Digital Commons Network^™

Mentorship As A Catalyst For Change Readiness: A Qualitative Study Of How Effective Mentoring Mitigates Burnout And Turnover During Organizational Transformation, Jeffery M. Camp

Journal of Online Mentoring

This qualitative study examined how effective mentorship mitigates burnout and attenuates turnover intention during organizational change, foregrounding the perspectives of experienced mentors. Drawing on Biggs’s presage–process–product (PPP) model, data were collected through semi-structured interviews (n = 12) and two focus group discussions (n = 6 each), engaging 18 unique mentors employed in organizations with 1,000 or more employees. Thematic analysis following Braun and Clarke’s six-phase protocol yielded four themes: (1) mentorship as strategic facilitation of organizational change; (2) mentorship as provision of emotional and psychological support; (3) empowering mentees through relationship-building; and (4) applying adaptive and reflective strategies. …

Enhancing Early Detection Of Suicide Risk In Outpatient Settings Through Standardized Implementation Of The Ask Suicide Screening Questions Tool, Shayla Lee

Doctor of Nursing Practice Projects

Suicide is a leading cause of death in the United States, highlighting the need for routine suicide risk identification. Evidence supports standardized suicide screening can promote early identification of suicide risk. A needs assessment at an outpatient mental health clinic identified the absence of a standardized suicide screening and referral process. The purpose of this quality improvement project was to implement the Ask Suicide-Screening Questions (ASQ) Tool and a standardized referral protocol. The aim was to evaluate ASQ documentation, referral rates, and staff self-efficacy over four weeks. Peplau’s Interpersonal Relations Theory, Lewin’s Change Theory, and the Plan-Do-Study-Act (PDSA) framework guided …

Socioecological Factors Associated With Advanced Primary Tumor Category At Diagnosis Among Adults With Head And Neck Cancer Residing In Pennsylvania And New Jersey, Diane Elizabeth Crawford

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Disparities in head and neck cancer (HNC) diagnosis may contribute to poorer outcomes among socially and economically disadvantaged populations. This quantitative secondary data analysis examined associations between socioecological factors and advanced primary tumor category among adults with HNC residing in Pennsylvania and New Jersey. Guided by the socioecological model, deidentified data (N = 350) from two Fox Chase Cancer Center research protocols were analyzed using three domain-specific multivariable logistic regression models. Primary tumor category was classified as lower (Tis–T2) or advanced (T3–T4) based on tumor size and/or local extent. Black participants had greater adjusted odds of advanced primary tumor category …

Strengthening Health System-Community Partnerships To Address Pediatric Social Needs: A Qualitative Study, Joy Friedman, Melissa A. Alderfer, Kelsey Higgins, Aaron Carpenter, Jennifer Sciolla, Sarah E. Wawrzynski

Department of Pediatrics Faculty Papers

IntroductionStructural and social conditions influence pediatric health outcomes. Successful implementation of social needs screening and referral programs depends on community-based organizations (CBOs) to provide resources that address health-related social needs (HRSN). We explored current practices and perspectives of health care workers and CBO representatives on improving health system-CBO partnerships.MethodsParticipants were purposively recruited from a variety of health care settings involved in HRSN screening and CBOs delivering resources in the community. Participants completed semi-structured interviews. Qualitative thematic analysis was used to summarize data.ResultsTen key informants participated (six health care workers and four CBO representatives). Four themes were identified: 1) mismatches in …

The Effectiveness Of A Prenatal Educational Programme On Fear Of Childbirth Among Primigravida Women: A Quasi-Experimental Pretest–Post-Test Study, Mozah Al Mamari, Amal Al Hadi, Fahima Al Harthy, Shamsa Al Ghusaini, Kadhiya Al Riyami

Sultan Qaboos University Medical Journal

Objectives: Fear of childbirth is commonly reported among primigravida women and may negatively influence labour and birth outcomes. This study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of a structured prenatal educational programme in reducing fear of childbirth among primigravida women. Methods: A quasi-experimental single-group pretest-post-test design was conducted from January to June 2025. The study included primigravida women attending antenatal clinics in selected health centres in Muscat Governorate, Oman. No control group was included. Participants completed the baseline assessment during the third trimester (28–40 weeks of gestation) prior to the intervention. Post-intervention assessment was conducted at two weeks postpartum using the …

Impact Of The Hidden Curriculum And Unprofessionalism On Medical Student Specialty Choice, Melissa George, Kristie White, Balaram Puligandla, Hailey Gosnell, Amanda Lofgreen, Kristen Johnson, Stephanie Barak, Mary Berg, Satyapal Chahar, John Childs, Barbara Knollmann-Ritschel, Julie Karp, Md, Cindy Mccloskey, Bronwyn Bryant

Department of Pathology, Anatomy, and Cell Biology Faculty Papers

The hidden curriculum in medical education refers to implicit lessons not formally taught, including specialty hierarchies, stereotypes, and misconceptions. Pathology, in particular, is often subject to derogatory comments and the perception that communication skills and patient care are wasted in this specialty. This study explored pathology residents' experiences with the hidden curriculum and its impact on medical student education. A survey was administered to pathology trainees to assess demographic trends and specialties associated with positive or negative perceptions of pathology and included free-text responses. Most respondents reported encountering negative remarks about pathology, spanning all levels of training and practice. Reactions …

Editorial: Invisible Hazards, Lasting Impact: Airborne Toxicants And Systemic Disease From Environmental And Occupational Exposures, Tammy Butterick, Julie Tomáška, Pamala Ginex, Janeen Trembley, Paul Barach

College of Population Health Faculty Papers

No abstract provided.

2026-2027 Dr. Kiran C. Patel College Of Allopathic Medicine Bylaws, Nova Southeastern University

Dr. Kiran C. Patel College of Allopathic Medicine Bylaws

No abstract provided.

Development Of An Evidence-Based Clinical Practice Guideline For Glp-1 Medication Management And Weight-Loss Monitoring In Adults, Jeannette Mariela Pena

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

This doctor of nursing practice project addressed the lack of a standardized clinical practice guideline for glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1)-based medication management and weight-loss monitoring in an outpatient functional health setting. The purpose was to develop an evidence-based guideline to improve provider consistency, patient education, monitoring, documentation, and treatment safety for adults receiving GLP-1-based weight-management therapy. The Johns Hopkins Evidence-Based Practice Model guided question development, evidence appraisal, synthesis, translation, and implementation planning. The guideline incorporated evidence related to adult obesity management, GLP-1-based pharmacotherapy, lifestyle intervention, eligibility assessment, medication selection and titration, adverse-effect monitoring, follow-up, and documentation. Three content experts—a nurse practitioner …

When Children Cook: Food Experiences As Inquiry, Identity, And Learning, Marian S. Castillo, Carrie L. Ota

Spark! Innovations in Early Childhood Education: A Research-to-Practice Journal for Educators

This article explores the transformative potential of integrating cooking experiences into early childhood classrooms, arguing that food preparation offers much more than a simple activity. By drawing on classroom narratives such as shared meal preparation and spontaneous scientific inquiry this piece illustrates how cooking serves as a catalyst for wonder, problem-solving, and collaboration. It highlights how food-based activities naturally bridge home and school environments, fostering a sense of belonging and cultural identity among young learners. Grounded in developmentally appropriate practice, this article examines the teacher’s role in facilitating these experiences, emphasizing the importance of responsive planning, observation, and valuing the …

Diving Deeper Into Serve-And-Return Interactions: Joint Attention & Cognitive And Social Development In Infancy, Derrick Toups

Spark! Innovations in Early Childhood Education: A Research-to-Practice Journal for Educators

This article provides practical ways to support responsive and initiating joint attention in infancy which are fundamental to cognitive and social development.

Wmdds Bulletin Summer 2026

West Michigan District Dental Society Bulletin

In the Summer 2026 issue, the reader will find the following feature articles: 

• 2026 WMDF Golf Outing Results
• MDA’s Speaker of the House Spotlight
• Fluoride Started Here—and the Fight Over it Never Really Ended
• Pearls from Local Dentists: The Problem in Your Practice Probably Isn’t a Staffing Problem

Also included are your monthly tripartite update, news from West Michigan counties, the President's Message and Editor's Letter.

Noda News September 2026

New Orleans Dental Association News

New Orleans Dental Association (NODA) News includes regular columns with regional news impacting the New Orleans membership including: columns from the President and Executive Director, feature articles relating to the field of dentistry, association events and upcoming activities, component news, continuing education opportunities, and classifieds.

Identification Of Current Ai Usage In The Fields Of Exercise-Related Professions And The Requirement Of Ai Experience As A Hiring Criterion: A Preliminary Study, Michelle Stehman, Matthew Hankinson

Educational Practices in Kinesiology

Artificial intelligence (AI) is increasing within exercise-related professions, raising the question of whether college curricula for these professions should include AI education. This study aimed to evaluate current AI usage and to discover the priority of AI skills for hiring managers among exercise-related professionals. Section one of the questionnaire included questions about current use of AI within exercise-related professions (N = 65), and section two was specific to hiring managers and their position on AI skills as a hiring requirement (n = 32 completed this section). The main outcome of this study was that 32% of exercise-related professionals …

From Dissertation To Deployment: A Unified Software Platform Operationalizing Clinical-Prediction And Sequential-Security Ai For Healthcare, Olsi Shehu, Damiana Teliti, Jasmin Kevrić, Bekir Karlik

Communications of the IIMA

Advances in machine learning for healthcare are abundant, yet most validated models remain confined to research notebooks and never reach secure, usable clinical software. This paper addresses that deployment gap by presenting a unified, security-hardened software platform that operationalizes two complementary streams of doctoral research inside a single, role-based hospital information system. The first stream contributes a clinical-prediction capability: an ultra-hybrid ensemble that couples a quantum-inspired feature transformation, particle-swarm feature selection, and calibrated soft voting for cancer-outcome prediction (96.41% accuracy, AUC-ROC 0.983 on TCGA-BRCA), survival stratification, multi-cancer generalization, and pharmacogenomic drug-response classification (89.31% mean accuracy across 25 compounds). The second …

Comparative Analysis Of Takagi-Sugeno And Mamdani Fuzzy Inference Architectures With Anfis-Based Automated Rule Generation For Eeg-Based Cognitive State Monitoring, Amina Radončić, Mehrija Hasičić, Jasmin Kevrić

Communications of the IIMA

Fuzzy inference systems have demonstrated considerable promise for EEG-based cognitive state monitoring in neurodegenerative conditions. However, two design decisions significantly influence system performance and clinical applicability: the choice of inference architecture (Takagi-Sugeno vs Mamdani) and the method of rule and membership function generation (manual expert-driven vs data-driven automated). This paper presents a comparative analysis of both dimensions in the context of an EEG-based Alzheimer’s disease monitoring system operating on the ds004504 OpenNeuro dataset (88 subjects: 36 AD, 23 FTD, 29 HC). A Takagi-Sugeno system, implemented as a hybrid FSM-Fuzzy architecture, is compared against a Mamdani equivalent across four axes: inference …

Efficacy Of A Mouthwash Containing Standardized Centella Asiatica Extract (Eca 233) In Patients With Gingivitis: A Randomized Double-Blind Placebo-Controlled Trial, Alisa Awapark, Wanchai Chongcharoen, Mayuree H. Tantisira, Nattapon Rotpenpian

The Thai Journal of Pharmaceutical Sciences

Background: Gingivitis is the earliest and most reversible stage of periodontal disease, characterized by inflammation of the gingiva caused by the accumulation of plaque. In addition to removing plaque, mouthwash containing antiseptic or anti-inflammatory could be used as an adjunct therapy.
Objectives: The objective of this study is to evaluate the efficacy of a 0.10% standardized Centella asiatica extract (ECa 233) mouthwash compared to 0.12% chlorhexidine and placebo mouthwashes in individuals with gingivitis.
Materials and Methods: A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial was conducted in 75 patients assigned equally to ECa 233, chlorhexidine, or placebo groups. Participants used the assigned …

Surgical And Transcatheter Pulmonary Valve Replacement In Patients With Congenital Heart Disease, Who Have A History Of Right Ventricular Outflow Tract Remodeling, Indonesia: A Model-Based Economic Evaluation, Andi Nurul Annisa, Puree Anantachoti, Radityo Prakoso, Dafsah A. Juzar, Osot Nerapusee

The Thai Journal of Pharmaceutical Sciences

Background: Patients with congenital heart disease who have previously undergone right ventricular outflow tract (RVOT) surgery frequently require repeat valve replacement later in life. While transcatheter pulmonary valve replacement (TPVR) offers less invasive reintervention compared with surgery, its high device cost raises concerns about affordability under Indonesia’s National Health Insurance Program (Jaminan Kesehatan Nasional).
Objectives: To compare the cost-effectiveness of surgical pulmonary valve replacement (SPVR) versus TPVR in post-RVOT surgery patients, and to estimate the TPVR price threshold for cost-effectiveness from a societal perspective.
Methods: A Markov model simulated a hypothetical cohort of 15-year-old patients with prior RVOT surgery over …

Medetomidine As A Fentanyl Adulterant: Pharmacology, Detection, Clinical Presentation, And Management, Kory S. London, Phil Durney, Brendan Hart, Ashish Thakrar, Dennis Goodstein, Alex J. Krotulski, Daniel Teixeira Da Silva, Joseph D’Orazio, Lara Weinstein, Jeanmarie Perrone, Michael J. Lynch

Division of Internal Medicine Faculty Papers & Presentations

Purpose of Review Medetomidine is a veterinary α2-adrenergic agonist that has been an adulterant of illicitly manufactured opioids since 2022. We review its pharmacology, detection, intoxication, withdrawal, and management, and assess why severe withdrawal has emerged in some regions but not others. Recent Findings Medetomidine has spread through North American drug markets yet evades most toxicology testing. Roughly two hundred times more potent than xylazine, with greater α2 selectivity and imidazoline-1 activity, it causes intoxication resembling other α2 agonists: sedation and bradycardia. The dominant clinical problem is withdrawal: autonomic dysregulation, intractable vomiting, and encephalopathy frequently requiring intensive care. Treatment requires …

Blinatumomab Care Delivery For Pediatric B-Cell Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia, Daniel Zheng, Katelyn Oranges, Subhash Ramakrishnan, Lingyun Ji, Melissa Beauchemin, Sarah Alexander, Allison Leahy, Kira Bona, Emi Caywood, Sharon Castellino, Sumit Gupta, Douglas Hawkins, Olga Militano, Kathleen Montgomery, Haley Newman, Rachel Rau, Susan Rheingold, Joanna Robles, Michael Roth, David Teachey, Sarah Vargas, Sue Zupanec, Susan Parsons

Department of Pediatrics Faculty Papers

IMPORTANCE: Blinatumomab, a novel immunotherapy administered as a 28-day continuous infusion, has fundamentally shifted the treatment paradigm for pediatric B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (B-ALL) and is now considered a component of standard therapy for the most common childhood cancer. However, the care delivery challenges in transitioning from an experimental agent on a clinical trial to widespread clinical implementation are unknown.

OBJECTIVE: To characterize the clinical landscape of pediatric blinatumomab care-delivery practice and challenges in the US from the perspective of treating centers.

DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS: This survey study was conducted from February to March 2025 among US member institutions …

Diversity Among Academic Orthopaedic Surgery Sports Medicine Faculty Across Us Residency Programs, Terence L. Thomas, Alexander Zavitsanos, Claude Regis, John Czarnicki, Harrison S. Fellheimer, Gabriel I. Onor, William Justice, Jalen Broome, Damon V. Briggs, Edward S. Chang, Meghan Bishop, Christopher C. Dodson

Rothman Institute Papers

BACKGROUND: Despite growing attention to workforce diversity in orthopaedic surgery, limited data exist describing the demographic composition of academic sports medicine faculty. This study examines the diversity of sports medicine fellowship-trained orthopaedic surgery faculty across US orthopaedic surgery residency training programs.

METHODS: A cross-sectional analysis of all ACGME-accredited orthopaedic surgery sports medicine faculty was conducted. Faculty data included sex, race, level of professorship, residency attended, year of residency graduation, and h-index. Underrepresented in Orthopaedics (URiO) was defined as non-White and non-Asian by race and all women. Descriptive statistics were performed.

RESULTS: A total of 812 sports medicine-fellowship trained faculty were …

Skin Carotenoid Scores Reflect Immune Status Among Children Living With Hiv In Tanzania, Wilbert Mbuya, Thobias Boniphace, Michael Mwagala, Peter Agrea, Nazareth M Mbilinyi, Nancy E Moran, Andrew R Dinardo, Mkunde Chachage

Children’s Nutrition Research Center Staff Publications

Many individuals living with HIV experience persistent inflammation despite antiretroviral treatment, increasing their risk for cardiovascular diseases, cognitive decline, and other noncommunicable diseases. Carotenoids can inhibit this inflammation by reducing lipid peroxidation. Carotenoid intake and plasma concentrations can be approximated using a noninvasive cutaneous spectrophotometer. This study quantified skin carotenoid levels in Tanzanian children ages 5 to 15 years old (N = 185) both with and without HIV. Over 95% had low to moderate skin carotenoid scores (< 400 units). In children living with HIV, higher viral loads were linked to lower skin carotenoid scores (rho = -0.57, P < 0.001), whereas higher CD4 counts correlated with increased skin carotenoid scores (rho = 0.52, P < 0.001). Overall, carotenoid levels were low and associated with immune status, suggesting that elevated carotenoid scores correlate with lower inflammation in children living with HIV. Future studies investigating dietary carotenoid interventions to support immune function are warranted.

Good Grief: Finding Hope & Achieving Growth In The Face Of Loss, Daniel D. Cowell M.D.

Open Access Books

Grief has profoundly shaped Dr. Dan Cowell's life both professionally and personally. A board-certified psychiatrist, he spent 26 years in the U.S. Public Health Service, including leadership roles across federal health systems, before serving for 15 years as professor and chairman of psychiatry at the Marshall University School of Medicine, and was the Senior Associate Dean for Graduate Medical Education when he retired in 2009.  Throughout his career, he has accompanied individuals and families through some of life's most difficult losses. In his personal life, he has been touched by these losses himself, including the tragic deaths of an infant …

Distinct Cell States Define Larval And Adult Body Plans In A Hemichordate, Paul Bump, Carolyn Brewster, Laurent Formery, Lauren Lubeck, Catherine Campbell, Maurizio Morri, Rene Sit, Daniel S Rokhsar, Blair Benham-Pyle, Alejandro Sánchez Alvarado, Christopher J Lowe

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

A major gap in our understanding of animal development is how adult body plans arise in animals with indirect development, where adults emerge from the transformation of a distinct larval form during metamorphosis. We address this question by examining cellular changes in the enteropneust hemichordate Schizocardium californicum, a species with a complex lifecycle and dramatic metamorphosis. Employing whole-body single-cell RNA sequencing, we chart the cellular composition and transcriptional dynamics of larval, metamorphic, and adult stages. Our tissue-level atlas reveals that ectodermal and endodermal cell types in larvae and adults occupy distinct transcriptional spaces, showing greater similarity to other cell types …

In Silico Analysis Of Momordica Charantia Triterpenoids As Adenosine Monophosphate-Activated Protein Kinase Ligands For Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus Therapy, Anita Dwi Puspitasari

Chimica et Natura Acta

Type 2 diabetes mellitus continues to rise and calls for safe therapeutic leads. This study assessed the potential of triterpenoids from bitter melon (Momordica charantia) as AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) ligands at the ATP-binding site through an in silico approach. AMPK (PDB ID: 4QFG) was prepared in YASARA; nine M. charantia triterpenoids and metformin were docked in PLANTS. Redocking of staurosporine validated the protocol (RMSD 0.2376 Å; ≤2.0 Å). Kuguacin J (-89.9934), Karavilagenin B ( 86.4084), and Kuguacin R (-85.8514) yielded lower (more favorable) docking scores than metformin (-56.5325) and interacted with hinge residues (Val96 and Glu94/Glu100). As expected, the …

Evaluation Of The Association Between School Prevention Programs And Adolescents’ Opioid Abuse In The United States, Lida Moazezi

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

This study examined adolescent opioid misuse in the United States and the role of school-based prevention. Guided by the health belief model, the purpose was to test whether participation in school-based drug prevention lessons was associated with past-year opioid misuse among adolescents ages 14–17 and whether race and gender moderated that association. This quantitative, cross-sectional, nonexperimental secondary analysis used the 2019 National Survey on Drug Use and Health (N = 8,965). Analyses included weighted descriptives, chi-square tests, and complex-samples logistic regression controlling for age and socioeconomic status. The sample included adolescents ages 14–17 with complete data on school-based prevention participation, …

Neuroimmune Phenotyping As The Next Frontier In Chronic Pain Medicine For Musculoskeletal Back Pain, Samer G. Salman, Rohan A. Phadke, Adithya Nair, Rahul Kumar, Arbaz Momin, Alireza Tavakkoli, James Rizkalla

Department of Neurosurgery Posters

Background: Chronic low back pain encompasses heterogeneous mechanical, neuropathic, nociplastic, and myofascial presentations that may reflect distinct neuroimmune mechanisms. We synthesized evidence linking these phenotypes to measurable biological features and clinically relevant treatment strategies.

Methods: We conducted a structured literature search of MEDLINE, Scopus, Web of Science, and the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials for studies published from January 2005 through January 2025. Systematic reviews, randomized controlled trials, and mechanistic studies addressing neuroinflammation, glial activation, central sensitization, biomarkers, or imaging were organized according to four clinically relevant pain phenotypes and translational readiness.

Results: Neuroimmune findings differed across axial mechanical, …

Acute Liver Injury Likely Induced By Alpha Lipoic Acid Contained In Dietary Supplement, Simona Maksimyan, Jonathan V. Reyes, Kasim Kazbay, Farah K. Gazi

Journal of Community Hospital Internal Medicine Perspectives

The rise in use of herbal and dietary supplements, which are regulated as food rather than as drugs by the Food and Drug Association, poses the risk of unknown and potentially severe side effects. We describe the case of acute liver injury, characterized by significant elevation in AST and ALT, likely induced by the consumption of an over-the-counter supplement containing alpha lipoic acid (ALA). Our patient trusted in a “natural” alternative to Western medicine for management of neuropathy, which was ultimately detrimental to her liver. An immediate and sustained improvement in liver enzyme levels was noted with discontinuation of the …

Implementation Of Asynchronous Mentor Education Modules To Improve Mentoring Competency, Elvira Sayfutdinova

Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) Student Projects

Background & Significance: Structured mentorship supports new CRNAs as they transition to practice, fostering confidence, job satisfaction, and professional growth. The WashU Medicine Department of Anesthesiology (WUDA) launched a CRNA Mentorship Program in 2022, but it lacked standardized mentor education, leading to inconsistent mentor preparation and variable mentoring practices.

Review of Literature Findings: Structured mentor education improves mentoring competency across healthcare settings, yet the literature specific to CRNAs remains limited. Asynchronous, self-paced formats reduce barriers to participation for busy clinicians, but no prior study has evaluated a fully asynchronous, prerecorded mentor-education format for CRNAs.

Methods: This pre-/post quality improvement (QI) …

Palliative Care Consults In The Intensive Care Unit, Kyra Zimmer

Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) Student Projects

Background & Significance: Intensive care unit (ICU) patients often face serious illness or terminal diagnoses requiring invasive monitoring and life-sustaining treatments. Palliative care (PC) supports patients and their families by focusing on improving quality of life, goals of care, and symptom management. It is estimated that 14-20% of ICU patients in the United States could benefit from palliative care consults (PCCs) with potential savings of $6 billion per year. Nurses caring for these patients face unique ethical challenges and may develop secondary post-traumatic stress, emotional strain, burnout, and compassion fatigue.

Review of Literature: The review of literature supported a structured …