression Of Dementia Biomarkers In Appalachian And Non-Appalachian Elvo Patients During Thrombectomy, Neha Anil, Christopher J. Mclouth, Hunter S. Hazelwood, Elise Dahlke, Jacqueline A. Frank, Nathan Millson, Mais Al-Kawaz, Jordan P. Harp, Will Cranford, Shivani Pahwa, David Dornbos, Justin F. Fraser, Keith R. Pennypacker

Biostatistics Faculty Publications

Background/Context: Vascular Cognitive Impairment and Dementia (VCID) affects 25-30% of stroke patients and includes cognitive impairments caused by vascular injury, such as post-stroke dementia. Rehabilitation has the potential to improve the quality of life for patients at risk of developing dementia. However, there is currently no reliable method to identify those at risk of dementia after a stroke. Several biomarkers, including ADRD (Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias) biomarkers (Ab, tau, NfL, and GFAP) and angiogenic factors (VEGF, Flt-1, Tie-2, PIGF, and FGF) have been associated with the development of dementia. Populations in Appalachia experience a higher incidence of stroke and …


A Review Of The Association Between Dietary Intake And Brain Iron Levels In Older Adults: Preliminary Findings And Future Directions., Valentinos Zachariou, Christopher E. Bauer, Colleen A. Pappas, Brian T. Gold Dec 2024

A Review Of The Association Between Dietary Intake And Brain Iron Levels In Older Adults: Preliminary Findings And Future Directions., Valentinos Zachariou, Christopher E. Bauer, Colleen A. Pappas, Brian T. Gold

Behavioral Science Faculty Publications

Background/Objectives: Non-heme iron is essential for critical neuronal functions such as ATP generation, synaptogenesis, neurotransmitter synthesis, and myelin formation. However, as non-heme iron accumulates with age, excessive levels can contribute to oxidative stress, potentially disrupting neuronal integrity and contributing to cognitive decline. Despite growing evidence linking high brain iron with poorer cognitive performance, there are currently no proven methods to reduce brain iron accumulation in aging or to protect cognitive function from iron’s negative effects. Recent studies suggest that nutrition may influence brain iron levels, though the evidence remains limited and mixed. Methods: In this review, we explore recent findings, …


Differential Infiltration Of Key Immune T-Cell Populations Across Malignancies Varying By Immunogenic Potential And The Likelihood Of Response To Immunotherapy., Islam Eljilany, Sam Coleman, Aik Choon Tan, Martin D. Mccarter, John Carpten, Howard Colman, Abdul Rafeh Naqash, Igor Puzanov, Susanne Arnold, Michelle L. Churchman, Daniel Spakowicz, Bodour Salhia, Julian Marin, Shridar Ganesan, Aakrosh Ratan, Craig Shriver, Patrick Hwu, William S. Dalton, George J. Weiner, Jose R. Conejo-Garcia, Paulo Rodriguez, Ahmad A. Tarhini Dec 2024

Differential Infiltration Of Key Immune T-Cell Populations Across Malignancies Varying By Immunogenic Potential And The Likelihood Of Response To Immunotherapy., Islam Eljilany, Sam Coleman, Aik Choon Tan, Martin D. Mccarter, John Carpten, Howard Colman, Abdul Rafeh Naqash, Igor Puzanov, Susanne Arnold, Michelle L. Churchman, Daniel Spakowicz, Bodour Salhia, Julian Marin, Shridar Ganesan, Aakrosh Ratan, Craig Shriver, Patrick Hwu, William S. Dalton, George J. Weiner, Jose R. Conejo-Garcia, Paulo Rodriguez, Ahmad A. Tarhini

Markey Cancer Center Faculty Publications

Background: Solid tumors vary by the immunogenic potential of the tumor microenvironment (TME) and the likelihood of response to immunotherapy. The emerging literature has identified key immune cell populations that significantly impact immune activation or suppression within the TME. This study investigated candidate T-cell populations and their differential infiltration within different tumor types as estimated from mRNA co-expression levels of the corresponding cellular markers.

Methods: We analyzed the mRNA co-expression levels of cellular biomarkers that define stem-like tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs), tissue-resident memory T-cells (TRM), early dysfunctional T-cells, late dysfunctional T-cells, activated-potentially anti-tumor (APA) T-cells and Butyrophilin 3A (BTN3A) isoforms, utilizing …


Population-Based Cross-Sectional Analysis Of Cannabis Use Among Kentucky Adults, 2020– 21, Sydney Shafer, Gunnar Kennedy, W. Jay Christian Dec 2024

Population-Based Cross-Sectional Analysis Of Cannabis Use Among Kentucky Adults, 2020– 21, Sydney Shafer, Gunnar Kennedy, W. Jay Christian

UK CARES Faculty Publications

Purpose We conducted this study to assess cannabis use rates in the state of Kentucky relative to socioeconomic, demographic, and geographic factors, as well as reasons for use and modes of use, before the legal medical marijuana market commences in 2025.

Methods We pooled Kentucky Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) data for 2020–2021 and used weighted responses for all analyses. We estimated current cannabis use (at least once in the past 30 days), and heavy use (at least 20 of the past 30 days) prevalence rates for Appalachian, Delta, and Central geographic regions of Ken- tucky. We tabulated descriptive …


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 A. Groznik, Carrie B. Oser, Madeline Dunfee, Philip A. Kern, Nancy Schoenberg Dec 2024

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 A. Groznik, Carrie B. Oser, Madeline Dunfee, Philip A. Kern, Nancy Schoenberg

UK CARES 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 …


Methanogenesis Kinetics Of Organic Matter Of The Leachate In An Up-Flow Anaerobic Sludge Blanket Reactor, Mohamad Ali Fulazzaky, Ali Yuzir, Tiffany L. Messer, Agus Sofyan Dec 2024

Methanogenesis Kinetics Of Organic Matter Of The Leachate In An Up-Flow Anaerobic Sludge Blanket Reactor, Mohamad Ali Fulazzaky, Ali Yuzir, Tiffany L. Messer, Agus Sofyan

UK CARES Faculty Publications

Understanding the treatment of leachate mediated by the development of anaerobic sludge makes it possible to create an effective design process of biodegradation technology. This study used an up-flow anaerobic sludge blanket (UASB) reactor equipped with a gas–liquid-solid separator to capture CH4 for treating landfill leachate to improve understanding of methanogenesis kinetics of organic matter. The performance of UASB was able to remove 154.75 g/L of chemical oxygen demand (COD) content of the leachate originally anticipated to emit 2.99 L of CH4 production into the atmosphere. The trend in the variation of internal mass transfer (IMT) factor was close to …


Microbial Community Assembly Across Agricultural Soil Mineral Mesocosms Revealed By 16s Rrna Gene Amplicon Sequencing Data, Daniel Lee, Fernanda C C Oliveira, Richard T. Conant, Minjae Kim Dec 2024

Microbial Community Assembly Across Agricultural Soil Mineral Mesocosms Revealed By 16s Rrna Gene Amplicon Sequencing Data, Daniel Lee, Fernanda C C Oliveira, Richard T. Conant, Minjae Kim

UK CARES Faculty Publications

Increasing atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) concentrations are impacting the global climate, resulting in significant interest in soil carbon sequestration as a mitigation strategy. While recognized that mineral-associated organic matter (MAOM) in soils is mainly formed through microbial activity, our understanding of microbial-derived MAOM formation processes remains limited due to the complexity of the soil environment. To gain insights into this issue, we incubated fresh soil samples for 45 days with one of three mineral additions: Sand, Kaolinite+Sand, or Illite+Sand. 16S rRNA V3/V4 gene amplicon sequencing was then conducted on samples using an Illumina NextSeq 20 0 0 flow …


Myosin Xva Isoforms Participate In The Mechanotransduction-Dependent Remodeling Of The Actin Cytoskeleton In Auditory Stereocilia, Ana I. López-Porras, Ava M. Kruse, Mark T. Mcclendon, A. Catalina Vélez-Ortega Dec 2024

Myosin Xva Isoforms Participate In The Mechanotransduction-Dependent Remodeling Of The Actin Cytoskeleton In Auditory Stereocilia, Ana I. López-Porras, Ava M. Kruse, Mark T. Mcclendon, A. Catalina Vélez-Ortega

Neurology Faculty Publications

Auditory hair cells form precise and sensitive staircase-like actin protrusions known as stereocilia. These specialized microvilli detect deflections induced by sound through the activation of mechano-electrical transduction (MET) channels located at their tips. At rest, a small MET channel current results in a constant calcium influx which regulates the morphology of the actin cytoskeleton in the shorter ‘transducing’ stereocilia. However, the molecular mechanisms involved in this novel type of activity-driven plasticity in the stereocilium cytoskeleton are currently unknown. Here, we tested the contribution of myosin XVA (MYO15A) isoforms, given their known roles in the regulation of stereocilia dimensions during hair …