Digital Commons Network^™

Improving Sleep Assessment Compliance On A Medical-Surgical Unit, Cassandra Nguyen

Master's Projects and Capstones

Poor sleep in the hospital is linked to more pain, more opioid use, delirium, slower healing, and longer hospital stays. A required Enhanced Recovery Medicine (ERM) sleep assessment is meant to help, but it is not always documented. On a 25-bed medical-surgical unit in a large integrated health system in northern California, only 75.8% of eligible days had this assessment documented before noon at baseline (March 30 to April 28, 2026). The plan has three parts: bedside sleep champions on the day and night shift, staff education during shift huddles supported by an education flyer, and weekly audits through the …

Effects Of Ab Mix Hydroponic Solution And Ameliorant Mixtures On Cayenne Pepper Growth And Yield In An Inceptisols, Tien Turmuktini, Betty Natalie Fitriatin, Tualar Simarmata, Firda Widayanti, Nuryanti, Lia Amalia, Elly Roosma Ria, Linlin Parlinah

Jurnal Kultivasi

Cayenne pepper (Capsicum frustescens L.) cultivation faces several problems, including acidic pH and inadequate nutrient management. These problems can be addressed by using a mixture of various ameliorants and AB mix nutrient solutions. This study aimed to determine the effect of ameliorant mixture dosage and AB mix solution concentration on soil chemical properties, growth, and yield of cayenne pepper. The experiment used a randomized block design, consisting of two factors: nutrient solution concentration and ameliorant dosage. The factor of nutrient solution concentration consisted of four levels, i.e., 700, 1000, 1300, and 1600 ppm, while the factor of ameliorant dosage also …

Genetic Diversity And Rhizome Flesh Color Variation Among Indonesian Turmeric (Curcuma Longa L.) Accession Revealed By Ssr Markers, Suseno Amien, Marisa Anggraeni, Agung Karuniawan, Noladhi Wicaksana

Jurnal Kultivasi

Turmeric (Curcuma longa L.) is a rhizomatous plant widely cultivated in Indonesia. Although recent studies have demonstrated that simple sequence repeat (SSR) markers are highly effective for assessing genetic diversity in Curcuma longa germplasm, most investigations have focused either on molecular diversity or breeding-oriented germplasm characterization traits of agronomic without integrating phenotypic commercial importance, particularly rhizome flesh color. The study was conducted from February to May 2026. This study aimed to evaluate the genetic diversity, phylogenetic relationships, and rhizome flesh color variation among Indonesian turmeric accessions collected by Plant Breeding Laboratory at the Faculty of Agriculture, Universitas Padjadjaran, and was …

“Now Serving… Not Quite Yet”: Improving Waiting Room Experience Through Consistent Communication In The Emergency Department, Juan Carlos Serrato

Master's Projects and Capstones

Context: The quality improvement project was implemented in the front-end microsystem of a 36-bed emergency department (ED) in a non-profit, Magnet-designated California hospital. Problem: Communication with non-roomed patients at Hospital X was inconsistent, contributing to dissatisfaction. In June 2026, Press Ganey reported that 61.4% of patients felt they were informed about delays. Baseline observation identified gaps in staff explanations of estimated wait times, next steps in care, and opportunities to ask questions. Intervention: A 30-day pilot provided staff education on the AIDET communication framework through formal in-service education and daily huddles. Patient-facing materials explained the ED process …

Lineage Tracing Reveals A Shared Cellular Origin For Supraclavicular Brown And Inguinal Beige Adipocytes, Yali Ran, Kai Zhang, Yi-Ting Shen, Qianxing Mo, Ziyi Wang, Hari Krishna Yalamanchili, Sharon John, Mari Kogiso, Xia Gao, Chunmei Wang, Tanvi Sinha, Brian L Black, Miao-Hsueh Chen

Duncan NRI Faculty and Staff Publications

The metabolic importance of brown adipose tissue (BAT) has been recognized, but its origins, particularly supraclavicular BAT (scBAT), remain unclear. Here, we traced scBAT to Mef2c-anterior heart field (AHF)-marked cells. Mef2c-AHF-marked cells isolated from scBAT can spontaneously differentiate into brown adipocytes, express mesenchymal stem cell markers, and can be isolated from the stromal-vascular fraction (SVF) of wild-type scBAT as [CD31

Pushed To The Edges? Electivity Patterns Of Urban Stream Homeless Encampments In Environmentally Burdened Areas, Serena Alexander, Bennett Williamson, Jeff Wootton, Costanza Rampini, Gregory Brian Pasternack, Yufang Jin, Rune Storesund, Igor Lacan

Faculty Research, Scholarly, and Creative Activity

Urban stream corridors in the San Francisco Bay Area have increasingly become locations for homeless encampments, yet little is known about the environmental conditions of these spaces. This study uses a geospatial electivity index to examine whether urban stream encampments in Santa Clara and Contra Costa counties are disproportionately located in census tracts with high pollution burdens, as measured by CalEnviroScreen 4.0. Findings show a statistically significant overrepresentation of encampments in census tracts in the top 25% of pollution and vulnerability scores, and a significant underrepresentation in lower-pollution areas. These results suggest that homeless individuals are being pushed toward environmentally …

Palmnet: Confidence-Calibrated Edge-Cloud Ai For Field Diagnosis Of Date Palm Diseases, Muntadher Kareem, Raed Majeed

Karbala International Journal of Modern Science

Date palm (Phoenix dactylifera L.) is a cornerstone crop for Iraq and the wider MENA region, yet reliable in-field diagnosis of leaf disorders remains slow, labour-intensive, and constrained by a limited pool of agronomists. This paper presents PalmNet, a full-stack diagnostic system that classifies nine leaf conditions through a calibrated edge-cloud framework. The system is developed and evaluated on a public dataset of 3,089 field images spanning the nine classes, using a 70/15/15 stratified split. A ShuffleNetV2 student network, distilled from a ConvNeXt-Tiny teacher, is deployed on two complementary edge endpoints: a Raspberry Pi Zero 2 W field station …

The Application Of Knowledge Graphs In Education: A Bibliometric Analysis, Rui Yin, Jundi Teng, Ningwei Sun, Huimin Li, Ting Cheng

Journal of Educational Research and Practice

With the rapid advancement of artificial intelligence (AI) technologies such as ChatGPT, the use of knowledge graphs (KGs) has increased substantially in educational applications. As a technology for knowledge representation and management in AI, KGs play a pivotal role in personalized learning, educational resource integration and management, and learning performance prediction. Their scalability and semantic interpretability were particularly evident in online education during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. However, systematic reviews of their application in education remain limited.

To address this gap, our study analyzed data from the Web of Science (WOS) Core Collection (high-quality Social Sciences Citation Index …

Correlation And Redundancy Analysis Of Statistical Features For Permanent Magnet Synchronous Motor Fault Detection, Ibrahim Muhammad, Benjamin Olabisi Akinloye

Mansoura Engineering Journal

Feature selection plays a critical role in designing efficient and interpretable condition monitoring frameworks for electrical drives. In this paper, a correlation analysis of statistical and spectral features is performed for Permanent Magnet Synchronous Motor (PMSM) fault detection in naval windlass systems. Using both simulated data from a MATLAB/Simulink model and real shipboard current signals acquired from five Nigerian Navy vessels over one-month monitoring periods, higher-order statistical moments (Mean, Variance, Standard Deviation, Skewness, Kurtosis) and the Fault Severity Index (FSI) were computed alongside Total Harmonic Distortion (THD). Pearson correlation coefficients were employed to quantify feature relationships under healthy and faulty …

Community School Hubs: A Path To Literacy For English Learners And Families, Elizabeth Ortiz-Wright

The Reading Professor

This qualitative narrative study examined the perceptions of community school hub members and Hispanic English learner parents at an elementary school in a suburban district. Eighty-four percent of the students at the study site were economically disadvantaged. The inquiry drew on sociocultural theory and Bronfenbrenner's ecological systems theory to explore how these hubs support families. Data were gathered through semi-structured interviews and field observations and analyzed using Quirkos software. The findings demonstrate the overall value of community school hubs in addressing basic needs, increasing the potential for academic success. However, a significant lack of clarity exists; many parents were unaware …

Beyond Screening: Using Multiple Sources Of Evidence To Inform Early Literacy Instruction, Cheryl Kahn

The Reading Professor

Educators today collect more literacy data than at any previous point in history, yet many students continue to experience reading difficulties that are identified far later than they should be. This article argues that the problem is not a lack of information but a failure to integrate available evidence to prompt timely instructional action. Drawing on research in reading development, early identification of reading difficulties, teacher knowledge, assessment literacy, instructional decision-making, and responsive literacy instruction, this article proposes the Multiple Sources of Evidence Framework to strengthen early literacy decision-making. Rather than relying on any single assessment or screening result, the …

Investigation Of The Functional Dimensions Of Teats Up To Mid-Lactation In Bulgarian Murrah Buffaloes Established By Ultrasonography, Ivan Fasulkov, Pencho Penchev, Yordanka Ilieva, Manol Karadaev

The Thai Journal of Veterinary Medicine

The aim of this study was to monitor the changes in teat measurements from early to mid-lactation in the Bulgarian Murrah buffaloes. The experiment was carried out with twenty (10 primiparous and 10 pluriparous) lactating buffaloes. Five series of ultrasound measurements were performed, each consisting of two sessions for each animal corresponding to the phases of lactation: first lactation month (day 1 to day 30 postpartum) and mid- lactation (day 122 to day 152). The studied parameters were teat canal length (TCL), teat diameter (TD), teat wall thickness (TWT), and teat cistern diameter (TCD). The data were processed using the …

Profanity And Perceptions, Elizabeth Lefrancois

Undercurrents: A Journal of Undergraduate Student Composition

Lizzie is an Exercise and Health Science major from Blackstone, Massachusetts. Assigned by her Composition II instructor to research an aspect of language that interested her, Lizzie chose to research swearing, which was never allowed in her home. Lizzie’s research enabled her to “open [her] eyes and see much more than a lack of vocabulary” when she heard others using profanity. She explains, “I felt as if I was programmed to think that swearing was this terrible thing that no one should do, and, because of that, I never thought about the positive side of this language.” Lizzie’s essay explores …

Advancing Occupational Therapy Practice: Evaluating A Continuing Education Module To Support The Integration Of 3d Printing Into Clinical Care, Sophia Wilkes, Rebecca Ozelie

Student Journal of Occupational Therapy

This study aimed to evaluate whether a continuing education module could improve occupational therapy practitioners’ perceived knowledge, awareness, confidence, and clinical utilization of 3D printing in occupational therapy practice, while also examining how access to resources may influence implementation A 14-week cross-sectional pre–post design was used with occupational therapy practitioners participating in a one-hour educational session followed by a three-week trial of 3D printer access. Participants completed pre- and post-surveys assessing perceived knowledge, awareness, and confidence, and maintained a utilization log to track clinical use.

Results indicated a statistically significant increase in perceived knowledge and awareness of 3D printing following …

Saudi Heart Association Scientific Statement On Cardiovascular–Kidney–Liver-Metabolic (Cklm) Syndrome, Waleed Alhabeeb, Abdulhalim J. Kinsara, Ahmed Mitwalli, Ali A. Alshehri, Faisal Aba-Alkhail, Ismail Raslan, Khalid Aljohani, Mohammed Arafah, Muthana Sahlawi, Saud Alsifri, Suleiman M. Kharabsheh

Journal of the Saudi Heart Association

Background: Cardiovascular, kidney, metabolic, and liver diseases are closely interconnected and frequently coexist. While the cardiovascular–kidney–metabolic (CKM) framework provides a unified model, increasing evidence supports a central role for hepatic disease, particularly metabolic dysfunction–associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD), in this continuum. The Saudi Heart Association (SHA) therefore aimed to introduce the cardiovascular–kidney–liver–metabolic (CKLM) syndrome as an expanded framework and provide expert guidance on its pathophysiology, staging, screening, and management, with relevance to the Saudi population.

Methods: A multidisciplinary expert panel convened under the auspices of the SHA conducted a comprehensive, non-systematic literature review and developed consensus-based recommendations through iterative discussion …

Integrated Llm-Powered Framework For Real-Time Monitoring In Machining Using Smartphone And Ai Agent Orchestration, Mustafa H. Hadi, Hussam L. Alwan, Atiya Al-Zuheri, Sang-Heon Lee, Yousef Amer

Engineering and Technology Journal

Reliable tool condition monitoring is essential for maintaining machining quality, reducing production downtime, and preventing unexpected tool failures. Conventional tool condition monitoring systems can accurately detect tool wear but typically provide limited support for automated diagnosis and maintenance decision-making. To address this limitation, this paper proposes an economical AI agent-driven maintenance framework for milling operations that integrates smartphone-based vibration sensing, one-dimensional Convolutional Neural Networks (1D-CNNs), and Large Language Model (LLM)-powered AI agents. Vibration signals acquired using a smartphone-embedded accelerometer are preprocessed and analyzed using a 1D-CNN to classify tool conditions into fresh and worn states. The classification results are then …

Occurrence And Distribution Of Polychlorinated Naphthalenes In Consumer Products And Landfill Matrices: A First Assessment In South Africa, Vhodaho Nevondo, Raissa Okwuosa, Okechukwu Jonathan Okonkwo

Engineering and Technology Journal

Polychlorinated Naphthalenes (PCNs) are persistence organic pollutants (POPs) which have been used extensively and continue to be a source of environmental and human health issues in spite of the international ban on their production. This work represents the first report of PCNs in consumer goods, landfill leachate, and sediment samples in South Africa. In this study, a total of 24 consumer goods belonging to eight categories were analyzed along with landfill leachates and sediments from the Hatherly and Goudkoppies landfills, Gauteng Province, South Africa, for some selected PCN congeners by gas chromatography mass spectrometry (GC-MS) analysis. Quality assurance procedures and …

Investigation Of Plasma-Induced Surface Modification Of Pmma Using Nd:Yag Laser-Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy, Shaimaa S. Mahdi, Asmaa J. Kadhim, Zainab Salam Khaleefah

Engineering and Technology Journal

Poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) plays an important role in many applications, including biomedical, industrial, and optical applications. Due to its surface properties, which are essential to its performance. The PMMA samples were exposed to a dielectric barrier discharge (DBD) air plasma with a duration time of 300 s. In this investigation, laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) in combination with Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) was used to study the surface properties of exposed to plasma samples. The laser pulses were set to (60, 80, and 100) mJ. The resulted spectra were recorded over a wide spectral range from 200 to 1100 nm. …

Bim-Safety Integration In The Nigerian Construction Industry Using The Unified Theory Of Acceptance And Use Of Technology (Utaut) Model, Ranti T. Adebiyi, Ganiyu Amuda-Yusuf, Olubola Babalola, Nurudeen A. Bello, Aminat D. Amuda, Kaosarat A. Olowookere

Engineering and Technology Journal

Health and Safety (H&S) challenges are a significant concern in the Nigerian construction industry, largely due to the lack of a reliable national accident database and the persistence of a fatalistic safety culture. Building Information Modelling (BIM) is a transformative digital framework that enables visual hazard identification and proactive risk simulation; however, its use in site safety management remains limited and inconsistent. This study investigates the behavioural, social, and structural determinants influencing the adoption of BIM-based H&S practices among construction professionals, utilising the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology (UTAUT). A hypothetical multi-level design was used to model …

Techniques For Handling Unstable Agents In Agent-Based Networks, Ashwini S Kulkarni, Sushmitha Vatsal, Priyanka Bansal, Vivek Kumar Singh, Ghulam Ghaus Arshi

Defensive Publications Series

Proposed herein are a system and techniques that facilitate stability-aware metadata synchronization in agent-based networks. The system includes a closed-loop adaptive stability orchestration layer that utilizes a time-sensitive exponential-decay mechanism and historical recovery telemetry to dynamically tune suppression and reuse thresholds, thereby reducing control-plane churn and cascading failures. Rather than relying on binary health checks, the system uses a time-weighted stability score to support granular, policy-driven agent lifecycle management.

Dual-Polymer Concrete With Recycled Pet And Hdpe Aggregates: Mechanical And Durability Performance Assessment, Omar Abd El Mageed Hammouda

Theses and Dissertations

This study investigates the fresh, mechanical, durability, thermal, performance as well as preliminary financial aspects of dual-polymer concrete incorporating recycled polyethylene terephthalate (PET) as a partial replacement for fine aggregate and recycled high-density polyethylene (HDPE) as a partial replacement for coarse aggregate, with silica fume as a supplementary cementitious material held constant at 10% by weight of cement. The study responds to the convergence of two pressing challenges in the Egyptian context: the scale of plastic waste mismanagement, which results in widespread informal open burning and environmental contamination, and the high operational energy demand of residential buildings in Egypt's hot …

An In-Depth Study Of Fruit Preservation: Effect Of Calcium Chloride And Methyl Jasmonate Applications On Quality And Biochemical Properties Of Cherry Fruits During Cold Storage, Muhammet Ali̇ Gündeşli̇

Turkish Journal of Agriculture and Forestry

Sweet cherry (Prunus avium L.) is a highly perishable fruit that undergoes rapid quality deterioration during postharvest storage. This study evaluated the effects of postharvest applications of Methyl Jasmonate (MeJA, 1 mM) and Calcium Chloride (CaCl₂, 2%), applied individually and in combination, on maintaining the quality and biochemical properties of cherries during 21 days of cold storage at 0 ± 1 °C. Key parameters including weight loss, decay rate, soluble solids content (SSC), pH, titratable acidity, respiration rate, phenolic profile, and organic acid composition were monitored. The combined MeJA + CaCl₂ treatment was consistently more effective than individual applications in …

Sewage Sludge Legislation In Central Europe: Contamination Concerns And Cross-Border Comparisons, Valerie Vranová, Aleš Kučera, Vlastimil Skoták, Erika Fialová, Rahul Datta

Turkish Journal of Agriculture and Forestry

Sewage sludge management represents a major challenge in Europe, carrying significant environmental and legal implications that require strong regulatory enforcement. Here, we explore the legislative measures, technological developments, and environmental impacts of sewage sludge management in Central Europe (Czechia, Slovakia, Germany, Austria, and Poland). Sludge management is regulated at the EU level through a series of directives (e.g., Council Directive 86/278/EEC, which forms the basis of national regulatory frameworks). However, national adaptations vary considerably: Croatia and Slovenia have invested in sludge phosphorus-recovery systems, while Poland and Slovakia have focused on the agricultural use of sludge as a fertilizer. Several countries, …

Demographic And Clinical Characteristics Of Frequent Users Of Emergency Medical Services In Türkiye ​, Burak Bekgöz, İshak Şan

Turkish Journal of Medical Sciences

Background/aim: Overuse of emergency medical services (EMS), particularly unnecessary ambulance requests, places considerable strain on limited healthcare resources and can delay responses to urgent cases. The present study analyzes the demographic characteristics, diagnoses, urgency, and hospital transfer status of frequent users of EMS in Türkiye.

Materials and methods: Included in the study were 41,113 patients who requested EMS four or more times within a year (defined as frequent users for the purpose of the study), excluding interhospital transfers. Data were accessed from the Emergency Medical Services Automation System (ASOS) database, which contains details of patient demographics, diagnoses, triage codes, reasons …

Cover And Contents

Turkish Journal of Medical Sciences

No abstract provided.

Male Osteoporosis: Pathophysiology, Risk Assessment, And Evidence-Based Management, Seli̇n Teki̇n, Alper Gürlek

Turkish Journal of Medical Sciences

Osteoporosis in men is a common yet underrecognized condition associated with substantial fracture-related morbidity and excess mortality. Although men generally attain higher peak bone mass than women, age-related changes in bone microarchitecture, progressive cortical bone loss, declining sex steroid bioavailability, and a high prevalence of secondary causes contribute to a significant lifetime fracture risk. Importantly, a large proportion of fragility fractures in men occur at bone mineral density (BMD) values above the osteoporotic threshold, highlighting the limitations of BMD-based diagnosis alone. This review provides a comprehensive overview of the epidemiology, pathophysiology, and clinical characteristics of osteoporosis in men, with particular …

Hearing Loss In Behçet’S Syndrome: Prevalence And Associated Factors In A Nationwide Cross-Sectional Analysis ​, Alper Doğanci, Serdar Can Güven, Nuray Yilmaz Çakmak, Nurhan Güven, Sali̇h Başer, Nesli̇han Öztürk, Şuayi̇p Bi̇ri̇nci̇, Nai̇m Ata

Turkish Journal of Medical Sciences

Background/aim: The aim of this study was to investigate the prevalence of hearing loss in Behçet’s syndrome and its associations with other disease manifestations, comorbidities, and treatment agents. To the best of our knowledge, this is the most comprehensive study to date addressing this issue.

Materials and methods: The study was designed as a cross-sectional, nationwide study. The Turkish Ministry of Health National Electronic Database (e-Nabız) was used under the supervision of the Ministry of Health to extract patient data. A nationwide cohort was established from patients who had been assigned an ICD-10 code for BS (M35.2) on at least …

A Comparative Analysis Of Clinical Quality And Readability Of Neuropathic Pain Patient Information Leaflets: Türkiye Versus The United States, Gonul Sari, Argun Pire

Turkish Journal of Medical Sciences

Background/aim: Neuropathic pain management requires high patient adherence and complex dose-titration regimens, making the readability of patient information leaflets (PILs) a critical patient safety factor. This study aimed to compare the clinical content quality and linguistic readability of PILs for neuropathic pain medications between Türkiye (TİTCK) and the United States (DailyMed).

Materials and methods: A total of 11 pairs of innovator medications were analyzed. Clinical content was assessed using the 15-item Keystone Clinical Content Checklist (KCCC). Readability was assessed using the Ateşman index for Turkish texts and the Flesch Reading Ease Score (FRES) for English texts. Information quality and reliability …

Evaluation Of Acne Vulgaris Patient Care In Outpatient Clinics: Guideline Adherence And Patient Education ​, Mefküre Durmuş, Betül Sena Çavdar, İbrahi̇m Etem Arica, Sena Ustaömer, Sena Güzel Karahan, Seçi̇l Çolak, Selcen Şenol

Turkish Journal of Medical Sciences

Background/aim: Acne vulgaris, affecting over 85% of adolescents, is the most prevalent chronic inflammatory skin disorder. Its management is severity-based, with specific drug selections and combinations according to guidelines. However, adherence to these guidelines and the adequacy of patient counseling remain uncertain in real-world practice. The aim in this study was to evaluate prescribing patterns in acne management, assess compliance with guidelines, and promote awareness among healthcare professionals.

Materials and methods: A prospective observational study was conducted in the dermatology outpatient clinic of a tertiary hospital in Türkiye between February and May 2025. Demographic and clinical data were collected, and …

Measurement Of Resection Volume Using Computed Tomography 3d Modeling In Lung Cancer Patients And Survival Analysis ​, Aykut Kankoç, Muhammet Tarik Aslan, Muhammet Sayan, Ali̇ Çeli̇k, Cüneyt İsmai̇l Kurul, Abdullah İrfan Taştepe

Turkish Journal of Medical Sciences

Background/aim: The prognostic significance of the volumetric extent of lung resection in nonsmall cell lung cancer remains uncertain. Three-dimensional computed tomography allows quantitative assessment of resected lung parenchyma, but the relationship between resection volume ratios and oncologic outcomes has not been clearly established. The aim in this study was to evaluate the prognostic value of three-dimensional computed tomography-derived resection volume ratios for disease-free survival after surgery for nonsmall cell lung cancer.

Materials and methods: This single-center retrospective study included 141 patients who underwent anatomical resection with systematic mediastinal lymph node dissection between 2010 and 2021. Resection volume, ipsilateral lung volume, …