Digital Commons Network^™

Development Of A Statewide Network Hub For Screening, Referral, And Enrollment Into Food As Medicine Programs Across Kentucky, Christa Mayfield, Carolyn Lauckner, Joshua Bush, Ethan Cosson, Lauren Batey, Alison Gustafson

Behavioral Science Faculty Publications

Widespread recognition of food as medicine interventions' role in reducing food insecurity and improving health outcomes has recently emerged. Several states have released In Lieu of Services, state-approved alternative services that may be offered by managed care organizations in place of covered benefits, or 1,115 Medicaid waivers, which may allow for expanded nutrition services to reduce food insecurity and improve health outcomes. However, there are significant gaps in understanding how to create a statewide system for delivering "healthcare by food" interventions. The University of Kentucky Food as Health Alliance first piloted the development of a statewide hub facilitating referral to, …

Applying The Normative Design Approach To Civil Engineering, Justin R. Vander Werff

Faculty Work Comprehensive List

In 1986, the book Responsible Technology [1] was published as an important compilation from a number of thoughtful Christians engaged in technology and engineering in that era. In many ways, this book and those involved with it laid the foundation for what has become the Christian Engineering Society. A particularly valuable aspect of this work was that it laid out a biblically normative framework for doing engineering based on Herman Dooyeweerd’s modal aspects [2], fleshing out how the higher aspects such as faith, ethics, and justice should play an integral role in engineering development, even though we often have a …

Isoflurane Conditioning Improves Functional Outcomes After Peripheral Nerve Injury In A Sciatic Cut Repair Murine Model, Yameng Xu, Ying Yan, Gregory J Zipfel, Matthew Macewan, Wilson Z Ray, Umeshkumar Athiraman

2020-Current year OA Pubs

INTRODUCTION: Anesthetic conditioning has been shown to provide neuroprotection in several neurological disorders. Whether anesthetic conditioning provides protection against peripheral nerve injuries remains unknown. The aim of our current study is to investigate the impact of isoflurane conditioning on the functional outcomes after peripheral nerve injury (PNI) in a rodent sciatic nerve injury model.

METHODS: Adult male Lewis rats underwent sciatic nerve cut and repair and exposed to none (Group 1, sham), single isoflurane exposure (Group 2), three-time isoflurane exposure (Group 3), and six-time isoflurane exposure (Group 4). Isoflurane conditioning was established by administration of 2% isoflurane for 1 hour, …

Bioactive Glycans In A Microbiome-Directed Food For Children With Malnutrition, Matthew C Hibberd, Daniel M Webber, Suzanne Henrissat, Robert Y Chen, Cyrus Zhou, Hannah M Lynn, Yi Wang, Hao-Wei Chang, Evan M Lee, Janaki Lelwala-Guruge, Ye Chen, Ishita Mostafa, Subhasish Das, Mustafa Mahfuz, Michael J Barratt, Tahmeed Ahmed, Jeffrey I Gordon, Et Al.

2020-Current year OA Pubs

Evidence is accumulating that perturbed postnatal development of the gut microbiome contributes to childhood malnutrition

Proceedings Of The 11th Annual Deep Brain Stimulation Think Tank: Pushing The Forefront Of Neuromodulation With Functional Network Mapping, Biomarkers For Adaptive Dbs, Bioethical Dilemmas, Ai-Guided Neuromodulation, And Translational Advancements, Cristin G Welle, Kevin B Wilkins, Helen M Bronte-Stewart, Valerie Voon, Takashi Morishita, Yuki Sakai, Amanda R Merner, Gabriel Lázaro-Muñoz, Theresa Williamson, Andreas Horn, Ro'ee Gilron, Jonathan O'Keeffe, Aryn H Gittis, Wolf-Julian Neumann, Simon Little, Nicole R Provenza, Sameer A Sheth, Alfonso Fasano, Abbey B Holt-Becker, Robert S Raike, Lisa Moore, Yagna J Pathak, David Greene, Sara Marceglia, Lothar Krinke, Huiling Tan, Hagai Bergman, Monika Pötter-Nerger, Bomin Sun, Laura Y Cabrera, Cameron C Mcintyre, Noam Harel, Helen S Mayberg, Andrew D Krystal, Nader Pouratian, Philip A Starr, Kelly D Foote, Michael S Okun, Joshua K Wong

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

The Deep Brain Stimulation (DBS) Think Tank XI was held on August 9-11, 2023 in Gainesville, Florida with the theme of "Pushing the Forefront of Neuromodulation". The keynote speaker was Dr. Nico Dosenbach from Washington University in St. Louis, Missouri. He presented his research recently published in Nature inn a collaboration with Dr. Evan Gordon to identify and characterize the somato-cognitive action network (SCAN), which has redefined the motor homunculus and has led to new hypotheses about the integrative networks underpinning therapeutic DBS. The DBS Think Tank was founded in 2012 and provides an open platform where clinicians, engineers, and …

Evaluating The Robustness Of Mdss Forecast And Compliance With Recommendations, Gregory L. Brinster, Jairaj Desai, Myles W. Overall, Christopher Gartner, Rahul Suryakant Sakhare, Jijo K. Mathew, Nick Evans, Darcy M. Bullock

JTRP Technical Reports

The Indiana Department of Transportation (INDOT) adopted the Maintenance Decision Support System (MDSS) for user-defined plowing segments in the winter of 2008–2009. Since then, many new data sources, including connected vehicle data, enhanced weather data, and fleet telematics have been integrated into INDOT winter operations activities. The objective of this study was to use these new data sources to conduct a systematic evaluation of the robustness of the MDSS forecasts. During the 2023–2024 winter season, 26 unique MDSS forecast data attributes were collected at 0-, 1-, 3-, 6-, 12-, and 23-hour intervals from the observed storm time for 6 roadway …

Development Of A Formalized Program For In-Service Inspection Of Pedestrian Bridges, Aedh A. Alharthi, Robert J. Connor

JTRP Technical Reports

Currently, there are no universally accepted procedures or criteria related to the inspection of pedestrian bridges in the U.S. While some states have some criteria in place, the FHWA has no specific recommendations or requirements for such structures. However, pedestrian bridges can be very complex structures in some cases, whether by using non-redundant cable-supported walkways, curved super structures, or other materials not commonly used in highway bridges. Furthermore, many of these bridges are over busy state highways and carry many pedestrians daily. Due to the Indiana climate, these structures are often subjected to deicing chemicals that are applied more frequently …

Lessening Density Requirement And Adjusting Density Pay Factors For Asphalt Pavements In Poor Sublayer Conditions, Kyubyung Kang, Jinwoong Lee, Hojin Park, Jusang Lee

JTRP Technical Reports

Current quality control and quality assurance practices for asphalt pavements rely heavily on density (%Gmm) measurements, which are directly linked to pay adjustments. However, these practices can inadvertently encourage over-compaction, leading to issues such as aggregate segregation, crushing, and reduced pavement quality, especially under poor subgrade conditions. This study examines the relationship between the density of newly laid asphalt layers and the conditions of underlying sublayers in Hot Mix Asphalt pavements. This study analyzed INDOT's historical compaction data and conducted gyratory compaction testing. The analysis result revealed a weak negative correlation between subgrade conditions and surface density. Similarly, the gyratory …

Improved Light Weight Deflectometer Test (Lwd) And Analysis, Boonam Shin, Nitin Tiwari, Peter J. Becker, Antonio Bobet

JTRP Technical Reports

This study focused on improving light weight deflectometer (LWD) testing protocols and understanding material and equipment variability. The Indiana Department of Transportation (INDOT) adopted the LWD test for its efficiency and effectiveness in measuring soil stiffness, a crucial parameter for pavement structural layers. However, challenges remain for implementing LWD testing, particularly in small construction areas. There are also challenges with establishing standardized performance-related criteria for various subgrade treatments. To address these obstacles, this research aimed to develop maximum allowable deflections for compaction quality assurance without relying on site-specific test sections. A large-scale laboratory testing facility was established at the INDOT …

Detection And Assessment Of Sulfates In The Pavement Subgrade, Kanika Gupta, Marika Santagata, Antonio Bobet

JTRP Technical Reports

The ability to accurately detect sulfates in an existing subgrade has been a major challenge for INDOT’s pavement maintenance and rehabilitation projects. Although naturally occurring sulfates in soil pose a significant construction challenge, detecting sulfates in an existing subgrade may be problematic and costly, given that the presence of sulfates could result in expensive treatments or even removal of the subgrade. The project evaluated the performance of the ITM-510 test, a colorimetric test method utilized by INDOT to detect sulfates in soils. Soils collected from different Indiana road construction projects and two ASTM reference soils were treated with lime and …

A New Approach To Accelerated Fabrication Of Steel Bridges: Design, Optimization, And Demonstration, Ashley P. Thrall, Sherryen C. Mutoka, Mirela D. Tumbeva

JTRP Technical Reports

This research developed and demonstrated a new approach to the accelerated fabrication of resilient steel bridges—built-up press-brake formed tub girders (PBTGs). Built-up PBTGs are comprised of webs that are cold bent via a press brake and bolted to separate, flat bottom and top flanges. This investigation included (1) designing and building two demonstration bridges, (2) measuring the behavior of the demonstration bridges as experimental evidence demonstrating behavior, and (3) developing a kit-of-parts system to facilitate future adoption of this system. Research culminated in two completed vehicular bridges that are in use, validated numerical modeling approaches for design, a kit-of-parts system, …

Heart Rate Variability Is Reduced In Covid-19 Survivors And Associated With Physical Activity And Fatigue, Michael H. Haischer, Lauren E. Opielinski, Lindsey M. Mirkes, Toni D. Uhrich, Rachel E. Bollaert, Michael E. Danduran, Marie K. Hoeger Bement, Linda B. Piacentine, Paula E. Papanek, Sandra K. Hunter

Exercise Science Faculty Research and Publications

Reduced heart rate variability (HRV) and fatigue are common after COVID-19 infection and both are potentially influenced by physical activity (PA). We compared resting HRV, PA from accelerometers and questionnaires, and self-reported fatigue in 41 COVID-19 survivors (~8 months postinfection, 38 ± 17 years) with 41 matched controls. Differences in HRV were observed on acceleration capacity (p = 0.041), deceleration capacity (p = 0.032), high-frequency peak frequency (p = 0.019), absolute low-frequency power (p = 0.042), relative very low-frequency power (p = 0.012), SD2 (from Poincare plot; p = 0.047), and DFA2 (slope of long-term …

Sex Differences In Laterality Of Motor Unit Firing Behavior Of The First Dorsal Interosseous Muscle In Strength-Matched Healthy Young Males And Females, Yuichi Nishikawa, Kohei Watanabe, Aleš Holobar, Ryoka Kitamura, Noriaki Maeda, Allison S. Hyngstrom

Physical Therapy Faculty Research and Publications

Purpose

The purpose of this study was to compare laterality in motor unit firing behavior between females and males.

Methods

Twenty-seven subjects (14 females) were recruited for this study. The participants performed ramp up and hold isometric index finger abduction at 10, 30, and 60% of their maximum voluntary contraction (MVC). High-density surface electromyography (HD-sEMG) signals were recorded in the first dorsal interosseous (FDI) muscle and decomposed into individual motor unit (MU) firing behavior using a convolution blind source separation method.

Results

In total, 769 MUs were detected (females, n = 318 and males, n = 451). Females had a …

Clinical Classification Of Memory And Cognitive Impairment With Multimodal Digital Biomarkers, Ali Jannati, Joyce Gomes-Osman, Sean Tobyne, David Bates, Alvaro Pascual-Leone

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Introduction: Early detection of Alzheimer's disease and cognitive impairment is critical to improving the healthcare trajectories of aging adults, enabling early intervention and potential prevention of decline.

Methods: To evaluate multi-modal feature sets for assessing memory and cognitive impairment, feature selection and subsequent logistic regressions were used to identify the most salient features in classifying Rey Auditory Verbal Learning Test-determined memory impairment.

Results: Multimodal models incorporating graphomotor, memory, and speech and voice features provided the stronger classification performance (area under the curve = 0.83; sensitivity = 0.81, specificity = 0.80). Multimodal models were superior to all other single modality and …

Allometries Of Cell And Tissue Anatomy And Photosynthetic Rate Across Leaves Of C3 And C4 Grasses, Jessica Pasquet-Kok, Christine Vuong, Yu Zhang, Teera Watcharamongkol, Grace P John, Christine Scoffoni, Colin P Osborne, Lawren Sack

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Allometric relationships among the dimensions of leaves and their cells hold across diverse eudicotyledons, but have remained untested in the leaves of grasses. We hypothesised that geometric (proportional) allometries of cell sizes across tissues and of leaf dimensions would arise due to the coordination of cell development and that of cell functions such as water, nutrient and energy transport, and that cell sizes across tissues would be associated with light-saturated photosynthetic rate. We tested predictions across 27 globally distributed C3 and C4 grass species grown in a common garden. We found positive relationships among average cell sizes within and across …

Cutting Edge Of Genetically Modified Pigs Targeting Complement Activation For Xenotransplantation, Danni Li, Yiping Wang, Zhengteng Yang, Yi Wang

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

In the quest to address the critical shortage of donor organs for transplantation, xenotransplantation stands out as a promising solution, offering a more abundant supply of donor organs. Yet, its widespread clinical adoption remains hindered by significant challenges, chief among them being immunological rejection. Central to this issue is the role of the complement system, an essential component of innate immunity that frequently triggers acute and chronic rejection through hyperacute immune responses. Such responses can rapidly lead to transplant embolism, compromising the function of the transplanted organ and ultimately causing graft failure. This review delves into three key areas of …

Part 3: If You Zone It, They Will Come: Housing Supply In Hampton Roads, Dragas Center For Economic Analysis And Policy, Old Dominion University

State of the Region Reports: Hampton Roads

The recent rise in housing prices in Hampton Roads has priced many families out of the American dream of owning a home. Even though fewer houses sold in 2023, median single-family prices continued to rise. In this chapter, we discuss how policies and regulations may influence decisions to build and ask what can be done to increase the supply of housing in Hampton Roads.

Generation And Characterization Of In Vitro Transcribed Mrna

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Here we describe the in vitro preparation of mRNA from DNA templates, including setting up the transcription reaction, mRNA capping, and mRNA labeling. We then describe methods used for mRNA characterization, including UV and fluorescence spectrophotometry, as well as gel electrophoresis. Moreover, characterization of the in vitro transcribed RNA using the Bioanalyzer instrument is described, allowing a higher resolution analysis of the target molecules. For the in vitro testing of the mRNA molecules, we include protocols for the transfection of various primary cell cultures and the confirmation of translation by intracellular staining and western blotting.

Editorial: Recent Advances In Cardiotoxicity Testing, Volume Ii, Abou-Bakr M Salama, Tamer M A Mohamed

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

No abstract provided.

Welcoming 2024: Supporting Students' Well-Being

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

No abstract provided.

Designing A Use-Error Robust Machine Learning Model For Quantitative Analysis Of Diffuse Reflectance Spectra, Allison Scarbrough, Keke Chen, Bing Yu

Biomedical Engineering Faculty Research and Publications

Significance

Machine learning (ML)-enabled diffuse reflectance spectroscopy (DRS) is increasingly used as an alternative to the computation-intensive inverse Monte Carlo (MCI) simulation to predict tissue’s optical properties, including the absorption coefficient,μaand reduced scattering coefficient, μs′.

Aim

We aim to develop a use-error-robust ML algorithm for optical property prediction from DRS spectra.

Approach

We developed a wavelength-independent regressor (WIR) to predict optical properties from DRS data. For validation, we generated 1520 simulated DRS spectra with the forward Monte Carlo model, where μa=0.44 to 2.45cm−1, and μs′=6.53 to 9.58cm−1. We introduced common use-errors, such as wavelength miscalibrations and intensity fluctuations. Finally, we …

Utility And Usability Of A Wearable System And Progressive-Challenge Cued Exercise Program For Encouraging Use Of The More Involved Arm At-Home After Stroke—A Feasibility Study With Case Reports, Jake Horder, Leigh A. Mrotek, Maura Casadio, Kimberly Bassindale, John Mcguire, Robert A. Scheidt

Biomedical Engineering Faculty Research and Publications

Background

Understanding the role of adherence to home exercise programs for survivors of stroke is critical to ensure patients perform prescribed exercises and maximize effectiveness of recovery.

Methods

Survivors of hemiparetic stroke with impaired motor function were recruited into a 7-day study designed to test the utility and usability of a low-cost wearable system and progressive-challenge cued exercise program for encouraging graded-challenge exercise at-home. The wearable system comprised two wrist-worn MetaMotionR+ activity monitors and a custom smartphone app. The progressive-challenge cued exercise program included high-intensity activities (one repetition every 30 s) dosed at 1.5 h per day, embedded within 8 …

A Neural Mechanism For Conserved Value Computations Integrating Information And Rewards, Ethan S Bromberg-Martin, Yang-Yang Feng, Takaya Ogasawara, J Kael White, Kaining Zhang, Ilya E Monosov

2020-Current year OA Pubs

Behavioral and economic theory dictate that we decide between options based on their values. However, humans and animals eagerly seek information about uncertain future rewards, even when this does not provide any objective value. This implies that decisions are made by endowing information with subjective value and integrating it with the value of extrinsic rewards, but the mechanism is unknown. Here, we show that human and monkey value judgements obey strikingly conserved computational principles during multi-attribute decisions trading off information and extrinsic reward. We then identify a neural substrate in a highly conserved ancient structure, the lateral habenula (LHb). LHb …

Politics And School Libraries, Legal Challenges And Impacts, Dr. Cynthia Boyer

Journal of Race, Gender, and Equality

This article begins by exploring the tensions between public opinion, education, and political conflicts, focusing on how these dynamics shape current debates. It then examines the rising trend of book banning legislation across various states and the constitutional challenges these laws face. Finally, the analysis considers the broader implications of these actions on students, educators, and society, highlighting the potential consequences for the future of education and democratic engagement in the United States.

The Leadership Blind Spot: Why Are Black Boys Missing From The School’S Leadership Positions?, Chima Ikeme

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this phenomenological action research study was to explore the factors that have contributed to the absence of Black boys in school leadership positions. The study looked to answer the following research questions: How do Black male students perceive leadership and their connection to leadership roles on campus? What barriers exist that discourage or prohibit Black boys from engaging in school organization student leadership positions? How can student leadership from Black boys on campus be increased?Critical Race Theory, Transformational Leadership Theory, and Self Determination Theory served as the theoretical frameworks that grounded this study. Utilizing a qualitative approach …

Sc2menetdrug: A Computational Tool To Uncover Inter-Cell Signaling Targets And Identify Relevant Drugs Based On Single Cell Rna-Seq Data, Jiarui Feng, S. Peter Goedegebuure, Amanda Zeng, Ye Bi, Ting Wang, Philip Payne, Li Ding, David Denardo, William Hawkins, Ryan C. Fields, Fuhai Li

2020-Current year OA Pubs

Single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) is a powerful technology to investigate the transcriptional programs in stromal, immune, and disease cells, like tumor cells or neurons within the Alzheimer's Disease (AD) brain or tumor microenvironment (ME) or niche. Cell-cell communications within ME play important roles in disease progression and immunotherapy response and are novel and critical therapeutic targets. Though many tools of scRNA-seq analysis have been developed to investigate the heterogeneity and sub-populations of cells, few were designed for uncovering cell-cell communications of ME and predicting the potentially effective drugs to inhibit the communications. Moreover, the data analysis processes of discovering signaling …

The Response Of Dual-Leucine Zipper Kinase (Dlk) To Nocodazole: Evidence For A Homeostatic Cytoskeletal Repair Mechanism, Laura Devault, Chase Mateusiak, John Palucki, Michael Brent, Jeffrey Milbrandt, Aaron Diantonio

2020-Current year OA Pubs

Genetic and pharmacological perturbation of the cytoskeleton enhances the regenerative potential of neurons. This response requires Dual-leucine Zipper Kinase (DLK), a neuronal stress sensor that is a central regulator of axon regeneration and degeneration. The damage and repair aspects of this response are reminiscent of other cellular homeostatic systems, suggesting that a cytoskeletal homeostatic response exists. In this study, we propose a framework for understanding DLK mediated neuronal cytoskeletal homeostasis. We demonstrate that low dose nocodazole treatment activates DLK signaling. Activation of DLK signaling results in a DLK-dependent transcriptional signature, which we identify through RNA-seq. This signature includes genes likely …

Development Of Latitude/Longitude (And Route/Milepost) Model For Positioning Traffic Management Cameras, Jijo K. Mathew, Haydn Malackowski, Yerassyl Koshan, Christopher Gartner, Jairaj Desai, Howell Li, Edward Cox, Ayman Habib, Darcy M. Bullock

JTRP Technical Reports

Traffic Incident Management (TIM) is a FHWA Every Day Counts initiative with the objective of reducing secondary crashes, improving travel reliability, and ensuring the safety of responders. Agency roadside cameras play a critical role in TIM by helping dispatchers quickly identify the precise location of incidents when receiving reports from motorists with varying levels of spatial accuracy. Reconciling position reports that are often mile-marker based with cameras that operate in a Pan-Tilt-Zoom (PTZ) coordinate system relies on dispatchers having detailed knowledge of hundreds of cameras and perhaps some presets. During real-time incident dispatching, reducing the time it takes to identify …

Origin-Destination Vehicle Counts In Weaving Area Utilizing Existing Field Data, Stanley Chien, Lauren Christopher, Yaobin Chen, Mei Qiu, Wei Lin

JTRP Technical Reports

Vehicle weaving describes the vehicle lane changes in areas between consecutive merge and diverge ramp junctions. During heavy traffic, vehicle weaving will slow down traffic, cause congestion, and increase the possibility of crashes. It is desirable to automatically capture the weaving information using camera videos in the weaving areas. The currently existing weaving area analysis is very tedious and labor-intensive. This report describes a novel system that uses the videos simultaneously captured at the entry and exit of the weaving area to find the number and percentage of vehicles from each lane on the entry to each lane on the …

Incorporating Time-Dependent Data For Proactive Safety Management, Raul Pineda-Mendez, Qiming Guo, Noshin Ahmad, Mario A. Romero, Andrew P. Tarko

JTRP Technical Reports

This study proposed a risk-based safety management framework to supplement the current crash-based safety management system. The proposed tool considers time-dependent factors (e.g., hourly traffic, speed features, weather conditions, signal controls) to help justify operational measures for safety improvements (e.g., variable message signs, variable speed limits, warnings). These selected temporal factors subsequently were included in the developed sequential logit models; and those models, applied hour by hour, were then used to estimate the crash probability and severity level. Two typical roadway elements, rural freeway segments and signalized intersections, were also included in the analysis. The obtained crash risk profiles can …