Digital Commons Network^™

High-Risk Individuals And Naloxone Use: Implications For Thn Programs In Rural Appalachian Communities, Victor Garcia, Lisa Mccann, Erick Lauber, Christian Vaccaro, Melissa Swauger, Alex Daniel Heckert

Journal of Appalachian Health

Introduction: Take-home naloxone (THN) is being made available across rural Appalachia to curb opioid overdose fatalities. Despite this initiative, some opioid users do not possess naloxone, and if they do, do not administer it to others.

Purpose: Research findings on risk factors that contribute to opioid overdose are presented. These factors, identified in a sample of 16 overdose cases, are (1) early onset age of opioid use; (2) progressive opioid use; (3) a transition from pain medication to heroin and fentanyl; (4) fears of being arrested at a naloxone intervention if first responders are contacted, and (5) limited knowledge of …

Assessing And Addressing The Determinants Of Appalachian Population Health: A Scoping Review, David L. Driscoll, Hannah O'Donnell, Maitri Patel, David C. Cattell-Gordon

Journal of Appalachian Health

Introduction: Residents of Appalachia experience elevated rates of morbidity and mortality compared to national averages, and these disparities are associated with inequitable exposures to various determinants of population health. Social and environmental determinants of health are a useful lens through which to develop and evaluate programs to mitigate regional health disparities.

Methods: This 2023 scoping review was conducted of studies linking determinants of Appalachian health with leading causes of regional mortality and morbidity. The search strategy employed a keyword search that included geographic terms for the Appalachian Region and the primary adverse health outcomes in that region. Studies meeting the …

Review Of: Coal, Cages, Crisis: The Rise Of The Prison Economy In Central Appalachia, Ted Olson Phd

Journal of Appalachian Health

Ted Olson, PhD, is a professor of both Appalachian Studies and Bluegrass, Old-Time and Roots Music Studies at East Tennessee State University. In this piece, he reviews Professor Judah Schept's Coal, Cages, Crisis: The Rise of the Prison Economy in Central Appalachia and discusses the impacts of incarceration on the health of Appalachia and on its residents more broadly.

Factors Associated With Covid-19 Vaccine Hesitancy In South Central Appalachia, Florence M. Weierbach, Rebecca Adkins Fletcher, Ingrid E. Luffman, Cynthia Meyer, Janet M. Keener, Manik Ahuja, Hadii M. Mamudu

Journal of Appalachian Health

Introduction: The newly emergent COVID-19 virus reached pandemic levels in March 2020. By the middle of August 2020, there were over 1 million deaths attributed to COVID-19 in the U.S., with those in rural areas outpacing urban counterparts. Prior to emergency approval of the Pfizer, Moderna and Johnson & Johnson vaccine formulations, mitigation efforts addressing individual behavior were challenging. However, even with the entrance of these three new vaccines, herd immunity was not achieved in rural areas, as vaccine uptake remained low there. Although there has since been an abundance of COVID-19-related research addressing health literacy, vaccine hesitancy and overall …

Disparities In Mortality Between Appalachian And Non-Appalachian Regions Of Kentucky, Sonali S. Salunkhe, Sahal Alzahrani, Beatrice Ugiliweneza

Journal of Appalachian Health

Introduction: In the opioid epidemic, the U.S. faces a significant public health crisis, with some areas of the country, such as rural and Appalachian regions, suffering more than others. The differential regional impact of the crisis in Kentucky—a state with both non-metropolitan/metropolitan and Appalachian/Non-Appalachian statuses—has not yet been documented despite such knowledge being essential to the success of overdose prevention efforts.

Purpose: This study compares all-cause, drug- and opioid-related mortality between counties in different regions of Kentucky: Appalachian non-metropolitan, Appalachian metropolitan, non-Appalachian non-metropolitan, and non-Appalachian metropolitan.

Methods: Age-adjusted mortality data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Wide-ranging Online …

Carbapenem-Resistant Enterobacterales—Kentucky, 2013–2020: Challenges And Successes, Mary Issac, Andrea Flinchum, Kevin Spicer

Journal of Appalachian Health

Introduction: Carbapenem-resistant Enterobacterales (CRE) are considered urgent, antibiotic-resistant threats in the U.S. and are of global concern. Active collaboration between public health authorities and healthcare facilities and providers will be necessary to prevent and contain these organisms.

Purpose: To describe the epidemiology of CRE in Kentucky and to discuss challenges and successes with building and sustaining an effective prevention and containment program.

Methods: Retrospective descriptive summary of CRE isolates reported by healthcare providers, facilities, and laboratories in Kentucky from 2013 through 2020. Data available from case reporting forms and laboratory testing are summarized.

Results: From 2013 through 2020, 1805 CRE …

Changes In Perceptions Of First Responders After Witnessing A Drug Overdose: Individual And Contextual Variations Among People Who Use Opioids In West Virginia, Kathleen L. Egan, Kelly Gurka, Alexandria Macmadu, Herb Linn

Journal of Appalachian Health

Introduction: Success of opioid overdose interventions involving first responders is dependent on the comfort level that bystanders have with first responders and their willingness to call for assistance. Positive or negative experiences with first responders following witnessing an overdose may influence a person’s willingness to call a first responder for assistance in the future.

Purpose: The objective of this study was to examine changes in bystanders’ perceptions of first responders following witnessing an overdose attended by emergency medical services or a law enforcement official. It specifically explored perception changes among a sample of individuals residing in Appalachia who use prescription …

Reimagining A Caregiver-Friendly Society, Jodi L. Southerland

Journal of Appalachian Health

Demographic aging is accelerating in the Appalachian Region, resulting in a growing proportion of caregivers living in areas that lack services to support their needs. Strategies are urgently needed in Appalachia to address deficiencies in the region’s long-term supports and services for older adults and their caregivers. Strengthening equitable access to care and community supports for family caregivers is a policy priority for state and community leaders in Appalachia.

Clovers Around The World: A Symposium In Memory And Honor Of Dr. Norman L. Taylor, Kenneth H. Quesenberry, D. Boone, B. M. Irish

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

Trifolium is arguably the largest and most diverse genera of herbaceous forage legumes (Zohary and Heller, 1984). Dr. Norman L. Taylor, Professor Emeritus, Department of Plant and Soil Science, University of Kentucky, deceased, was a pioneer and champion of collection and preservation of Trifolium species throughout his 57-year career. Dr. Taylor was a native of northern Kentucky, born near where this Conference is being held.

Beyond N-Dopants For Organic Semiconductors: Use Of Bibenzo[D]Imidazoles In Uv-Promoted Dehalogenation Reactions Of Organic Halides, Kan Tang, Megan R. Brown, Chad Risko, Melissa K. Gish, Garry Rumbles, Phuc H. Pham, Oana R. Luca, Stephen Barlow, Seth R. Marder

UK CARES Faculty Publications

2,2’-Bis(4-dimethylaminophenyl)- and 2,2'-dicyclohexyl-1,1',3,3'-tetramethyl-2,2',3,3'-tetrahydro-2,2'-bibenzo[d]imidazole ((N-DMBI)2 and (Cyc-DMBI)2) are quite strong reductants with effective potentials of ca. −2 V vs ferrocenium/ferrocene, yet are relatively stable to air due to the coupling of redox and bond-breaking processes. Here, we examine their use in accomplishing electron transfer-induced bond-cleavage reactions, specifically dehalogenations. The dimers reduce halides that have reduction potentials less cathodic than ca. −2 V vs ferrocenium/ferrocene, especially under UV photoexcitation (using a 365 nm LED). In the case of benzyl halides, the products are bibenzyl derivatives, whereas aryl halides are reduced to the corresponding arenes. The potentials of the halides that can be …

A Comparison Of Devices For Race Day Characterization Of North American Turfgrass Thoroughbred Racing Surfaces, Peter Schmitt, Wayne T. Sanderson, John Trey Rogers Iii, Tyler J. Barzee, Michael L. Peterson

UK CARES Faculty Publications

Both pre-race meet and daily turf surface condition measurements are required by regula- tions adopted as part of the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Act (HISA). The Orono Biomechanical Surface Tester (OBST) is the primary device used for characterizing a racing surface and is used for the pre-meet inspections. Tools that are better suited for the daily testing of turf surfaces are also needed to meet the new federal regulations. The purpose of this study was to compare five simple tools commonly used in turf applications to the OBST. Data were collected with each of the six devices at plots chosen …

Communication With Physicians And Family About Breast Cancer Recurrence, Kimberly M. Kelly, Pragya Rai, Jamie L. Studts, Stephanie Dickinson, Beate Henschel, Mark Dignan, Mara D. Chambers, Hannah Hazard-Jenkins

UK CARES Faculty Publications

Objective: Adequate physician-patient communication about cancer recurrence is vital to quality of life and to informed decision-making related to survivorship care. The current study was guided by a cognitive-affective framework to examine communication with family and physicians about breast cancer recurrence risk.

Methods: A survey of recently-diagnosed, early-stage breast cancer patients in Appalachia investigated physician- patient and familial communication about breast cancer recurrence risk.

Results: Over 30% of participants reported not talking to family or physicians about breast cancer recurrence risk. Younger patients reported more conversations, and speaking with physicians was associated with greater perception risk factors associated with recurrence …

Recurrence Interval Estimates For The July 2022 Eastern Kentucky Floods, North Fork Of The Kentucky River, William C. Haneberg

Open File Reports--KGS

July 2022 flood recurrence interval calculations for three gages along the North Fork of the Kentucky River—Whitesburg, Hazard, and Jackson, Kentucky—based upon both empirical distributions and theoretical log-Pearson Type III distributions yield a range of results from 851 years for the Whitesburg gage near the headwaters of the North Fork to about 2 years for the Hazard gage to 94 years for the Jackson gage. While the log-Pearson Type III approach worked well for the Whitesburg and Hazard gages, it produced an unrealistically low estimate for the Jackson gage because the empirical and theoretical curves diverge significantly for large floods …

Early Emergency Department Experience With 7-Day Extended-Release Injectable Buprenorphine For Opioid Use Disorder., Gail D'Onofrio, Jeanmarie Perrone, Kathryn F. Hawk, Ethan Cowan, Ryan Mccormack, Edouard Coupet, Patricia H. Owens, Shara H. Martel, Kristen Huntley, Sharon L. Walsh, Michelle R. Lofwall, Andrew Herring, The Ed-Innovation Investigators

Center on Drug and Alcohol Research Faculty Publications

As the opioid overdose epidemic escalates, there is an urgent need for treatment innovations to address both patient and clinician barriers when initiating buprenorphine in the emergency department (ED). These include insurance status, logistical challenges such as the ability to fill a prescription and transportation, concerns regarding diversion, and availability of urgent referral sites. Extended-release buprenorphine (XR-BUP) preparations such as a new 7-day injectable could potentially solve some of these issues. We describe the pharmacokinetics of a new 7-day XR-BUP formulation and the feasibility of its use in the ED setting. We report our early experiences with this medication (investigational …

A Wearable Fluorescence Imaging Device For Intraoperative Identification Of Human Brain Tumors, Mehrana Mohtasebi, Chong Huang, Mingjun Zhao, Siavash Mazdeyasna, Xuhui Liu, Samaneh Rabienia Haratbar, Faraneh Fathi, Jinghong Sun, Thomas A. Pittman, Guoqiang Yu

Biomedical Engineering Faculty Publications

Malignant glioma (MG) is the most common type of primary malignant brain tumors. Surgical resection of MG remains the cornerstone of therapy and the extent of resection correlates with patient survival. A limiting factor for resection, however, is the difficulty in differentiating the tumor from normal tissue during surgery. Fluorescence imaging is an emerging technique for real-time intraoperative visualization of MGs and their boundaries. However, most clinical grade neurosurgical operative microscopes with fluorescence imaging ability are hampered by low adoption rates due to high cost, limited portability, limited operation flexibility, and lack of skilled professionals with technical knowledge. To overcome …

Molecular Control Of Triplet-Pair Spin Polarization And Its Optoelectronic Magnetic Resonance Probes, Obadiah G. Reid, Justin C. Johnson, Joel D. Eaves, Niels H. Damrauer, John E. Anthony

Chemical and Materials Engineering Faculty Publications

Preparing and manipulating pure magnetic states in molecular systems are the key initial requirements for harnessing the power of synthetic chemistry to drive practical quantum sensing and computing technologies. One route for achieving the requisite higher spin states in organic systems exploits the phenomenon of singlet fission, which produces pairs of triplet excited states from initially photoexcited singlets in molecular assemblies with multiple chromophores. The resulting spin states are characterized by total spin (quintet, triplet, or singlet) and its projection onto a specified molecular or magnetic field axis. These excited states are typically highly polarized but exhibit an impure spin …

Hospital Adhering To The Ten Steps To Successful Breastfeeding Predicts Exclusive Breastfeeding In Latinx Mothers., Ana Linares, Diana Cartagena, Marialda Moreira Christoffel

Nursing Faculty Publications

Introduction: Assessing how well a hospital adheres to the Ten Steps to Successful Breastfeeding is the key to outlining necessary modifications in mother breastfeeding support. This study aimed to assess Latinx mothers’ perception of how well a hospital adheres to the Ten Steps to Successful Breastfeeding and its influence on exclusive breastfeeding (EBF) rates at hospital discharge.

Methods: Secondary analysis of two longitudinal studies. The combined sample (N = 74) of Latinx pregnant women residing in the US. We modified, translated, and evaluated reliability of the Questionnaire for the Breastfeeding Mother (QBFM), which was applied to evaluate mothers’ …

Deficiency Of Acute-Phase Serum Amyloid A Exacerbates Sepsis-Induced Mortality And Lung Injury In Mice, Ailing Ji, Andrea C. Trumbauer, Victoria P. Noffsinger, Luke W. Meredith, Brittany Dong, Qian Wang, Ling Guo, Xiangan Li, Frederick C. De Beer, Nancy R. Webb, Lisa R. Tannock, Marlene E. Starr, Christopher M. Waters, Preetha Shridas

Saha Cardiovascular Research Center Faculty Publications

Serum amyloid A (SAA) is a family of proteins, the plasma levels of which may increase >1000-fold in acute inflammatory states. We investigated the role of SAA in sepsis using mice deficient in all three acute-phase SAA isoforms (SAA-TKO). SAA deficiency significantly increased mortality rates in the three experimental sepsis mouse models: cecal ligation and puncture (CLP), cecal slurry (CS) injection, and lipopolysaccharide (LPS) treatments. SAA-TKO mice had exacerbated lung pathology compared to wild-type (WT) mice after CLP. A bulk RNA sequencing performed on lung tissues excised 24 h after CLP indicated significant enrichment in the expression of genes associated …

On The Origin And Evolution Of The Mosquito Male-Determining Factor Nix, James K. Biedler, Azedah Aryan, Yumin Qi, Aihua Wang, Ellen O. Martinson, Daniel A. Hartman, Fan Yang, Atashi Sharma, Katherine S. Morton, Mark Potters, Chujia Chen, Stephen L. Dobson, Gregory D. Ebel, Rebekah C. Kadling, Sally Paulson, Rui-De Xue, Michael R. Strand, Zhijian Tu

Entomology Faculty Publications

The mosquito family Culicidae is divided into 2 subfamilies named the Culicinae and Anophelinae. Nix, the dominant male-determining factor, has only been found in the culicines Aedes aegypti and Aedes albopictus, 2 important arboviral vectors that belong to the subgenus Stegomyia. Here we performed sex-specific whole-genome sequencing and RNAseq of divergent mosquito species and explored additional male-inclusive datasets to investigate the distribution of Nix. Except for the Culex genus, Nix homologs were found in all species surveyed from the Culicinae subfamily, including 12 additional species from 3 highly divergent tribes comprising 4 genera, suggesting Nix originated at least 133 to …

Magnetic Resonance Imaging Of Macrophage Response To Radiation Therapy, Harrison Yang, Brock Howerton, Logan Brown, Tadahide Izumi, Dennis C. Cheek, Jason Anthony Brandon, Francesc Marti, Roberto Gedaly, Reuben Adatorwovor, Fanny Chapelin

Markey Cancer Center Faculty Publications

Background: Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is a non-invasive imaging modality which, in conjunction with biopsies, provide a qualitative assessment of tumor response to treatment. Intravenous injection of contrast agents such as fluorine (19F) nanoemulsions labels systemic macrophages, which can, then, be tracked in real time with MRI. This method can provide quantifiable insights into the behavior of tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs) in the tumor microenvironment and macrophage recruitment during therapy.

Methods: Female mice received mammary fat pad injections of murine breast or colon cancer cell lines. The mice then received an intravenous 19F nanoemulsion injection, followed by a baseline 19F MRI. …

Md_Harmonize: A Python Package For Atom-Level Harmonization Of Public Metabolic Databases, Huan Jin, Hunter N. B. Moseley

Markey Cancer Center Faculty Publications

A major challenge to integrating public metabolic resources is the use of different nomenclatures by individual databases. This paper presents md_harmonize, an open-source Python package for harmonizing compounds and metabolic reactions across various metabolic databases. The md_harmonize package utilizes a neighborhood-specific graph coloring method for generating a unique identifier for each compound via atom identifiers based on a compound’s chemical structure. The resulting harmonized compounds and reactions can be used for various downstream analyses, including the construction of atom-resolved metabolic networks and models for metabolic flux analysis. Parts of the md_harmonize package have been optimized using a variety of computational …

A Novel Tractor Operated Grass Seed Harvester Developed In India, Chandra Shekhar Sahay, D. S. Thorat, P. S. Pathak

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

The demand of green and dry fodder in India is estimated to increase to 1170 and 650 m tonne whereas availability is expected to be at 411.3 and 488 m tonne in 2025, respectively, depicting deficit of about 64.9% green fodder and 24.9% dry fodder (Vision 2030, ICAR - IGFRI, Jhansi, 2011). In forages, availability of quality seed is only 25-30% in cultivated fodder and less than 10 % in range grasses and legumes (Vision 2050, IGFRI). Prices paid for grass seeds of native species vary from Rs.5,000 to 6,500 per kg for clean, un-haired seeds due to excessive use …

Growth Components And Yield Of Brachiaria Ruziziensis (Congo Grass) And Centrosema Pascuorum (Centro) Mixtures As Influenced By Mixture Ratios, Phosphorus Levels And Stage Of Harvest, I. Sani, J. T. Amodu, R. J. Tanko, M. R. Hassan, N. Adamu

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

This study was conducted during the 2017 and 2018 rainy season at the Crop Production Research farm, Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University, Bauchi to determine the effects of plant mixture ratios in Brachiaria ruziziensis and Centrosema pascuorum (100% Sole B. ruziziensis, 75% B.R: 25% C.P, 50% B.R: 50% C.P, 25% B.R: 75% C.P and 100% Sole C. pascuorum) and phosphorus fertilizer (SSP) levels (0, 100 and 150kg/ha). The experiment was in a split-plot design with 5x3 factorial arrangement in which the mixture ratios constituted the main plots while phosphorus (SSP) levels constituted the sub treatments. Number of plants per …

Cool-Season Perennials And Stability In Year-Round Forage Production Systems, C. D. Teutsch

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

Changes in long-term climate normals have resulted in warmer and wetter summers and milder winters in the humid eastern United States. This will likely impact regional forage species adaptation in the long-term and varietal adaptation in the short term. Variety evaluation has been occurring at the University of Kentucky for almost 100 years. There are several considerations for selecting forage species and varieties including regional and local adaptation, productivity, distribution of growth, palatability, nutritive value, anti-quality factors, tolerance to stress, and persistence. Two of the most important criteria are long-term productivity and persistence under grazing, both of which are currently …

Grazing Effects On Soil Seed Banks: A Global Synthesis, Shi Yafei

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

Livestock grazing is a major disturbance affecting plant diversity and abundance in terrestrial ecosystems. The intermediate disturbance hypothesis (IDH) predicts that moderate-intensity grazing should produce the highest species diversity, while the Milchunas-Sala-Lauenroth (MSL) model posits that the IDH is valid only for mesic areas. However, it remains unclear how grazing affects soil seed bank and whether or not the IDH or MSL models are valid for soil seed bank communities. Here, we presented a global meta-analysis synthesizing 483 observations: we found that grazing had a negative effect on soil seed bank abundance, but did not alter seed bank richness. Further …

Effects Of Warming And Nitrogen Addition On Soil Enzyme Activities, X. Zhang, G. D. Han

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

Due to the intensification of human activities, global warming and increased atmospheric nitrogen deposition have become important driving factors of global change. In order to understand the effects of long-term warming and nitrogen application on soil physical and chemical properties and enzyme activities, the effects of warming and nitrogen application on grassland soil enzyme activities were measured. The aim was to reveal the response of enzyme activity in an Inner Mongolian desert steppe to long-term warming and nitrogen addition. The results were as follows. In 2018, nitrogen fertilization significantly increased soil dehydrogenase activity, and soil depth significantly affected soil urease, …

Back To The Future: How Do We Get There From Here? Making Restoration Work, K. Swilling, E. Bisangwa, Pat D. Keyser

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

Extreme temperatures and long periods of drought observed with increasing frequency in the southeastern United States (U.S.) have demonstrated the need to develop more robust forage systems. Native warmseason grasses (NWSGs) are well adapted to fill this role, but their expanded use comes with several challenges, most notably, reliable establishment. The high cost of site preparation, high cost of seed, and slow initial growth of NWSG seedlings must be addressed to achieve increased adoption of NWSG in the eastern U.S. If these challenges are overcome, incorporating NWSG into grazing systems would benefit producers by filling the summer forage gap, mitigating …

Ecologically-Based Rodent Pest Management: Research Progress In Plateau Zokors On Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau, Su Junhu, Kang Yukun

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

Rodent management has been an ongoing global challenge. The emergence of ecologically based rodent management (EBRM) has improved a series of dilemmas in traditional rodent control that are poorly targeted, unsustainable, and environmentally harmful. The plateau zokor (Eospalax baileyi) is a key species in the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau (QTP). In recent years, due to its high population density, this subterranean rodent has caused serious damage to the grassland ecosystems on the QTP. Currently, a series of explorations of EBRM on plateau zokors have been initiated. We review progress about EBRM on plateau zokor in this paper, which mainly includes …

Grazing Effects On Soil Seed Banks: A Global Synthesis, Shi Yafei

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

Livestock grazing is a major disturbance affecting plant diversity and abundance in terrestrial ecosystems. The intermediate disturbance hypothesis (IDH) predicts that moderate-intensity grazing should produce the highest species diversity, while the Milchunas-Sala-Lauenroth (MSL) model posits that the IDH is valid only for mesic areas. However, it remains unclear how grazing affects soil seed bank and whether or not the IDH or MSL models are valid for soil seed bank communities. Here, we presented a global meta-analysis synthesizing 483 observations: we found that grazing had a negative effect on soil seed bank abundance, but did not alter seed bank richness. Further …

Carbon Sequestration Potential Of Pasture-Based Systems Along An Altitudinal Gradient In The North-Western Himalayas, Harish Sharma, K. S. Pant, Rohit Bishist, Ravinder Sharma, Uday Sharma, M. K. Brahmi

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

The present investigation was carried out in the Chamba district of Himachal Pradesh (India) to identify the pasture-based land use systems being practiced by farmers and to find out their carbon sequestration potential along different altitudes. For carrying out the study, the area was divided into four altitudinal ranges viz., zone-I (amsl), zone-II (1000-1500 m amsl), zone-III (1500- 2500 m amsl) and zone-IV (> 2500 m amsl), according to agro-ecological zones in the state. Results revealed that the pasture-based systems practiced by the farmers in the altitudinal zone-I and zone-II were silvo-pasture and pastoral-silviculture, while, at altitudinal zone-III and zone-IV, …