Digital Commons Network^™

Advancing Personalized Oral–Systemic Care Through Tongue Mapping, Lani Mcbeth Bs, Rdh

Metro Denver Dental Society Articulator Magazine

This article explores the role of Systemic Tongue Mapping (STM) as a complementary tool for advancing personalized oral-systemic care. Rooted in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) and examined through an integrative healthcare lens, STM encourages clinicians to assess tongue characteristics as potential indicators of systemic imbalance and inflammation. Lani McBeth, BS, RDH, discusses how tongue mapping can enhance patient education, support preventive care conversations and encourage interdisciplinary collaboration. This article highlights how dental professionals can expand their role in whole-body wellness and early detection.

Integrated Thinking: How Mdds Is Connecting The Dots For Dentists In Oral-Systemic Health, Bryan Savage

Metro Denver Dental Society Articulator Magazine

In this President’s Message, Dr. Bryan Savage reflects on the growing importance of oral-systemic health education and the evolving role of dentistry in whole-body healthcare. The article highlights MDDS initiatives, including the Integrated Healthcare Summit and Diagnostic Testing Pavilion at the Rocky Mountain Dental Convention (RMDC), designed to help clinicians better understand the mouth-body connection and implement preventive strategies in practice. The article calls for dental professionals to remain engaged in lifelong learning and interdisciplinary care.

Articulator Volume 32, Issue 2

Metro Denver Dental Society Articulator Magazine

The 2nd Quarter 2026 issue of The Articulator explores the growing intersection between oral health and whole-body wellness, with a focus on oral-systemic health, interdisciplinary collaboration and the role of dentistry in preventive medicine. Articles include:

• A perspective from Dr. Brett Kessler examining what true medical-dental integration would require, including reimbursement reform, collaborative care models and expanded recognition of dentistry’s role in systemic health.
• An evidence-based article from Ms. Anne O. Rice exploring the connection between periodontal disease, inflammation and Alzheimer’s disease, including the role of dentistry in dementia risk reduction and preventive healthcare.
• Insights from Ms. Lani McBeth on …

Screen The Screener™, Susan Cotten Bsdh, Rdh, Omt

Metro Denver Dental Society Articulator Magazine

This article emphasizes the importance of oral cancer screening for the healthcare providers responsible for screening patients. Through an oral-systemic and airway-focused lens, Susan Cotton, BSDH, RDH, OMT, encourages clinicians to recognize signs of burnout, chronic stress and underlying health concerns within themselves and their teams. The article reinforces the idea that healthier providers are better equipped to deliver comprehensive, patient-centered care.

Calcium Signaling And Postsynaptic Density Dynamics: The Roles Of Calmodulin In Synaptic Protein Regulation, Keyaa Dilip Shah, Yonghong Zhang

School of Integrative Biological & Chemical Sciences Faculty Publications

Calcium signaling in neuronal cells is the principal mechanism underlying learning and synaptic plasticity, whereas the postsynaptic density (PSD) is an important center where calcium-dependent processes are organized and regulated. This review explores the roles of calmodulin (CaM) in facilitating calcium-dependent modulation of the activities of synaptic proteins in the PSD. We focus on the molecular processes through which CaM interacts with calcium signals to regulate the function, localization, and interactions of central synaptic proteins, including calcium/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II (CaMKII), membrane-associated guanylate kinases (MAGUKs), and N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptors. We aim to summarize recent advances in structural, biochemical, and imaging …

Dean's Update, June 2026, Neil W. Schluger

SOM Dean's Research Newsletter

No abstract provided.

Perceived Microaggressions Among Student Physical Therapists During Their Doctor Of Physical Therapy Education: A Mixed-Methods Study, Andrea Lopes Sauers, Rita Ator, Patrice Ayala, Jaime González, Suzanne O'Neal

Physical Therapy Faculty Publications

Introduction: Microaggressions, although often subtle and unintentional, have a significant impact. These actions emerge from stereotypes and can affect the recipient's sense of belonging. This study aimed to report the prevalence of perceived microaggressions among student physical therapists and to explore these experiences during their academic journey.

Review of literature: Microaggressions can disrupt the learning environment, hinder students' academic and professional development, and contribute to a culture perpetuating inequality and exclusion. To date, no studies have explored the impact of microaggressions on student physical therapists.

Subjects: Second- and third-year student physical therapists (n = 101) were invited to participate.

Methods: …

A Systematic Review Of Intrusion Detection Systems For Internet Of Medical Things: Performance, Efficiency, Explainability, And Generalization, Oswald Adohinzin, Youssef Harrath

Research & Publications

The Internet of Medical Things (IoMT) has transformed health care delivery through medical devices, remote patient monitoring, and real-time clinical decision support. However, the proliferation of IoMT devices introduces security vulnerabilities that put patient safety and data privacy at risk. Intrusion Detection Systems (IDS) have emerged as essential components for protecting IoMT networks from cyberattacks. This article presents a systematic review of IoMT-IDS research, analyzing 53 high-quality papers published between 2020 and 2025, identified through database searches spanning 2016–2025 across IEEE Xplore, Springer, ScienceDirect, and ACM Digital Library. We organize the literature through a comprehensive taxonomy spanning classical machine learning …

Operation Bite Block, Jennifer Aline Robles, Laura Marie Strobbe, William Pearce Graham, Annabelle Katherine Thalken

Mechanical Engineering

Current dental bite blocks, or mouth props, are typically manufactured in fixed sizes, and often result in patient discomfort, reduced procedural efficiency, and the need for dental offices to maintain multiple product sizes. This project sought to design, prototype, and validate an adjustable dental bite block capable of accommodating a wide range of patient mouth openings while maintaining comfort, structural integrity, sterilizability, and operator usability. Working in collaboration with Dr. Alan Latta, a practicing dentist in San Luis Obispo, the design process incorporated stakeholder feedback, patent and market research, engineering analysis, and iterative prototyping to develop a solution that addresses …

Paidar: Private Sector Allied For Inclusive Delivery Of Accessible Reproductive Health, Population Council Pakistan

Sexual and Reproductive Health, Rights, and Choices

Pakistan continues to face critical challenges in increasing contraceptive use and reducing the unmet need for family planning (FP). While public-sector facilities remain key providers, a substantial proportion of healthcare seekers rely on private family physicians as their initial point of contact.

Recognizing this strategic opportunity, the PAIDAR study was designed to strengthen the role of private- sector male family physicians in FP service delivery. Implemented across six diverse districts of Punjab, supported by Health Care Commission Punjab and Department of Health and Population Punjab, the intervention enhanced providers' capacity to deliver quality FP counselling, contraceptive services, structured referrals, and …

Making Better Use Of Data For Improved Health Service Delivery In Punjab: Transforming Data Into Action Evidence, Population Council Pakistan

Sexual and Reproductive Health, Rights, and Choices

Strong health systems depend not only on collecting data, but on using it effectively for planning, monitoring, and decision-making. To strengthen evidence-based management across Punjab's health sector, the Population Council partnered with the Health and Population Department, Punjab, particularly the Health Information and Service Delivery Unit (HISDU), to improve the utilization of routine health information. This brief summarizes the collaboration's focus on three complementary areas: (1) Development of the ASET (Analytics for Service Efficiency and Tracking) platform to transform routine data into actionable information; (2) Strengthening the Capacity of Data Users through specialized training in data analytics, visualization, and use …

Social Media Is A Juggernaut: Lagged Correlation Analysis Using Ngram Data On “Internet” And “Social Media” With Amplification By The Advent Of The “Iphone”, William Zywiak, Gao Niu, Nicolas Petrell, Victoria Nichele, Kirsten Hokeness

Mathematics and Economics Faculty Journal Articles

The amount of new information transmitted per day can be overwhelming. The data available through Ngram Viewer allows statistical examination to determine the most salient topics, as well as lagged correlation and lagged variance to support possible causal connections between concepts. Using this database, we determined that COVID, crypto, microplastics, and especially social media are important topics of the last few years. We also present results that suggest the development of the internet and the iPhone fueled the prominence of social media, and the access of the iPhone also increased access to the internet.

Mitigating Disparities In Diagnosis Of Dementia, Lycia Tramujas Vasconcellos Neumann, Simin Mahinrad, Erin L. Abner, Soo Borson, Goldie S. Byrd, Maria Carrillo, Lindsay Clark, Anthony N. Correro Ii, Kacie D. Deters, Gladys E. Maestre

School of Medicine Publications

The field of Alzheimer's disease and related dementias (AD/ADRD) is undergoing a transformative shift with a better understanding of disease biology, biomarker-based diagnostics, and disease-modifying therapies. Yet, these advancements risk exacerbating existing disparities in diagnosis and care. The 2024 Alzheimer's Association International Conference (AAIC) Advancements: Exploring Equity in Diagnosis convened interdisciplinary experts to address these inequities and chart a path toward population-generalizable research and practice. This article synthesizes key insights from the conference, highlighting considerations for inclusive and representative research design, ethical approaches in diagnostic disclosure, as well as challenges and solutions at individual, community, and systemic levels to advance …

Determinants Of Extended Postanesthesia Care Unit Stay, Jonathan Vaughn

Nursing Publications

Frustration is a common emotion felt by up to 70% of workers in high-stress environments.1 As a Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist, I can attest to the postanesthesia care unit (PACU) as being a high-stress environment. The PACU Registered Nurses and staff provide expert care to postoperative patients. The PACU offers postoperative patients a safe recovery from anesthesia through monitoring and stabilization, as well as pain and symptom management through prevention and early intervention. It prepares patients for timely discharge or transfer.2 At times, some patients may experience adverse effects in the PACU, resulting in a longer than 90-minute length of …

Beyond The Mortality Paradox: Redesigning Uti Care For People Living With Dementia Through Diagnostic Stewardship, Rob E. Carpenter

Human Resource Development Faculty Publications and Presentations

Managing urinary tract infections (UTI) in people living with dementia presents a mortality paradox: clinicians must balance the risks of antibiotic overuse against the dangers of delayed treatment in high-risk phenotypes. Standard diagnostic criteria often rely on classic, localizing markers like fever and dysuria. However, these gatekeeper signs are frequently absent or blunted in dementia care due to age-associated immune dysregulation and immunosenescence. Consequently, infections often manifest as nonspecific neurobehavioral changes, leading to predictable misclassification and harmful diagnostic delays. This paper reframes UTI management in dementia as a clinical pathway and measurement architecture problem. We propose a verification-first service pathway …

Advance Care Planning In Metastatic Lung Cancer Patients: A Quality Improvement Initiative, Khanh H. Thai

Student Theses

Background: Advance care planning (ACP) is essential in achieving goal-concordant care for patients with metastatic lung cancer (MLC), yet it remains underutilized.

Local problem: Despite its benefits, ACP has been inconsistently integrated into outpatient oncology settings, and a baseline evaluation at the project site revealed that only 11% of patients with MLC had ACP documented in the outpatient care clinic.

Methods: This Quality Improvement initiative implemented a formal, Nurse Practitioner (NP)-led intervention into routine oncology care. Using a quasi-experimental nonrandomized design, 13 eligible patients diagnosed with MLC without prior ACP documentation were enrolled in a four-week study. These participants were …

The Effectiveness Of Online Recovery Meetings Among Inpatients With Substance Use Disorders, Lorna Kalesnick Rn

Nurse Residency

In hospitalized patients with alcoholism and substance use disorder, does participation in online recovery meetings during inpatient stay, compared with standard care without online meetings, reduce relapse and hospital readmission rates ninety days after discharge?

The Use Of Pressure-Mapping Technology To Decrease Pressure Injury Prevalence, Acadia Morse Bsn, Rn

Nurse Residency

Does the use of pressure-mapping, as compared to a standard repositioning schedule, decrease the rate of pressure injuries in acute care patients at a high risk of skin breakdown?

Hydroxyurea Interferes With Point-Of-Care Creatinine Testing In Children With Sickle Cell Anemia, Ruth Namazzi, Robert Opoka, Charles Ssuuna, Michael Goings, Kathryn Mcelhinney, Dibyadyuti Datta, Russell Ware, Chandy John, Andrea Conroy

Paediatrics and Child Health, East Africa

Objective To evaluate the performance of the point-of-care i-STAT device for creatinine measurement in Ugandan children with sickle cell anemia (SCA), and to determine the clinical impact of hydroxyurea-associated assay interference.

Results description This secondary analysis was nested within a randomized clinical trial involving 248 Ugandan children with SCA. The mean age at enrollment was 32 months, and 115/248 (46.2%) initiated hydroxyurea during 12 months of follow-up as part of routine clinical care. At enrollment, creatinine values measured by i-STAT and reference laboratory testing were clinically comparable. At follow-up, children receiving hydroxyurea had significantly higher creatinine values measured by iSTAT …

Paracrine Signals From Hiv-1-Infected Immune Cells Reprogram Cervical Cancer Pathways, Charles Olwal, Ujjwal Rathore, Sara Makanani, Prashant Kaushal, Immy Ashley, Manisha Ummadi, Vincent Appiah, Alexandra Lindsey Zune, Sophie Blanc, Elkanah Orang'o

Obstetrics and Gynaecology, East Africa

No abstract provided.

Pacific Rxtracts - June 2026, Pacific Rxtracts

Pacific RxTracts

Articles:

• FDA Approves First Non-Antipsychotic Drug for Patients with Alzheimer’s Disease Agitation
• FDA Approves Sparsentan for Focal Segmental Glomerulosclerosis
• Lunsotogene Rings in a New Era of Gene Therapy for Hearing Loss
• Sex Differences in Breakthrough Stroke Outcomes Despite Oral Anticoagulation for Atrial Fibrillation
• Asundexian for Secondary Prevention After Ischemic Stroke or TIA
• Marstacimab Prophylaxis in Hemophilia A/B with Inhibitors: A New Purpose
• FDA Approves First-in-Class Weekly Anifrolumab Autoinjector for Systemic Lupus Erythematosus 
• Cemdisiran in Generalized Myasthenia Gravis
• Medicare’s Impact on Early Sepsis Management and Discharge to Home
• Maralixibat Shows Broader Therapeutic Benefit for Children with Alagille Syndrome 
• Reaching the Littlest …

Response To Kodali Et Al., “Hailey-Hailey Disease: A Review And An Approach To Management”, Christina Tolete, Teresa Duong, Adam Friedman, Leonardo Tjahjono

Department of Medicine Faculty Papers

No abstract provided.

Increasing Lead (Pb) Screening Participation Rates In The Pediatric Patient Population At The Philadelphia College Of Osteopathic Medicine Lancaster Avenue Community Healthcare Center, Jacob Varrato

PCOM Biomedical Studies Student Scholarship

Elevated blood lead levels (EBLLs) are an ongoing public health crisis predominantly affecting children under six in low-income communities located in major cities across the United States (Zartarian et al. 2024). Chronic lead exposure due to outdated housing, polluted water, and contaminated soil is especially harmful in early childhood. Frequent hand to mouth contact at this age increases the risk of ingesting particulate matter containing lead (CDC). EBLLs can predispose children to neurocognitive deficits, cardiovascular disease, and epigenetic modifications to gene expression patterns (Collin et al. 2022). While precautionary measures and timely screening protocols greatly reduce the risk of developing …

Effects Of Mitoquinone On Doxorubicin-Induced Cytotoxicity In H9c2 Cardiac Myoblasts And 22rv1 Prostate Cancer Cells, Tia Patrick

PCOM Biomedical Studies Student Scholarship

Introduction:

Although Doxorubicin (DOX) is a widely prescribed chemotherapeutic agent, its clinical use is limited by cardiotoxicity (DIC) caused by oxidative stress, mitochondrial dysfunction, and cardiac apoptosis. Dexrazoxane (DEX) is the only FDA-approved cardioprotective agent to prevent DIC. However, DEX may induce secondary malignancy. Mitochondria-targeted antioxidants (MTAs), such as mitoquinone (MitoQ) and 10-(6′-plastoquinonyl) decyltriphenylphosphonium (SKQ1), selectively accumulate within mitochondria to scavenge reactive oxygen species (ROS) at their primary site of production. Our previous findings demonstrated that MitoQ and SKQ1 prevented the reduction in cell viability caused by DOX treatment in H9c2 myoblasts. However, it remains unclear whether MitoQ can selectively …

Adverse Childhood Experiences Among Kenyan Adolescents: Psychometric Properties, Prevalence Rates And Correlates, Tom Osborn, Rosine Baseke, Faith Kamau, Winnan Munyasa, Christine Wasanga, Maureen Ngesa, Victoria Mutiso, Moses Nyongesa, Jasmit Shah, Zul Merali

Brain and Mind Institute

Background: Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) have been consistently linked to poor mental health outcomes, yet research on their impact in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) settings of Africa, remains relatively unexplored. In Kenya, where childhood adversity is widespread, there is a critical need to examine the validity of ACE measures and their associations with mental ill health. This study aimed to validate the Adverse Childhood Experiences questionnaire (ACE-10) in a Kenyan adolescent sample and assess its associations with symptoms of depression and anxiety, bullying, and sociodemographic factors.

Methods: Data was collected from N = 2,842 adolescents and young …

Adjunctive Psychosocial Interventions And Opioid Abstinence Among Patients Receiving Buprenorphine: A Randomized Clinical Trial., Michelle R. Lent, Emily E Hurstak, Kevin G Lynch, Emily Loscalzo, Kimberly Mazur, Helen L Lugo, Karen L Dugosh

PCOM Scholarly Works

IMPORTANCE: Adjunctive psychosocial treatments are recommended for many using medications for opioid use disorder (MOUD), but it is unclear which approaches can best enhance treatment outcomes.

OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the comparative effectiveness of 2 psychosocial treatments, peer recovery support (PRS) and cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT), on opioid abstinence when used as adjunctive therapies to office-based buprenorphine treatment in adults with opioid use disorder (OUD).

DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS: This randomized clinical trial included US adults diagnosed with OUD referred for care at 5 federally qualified health centers with office-based addiction treatment programs by their clinicians from 2020 to 2024. Participants were …

Clinical Presentations Of Pemphigus Vulgaris In Patients With Skin Of Color: A Systematic Literature Review, Haya Alkiswani, Simona Alomary, Jared Boetes, Nicole J. Baker, Susan C. Taylor

SKMC Student Presentations and Publications

Background: Pemphigus vulgaris (PV) is a rare, often severe autoimmune disease affecting skin and mucous membranes. Despite the scarce literature on PV in skin of color (SOC) populations (Fitzpatrick III-VI), existing studies suggest that there are misdiagnosis, delayed treatment, and recurrence of symptoms in SOC patients with PV. Objective: This review explores the clinical presentations of PV reported in patients with SOC, diagnostic challenges and delays, treatments, and patient outcomes to allow for an improved understanding of how PV manifests clinically in darker skin. Methods: A systematic literature review was conducted using articles found in PubMed and Embase. Two independent …

Neuroinflammation And Neuropathology In A Novel Tau, Amyloid-Beta And Alpha-Synuclein Co-Pathology Model, Jhodi Mickayla Webster

ETDs from 2020-2029

Neurodegenerative diseases including Alzheimer’s disease (AD) and Parkinson disease (PD) often present with overlapping proteinopathies rather than aggregated proteins in isolation. Amyloid-β (Aβ) and phosphorylated tau are found in a substantial proportion of idiopathic PD cases, while α-synuclein (α-syn) pathology is present in over half of AD cases. The presence of these co-pathologies is associated with accelerated cognitive decline and increase mortality in these patients. In parallel, neurodegenerative diseases are increasingly recognized as being shaped by interactions between central nervous system (CNS) pathology and the immune system. Despite this, most experimental animal models of neurodegenerative disease examine single pathologies in …

The Healthcare Transition Experiences Of Emerging Adults With Congenital Adrenal Hyperplasia, Leslie Noojin Pitts

ETDs from 2020-2029

Congenital adrenal hyperplasia (CAH) is a group of disorders characterized by enzyme deficiencies impairing adrenal hormone production and requiring lifelong management. Individuals with CAH experience increased morbidity and mortality due to the underlying condition, steroid exposure, and inadequate preventative care. Despite clinical guidelines recommending a structured healthcare transition (HCT), little is known about the HCT experiences of emerging adults with CAH. Understanding these experiences is critical for identifying practice gaps and developing interventions to improve health outcomes. This qualitative descriptive study explored the HCT experiences, challenges, and outcomes of emerging adults with CAH, as guided by the refined Social Ecological …

Robotic-Assisted Pedicle Screw Placement Achieves High Accuracy And Narrows The Experience Gap: A Preclinical Evaluation, Anna T. Reza, Matthias Walper, Mitchell K. Ng, Paul G. Mastrokostas, Andrew S. Lee, Rafael G. Rafael, Kornelis A. Poelstra, Ratliff K. John, Rajiv K. Sethi, Michael A. Mont

Rothman Institute Papers

To assess a robotic-assisted system versus open manual techniques to: (1) compare pedicle screw accuracy between fellows and attendings with and without robotic assistance, and (2) evaluate executed versus planned trajectory fidelity relative to prior reports. Robotic-assisted spine systems aim to improve the accuracy, reproducibility, and safety of pedicle screw placement. Limited evidence compares outcomes across differing surgeon experience levels. A total of 255 thoracolumbar pedicle screws were placed in synthetic torsos simulating adult degenerative anatomy. Four surgeons (two fellows, two attendings) each placed half their screws using open fluoroscopy-guided techniques and half using a minimally invasive percutaneous approach with …