Digital Commons Network^™

Readability Of Dermatology Patient Education Materials: A Comparative Analysis Of Turkish Dermatology Association Brochures And Texts Generated By Chatgpt And Gemini ​, Ahmet Kağan Özdemi̇r, Bengü Reyhan Botsali Özdemi̇r, Akin Aktaş

Turkish Journal of Medical Sciences

Background/aim: In modern healthcare, patient education materials (PEMs) are essential for bridging the gap between clinical knowledge and patient understanding. However, in Türkiye, where 64.6% of the adult population possesses inadequate or problematic health literacy, traditional medical brochures often exceed recommended reading levels. This study aimed to evaluate and compare the readability of Turkish dermatology PEMs prepared by the Turkish Dermatology Association (TDA) with those generated by artificial intelligence (AI) models.

Materials and methods: A total of 68 TDA PEMs were analyzed. Readability was assessed using the Ateşman Readability Index. Responses were generated by AI models to questions extracted from …

Cervical Conjoined Nerve Root Anomalies: Prevalence And Impact On Posterior Cervical Surgery, Ahmet Eren Seçen, Ayfer Aslan, Musa Onur Özbakir, Uğur Kemal Gündüz, Ali̇ Dalgiç

Turkish Journal of Medical Sciences

Background/aim: Anomalous nerve roots (ANRs) are well described in the lumbosacral spine but are rarely reported in the cervical region. The aim of this study was to evaluate the incidence, clinical characteristics, and surgical outcomes of cervical ANRs, with particular emphasis on conjoined nerve roots, in a single-center clinical series.

Materials and methods: A retrospective analysis was conducted of patients who underwent posterior cervical discectomy for cervical disc herniation at our institution between 2010 and 2025. A total of 113 posterior cervical procedures were performed, and seven patients were found to have surgically confirmed cervical ANRs. For these patients, demographic …

Face Mask Littering: Environmental Impacts, Regulatory Challenges, And Ai-Driven Waste Management Strategies For The Post-Pandemic Era, Pri̇yanka Rathee, Sari̇ta Khatkar, Renu Sehrawat, Pooja Rathee, Anurag Khatkar, Esra Küpeli̇

Turkish Journal of Medical Sciences

The widespread use of polypropylene-based face masks during the COVID-19 pandemic created a significant and persistent source of plastic pollution. This review aims to provide an integrative assessment of the environmental, toxicological, and public health implications of face mask litter and evaluate current waste management challenges and emerging technological solutions in the postpandemic context. A narrative review approach was employed, synthesizing literature published between 2020 and 2025 and indexed in major scientific databases including Web of Science, Scopus, and PubMed. Studies were selected based on their relevance to the issues of environmental contamination, microplastic generation, toxicological effects, regulatory frameworks, and …

Ethical Principles For Employing Artificial Intelligence In Media Coverage Of The 2023–2024 Al-Aqsa Flood Operation, Safa Mazhoud Sari Alabrawi, Salma Mazhoud Sari Alabrawi

Journal of Arts and Social Sciences

This study aims to investigate the ethical principles governing the use of artificial intelligence in media coverage, using the 2023-2024 Gaza war as a case study to identify these principles. The study drew on Political Marketing Theory and Gatekeeping Theory. Several research tools were employed, including Content analysis of Al Arabiya’s website (alarabiya. net) over a three-month period documentary analysis of four AI guides and a review of the relevant literature, previous research and studies. The study revealed several results, the most important of which is the great convergence between the ethical principles of media coverage--namely responsibility, freedom, independence, credibility …

Crisis Communication Management During Covid 19 In The Sultanate Of Oman: An Analytical Study Of The Government Communication Center’S Accounts On X Platform, Aaisha Alkaabi, Faten Ben Lagha

Journal of Arts and Social Sciences

This study examines the characteristics of the content published on the Omani Government Communication Center’s accounts on X platform, namely its official account and its “Oman VS Covid 19” account, which was dedicated to managing the COVID-19 crisis during the period from January 2020 to August 2022. The study adopted Betteke Van Ruler’s Communication Grid of Tactics Model and employed the survey method to achieve its objectives through two research tools: content analysis tools and semi-structured interviews. The findings revealed a diversity of media formats used in the posts published by the two accounts (text with infographics, images, and videos), …

The Current - Volume 37 Issue 01, Nova Southeastern University

Student Newspapers

No abstract provided.

Ancestors And Tiger From Elsewhere: Emerging Forms Of Human-Tiger Socio-Natural Relations In Cosmopolitical Frontiers Of Sumatra, Imam Ardhianto, Febri Sastiviani Putri Cantika, Matahari Jingga, Dimas Iqbal Romadhon

Forest and Society

How are the moral relations between communities and the Sumatran tiger (Panthera tigris sumatrae) being reconfigured as forests fragment and land-use change accelerates across Sumatra's conservation landscape? This article addresses that question ethnographically, drawing on forty semi-structured interviews conducted in Agam and Pasaman Regencies (West Sumatra) between April and June 2026 and interviews with Yayasan SINTAS Indonesia. The article documents the three animistic category of the tiger, comprising Datuk/ancestor, harimau jadi-jadian, and harimau tandang, and traces how it is being reshaped by habitat fragmentation, commodity-driven land expansion, generational interruption of customary authority, and state translocation …

Unpacking System Factors Contributing To Delayed Icu Discharges: A Mixed-Method Study, Xia Jin, Anne Mette Nørby Adams, Joanne Mcintyre, Steven Galluccio, Shailesh Bihari, Ubbo F. Wiersema, Kathrine De Lyster, Frances Fengzhi Lin

International Nursing Research Congress (INRC)

Background: Discharge delay in resource-constrained Intensive Care Units (ICUs) remains a concerning and persistent challenge, resulting in delayed ICU admissions and after-hours discharges. These delays are associated with adverse patient outcomes and system inefficiency. While centralised patient flow centres and other strategies have been implemented to address these issues, their impact on ICU discharge delays remains unexplored. To improve patient flow, it is essential to explore organisational barriers and facilitators to ICU discharge.

Objective: To identify system factors influencing ICU discharge in a tertiary Australian hospital.

Methods: A mixed-method study was conducted in a 32-bed tertiary ICU in Australia. Between …

Treaty Hierarchy And Legal Pluralism In Cross-Border Governance: Comparative Study Of Jordan And France, Rola Nael Salameh, Numan Ahmad Elkhatib, Rami Ali Daradkeh, Mohammad Sulieman Issa Alhelalat

Hasanuddin Law Review

This study addresses the constitutional ambiguity surrounding the hierarchical status and domestic application of international human rights treaties, particularly in legal systems where treaty incorporation lacks explicit constitutional regulation. Though earlier researches have discussed issues such as treaty incorporation and constitutionality, there has been little analysis of the comparative role played by courts in bridging the international and domestic legal systems. The study adopts a qualitative doctrinal and comparative legal methodology, analyzing constitutional provisions, legislative frameworks, and judicial decisions across Jordan, France, and selected Arab jurisdictions, including Egypt and Morocco. The findings reveal that France adopts a hierarchical model granting …

Bc-Xaia: A Blockchain-Based Recruitment Framework With Explainable Ai And Smart Contract Integration, Heba Allah Adel, Sayed Abdelgaber, Wessam H. El-Behaidy

Computer Science

Ensuring transparency and security in digital recruitment systems remains a critical challenge. This study proposes BC-XAIA, a unified framework that integrates blockchain, smart contracts, explainable artificial intelligence (XAI), and agile methodology to enable consistent, secure, and traceable recruitment decision-making. Smart contracts, implemented in Solidity and deployed using the Remix Ethereum IDE, automate key processes such as identity verification, data access control, and behavior monitoring, reducing reliance on centralized intermediaries. To support intelligent decision-making, multiple machine learning models, including Random Forest, Logistic Regression, and Support Vector Machine (SVM), were trained and evaluated on a recruitment dataset, with Random Forest achieving the …

Rethinking Education For Sustainable Development: The Role Of Blended Learning Within Skill-Based Higher Education, Nessrin Shaya, Sandra Baroudi, Serena Aoun, Rawan Abukhait

All Works

Purpose – Drawing on Social Cognitive Career Theory, this study positions blended learning not merely as a technological enhancement but as a strategic pedagogical mechanism for operationalizing sustainable development. It examines how blended learning within interdisciplinary and skill-based higher education environments cultivate employability skills that support sustainable educational practices. Design/methodology/approach – The study adopts a survey design. Where data were collected from 782 undergraduate students across five universities in UAE. Two institutions offered blended, interdisciplinary and skill-based courses, while three delivered the same courses through traditional face-to-face formats. The structural model was examined using structural equation modeling (SEM) with bootstrapping …

Enhancing Salinity Tolerance In Phyla Nodiflora L. With Potassium Humate: Crosstalk Between Osmolytes, Antioxidants, And Mineral Uptake, Fatemeh Sadeghi, Somayeh Esmaeili, Mehrangiz Chehrazi

Turkish Journal of Agriculture and Forestry

Salinity stress impairs plant growth, nutrient homeostasis, and metabolism, particularly in arid ecosystems. Phyla nodiflora, a ground cover used for erosion control, shows preliminary salinity tolerance, but the mechanistic basis of its long-term adaptation and the potential for enhancement via potassium humate (KH) were unknown. Plant growth, key biochemical attributes, and nutrient uptake were assessed to elucidate how KH modulates physiological performance under increasing salinity. In a 129-day greenhouse experiment, plants were exposed to five salinity levels (0 to 16 dS m⁻¹ NaCl) and three KH concentrations (0, 500, and 1000 mg L⁻¹). Severe salinity (16 dS m⁻¹) without KH …

Genetic Algorithm For Agricultural Logistics Optimization: Solving The Capacitated Vehicle Routing Problem In Rural Distribution, Min Song, Kan Lu

Turkish Journal of Agriculture and Forestry

With the rapid advancement of agricultural modernization and the increasing demand for agricultural products, inefficient logistics distribution has become a major bottleneck in rural supply chains. This study addresses the capacitated vehicle routing problem (CVRP) in agricultural logistics. A genetic algorithm (GA)-based optimization model was proposed to enhance distribution efficiency. The model integrates critical agricultural characteristics, including multidistribution center networks, seasonal delivery schedules, and regional road infrastructure constraints, to minimize both transportation distance and operational costs. Experimental results show that the GA outperforms traditional metaheuristic methods (e.g., particle swarm optimization and simulated annealing), achieving a >5 km reduction in total …

Genetic Diversity And Population Structure Of Carob Germplasm From Lebanon, Morocco, And Spain Reveal Potential For Innovative Breeding Programs, Mohamad Ali El Chami, Guillermo Palacios-Rodriguez, Rafael Maria Navarro-Cerrillo, Lamis Chalak, Maria Dolores-Rey

Turkish Journal of Agriculture and Forestry

The carob tree (Ceratonia siliqua L.) is a drought-tolerant species native to the Mediterranean Basin. It has been cultivated for centuries for its highly nutritious, edible pods. Genetic diversity is one of the key requirements for the effective management and utilization of plant genetic resources. In this study, we evaluated the genetic diversity and population structure of 169 seminatural carob individuals from Lebanon, Spain, and Morocco using nine expressed sequence tag-simple sequence repeat (EST-SSR) markers. A total of eight polymorphic EST-SSR loci produced 43 alleles, with Cesi_187 and Cesi_1187 identified as the most informative markers. Results of AMOVA and SAMOVA …

Beyond Closed Doors: Standardizing Intimate Partner Violence Screening In A Predominantly Spanish-Speaking Primary Care Clinic, Sarah Abughrib

Master's Projects and Capstones

Objective: Intimate partner violence is a widespread public health concern, with an estimated 64.2 million U.S. adults affected in their lifetime and significant physical, psychological, and economic consequences. Due to systemic challenges, IPV screening remained inconsistent across an adult primary care clinic serving a predominantly monolingual Spanish-speaking population in the San Francisco Bay Area, with only 4.1% of patients screened across the Adult, Women's, and Teen clinics in June 2026. Aim: This quality improvement project aimed to increase overall IPV screening by 10%, from 4.1% to 14.1%, by July 31, 2026. Methods: Standardization efforts included introducing a …

Staff Education To Improve Hand Hygiene And Personal Protective Equipment Compliance, Suliat Oluwa

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

This doctoral project is a staff education initiative designed to strengthen hand hygiene and personal protective equipment (PPE) practices among interdisciplinary staff in a long-term care (LTC) facility. The practice problem addressed inconsistent hand hygiene and PPE use across shifts and departments, contributing to healthcare-associated infections (HAIs). Because LTC residents are highly vulnerable due to advanced age, multiple comorbidities, and shared living environments, improving adherence to infection prevention practices is essential for enhancing resident safety, reducing preventable infections, and supporting compliance with Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) infection prevention standards. …

Burnout, Compassion Fatigue, Secondary Trauma, And Experiences With Death And Dying Among Organ And Tissue Recovery Professionals: A Hermeneutic Phenomenological Study, Shelby Andreasen

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Professionals in organ and tissue recovery have complex job roles that affect the outcomes of patients who wait for a life-saving organ or a life-enhancing tissue graft. This profession had little research regarding burnout, compassion fatigue, and secondary trauma, as well as how consistent involvement with deceased patients affects these professionals and the outcomes of their cases. The purpose of this qualitative phenomenological study was to explore the lived experiences of 11 organ and tissue recovery professionals (OTRPs). Constructivist self-development theory was applied to understand OTRPs’ lived experiences of compassion fatigue, secondary trauma, and burnout, as well as the impact …

Weekly Team Validation Rounding Focused On Chlorhexidine Gluconate Bathing And Bath Completion And Documentation Compliance, La-Toya Therese Fong

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

This quality improvement project evaluated whether weekly team validation rounding improved chlorhexidine gluconate (CHG) bath completion and documentation compliance among eligible adult inpatients, with particular attention to differences in compliance outcomes between Pod 5C and Pod 4B. Background. Hospital-acquired infections continue to increase morbidity, mortality, length of stay, and healthcare costs. Although CHG bathing is an evidence-based strategy for reducing infection risk and the transmission of multidrug-resistant organisms, inconsistent documentation at the practicum site limited accurate monitoring of compliance across validation data, electronic medical record documentation, and DOMO reports. Method. Participants included eligible adult inpatients admitted within the previous 24 …

Fellowship Graduates’ Perceptions Of The Professional Competencies Developed In A Local Orthopedic Manual Physical Therapy Program In The Southern United States, Margaret Elaine Lonnemann

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Orthopedic manual physical therapy (OMPT) fellowship programs focus on improving clinical skills and professional development in physical therapy. OMPT fellowship programs are 1–3-year postprofessional subspecialty training programs in manual physical therapy requiring prior orthopedic clinical experience. The problem that was addressed in this study is that professional competencies are not adequately assessed after program completion of an OMPT fellowship in the Southern United States. Grounded in Dreyfus’s skill acquisition model, the purpose of this basic qualitative study was to explore OMPT fellowship graduates’ perceptions of the professional competencies developed and recommendations for assessing these competencies in future graduates. Data were …

Closing The Loop: Strengthening Cauti Prevention With Urinary Catheter Management, Erika N. Braun

Master's Projects and Capstones

Objective: Catheter-associated urinary tract infections (CAUTIs) are among the most common preventable healthcare-associated infections and are associated with significant patient harm and increased healthcare costs. Baseline assessment across five adult cardiovascular and critical care units within a community-based acute care hospital identified four CAUTI events during the first half of 2026 and revealed important nursing knowledge deficits related to bladder scanning protocols and urinary catheter management practices. Aim: This Quality Improvement (QI) Project aimed to improve nursing knowledge of evidence-based bladder scanning protocols and urinary catheter management practices through targeted educational interventions implemented over a 10-week period, with …

Teachers’ Communicative Experiences Of Media And Information Literacy (Mil) In Peri-Urban Schools In The Southern Philippines: A Hermeneutic Phenomenological Analysis, Author Information Removed

JMLE Submissions Open for Review

Media and Information Literacy (MIL) has become increasingly important as education responds to an increasingly complex information environment, yet less is known about how teachers experience and make sense of teaching it, particularly in resource-constrained contexts. Guided by Gadamerian hermeneutic phenomenology, this study explored the lived communicative experiences of seven Senior High School teachers from five peri-urban public schools in the Southern Philippines. In-depth interviews revealed three interconnected, culturally situated meanings: pagsugakod (carrying on amid uncertainty), pagtagad (attentive responsibility), and pagkabalaka (ongoing concern). Together, these meanings show how teachers navigate limited preparation, respond to students’ lived circumstances, and teach within …

Staff Education To Improve Early Identification Of Behavioral Escalation And Timely Clinical Intervention In An Adult Group Home Setting, Gayduo Barr

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

In this Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) staff education project addressed a gap in staff knowledge regarding the early identification of behavioral escalation and timely intervention in an adult group home setting. The practice-focused question was: Does staff education about early identification of behavioral escalation and timely clinical intervention improve the knowledge of staff working in an adult group home setting? The purpose was to improve staff knowledge of behavioral escalation, triggers, trauma-informed care, and intervention strategies. I delivered a structured educational intervention to 14 house managers. Educational content included behavioral escalation stages, triggers, de-escalation techniques, trauma-informed care, documentation, and …

Non-Veteran Civilian Manager Perceptions About Supporting Employee Military In Civilian Workplace Transitions, Sandra Gail Piggee

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

One of the largest populations seeking employment in private sector industries is military veterans. The active-duty military careers end for over 200,000 individuals per year, and over two-thirds of veterans resign from private sector industry positions within 2 years of post-service transition due to difficulties with their transition. This can lead to a lack of career advancement, professional development, and employee benefits. The purpose of this generic qualitative study was to explore perceptions of non-veteran civilian managers in private sector industries about how to support employees who are veterans in making a successful transition from the military into civilian employment. …

Kindergarten Classroom Educators’ Perceptions Of Social Emotional Learning Implementation, Thomasina A. Millner

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The problem addressed in this study was that research on social emotional learning (SEL) has largely focused on student outcomes, program effectiveness, and implementation practices, but limited research has examined kindergarten classroom educators’ perceptions of implementing SEL. Grounded in the Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning framework, the purpose of this study was to explore kindergarten classroom educators’ perceptions of SEL implementation. For this basic qualitative design, semistructured interviews with nine kindergarten educators who had at least 1 year experience implementing SEL were conducted. Through thematic data analysis the following five themes emerged: Educators noted (1) that SEL is …

Effective Strategies For Implementing Artificial Intelligence To Improve Businesses’ Value Chains, Jehan Forsythe

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Organizational leaders are increasingly adopting artificial intelligence (AI) to improve business operations; however, leaders of small and medium enterprises (SMEs) continue to face challenges associated with AI adoption. Understanding strategies for effective AI integration may facilitate AI adoption in SMEs, helping to enhance organizational value and improve competitive positioning. Grounded in Porter’s value chain framework, the purpose of this qualitative pragmatic inquiry project was to identify and explore effective strategies that U.S. SME leaders use to integrate AI into their value chain to increase organizational value and gain a competitive advantage. The participants were six U.S. SME leaders who led …

Prekindergarten Teachers' Perspectives On Coaching Following Professional Development On Early Childhood Programs, Donna Renee Morton

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Coaching is recommended for prekindergarten (PK) teachers following professional development (PD) to increase implementation of instruction practices with fidelity in early childhood (EC) programs. The problem addressed in this study was PK teachers were challenged to engage in coaching experiences after PD to implement instructional practices with fidelity in a large EC program located in the Mideastern United States. Framed by Knowles’s adult learning theory, the purpose of this basic qualitative study was to explore PK teachers’ perspectives on coaching experiences after receiving PD to implement instructional practices with fidelity. Semistructured interview data were collected from eight PK teachers who …

Completion Outcomes And Predictive Characteristics In Mandated Inpatient Substance Use Treatment, Tina Marie Moyer

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Treatment retention, specifically as it pertains to offenders who are mandated to receive substance use treatment rather than serve standard incarceration sentences, is receiving more scholarly attention. Although prior research indicates an association between substance use treatment and reduced criminal behavior, many studies have methodological limitations. The purpose of this quantitative non-experimental, comparative study was to compare treatment completion outcomes for mandated and non-mandated offenders and to examine individual predictors of treatment completion, thereby addressing gaps in the current research. Secondary data from adult offenders receiving treatment at an inpatient substance use rehabilitation facility were analyzed. The risk-needs-responsivity model was …

Licensed Counselors’ Professional Well-Being During The Covid-19 Pandemic, Jacqueline Flaherty

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

According to the American Counseling Association (ACA, 2014) Code of Ethics, professional counselors are responsible to monitor their own impairment. Specific interventions to prevent impairment and foster counselor professional well-being (PWB) and resiliency are imperative in a profession in which it is ethically required to continuously provide competent counseling. The purpose of this study was to explore the narratives of licensed counselors’ PWB during the onset of and successively during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. The theoretical orientation for this study was Dewey’s theory of experience. Nine counselor participants who were licensed by May 2018 shared detailed accounts of …

Formative Work To Guide Implementation Of An Evidence-Based Breast And Cervical Cancer Prevention And Early Detection Behavioral Health Program In Clinics: Qualitative Study Guided By The Consolidated Framework For Implementation Research, Marlyn A Allicock, Crystal Costa, Ashley Hedrick Mckenzie, Preena Loomba, Roshanda S Chenier, Ross Shegog, Angelita Alaniz, Maria E Fernandez, Lara S Savas

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Background: Salud en Mis Manos (SEMM) is a community health worker-delivered evidence-based intervention shown to increase breast and cervical cancer screening in medically underserved Latinas. Despite SEMM's success in community-based settings, clinic-based implementation is limited.

Objective: This study aimed to identify factors influencing the implementation of SEMM in clinic settings using the Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research (CFIR) to inform and refine implementation strategy development.

Methods: We developed theory-informed (eg, CFIR, Social Cognitive Theory, and Readiness) interview guides to elicit barriers and facilitators of SEMM clinic implementation. We conducted 12 semistructured interviews with clinic leaders, outreach coordinators, and community health …

Protecting America’S Critical Infrastructure: A Shared Responsibility In An Era Of Escalating Cyber Threats, Alan Saquella

Publications

The recent cyberattacks targeting municipal water facilities across multiple U.S. states serve as another reminder that America’s critical infrastructure remains under constant attack. According to the FBI, Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), attackers successfully compromised operational technology (OT) devices, including programmable logic controllers (PLCs), by exploiting Internet-connected systems, changing administrator credentials, and disrupting normal operations. Fortunately, local operators responded quickly by isolating affected systems, restoring backups, and preventing what could have become a significant public health crisis.

While these incidents focused on water treatment facilities, they represent a much larger national security issue. …