Associate Professor Research Articles

Building a Patient Navigation Program to Improve the Student and Patient Experience at a Student-Run Free Clinic

Introduction: Patient navigation programs improve patients’ access to care. The existing literature on patient navigation programs affiliated with Student-run Free Clinics (SRFCs) is limited. The Patient Navigation Program (PNP) was developed to give health professions students early experience in patient-centered care while helping patients overcome barriers to care. First-year student volunteers at our SRFC, the Delivering Equal Access to Care (DEAC) clinic, have limited opportunities to participate in direct patient care. A subset of our patient population faces additional challenges accessing health-related services, resulting in a need for coordinated care. This descriptive report describes a sustainable patient navigation program designed to improve the student and patient experience at an SRFC. Methods: One medical director and three third-year medical students supervised all participants. First-year students from the Doctor of Medicine (MD) and Physician Associate (PA) programs applied for Patient Navigator (PN) positions, and upper-level students from the MD and PA programs applied for Navigation Manager (NM) positions. Two mandatory student trainings were provided, one led by the program’s medical director and the other by an associate professor in Psychiatry and Behavioral Medicine. Patients were referred from the primary care service. A voluntary, program satisfaction survey was emailed to PNs at the end of the year. Results: Seven of the eight PNs completed their 12-month commitment and one PN transitioned into another DEAC clinic leadership role before the end of the year. Seven PNs completed the survey, and all indicated wanting to stay involved with the program in some capacity. Four of seven (57%) respondents were interested in continuing with their current patient due to perceived ongoing needs. Perceived impact of PNP on patients’ health includes obtaining additional health services, reliable transportation, and someone to discuss health concerns. Discussion: Over half of PNs joined DEAC clinic leadership at the end of their 12-month commitment, pointing to the potential of patient navigator programs to develop committed leaders at SRFCs. Building a sustainable program like PNP at another SRFC is feasible and has potential for meaningful student and patient impact.

2024 Survey of Shelter Medicine Veterinary Compensation

Compensation in the field of shelter veterinary medicine is not well understood. Two previous surveys (2011 and 2018) have been conducted. In 2018, full-time shelter veterinarians employed in a clinical capacity had a median salary of $92,000 (IQR 80,000 - 110,000), while part-time shelter veterinarians had a median wage of $48/hour (IQR 36-66) for a median of 26 hours of work; academic shelter veterinarians had a median salary of $108,000 (IQR 90,000-120,000), while veterinarians employed in shelter leadership had a median salary of $120,000 (IQR 110,000-198,000). In 2018 the AVMA reported the median salary of all private practice veterinarians was $92,000 ($95,000 companion animal exclusive), and in 2022, it was $137,000 ($140,000 companion animal exclusive). The anonymous survey was distributed through various channels, including social media, message boards, and specialty listservs, similar to the 2018 survey. The survey was open for participation from January 4th to 31st 2024. Shelter veterinarians primarily working in the United States were categorized into four employment groups: part-time shelter-employed veterinarian, full-time shelter-employed veterinarian (35 hours per week or more), academic shelter medicine faculty, and shelter leadership/consultants. Salaries of interns and residents (2 respondents) were excluded from the analysis. There were 314 responses, with 299 from veterinarians working in/with shelters in the United States. Among these, 258 were engaged in clinical work with/for one or more shelter organizations, with 198 working full-time and 60 part-time. Eighteen respondents were from academia, and 23 were in shelter leadership or consulting roles. The median salary for full-time veterinarians in clinical roles was $122,500 (IQR 105,000 - 140,000; range 65,000 - 246,000), a 25% increase from 2018. Part-time veterinarians in clinical roles reported a wage of $85/hour (IQR 63 - 104; range 27 - 313) for a median of 24 hours (IQR 16 - 31), reflecting a 77% increase in hourly wage and an 8% decrease in hours. Academic shelter medicine veterinarians had a median salary of $130,000 (IQR 108,000 - 140,000; range 70,000 - 150,000), a 20% increase. The median salaries for different academic ranks were: Instructors $103,000, Assistant Professors $116,000, Associate Professors $134,000, and Professors $150,000. Veterinarians in consulting or leadership positions had a median salary of $168,000 (IQR 145,000 - 200,000; range 105,000 - 254,000), a 40% increase. All salaries increased, with the full-time salary for veterinarians employed in leadership or consulting increasing the most and salaries for veterinarians in academia increasing the least. The per-hour rate increased dramatically for part-time veterinarians, and they reported working a median of two fewer hours per week. Similar to the 2018 results, shelter veterinarians in leadership positions had the highest income, followed by academic shelter veterinarians. Salaries for clinically employed shelter veterinarians were 5% less than AVMA-reported 2022 salaries for all private practice veterinarians and 7% lower than for companion animal veterinarians.

Cell scientist to watch – Bhavani Shankar Sahu

ABSTRACT Bhavani Shankar Sahu is an Associate Professor at the National Brain Research Centre (NBRC) in Manesar, India. He completed his PhD in cell biology and molecular genetics at the Indian Institute of Technology Madras, studying links between neuroendocrine function and metabolic disease. Inspired to better understand fundamental mechanisms of neuropeptide secretion, he then completed postdoctoral research in Prof. Margaret Robinson's lab at the University of Cambridge, UK and with Prof. Alessandro Bartolomucci at the University of Minnesota and University of California San Diego, USA. In 2019, he returned to India to start his own lab at the NBRC, where he and his team investigate the biology of exocytosis in neurons and neuroendocrine cells from the molecular to the physiological level. We spoke with Bhavani over Zoom about his career journey, mentorship philosophy and enthusiasm for science outreach.

Review of the textbook by MD, PhD, Professor Gantsev K.Sh, MD, PhD, Associate Professor Kzyrgalin Sh.R., MD, PhD, Professor Moiseenko F.V., MD, PhD, Associate Professor Yamidanov R.S. edited by MD, PhD, Professor, Full Member (Academician) of the Academy of Sciences of the Republic of Bashkortostan Gantsev Sh.Kh. "Oncology 2.0"

The article contains a review of the educational publication “Oncology 2.0”, prepared by a group of authors edited by Gantsev Sh.Kh. This work is intended to train doctors in the specialty of oncology, as well as improve the skills of practicing specialists in the field of cancer treatment. The publication represents an up-to-date and comprehensive presentation of the authors on oncology as a science, its place in medicine, as well as the discussion of the prerequisites for modern methods of treating malignant tumors and the ways of their development.

Is the Productivity of Faculty Members Sustainable? The Perspective of Faculty Members

In the global economic landscape, a nation’s ability to secure a prominent position is intricately linked to its capacity for knowledge augmentation and technological innovation. This correlation underscores the pivotal role of universities and academicians, whose importance directly reflects a country’s level of development. The effectual execution of educational, research, and innovative pursuits within university settings necessitates the presence of qualified, productive, and dedicated academicians. As key contributors to academic, social, and humanitarian spheres, academicians bear responsibilities spanning research, teaching, societal enlightenment, and problem solving within higher education. The scholarly productivity of researchers is commonly gauged through metrics involving scientific publications and academic engagements. Notably, in many countries, advancements and appointments within academic institutions are contingent on the demonstrated productivity of academicians. Aligning with this global trend, Turkey accordingly structures its promotion and appointment procedures within academia. This study aims to ascertain faculty members’ perspectives regarding academic productivity after their associate professors’ and professors’ appointments in Turkey. Furthermore, we endeavor to identify the underlying factors contributing to this decline and increase academic productivity. Our findings emphasize the intricate interplay of various factors influencing academic productivity and sustainability. These include the significance of institutional support, economic stability, intrinsic motivation, and challenges such as bureaucratic processes and gender-related issues, which collectively shape the academic landscape and faculty members’ ability to produce impactful research over time. The research study group comprised 20 faculty members working at a public University in Turkey in the 2022–2023 academic year. This study was prepared using a qualitative research model. This study used the interview technique, one of the data collection techniques used in process-based evaluation applications. Furthermore, the obtained data were analyzed using the content analysis technique used in qualitative research methods.

The time is now: Increasing competitive integrated employment opportunities for all Americans with disabilities

We are pleased to share with you an important written testimony submitted for Senator Bob Casey’s Hearing in the U.S. Senate on “All Means All: Empowering People with Disabilities in Careers and in the Workplace.” This testimony was provided by Dr. Lauren Avellone, Associate Professor at the Virginia Commonwealth University –Rehabilitation Research and Training Center. This testimony took place on Thursday February 29, 2024. Her testimony focused on the positive impact of competitive integrated employment on people with high support needs working within the United States, the need to eliminate 14c certificates which enable subminimum wages to be paid to people with disabilities, and solutions for achieving greater employment outcomes for all people with disabilities who would like to obtain employment. Statement from Dr. Paul Wehman, Editor-in-Chief of the Journal of Vocational Rehabilitation

A DEBRECENI SZÍVSEBÉSZET TÖRTÉNETE

The establishment of cardiac surgery in Debrecen is closely interlinked with thoracic surgery. This activity started and continued for many decades at the Auguszta Sanatorium, later the University of Debrecen's Department of Surgery II, which housed thoracic surgery at the time. In the Auguszta Sanatorium, which was nationalised after World War II, a thoracic surgery department was established in 1948, under the direction of Dr. József Schnitzler, whose professional interests in the 1960s turned towards cardiac surgery. He found a suitable partner for his groundbreaking goal in the pioneering work of Hungarian cardiac surgery, Dr. Árpád Eisert, a leading surgeon of the Jósa András County Hospital in Nyíregyháza. As a result of their exemplary professional cooperation, the first closed heart surgery was performed in Debrecen in 1963. The heart-lung machine required for cardiopulmonary bypass necessary to start open heart operations was provided by a donation from Béla Köteles, the son of Hungarian emigrants born in America, who founded his own instrument manufacturing company there. The first open heart surgery was performed by visiting professor Gábor Kovács from Szeged with Professor Schnitzler in 1968. In 1972, András Gömöry was entrusted with the management of cardiac surgery, and he succeeded in creating a team of highly qualified doctors and specialists even under the prevailing difficult circumstances. This, provided a solid basis for further development within the field. In 1983, after the retirement of Professor Schnitzler, Árpád Péterffy, Associate Professor of Cardiothoracic Surgery at Karolinska Hospital in Stockholm, was appointed as Head of the Department of Surgery II. Due to the knowledge, professional and work organisation experience he had gained abroad, cardiac surgery in Debrecen developed with great strides. The number of operations increased significantly, while the mortality rate was reduced by a third. He managed to acquire a new building for cardiac surgery in 1993, which created the opportunity for further development. The new building significantly improved the quantity and quality of cardiac surgery and made Debrecen an internationally recognised flagship of Hungarian cardiac surgery. Due to his work in international exchanges his students were able to improve their knowledge in Western European countries and elsewhere overseas. After his retirement in 2008, he continued to work as Professor Emeritus in our clinic, remaining fully committed to supporting our work, the development of cardiac surgery in Debrecen, and the preservation and enhancement of its reputation. As his professional successor, Associate Professor Tamás Szerafin was entrusted with the leadership of the cardiac surgery department. Together with his colleagues, their aim has been to preserve and further develop the patient-centred spirit and professional dedication of their predecessors, and to preserve the built heritage.

RETHINKING ETHICAL LEADERSHIP IN THE C‐SUITE

AbstractThe author is a clinical associate professor at NYU Stern School of Business, and the executive director at Ethical Systems. She writes that “behavioral ethicists agree that while leading by example is important, it’s crucial to focus on building employee capacity for ethical decision‐making.” She further contends that “Companies… they must also manage the full spectrum of ethical commitments in practical ways. This poses particular challenges when you’re dealing with an increasingly vocal yet divided workforce.” She also discusses the nuances of sustainability and ESG {Environmental, Social, and Governance} within organizational ethics. Quotes are presented from such experts as Hui Chen, “a former prosecutor who became the first in‐house compliance counsel expert in the US Department of Justice”; Klaus Moosmayer, chief ethics, risk, and compliance officer at Novartis; and Nell Minow, described as “one of the leading corporate governance specialists in the United States.” For instance, according to Chen, “I’ve been baffled by the complete lack of interaction between the ethics and compliance community and the ESG community, because to me they’re really the same thing.” The author concludes: “Organizations don’t just need tone at the top; they need to solicit and support awareness, accountability, and voice at all levels.”

Developmental paths of teacher professional knowledge in modeling-based teaching: analysis from a longitudinal socio-historical perspective

This study seeks to understand the development of teacher professional knowledge about models and modeling of a Chemistry Education associate professor, experienced and specialized in modeling-based teaching from a longitudinal socio-historical perspective. To do so, we analyzed her statements about her life history in terms of school and academic education, as well as professional practices for the last 18 years. Data were constructed from the transcription of those statements and interpreted according to theoretical-methodological procedures based on both a microgenetic analysis, promoting the decontextualization of contexts, and a macrogenetic analysis, from the recontextualization of contexts. This made it possible to trace her experiences from the student context at the secondary school to the experiences as university professor about to teach a course on models and modeling to a class of future teachers. The data analysis showed that, in her teaching history, various educational situations and contexts involving modeling-based teaching influenced her teacher professional knowledge about models and modeling, as well as how some turning points influenced and took part of the development of such knowledge. This study favors an understanding of the constitution of the subject (the associate professor) as it allows entering into her life contexts in which developmental paths of her teacher professional knowledge were identified and characterized. Furthermore, it contributes to the understanding of how science teachers can develop such knowledge from a longitudinal socio-historical perspective, which may have implications for teachers education.

Finding Yourself in the Narrative

The Emic staff interviewed with Dr. Dori Griffin, Associate Professor in the School of Art + Art History at the University of Florida.

Transcending Egoism in an Ecological Future

The Emic staff interviewed with Dr. Terry Harpold, Associate Professor of English at the University of Florida.

Correlation Between H-Index, M-Index, and Academic Rank in Urology

OBJECTIVESTo evaluate the h- and m-indices of academic urologists across all U.S. accredited urology residency programs to determine the relationship between these metrics and an author’s academic rank, academic degrees, and gender. METHODSA total of 136 urology residency programs with available faculty information on their websites were evaluated. The academic rank, academic degrees, and gender were recorded for each clinical and research faculty member. Each author’s h-index was determined using the Scopus database. The m-indices for each author were then calculated. Statistical analysis was performed using the Wilcoxon rank-sum test. RESULTSThis study demonstrated that the h- and m-indices positively correlate with an author’s academic rank. Among the 2,253 academic urologists evaluated, chairs/chiefs and professors had the highest median h- and m-indices (h-index 26, m-index 1.046 for chairs/chiefs; h-index 30, m-index 1.094 for professors). This was followed by associate professors (h-index 14, m-index 0.750), assistant professors (h-index 6, m-index 0.667), and clinical instructors (h-index 6, m-index 0.511). The median h- and m-indices were overall statistically higher for males than females. Faculty members with only a PhD were found to have the highest h- and m-indices followed by MD PhD, MD MBA, MD MPH, MD only, and DO only in descending order of index value. CONCLUSIONSThe h- and m-indices of academic urologists positively correlate with their academic rank. These metrics may serve as an additional tool in measuring an individual’s academic productivity in consideration of job hirings, positional promotions, societal memberships, achievement awards, research grants, and more.

The people behind the papers - Jason Ko and Daniel Lobo.

Planarians grow when they are fed and shrink during periods of starvation. However, it is unclear how they maintain appropriate body proportions as their size changes. A new paper in Development investigates the differences between growth and shrinkage dynamics and builds a mathematical model to explore the mechanisms underpinning these two processes. To learn more about the story behind the paper, we caught up with first author, Jason Ko, and corresponding author, Daniel Lobo, Associate Professor at the University of Maryland.

Machine Hands on Flaws to Machine: The Surprising Sources of Biases in Machine Learning Models

Machine Hands on Flaws to Machine: The Surprising Sources of Biases in Machine Learning Models

Editorial

Dear Readers,  It gives me great pleasure to announce the fourth regular issue of 2024. I would like to thank all the authors for their sound research papers and the editorial board and our guest reviewers for their extremely valuable reviews and suggestions for improvement. These contributions and the generous support of the consortium members enable us to run our journal and maintain its quality. I would also like to thank our broader community for reading and incorporating sound J.UCS papers into their research. I am also very proud to announce that our journal has been included in the Free Journal Network as one of the listed high-quality journals in this field. Still, I would like to expand our editorial board: If you are a tenured associate professor or above with a good publication record, please apply to join our editorial board. We are also interested in receiving high-quality proposals for special issues on new topics and emerging trends. In this regular issue, I am very pleased to introduce six papers by 22 authors from nine countries: Brazil, Czech Republic, Germany, Iran, Jordan, Portugal, Thailand, Turkey, and the USA. In a collaboration between researchers from the Czech Republic and Germany, Sivaramasamy Elayaraja, Sunil Yeruva Vlastimil Stejskal, and Satish Nandipati look into multi-class microscopic image analysis of protozoan parasites using convolutional neural network and perform a study on 4740 microscopic images. André Diegues Fernandes, João Cruz, Miguel Mira da Silva, and Rúben Pereira from Portugal cover a systematic literature review for mapping and integrating security and risk standards. In a collaborative research between Jordan and the USA, Sahar Idwan, Junaid Zubairi, Syed Ali Haider, and Wael Etaiwi introduce their reactive traffic congestion control method based on a hierarchical graph approach. Shahrzad Riahi, Ramtin Khosravi, and Fatemeh Ghassemi from Iran conduct a study on knowledge-related policy analysis in an inference-enabled actor model. Josival Silva, Nelson Rosa, and Fernando Aires from Brazil research and present UP-Home, a self-adaptive solution that manages the security of smart homes by industry standards, and identifies and mitigates smart home security vulnerabilities. Last but not least, Sait Can Yucebas, Sukran Yalpir, Levent Genc, and Melike Dogan from Turkey discuss their research on price prediction and determination of the factors influencing real estate prices using X-Means clustering and CART decision trees. Enjoy Reading! Cordially, Christian Gütl, Managing Editor Graz University of Technology, Graz, Austria

Psychology of Change

This interview is a slightly modified transcript from the second Psyche Talk, hosted at the Department of Communication and Psychology at Aalborg University, February 15, 2024. Psyche Talks are hosted as biannual events, where prominent psychological researchers are invited to discuss fundamental questions about the nature and subject matter of psychology through an interview-based format. The focus of this interview is on how people make sense of change on the personal, social and environmental level and the role of symbolic resources in making meaning of and transitioning through rupturing changes. In this interview, Professor of Sociocultural Psychology, Tania Zittoun, is interviewed by Associate Professor of Sociocultural Psychology, Sarah Awad.

To the 100th anniversary of professor Viktor Pavlovich Baskakov

The article describes the main milestones in the labor, scientific and pedagogical activities of Professor Viktor Pavlovich Baskakov, born on November 28, 1923. After graduating from the Military Medical Academy and defending his dissertation for the degree of Candidate of Medical Sciences in 1950, he was hired as a teacher in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, in 1958 he was appointed to the position of associate professor, in 1970 he received the title of professor, after which in 1974 he became head of department, where he worked until 1984. Viktor P. Baskakov was the first in the country to begin studying endometrioid disease. Three of his monographs are devoted to this complex pathology: “Endometriosis” (1966), “Clinic and treatment of endometriosis” (1979, 1990) and “Endometrioid disease” (2002). In 1968, based on the published monograph “Endometriosis” by V.P. Baskakov was awarded the academic degree of Doctor of Medical Sciences without defending a dissertation. For many years, Viktor Pavlovich was a member of the presidium of the Leningrad Obstetrics and Gynecology Society, a member of dissertation councils, and the editorial board of the Journal of Obstetrics and Women’s Diseases. He was awarded the Order of the Red Star and medals, including the medal “For Military Merit” and the medal “For Victory over Germany in the Great Patriotic War of 1941–1945.” Professor Viktor Pavlovich Baskakov remained in the memory of his contemporaries as a talented scientist, teacher, and surgeon. It was difficult to find a person more concerned about the problems of others. Students remember him with a smile and great warmth.

Perspectives of medical faculty regarding implementation of Competency-Based Medical Education (CBME) in Uttarakhand, India

: Competency Based Medical Education (CBME) introduced in 2019, by the National Medical Commission Erstwhile Medical Council of India, involves restructuring the medical training and planning of curriculum and assessment with a focus on developing competent Indian Medical Graduates.: To assess the perception of medical faculties towards the implementation of new Competency-Based Medical Education.: A cross-sectional study was conducted for 1 Month (July 2023). 42 Faculty Members were enrolled in the study after obtaining their informed consent. A pretested semi-structured questionnaire using Google Forms was used to assess the perception of faculty regarding CBME implementation. Data was entered using MS Excel. Statistical analysis was performed using Stata software (version 11.0, Stata, College Station, Texas). Out of 42 Faculty members,16 were Professors and 26 were Associate Professor. The majority (97.6%) of faculty members were trained in medical education training through various workshops. The majority (69%) of faculty members agreed that CBME is essential as per changing time scenario. Although 81% of faculty members were not happy with frequent changes in regulations as released by NMC after the implementation of CBME. The majority (76%) of faculty members also shared that CBME changed their way of Teaching. Faculty members also unanimously shared that faculty and infrastructure recommended by NMC are less and there is a need to revise recommended requirements for effective implementation of CBME. Faculty members unanimously agreed that Competency-Based Medical Education is very much-needed in India as per evolving and challenging healthcare needs across the globe. However, there is a need to revise (increase) recommended manpower, and infrastructure by NMC for the effective implementation of CBME.

To live and die in an age of extinction: a conversation with Juno Salazar Parreñas

ABSTRACT This article is a conversation between Marie-Thérèse Talensby, a doctoral student with the Extinction Studies doctoral training programme at the University of Leeds, and Dr Juno Salazar Parreñas, Associate Professor of Science and Technology Studies and Feminist, Gender and Sexuality Studies at Cornell University. Talking over Skype in July 2023, Dr Parreñas reflects on her current research, exploring the death of a tropical polar bear in Singapore Zoo, her work on Orangutan conservation, and the violence inherent in many methods of animal conservation. In doing so, she highlights the entanglements of human and more-than-human lives in what is being described by scientists and conservation organisations as the sixth mass extinction event. Weaving throughout the conversation are more personal reflections on loss and grief, vicarious trauma, and the transformative potential in moments of decolonisation. This article offers a rich reflection on the experience and impact of researching death and loss, encompassing themes of positionality, boundaries, and the broader socio-cultural context of fieldwork encounters, topics highly relevant to Mortality readers.

Equity Analysis on IT Sector Stocks

The investment in share market is highly rewarding but highly risky. The concept of analysis comes into picture when decision must be made on choosing a particular company's shares for investment. Analysis includes fundamental analysis. Fundamental analysis is a method of forecasting the future price movements of a financial instrument based on economic, political, environmental, and other relevant factors and statistics that will affect the basic supply and demand. This paper examined fundamental analysis of IT sector of the selected companies from the Information Technology sector, since IT sector is one of the most upcoming sectors in the Indian Market Secondary Data of last 5 year (2019-2023). The sample of the stocks for the purpose of collecting secondary data has been selected based on Random Sampling. For analysis the monthly share prices of the last 5 financial years is collected for ten leading IT companies. for the study through fundamental analysis is carried out by tools like Economic analysis, Industrial analysis and Company Analysis Key ratios include ROA, ROI, ROE, EPS, DPS, dividend payout ratio, dividend yield, and P/E ratio. The stocks are chosen in an unbiased manner and each stock is chosen independent of the other stocks chosen. The major findings are all IT sector companies performing very well and their fundamentals are very strong based on P/E ratio, EPS and Payout ratio. It is recommended to the investor that to invest in IT sector company for long term will be benefited. Key Words: IT Sector, Fundamental Analysis, Investment, Equity, Market [1] Student, B. V. Patel Institute of Management, Uka Tarsadia University [2] Associate Professor, B. V. Patel Institute of Management, Uka Tarsadia University