Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

Mri Image Regression Cnn For Bone Marrow Lesion Volume Prediction, Kevin Yanagisawa

Theses and Dissertations

Bone marrow lesions (BMLs), occurs from fluid build up in the soft tissues inside your bone. This can be seen on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans and is characterized by excess water signals in the bone marrow space. This disease is commonly caused by osteoarthritis (OA), a degenerative join disease where tissues within the joint breakdown over time [1]. These BMLs are an emerging target for OA, as they are commonly related to pain and worsening of the diseased area until surgical intervention is required [2]–[4]. In order to assess the BMLs, MRIs were utilized as input into a regression …

Big Data Applications And Challenges In Giscience (Case Studies: Natural Disaster And Public Health Crisis Management), Amir Masoud Forati

Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation examines the application and significance of user-generated big data in Geographic Information Science (GIScience), with a focus on managing natural disasters and public health crises. It explores the role of social media data in understanding human-environment interactions and in informing disaster management and public health strategies. A scalable computational framework will be developed to model extensive unstructured geotagged data from social media, facilitating systematic spatiotemporal data analysis.The research investigates how individuals and communities respond to high-impact events like natural disasters and public health emergencies, employing both qualitative and quantitative methods. In particular, it assesses the impact of socio-economic-demographic …

Vertical Federated Learning Using Autoencoders With Applications In Electrocardiograms, Wesley William Chorney

Theses and Dissertations

Federated learning is a framework in machine learning that allows for training a model while maintaining data privacy. Moreover, it allows clients with their own data to collaborate in order to build a stronger, shared model. Federated learning is of particular interest to healthcare data, since it is of the utmost importance to respect patient privacy while still building useful diagnostic tools. However, healthcare data can be complicated — data format might differ across providers, leading to unexpected inputs and incompatibility between different providers. For example, electrocardiograms might differ in sampling rate or number of leads used, meaning that a …

Pipeline For Calculating Calories For Print Recipes With Minimal User Intervention, Karl W. Holten

Theses and Dissertations

The thesis will provide a pipeline to estimate calorie counts from print recipes. The pipeline takes scanned recipes from cookbooks and uses Optical Character Recognition (OCR) to convert the scanned images of recipes to text. Several OCR tools were tested for their accuracy on fractions using a sample of the data, and the most accurate tool is used on the data. Next, a specially trained named entity recognition model is used to identify ingredients, quantities and units. These ingredients are used to search a database of values from the FDA to compute a calorie count for the recipe. The thesis …

Patient Centric Solutions To Mitigate Information Need Of Obstetric Ultrasound Exam Among Pregnant Women: Design-Thinking Approach, Eman Alanazi

Theses and Dissertations

Design thinking approach is an approach used widely to solve problems by providing innovative solutions. In this dissertation I focused on the user experience research filed where I designed new obstetric ultrasound reports by adopting the design thinking approach to reach the main goal of the dissertation which is mitigating pregnant women information needs about obstetric ultrasound exam and improve their understanding and knowledge about the obstetric ultrasound report and the exam. I developed two versions of new designed report called SPOUR (Smart Patient-Oriented Obstetric Ultrasound Report). We have conducted five studies to reach the dissertation goal and designed two …

Advancing Proper Dataset Partitioning And Classification Of Visual Search And The Vigilance Decrement Using Eeg Deep Learning Algorithms, Alexander J. Kamrud

Theses and Dissertations

Electroencephalography (EEG) classification of visual search and vigilance tasks has vast potential in its benefits. In future human-machine teaming systems, EEG could act as the tool for operator state assessment, enabling AI teammates to know when to assist the operator in these tasks, with the potential to lead to increased safety of operations, better training systems for our operators, and improved operational effectiveness. This research investigates deep learning methods which utilize EEG signals to classify the efficiency of an operator's search and to classify whether an operator is in a decrement during a vigilance type task, and investigates performing these …

Two Essays On Leveraging Analytics To Improve Healthcare, Deepika Gopukumar

Theses and Dissertations

The healthcare cost has continued to increase over the past few years despite various policies, efforts, and initiatives taken by the government. It is still projected to grow over the next few years by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS). Readmissions have been a major contributor to the increase in costs and have always been a contributing factor. To get a perspective, considering the fact that at least 9% of individuals who had COVID-19 were likely to get readmitted shortly, according to a study by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) COVID-19 response team, along with …

A Deep Learning U-Net For Detecting And Segmenting Liver Tumors, Vidhya Cardozo

Theses and Dissertations

Visualization of liver tumors on simulation CT scans is challenging even with contrast-enhancement, due to the sensitivity of the contrast enhancement to the timing of the CT acquisition. Image registration to magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) can be helpful for delineation, but differences in patient position, liver shape and volume, and the lack of anatomical landmarks between the two image sets makes the task difficult. This study develops a U-Net based neural network for automated liver and tumor segmentation for purposes of radiotherapy treatment planning. Non-contrast simulation based abdominal CT axial scans of 52 patients with primary liver tumors were utilized. …

Machine-Learning-Based Prediction Of Sepsis Events From Vertical Clinical Trial Data: A Naïve Approach, Tyler Michael Gaddis

Theses and Dissertations

Sepsis is a potentially life-threatening condition characterized by a dysregulated, disproportionate immune response to infection by which the afflicted body attacks its own tissues, sometimes to the point of organ failure, and in the worst cases, death. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Sepsis is reported to kill upwards of 270,000 Americans annually, though this figure may be greater given certain ambiguities in the current accepted diagnostic framework of the disease.

This study attempted to first establish an understanding of past definitions of sepsis, and to then recommend use of machine learning as integral in an …

Prediction Of Drug-Drug Interaction Potential Using Machine Learning Approaches, Joseph Scavetta

Theses and Dissertations

Drug discovery is a long, expensive, and complex, yet crucial process for the benefit of society. Selecting potential drug candidates requires an understanding of how well a compound will perform at its task, and more importantly, how safe the compound will act in patients. A key safety insight is understanding a molecule's potential for drug-drug interactions. The metabolism of many drugs is mediated by members of the cytochrome P450 superfamily, notably, the CYP3A4 enzyme. Inhibition of these enzymes can alter the bioavailability of other drugs, potentially increasing their levels to toxic amounts. Four models were developed to predict CYP3A4 inhibition: …

Electronic Image Detectability Under Varying Illumination Conditions, Jeremy J. Miller

Theses and Dissertations

Light in the built environment plays an essential role in the vision and the health of humans through non-visual receptors in the eyes. Unfortunately, image analysts and other Air Force personnel who engage in the detection of objects on softcopy displays are often required to work in very dimly-lit or dark environments as higher illumination reduces the contrast of displayed information. Literature has shown that increases in light exposure improves circadian rhythm entrainment and reduces the negative health consequences of insufficient lighting. This research examines the effects of indoor lighting to determine if increases in ambient illumination or changes to …

The Assessment Of Technology Adoption Interventions And Outcome Achievement Related To The Use Of A Clinical Research Data Warehouse, Katie A. Mccarthy

Theses and Dissertations

Introduction: While funding for research has declined since 2004, the need for rapid, innovative, and lifesaving clinical and translational research has never been greater due to the rise in chronic health conditions, which have resulted in lower life expectancy and higher rates of mortality and adverse outcomes. Finding effective diagnostic and treatment methods to address the complex challenges in individual and population health will require a team science approach, creating the need for multidisciplinary collaboration among practitioners and researchers.

To address this need, the National Institutes of Health (NIH) created the Clinical and Translational Science Awards (CTSA) program. The CTSA …

Network Analysis Of Scientific Collaboration And Co-Authorship Of The Trifecta Of Malaria, Tuberculosis And Hiv/Aids In Benin., Gbedegnon Roseric Azondekon

Theses and Dissertations

Despite the international mobilization and increase in research funding, Malaria, Tuberculosis and HIV/AIDS are three infectious diseases that have claimed more lives in sub Saharan Africa than any other place in the World. Consortia, research network and research centers both in Africa and around the world team up in a multidisciplinary and transdisciplinary approach to boost efforts to curb these diseases. Despite the progress in research, very little is known about the dynamics of research collaboration in the fight of these Infectious Diseases in Africa resulting in a lack of information on the relationship between African research collaborators. This dissertation …

Quantitative Phenotype Analysis To Identify, Validate And Compare Rat Disease Models, Yiqing Zhao

Theses and Dissertations

Introduction

The laboratory rat has been widely used as an animal model in biomedical research. There are many strains exhibiting a wide variety of phenotypes. Capturing these phenotypes in a centralized database provides researchers with an easy method for choosing the appropriate strains for their studies. Current resources such as NBRP and PhysGen provided some preliminary work in rat phenotype databases. However, there are drawbacks in both projects: (1) small number of animals (6 rats) used by NBRP; (2) NBRP project is a one-time effort for each strain; (3) PhysGen web interface only enables queries within a single study – …

Estimating The Respiratory Lung Motion Model Using Tensor Decomposition On Displacement Vector Field, Kingston Kang

Theses and Dissertations

Modern big data often emerge as tensors. Standard statistical methods are inadequate to deal with datasets of large volume, high dimensionality, and complex structure. Therefore, it is important to develop algorithms such as low-rank tensor decomposition for data compression, dimensionality reduction, and approximation.

With the advancement in technology, high-dimensional images are becoming ubiquitous in the medical field. In lung radiation therapy, the respiratory motion of the lung introduces variabilities during treatment as the tumor inside the lung is moving, which brings challenges to the precise delivery of radiation to the tumor. Several approaches to quantifying this uncertainty propose using a …

Utilizing Consumer Health Posts For Pharmacovigilance: Identifying Underlying Factors Associated With Patients’ Attitudes Towards Antidepressants, Maryam Zolnoori

Theses and Dissertations

Non-adherence to antidepressants is a major obstacle to antidepressants therapeutic benefits, resulting in increased risk of relapse, emergency visits, and significant burden on individuals and the healthcare system. Several studies showed that non-adherence is weakly associated with personal and clinical variables, but strongly associated with patients’ beliefs and attitudes towards medications. The traditional methods for identifying the key dimensions of patients’ attitudes towards antidepressants are associated with some methodological limitations, such as concern about confidentiality of personal information. In this study, attempts have been made to address the limitations by utilizing patients’ self report experiences in online healthcare forums to …

Computational Fluid Dynamics In A Terminal Alveolated Bronchiole Duct With Expanding Walls: Proof-Of-Concept In Openfoam, Jeremy Myers

Theses and Dissertations

Mathematical Biology has found recent success applying Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) to model airflow in the human lung. Detailed modeling of flow patterns in the alveoli, where the oxygen-carbon dioxide gas exchange occurs, has provided data that is useful in treating illnesses and designing drug-delivery systems. Unfortunately, many CFD software packages have high licensing fees that are out of reach for independent researchers. This thesis uses three open-source software packages, Gmsh, OpenFOAM, and ParaView, to design a mesh, create a simulation, and visualize the results of an idealized terminal alveolar sac model. This model successfully demonstrates that OpenFOAM can be …

The Utility Of Mobile Phones For Health Among Women Living With Hiv In Urban Malawi, Linda Marie Dietrich

Theses and Dissertations

The use of mobile phones are becoming ubiquitous with growing interest by healthcare providers to utilize mobile phone technology for various health-related applications, called mHealth. This is especially true in low-income countries such as those in sub-Saharan Africa. When implementing mHealth applications, it is important to understand the dynamic social, cultural and environmental factors where mHealth will be implemented to ensure that interventions developed are effective. A qualitative study to explore the sociotechnical factors experienced by women participating in an HIV support group in urban Malawi was conducted to enhance our understanding of women’s experience with mobile phone use and …

Exploring Interactive Survivorship Plans: Patient Perceived Value, Acceptance And Usability Evaluation Of An Online Breast Cancer Survivorship Tool, Akshat Kapoor

Theses and Dissertations

Introduction: Having recently been discharged from the hospital, several breast cancer survivors find themselves unable to adjust to the transition and take charge of their own health, away from the confines of the hospital.

With the rapid advancement in treatment methods and techniques, the rate of breast cancer survivors has grown exponentially. It is crucial to provide adequate means to support cancer survivors in an active manner. This includes regular monitoring for recurrence (or occurrence of new cancers), handling any related and non-related comorbidities, provide recommendations for preventive care as well as dealing with any long term side effects from …

Health In Your Hand: Assessment Of Clinicians’ Readiness To Adopt Mhealth Into Rural Patient Care, Bryan Weichelt

Theses and Dissertations

Introduction: Technology is as much rural as it is urban, but mobile health (mHealth) could have a unique impact on health and quality of life for rural populations. The adoption of mobile technologies has soared in recent decades leading to new possibilities for mHealth use. This project considers the impact of these technologies on rural populations. Specifically, it is focused on assessing the barriers of physicians and healthcare organizations to adopt mHealth into their care plans. Gaps in knowledge exist in assessing organizational readiness for mHealth adoption, the use of patient-reported data, and the impact on rural healthcare. This project …

Eeg Interictal Spike Detection Using Artificial Neural Networks, Howard J. Carey Iii

Theses and Dissertations

Epilepsy is a neurological disease causing seizures in its victims and affects approximately 50 million people worldwide. Successful treatment is dependent upon correct identification of the origin of the seizures within the brain. To achieve this, electroencephalograms (EEGs) are used to measure a patient’s brainwaves. This EEG data must be manually analyzed to identify interictal spikes that emanate from the afflicted region of the brain. This process can take a neurologist more than a week and a half per patient. This thesis presents a method to extract and process the interictal spikes in a patient, and use them to reduce …

Dental Hygienists' Cognitive Process In Periodontal Soft Tissue Charting, Kelsey M. Schwei

Theses and Dissertations

Introduction: Dental hygienists have not had the opportunity to be involved in the design and development of the periodontal soft tissue charts and the surrounding interface features that are used while examining dental patients in daily practice. In some cases, dentists are able to give their opinions, wants, and needs into the development of the health information systems that they use on a daily basis, but too often, the dental hygienist is forgotten about and no input is ever given to the developers from the dental hygienists. This project considers the impact of well-designed interfaces on effectiveness and workflow particularly …

Three Essays On Enhancing Clinical Trial Subject Recruitment Using Natural Language Processing And Text Mining, Euisung Jung

Theses and Dissertations

Patient recruitment and enrollment are critical factors for a successful clinical trial; however, recruitment tends to be the most common problem in most clinical trials. The success of a clinical trial depends on efficiently recruiting suitable patients to conduct the trial. Every clinical trial research has a protocol, which describes what will be done in the study and how it will be conducted. Also, the protocol ensures the safety of the trial subjects and the integrity of the data collected. The eligibility criteria section of clinical trial protocols is important because it specifies the necessary conditions that participants have to …

Using Omaha System Documentation To Understand Physical Activity Among Rural Women, Jeanette Melissa Olsen

Theses and Dissertations

Rural women are more inactive and have different barriers to physical activity than those who live in more urban settings, yet few studies have specifically examined physical activity and associated factors in this population. Clinical data documented with standardized terminology by nurses caring for rural women may provide an opportunity to generate evidence that informs and improves nursing care. However, the knowledge to be gained and utility of nurses' clinical documentation in regard to physical activity have not been explored. Accordingly, the purpose of this study was to increase understanding of physical activity and associated factors among rural women by …

Use Of Secure Messaging By United States Veterans And Significant Others, Claudia S. Derman

Theses and Dissertations

ABSTRACT

USE OF SECURE MESSAGING BY UNITED STATES VETERANS AND SIGNIFICANT OTHERS

By

Claudia S. Derman

The University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, 2014

Under the Supervision of Professor Karen H. Morin, PhD, RN, ANEF, FAAN

The purpose of this study was to describe the topics discussed using secure messaging (SM), the pattern of use of SM, and whether the themes discussed and/or the pattern of use varied based on gender and age of the SM user. Secure messaging is an example of a technology that focuses on patient-centered communication. Secure messaging allows patients to communicate with their clinicians using the Internet and …

Text Mining Of Patient Demographics And Diagnoses From Psychiatric Assessments, Eric James Klosterman

Theses and Dissertations

Automatic extraction of patient demographics and psychiatric diagnoses from clinical notes allows for the collection of patient data on a large scale. This data could be used for a variety of research purposes including outcomes studies or developing clinical trials. However, current research has not yet discussed the automatic extraction of demographics and psychiatric diagnoses in detail. The aim of this study is to apply text mining to extract patient demographics - age, gender, marital status, education level, and admission diagnoses from the psychiatric assessments at a mental health hospital and also assign codes to each category. Gender is coded …

Citefinder: A System To Find And Rank Medical Citations, Seyed Soheil Moosavinasab

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis presents CiteFinder, a system to find relevant citations for clinicians' written content. Inclusion of citations for clinical information content makes the content more reliable through the provision of scientific articles as references, and enables clinicians to easily update their written content using new information. The proposed approach splits the content into sentences, identifies the sentences that need to be supported with citations by applying classification algorithms, and uses information retrieval and ranking techniques to extract and rank relevant citations from MEDLINE for any given sentence. Additionally, this system extracts snippets from the retrieved articles. We assessed our approach …

Adverse Drug Event Detection, Causality Inference, Patient Communication And Translational Research, Balaji Polepalli Ramesh

Theses and Dissertations

Adverse drug events (ADEs) are injuries resulting from a medical intervention related to a drug. ADEs are responsible for nearly 20% of all the adverse events that occur in hospitalized patients. ADEs have been shown to increase the cost of health care and the length of stays in hospital. Therefore, detecting and preventing ADEs for pharmacovigilance is an important task that can improve the quality of health care and reduce the cost in a hospital setting. In this dissertation, we focus on the development of ADEtector, a system that identifies ADEs and medication information from electronic medical records and the …

Online Survey System For Image-Based Clinical Guideline Studies Using The Delphi Method, Todd Martin Harper

Theses and Dissertations

The increasing use of health information technology (HIT) is due to a rising interest in improving the quality of health care. HIT has the potential to reduce cost and transform services. Proper clinical support systems will contribute to the meaningful use of HIT systems by providing a wide array of data to clinicians for the diagnosis and treatments. Clinical guidelines, created by a consensus of experts, can be put in place to assist physicians in making clinical decisions. Delphi methods are commonly used to create consensus from surveys completed by a team of experts. Image-based studies could create guidelines that …

Health Care Informatics Support Of A Simulated Study, Zeinab Salari Far

Theses and Dissertations

The objective of this project is to assess the value of REDCap (Harris, 2009) by conducting a simulated breast cancer clinical trial and demonstration. REDCap is a free, secure, web-based application designed to support data capture for research studies. To assess REDCap's value, we conducted a simulation of a clinical trial study designed to compare the use of two new technologies for breast cancer diagnosis and treatment with current best practice breast cancer diagnosis and treatment. We call the trial, "Real-Time Operating Room BC Diagnostic Treatment (RORBCDT)". The RORBCDT clinical trial is designed to assess the value of a new …