Digital Commons Network^™

Unveiling Hidden Hazards: A Complementary Approach To Affordable Non-Destructive Heavy Metal Detection, Mario Faragalla, Gulsin Barwari, Makenzie Brinkoeter, Eimy Lozano-Fuentes, Isabelle Riera

Student Scholar Symposium

History has bestowed upon us vast treasures, with the Victorian Era offering a wealth of gifts, such as vibrant art and even secrets preserved in books of this period. However, concealed within the pigments that bring these works to life lie heavy metals. Not only do they pose significant health risks, but they can also be found within these pieces centuries later. Intrigued by the Winterthur project, Beaman librarians, Jan Cohu and Kayla Rutledge, discovered that our library housed some of these Victorian Era books. From there, the Beaman staff sent an inquiry to the chemistry department and Dr. Weinstein-Webb …

The Correlation Of Fat Mass And Hourly Energy Balance In Male And Female Collegiate Basketball Players, Lily Rogers, Avery Mckinney

Student Scholar Symposium

Student Scholars Symposium

6ppd-Quinone In Middle Tennessee Waters: Assessing Ecological Impact, Andrew Davis Todd, Raphael Marquise Chandler, Kerolos Gerges Basalos, Denise Lori Loewinger

Student Scholar Symposium

This poster presents the dangers of a toxic chemical used on car tires that is entering aquatic ecosystems and harming fish populations.

End-Of-Rotation Objective Structured Clinical Examination: Proposal To Reduce Grading Bias In The Family Medicine Core Clerkship, Deborah R. Erlich, Amy L. Lee, Anita Mathews, Lauren Boehm, Anna Virani, Shweta Akhouri, Julia Bartolomeo, Lidya Wlasiuk, Molly Cohen-Osher, Tessa Rohrberg, Laurel Witt, Kathryn Rampon

Journal of Maine Medical Center

Problem Statement: In medical education, learner assessment drives learning and documents competency. A drawback of the traditional clinical performance assessment by a preceptor, however, is a potential halo effect. This effect is an unearned positive bias toward a student the supervisor likes, or conversely, a negative implicit bias about the student’s race, gender, or other aspects of identity. These biases, in either direction, can lead to unfair grading. A preceptor’s bias can be particularly problematic in a family medicine clerkship in which a student may be evaluated and graded by a single preceptor.

Background: An end-of-clerkship objective structured clinical examination …

Best Practices In The Conduct Of Community Engagement Studios At Mainehealth Institute For Research, Francesca Piccolo, Emma Daybranch, Carolyn Sullivan, Elizabeth Woods, Neil Korsen, Jan Carney, Jenna Schiffelbein, Kathleen Fairfield

Journal of Maine Medical Center

Problem Statement: Community engagement (CE) Studios are an established method for integrating lived-experience expertise into research at 1 or more specific points within a project. Although many researchers understand the value of incorporating community input, they often lack the tools, skills, or infrastructure to do so effectively. CE Studios address this challenge by offering a structured, consultative approach to engagement.

Background: CE Studios occur at any point across the research lifecycle and are used to inform research design, feasibility, relevance, recruitment, implementation, and translation. In a 1-time, 2-hour consultation, CE Studios bring lived-experience expertise into the research process, helping projects …

Emergency Care Team Comfort And Experience With Harm Reduction For Opioid Use Disorder, Penelope J. Haydar, Tania D. Strout, Faen Faen

Journal of Maine Medical Center

Introduction: Harm reduction strategies are effective in mitigating risks associated with substance use. However, their implementation in emergency department (ED) settings has been limited. This study explored ED care team members’ experiences and comfort with harm reduction provision.

Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional study to assess ED care team members’ experiences and comfort levels (0–10 scale) with providing harm reduction resources to patients. An electronic survey was distributed to 446 care team members at a Level 1 tertiary care ED. Domains included prior harm reduction practice, comfort levels, perceived barriers to harm reduction provision, and perceived importance of various factors …

Evaluation Of Connections Clinic: The Bridge Program Located Within The Preble Street Learning Collaborative, Emily Caron, Emily Follo, Robin E Barnard, Alec Luro, Adam Normandin

Journal of Maine Medical Center

Problem: The opioid epidemic continues, and overdose rates throughout the United States remain high. Only 22% of people diagnosed with opioid use disorder (OUD) access medications for OUD (MOUD). Bridge clinics may improve access to MOUD, specifically buprenorphine. Individuals experiencing homelessness (IEH) face additional barriers to accessing care, though little is known about bridge clinics specifically focused on IEH. The bridge clinic embedded within the MaineHealth–Preble Street Learning Collaborative, called Connections Clinic (CC), aims to address unmet health care needs of IEH in Portland, Maine, by providing low-barrier health care and access to buprenorphine.

Approach: We analyzed demographics, health access, …

Practicing Curiosity: An Art Museum-Based Course For Medical Students, Samuel Woodworth

Journal of Maine Medical Center

Problem: Although curiosity is essential to medicine, it can sometimes seem expendable or counterproductive. Medical students, however, must be encouraged to develop curiosity skills in order to sustain a lifelong pursuit of knowledge. Incorporating visual art into medical education has been associated with multiple favorable outcomes, including improved observational skills. Undoubtedly, artworks stimulate curiosity. Of the many museum-based courses for medical students offered across the country, none have focused on enhancing curiosity skills. Thus, the development of a curriculum using visual art to improve curiosity skills would be an innovative pedagogical approach to museum-based education.

Approach: A hospitalist at MaineHealth …

Implementing The Card System Distraction Techniques In Pediatric Primary Care – A Practice Improvement Project, Paige E. Lewicki, Tara Palnitkar, Anya Cutler, Kari Guffey, Laura J. Faherty

Journal of Maine Medical Center

Problem: Increasing vaccine uptake is an urgent priority in public health. Often pain and fear are reasons for vaccine refusal, leading to lower vaccine uptake. The Comfort, Ask, Relax, Distract (CARD) system was developed to improve the vaccination experience and has been successfully implemented in school-based vaccination clinics and community pharmacies. The clinic that served as the site of this practice improvement project was routinely using 3 of the 4 CARD techniques (Comfort, Ask, and Relax), but was not offering evidence-based distraction methods to patients eligible for vaccination.

Approach: This practice examined the feasibility and acceptability of implementing CARD distraction …

Navigating Microaggressions In The Clinical Environment: Follow-Up Of A Case-Based Workshop 1 Year Later, Annie Liu, Christina C. Tsui, Nicole Hudak, Allison S. Chatalbash, Laura K. Snydman, Eliza R. Bullis

Journal of Maine Medical Center

Problem: Microaggressions negatively impact the mental health and wellness of patients and health care workers. Despite efforts in medical education to address this issue, there is limited research on the effect of these strategies in clinical settings over time. We evaluated how a workshop on navigating microaggressions impacts medical students 1 year after the workshop.

Approach: A 60-minute workshop on microaggressions was implemented for medical students (n=85) across 3 clerkship sites. The workshop focused on identifying, responding to, and debriefing microaggressions as recipients or bystanders using a toolkit. Post-intervention surveys measured students’ satisfaction and perceived ability to navigate microaggressions. One …

Uncoupling Agents As A Contributor To Refractory Metabolic Acidosis In A Burn Victim: A Case Report, Kelsie M. Lynch

Journal of Maine Medical Center

Introduction: Uncoupling agents impair mitochondrial oxidative phosphorylation, which disrupts adenosine triphosphate production and causes high anion gap metabolic acidosis. These agents, linked to environmental toxins or pharmacologic exposures, present diagnostic and therapeutic challenges due to rapid clinical deterioration. Early identification is crucial for intervention.

Clinical Findings: A 64-year-old male with type II diabetes mellitus sustained burns covering 14% total body surface area during a shed fire with suspected pesticides and rodenticide exposure. He had hypotension with severe metabolic acidosis (lactate 20 mmol/L, pH 7.0, bicarbonate [HCO₃] 11 mmol/L) and an anion gap of 35 mEq/L. He was admitted …

Dynamic Prioritization Of Flight Search Queries To Control Computational Resource Allocation, Christopher Small, Thomas Abraham, Rujith De Silva, Allan Fraser, Jason Letourneau, Kartik Maheshwari, Leonardo Andres Moleiro White, Cedric Poirot, Ramitha Sai Ravishankar

Defensive Publications Series

Systems that utilize real-time offer construction, such as flight search systems, can experience high volumes of computationally expensive queries that may have low conversion rates, potentially leading to inefficient resource allocation. A system for dynamic query prioritization can address this potential inefficiency. The system may intercept an incoming search query and use an analysis engine to assign a real-time priority score. This analysis engine can employ machine learning models trained on historical transaction data to determine the score. Based on this score, the system can apply a set of configurable controls to modulate the computational response. For example, the system …

Academic Standards Subcommittee Agenda December 18, 2025, Utah State University

Educational Policies Committee

• Welcome and approval of November 20, 2025 minutes
• New Topics:
• Proposal for Academic Grievance Policy rewrite
• Proposal to add Bachelor of Applied Sciences (BAS) academic degree requirements
• Information item: Attendance and Excused Absences policy clarification

Will This Too Pass? How The Criminalization And Derogation Of Unhoused People Is One Mark Of Our Descent Into Fascism, Michaela R. Martin Strout

Vanderbilt Social Justice Reporter

No abstract provided.

The Minutes Of The Marshall University Staff Council Meeting, December 2025, Marshall University Staff Council

Staff Council Minutes

No abstract provided.

Academic Standards Subcommittee Minutes December 18, 2025, Utah State University

Educational Policies Committee

• Welcome and approval of November 20, 2025 minutes
• Topic 1: Proposed Academic Grievance Policy rewrite
• Topic 2: Proposal to add Bachelor of Applied Sciences (BAS) academic degree requirements
• Topic 3: Information Item

Viral Warriors: Unlocking The Immune System’S Potential With Oncolytic Viruses In Cancer Immunotherapy, Reza Ghavimi, Leila Rahimian, Mohsen Mohammadi, Ojasvi Dutta, Harikrishnan Mohan, Vladimir Chouljenko, Tolulope O. Omolekan, Jean Christopher Chamcheu, Konstantin G. Kousoulas

Faculty Publications

Oncolytic viruses (OVs) represent an exciting avenue in tumor immunotherapy, harnessing the power of viruses to overcome resistance and enhance immune responses. OVs achieve this by selectively targeting and destroying tumor cells. This cell lysis releases tumor-specific antigens (TAAs), effectively creating an in situ vaccine that educates the immune system. Moreover, OVs directly trigger both innate and adaptive immunity and can be genetically engineered to secrete immune-boosting factors. Early studies have shown promising synergistic antitumor effects when OVs are combined with other cancer therapies or immunotherapies. A key advantage of OVs is their capacity to reprogram the tumor microenvironment (TME), …

Communicating Strategically In The Workplace: A Resource For Engineering And Science Majors, Karishma Chatterjee, Damla A. Ricks, Diane E Waryas Hughey

Mavs Open Press Open Educational Resources - Archive

We created this book to provide a targeted understanding of the process of communication to STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics) students. We have included specific and concise information in this book catering to technical and professional fields. Students will be able to develop their skills in writing, presenting, and interviewing, and improve their interpersonal relationships in the workplace.

Preparing Students For College And Careers: Recommendations For Scaling College And Career Pathways In Southwestern Illinois, Laura Monteagudo

Reports, Analyses, and other Publications

Education Systems Center (EdSystems) at Northern Illinois University provided strategic counsel and support to Southwestern Illinois College (SWIC) for a 12-month period to develop comprehensive college and career pathways. Our support included the development of a unified, regionwide college and career pathway system aligned with Illinois’ College and Career Pathway Endorsement framework, Perkins V, and the State of Illinois Model Programs of Study Guides.

Instead of each district building pathways independently, this regional approach brings together high schools, community college faculty, and local employers to create shared structures that reflect real workforce needs and rural access challenges.

In this report, …

Cmsi Translations #25: A New Pillar For Distant Oceans: Concepts For The Chinese Navy's New Generation Of General-Purpose Destroyers, Ying Tian

CMSI Translations

A recent unconfirmed rumor about the Chinese Navy developing a new general-purpose guidedmissile destroyer has stirred debate online. Many commenters argue that the Type 055 already offers exceptional capability across air defense, missile defense, anti-ship, anti-submarine, and general warfare roles, and is more than capable of meeting current mission needs. But because it’s expensive to build, it is not practical to produce in large numbers or to use for routine tasks, so it will likely remain a smaller part of the fleet. In contrast, the more affordable Type 052D class is limited by its size and displacement, which restricts how …

Midweek Memo, Georgia Southern University

Midweek Memo

• Applaud
• Remember
• Share
• Experience
• Around the Nest

State Of California Cannabis Reporting, University Of Mississippi – National Center For Cannabis Research And Education

California

No abstract provided.

Workplace Dignity Amongst Clinical Nurses, Jennifer De Beer, Hawazen Rawas, Wadea Beheri

Individual Articles

Background: The workplace environment plays a pivotal role in employees’ lives as they spend many hours there. Recently, greater attention has been placed on workplace conditions as a key social determinant of health. One way through which workplace conditions may affect health is workplace dignity. This study aimed to describe clinical nurses’ workplace dignity.

Methods: The study design was descriptive and cross-sectional. Clinical nurses within a tertiary institution were randomly sampled. Data collection included the Workplace Dignity scale which is an 18 item-seven-point Likert scale consisting of dignity and indignity questions (α.98, and 0.95, respectively). Data collection commenced with a …

Clinical Nurses' Perceived Educational Value Of Nursing Journal Clubs, Jennifer De Beer, Elham Alsanea, Joynalyn Barrios, Shahd Brnawi, Wejdan Barayan, Wadea Beheri, Emily Lenore Heaphy

Individual Articles

Background: Evidence-based practice plays a pivotal role in modern nursing decision-making. Healthcare organizations must ensure that nurses consistently have access to and apply the most current evidence. The journal club is a key method for evidence-based education among healthcare professionals. The study aimed to evaluate the perceived educational value of journal clubs among clinical nurses.

Methods: The study used a cross-sectional descriptive survey approach. The setting included a large tertiary hospital in the western region of Saudi Arabia. A total of 208 nurses (mean age 38.9 ± 9.1 years; 88.9% female) were randomly sampled. Participants had attended an EBP workshop …

Reimagining Success In Specialty Courts: Developing A Recovery-Oriented Success Model (Rosm) To Guide Funding, Evaluation, And Participant Outcomes In Massachusetts, Kerri Cianciarulo

Master’s Theses and Projects

No abstract provided.

Cotton Town Blues: An Investigation Of Social Inequality, Diet, And Health In A 19th Century Industrializing Population—St Peter’S Churchyard, Blackburn, Lancashire, Andy Barlow, Catriona Pickard, Linda Fibiger, Kerry L. Sayle, Sarah Schaeffer, Emma Smith, Julie Franklin, Brooke Carter, Lea Perrino, Clive Bonsall

Human Biology Open Access Pre-Prints

Historical accounts document that the shift from rural settlement to urban settings and from employment in cottage industries to factory working at the turn of the 19th century had a negative impact on the lower classes.

In 2015, the relocation of the cemetery of St Peter’s Churchyard in Blackburn, Lancashire, provided an opportunity to study the effects of industrialization on the diets and health of an early to mid-19th-century population through osteological and biomolecular analyses. Those interred at St Peter’s represent a socioeconomic cross-section of the church’s parishioners. In this paper, we present an evaluation of the lifetime dietary biographies …

Sustainability Strategies For Independent, Quick-Service Restaurant Businesses To Survive Beyond 5 Years, Winston Daniel Pauley

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Independent quick-service restaurant owners face challenges sustaining their businesses beyond 5 years of operation. Many independent quick-service restaurant owners are concerned about maintaining sustainable business operations, as failure can negatively affect owners, employees, and the communities they serve. Grounded in the resourcebased view theory, the purpose of this qualitative pragmatic inquiry project was to explore the successful sustainability strategies that quick-service restaurant owners used to survive beyond 5 years. The participants were six independent, quick-service restaurant owners operating in the state of Maryland who employed effective sustainability strategies to survive for more than 5 years. Data were collected using semistructured …

Taking Back The Trades: Southwestern Illinois Work-Based Learning Inventory Report, Alexia Santiago

Reports, Analyses, and other Publications

In 2025, Education Systems Center at Northern Illinois University (EdSystems) partnered with Southwestern Illinois College (SWIC), regional school districts, and industry partners to build a strong and comprehensive system of work-based learning opportunities for K-12 students that is aligned with Illinois statutes and frameworks. In this report, EdSystems identifies the existing regional events and activities that promote high-quality work-based learning for college and career pathways in the health sciences and manufacturing sectors.

Ud Scores 100% On State Reading Audit, Preparing Future Teachers, University Of Dayton

News Releases

The University of Dayton earned the strongest possible results in Ohio’s new Science of Reading audit.

Genomic Characterization Of Colorectal Tumors: Insights Into Significantly Mutated Genes, Pathways, And Survival Outcomes, Tabitha A Harrison, Yin Cao, Et Al.

2020-Current year OA Pubs

BACKGROUND: Identifying significantly mutated genes in tumors aids in understanding disease etiology and survival and may aid in the discovery of new drug targets. We aimed to detect and characterize mutated genes from a large, well-characterized group of colorectal cancers.

METHODS: In tumor and paired normal samples from 6,111 colorectal patients, we sequenced 199 genes identified from whole exome sequencing of over 1,100 tumors. Analyses focused on non-silent mutations. We classified significantly mutated genes after stratification by hypermutation status, and estimated associations of mutated genes/pathways with disease-specific (DS)-survival using Cox regression, adjusting for age, sex, mutation burden, hypermutation status, and …