Digital Commons Network^™

Facilitating Freirean Pedagogy And Asset-Based Learning In An Asynchronous Environment In A Doctoral Public Health Course, Manoj Sharma, Liliana Davlos, Sharmistha Roy

UNLV Best Teaching Practices Expo

The Department of Social and Behavioral Health offers an asynchronous course, Advanced Applications of Social and Behavioral Theories (HED 762), to doctoral students in public health. In this course, commonly used behavior and social change theories are taught. One such theory is the Freirean theory of adult education, which emphasizes dialogue, critical conscientization, praxis, transformation, and critical consciousness. The instructor of this course uses a variety of methods to imbibe this pedagogy that comprise (a) the use of the fourth-generation multi-theory model (MTM) of health behavior change to motivate students, (b) Freirean dialogue in the Canvas discussion forum with students …

Playing To Learn: Game-Based Maternal-Newborn Review Using "Forbidden Words" (Taboo-Style), Nikki Rose Ty-Albright

UNLV Best Teaching Practices Expo

TEACHING PRACTICE & NEED IT ADDRESSES Prelicensure nursing students often struggle to translate medical terminology into patient-friendly language (Rodrigues & Moreira, 2022) Gen Z learners frequently disengage from traditional post-conference lecture formats (Thi, 2025) "Forbidden Words" (Taboo-style) game used during post-clinical conference to bridge this gap in an engaging way Students explain maternal-newborn concepts in jargon-free language while avoiding forbidden words on a card

Streaming Success: Using Summer Fellowships And Asynchronous Lecture Videos To Scale Relationship-Rich Learning In Large Enrollment Courses, Van "Docdoc" Whaley

UNLV Best Teaching Practices Expo

Supported by SIHS Summer Teaching Fellowships, this initiative developed 110+ asynchronous lecture videos embedded in Canvas to enhance accessibility, engagement, and alignment across large-enrollment A&P courses. Results include 92,000 minutes of views for the 2025 vides, 330,000 minutes viewed of the 2024 videoss, and over 4.8 million minutes of total student engagement and documented impact on student outcomes and program scalability.

Sparking Engagement: Using "Lightning Debates" To Transform Dry Policy Into Dynamic Learning, Minnie Wood, Ericka Yelle, Necole Leland

UNLV Best Teaching Practices Expo

To address a gap in health policy application among nursing undergraduates, we piloted Lightning Debates, a high-energy teaching strategy that replaces passive lecture with active learning. Students are assigned Pro or Con stances on contentious local policies, using role-play and improvisation to present evidence-based arguments in five-minute sprints. This asset-based approach leverages student creativity to deconstruct complex fiscal and clinical issues. Results demonstrate significant impact: 87.5% of students reported an improved ability to analyze policy, and the percentage of graduates feeling prepared to apply policy knowledge rose from 57% to 77%. This session provides scalable implementation tips for fostering critical …

Preparing Dental Students To Lead Teledentistry Programs Addressing Oral Health Inequities: An Evidence-Informed Teaching Practice Grounded In Multi-Theory Model (Mtm) & Social Cognitive Theory (Sct), Asma Awan, Christina Demopoulos, Manoj Sharma

UNLV Best Teaching Practices Expo

The rapid expansion of telehealth and teledentistry demands dental professionals proficient in remote care delivery, digital communication, and community-based service models. This practice prepares students to lead and implement teledentistry programs addressing oral health inequities among underserved and rural populations in Nevada and beyond

Psychedelic Research In The Modern Day: Good Or Bad?, Shane Miller

Mechanical Engineering Student Research

This work is about the usage/safety of psychedelic substances, and I explain whether they are good or bad in terms of other drugs, such as alcohol.

Implementation Of Kansei Engineering Method In Designing Spreadable Cheese Packaging, Novi Purnama Sari, Mega Analisa, Suci Puji Lestari, Khofifah Nur Amalia

Makara Journal of Technology

Some spreadable cheese packaging uses flexible plastic without additional features and easily damaged boxes. This packaging causes several problems, such as difficulty in re-storage, loss of product information due to damaged box packaging, wasteful use of packaging materials, and making the product less hygienic. The purpose of this study is to develop packaging that focuses on consumer emotions. The packaging was developed using the Kansei Engineering method, supported by Principal Component Analysis (PCA) as a determinant of the design concept, and Quantification Theory Type 1 (QTT1) to identify design elements. This study produced 46 packaging samples and 40 Kansei words. …

Test-Retest Reliability And Internal Consistency Of The Occupational Resilience Measure (Orm 1.0), Bernard A. Muriithi, Milan Bimali, Kara Gore

Occupational Therapy Faculty Scholarship

Background: The Occupational Resilience Measure (ORM 1.0) is a 20-item, multidimensional self-report tool for measuring occupational resilience, a construct defined as an individual’s ability to persist in performing occupations despite barriers. Objective: This study evaluated test-retest reliability and internal consistency and explored the extent to which ORM 1.0 is a reliable measure across a diverse range of activity types. Methods: Ninety-four participants completed the test and retest measurements within a 2- to 3-week period. A total of 202 activities were included in the analysis, grouped into leisure (LE) [94], productivity (PD) [35], and self-care (SC) [73]. Findings: The …

Assessment Of Time To Analgesia And Sedation Post-Intubation In The Emergency Department Following An Interdisciplinary Educational Initiative, Stephen Bueno, Erika Dittmar, Thomas Wolfel, Ismael Arias, Javier Sanchez

2026 Baptist Health Academic Conference: The Art and Science of Interprofessional Collaborations

No abstract provided.

Tenecteplase In Extended Window Wake-Up Stroke Scenarios: A Case Series, Stephen Bueno, Erika Dittmar, Thomas J. Wolfel, Mina Rizk, Jonathan Kline

2026 Baptist Health Academic Conference: The Art and Science of Interprofessional Collaborations

No abstract provided.

Advancing Provision Of Services For Febrile Neutropenia, Shelli Chernesky, Cristhian Alegria, Lee Amaya, Orlando Betancourt, Patricia Estrada, Nell Mayendia Blanco, Maura Poleon, Alexander Walbert

2026 Baptist Health Academic Conference: The Art and Science of Interprofessional Collaborations

No abstract provided.

Educational Review Of Arterial Embolization For Knee Osteoarthritis: Gae And Beyond, Alan Moshir, Angel Gonzalez Saez, Parnavi Singh, Joshua Baker, Ekramul Gofur, Raul Herrera, Gina Landinez, Brian Schiro

2026 Baptist Health Academic Conference: The Art and Science of Interprofessional Collaborations

No abstract provided.

Use Of A Near Real-Time Dashboard Fosters Communication And Improves Clinical Nursing Performance With Pain Assessment/Reassessment, Shelli Chernesky, Yaribey Lopez, Courtney Willard, Shivani Kovvuri, Cara Santos, Claudia Alvarez, Annette Caravia, Lourdes Talavera, Catherine Zilberberg

2026 Baptist Health Academic Conference: The Art and Science of Interprofessional Collaborations

No abstract provided.

Elevating Patient Comfort And Wellbeing: How Using Lavender Aromatherapy Can Improve Patient Care In Oncological Patients, Carolyn P. Cros, Catherina Chang Martinez, Samantha Altamirano, Shelli Anne Marie Chernesky

2026 Baptist Health Academic Conference: The Art and Science of Interprofessional Collaborations

No abstract provided.

Fostering A Sense Of Belonging Through Mentorship Improves Nurse Retention, Mayela Anne Marie Monzon, Cecilia Eslick, Shelli Anne Marie Chernesky, Liuvys Zaldivar, Felipe Zuluaga, Stefano Caccavale, Flor Treminio, Ruben V. Ramos, Diane S. Kramer, Lisa Rothen, Natalie Bermudez Phd, Rn, Ebp-C

2026 Baptist Health Academic Conference: The Art and Science of Interprofessional Collaborations

No abstract provided.

From Bedside To Benchmark: Nurse-Driven Communication For Higher Hcahps, Diane Kramer, Lourdes Castaneda, Lisette Hurtado, Karina D'Amato, Jennifer Fleites

2026 Baptist Health Academic Conference: The Art and Science of Interprofessional Collaborations

No abstract provided.

Bridging The Gap: A High-Acuity Shadowing And Mentorship Experience For Medical-Surgical Nurses, Diane Kramer, Catherina Chang Martinez, Lourdes Castaneda

2026 Baptist Health Academic Conference: The Art and Science of Interprofessional Collaborations

No abstract provided.

Pre-Transfer Fall-Risk Screening For Safer Room Placement And Sitter Use, Grissobelle Reyes-Obando

2026 Baptist Health Academic Conference: The Art and Science of Interprofessional Collaborations

No abstract provided.

Spiritual Coping With A Ceremony Of Hope For Hematopoietic Transplant Patients, Shelli Anne Marie Chernesky, Anna Diaz, Stefano Caccavale, Mirian Soler, Liuvys Zaldivar, Ruben Ramos, Felipe Zuluaga, Jan Roy, Serge Lopes, Sammy Alvero, Richert Manjarres, Natalie Bermudez

2026 Baptist Health Academic Conference: The Art and Science of Interprofessional Collaborations

No abstract provided.

Analysis Of The Flavonoid Composition Of Honey Using High-Performance Liquid Chromatography, Bryce Phillips

Honors Theses

Honey is a naturally occurring substance that has a complex composition including compounds such as flavonoids, that contribute to potential health benefits. Quantitative analysis of flavonoids in honey can be challenging due to their similar structural characteristics, matrix effects, and chromatographic peak separation issues. This study aimed to establish calibration curves for five flavonoids–kaempferol, luteolin, chrysin, myricetin, and quercetin– to estimate their concentrations in five honey samples from varying geographic origins. Liquid-liquid extraction was used to isolate the flavonoids from honey. High Performance Liquid Chromatography was utilized to establish calibration curves and analyze honey samples. The calibration curves assembled demonstrated …

Platforms Of Exemption (For New Relations) Within Suburbia And Other Consolidating Hegemonies, Ayden Pritchard

Honors Theses

Theory is a mode of action that opens up revisionary spaces in the world. By voicing complexity and ambivalence in a situation, disembodied patterns are put in contact with compliant, unclaimed material, and they gain a foothold within the established structures of the present. This paper seeks to sketch the lines of influence that govern association and perception in suburbia, and to speculate the kinds of spaces where new relations between people who are normally segregated can occur. The information presented here hopes to join the reservoir of patterns that structure your everyday theoretical (revisionary) activity, to make changes possible …

Monastic Botanical Gardens: Medicinal Plants, Cultural Heritage, And Tourist Routes, Polyxeni G. Moira Dr, Dimitrios Mylonopoulos

International Journal of Religious Tourism and Pilgrimage

in the natural environment. The natural environment, of which humans are an integral part, served as the first laboratory for the production of medicines. Medicinal botany can be traced back to ancient Greece, continued through ancient Rome, was closely linked to Islamic tradition, and persisted through the rise of Christianity in monasteries, enduring to the present day. Monastic botanical gardens serve as living proof of the relationship between humans, nature, healing, and spirituality. These gardens, which for centuries cultivated plants for medicinal, nutritional, and functional uses, can now be leveraged to promote tourism, cultural heritage, and environmental awareness.

This study …

Killing Bali (Part I) A Journey From God’S Paradise To Human Inferno, Pierre Fournié, Dr Pierre Fournié

International Journal of Religious Tourism and Pilgrimage

Tourism is growing and growing fast. Before the pandemic, in 2018, the number of arrivals worldwide reached 1.4 billion arrivals from less than 600 million, twenty years earlier. In many countries, especially in developing ones, tourism is perceived as a unique opportunity, a model of territorial development, possibly a national strategy. In Indonesia, after being elected in 2014, former President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) emphasised the importance of tourism, considered as a strategic sector. It had to become the largest exchange currency contributor to Indonesia’s revenue thus bypassing rubber, coal, oil and gas (Fournié & Dou, 2018).

In the collective awareness …

Building A Culture Of Psychological Safety In The Nicu Through Leadership Rounds, Erica Huckaby, Julie Veselinovic, Tomica Franklin

Creating Healthy Work Environments (CHWE)

In 2024, the GLINT survey conducted in our neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) showed a psychological safety score of 61 out of 100, with nurses reporting avoidance of speaking up because they feared negative reactions from physicians and leadership. These results identified a critical need for leadership interventions.

NICU nursing leaders (nurse managers and director of nursing) implemented evidence-based leadership rounds which have been shown to enhance communication and psychological safety in critical care environments (Diabes et al., 2021). Rounds were conducted on all shifts and included five main components: workflow assessment, concern identification, immediate need evaluation, staff recognition for …

Evaluating And Addressing Workplace Violence: Strategies For A Safer Healthcare Environment, Bini K. John, Jesse Cozzetti

Creating Healthy Work Environments (CHWE)

Purpose: Evaluate the impact of current standard practice on workplace violence (WPV). Evaluate the workers' compensation claims from WPV. Develop a proposal for implementing a Behavioral Response or Consulting Team (BRT) among staff in a tertiary-level inpatient hospital.

Relevance/Significance: The most common type of workplace violence (WPV) in a healthcare setting is violence from patients and visitors toward healthcare staff (AHRQ, 2023). A nationwide survey of 1,000 registered nurses found that eight in 10 nurses experienced workplace violence in 2023 (NNU, 2024). The study aims to identify the current standard practice that affects the incidence of workplace violence over two …

Reinforcement Learning Improves Llm Accuracy And Reasoning In Disease Classification From Radiology Reports, Yishu Wei, Yi Lin, Adam Flanders, George Shih, Yifan Peng

Department of Radiology Faculty Papers

Accurate disease classification from radiology reports is essential for many applications. While supervised fine-tuning (SFT) of lightweight LLMs improves accuracy, it can degrade reasoning. We propose a two-stage approach: SFT on disease labels followed by Group Relative Policy Optimization (GRPO) to refine predictions by optimizing accuracy and format without reasoning supervision. Across three radiologist-annotated datasets, SFT outperformed baselines and GRPO further improved classification and enhanced reasoning recall and comprehensiveness.

Time And Dose Dependent Effects Of Adipose-Derived Stromal Vascular Fraction Exosomes On Human Dental Pulp Stem Cell Proliferation, Sylva Dinie Alinda, Anggraini Margono, Indah Julianto, Dini Asrianti Bagio

Journal of Dentistry Indonesia

Background: Cell proliferation is essential for tissue repair and immunomodulation in regenerative dentistry. Adipose-derived stromal vascular fraction (AD-SVF) is a promising autologous source for tissue engineering. Its exosomes (AD-SVF Exo), as cell-free products stable under ischemic conditions, represent an ethical and attractive modality for dental tissue regeneration and broader regenerative applications. Prior study indicates that AD-SVF Exo can enhance human dental pulp stem cell (hDPSC) migration and proliferation, particularly at low concentrations, but their detailed time- and dose-dependent proliferative effects remain unclear. This study aimed to investigate the time- and dose-dependent effects of low-concentration AD-SVF Exo on hDPSC proliferation …

In Silico Model Of Musa Acuminata Stem As An Anticancer On Oral Squamous Cell Carcinoma Against Egfr, Nevrila Dewi Rachmayani, Amy Nindia Carabelly, I Wayan Arya Krishnawan Firdaus, Maharani Laillyza Apriasari, Juliyatin Putri Utami

Journal of Dentistry Indonesia

Background: Oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) is characterized by overexpression of the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR). Citral, eucalyptol, and caffeic acid phenethyl ester (CAPE), which are derived from Musa acuminata, have shown anticancer activity. This study evaluated the potential of citral, eucalyptol, and CAPE from Musa acuminata as anticancer agents for OSCC by targeting EGFR using an in silico approach.

Methods: Potential biological activity was predicted using Prediction of Activity Spectra for Substances (PASS) Online. Molecular docking was conducted with AutoDock Vina, and BIOVIA Discovery Studio was used to analyze binding affinity, interaction types, and bond …

Micro-Ct Evaluation Of Root Canal Transportation And Centering Ability In Mesial Canals Of Mandibular First Molars, Selen Ince Yusufoglu, Esma Saricam, Mert Ocak, Ferhat Geneci, Burak Bilecenoğlu

Journal of Dentistry Indonesia

Background: This study aimed to evaluate canal transportation, centering ability, structure model index (SMI), surface area, and root canal volume changes in the mesial canals of mandibular first molars using micro-CT.

Methods: Twenty-four mandibular first molars with two separate mesial canals and moderate curvature were included. Teeth were scanned using micro-CT before instrumentation and randomly divided into three groups (N = 8). Root canals were prepared using OneShape, OneCurve, and Rotate file systems, followed by post-instrumentation micro-CT scanning (10µm/pixel resolution). Changes in canal volume, surface area, transportation, centering ability, and SMI were analyzed at the apical, middle, and …

Evaluation Of An Audiovisual Educational Tool With Reinforcement Messages For Orthodontic Patients: A 6-Month Randomized Controlled Trial, Laura Restrepo Quijano, Maria Paula Vasco Gomez, Natalia Hurtado Velasquez, Luis Fabian Benitez Moreno

Journal of Dentistry Indonesia

Background: Orthodontic treatment increases the risk of bacterial plaque accumulation; therefore, oral hygiene education is essential to prevent complications, but its impact is usually limited when it is not reinforced with effective tools. This study aims to evaluate an audiovisual educational tool with reinforcement messages, compared with a verbal explanation about the proper use of the orthodontic oral hygiene kit.

Methods: This was a randomized controlled trial that included 62 patients randomly assigned to an intervention group: 31 patients who received an educational video plus three reinforcement messages via WhatsApp, and a control group: 31 patients who received …