Georgia College & State University

The purpose of this chapter is to share the experiences of a team of higher education faculty when developing an Inclusive Postsecondary Education (IPSE) program at a public liberal arts university in the southeast. Each IPSE program develops its own characteristics and identity depending upon several key factors, including the make-up of its leadership team, the alignment between program and university missions, funding to support the program, the use of peer mentors and general education faculty, etc. This chapter highlights the factors that guided program development: “big picture” planning, practical planning, assimilating IPSE students into the campus community, challenges to implementation, lessons learned, and finally, realizing and celebrating program success. The chapter also addresses a range of topics, including developing a passion and vision, building a supportive team, naming the program, working with faculty colleagues to modify course requirements, overseeing a peer mentoring program, securing internships, and ensuring a “good fit” between program and student.

In recent years, superhero films have accounted for nearly 18% of US theater revenue. This study analyzes data on superhero films released between 1978 and 2025, employing ordinary least squares and two-stage least squares to identify factors influencing domestic box office success. The analysis includes models for the full sample and subsets divided by the 2012 release of The Avengers . Results from the full sample indicate that increased budgets, wider exposure, and favorable reviews from critics and audiences are positively correlated with real domestic revenues. For films released after The Avengers , there is strong evidence that audiences prefer those set within interconnected cinematic universes. Our models include variables identifying films within the DC Extended Universe, Marvel Cinematic Universe, X-Men cinematic universe, and Sony’s Spider-Man Universe, with results highlighting the importance of these interconnected film universes in driving financial performance in the contemporary superhero genre.

BackgroundCryptococcal meningoencephalitis (CM) is increasingly recognized in individuals without HIV or a history of solid organ transplantation (NHNT). Emerging US data suggest higher CM-related mortality among NHNT individuals compared to those with HIV. This study aimed to characterize NHNT patients with CM and identify differences between survivors and non-survivors.MethodsWe identified adult patients (≥18 years) diagnosed with CM between 2003 and 2024 using data from TriNetX, a global federated health research network. CM diagnosis was defined by an ICD-10-CM code for cerebral cryptococcosis or laboratory evidence of cryptococcal antigen or DNA in cerebrospinal fluid. Inclusion was limited to patients treated with amphotericin B to increase the specificity of CM diagnosis. Individuals with HIV and a history of solid organ transplantation were excluded. Demographics, comorbidities, use of immunosuppressive therapies, and 90-day mortality were described, with comparisons made between survivors and non-survivors.ResultsAmong 337 NHNT patients with CM, the mean age was 58 years, 50% were male, and 52% identified as White (Table). Most patients resided in the South (41%), with 21% located outside the US. Common comorbidities included type 2 diabetes (27%), chronic kidney disease (27%), and neoplasms (26%). The overall 90-day mortality rate was 23%. Compared with survivors, non-survivors were older (63 vs 56 years, p< 0.001) and had a higher Charlson Comorbidity Index (1.5 vs 1.1, p=0.026). Non-survivors also had a higher prevalence of neoplasms (39% vs 23%, p=0.006). Glucocorticoid use was high in both groups (83% vs 76%) but did not differ significantly, nor did the use of antineoplastic or other immunosuppressive agents.ConclusionNHNT patients with CM experienced a high 90-day mortality rate of 23%, with older age, greater comorbidity burden, and neoplastic disease associated with non-survival. Immunosuppressive therapy use was common but did not differentiate outcomes, suggesting that underlying host factors, such as immune dysregulation or the direct impact of comorbidities, may be more influential in determining clinical outcomes.DisclosuresAndrés F. Henao Martínez, MD, MPH, F2: Grant/Research Support|Scynexis: Grant/Research Support

BackgroundCryptococcal meningoencephalitis (CM) is a life-threatening opportunistic infection, particularly among immunocompromised individuals. Identifying clinical characteristics and risk factors associated with mortality may improve risk stratification and guide management to optimize outcomes. This study aimed to describe adults diagnosed with CM and compare characteristics between survivors and non-survivors.MethodsWe conducted a retrospective cohort study using data from TriNetX, a global federated health research network. Adults (≥ 18 years) diagnosed with CM—defined by an ICD-10-CM code for cerebral cryptococcosis or laboratory evidence of cryptococcal antigen or DNA in cerebrospinal fluid—between 2003 and 2024 were included. To enhance diagnostic specificity, all patients were required to have received amphotericin B. Demographics, comorbidities, use of immunosuppressive therapies, and 90-day mortality were assessed and compared between survivors and non-survivors.ResultsAmong 766 patients with CM, 26% had HIV, 22% had a history of solid organ transplantation, and 52% had neither condition (non-HIV, non-transplant [NHNT] group) (Figure). Overall, 90-day mortality was 19%, with the highest mortality observed in the NHNT group (23%), followed by transplant recipients (20%) and patients with HIV (13%). Non-survivors were significantly older than survivors (mean age 59 vs 52 years, p< .001) and more likely to identify as White (63% vs 46%) and less likely as Black or African American (16% vs 29%) (p=.004) (Table). Comorbid conditions more frequently observed among non-survivors included neoplasms (36% vs 18%, p< .001), liver disease (23% vs 13%, p=.009), hematologic malignancies (17% vs 7%, p< .001), aplastic disorders (19% vs 9%, p< .001), and prior bone marrow transplant (3% vs 0.4%, p=.004).ConclusionNHNT individuals accounted for the majority of cases and experienced the highest mortality. Conversely, HIV-associated CM was more common among survivors, suggesting that advances in HIV-related CM recognition and management may have improved outcomes. These findings reflect a shift in CM epidemiology, with a growing burden among NHNT patients who often have complex comorbidities and immunosuppressive exposures.DisclosuresAndrés F. Henao Martínez, MD, MPH, F2: Grant/Research Support|Scynexis: Grant/Research Support

Chemistry-specific mindsets have been shown to influence student engagement, self-efficacy, goal orientation, and academic achievement in chemistry. These beliefs are increasingly recognized as context-dependent, shaped through interactions within specific social and educational environments. The present study investigated the extent to which Turkish undergraduates have a growth chemistry mindset and how these beliefs relate to academic performance in chemistry across engineering and natural sciences majors. A total of 817 second-semester general chemistry students participated, completing surveys after the second midterm and prior to the final exam. The Chemistry Mindset Instrument (CheMI; Santos D. L., Barbera J. and Mooring S. R., (2022), Chem. Educ. Res. Pract. , 23 (3), 742–757) was used to assess students’ mindsets, while grade records provided measures of exam performance. Confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) supported the unidimensional structure of the CheMI, consistent with previous findings, providing evidence for its validity in this cultural and educational context. Structural equation modeling (SEM) examined whether chemistry mindset mediated the relationship between midterm and final exam performance across majors. Additional regression analyses explored how mindset influenced the midterm–final performance relationship among students with low, medium, and high levels of achievement. SEM results indicated that second midterm performance did not significantly predict mindset for either major. However, mindset significantly predicted final exam performance for engineering students, whereas this relationship was nonsignificant for natural sciences students. Furthermore, mindset emerged as a significant predictor only among the highest-performing students, suggesting that it may play a differentiating role at the upper end of achievement. These findings underscore the importance of considering mindset in instructional design and provide insights for targeted strategies to enhance student success in chemistry.

BackgroundLarge language models (LLMs) have shown the ability to diagnose complex medical cases, but only limited studies have evaluated the performance of LLMs in the development of evidence-based treatment plans. The purpose of this evaluation was to test four LLMs on their ability to develop safe and efficacious treatment plans on complex patients managed in the intensive care unit (ICU).MethodsEight high-fidelity patient cases focusing on medication management were developed by critical care clinicians including history of present illness, laboratory values, vital signs, home medications, and current medications. Four LLMs [ChatGPT (GPT-3.5), ChatGPT (GPT-4), Claude-2, and Llama-2–70b] were prompted to develop an optimized medication regimen for each case. LLM generated medication regimens were then reviewed by a panel of seven critical care clinicians to assess safety and efficacy, as defined by medication errors identified and appropriate treatment for the clinical conditions. Appropriate treatment was measured by the average rate of clinician agreement to continue each medication in the regimen and compared using analysis of variance (ANOVA).ResultsClinicians identified a median of 4.1–6.9 medication errors per recommended regimen, and life-threatening medication recommendations were present in 16.3%–57.1% of the regimens, depending on LLM. Clinicians continued LLM-recommended medications at a rate of 54.6%–67.3%, with GPT-4 having the highest rate of medication continuation among all LLMs tested (p < 0.001) and the lowest rate of life-threatening medication errors (p < 0.001).ConclusionCaution is warranted using present LLMs for medication regimens given the number of medication errors that were identified in this pilot study. However, LLMs did demonstrate potential to serve as clinical decision support for the management of complex medication regimens given the need for domain specific prompting and testing.

Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is a global concern affecting both animals and humans. Pets share a close bond with humans and are exposed to human-related conditions that can, in many cases, facilitate the transmission of bacteria and mobile genetic elements. This prospective observational cohort pilot study aimed to determine the prevalence of multidrug-resistant Gram-negative bacteria (MDR-GNB) colonization in healthy individuals and their companion animals (dogs and cats) in the greater Atlanta area, as well as to understand the prevalence of enteric MDR-GNB. Serial fecal samples from paired humans and their pets were collected and analyzed over a 6-month period (at 0, 2, and 6 months). Thirty-four pet owners participated, with 26 providing stool samples at all three time points. A total of 226 fecal samples were collected from owners and their pets. Seven of 26 humans and 12 of 43 animals were found to carry MDR-GNB, specifically species such as Escherichia coli, Enterobacter ludwigii, Enterobacter hormaechei, and Citrobacter pasteurii. Whole-genome sequencing revealed nine different resistance genes in E. coli isolates from pets and eight from humans, six different plasmid replicons, and all were located in four different phylogroups. Phylogenetic analysis indicates species-specific clustering based on host. Our results demonstrate that while MDR Enterobacterales were present in both humans and their pets in this Atlanta population, there was no evidence of bacterial transmission between pets and their owners during the study period. This finding contradicts previous similar studies that have shown transfer of MDR bacteria. However, it aligns with research that suggests bacterial colonization depends on the strain and the host.IMPORTANCEAntimicrobial resistance in animals, particularly pets, may serve as a potential source of antimicrobial resistance. However, a definitive pathway for the transmission of clonal bacteria or horizontal gene transfer between humans and their pets has not yet been identified. This pilot study aimed to assess the risk of multidrug-resistant (MDR) Enterobacterales transmission between healthy humans and their companion animals (dogs and cats) in the greater Atlanta area. Additionally, it sought to explore any association between MDR bacterial colonization and transmission within participating households. Despite the lack of a fully defined method of transmission, our findings demonstrated that while MDR Enterobacterales were present in both humans and their pets in this Atlanta population, there was no evidence of bacterial transmission between pets and their owners during the study period.