Digital Commons Network^™

Ertapenem As An Antibiotic Prophylaxis For Colectomies And Laparotomies: A Systematic Review, Stephanie Martinez Ugarte, Mokunfayo O Fajemisin, Beatriz Varman, Parker C Towns, Elias A Chamely, Renee W Green, William D Rieger, Susan H Wootton, Lillian S Kao

Library Staff Publications

Introduction: Given concerns for antibiotic resistance, broader spectrum antibiotic agents such as ertapenem are being used for pre-operative prophylaxis. We hypothesize that pre-operative ertapenem prior to laparotomies and colectomies is superior at decreasing surgical site infections (SSIs) compared with other widely used antibiotic agents.

Methods: Medline, Embase, the Cochrane Library, and Web of Science were queried for studies until February 02, 2025. Studies were excluded if they did not evaluate ertapenem as a pre-operative antibiotic prophylaxis in patients undergoing laparotomy or colectomy, the outcome was not SSIs, or it represented a review of prior publications. Three reviewers independently extracted relevant …

Ertapenem As An Antibiotic Prophylaxis For Colectomies And Laparotomies: A Systematic Review, Stephanie Martinez Ugarte, Mokunfayo O Fajemisin, Beatriz Varman, Parker C Towns, Elias A Chamely, Renee W Green, William D Rieger, Susan H Wootton, Lillian S Kao

Library Staff Publications

Introduction: Given concerns for antibiotic resistance, broader spectrum antibiotic agents such as ertapenem are being used for pre-operative prophylaxis. We hypothesize that pre-operative ertapenem prior to laparotomies and colectomies is superior at decreasing surgical site infections (SSIs) compared with other widely used antibiotic agents.

Methods: Medline, Embase, the Cochrane Library, and Web of Science were queried for studies until February 02, 2025. Studies were excluded if they did not evaluate ertapenem as a pre-operative antibiotic prophylaxis in patients undergoing laparotomy or colectomy, the outcome was not SSIs, or it represented a review of prior publications. Three reviewers independently extracted relevant …

Pedagogical Training And Support Systems For Graduate Teaching Assistants, Alina Zaman

Electronic Theses and Dissertations Archive

Computer science relies heavily on graduate teaching assistants (GTAs), yet most training available to them is generic, not tailored to CS pedagogy, and rarely responsive to the needs of international GTAs. At the same time, rising enrollments and limited instructional capacity make timely, high-quality feedback on code both essential and difficult to deliver—especially in low-resource departments. This dissertation addresses that problem by pairing programmatic GTA preparation with assistive, human-in-the-loop AI and by empirically mapping where, how, and under what conditions AI can responsibly augment GTA feedback practice. First, I worked with the GTA training team to design and deploy a …

Interview No. 1810, Maria De Los Angeles Jaquez Escobar

Combined Interviews

Maria de los Angeles Jaquez Escobar is the youngest of her siblings. Raised in a small town in the municipality of Belisario Domínguez, Chihuahua, she grew up surrounded by farming and ranching, a way of life that fundamentally shaped her life. With parents who were agricultores, living directly from the land, she learned early on that food is more than sustenance; it is a foundation for community and identity. In the interview, Angeles recalls her first introduction to cooking, when preparing food began as a playful game with a friend. Guided by her mother’s teachings and her friend’s eagerness to …

Interview No. 1811, Myrna M. Cardoso

Combined Interviews

Myrna M. Cardoso, a native of Ciudad Juárez who is a stay-at-home mother, shares how the preparation of traditional Cuaresma foods. For her, these foods reflect a ritual that embodies the importance of family, community, and respect. She expresses her respect towards her mother and their upbringing as Catholics. Myrna recalls her memories of Cuaresma when she was younger and what that meant for her to continue this tradition in a new generation that differed from her childhood. She would give up her personal activities, such as watching T.V. and listening to the radio, in order to give her time …

Unveiling Humility In Emergency Medicine Chief Residents: A Thematic Exploration Of Standard Letters Of Evaluation, Abagayle Bierowski, Ridhima Ghei, Casey Morrone, Xiao C. Zhang, Dimitrios Papanagnou

Department of Medicine Faculty Papers

INTRODUCTION: Although humility is a key leadership trait linked to collaboration and trust, current residency application processes lack methods to identify it. By examining whether themes of humility appear in the Standardized Letters of Evaluation (SLOE) of medical students who later became emergency medicine (EM) chief residents, we sought to determine the presence of humility-related traits in SLOEs and explore their potential to inform the identification of applicants with leadership potential during residency selection.

METHODS: Two independent reviewers examined 104 SLOEs (52 chief, 52 non-chief) from 2015-2021, representing 43 students (21 who later assumed chief resident positions and 22 who …

Development Of A Low-Barrier, Reimbursable Take-Home Naloxone Program At A Regional Health System, Kory S. London, Sejal Patel, Drew Lockstein, Jamal Rashid, Dennis Goodstein, Richard Pacitti, Tareva Warrick-Stone, Frederick Randolph, Alan Cherney, Karen Alexander, Megan Reed

Department of Pharmacology, Physiology, and Cancer Biology Faculty Papers

INTRODUCTION: Take-home naloxone (THN) programs in emergency departments (ED) can reduce opioid overdose deaths by providing naloxone directly to at-risk patients before discharge. However, sustainable models that integrate reimbursement and workflow alignment remain limited.

METHODS: A reimbursable ED-led THN program was developed across a large regional health system. The program used electronic health record (EHR)-integrated ordering, on-site kit dispensing, and third-party insurance billing when available. Kits were stocked in automated medication dispensing systems and supplemented by city-provided stock for uninsured patients. Pilot outcomes included kits dispensed and reimbursement rates across eight participating EDs.

RESULTS: A total of 2,520 naloxone kits …

Quality Assessment Of Pathology Board-Exam-Style Mcqs Produced By Chatgpt3.5: A Comparative Study, Arianna B. Morton, Zunaira Naeem, Allison F. Goldberg, Alexis R. Peedin, Joanna Chan

Department of Pathology, Anatomy, and Cell Biology Faculty Papers

Residents preparing for pathology board exams frequently use multiple-choice questions (MCQs) from question banks (QBs) like PathDojo and PathPrimer, which can be costly. ChatGPT, a free tool, has been used to generate MCQs for other tests like the SAT. This study compared the quality of pathology MCQs created by ChatGPT versus commercially available study questions for the American Board of Pathology’s (ABPath) certifying exams. A rubric adapted from the National Board of Medical Examiners’ (NBME) question writing guide was validated by two pathologists using commercially available pathology board exam questions. This rubric was then used to evaluate MCQs from commercially …

Learning By Doing: The Importance Of Thoughtful And Limited Generative A.I. Use In The Il Legal Writing Classroom, Luke Repici

Faculty Publications

Technological advances that impact lawyers day-to-day work are nothing new. From typewriters, dictaphones, and computers to electronic legal research, email, and e-discovery, new technologies have changed the nuts and bolts of how lawyers practice for decades. Previous technologies may have replaced the pen with the typewriter and supplanted the letter for the email, but the lawyer remained the one doing the work. For more junior lawyers, this meant assigned tasks – reading cases, drafting motions, dictating client updates, summarizing discovery, and creating deposition outlines – could not be outsourced to technology.

The emergence of generative artificial intelligence (“Gen AI”) presents …

Elastic Cytomatrix Dynamics Influences Metabolic Rate And Tumor Microenvironment Formation, Tattym E Shaiken, Tulendy T Nurkenov, Meruyert S Kurmanbayeva, David Y Graham

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

In healthy cells, the cytomatrix mechanics utilize mitochondrial respiration to control cytosolic motion and fine-tune the chemical processes. In cancer, the cytosolic motion is energized by glycolytic fermentation (the Warburg effect), which provides additional energy to supply the needs of the cytomatrix. Here, we describe the physical and chemical processes of the integrated and cooperative cytomatrix cytoarchitecture, in which structure and function are inseparable. The extracellular matrix is interconnected with the intracellular cytomatrix and functions as two integrated elastic solid phases. This finding led us to propose mechanisms of tumor microenvironment formation resulting from the mutational burden, in which altered …

Apathy Self-Awareness And Its Neural Correlates In Parkinson’S Disease, Hannah Conn, Hideo Suzuki, Zekai Jin, Ana Marin, Xi Zhu, Seonjoo Lee, Edward Huey, Ratko Radakovic, Sarah R Heilbronner, Nora Vanegas-Arroyave

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Apathy is a prevalent non-motor symptom in Parkinson's disease (PD) that negatively impacts quality of life. Impaired self-awareness of apathy (ISA-a) further impacts patient care by limiting engagement. While apathy has been associated with reduced fronto-striatal functional connectivity (FC), the neural basis of ISA-a remains unclear. We examined ISA-a in 52 individuals and the neural basis of ISA-a in 35 individuals with PD using a dimensional approach (i.e., initiation, executive, and emotional apathy) and resting-state fMRI (3T scanner). Apathetic PD patients (42%) showed poorer self-awareness than non-apathetic peers. Apathetic PD patients showed a trend towards reduced FC between the left …

Retinol Tracing Within Murine Neural Retina Reveals Cell Type-Specific Retinol Transport And Distribution, Zachary J Engfer, Grazyna Palczewska, Samuel W Du, Jianye Zhang, Zhiqian Dong, Carolline Rodrigues Menezes, Jun Wang, Jianming Shao, Budd A Tucker, Robert F Mullins, Rui Chen, Philip D Kiser, Krzysztof Palczewski

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

11-cis-Retinal is essential for light perception in mammalian photoreceptors (PRs), and aberrations in retinoid transformations cause severe retinal diseases. Understanding these processes is crucial for combating blinding diseases. The visual cycle, operating within PRs and the retinal pigment epithelium (RPE), regenerates 11-cis-retinal to sustain light sensitivity. Retinoids are also present in Müller glia (MG), hypothesized to supply 11-cis-retinol to cone PRs and retinal ganglion cells (RGCs). To trace retinoid movement through retinal cell types, we used cell-specific knock-in of lecithin:retinol acyltransferase (LRAT), which converts retinols into stable retinyl esters (REs). Ectopic LRAT expression in murine PRs, MG, and RGCs resulted …

Improved Technical Outcomes With Converting Thrombectomy Techniques After Failed First Pass Recanalization, Hidetoshi Matsukawa, Charles Matouk, Kazutaka Uchida, Sami Al Kasab, Mohammad-Mahdi Sowlat, Sameh Samir Elawady, Ilko Maier, Pascal Jabbour, Joon-Tae Kim, Stacey Q Wolfe, Ansaar T Rai, Robert M Starke, Marios-Nikos Psychogios, Edgar A Samaniego, Adam S Arthur, Hugo Cuellar, Brain M Howard, Daniele G Romano, Omar Tanweer, Justin R Mascitelli, Isabel Fragata, Adam Polifka, Joshua W Osbun, Roberto Javier Crosa, Min S Park, Michael R Levitt, Waleed Brinjikji, Mark Moss, Richard Williamson, Pedro Navia, Peter Kan, Reade Andrew De Leacy, Shakeel A Chowdhry, Mohamad Ezzeldin, Alejandro M Spiotta, Shinichi Yoshimura, Ali M Alawieh

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Background: A higher number of recanalization attempts reduces the efficacy of endovascular thrombectomy (EVT) for acute ischemic stroke secondary to large vessel occlusion (LVO). We assessed the impact of switching EVT techniques after a failed first pass on procedural and clinical outcomes.

Methods: This multicenter international study, conducted between January 2013 and December 2022, included patients undergoing EVT for anterior circulation LVO (internal carotid artery or M1 segments) with failed first pass recanalization. Propensity score matching identified a 1:1 matched cohort of patients in whom EVT technique was changed after a failed first pass and those with the same technique …

Be Faster Community Of Practice To Increase Rapid Initiation Of Antiretroviral Therapy In Houston, Texas: A Pre-Post Intervention Study, Naomi Sequeira, Bich N Dang, Melanie Goebel, Monisha Arya, Avishek Ghosh-Hajra, Kathryn Fergus, Shital M Patel

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Background: Rapid initiation of antiretroviral therapy (Rapid ART) is a key strategy of the Ending the HIV Epidemic (EHE) initiative. The Baylor College of Medicine Extension for Community Healthcare Outcomes (ECHO) Facilitating Antiretroviral Start Earlier (BE FASTER) program was developed to address this call-to-action. The program uses the ProjectECHO tele-mentoring model as an implementation tool in Harris County, a priority EHE jurisdiction. The authors present results on the acceptability and feasibility of the BE FASTER program.

Methods: Multidisciplinary health professionals from 5 Ryan White Part A funded agencies formed the community of practice. The BE FASTER program included 9 monthly …

Teacher Dexiotita And Student Literacy: Building A Literacy Ecosystem In Elementary Schools In East Kupang Sub-District, Kristina E. Noya Nahak, Lanny Isabela Dwisyahri Koroh

Jurnal Pendidikan: Teori, Penelitian, dan Pengembangan

The declining trend of Indonesian students' literacy competence has prompted researchers to examine how teachers' Dexiotita (competence) fosters literacy ecosystems within educational institutions. This inquiry also explores the relationship between students' Dexiotita (competence) literacy and teachers' Dexiotita (competence). A descriptive qualitative method, employing a case study approach, was utilized to examine phenomena in three schools located in the Kupang district of East Kupang sub-district. These schools were selected based on their representation of a diverse sample, with three schools each having a principal, 18 classroom teachers, and 225 students.The data collection process involved interviews, observations, and documentation, with the data …

Best Practices For Using Ai Tools In Open Educational Resources (Oer), Heather Leonard

AI Summit

No abstract provided.

Sacred Lessons In The Last Moments: Faith Integration And Holistic Nursing, Meredith Lemmi

Wisdom & Compassion: The LUSON Journal

No abstract provided.

Nurse Faculty Burnout: A Narrative Literature Review, Susan Braud, Cynthia Goodrich, Amanda Martin

Wisdom & Compassion: The LUSON Journal

Background: Nursing faculty burnout significantly impairs teaching effectiveness and contributes to high turnover rates, threatening the future nursing workforce and overall quality of patient care.

Purpose: This review explores the contributing factors, consequences, and potential interventions related to nurse faculty burnout—a key driver of faculty attrition.

Method: An integrative literature review guided by the Whittemore and Knafl (2005) framework was conducted using the Melynk’s Level of Evidence Scale applied to assess the strength and quality of selected studies.

Results: Burnout in nurse faculty is multifactorial, stemming from overwhelming workloads, insufficient institutional support, and persistent systemic challenges. If unaddressed, it leads …

Volume 3, Issue 1 - Complete Issue

Wisdom & Compassion: The LUSON Journal

No abstract provided.

Why Indigenous Children's And Young Adult Literature Matter

Occasional Paper Series

No abstract provided.

The Role Of Native And Non-Native Teachers In Selecting Children’S Literature By Native Authors, Trisha Moquino, Katie Kitchens, Laini Szostkowski, Tiffany Jewell, Debbie Reese

Occasional Paper Series

Our contribution to the Occasional Paper Series is driven by the editors request for articles that will provide readers with an opportunity to learn how to use Indigenous Children’s and Young Adult Literature (ICYAL) texts responsibly. In our experience, children encounter far too much anti-Indigeneity in literature, and therefore the classroom.. Before using a book, a teacher must select the book they plan to use in the classroom. If the teacher is seeking to “provide opportunities for students to develop interpersonal relationships between real live kids and those who live only on the page,” (Leitich Smith, 2020) we think it …

Utilizing And Creating Indigenous Children’S Literature To Reclaim The Endangered Hoche Language, Jue Wang

Occasional Paper Series

Stemming from a large ethnographic study exploring young Indigenous children’s literacy and language practices in and out of school in a Hoche elementary school in rural Northeast China, this paper focuses on the navigation of Indigenous literature, language, and literacy learning of young Hoche children. Particularly, this reflective paper challenges the efficacy of Hoche language education in the oppressive context of the public schooling system, inviting Indigenous and non-Indigenous educators in China and across the world to rethink the urgency of reclaiming this endangered language and the power of Indigenous literature in understanding Hoche Indigenous ways of knowing, belonging, and …

“We Sing Too:” Pedagogical Approaches For Listening To Children In Indigenous Picturebooks, Rachel Stubbs, Anja Dressler Araujo, Kari Dressler, Jadyn Fischer-Mcnabb, Aubrey Hanson, Erin Spring

Occasional Paper Series

This article explores how storytelling, particularly through picture books, facilitates learning across boundaries of age, culture, gender, and education. In this article, we emphasize the value of picture books in integrating Indigenous oral traditions into the classroom, highlighting how these texts foster a reciprocal relationship between listener and storyteller. By focusing on the act of listening, our article argues that Indigenous picture books require active participation and decentering of the individual, positioning listeners as part of a larger collective. This article also underscores the importance of viewing children as active, responsible, and agential members of their communities, aligning with Indigenous …

“I’M From The Federal Government And I’M Here To Help”: An Examination Of How Firekeeper’S Daughter Educates About Settler Colonialism, Robert Petrone

Occasional Paper Series

This essay offers an examination of various ways Angeline Boulley’s best-selling, award-winning Indigenous Young Adult novel, Firekeeper’s Daughter attends to and educates about settler colonialism. At the core of this analysis is the guiding question: In what ways does Firekeeper’s Daughter illuminate the ongoing social structure of settler colonialism within the context of what is currently known as “The United States”? Specifically, this analysis focuses on the topics of Native identity, including colonial mechanism of blood quantum; and the ways institutions such as the FBI operate from values and epistemologies of compartmentalization and deficit notions of Native Peoples. Across this …

Why Indigenous Children’S Literature Matters: A Native Hawaiian Perspective, Julie Kaomea

Occasional Paper Series

No abstract provided.

Making Connections To The Local: Exploring The Role Of Indigenous Literature In Early Childhood Education, Lori Huston, Dr. Jan Hare, Ashleigh Janis, Leigh Kweon

Occasional Paper Series

Indigenous children's literature is a vital resource for nurturing cultural understandings and appreciation from an early age for both Indigenous and non-Indigenous children. This paper presents insights gathered from a workshop titled "Nurturing Indigenous Childhoods Through Themed Picture Books: Making Connections to the Local," which emerged as a culmination of our collaborative work on a massive open online course (MOOC) centered on Indigenous pedagogy in early childhood education. We curated a list of Indigenous children's books and engaged in discussions on the significance of Indigenous literature in nurturing cultural identity and literacy learning. In doing so, we aspired to create …

The Legacy Of Language: Indigenous Language In Children’S Fiction, Christine Hartman Derr

Occasional Paper Series

Generally speaking, storytelling is an honored tradition in many Native communities. I use the term generally with a disclaimer. There are currently 574 federally recognized tribal Nations on the land presently known as the United States of America. There are additional Native Nations recognized at the state level and tribal Nations left unrecognized. Each Nation has its own culture, language, traditions, and beliefs. The statements made in this paper could not be universally applicable to all Indigenous communities. There is no monolithic Native perspective that could adequately represent every Native Nation, nor should there be. We celebrate our differences as …

Nurturing Authentic Indigenous Voices In Indigenous Children’S And Young Adult Literature: An Aotearoa New Zealand Case Study, Nicola Daly, Julie Barbour, Darryn Joseph, Te Kani Price, Pania Tahau-Hodges, Kawata Teepa, Nic Vanderschantz, Eboni Waitere, Bryony Walker

Occasional Paper Series

At the heart of decision-making in children’s literature is the publisher who decides whose stories are told and how (Encisco et al, 2010). There is some research concerning inclusivity practices in the children’s literature that we see in libraries, homes and publishing houses (Caple & Tian, 2022; Daly, Vanderschantz, Mitchell & Blair, 2025; Daly, 2021; Stagg Peterson & Robinson, 2020). There is, however, little work examining how the publishing process can contribute to increased diversity in children’s picturebooks, particularly in relation to Indigenous languages and cultures. International research shows that there is limited cultural and linguistic diversity evident in children’s …

An Indigenous Feminist Reading Praxis For Imagining Anti-Colonial Futurities: Honouring The Spirit And Intent Of Katherena Vermette’S Writings, Jennifer Brant, Erenna Morrison, Jasmine Rice, Gayatri Thakor

Occasional Paper Series

We conceptualize Indigenous literatures as integral tools for supporting teachers on their journeys toward truth and reconciliation. As such, we intentionally offer our work as a pedagogical guide for introducing Indigenous Children’s and Young Adult Literatures (ICYAL) in secondary level English courses, asserting that the delivery of such works must be taught in ways that align with anti-racist praxis, acknowledge varied experiences of racism, sexism, and gender-based violences, and promote liberatory thinking. Indeed, while Indigenous literatures are excellent pedagogical tools to engage conversations about social justice and anti-Indigenous racism, they must be paired with key lessons that dismantle harmful, disrespectful …

Introduction: Why Indigenous Children’S And Young Adult Literature Matters, Joaquin Muñoz, Dawn Quigley

Occasional Paper Series

No abstract provided.