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Paper_Coal Combustion Residuals – Productive, Reliable, And Sustainable Approaches To Remediation, Dave Donahue, Faizan Chowdhury, Max Swoboda

World of Coal Ash Proceedings

Coal combustion residuals (CCRs) are the second-largest waste material in the U.S., behind household garbage. As such, it is vital that CCRs are correctly managed to prevent environmental damage and safeguard human and animal health. With almost 5 billion tons of coal ash stored by utilities at more than 1,000 sites across the U.S. – whether in ponds as a wet slurry or in landfills as dry powder – preventing leaks into waterways or the air is an industry priority. Every day, Xylem’s experts help power plant operators safely manage CCRs by combining decades of on-the-ground expertise with cutting-edge technology …

Planning & Implementation Of Closure-By-Removal Paired With Beneficial Use, Jay Mokotoff, Angela Casbon-Scheller

World of Coal Ash Proceedings

Planning and Implementation of Closure by Removal Paired with Beneficial Use Authors Mr. Jay Mokotoff - United States - AECOM Mrs. Angela Casbon-Scheller - United States - CenterPoint Energy Abstract While there are numerous ash ponds containing saturated mixed CCR that are closing by removal, few have attempted to beneficially use the mixed CCR materials from these ponds. To comply with the CCR Rule, a large midwestern utility is closing their 170-acre valley-fill ash pond by removal and is successfully recycling the majority of the 6M cubic yards of mixed CCR materials. This presentation will focus on the advance planning …

Best Practices In Implementing, Mark Rokoff

World of Coal Ash Proceedings

CASE STUDY: BEST PRACTICES IN IMPLEMENTING THE FACILITY EVALUATION REPORT (PER THE LEGACY CCR SI RULE) Authors Mr. Mark Rokoff - United States - Burns & McDonnell Abstract Corresponding to the proposed Legacy CCR Surface Impoundment Rules (Legacy Rule) published on May 18, 2023, Owner/Operators must initiate the efforts for compliance by first understanding the areas where CCR has accumulated within a plant’s facility outside of a regulated CCR unit. More specifically, one of the first, new tasks to comply with the proposed rule is to develop a Facility Evaluation Report (FER) in which the presence/absence of a CCR management …

Back To Basics, Paul Schmall

World of Coal Ash Proceedings

CCR Dewatering – Back to the Basics Authors Dr. Paul Schmall - United States - Keller Abstract The increase in CCR pond closure activity spurred by the EPA’s 2015 rule publication has created a tremendous opportunity to innovate with respect to traditional methods of safely working around and on saturated CCR material. The volume of work and the speed at which it must be completed requires that the industry adapt in order to meet regulatory timelines. One technique that has been successfully implemented is the use of conventional construction dewatering technology to stabilize CCR by reducing and controlling pore pressures. …

Utility Perspectives On Beneficial Use Of Harvested Ccr, Michael Turnbow, Brett Mitchell, Chris Gee

World of Coal Ash Proceedings

Utility Perspectives on Beneficial Use of Harvested CCR Authors Dr. Michael Turnbow - United States - TVA Mr. Brett Mitchell - United States - Georgia Power Mr. Chris Gee - United States - Dominion Abstract Due to emerging market conditions and regulatory drivers, Beneficial Use (BU) of harvested CCR is a growing source of C618 ash for Portland cement replacement. Utilities have BU projects in planning, construction, and/or full-scale stages under both regulatory and voluntary scenarios. The panelists will discuss current status of their BU projects, lessons learned, and future plans as they navigate this complex landscape.

Dewatering Optimization Strategies In Support Of Closure By Removal (Cbr) To Accelerate Groundwater Cleanup At Coal Combustion Residual Sites (Ccr) With Case Study, Sean Larkin, Jacob Chu

World of Coal Ash Proceedings

Dewatering Optimization Strategies in Support of Closure by Removal (CBR) to Accelerate Groundwater Cleanup at CCR Sites with Case Study Authors Mr. Sean Larkin - United States - Haley & Aldrich Inc. Dr. Jacob Chu - United States - Haley & Aldrich Inc. Abstract This presentation is focused on coal combustion residual (CCR) sites in corrective action that are performing closure-by-removal (CBR) in support of an overall groundwater remedy. CBR is often coupled with a variety of groundwater treatment options, including (but not limited to), monitored natural attenuation and/or contingent active or passive treatment of areas within the plume where …

Navigating Challenges Presented By State Ccr Regulations, Brian Hennings, Eric Tlachac, Victor Modeer

World of Coal Ash Proceedings

Navigating Challenges Presented by State CCR Regulations Authors Mr. Brian Hennings - United States - Ramboll Mr. Eric Tlachac - United States - Ramboll Mr. Victor Modeer - United States - Luminant Abstract State regulation of coal combustion residuals (CCRs) continues to evolve following the United States Environmental Protection Agency’s (USEPA’s) 2015 final rule, Disposal of Coal Combustion Residuals from Electric Utilities (CCR Rule). The 2016 Water Infrastructure Improvements for the Nation (WIIN) Act amended Section 4005 of the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) to provide a framework for the establishment of state CCR permit programs with review and …

Path Forward To Ccr Conveyor Solutions, Mike Peden, Don Fuller Ii

World of Coal Ash Proceedings

CCR Unit closures and related beneficial use operations are centric to moving large volumes of material, predominantly, synthetic gypsum, fly ash and bottom ash. While trucking is the core haulage solution, site specific conditions do shift to conveyors as the optimal solution in many cases. While today many CCR closure plans and material handling processes are tentatively established, changes in anticipated material volumes cause increased focus on CCR harvesting, and the pending Legacy Rule or other regulatory action(s) may warrant reevaluation of the material transport alternatives. This presentation provides an overview of large scale CCR transport options, core strategies for …

Inchi Isotopologue And Isotopomer Specifications, Hunter N. B. Moseley, Philippe Rocca-Serra, Reza M. Salek, Masanori Arita, Emma L. Schymanski

Markey Cancer Center Faculty Publications

This work presents a proposed extension to the International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry (IUPAC) International Chemical Identifier (InChI) standard that allows the representation of isotopically‑resolved chemi‑ cal entities at varying levels of ambiguity in isotope location. This extension includes an improved interpretation of the current isotopic layer within the InChI standard and a new isotopologue layer specification for representing chemical intensities with ambiguous isotope localization. Both improvements support the unique isotopically‑ resolved chemical identification of features detected and measured in analytical instrumentation, specifically nuclear magnetic resonance and mass spectrometry.

Scientific contribution

This new extension to the InChI standard …

Chemically Induced Cone Degeneration In The 13-Lined Ground Squirrel, Hannah M. Follett, Emma Warr, Jenna Grieshop, Ching Tzu Yu, Mina Gaffney, Owen R. Bowie, Jong Won Lee, Sergey Tarima, Dana K. Merriman, Joseph Carroll

Biostatistics Faculty Publications

Animal models of retinal degeneration are critical for understanding disease and testing potential therapies. Inducing degeneration commonly involves the administration of chemicals that kill photoreceptors by disrupting metabolic pathways, signaling pathways, or protein synthesis. While chemically induced degeneration has been demonstrated in a variety of animals (mice, rats, rabbits, felines, 13-lined ground squirrels (13-LGS), pigs, chicks), few studies have used noninvasive high-resolution retinal imaging to monitor the in vivo cellular effects. Here, we used longitudinal scanning light ophthalmoscopy (SLO), optical coherence tomography, and adaptive optics SLO imaging in the euthermic, cone-dominant 13-LGS (46 animals, 52 eyes) to examine retinal structure …

A Mind-Body Intervention To Improve Physical Activity For Patients With Chronic Hip-Related Pain: Protocol For A Mixed Methods Study., Kate N Jochimsen, Kristin R Archer, Robin A Pollini, Robert A Parker, Nomin Enkhtsetseg, Cale A Jacobs, Ana Maria Vranceanu

Psychiatry Faculty Publications

BACKGROUND: Pain and dysfunction persist for most patients following hip-related pain treatment. Additionally, individuals with hip-related pain are typically less physically active than individuals without hip pain, despite evidence that regular physical activity reduces chronic musculoskeletal pain. Poor psychological health is common in patients with hip-related pain and further reinforces low physical activity. Mind-body interventions can improve psychological health and activity levels but have yet to be integrated to provide comprehensive, psychologically informed care for patients with hip-related pain. Thus, we are using the NCCIH intervention development framework to develop Helping Improve PSychological Health (HIPS), a novel, multimodal mind-body intervention …

Fasting And Glucose Metabolism Differentially Impact Peripheral Inflammation In Human Type 2 Diabetes, Gabriella H. Kalantar, Shubh Saraswat, Sara Santacruz-Calvo, Fatemeh Gholamrezaeinejad, Aida Javidan, Madhur Agrawal, Rui Liu, Philip A. Kern, Xiaohua Douglas Zhang, Barbara S. Nikolajczyk

Biostatistics Faculty Publications

Cytokines produced by peripheral T-helper 1/17 cells disproportionately contribute to the inflammation (i.e., metaflammation) that fuels type 2 diabetes (T2D) pathogenesis. Shifts in the nutrient milieu could influence inflammation through changes in T-cell metabolism. We aimed to determine whether changes in glucose utilization alter cytokine profiles in T2D. Peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs), CD4+ T-cells, and CD4+CD25- T-effector (Teff) cells were isolated from age-matched humans classified by glycemic control and BMI. Cytokines secreted by CD3/CD28-stimulated PBMCs and Teff were measured in supernatants with multiplex cytokine assays and a FLEXMAP-3D. Metabolic activity of stimulated CD4+ T-cells was measured by a Seahorse …

Predicting The Pathway Involvement Of Metabolites Based On Combined Metabolite And Pathway Features, Erik D. Huckvale, Hunter N. B. Moseley

Markey Cancer Center Faculty Publications

A major limitation of most metabolomics datasets is the sparsity of pathway annotations for detected metabolites. It is common for less than half of the identified metabolites in these datasets to have a known metabolic pathway involvement. Trying to address this limitation, machine learning models have been developed to predict the association of a metabolite with a “pathway category”, as defined by a metabolic knowledge base like KEGG. Past models were implemented as a single binary classifier specific to a single pathway category, requiring a set of binary classifiers for generating the predictions for multiple pathway categories. This past approach …

Design Optimization Of A Direct-Drive Wind Generator With A Reluctance Rotor And A Flux Intensifying Stator Using Different Pm Types, Ali Mohammadi, Oluwaseun A. Badewa, Yaser Chulaee, Donovin D. Lewis, Somasundaram Essakiappan, Madhav Manjrekar, Dan M. Ionel

Power and Energy Institute of Kentucky Faculty Publications

This paper presents a large-scale multi-objective design optimization for a direct-drive wind turbine generator concept that is based upon an experimentally validated computational model for a small-scale prototype motor of the same type. By integrating an outer reluctance-type rotor and a segmented stator with toroidally wound single-coil modules containing spoke-type PMs, the design optimization aims to minimize losses, active mass, and torque ripple while adhering to a power factor constraint. The AC windings and PMs are positioned in the stator and this concept enhances flux concentration, enabling the use of more affordable high energy non-rare-earth (special type) magnets. The exterior …

Processing Priorities, Researcher Use, And Programmatic Improvement, Megan M. Mummey

Library Presentations

No abstract provided.

Barriers To Buprenorphine Dispensing By Medicaid-Participating Community Retail Pharmacies, Patricia R Freeman, Lindsey R Hammerslag, Katherine A Ahrens, Michael Sharbaugh, Adam J Gordon, Anna E Austin, Julie M Donohue, Lindsay D Allen, Andrew J Barnes, Jeffery C Talbert

Biostatistics Faculty Publications

IMPORTANCE: Controlled substances have regulatory requirements under the US Federal Controlled Substance Act that must be met before pharmacies can stock and dispense them. However, emerging evidence suggests there are pharmacy-level barriers in access to buprenorphine for treatment for opioid use disorder even among pharmacies that dispense other opioids.

OBJECTIVE: To estimate the proportion of Medicaid-participating community retail pharmacies that dispense buprenorphine, out of Medicaid-participating community retail pharmacies that dispense other opioids and assess if the proportion dispensing buprenorphine varies by Medicaid patient volume or rural-urban location.

DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS: This serial cross-sectional study included Medicaid pharmacy claims (2016-2019) …

Optimization, Characterization, And Comparison Of Two Luciferase-Expressing Mouse Glioblastoma Models, Louis Rodgers, Julia A. Schulz Pauly, Bryan J. Maloney, Anika M. S. Hartz, Bjoern Bauer

UK CARES Faculty Publications

Glioblastoma (GBM) is the most aggressive brain cancer. To model GBM in research, orthotopic brain tumor models, including syngeneic models like GL261 and genetically engineered mouse models like TRP, are used. In longitudinal studies, tumor growth and the treatment response are typically tracked with in vivo imaging, including bioluminescence imaging (BLI), which is quick, cost-effective, and easily quantifiable. However, BLI requires luciferase-tagged cells, and recent studies indicate that the luciferase gene can elicit an immune response, leading to tumor rejection and experimental variation. We sought to optimize the engraftment of two luciferase-expressing GBM models, GL261 Red-FLuc and TRP-mCherry-FLuc, showing differences …

Influence Of Four Veterinary Antibiotics On Constructed Treatment Wetland Nitrogen Transformation, Matthew Russell, Tiffany L. Messer, Deborah A. Report, Richard L. Smith, Shannon L. Bartelt-Hunt, Daniel D. Snow, Ariel P. Reed

UK CARES Faculty Publications

The use of wetlands as a treatment approach for nitrogen in runoff is a common practice in agroecosystems. However, nitrate is not the sole constituent present in agricultural runoff and other biologically active contaminants have the potential to affect nitrate removal efficiency. In this study, the impacts of the combined effects of four common veterinary antibiotics (chlortetracycline, sulfamethazine, lincomycin, monensin) on nitrate-N treatment efficiency in saturated sediments and wetlands were evaluated in a coupled microcosm/mesocosm scale experiment. Veterinary antibiotics were hypothesized to significantly impact nitrogen speciation (e.g., nitrate and ammonium) and nitrogen uptake and transformation processes (e.g., plant uptake and …

Family-Centered Care For Lgbtq+ Parents Of Infants In The Neonatal Intensive Care Unit: An Integrative Review, Olivia S. Yinger, Aubrey E. Jones, Keisa Fallin-Bennett, Chelsea Gibbs, Rachel H. Farr

UK CARES Faculty Publications

Background: Having an infant in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) can disrupt parent well-being, the transition to parenthood, and the typical trajectories of infant and child health. For lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, or other sexual and gender minority identity (LGBTQ+) parents, this stress may be compounded by health disparities and fear of stigma and discrimination; however, research is lacking about LGBTQ+ parents of infants in the NICU. Objectives: The purpose of this integrative review was to better understand the experiences of LGBTQ+ parents of NICU infants, with a focus on experiences of stigma and discrimination, sources of strength …

Addressing Multimodal Transportation Needs Through Complete Streets Implementation, Eirini Stavropoulou, Nikiforos Stamatiadis, William Staats, Teng Wang, Reginald Souleyrette

Kentucky Transportation Center Research Report

Since the early 2000s, over 1,600 transportation agencies in the United States have adopted Complete Streets policies. Recently, the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet (KYTC) published its Complete Streets, Roads, and Highways Manual, which aims to implement a safe and equitable transportation system throughout the state, as well as a Complete Streets policy. The manual and policy offer guidance on integrating Complete Streets principles into road design, however, KYTC currently lacks tools or methods to evaluate how well specific projects address Complete Streets goals. This is problematic because systematic assessments are needed to effectively prioritize projects and allocate scarce funding. Based …

Estimation Of Benefits From Pedestrian And Bicycle Improvements, Dionysios Tzamakos, Nikiforos Stamatiadis, William Staats, Teng Wang, Reginald Souleyrette

Kentucky Transportation Center Research Report

Delivering safe mobility for all users of the transportation system is a key priority of the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet (KYTC). Because many system users rely on pedestrian and bicycle facilities, it is critical for KYTC to balance pedestrian and bicycle facility accommodations with those for motorized users. Currently, the Strategic Highway Investment Formula for Tomorrow (SHIFT) — the Cabinet’s systematic approach to scoring and prioritizing proposed roadway projects — awards up to five points (out of a possible total of 100) for pedestrian and bicycle projects. But the agency lacks a robust method for estimating the benefits of pedestrian and …

Are “10 Grams Of Protein” Better Than “Ten Grams Of Protein”? How Digits Versus Number Words Influence Consumer Judgments, Marisabel Romero, Adam W. Craig, Milica Mormann, Anand Kumar

Marketing & Supply Chain Faculty Publications

Numerical information can be communicated using different number formats, such as digits (“5”) or number words (“five”). For example, a battery product may claim to last for “5 hours” or “five hours.” And while these two formats are used interchangeably in the marketplace, it is not clear how they influence consumer judgments and behavior. Via six experimental studies, two online ad campaigns, and one large secondary dataset analysis, we find that digits, compared to number words, positively affect consumer behavior. We refer to this phenomenon as the number format effect. We further show that the number format effect occurs because …

Matching Study Design To Prescribing Intention, Bethany L. Diprete, Gyeon Oh, Daniela C. Moga, Nabarun Dasgupta, Svetla Slavova, Emily Slade, Chris Delcher, Brian W. Pence, Shabbar I. Ranapurwala

Biostatistics Faculty Publications

Purpose: In drug studies, research designs requiring no prior exposure to certain drug classes may restrict important populations. Since abuse-deterrent formulations (ADF) of opioids are routinely prescribed after other opioids, choice of study design, identification of appropriate comparators, and addressing confounding by “indication” are important considerations in ADF post-marketing studies. Methods: In a retrospective cohort study using claims data (2006–2018) from a North Carolina private insurer [NC claims] and Merative MarketScan [MarketScan], we identified patients (18–64 years old) initiating ADF or non-ADF extended-release/long-acting (ER/LA) opioids. We compared patient characteristics and described opioid treatment history between treatment groups, classifying patients as …

Quantifying Image Quality In Aoslo Images Of Photoreceptors, Brea D. Brennan, Heather Heitkotter, Joseph Carroll, Sergey Tarima, Robert F. Cooper

Biostatistics Faculty Publications

The use of “quality” to describe the usefulness of an image is ubiquitous but is often subject to domain specific constraints. Despite its continued use as an imaging modality, adaptive optics scanning light ophthalmoscopy (AOSLO) lacks a dedicated metric for quantifying the quality of an image of photoreceptors. Here, we present an approach to evaluating image quality that extracts an estimate of the signal to noise ratio. We evaluated its performance in 528 images of photoreceptors from two AOSLOs, two modalities, and healthy or diseased retinas. The algorithm was compared to expert graders’ ratings of the images and previously published …

A Mechanical Model For Stress Relaxation Of Polylactic Acid/Thermoplastic Polyurethane Blends, Yi-Sheng Jhao, Hao Ouyang, Chien-Chao Huang, Fuqian Yang, Sanboh Lee

Chemical and Materials Engineering Faculty Publications

Polylactic acid (PLA) is considered a promising biodegradable polymer alternative. Due to its high brittleness, composite materials made by melt blending thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) with PLA can enhance the toughness of PLA. To understand the forced aging caused by stress relaxation in polymer materials, this study explains the stress relaxation experiments of PLA/TPU blends with different mass ratios under applied strain through mechanical model simulations. The Kelvin representation of the standard linear solid model (SLSM) is used to analyze the stress relaxation data of TPU/PLA blends, successfully explaining that the Young’s moduli (E1 and E2) of springs decrease with increasing …

Regulation Of Rorα Stability Through Prmt5-Dependent Symmetric Dimethylation, Gaofeng Xiong, Brynne Obringer, Austen Jones, Elise Horton, Ren Xu

Markey Cancer Center Faculty Publications

Retinoic acid receptor-related orphan receptor alpha (RORα), a candidate tumor suppressor, is prevalently downregulated or lost in malignant breast cancer cells. However, the mechanisms of how RORα expression is regulated in breast epithelial cells remain incompletely understood. Protein arginine N-methyltransferase 5 (PRMT5), a type II methyltransferase catalyzing the symmetric methylation of the amino acid arginine in target proteins, was reported to regulate protein stability. To study whether and how PRMT5 regulates RORα, we examined the direct interaction between RORα and PRMT5 by immunoprecipitation and GST pull-down assays. The results showed that PRMT5 directly bound to RORα, and PRMT5 mainly symmetrically …

A Cautionary Tale About Properly Vetting Datasets Used In Supervised Learning Predicting Metabolic Pathway Involvement, Erik D. Huckvale, Hunter N. B. Moseley

Markey Cancer Center Faculty Publications

The mapping of metabolite-specific data to pathways within cellular metabolism is a major data analysis step needed for biochemical interpretation. A variety of machine learning approaches, particularly deep learning approaches, have been used to predict these metabolite-to-pathway mappings, utilizing a training dataset of known metabolite-to-pathway mappings. A few such training datasets have been derived from the Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG). However, several prior published machine learning approaches utilized an erroneous KEGG-derived training dataset that used SMILES molecular representations strings (KEGG-SMILES dataset) and contained a sizable proportion (~26%) duplicate entries. The presence of so many duplicates taint the …

Ensuring Equitable Application Of Interventions To Vulnerable Subpopulations In The Kentucky Consortium For Accountable Health Communities (Kc-Ahc), Jing Li, Jessica M. Clouser, Akosua Adu, Aiko Weverka, Nikita Vundi, Terry D. Stratton, Mark V. Williams

Journal of Appalachian Health

Introduction: The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) has funded the Accountable Health Communities (AHC) model to test whether systematically identifying and addressing the health-related social needs (HRSNs) of individuals would impact healthcare utilization and total cost of care for Medicare and Medicaid beneficiaries. Toward this effort, AHCs implement screening, referral, and community navigation services in their local areas. There are 28 CMS-funded AHCs nationwide, including the Kentucky Consortium for Accountable Health Communities (KC-AHC).

Purpsoe: This study aims to assess the equity of KC-AHC model activities in three vulnerable sub-populations: dual enrollees, disabled individuals, and women.

Methods: Twenty-eight primary …

Maternal Age And Inadequate Prenatal Care In West Virginia: A Project Watch Study, Madelin Gardner, Amna Umer, Brian Hendricks, Toni Marie Rudisill, Candice Lefeber, Collin John, Christa Lilly

Journal of Appalachian Health

Introduction: Adequate prenatal care (PNC) is essential to the overall health of mother and infant. Teen age and advanced maternal age (AMA) are known risk factors for poor birth outcomes. However, less is known about whether these age groups are associated with inadequate PNC.

Purpose: This study sought to determine the potential association between maternal age (in groups, aged 20–24, 25–29, 30–34, 35–39, and >40) and inadequate PNC (visits).

Methods: West Virginia (WV) Project WATCH population-level data (May 2018–March 2022) were used for this study. Multiple logistic regressions were performed on inadequate PNC (less than 10 visits) with maternal age …

Trilogies: Lessons From 50 Years Facilitating Community-Based Health Assessments And Planning In Appalachia, Bruce Behringer

Journal of Appalachian Health

Involvement of community and organizational groups is fundamental to most public ventures. Most social, health, economic, and educational improvements in Appalachia have been characterized by successfully integrating community input and finding ways to encourage organizational change and collaboration.

Managing group process and related facilitation skills are fundamental competencies for public health professionals and others guiding change efforts. Groups from communities and organizations can get stalled in their deliberations; a facilitator frequently must think quickly to diagnose the situation and propose alternative approaches. Creative and flexible approaches, learned through practice experiences, can blend with theories and frameworks learned in academic preparation …