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The Appalachian Gap In Preventable Hospitalizations: Are We Seeing Any Progress?, Rachel Hogg-Graham, Juan Lang, Teresa M. Waters

Journal of Appalachian Health

Introduction: Previous studies have documented geographic variation in preventable hospitalizations between rural and urban areas, but much less is known about preventable hospitalization patterns between heterogeneous rural areas. Unique challenges related to access of care and poverty may put the rural Appalachian Region at risk for higher rates of preventable hospitalizations.

Purpose: This study examines whether within-rural differences in Kentucky’s preventable hospitalization rates exist and how these differences may be changing over time.

Methods: Longitudinal and geographic trends in county-level preventable hospitalization rates were examined using Kentucky hospital discharge data from 2016 to 2019. Regression models were run to determine …

Evaluation Of A Faculty Fellows Program In Science Communication, Stacy Stanifer, Beverly Delidow, Kathy Rademacher, Luz Huntington-Moskos, Kelly Kennoy, Amanda Thaxton-Wiggins, Craig Wilmhoff, Ellen J. Hahn

Journal of Appalachian Health

Introduction: Science communication plays a crucial role in tackling pressing regional, national, and global health issues. Effective communication with various audiences is integral to dissemination of science findings.

Purpose: This study evaluates changes in self-efficacy and attitudes toward science communication skills over time and also assesses program outcomes and satisfaction with a Faculty Fellows in Science Communication (FFSC) program among faculty (N = 30) with interest in environmental health science and/or education in Appalachia Kentucky.

Methods: A mixed methods program evaluation was employed using longitudinal data on behaviors, attitudes, and program outcomes from three cohorts of Faculty Fellows who participated …

Impact Of Interprofessional Student Teams At A Remote Area Medical Event In Rural Appalachia, Emily K. Flores, Karilynn Dowling, Caroline Abercrombie Md, Rick L. Wallace

Journal of Appalachian Health

Introduction: Education in interprofessional collaboration is vital to expand healthcare access, especially in areas of higher disparity. To address this need, interprofessional faculty collaborators incorporated undergraduate and graduate health profession students into teams at an annual Remote Area Medical event in rural Appalachia between 2017 and 2020.

Purpose: This article evaluates the impact of an interprofessional student teams model on both patient care experience and students’ interprofessional collaboration attitudes and behaviors.

Methods: Student volunteers completed pre- and post-event surveys containing questions about demographics, open-ended questions, and questions from two instruments: the Student Perceptions of Interprofessional Clinical Education-Revised Instrument, Version 2 …

Scale Model Experiments Of Toxic Gas Production From The Combustion Of Polymers When Applied With Different Droplet Sizes Of Water Mist, Nicharee Thinnakornsutubutr, Masayuki Mizuno, Kazunori Kuwana

Progress in Scale Modeling, an International Journal

This research experimentally investigated the combustion of polymeric materials with water mist application in an enclosure, with an emphasis on the production of toxic gases. Two different diameters, ~100 and ~260 μm, were tested. The experimental conditions were determined based on Froude similarity laws for low drop Reynolds number conditions. Droplets and polymers’ physical and chemical properties influence the burning/extinguishing behavior and toxic-gas evolution. In general, larger droplets can extinguish a fire in a shorter time, and toxic gas concentrations in a test chamber decreased more rapidly. However, the large droplets tended to cause the flame expansion phenomenon for thermoplastics …

Unknown Rectal Lesions: A Case Of Severe Proctitis Secondary To Mpox In The Setting Of Concomitant Hiv, Syphilis, Hsv, And Chlamydia, Nicole Robertson Mph, James Crosby Do, Cynthia R. Young Md, Msc, Anne E. Sayers Md, Nicholas J. Van Sickles Md

ePublications of Emerging Medical Research Scholars

Introduction:

Mpox emerged as a public health crisis with limited research describing co-occurring HIV and sexually transmitted infections (STIs). We present a case of severe proctitis secondary to Mpox with concomitant HIV (Human Immunodeficiency Virus), syphilis, HSV (Herpes Simplex Virus), and chlamydia and review presentation, diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of Mpox with concurrent STIs.

Case Presentation:

34-year-old male living with HIV (LWH) presenting with worsening rectal pain, multiple anal papules, and fever. His laboratory workup revealed simultaneous positive results for orthopoxvirus, chlamydia, and HSV-1 PCR. We initiated tecovirimat due to rectal involvement and uncontrolled pain. He subsequently developed lesions on …

Agricultural Intensification: Have Sown Pastures Damaged The Environment?, John G. Mcivor, C. K. Mcdonald, Neil D. Macleod, Ken C. Hodgkinson

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

Concerns are growing about the impact of agriculture on the environment. Particular concerns have been expressed about the impacts of intensive agriculture (e.g. cropping involving fertiliser, pesticides, limited germplasm, fuels, etc) on biodiversity, and both on-site (e.g. soil health and fertility) and off-site resources (e.g. pesticide contamination). Less intensive agriculture (e.g. sown pastures) can also have undesirable impacts. In the woodlands of eastern Australia sown pasture development has been associated with loss of native vegetation and wildlife habitat, accelerated soil acidification, salinisation and poor tree health (McIntyre et al., 2002). Based on this, there have been calls to restrict …

The Use Of Ecological Indicators In Studies Of Ecological Recovery For Sustainable Management Of Grazed Grassland Ecosystems, G. A. Heshmati

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

Early warning systems that depend on the selection of suitable indicators of thresholds are useful (Friedel, 1991). An ideal indicator should be unbiased, sensitive to changes, predictive, referenced to threshold values, data transformable, integrative and easy to collect and communicate (Liverman et al., 1988). Methods for selection of indicators for assessing ecosystem health are being developed (Pyke et al., 2002). This paper examines the situation in grassland vegetation grazed by sheep in a semi arid region of northeastern Iran.

Effects Of Nitrogen Fertiliser On Nitrate Leaching And Production Of Autumn-Sown Italian Ryegrass In A Double-Cropping System On A New Zealand Dairy Farm, Errol R. Thom, A. A. Judge, R. N. Jensen, M. S. Sprosen, Sterwart F. Ledgard, W. D. Catto

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

On intensive dairy farms in New Zealand, winter Italian ryegrass crops are combined with summer maize silage crops in double-cropping systems. Limited data (Davies & Neilson, 1975) showed variable ryegrass yield responses to nitrogen (N) fertiliser when grown after maize. Nitrogen leaching losses were not measured in this experiment but Ledgard et al. (1988) showed that late autumn/early winter N applications are vulnerable to leaching. Different rates of N fertiliser were applied to Italian ryegrass grown after maize to assess yield responses and levels of nitrate leaching.

Soil Enzyme Activities As Bio Indicators Of Soil Ph And Fertility In Temperate Grassland, Iker Mijangos, A. Ibarra, Isabel Albizu, Sorkunde Mendarte, Carlos Garbisu

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

In recent years, biological indicators are being used to estimate the continued capacity of a given soil to function (i.e., soil health). After all, biological processes are intimately linked with the maintenance of soil structure and fertility, being more sensitive to changes in the soil than conventional physicochemical parameters. Soil enzymes, as mediators and catalysts of vital soil functions, offer great potential as integrative indicators of soil health (Dick et al., 1996). The main aim of the current work was to study the potential of soil enzyme activities as biological (more precisely, biochemical) indicators of soil physicochemical …

Sustainable Grazing On Saline Land In Western Australia - Multidisciplinary Research Linking Producers And Scientists, Hayley C. Norman, D. G. Masters, M. G. Wilmot, A. J. Rintoul, R. Silberstein, E. Lefroy, T. York

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

Dryland salinity is one of the most critical environmental issues challenging Western Australian farmers. Currently 10% of the cropping zone (1.8 million ha) is salt-affected and this is predicted to increase dramatically in the next 50 years (NLWRA, 2001). Animals grazing saline pasture systems represent the most likely large-scale opportunity for economic return from saline land in the short to medium term. To date, few farmers have invested in large-scale revegetation of saline land as the economic return from grazing has not been perceived to cover costs. Furthermore other benefits of saltland pasture systems, such as biodiversity, water use and …

The Role Of The Phare Programme And The Danish-Lithuanian Project On The Development Of The Grassland Production And Of Dairy-Beef Cattle Husbandry, V. Vrotniakiene, Jonas Jatkauskas

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

Animal production is one of the priorities for economic development in Lithuania. Dairy-beef cattle husbandry has remained an important branch of animal production under the conditions of agricultural reform. Favorable agroclimatic conditions for grass cultivation, old traditions of agricultural production and the ability to train farmers in new techniques creates good conditions for the development of dairy-beef cattle husbandry. It is most appropriate to use cattle types suitable for grass feeding with low inputs of concentrates. This paper reports on two development projects that sought to increase animal production through grassland improvement and the production of high-quality silage.

Factors Influencing The Adoption Of Fodder Production Techniques By Milk Producers In Dhankuta District, Eastern Nepal, C. P. Ferris, R. Nelson

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

Many districts are food-deficient in Nepal. Increased milk consumption could improve human health and nutrition, while milk sales can provide families with a valuable source of income. However, milk production in Nepal is low, mainly because of the poor nutritional status of livestock, which can be attributed in part to a fodder deficit. However there is potential to increase fodder production, and some innovative fodder production techniques have been tried and proven locally. These include planting of fodder trees, fodder grasses and fodder crops. As the level of adoption of these techniques is variable, a survey was undertaken to quantify …

Development Of A Grazing Land Management Education Program For Northern Australia’S Grasslands And Grassy Woodlands, Chris R. Chilcott, M. F. Quirk, C. J. Paton, B. S. Nelson, T. Oxley

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

Recognition of the potential to enhance grazing land management to meet the goal of sustainable beef production has been increasing over the past decade. Recognition of the relationship between poor land management and negative off-site environmental impacts, such as soil erosion and a decline in the condition of rivers and adjacent near shore coastal areas from sediment transport, has increased also. This concern has matured somewhat to include the critical link between land condition and production, and the threat to sustainable carrying capacity that comes from declining land condition. Concurrently, interest has increased in optimising the use of pasture, e.g. …

Land Stewardship For The 21St Century: Pasture And Livestock Management Workshop For Novices, L. A. Redmon, G. M. Clary, J. J. Cleere, G. W. Evers, V. A. Haby, C. R. Long, L. R. Nelson, F. M. Rouquette Jr., G. R. Smith

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

Land ownership patterns in Texas and the southern USA are changing. Since 1994 (Wilkins et al., 2000) consumers interested primarily in recreational purposes have become the predominant owners of rural land. This land ownership change has created potential land stewardship problems associated with natural resource management. Few, if any, new landowners have any training related to the soil-plant-animal interface. New land owners need linkage with subject matter experts from land grant universities in a relaxed instructional setting while providing the opportunity for question and answer sessions. Thus, a programme was developed by a multi-disciplinary, multi-agency team at the Texas …

New Zealand Pastoral Systems: A Current Perspective, F. R. Duder, R. B. Green, W. D. Catto, D. R. Woodfield, B. R. Guy

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

New Zealand's diverse grassland resource of 13.5 M ha of permanent pasture, tussock or alpine grasslands underpin an intensive pastoral industry worth NZ$13 billion in 2004. The pastoral industry involves 37,000 farmers and a service industry of about 215,000 persons. It produces 27 M prime export lambs and 180,000 t of predominantly crossbred wool from 40 M ewes; 13 B litres of milk from 5.2 M dairy cattle; 800,000 t of beef from 4.7 M beef cattle and 33,000 t of venison from 2 M deer. Pastures and forage crops, mostly non- irrigated, are grazed 'in situ' by animals through …

Linking Research To Development In Pastoral Communities Of Northern Kenya: Recent Experiences And Key Findings In Participatory Research Approaches, G. A. Keya, M. Ngutu, A. Adongo, A. O. Adongo, I. Tura

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

Over 50% of Kenya's land mass is arid. The mainstay of the local economies of these areas is nomadic pastoralism. Arable agriculture is limited to the few oases and mountain zones. Due to the harsh climate, there are few alternative livelihood options available to the local communities of mostly herders. Efforts to improve agricultural productivity have often been hampered by low adoption of available technologies. This low adoption is linked to many factors, notably the non-involvement of the stakeholders in the research process and the weak linkage between research and extension. To address these shortcomings, new approaches were tested with …

Management Of Gastro-Intestinal Parasite Pressure, Under Grazing In Organic Farms: Development Of A Decision Support System Through The Mobilisation Of A Participative Research Process, D. Jamar, Virginie Decruyenaere, Y. Seutin, D. Stilmant, L. Perriaux, P. Stassart

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

Under grazing, gastro-intestinal parasite management remains a major problem in ruminant production systems, more especially in systems respecting organic farming rules following their obligations (1) to perform grazing as soon as pedo-climatic conditions are adapted and (2) to use anti-parasitic products only in a curative way. Surprisingly, this problem has not been highlighted by the different stakeholders in the food chain from cattle meat production to consumption. This could arise from the lack of a clear and pertinent norm or infestation threshold that would allow differentiation between preventive and curative treatments. Such a norm would indicate to the breeder whether …

Leygrain: A Participatory Action-Learning Model For Ley Pastures In Cropping Systems, D. L. Lloyd, B. Johnson, S. M. O'Brien

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

Since the 1930s, crop/pasture rotation systems have been used in the wheat-sheep belt of temperate southern Australia to maintain the productivity and environmental sustainability of farming systems (Puckridge & French, 1983). Yet, in the northern grain belt of Australia, there is limited adoption of ley pastures, owing to inherently fertile and well-structured vertisol soils. However, soil fertility decline now costs the grain industry about $450 m per year. Legume-based leys are an option for improving soil OM and N and providing other benefits to cropping and livestock production systems (Lloyd et al., 1991). Despite strong one-on-one extension processes since …

Degraded Rangeland: Can The Balance Be Restored In The Absence Of Satisfactory Range Management Practices?, F. J. Mitchell, R. G. Bennett, B. D. Forbes, R. N. Reynolds

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

The rangelands of KwaZulu-Natal play a fundamental role in the wealth and security of communal populations who are dependent on these forage-producing lands for their livelihoods. In most communal areas of the Province, there is an absence of satisfactory range management practices and the utilization of resources is generally non-sustainable. A major threat to the productivity of rangeland is inappropriate land use, such as overgrazing and incorrect burning practices, leading to extensive degradation of both the vegetative and soil components. Range vegetation and soil reserves show vastly reduced productivity. Degradation also results in increased susceptibility to erosion, loss of vegetative …

Task Force Development To Provide Education And Leadership To The Meat Goat Industry, Jeffrey C. Fisher, L. A. Nye, D. A. Mangione

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

Chevon is the most frequently consumed meat in the world. Meat goat production is increasing because of the economic value of goats as efficient converters of low-quality forages into quality meat, milk, and hide products for specialty markets of health conscious, ethnic, and faith based consumers. Estimates of national marketing indicate that U.S. meat goat production is nearly 500,000 head less than demand. Where resources are limited, meat goats can be raised efficiently and profitably on small farms, so the country could become self-sufficient in meat goats.

Avenues For Enhancing Traditional Livelihoods From Grasslands: Income Diversification Among Pastoral Women’S Groups In Southern Ethiopia, S. Desta, D. L. Coppock, S. Tezera, G. Gebru

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

The rangelands of Africa remain home to millions of people who try to make a living by raising livestock on natural forage. Recent increase in human and livestock populations, however, along with a lack of economic development, has relegated many people to poverty and vulnerability. The semi-arid Borana Plateau of southern Ethiopia is a case in point. About 250,000 people herd one million head of livestock there. Thousands of animals die in periodic droughts and people are food insecure. It has been proposed that one way to better manage risk in this system is through economic diversification to reduce vulnerability …

Assessment And Monitoring Of Grazing Lands In The Northeastern United States, M. A. Sanderson, Sarah C. Goslee, J. B. Cropper, R. B. Bryant

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

The Pasture Condition Score System (Cosgrove et al., 2001) was developed as a monitoring and management tool on grazing lands The system considers 10 indicators of soils, plants, and animals including percent desirable plants, plant cover, plant diversity, plant residue, plant vigor, percent legume, uniformity of use, livestock concentration areas, soil compaction, and soil erosion. The indicators are assigned a score according to detailed criteria and the scores are summed to give an overall score for a pasture, or relevant grazing unit. The score is then interpreted, indicating if some type of management change or treatment is necessary. We …

Activation Of The Renin–Angiotensin–Aldosterone System Is Attenuated In Hypertensive Compared With Normotensive Pregnancy, Robin C. Shoemaker, Marko Poglitsch, Hong Huang, Katherine Vignes, Aarthi Srinivasan, Cynthia Cockerham-Morris, Aric Schadler, John Anthony Bauer, John O'Brien

UK CARES Faculty Publications

Hypertension during pregnancy increases the risk of adverse maternal and fetal outcomes, but the mechanisms of pregnancy hypertension are not precisely understood. Elevated plasma renin activity and aldosterone concentrations play an important role in the normal physiologic adaptation to pregnancy. These effectors are reduced in patients with pregnancy hypertension, creating an opportunity to define the features of the renin–angiotensin–aldosterone system (RAAS) that are characteristic of this disorder. In the current study, we used a novel LC-MS/MS-based methodology to develop comprehensive profiles of RAAS peptides and effectors over gestation in a cohort of 74 pregnant women followed prospectively for the development …

Exposure To A Phthalate Mixture Disrupts Ovulatory Progesterone Receptor Signaling In Human Granulosa Cells In Vitro, Patrick R. Hannon, James W. Akin, Thomas E. Curry Jr

UK CARES Faculty Publications

Exposure to phthalates disrupts ovarian function. However, limited studies have investigated the effects of phthalate mixtures on ovulation, especially in women. Human granulosa cells were used to test the hypothesis that exposure to a phthalate mixture (PHTmix) disrupts progesterone (P4)/progesterone receptor (PGR) signaling, which is a crucial pathway for ovulation. In addition, progestin and cyclic adenosine 3′, 5′-monophosphate (cAMP) supplementation were tested as methods to circumvent phthalate toxicity. Granulosa cells from women undergoing in vitro fertilization were acclimated in culture to regain responsiveness to human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG; clinical luteinizing hormone analogue). Granulosa cells were treated with or without hCG, …

Fear Of Sin And Fear Of God: Scrupulosity Predicts Women's Daily Experiences Of Mental Contamination Following Sexual Trauma, Alyssa C. Jones, Jordyn M. Tipsword, C. Alex Brake, Emily E. Fenlon, Thomas G. Adams Jr., Jesse P. Mccann, Christal L. Badour

UK CARES Faculty Publications

Mental contamination refers to feelings of dirtiness in response to thoughts, images, or memories. Mental contamination is frequently reported after sexual trauma and is associated with symptoms of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Differences in individuals’ views about morality and purity may influence the severity of mental contamination, though this has been studied primarily outside of samples assessed for trauma and/or PTSD. The present study addressed this gap by investigating scrupulosity as a prospective predictor of daily sexual trauma–related mental contamination and PTSD symptoms. Participants included 40 adult women with a history of sexual trauma and current sexual trauma–related mental contamination …

Histamine Excretion In Common Indoor And Hematophagous Arthropods, Simona Principato, Alvaro Romero, Chow-Yang Lee, Kathleen Campbell, Dong-Hwan Choe, Coby Schal, Zachary C. Devries

UK CARES Faculty Publications

Histamine is a biogenic amine that regulates multiple physiological functions in diverse organisms, specifically playing a central role in the mammalian immune response. The common bed bug, Cimex lectularius L. (Hemiptera: Cimicidae), excretes histamine in large amounts in its feces as a component of its aggregation pheromone, which contaminates homes. The potential health risks associated with the presence of indoor histamine are unclear, but to predict future exposure risks, it is critical that we understand if other arthropods excrete histamine in any discernible phylogenetic pattern. In the present study, we evaluated histamine excretion by various arthropods; specifically those commonly found …

Association Of Sustained Low Or High Income And Income Changes With Risk Of Incident Type 2 Diabetes Among Individuals Aged 30 To 64 Years, Jimin Clara Park, Ga Eun Nam, Jinna Yu, Ketrell L. Mcwhorter, Junxiu Liu, Hong Seok Lee, Seong-Su Lee, Kyungdo Han

UK CARES Faculty Publications

IMPORTANCE Evidence of the association between income fluctuation and risk of type 2 diabetes (T2D) is scarce.

OBJECTIVE To investigate whether sustained low or high income and income changes are associated with incidence of T2D.

DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS In this population-based cohort study, more than 7.8 million adults without T2D aged 30 to 64 years from a nationally representative sample from the Korean Health Insurance Service database were enrolled in 2012 and followed up to 2019 (median follow-up, 6.3 years [IQR, 6.1-6.6 years]).

EXPOSURES Twenty quantiles of monthly health insurance premiums determined income levels. Income quartiles were annually analyzed …

Combined Behavioral And Engineering Approach To Preventing Highway Fatalities, Benjamin Blandford, Reginald Souleyrette, Caitlin N. Pope, Tony Fields, Erin Lammers-Staats

Kentucky Transportation Center Research Report

Traditional, single-discipline highway safety approaches can be augmented through multidisciplinary approaches that consider both engineering and behavioral interventions (e.g., education, enforcement, public outreach campaigns). Leveraging a systems-based conceptual framework of roadway safety, multiple forms of statistical and geospatial analysis, and SPF modeling and network screening, this report proposes and demonstrates methods for unpacking the influence of behavioral-related factors on crash occurrences and outcomes. The primary focus is on behaviors targeted in the Strategic Highway Safety Plan — aggressive driving, distracted driving, impaired driving, and driving without proper restraint (i.e., seatbelts). Based on application of these methods, the report highlights areas …

Evaluating The Use Of A Near-Miss Reporting Program To Enhance Employee Safety Performance, Gabriel Dadi, Farshid Taherpour, Seth Atkins, Ashtarout Ammar, Jon Wilcoxson

Kentucky Transportation Center Research Report

Using safety incidents and crashes to improve safety performance is an outdated and reactive practice in safety and health programs. One component of a modern approach to safety is a near-miss reporting program. This type of program tracks close calls or near misses that do not result in an incident or crash, but which often can be an early indicator that one may happen. While most construction companies have implemented some methods for reporting near-miss events, many agencies, such as the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet (KYTC), struggle getting employees to report near misses. To fill this gap, potential factors that result …

Innovative Methods To Strengthen Internal Kytc Communications, P. Gayle Marks, Jeff Jasper

Kentucky Transportation Center Research Report

Communication is the linchpin of every organization. Poor communication leads to inefficiencies, frustration among staff, and employee disaffection and disengagement. Although some state transportation agencies have adopted comprehensive strategic plans for internal communications, many have taken a more piecemeal approach, with some Offices and units (e.g., incident management) developing their own plans that apply only to their operations. The latter approach is less than ideal because establishing a comprehensive communications plan provides an organizing framework for all communications within an organization and is critical for uniting staff around a shared sense of purpose and equipping them with the tools they …