Digital Commons Network^™

Nurses’ Knowledge And Practices Regarding Infection Prevention Measures In Cardiac Intensive Care Unit, Marwa G. Abouheiba, Maha Adel Salem, Jean Bertin Mudenge

Nursing

Abstract: Background: Healthcare-associated infections (HAIs) remain a major global patient safety challenge, contributing substantially to morbidity, mortality, prolonged hospitalization, antimicrobial resistance, and increased healthcare costs. Patients admitted to cardiac intensive care units (ICUs) are particularly vulnerable because of their critical illness, frequent exposure to invasive devices, and complex cardiovascular interventions. Nurses play a pivotal role in preventing HAIs through the consistent implementation of evidence-based infection prevention and control (IPC) measures. Therefore, assessing both nurses' knowledge and their observed clinical practices is essential for identifying strengths, potential gaps, and opportunities for quality improvement. Aim: To assess nurses' knowledge and observed practices …

Nurses’ Knowledge And Practices Regarding Perioperative Patient Safety Measures Provided For Cardiac Patients, Marwa G. Abouheiba

Nursing

Abstract: Background: Perioperative patient safety is a fundamental component of high-quality surgical care, particularly for cardiac patients who are highly vulnerable to preventable adverse events throughout the surgical continuum. Nurses play a pivotal role in ensuring patient safety through the implementation of evidence-based perioperative safety measures. However, variations in nurses' knowledge and clinical practice may compromise the consistent delivery of safe perioperative care. Aim: This study aimed to assess nurses' knowledge and practices regarding perioperative patient safety measures provided to cardiac surgical patients. Methods: A quantitative descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted among a convenience sample of 89 nurses working in …

Slc Transporter-Mediated Functional Imaging In Cancer Diagnosis, Lumeng Zhang, Jun He

Department of Pathology, Anatomy, and Cell Biology Faculty Papers

Functional imaging has become an important approach for evaluating tumor physiology in vivo beyond morphologic assessment. Radiotracers used for cancer imaging are designed to mimic endogenous substrates or substrate analogues, and their accumulation can depend on membrane transport, intracellular metabolism, and clearance from normal tissues. Specifically, SLC transporters contribute to tracer uptake and signal formation, linking transporter activity with measurable imaging signals in cancer. While [18F]FDG PET/CT remains the most widely used example of transporter-associated metabolic imaging, SLC transporter-mediated imaging strategies have been developed to assess amino acid transport, sodium-dependent glucose uptake, redox metabolism, lactate exchange, nucleoside metabolism, choline metabolism, …

Occult Papillary Thyroid Carcinoma With No Identifiable Intrathyroidal Primary: A Case Report And Pooled Analysis Of 23 Published Cases, Michael J. Evans, Amanda M. Sonnenburg, Elijah Elliott, Alex Otto, Kent Mcintire

Student Publications

Papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC) rarely presents as cervical lymph node metastasis without an identifiable intrathyroidal primary despite exhaustive imaging and histopathologic evaluation, representing the rarest form of occult thyroid carcinoma and posing distinct diagnostic and therapeutic challenges. We report a 27-year-old man who presented with a cystic lateral neck mass. Fine-needle aspiration confirmed metastatic PTC, yet ultrasonography, computed tomography, and positron emission tomography/computed tomography demonstrated no thyroid abnormality. Total thyroidectomy with modified radical neck dissection revealed metastatic PTC in two of the 21 lymph nodes (pN1b) without extranodal extension, while exhaustive sectioning of the thyroid demonstrated only chronic inflammatory changes …

Isolated Transverse Colon Perforation During Corticosteroid Tapering In Quiescent Systemic Lupus Erythematosus: A Histopathology-Supported Diagnosis Of Exclusion, Ridwan A. Lawal, Nestor Malaga, Nida Asif, Fatimah Bello, Juliana Yang

School of Medicine Publications

Gastrointestinal perforation in systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is uncommon but potentially fatal, and attribution is clinically consequential because perforation may reflect lupus enteritis with mesenteric vasculitis, infection, diverticular or stercoral disease, malignancy, inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), medication-related injury, or a combination of mechanisms. Corticosteroid-associated perforation is therefore best treated as a diagnosis of exclusion rather than as an isolated novel observation. We report a 62-year-old woman with SLE who developed sudden severe right-sided abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting, leukocytosis, lactic acidosis, and radiographic pneumoperitoneum while tapering prednisone from 60 mg/day to 10 mg/day over three months, with 10 mg/day documented at …

Nil And Contract Law: Advising A Prospective College Athlete Through Competing Name, Image, And Likeness Agreements, Jason Kight, Marcy Faircloth, Lori Mikl, Rachel Silverman

The COSMA Journal

Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) agreements have created significant financial opportunities for amateur and collegiate athletes while also introducing complex legal, ethical, and strategic decision-making challenges. This decision-focused teaching case places students in the role of trusted advisors to Archie Stafford, a highly recruited high school athlete who must evaluate and compare multiple NIL contract offers connected to his preferred college options. By analyzing NIL agreements, students assess contract enforceability, identify key legal and business risks, weigh legal, contractual, ethical, and reputational disclosure obligations, and formulate a reasoned recommendation aligned with Archie’s academic, athletic, financial, and long-term career goals. The …

Depression And Anxiety In Pulmonary Hypertension Associated With Congenital Heart Disease: Pathophysiology And Clinical Implications Of The Heart–Brain Axis, Nicodemus N. Triatmojo, Valerinna Y.S. Putri

Journal of the Saudi Heart Association

Pulmonary hypertension associated with congenital heart disease or PH-CHD is an increasingly prevalent disorder in modern cardiology. It is characterized by progressive pulmonary vascular remodeling, chronic right ventricular (RV) pressure overload, and abnormal cardiopulmonary hemodynamic. Due to advances in congenital cardiology and treatments for pulmonary hypertension, survival rates have increased. As a result, the focus has switched to long-term functional status and quality of life. Depression and anxiety are currently recognized as prevalent and clinically significant manifestations in PH-CHD; nonetheless, they remain underdiagnosed and undertreated within cardiovascular care frameworks.

More study shows the disease's severity or symptom count cannot explain …

A Quantitative Content Analysis Of Media Framing Of Illegal Mining In Ghana, Ebenezer Ato Kwamena Aidoo, Patrick Ansah, Fredrick Daoyenikye, Maame Aba Afful

Faculty Scholarship

Illegal mining in Ghana has attracted considerable public and policy attention due to its far-reaching environmental, social, and health consequences. Our study examines how Ghanaian news media frame illegal mining, the tone of media coverage, and the stakeholders represented in news narratives. Using a quantitative content analysis, 800 news articles were sampled from six widely read media outlets, Daily Graphic, Ghanaian Times, TV3 Ghana, GTV, Joy FM, and Citi Newsroom. A multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA) was employed to examine differences in framing, tone, and stakeholder representation across outlets. Findings indicate that news organizations emphasize distinct frames, resulting in varied …

Transforming Advising And Improving Outcomes: Assessing Impacts Of Advising Changes, Amy S. White, Tailisha Gonzalez, Elgloria Harrison

Publications and Research

Abstract

Background: Earning full-time credit loads and persisting are how college students successfully graduate.

Objective: We measured whether credits and persistence at an urban, commuter Hispanic/Minority-Sserving Iinstitution improved after implementing a social work-based advisement strategy.

Methods: Using a quasi-experimental methodology on a college’s enrollment database, we measured the impact of a new advisement model on earned and attempted credit loads to compare traditional student advisement within control groups (n = 171 and n = 899) relative to intervention (n = 130).

Findings: In 2024, the intervention group attempted an average of 14.7 credits and earned an average of 14.3 credits, …

Reflections: The Journey Continues, Jerry L. Pitts

Faculty Publications and Presentations

Reflections: The Journey Continues is a deeply moving memoir of faith, loss, love, calling, and the quiet strength that carries a life forward when everything familiar has been shaken. In this powerful continuation of Reflections: My Personal Journey, Dr. Jerry L. Pitts invites readers into the chapters that followed his first book—the ones marked by profound suffering, unexpected grace, and a renewed sense of purpose.

This memoir traces the season when Jerry’s life was transformed by his late wife Janice’s four‑year battle with cervical cancer. With honesty and tenderness, he recounts the surgeries, treatments, setbacks, and moments of courage …

An Ecophysiological Approach To Improving Health Outcomes Of Ornamental Shrimp During Aquarium Trade And Transportation, Sancha Conway Holroyd, John Spicer, Robert P. Ellis, Lucy Turner

School of Biological and Marine Sciences

Ecophysiology examines the interactions between an organism’s physiology and its environment. It seeks to understand how an organism functions and adapts under changing conditions. This has direct applications to live-trade aquaculture sectors, including the ornamental aquarium trade, where traded animals experience a variety of changing, and often stressful, environmental conditions that can threaten their health and survival. This review proposes a role for ecophysiology in managing organismal health, using Hatch (1962) theoretical framework of disease and dysfunction as a foundation for defining and distinguishing health. We focus on tropical (marine and freshwater) ornamental shrimp as an exemplar group to highlight …

Feasibility Study Of An Artificial Intelligence Chatbot-Powered Cognitive-Behavioral Lifestyle Modification Program, Evans Forman, Charlotte Hagerman, Asher Hong, Zhuoran Huang, Hannah Mccausland, Jasmine Sun, Lauren Taylor, Meghan Butryn, Preetha Chatterjee, Ramtin Ehsani, Nawal Syed

Department of Family & Community Medicine Faculty Papers

Background: Approximately 2 billion adults seek lifestyle modification to improve their health and well-being. However, because of cost and access barriers, only a tiny fraction receive gold-standard lifestyle modification programs led by trained coaches. Digital programs without human coaches are more disseminable but have limited efficacy. Recent advances in large language model (LLM) AI chatbots have the potential to revolutionize digital programs by emulating human coaches, offering a safe, low-cost, and scalable lifestyle modification intervention. Yet, no studies have developed and tested such a program. Purpose: This study aims to evaluate the feasibility, safety, and user engagement of a new …

A Phase Ii Trial Of Defactinib Combined With Avutometinib In Patients With Metastatic Uveal Melanoma, Rino S. Seedor, Mizue Terai, Sergei A. Koshkin, Andrew E. Aplin, Marlana Orloff, Erin Sharpe-Mills, Madeleine Naccarato, Aurora Mills, Alfredo A. Molinolo, J. Silvio Gutkind, Takami Sato

Kimmel Cancer Center Faculty Papers

Background: Treatment options are limited, and outcomes remain poor for patients with metastatic uveal melanoma (MUM). We conducted an investigator-initiated, prospective, single-arm, single-institution, phase II study evaluating the combination of an FAK inhibitor (defactinib) with a RAF/MEK inhibitor (avutometinib) for the treatment of MUM. Methods: From February 2021 through January 2023, 12 patients with MUM were treated with the combination of defactinib and avutometinib. Defactinib was given 200 mg twice daily, and avutometinib was given 3.2 mg twice a week. Both drugs were given for 3 weeks on and 1 week off (28-day cycle). Disease control rate was the primary …

Leveraging Health Information Exchange (Hie) Data To Demonstrate The Impact On Health Outcomes Of Community Based Organization Interventions: Case Studies Of Housing Placement And Medically Tailored Meal Program, Kevin Kramer, Harm Scherpbier, William Marella

College of Population Health Faculty Papers

Objective

Methods

Floyd Thompson

African American Funeral Programs

No abstract provided.

Autonomic Dysregulation Attributed To Vertebral Artery Insufficiency Secondary To Subclavian Steal Syndrome: A Case Report, Lara Zargarian, Hoang Nguyen, Manbir Sanghera, Arman Megerdechyan, William S. Hughes

Student Publications

Anatomic malformation as seen in subclavian steal syndrome leads to an alteration in the body's autonomic regulatory pattern, influencing varying physical manifestations. The autonomic nervous system provides situational regulatory feedback to the body, maintaining the body’s desired point of homeostasis. We report the case of a 68-year-old male who initially came in with X-rays indicating retrolisthesis and calcifications in his carotids. A left-sided carotid bruit was also noted, as well as right-sided upper extremity weakness. Continued imaging studies indicated structural changes to his cervical regions and continued calcifications in the remainder of his arterial supply branching off of his carotid …

Health Profile Of Brazilian Mothers, Carlos Eduardo Siqueira

Gastón Institute Publications

No abstract provided.

Impact Of Social Media-Driven Feeding Practices On The Gut Microbiome Of Captive Asian Elephants (Elephas Maximus) In Surin, Thailand, Pongpreecha Malaluang, Nuttapon Bangkaew, Jaruwan Chaiyakhot, Patinya Patikae, Nattaya Watwiengkam, Phimphanit Choklikitumnuey, Thanaphat Phupanna, Sudachanok Phowiset, Prim Chuesaard, Tarid Purisotayo

The Thai Journal of Veterinary Medicine

This study investigated the effects of social media-driven live-streaming dietary supplementation on the gastrointestinal microbial community of captive Asian elephants (Elephas maximus) at the Elephant Kingdom, Surin Province, Thailand. A hierarchical two-tier observational design was used: Tier 1 compared a minimal-supplementation control group (Group H, n = 6) with a frequent heterogeneous-supplementation group (Group L, n = 18); Tier 2 compared, within Group L, low-frequency (Group A, ≤ 3 sessions per week, n = 7) and high-frequency (Group B, > 3 sessions per week, n = 11) live-streaming sub-groups. Faecal microbial profiles were obtained by 16S rRNA gene (V3–V4) …

Caldwell Unified Dementia Research Engine (Cudre‑1.0) Unified Open‑Hardware Dementia Research Acceleration Platform No Patents. No Secrets. No Photos. Builder‑Ready. Research‑Only. Non‑Clinical., Michael Victor Caldwell Mr.

Defensive Publications Series

 ABSTRACT

CUDRE‑1.0 is a unified, multimodal, open‑hardware research engine for dementia and neurodegeneration studies. It is explicitly designed to:

• Accelerate research, not provide treatment.

• Explore 40 Hz gamma entrainment, sleep‑linked glymphatic clearance, vascular pulsatility, and low‑intensity ultrasound neuromodulation.

• Provide a single, integrated platform for labs to test hypotheses about clearance, network synchrony, and non‑invasive neuromodulation.

Not a medical device. Not for clinical use.

All framing is research‑only, for mechanism exploration and trial design support.

Caldwell Neuro‑Glymphatic Integrated Loop (Cng‑Loop V1.0) Unified Clinic + Home Dementia‑Support Architecture Open‑Hardware • No Patents • No Secrets • Builder‑Ready • Cross‑Referenced To All Prior Caldwell Tdc Inventions, Michael Victor Caldwell Mr.

Defensive Publications Series

ABSTRACT

CNG‑Loop v1.0 is a unified, non‑invasive dementia‑support system integrating sleep‑synchronized glymphatic modulation, bilateral ear‑canal neuromodulation, vascular ultrasound support, gamma‑frequency entrainment, and personalized MRI/EEG‑anchored targeting. It combines clinic‑grade modules and home‑safe modules into a single architecture designed for moderate‑stage dementia support.

This system is built entirely from previously posted Caldwell inventions, including:

• Ambient Cognitive‑Clearance System (ACCS v4.0) — “Zero‑Wearable, Non‑Contact, Sleep‑Synchronized Glymphatic Modulation Platform for Dementia Prevention and Cognitive Health”

• BECDS v2.0 — “Bilateral Ear‑Canal Closed‑Loop Dementia Support System”

• GCI‑128 Neuro‑Vortex Protocol v3.1 — FUS + nanos + 40 Hz

• GCI‑267 — Harmonized ultrasound + microfluidic vascular support

• NeuroRegenerator v2.1 …

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The Host's Immune Responses Against Viruses: How We Know Our Own Bodies And How Our Bodies Defend Themselves From Viruses, Eman A. Muhsin, Neyaf Majid Alageedi, Shahrazad Ahmed Khalaf

Maaen Journal for Medical Sciences

Background: Viral infections pose a significant threat to health worldwide, requiring a coordinated and effective immune response to limit and eventually eliminate viral infection. The purpose of this review is to examine the different ways by which the immune system responds, both by innate and adaptive pathways, against viral infections, along with the mechanisms by which viruses evade host immune responses.

Method: A systematic literature review was performed with an organized search through the following databases; PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science and ScienceDirect. The search was for studies published between 2015-2025. The final number of included articles was 45 as …

U.S. Health Care Leaders’ Strategies To Improve Operational Efficiency Through Artificial Intelligence In Hospital Settings, Antwonne Demarco Ward

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Health care leaders in the United States increasingly adopt artificial intelligence (AI) to improve operational efficiency, yet many organizations struggle to achieve sustained operational value from AI initiatives. This problem is important to health care leaders, patients, clinicians, staff, and communities because AI-supported decisions may affect workflow, access, safety, staffing, and trust. The purpose of this qualitative pragmatic inquiry project was to explore strategies U.S. health care leaders used to improve operational efficiency through AI in hospital settings. Eight U.S. health care leaders in hospital settings across the United States participated. The technology-organization-environment framework grounded the project. Data were collected …

“To Complete Our Declaration”: The American Indian Chicago Conference, The Declaration Of Indian Purpose, And The Quest For Self-Determination, Joseph W. Ferguson

Department of History

The American Indian Chicago Conference (AICC) illuminates understudied elements within twentieth century Indigenous history. Post WWII policies of termination came to frame the conference, and archival evidence from the planning and establishment of regional conferences and founding documents allows for analysis of the deeper meaning the conference held. The planning phases, schedule, events, and outcomes of the conference indicate factors of a national Indigenous community and identity that have yet to be fully explored in the historiography of this period. The implications of termination policies on Indigenous peoples in North America act as a starting point for the conference’s development. …

Machine Learning For Practical Quantum Computing: Adaptive Mitigation And Data-Driven Noise Characterization, Steven Szachara

Theses

Quantum error mitigation (QEM) is essential for reliable near-term quantum computing, yet practical deployment requires balancing mitigation strength against runtime overhead under nonstationary noise. This work introduces GSC-QEMit, a telemetry-driven context–forecast–bandit framework that adaptively selects mitigation intensity using unsupervised context discovery, uncertainty-aware Gaussian process forecasting, and a cost-aware contextual bandit. Evaluated on benchmark quantum circuits under drifting noise in simulation, the approach improves logical fidelity while reducing unnecessary intervention cost. Complementing this systems-level contribution, we apply unsupervised machine learning to broadband cryogenic transient dielectric spectroscopy data to analyze two-level system (TLS) noise mechanisms. Through clustering, dimensionality reduction, and spectral analysis, …

Immigration-Related Sociopolitical Stress, Mental Health, And Tobacco Use Among Mexican American College Students, Seth R. Schwartz, C. Nathan Marti, Liza Talavera-Garza, Caroline E. North, Qingua Yang, Dhiraj Murthy, Srishty Arora, Anna V. Wilkinson, Alexandra Loukas

Psychological Science Faculty Publications

Sociopolitical stress associated with the policies and rhetoric coming from recent U.S. presidential administrations is of particular concern vis-à-vis Hispanic individuals, who have been disproportionately targeted for detention and deportation. Such stress may be associated with symptoms of depression and anxiety, and ultimately with tobacco use. However, there is a paucity of research examining how sociopolitical stress is associated with mental health problems and substance use among Hispanic emerging adults. Accordingly, the present study was designed to examine the extent to which, within a sample of Mexican American college students, sociopolitical stress would be linked with tobacco use indirectly through …

Association Of Malocclusion Prevalence And Gender In Lebanese Schoolchildren Aged 8 To 10 Years: An Epidemiological Cross-Sectional Study., Toufic Boutros Abou Rjeily, Nada Chedid

International Arab Journal of Dentistry

Introduction: Malocclusion is a deviation in the alignment of the teeth and jaws, which can result in an improper bite. Malocclusion can stem from various etiological factors affecting both functionality and esthetics and leading to oral health problems. An orthodontic assessment in the mixed dentition should include a comprehensive history, a thorough clinical examination, and any relevant additional examinations.

Objectives: The present study’s purpose was to assess the prevalence of malocclusion among 8-to-10-years-old Lebanese children, through a cross sectional study.

Methods: 613 child were included in the study. Clinical assessments of malocclusion, gender differences, dental substance loss, and harmful habits …

Is Dental Medicine At A Turning Point?, Jean-Marie Megarbane

International Arab Journal of Dentistry

No abstract provided.

Gentle Beginnings: Innovative Use Of Melatonin And Triclofos Sodium For Uncooperative Children-An Invivo Study, Rohan Shrivastava, Sonal Gupta, Charu Aggarwal, Akil Prawin S.S

International Arab Journal of Dentistry

Objectives: To compare the pre- and post-use of oral melatonin and oral triclofos as oral sedative drugs on anxiety, sedation, and cognitive and psychomotor function to perform satisfactory dental treatment on uncooperative children.

Methods: A total number of 100 patients aged between 4 and 9 years who were scheduled for dental treatment were randomly divided into two groups, Group I and Group II, and administered melatonin and triclofos sodium, respectively, to determine changes in anxiety, cognitive, psychomotor, and sedation scores pre- and post-treatment. Data were analyzed using an unpaired/paired t-test, and P < 0.05 was contemplated as statistically significant.

Results: Post-treatment assessments revealed a significant reduction in …

Antibacterial Efficacy Of Resin-Based Dental Composites Modified With Antibacterial Agents Against S. Mutans: A Systematic Review, Ahmad Setiawan Jarigau, Erwin Gunawan, Muhammad Akira Takashi Dharma, Fanny Dinda Nur Aulia, Lenni Indriani Hatta, Nurhayati Natsir

International Arab Journal of Dentistry

Introduction: Dental caries caused by Streptococcus mutans is a leading cause of dental restoration failure. Enhancing composite resins with antibacterial agents aims to inhibit bacterial growth and prolong restoration life.

Objectives: This review evaluates the anti-bacterial agents efficacy of these modified composites against S. mutans and explores their mechanisms and potential clinical benefits.

Methods: A comprehensive literature search was conducted across multiple databases following PRISMA guidelines, focusing on in vitro studies published between 2015 and 2025. Studies evaluating composites with antibacterial additives against S. mutans using standard microbiological assays were included. The quality of eligible studies was assessed using the …

Effect Of Home Bleaching With Carbamide Peroxide And Over-The-Counter Products On Stained Supra-Nano-Filled Composite: An In-Vitro Study., Lynn Harrouk, Pascale Habre, Samar Bou Jaoude, Carina Mehanna Zogheib

International Arab Journal of Dentistry

Objective: This study evaluated the impact of home and over-the-counter (OTC) bleaching products, compliant with SCCS regulations, on color changes in tea-stained supra-nano filled composite, using the CIEDE2000 formula.

Methods: One hundred Estelite® Sigma Quick discs were fabricated, thermocycled, and tea-stained for 12 days. Samples were divided into four groups: Opalescence 15% carbamide peroxide (CP) gel, White Dental Beauty 6% hydrogen peroxide (HP) strips, Pola Luminate 6% HP brush-on gel, and a control. Color was measured at baseline, post-staining, and post-bleaching using a VITA EasyShade spectrophotometer. ΔE₀₀ values were analyzed with Kruskal-Wallis and Dunn’s post-hoc tests (p < 0.05).

Results: All bleaching …