Digital Commons Network^™

Staff Matters: The Transformative Power Of Mentoring In The Workplace, Jodi Schafer Sphr, Shrm-Scp

The Journal of the Michigan Dental Association

This article advocates for implementing mentoring programs in dental practices to support new employees beyond traditional onboarding. The author emphasizes that mentoring is particularly valuable for early-career professionals and resonates strongly with Millennials and Gen Z who prioritize learning opportunities. Statistical evidence from Harvard Business Review shows that 76% of professionals consider mentoring crucial for growth, 74% attribute career success to mentoring relationships, and 89% of mentees become mentors themselves. The article provides practical implementation guidance, suggesting practices start with informal programs matching new employees with seasoned staff members. Key recommendations include establishing clear expectations, providing financial support for mentor-mentee …

Mda Insurance: 5 Reasons You Need Life, Disability Insurance, Craig Start Mba

The Journal of the Michigan Dental Association

This article outlines essential insurance protections for dental professionals and their practices. The five key reasons include: life insurance providing survivor income for family maintenance and lifestyle continuation; life insurance serving as an investment vehicle with cash value for practice ownership or business goals; decreasing term life insurance covering business mortgages with reducing benefits as equity increases; disability insurance providing income replacement through age 70 for "own-occupation" coverage when unable to practice dentistry; and business overhead expense insurance covering practice expenses during disability periods. The author emphasizes that these insurance products are often overlooked despite being critical for financial security. …

Be Aware Of These Hazard Communication Standard Changes, Jennifer Cosey

The Journal of the Michigan Dental Association

Executive Summary: This regulatory update outlines OSHA's revised Hazard Communication Standard published on May 20, 2024, with staggered compliance dates ranging from 18 to 42 months after publication. The changes primarily affect manufacturers and distributors, who must now provide Safety Data Sheets (SDSs) with their first shipments and updates. For dental practices, the standard applies to products containing 1% hazardous ingredients or 0.1% carcinogens, such as disinfectants, medications, amalgam, and adhesives. Key changes include new definitions for liquids, solids, and physical hazards, updated labeling requirements for small containers (≤100 ml), and improved accessibility requirements for SDSs. Manufacturers must now provide …

Understanding Anti-Racism In Counselor Education: A Narratology Of Anti-Racist Pedagogy In Sociocultural Courses, Danielle G. Rodgers

Counseling & Human Services Theses & Dissertations

Counselors have the privilege to join children, adolescents, and adults from all walks of life in a journey of working towards mental and emotional wellness. Our code of ethics outlines “honoring diversity and embracing a multicultural approach in support of the worth, dignity, potential, and uniqueness of people within their social and cultural contexts” (p.3) and promoting social justice as two of our core professional values (American Counseling Association [ACA], 2014). The ACA also stated in their Antiracist Statement in 2020 that “we have a moral and professional obligation to deconstruct institutions which have historically been designed to benefit White …

The Lived Experiences Of African American Women In Student Affairs Leadership, Beverly David-Lewis

Education Doctoral

African American women are underrepresented in student affairs administration (Breeden, 2021). Several barriers limit opportunities for career advancement for African American women in this field, including the lack of mentors, minimal decision-making power, and the impact of both sexism and racism (Davis et al., 2021). This qualitative phenomenological research study explored the lived experiences of African American women in student affairs leadership positions at 4-year public institutions in New York State. This study answered the following research questions: 1. What are the perceived barriers that African American women experience when seeking career advancement in student affairs? 2. What strategies have …

Equiangularity From Compatible Orthobiangularity, Tyler J. Myers

Theses and Dissertations

An equiangular tight frame (ETF) is an equal norm sequence of vectors in a Hilbert space whose coherence achieves equality in the Welch bound. Such sequences necessarily have minimal coherence and thus are, in some sense, as "spread out" in space as possible. ETFs have a variety of applications, such as compressed sensing and waveform design. The main problem in the study of ETFs is determining the pairs (D, N) for which an ETF with N vectors in a D-dimensional space exists. Real ETFs are moreover equivalent to a special subset of a well-studied class of graphs known as strongly …

Isotope Production Modeling In Sodium-Cooled Fast Reactors, Aaron W. Burkhardt

Theses and Dissertations

The accurate prediction of isotopic compositions in Sodium-Cooled Fast Reactors (SFRs) is essential for nuclear forensic analyses and international nuclear treaty monitoring, particularly with the increased global deployment of Generation-IV reactors. This research developed and validated a detailed computational model tailored specifically to the Prototype Fast Breeder Reactor (PFBR), employing advanced Monte Carlo neutron transport methods, sophisticated burnup modeling, and variance reduction techniques. Validation against empirical data from the Experimental Breeder Reactor-II confirmed the model’s accuracy, producing a comprehensive database of isotopic compositions across 301 assembly locations and 580 isotopes through the reactor’s initial operation and equilibrium cycle. The model …

Constraining Nuclear Data Uncertainty Requirements For The 19F(A, N)22Na Reaction For Non-Proliferation Applications, Tyler R. M. Smith

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis explores the requirements on nuclear data uncertainties needed for the use of the ¹⁹F(α, n)²²Na reaction for nuclear non-proliferation applications. An overview of how neutrons are produced from alpha decays in a UF₆ medium is discussed. Calculation demonstrate the role nuclear data uncertainties effect the neutron yield and energy spectra as a function of enrichment.

Contract Quality Feature Extraction Using Llm, Aaron C. Washington

Theses and Dissertations

This study explored the potential insights generated from linguistic complexity measurements and large language model (LLM) based assessments on the quality of contract documents. By combining structured True/False prompts with log-probability analysis and ambiguity scoring, the study introduced novel contract-quality assessment methods. Results support a feature-driven approach to contract evaluation, one that offers automated, scalable insights for triaging risk and improving drafting practices. These assessment methods contribute to the growing field of legal natural language processing by offering modular tools for effective contract analysis.

Leveraging Large Language Models (Llms) For Automated Generation Of Sysml V2 State Machines In Guidance, Navigation, And Control (Gnc) Systems, Andrea Louise Ames

Theses and Dissertations

Modern defense systems continue to grow in complexity, placing increasing pressure on engineering workflows to be faster and more adaptable. While Model-Based Systems Engineering (MBSE) with the emerging SysML v2 standard provides a framework for capturing system behavior, its practical use is often limited by the expertise and time required for manual modeling. This research investigates whether large language models (LLMs) can help overcome that barrier by automatically generating SysML v2 state machines from Guidance, Navigation, and Control (GNC) textual inputs. Three LLM Flowise-based models were developed and evaluated: the Structured Transformation Model (STM), which uses a structured extraction and …

Role Of The Ctcf Binding Site In Human T-Cell Leukemia Virus-1 Pathogenesis, Ancy Joseph, Xiaogang Cheng, John Harding, Jacob Al-Saleem, Patrick Green, Malachi Griffith, Deborah Veis, Daniel A. Rauch, Lee Ratner

2020-Current year OA Pubs

During HTLV-1 infection, the virus integrates into the host cell genome as a provirus with a single CCCTC binding protein (CTCF) binding site (vCTCF-BS), which acts as an insulator between transcriptionally active and inactive regions. Previous studies have shown that the vCTCF-BS is important for maintenance of chromatin structure, regulation of viral expression, and DNA and histone methylation. Here, we show that the vCTCF-BS also regulates viral infection and pathogenesis in vivo in a humanized (Hu) mouse model of adult T-cell leukemia/lymphoma. Three cell lines were used to initiate infection of the Hu-mice, i) HTLV-1-WT which carries an intact HTLV-1 …

The Medial Antebrachial Cutaneous Nerve Is A Low-Morbidity Alternative To The Standard Sural Nerve Autograft, Stahs Pripotnev, Sai L Pinni, Suzanne Zhou, Gary Skolnick, Susan E Mackinnon

2020-Current year OA Pubs

BACKGROUND: Nerve interposition grafting is an important technique in nerve reconstructive surgery that is used when a primary repair is not feasible without significant tension. This study sought to evaluate the long-term morbidity of the medial antebrachial cutaneous (MABC) nerve as an alternative donor nerve in comparison with sural nerve harvest.

METHODS: A single surgeon and institution retrospective chart review was performed to identify all patients who underwent nerve autografting using the sural and MABC as donor nerves between January 1, 2000 and December 31, 2019. Surveys assessed overall patient satisfaction with surgery, as well as donor and recipient site …

Detection And Characterization Of Langya Virus In Crocidura Lasiura (The Ussuri White-Toothed Shrew), Republic Of Korea, Augustine Natasha, Sarah E Pye, Kyungmin Park, Shivani Rajoriya, Intae Yang, Jieun Park, Haryo Seno Pangestu, Jongwoo Kim, Yeonsu Oh, Carolina B López, Jin-Won Song, Won-Keun Kim

2020-Current year OA Pubs

Langya virus (LayV) is the only documented zoonotic agent within the shrew borne

Large-Scale Network Analysis Of The Cerebrospinal Fluid Proteome Identifies Molecular Signatures Of Frontotemporal Lobar Degeneration, Rowan Saloner, Nupur Ghoshal, Et Al.

2020-Current year OA Pubs

The pathophysiological mechanisms driving disease progression of frontotemporal lobar degeneration (FTLD) and corresponding biomarkers are not fully understood. Here we leveraged aptamer-based proteomics (>4,000 proteins) to identify dysregulated communities of co-expressed cerebrospinal fluid proteins in 116 adults carrying autosomal dominant FTLD mutations (C9orf72, GRN and MAPT) compared with 39 non-carrier controls. Network analysis identified 31 protein co-expression modules. Proteomic signatures of genetic FTLD clinical severity included increased abundance of RNA splicing (particularly in C9orf72 and GRN) and extracellular matrix (particularly in MAPT) modules, as well as decreased abundance of synaptic/neuronal and autophagy modules. The generalizability of genetic FTLD proteomic …

Screpertoire 2: Enhanced And Efficient Toolkit For Single-Cell Immune Profiling, Qile Yang, Ksenia R. Safina, Kieu Diem Quynh Nguyen, Zewen Kelvin Tuong, Nicholas Borcherding

2020-Current year OA Pubs

Single-cell adaptive immune receptor repertoire sequencing (scAIRR-seq) and single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) provide a transformative approach to profiling immune responses at unprecedented resolution across diverse pathophysiologic contexts. This work presents scRepertoire 2, a substantial update to our R package for analyzing and visualizing single-cell immune receptor data. This new version introduces an array of features designed to enhance both the depth and breadth of immune receptor analysis, including improved workflows for clonotype tracking, repertoire diversity metrics, and novel visualization modules that facilitate longitudinal and comparative studies. Additionally, scRepertoire 2 offers seamless integration with contemporary single-cell analysis frameworks like Seurat and …

Cysteine Depletion Triggers Adipose Tissue Thermogenesis And Weight Loss, Aileen H Lee, Irina Shchukina, Prabhakar Sairam Andhey, Maxim N Artyomov, Et Al.

2020-Current year OA Pubs

Caloric restriction and methionine restriction-driven enhanced lifespan and healthspan induces 'browning' of white adipose tissue, a metabolic response that increases heat production to defend core body temperature. However, how specific dietary amino acids control adipose thermogenesis is unknown. Here, we identified that weight loss induced by caloric restriction in humans reduces thiol-containing sulfur amino acid cysteine in white adipose tissue. Systemic cysteine depletion in mice causes lethal weight loss with increased fat utilization and browning of adipocytes that is rescued upon restoration of cysteine in diet. Mechanistically, cysteine-restriction-induced adipose browning and weight loss requires sympathetic nervous system-derived noradrenaline signalling via …

The School Counselors Role In Supporting Teachers Working With Children Who Have Experienced Trauma: Lessons Learned, Kristi L. Perryman, T.J. Timothy, Hailey Thomas Frost

Counseling, Leadership, and Research Methods Faculty Publications and Presentations

Teachers are dealing with the challenges of educating students who have been exposed to Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) at an increasing rate (Brunzell et al., 2021; Mayor, 2021). Often their education has not prepared them for recognizing and mitigating the behaviors associated with ACE exposures. This article offers a review of current research regarding the role of the school counselor in supporting teachers. A case study provides insight into this support through a university partnership with a trauma-focused charter school. Suggestions are offered for teacher training and policy changes based on the author's experiences in working with a trauma-focused school. …

Impact Of Harvest Date And Year On The Volatile And Physicochemical Properties Of Fresh-Market Blackberry Cultivars, Rahul Sen, Andrea Myers, Alyssa Finocchiaro, Gracie Howard, Luke Norman, Renee Threlfall, Amanda Mcwhirt, Margaret Worthington, Scott Robert Lafontaine

Food Science Faculty Publications and Presentations

Fresh-market blackberries face challenges with inconsistent flavor, limiting consumer demand. This study examines how harvest date and environmental conditions impact the physicochemical and volatile profiles of three cultivars (Sweet-Ark (R) Ponca, Sweet-Ark (R) Caddo, and Ouachita) grown in Fayetteville, AR, during the 2022-2023 seasons. Using targeted and untargeted GC-MS/MS approach, 262 volatile compounds across 12 classes were identified. Increased rainfall and cooler temperatures in 2023 positively affected Ouachita and Sweet-Ark (R) Caddo's physical attributes but reduced Sweet-Ark (R) Ponca's firmness and weight. Sweet-Ark (R) Caddo exhibited the highest volatile content in 2022 (2991 mu g/kg), driven by terpenes (1018.03 mu …

Phase 2 Multi-Arm Study Of Magrolimab Combinations In Patients With Acute Myeloid Leukaemia, Gabriel N Mannis, Camille N Abboud, Et Al.

2020-Current year OA Pubs

INTRODUCTION: This phase 2 study evaluated magrolimab+venetoclax (VEN)+azacitidine (AZA) in untreated, unfit acute myeloid leukaemia (AML) and magrolimab+mitoxantrone+etoposide+cytarabine in relapsed/refractory (R/R) AML.

METHODS: Endpoints included complete remission rate (CRR), overall response rate (ORR), overall survival (OS) and safety.

RESULTS: Eighteen and 36 patients were enrolled into the unfit and R/R AML arms, respectively. CRR was 38.9% and 25.0%, ORR was 66.7% and 38.9%, and median OS was 15.3 and 10.5 months in the unfit AML and R/R AML arms, respectively. No dose-limiting toxicities or magrolimab-related deaths occurred.

CONCLUSION: Magrolimab was safely combined with existing AML therapies with no new safety …

Clinical Trial Readiness In Limb Girdle Muscular Dystrophy R1 (Lgmdr1): A Grasp Consortium Study, Stephanie M Hunn, Amanda Clause, Conrad C Weihl, Et Al.

2020-Current year OA Pubs

OBJECTIVE: Identifying functional measures that are both valid and reliable in the limb girdle muscular dystrophy (LGMD) population is critical for quantifying the level of functional impairment related to disease progression in order to establish clinical trial readiness in the context of anticipated therapeutic trials.

METHODS: Through the Genetic Resolution and Assessments Solving Phenotypes in LGMD (GRASP-LGMD) Consortium, 42 subjects with LGMDR1 were enrolled in a 12-month natural history study across 11 international sites. Each subject completed a battery of clinical outcome assessments (COA), including the North Star Assessment for Limb Girdle-Type Dystrophies (NSAD), 10-m walk/run, and Performance of the …

Burst Steroid Therapy And Quality Of Life In Patients With Acute Heart Failure: Insights From The Cortahf Trial, Matteo Pagnesi, Douglas L Mann, Et Al.

2020-Current year OA Pubs

AIMS: Patients hospitalized with acute heart failure (AHF) treated with a 7 day prednisone course in the CORTAHF pilot trial had a greater improvement in health-related quality of life (QoL) at Day 7 in both the overall population and in patients with baseline interleukin 6 > 13 pg/mL. This post-hoc analysis examines the specific QoL domains and the relationship between clinical signs of congestion and QoL.

METHODS: In the CORTAHF pilot trial, patients with AHF and high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hsCRP) > 20 mg/L were randomized 1:1 to once-daily oral 40 mg prednisone for 7 days plus usual care or usual care alone. …

Chronic, Battery-Free, Fully Implantable Multimodal Spinal Cord Stimulator For Pain Modulation In Small Animal Models, Allie J Widman, Taron Bashar, Alex Burton, David Marshall Clausen, Prashant Gupta, Drew K Wolf, Jakayla Folarin-Hines, Maria Payne, John A Rogers, Kathleen W Meacham, Robert W Gereau, Philipp Gutruf

2020-Current year OA Pubs

Spinal cord stimulation (SCS) for chronic pain management is an invasive therapy involving surgical implantation of electrodes into spinal epidural space. While the clinical value and mechanistic action of the therapy is debated considerably in recent years, preclinical chronic studies employing rodent models can provide invaluable insights regarding the balance between efficacy and complications as well as mechanistic understanding of SCS therapy. However, current rodent compatible devices require tethered power delivery or bulky batteries, severely limiting the ability to probe long-term efficacy of SCS therapy. This work introduces a tether-free, small-footprint, fully implantable, battery-free SCS device compatible with rodent models, …

Corneal Characteristics In Children With Marfan Syndrome With Or Without Ectopia Lentis, Marisa O'Brien, Lawrence Tychsen

2020-Current year OA Pubs

IMPORTANCE: Myopia of Marfan syndrome (MFS) may be ascribed to crystalline lens subluxation, abnormal corneal curvature, and increased globe axial length. Few studies have reported these measures in MFS children who did or did not have ectopia lentis (EL).

OBJECTIVE: To measure eye findings longitudinally in MFS children with and without EL.

METHODS: A prospective, comparative case study was conducted on 24 MFS children (48 eyes). EL necessitated lensectomy and intraocular lens implantation surgery in 16/24 children (mean age 5.6 ± 2.8 years). The remaining 8/24 MFS children (mean age 11.2 ± 4.2 years) had no EL and were phakic. …

Mollusc And Crustacean Consumption In The First 1000 Days: A Scoping Review, Brietta M Oaks, Emmanuel A Gyimah, Eliza Kleban, Kathleen Ragsdale, Lora L Iannotti

2020-Current year OA Pubs

Mollusc and crustacean consumption in the first 1000 d may improve maternal and child health by providing essential nutrients. However, in some contexts, molluscs and crustaceans have been associated with allergies and environmental contamination, potentially leading to adverse health and development outcomes. It is unclear whether the health benefits of consuming molluscs and crustaceans, collectively classified as shellfish in nutrition, are outweighed by the potential risks to pregnant women and children. We conducted a scoping review (PROSPERO: CRD42022320454) in PubMed, Scopus and EBSCO Global Health of articles published between January 2000 and March 2022 that assessed shellfish consumption during pregnancy, …

Scoping Literature Review To Identify Candidate Domains For The Omeract Systemic Lupus Erythematosus Core Outcome Set, Wils Nielsen, Alfred Kim, Et Al.

2020-Current year OA Pubs

No abstract provided.

Correlation Of Ultrasound And Electrodiagnostic Evaluation In Ballistic Peripheral Nerve Injuries, Mitchell S. Mologne, Zachary D. Randall, Nathan P. Olafsen, David M. Brogan, Christopher J. Dy

2020-Current year OA Pubs

BACKGROUND: Evaluation and management of ballistic peripheral nerve injuries remain controversial, and recent series have suggested higher rates of nerve discontinuity than previously appreciated. Ultrasound (US) may aid clinicians in the management of ballistic injuries. The goal of this study was to compare US findings to electrodiagnostic and intraoperative findings to assess its accuracy in ballistic injuries.

METHODS: We conducted a retrospective review of patients with the following criteria: (1) ballistic injury to the upper or lower extremity with suspected mixed or motor peripheral nerve injury; (2) underwent electrodiagnostic studies (EDX) and peripheral nerve ultrasound. US findings were categorized as …

Telemedicine In Nerve Surgery: An Effective Method To Determine Indications For Surgery, Noah S. Llaneras, Ruby L. Taylor, Jonah P. M. Orr, Rachel Alessio, Carolyn Carper, Brendan M. Patterson, Susan E. Mackinnon

2020-Current year OA Pubs

BACKGROUND: The COVID-19 pandemic accelerated the adoption of telemedicine for surgical consultations. Although patient satisfaction has been well documented, limited research exists regarding telemedicine's effectiveness in determining the ability to indicate for surgical care compared with in-office visits. We conducted a retrospective review comparing surgical decision-making via telemedicine versus in-person consultations, hypothesizing that in-office visits would be more effective in establishing a surgical plan than telemedicine.

METHODS: A retrospective review of the medical records of all new patients presenting to the senior author's nerve surgery clinic at a high-volume quaternary referral center between June 2020 and January 2023 was performed. …

Aortic Rupture During Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement Requiring Emergent Thoracic Endovascular Aortic Repair And Endograft Infection Requiring Endograft Explant, Ryan Wahidi, Dan Kindell, Puja Kachroo, J Westley Ohman

2020-Current year OA Pubs

Infection of endografts after thoracic endovascular aortic repair (TEVAR) is a catastrophic complication with dramatically high morbidity and mortality. We present the case of a 58-year-old gentleman who underwent TEVAR for aortic rupture during transcatheter aortic valve replacement, later presenting with TEVAR infection, endocarditis, and aortobronchial fistula who underwent TEVAR explantation, aortic valve replacement, and aortic reconstruction. The patient consented to publication of his operative course.

Genetically Encoded Biosensors Of Metabolic Function For The Study Of Neurodegeneration, A Review And Perspective, Minglei Zhao, Saman Behboudi Tanourlouee, Sean Mccracken, Philip R Williams

2020-Current year OA Pubs

Nervous system tissue is the most metabolically active in the body and neurons are the primary consumers of oxygen and metabolites in nervous tissue. Many processes support neuronal metabolism, and dysregulation of these processes or intrinsic neuronal metabolism is often tied to neurodegenerative diseases. While many techniques are available to query metabolic function and disease (e.g. Seahorse XF, histology, immunostaining), almost all of these approaches are destructive and few offer cellular resolution. However, genetically encoded biosensors can optically measure metabolic features in any tissue with optical access. Biosensors represent an approach to non-destructively monitor metabolic components and regulatory signaling repeatedly …

Innovations In Intestinal Organoid Technology Featuring An Open Apical Surface, Ye Chen, Yi Wang

2020-Current year OA Pubs

Since the development of the three-dimensional (3D) "mini-gut" culture system, adult stem cell-derived organoid technology has rapidly advanced, providing in vitro models that replicate key cellular, molecular, and physiological properties of multiple organs. The 3D intestinal organoid system has resolved many long-standing challenges associated with immortalized or cancer cell cultures, offering unparalleled capabilities for modeling gastrointestinal development and diseases. However, significant limitations remain, including restricted accessibility to the epithelial apical surface for studying host-microbe interactions, interruptions in modeling chronic gastrointestinal diseases due to frequent passaging and dissociation, and the absence of mechanical cues such as peristalsis and luminal flow, which …