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Using Photovoice to Define the Experiences, Needs, Strengths, and Priorities of Gay Men in South Central Appalachia
Get PDFIntroduction: Gay, bisexual, queer, and other men who have sex with men and transgender and nonbinary persons living in rural Appalachia experience profound health disparities. Limited research, however, has focused on the needs, strengths, and priorities of these communities.
Purpose: This study sought to better understand the lived experiences of the vulnerable, underrepresented, and underserved Appalachian gay male community by working with a small group of self-identified gay Appalachian men.
Methods: As part of a larger community-based participatory research study (the Appalachian Access Project), four self-identified gay men participated in a photovoice project. Participants took photos based on four group-defined photo assignments that served as discussion triggers to explore experiences and priorities of local LGBTQ+ communities. These discussions were analyzed and member-checked by participants, representatives from community organizations, and academic researchers.
Results: Nine themes emerged. Themes included acknowledgement of the diversity within Appalachian LGBTQ+ community; obstacles faced related to intersectional stigma and discrimination; geographic isolation; community-based peer support to promote belonging, wellbeing, and health; the need for welcoming and safer spaces; peer-to-peer knowledge sharing; self-care strategies; “breaking silences” to raise awareness about underrepresented experiences; and the roles of allyship, advocacy, and activism, to change policies and promote community health.
Implications: This photovoice project sheds light on the needs, strengths, and priorities of gay men living in Appalachia. Those working with these communities could benefit from increasing trust and focus on addressing higher-level environmental factors (e.g., community and policy factors) along with individual and interpersonal factors, to improve health equity for the larger Appalachian LGBTQ+ community
Contextualizing Violence against Women: The Influence of Social Solidarity on Attitudes toward Gendered Violence in Bangladesh
Get PDFExisting theories, such as Social Identity Theory, Social Dominance Theory, and the Black Sheep Effect, explain how group biases shape social attitudes but overlook the role of social contexts, such as relational dynamics, hierarchical stability, and norm violations, in influencing attitudes toward violence against women (VAW). This research addresses that gap by advancing the Selective Solidarity Theory (SST), which integrates group identity processes with contextual factors to explain selective support for perpetrators or victims based on identity and circumstance.
Using an original national survey experiment in Bangladesh, the study examines how gender, religious affiliation, and political partisanship affect public attitudes toward perpetrator punishment and victim-blaming. Findings show that individuals selectively extend solidarity: support for perpetrators or victims shifts based on group membership, perceived hierarchical stability, and whether social norms are violated. This research demonstrates that attitudes toward VAW are not uniformly shaped by group identity but are contingent on broader relational and societal contexts. By highlighting the mechanisms of selective solidarity, this study offers a more nuanced understanding of intergroup bias, contributing to theoretical debates on identity, power, and justice, particularly in hybrid regimes marked by political polarization and entrenched social hierarchies
Determinants of Willingness to Share Wearable Health Data with Health Care Providers in Appalachian Populations: an Exploratory Study
Get PDFBackground: Wearable health devices capture metrics (e.g., physical activity, ECG, sleep) that can enhance care when shared with providers. Yet, willingness to share wearable data may differ in Appalachia, where chronic disease burdens, mistrust, and limited infrastructure pose unique challenges.
Objective: This study explored (1) which sociodemographic, health, and digital behaviors correlate with willingness to share wearable data and (2) how these insights can guide region-specific interventions in Appalachia.
Methods: We analyzed 320 Appalachian respondents from the Health Information National Trends Survey (HINTS 6). Descriptive statistics and logistic regression models examined willingness to share wearable data. Because of small cell counts, we supplemented with a Firth (penalized) logistic regression for robustness.
Results: Approximately 25.0% unweighted (27.9% weighted) were willing to share wearable data, but two-thirds did not respond or were inapplicable. The final adjusted model (n=47) revealed: Income:Higher income correlated with increased willingness (e.g., aOR=8.52e+04 for $35–49k vs. Self-Rated Health: “Good” or “very good” health was associated with higher odds of sharing than “poor” health (aOR=4406.52; p\u3c.05). Messaging: Surprisingly, participants who never messaged providers showed greater willingness (aOR=1.93e+07; p
Conclusions: These preliminary findings suggest that household income, perceived health, and digital behaviors influence wearable data-sharing in Appalachia, whereas national demographic trends may not apply. Future work should use larger samples, mixed methods, and region-specific approaches to address mistrust, privacy concerns, and infrastructural barriers, aiming to enhance remote patient monitoring and reduce health disparities
Strategic Alignment of Lexington Public Library and Art Community
Get PDFAmidst the evolving economic, political, religious, social, and technological landscape of the United States, one enduring element across communities has been the presence and importance of public libraries. Despite the decreasing number of genuinely public spaces in America, public libraries remain accessible and welcoming to all (Howard, 2019). Modern public libraries unite people and are rewriting common assumptions of what people think a library does (Carlson, 2024). Going far beyond books, libraries are serving as a trusted public common for social innovation and civic engagement, partnering with community organizations to address daily living issues (i.e., food insecurities and professional development), and collaborating with local government to meeting spaces for civic engagement and safe spaces during public health emergencies (Carlson, 2024). Libraries are being called social infrastructures as these physical spaces and organizations shape the way people interact and receive support (i.e., companionship for older adults, de facto childcare, and welcoming space for vulnerable populations) (Klinenberg, 2018).
It is unsurprising that libraries have been described as the cornerstones of the communities they serve due to free access to ideas, information, and resources that are imperative for education, employment, enjoyment, and self-government (American Library Association, 2006). This includes access to the arts, which fosters aesthetic appreciation, education, expression, social connection, and change. According to the American Library Association, visual arts can be a powerful component of library collections and services, offering communities opportunities to understand and engage with diverse cultural expressions. Libraries can provide visual art experiences through temporary exhibits, permanent installations, programs, and performances, creating spaces for creativity and exploration (American Library 3 Association, 2018). How libraries choose to integrate art depends on factors such as community needs, facility resources, and funding.
There are articles, news features, social media posts, and town halls focusing on how public libraries contribute to fostering community engagement via diverse collaborations, programming, services, and special events. However, little research has been done to assess the overall integration of public libraries and art communities. A public library system in a growing city in the southern United States seeks to gain more insight into this topic. Lexington Public Library (LPL) in Lexington, KY, offers arts programming but questions its overall effectiveness and public programming alignment with the local art community. This research and analysis explore opportunities for effective strategic alignment by combining an assessment of public value and stakeholder engagement
Measurement of Moisture Levels in Oils and Lubricants Using a Novel Moisture Sensor
Get PDFIt is very challenging to measure moisture levels in oils. There is not a good method to measure it. Using the novel moisture sensor invented by Dr. Zhi David Chen, we tried various methods to measure the moisture levels in oils. The initial trials are to immerse the sensor chip into the oils to see any sensor reading changes with the change of moisture levels in oils. It was observed that the sensor reading was unstable even after immersion into the oil for two weeks. The idea for immersion of the sensor chip into the oils failed due to the instability of the sensor.
It is known our sensor is very stable in air or nitrogen. The second idea was to heat the oil so that the moisture inside the oil evaporated to the atmosphere in enclosed space above the oil. Because the humidity in air was very high and the moisture level in oil was very low, it is necessary to purge the enclosed space to a very dry condition by a dry nitrogen flow for overnight. After this, the oil was heated and it was observed that dew point (moisture) increased with time. It is difficult to correlate the dew point or PPMv reading to the moisture inside the oil.
The last idea is to heat the oil to let all moisture evaporated fully. Before heating, the dew point (PPMv) can be measured. During heating the dew point (PPMv) increased to the maximum and began to decrease until the dew point (PPMv) became the same as dew point (PPMv) before heating. This means that all moisture inside the oil was fully evaporated. By integration of the dew point (PPMv) with time or the area inside the curve (S), one can link S with moisture levels using an empirical parameter A. Once A is determined, one can obtain S in any oils to calculate the moisture levels in the Oil
DECEPTIVE EXPLOITATION: DEEPFAKES, THE RIGHTS OF PUBLICITY AND PRIVACY, AND TRADEMARK LAW
No full textThis article addresses the application of right of publicity, right of privacy, and trademark law to the problem of deepfakes. It will explore the routine and not so routine ways that personality and persona attributes are exploited in traditional privacy contexts and publicity contexts. It will also examine the use of First Amendment defenses in legal actions traditionally associated with the exploitation of celebrities, sports figures, and other persons under state law theories of name-image-likeness exploitation, as well as and federal trademark law theories of false endorsement and false designation of origin.
Part I provides an introduction and background to the three theories of protection of personality and persona rights in right of publicity, right of privacy, and trademark law. Part II focuses on the publicity-property law implications of deepfakes when used in commercial speech and other contexts. Part III focuses on the tort and personal injury theories of privacy law in deepfake exploitation scenarios that impinge on seclusion, private affairs, and personal privacy. Part IV examines the trademark theories of false endorsement and false designation of origin in the context of deepfakes used in commercial contexts that present a risk of consumer confusion. Part V focuses on the role of the First Amendment in constraining the right of publicity, the right of privacy, and false endorsement and false designation of origin claims. Part VI is the conclusion
SIFTING WHEAT: STRUCTURAL DETERMINANTS OF US WHEAT PRICING
No full textSoft red winter (SRW) wheat basis reflects local demand conditions influenced by a range of structural and market factors. This study describes market signaling through carry and basis, arbitrage opportunities in SRW wheat, and the advantages or disadvantages of different grain origination contracts. A hedonic modeling framework, using observations pooled by futures board period, evaluated the seasonal drivers of wheat basis. A panel dataset was constructed from public and private sources and aggregated to the United Stated Department of Agriculture (USDA) Agricultural District level. Explanatory variables included regional milling capacity, mill storage, NASS wheat production, diesel price, rail car cost, barge cost, gulf tanker cost, on-farm stocks, off-farm stocks, export ratios (Atlantic, Gulf, Interior, and Lakes), futures price, and stocks-to-use ratio. The model was first estimated employing the entire dataset, followed by separate regressions for each board period. Comparing these results revealed that the effects of explanatory variables (e.g., regional milling capacity and storage, wheat production, on- and off-farm stocks, and transportation costs) vary across marketing periods, highlighting the seasonal patterns in the factors which influence SRW wheat basis. Results of the study provide new insights into marketing opportunities near flour mills
HUGO CHÁVEZ, EL CAMINO HAGIOGRÁFICO: RELIGIÓN Y BOLIVARIANISMO EN LA CONSTRUCCIÓN DISCURSIVA DEL CULTO A UN PRESIDENTE
No full textThis dissertation examines the discursive construction of the political-religious cult surrounding Hugo Chávez through a theoretical and methodological approach that integrates Critical Discourse Analysis (CDA) and Multimodal Discourse Analysis (MDA). Its central objective is to identify and interpret the incorporation of elements from the Venezuelan religious imaginary–particularly from popular Christianity–into the symbolic configuration of Chávez as a sacred figure within official discourse. The corpus analyzed includes official transcripts from the television program Aló Presidente, as well as two animated short films titled Chávez Nuestro que Estás en el Cielo (“Our Chávez Who Art in Heaven”), broadcast on Venezuelan public television.
The study reveals a systematic process of political sacralization, in which biblical references, Christological metaphors, and symbols of redemption are interwoven with Bolivarian ideology to construct a narrative that portrays Chávez as a messianic figure, redeemer of the nation, and martyr of the people. Through MDA, the analysis also explores how visual, auditory, and textual resources work synergistically to reinforce this sacralized representation, reframing Chávez’s death as a transcendent sacrifice and legitimizing his spiritual presence in Nicolás Maduro’s leadership.
The dissertation concludes that this hagiographic construction not only aims to ensure the symbolic and emotional continuity of the Chavista political project but also reproduces discursive structures characteristic of other sacralized charismatic leaderships in Latin America. By combining tools from CDA and MDA, this research offers a complex perspective on the symbolic dimension of power in populist regimes, contributing to contemporary debates on political religion, the rhetoric of leader-worship, and state communication strategies in contexts of crisis and transition
USING LONG-READ RNA SEQUENCING TO FIND POTENTIAL TARGETS FOR LATE-ONSET ALZHEIMER’S DISEASE TREATMENT AND EARLY DIAGNOSIS
No full textLate-onset Alzheimer’s disease (LOAD) is highly heritable, with genetic variation accounting for an estimated 60–80% of disease risk. LOAD risk genes average 14 annotated isoforms per gene and encode an average of five distinct proteins with potentially divergent functions. Yet RNA isoform expression in LOAD remains understudied, limiting our understanding of how these molecules contribute to disease. Prior studies relied on short-read RNA sequencing (RNA-seq), which struggles to reliably assemble and quantify isoforms, leading researchers to collapse them into a single gene measurement. In contrast, long-read sequencing spans entire RNA molecules, enabling more accurate quantification of annotated and novel isoforms and thus enabling us to better assess isoform-level mechanisms in LOAD.
We generated and analyzed the largest long-read RNA-seq cohort of human brain tissue to date, profiling 115 postmortem prefrontal cortex samples (29 LOAD males, 26 LOAD females, 30 control males, 30 control females). Our analyses uncovered \u3e3,000 previously unannotated isoforms, including hundreds arising from medically relevant genes, and revealed widespread differential isoform expression and usage patterns. Importantly, more than half of the isoform expression quantitative trait loci (eQTL) we identified were missed by gene-level analyses, underscoring the distinct regulatory and functional signals captured only at isoform resolution. Together, these findings establish that isoform diversity is both extensive and biologically consequential in the aging human brain, and that gene-level analyses obscure much of the molecular landscape underlying LOAD. Our work provides a foundation for identifying new molecular targets and biomarkers that could ultimately enable earlier diagnosis and isoform-specific therapeutic strategies in LOAD. These data have been made easy to access and explore through a web application for wide use by the scientific community.
As part of this dissertation, we also developed RNApysoforms, a Python package that delivers interactive, fast rendering visualizations of RNA isoform structure and expression. This tool integrates isoform structure and expression into dynamic, plotly-based graphics, outperforming existing visualization approaches and making complex datasets interpretable. In addition, we performed the first systematic review and meta-analysis of bulk RNA-seq studies in LOAD brains, synthesizing evidence across datasets and identifying common patterns of differential gene expression as well as pathway-level changes in the LOAD brain. Our review highlights the need for rigor and consistency across RNA-seq studies, and establishes isoform-level resolution as an essential lens for uncovering the molecular mechanisms that drive LOAD and related neurodegenerative disorders.
Collectively, this dissertation demonstrates that isoform-level analyses are not only feasible at scale but essential for understanding the molecular basis of LOAD. By combining large-cohort long-read RNA sequencing, novel isoform discovery, isoform-level regulatory mapping, methodological tool development, and systematic evidence synthesis, this work establishes a comprehensive framework for investigating transcriptomic complexity in the human brain. These contributions expand fundamental knowledge of isoform diversity, reveal new LOAD relevant isoform signatures, and provide broadly accessible resources that will guide future studies and accelerate the development of isoform-informed biomarkers and therapeutic strategies
ASSESSING GENERALIZATION ALONG SIDE ACQUISITION USING SYSTEM OF LEAST PROMPTS VERSUS VIDEO MODELING PLUS SYSTEM OF LEAST PROMPTS OF SIMULATED VOCATIONAL TASKS
No full textThe purpose of this study was to assess if system of least prompts alone or video modeling plus system of least prompts was more effective when teaching a student with a moderate intellectual disability three simulated vocational tasks using paper materials. Additionally, generalization was assessed using real-world materials. An adapted alternating treatment design was used to compare conditions. The results indicated that system of least prompts alone was more effective than video modeling plus system of least prompts. There was no demonstration of generalization