Blunt Cerebrovascular Injury (Bcvi): Universal Cta Neck Screening At Level 2 Trauma Center, Tamine Gogel

Doctor of Nursing Practice Projects

Blunt Cerebrovascular Injury (BCVI) refers to injuries to the vessels supplying blood to the brain, primarily carotid and vertebral arteries, and can result from trauma, resulting in stroke by vessel dissection, thrombus formation, embolization, and hemorrhage. Timely identification is crucial for effective intervention and improved outcomes. This doctoral project proposes the implementation of universal screening using Computed Tomography Angiography (CTA) of the neck during initial workup for blunt force trauma at a Level II ACS-verified trauma center. The primary objective is to mitigate potential delays in diagnosing and treating BCVI, thereby reducing the likelihood of complications. Patients ≥ 15 years …

From Heel To Toe: Investigating Plantar Fasciitis Causes, Diagnosis, And Treatment Strategies, Breanna Littlejohn

Undergraduate Honors Theses

This presentation informs plantar fasciitis patients. The cause of plantar fasciitis is multifactorial but most cases result from overuse stress. The cause of plantar fasciitis is multifactorial but most cases result from overuse stress. The classic presentation is of sharp localized pain at the heel. In some cases, a heel spur may be found. This presentation explains how exercise can improve plantar fasciitis. Reviewing risk factors will help you identify and manage plantar fasciitis when undergoing treatment. Understanding plantar fasciitis is crucial as it is a common and painful condition affecting the bottom of the foot. This inflammation of the …

Using Data And Evidence To Improve Quality Of Life For Patients With Alzheimer’S Disease, Ying Wang

2023

As an irreversible, progressive brain disorder, Alzheimer’s disease (AD) imposes a severe burden upon patients and their caregivers, as well as the healthcare system. Of the ten leading causes of death in the United States, Alzheimer’s disease is the only one without a pharmacological intervention that has been proven to cure or delay the onset of the disease. Aging is the primary risk factor contributing to Alzheimer’s disease in the elderly. With an aging population that continues to grow, the challenges for the healthcare system surrounding AD become more and more serious. My dissertation aims to contribute to a better …

Developing Deep-Learning Methods For Diagnosis And Prognosis Of Pediatric Progressive Diseases Using Modern Imaging Techniques, Mahdieh Shabanian

Theses and Dissertations (ETD)

Purpose and Rationale. Central nervous system manifestations form a significant burden of disease in young children. There have been efforts to correlate the neurological disease state in tuberous sclerosis complex (TSC) neurological disease state with imaging findings is a standard part of patient care. However, such analysis of neuroimaging is time- and labor-intensive. Automated approaches to these tasks are needed to improve speed, accuracy, and availability. Automated medical image analysis tools based on 3D/2D deep learning algorithms can help improve the quality and consistency of image diagnosis and interpretation for cognitive disorders in infants. We propose to automate neuroimaging analysis …

Ecg Monitoring In Athletes, Jalal Jwayyed, Kelly Purgason, Joseph Linder, Annamarie Alfery, Silvia Furman

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

Athletes and medical personnel need reliable methods to monitor vital signs and detect potentially life-threatening issues before they occur. Electrocardiograph (ECG) monitors are currently the best method of detecting heart-related health issues. Current ECG monitors worn by athletes are difficult to use and lack the ability to track ECGs in real time. Through research and interviews with various clinicians, further problems have been identified that include poor electrode adhesion, and a lack of compatibility with the equipment worn by athletes. Our team proposes to develop solutions that will improve performance and comfort associated with ECG monitors for athletic applications. This …

Burnout With Caregiving Of Autism And The Covid19 Pandemic, Erin Babcock, Leah Recker

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

I am working with Leah Recker and we are doing research on parent/caregiver burnout of those with children that have autism, especially during COVID. We are creating a survey on Qualtrics, using stem questions followed by Likert scale items, which we will then send to the Director of Programs, Lisa Thompson, at Autism Society of Greater Akron. She will then pass it along to the parents and caregivers within their community, via Facebook or their weekly newsletter. Parents/caregivers will have the opportunity to complete the survey and we will receive the results when done so. We will then analyze the …

Harnessing Acoustic Streaming For Bioanalysis In Microfluidics, Xiaojun Li

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports

In the past few decades, microfluidic technology has been developed rapidly in both fabrication methods and multifunctionality integrations, making it a powerful tool for a wider variety of biological applications. The device fabrication method has expanded from conventional polymer-based micro devices to 3D-printed micro devices, and allows multiple functions such as electric, optic, magnetic and acoustic to be integrated on a single platform. This dissertation focuses on method development of acoustic streaming-based microfluidics in bioanalysis such as immunoassay, enzyme kinetics and DNA fragmentation analysis. In this dissertation, a micromixer was developed based on acoustic streaming generated from sharp-edge structure vibration …

Live Cell Biomass Tracking For Basic, Translational, And Clinical Research, Graeme Murray

Theses and Dissertations

Single cell mass is tightly regulated throughout generations and the cell cycle, making it an important marker of cell health. Abnormal changes in cell size can be the first indication of dysfunction in response to environmental stimuli such as cytotoxic drugs. Described here is the further development of high-speed live cell interferometry (HSLCI) to concurrently measure the changes in single cell mass of thousands of cells over time. Critically, the high-throughput nature of HSLCI provides realistic pictures of tumor heterogeneity. This throughput enabled HSLCI to correctly predict in vivo carboplatin sensitivity of three triple negative breast cancer patient derived xenografts, …

Development Of A Ct Metal Artifact Management Algorithm For Proton Therapy Planning (Ampp) For Head And Neck Cancer Patients, Daniela Branco

Dissertations & Theses (Open Access)

Purpose: Dental amalgams (high Z materials) are common sources of artifacts in Head and Neck (HN) images. Commercial artifact reduction techniques have been offered, but many are impractical, produce inaccurate CT images or are not clinically available, thus not widely implemented. The goal of this work is to use CT gantry tilts to develop and evaluate a stereoscopic HN metal artifact management algorithm and investigate its improvement in proton treatment planning.

Methods: The in-house CT metal artifact management method for proton planning (AMPP) uses two angled CT scans to generate a single image set with no metal artifacts posterior …

Voice Analysis With Iphones: A Low Cost Experimental Solution, Benjamin Van Der Woerd

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Background:

Acoustic voice analysis requires a resource intensive setup, including a soundproof booth. This project evaluates smartphone microphone and recording environment impacts on voice sample collection for acoustic voice analysis. A proprietary analysis algorithm is presented for validation.

Methods:

Microphone and recording environment were evaluated using previously collected voice samples presented in four conditions to test two microphones and two recording environments. Prospective samples were used to test the proprietary algorithm, whereby samples were analyzed using this and Praat.

Results:

Microphone and recording environment had small, clinically unimportant impacts on most measurements. The proprietary algorithm reliably analyzed sustained vowels, with …

Direct Quantification Of Deubiquitinating Enzyme Activity In Single Intact Cells, Nora Safabakhsh

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Challenges in drug efficacy occur during the treatment of most types of cancer due to the heterogeneity of the tumor microenvironment. This has led to the development of personalized medicine. Due to the clinical success of the proteasome inhibitors Bortezomib and Carfilzomib in treatment of multiple myeloma, interest has shifted towards molecularly-targeted chemotherapeutics for ubiquitin-proteasome system (UPS). Deubiquitinating enzymes (DUBs) are an essential part of this pathway which have been found to promote Bortezomib resistance in multiple myeloma patients. Unfortunately, there is a lack of specific, high throughput biochemical assays to characterize DUB activity in patient samples before and after …

The Impact Of The Nurse Practitioner In Pre-Admission Testing: A Comparative Review, Laurel A. Robinson

DNP Projects

Abstract

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to compare the efficiency of pre-admission testing (PAT) surgical clinic pre and post implementation of the APRN for patient assessment. Cancellation and delay occurrences for scheduled surgeries will be compared during two time periods on patients on the surgical schedule at Norton Women and Children’s Hospital (NWC).

METHODS: This study was a single-center, pre and post implementation retrospective comparative study of the impact of the NP led PAT unit at Norton Women and Children’s Hospital (NWC) in terms of delay and cancellation rates for day-of-surgery. The sample consisted of 411 patients for …

Quantifying Joint Coordination Variability In Anterior Cruciate Ligament-Reconstructed Individuals During Walking, Kylie Davis

Theses and Dissertations (ETD)

The knee is the second most common joint to sustain injury. An estimated 200,000 anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) ruptures occur each year in the United States alone, and about 100,000 ACL reconstruction (ACLR) surgeries are performed annually. There is a significant risk of developing osteoarthritis of the knee after incurring an ACL injury, and the incidence of ipsilateral or contralateral injury is six times greater in individuals who have a surgically repaired ACL. Past studies have analyzed kinetic and kinematic characteristics of individual lower extremity joints to reveal differences between subjects with and without ACLR. Despite reports of altered kinematic …

Portosystemic Shunts In Cats: Management And Care, Rachael E. Konke

Master of Arts in Professional Writing Capstones

Portosystemic Shunts in Cats: Management and Care is an informative technical manual developed for veterinary professionals and caretakers of cats with portosystemic shunts. A portosystemic shunt is a complex and rare circulatory deformity in which unfiltered blood bypasses the liver and circulates throughout the body causing serious complications. Portosystemic Shunts in Cats: Management and Care details portosystemic specifics, symptoms, treatment, and proper everyday care for cats with portosystemic shunts.

Cervical Spine Angles, Craniocervical Posture, Neck Length, And Oropharyngeal Airway Analyses Of Sleep Apnea Patients In Both Supine And Upright Positions: A Retrospective 3-D Imaging Study, Brian Tuan Luong

Theses & Dissertations

Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is one of the most common respiratory disorders. Previous airway studies of OSA subjects have largely relied on 2-D radiographs.

The purpose of this study is to use 3-D imaging to the analyze the relationships among cervical spine angles, craniocervical posture, cervical spine length and the oropharyngeal airway volume in OSA patients in both the supine and upright positions.

Twenty-eight OSA subjects with 3-D imaging were included. Airway, craniocervical posture, spine angles, and spine length were assessed using Dolphin 11.8. Correlation analyses were utilized to detect associations among the recorded and measured variables. Mean differences were …

A Multi-Channel 3d-Printed Bioreactor For Evaluation Of Growth And Production In The Microalga Dunaliella Sp, Cristian A. Cox

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

We explored the capabilities of additive manufacturing using a photo-cured jetted material 3D printer to manufacture a milli-microfluidic device with direct application in microalgae Dunaliella sp growth and intracellular compounds biosynthesis tests. A continuous microbioreactor for microalgae culture was CAD designed and successfully built in 1 hour and 49 minutes using black photopolymer cured by UV and a support material. The microreactor was made up of 2 parts including the bioreactor itself and a microchannel network for culture media fluids and microalgae. Both parts were assembled to form a single unit. Additional optical and auxiliar components were added. An external …

Recognizing Pain Using Novel Simulation Technology, Justin C. Grace

Honors Undergraduate Theses

Effective pain management and time to treatment is essential in patient care. Despite scientific evidence supporting the need to treat pain and an emphasis on addressing pain as a priority, pain management continues to be an unresolved issue. As a member of the health care team, nurses are integral to optimal pain management. Currently, nursing schools have limited innovative or alternative methods for teaching pain assessment and management. Simulation in nursing education provides a unique opportunity to expose students to realistic patient situations and allow them to learn and make mistakes without causing harm. However, modern low- and high-fidelity simulation …

Aptameric Sensors: In Vitro Selection Of Dna That Binds Bromocresol Purple, Derek B. Miller

Honors Undergraduate Theses

Aptamers being used as sensors is an emerging field that has capabilities of being tomorrow’s diagnostic tools. As aptameric sensors have become more popular, their visualization systems have been limited. The majority of today’s aptameric sensors require expensive machinery such as a fluorometer in order to visualize results. We propose a system that will cut the need for instrumentation and be detected via the naked eye. With the selection of an aptamer to bind the pH indicating dye bromocresol purple (BCP) this may be achieved. When rendered active, the binding towards BCP will facilitate a color change from yellow to …

Feasibility Of Using Arterial Spin Labeling For Detecting Longitudinal Changes In Cerebral Blood Flow, Tracy Ssali

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

The ability of the perfusion MRI technique, arterial spin labeling (ASL), to quantify cerebral blood flow (CBF) makes it attractive for longitudinal studies of changes in brain function, such as those related to chronic pain. However, ASL's poor spatial resolution makes image alignment between sessions difficult, leading to increased variance and greater Type-I errors. In addition, variability due to differences in basal blood flow between sessions and confounding effects such as the arterial transit time (ATT) have the potential to reduce reproducibility over time. The focus of this thesis is to investigate the ability of ASL to detect long-term changes …

Correlation Matrix Analysis Identifies Gene Signatures Of Immune Cell Subsets And Their Interactions In Follicular Lymphoma, Jason R. Westin

Dissertations & Theses (Open Access)

There are important but ill-defined interactions between benign immune cell subsets and neoplastic B cells within follicular lymphoma (FL). Using the novel technique of correlation matrix analysis (CMA) of publicly available FL whole-tumor gene expression profiling (GEP) data, we have identified signatures of immune cell subsets. Overall survival correlated most highly with a model using signatures of macrophages, T cells, and stroma, which was able to add significantly to existing clinical prognostic tools. From our own data of a cohort of 43 FL tumors sorted into B-cell and non-B cell (NB) fractions for GEP, CMA of the tumor infiltrating NB …

Evidence Based Design In Healthcare: An Applied Study On The Impacts Of Interior Design For Cerebral Palsy, Katie D. Phillips

Honors College Theses

Evidence Based Design (EBD) is an informed approach to design where designers base their decisions on quantitative and qualitative research. The design of the Universal Access Center for United Cerebral Palsy, discussed in this paper, encapsulates this approach to design. The five stages of EBD and how they were achieved within this project is defined. In the first phase, programming, current trends in healthcare as well as issues surrounding design for adults with Cerebral Palsy (CP) are discussed. In schematic design, initial issues of the project are resolved, and creative ideas are explored leading to the design development stage. In …

Nerve Fiber Diameter Measurements Using Hematoxylin And Eosin Staining And Brightfield Microscopy To Assess The Novel Method Of Characterizing Peripheral Nerve Fiber Distributions By Group Delay, Jorge Arturo Vazquez

Master's Theses

Peripheral neuropathies are a set of common diseases that affect the peripheral nervous system, causing damage to vital connections between various parts of the body and the brain and spinal cord. Different clinical conditions are known to selectively impact various size nerve fibers, which often makes it difficult to diagnose which peripheral neuropathy a patient might have. The nerve conduction velocity diagnostic test provides clinically useful information in the diagnosis of some peripheral neuropathies. This method is advantageous because it tends to be minimally invasive yet it provides valuable diagnostic information. However, this test does not determine characteristics of peripheral …

Endothelial And Smooth Muscle-Dependent Vascular Reactivity In Immature Arterialized Collateral Capillaries, Caitlin Koeroghlian

Biomedical Engineering

Peripheral arterial occlusive disease (PAOD) occurs due to the build up of atherosclerotic plaque and reduces blood flow to cause chronic ischemia. Patients with PAOD may experience intermittent claudication, or the pain in limb skeletal muscles due to a decease in blood flow. Collateral arteries can act as a natural bypass and improve blood flow to hypoxic tissue by creating an alternate route for blood to flow, but not all patients with PAOD have pre-existing collateral networks. Animal studies indicate that tissues without pre-existing collateral networks can form de novo collaterals from capillaries following occlusion of a feed artery. Unfortunately, …

Design, Synthesis And Development Of Transporter Targeting Agents For Image-Guided Therapy And Drug Delivery, Ning Tsao

Dissertations & Theses (Open Access)

The purpose of this study was to design, synthesize and develop novel transporter targeting agents for image-guided therapy and drug delivery. Two novel agents, N4-guanine (N4amG) and glycopeptide (GP) were synthesized for tumor cell proliferation assessment and cancer theranostic platform, respectively. N4amG and GP were synthesized and radiolabeled with ^99mTc and ⁶⁸Ga. The chemical and radiochemical purities as well as radiochemical stabilities of radiolabeled N4amG and GP were tested. In vitro stability assessment showed both ^99mTc-N4amG and ^99mTc-GP were stable up to 6 hours, whereas ⁶⁸Ga-GP was stable up to 2 hours. Cell culture studies …

Synthesis And Analytical Evaluation Of Folate Conjugates For Use In Cancer Cell Detection, Pradipkumar Koshiya

All Capstone Projects

Folate-targeted dyes have been used for the detection of tumor tissue and isolated cancer cells in both the animal tumor models as well as in human cancer patients. Folate receptors (FR) are abundantly present on several cancerous cell types but they are found less in normal human cells. There are several imaging agents that can be linked with folic acid and used for the detection of tumor. These imaging agents could be protein toxins, chemotherapeutic agents, gene therapy vectors, oligonucleotides, radioimaging agents, magnetic resonance imaging contrast agents and liposomes with entrapped drugs, radiotherapeutic agents and/or immunotherapeutic agents. This research showed …

Detection Of Folate Receptor From Fr+ Cancer Cells, Darpan Patel

All Capstone Projects

The aim was to detect cancer cells by using folate–PEG-Biotin probe with fluorescently labeled streptavidin for targeted drug delivery of anti-cancer drugs and diagnose cancer cells. Folate-PEG-Biotin (synthesized by Dr. Henne and Mr.Rohan Patel) was purified by HighPeformanceLiquidChromatography (HPLC) analysis and with the help of Liquid Chromatography/Mass Spectrometry (LC/MS) its identity was confirmed. Folate is a basic composition of cell metabolism in both synthesis of DNA and proteins. Growing cancer cells require high level of folic acid. Folate Receptor-α (FR-α) is a membrane bound protein having high affinity for folic acid and serves to transport of folate into cells. Poly …

Feasibility Study Of Liquid-Based Cytology For Post-Treatment Surveillance Of Patients With Vulvar Intraepithelial Neoplasia, Wendy Likes

Theses and Dissertations (ETD)

Introduction: Colposcopy and tissue biopsy remain the gold standard for diagnosing vulvar intraepithelial neoplasia (VIN). Vulvar colposcopy is fairly nonspecific. As a result, many women undergo unwarranted painful biopsies. Vulvar cytology, which is relatively painless, inexpensive and allows a larger area to be sampled, may likely reduce false negative diagnoses. However, previous cytological studies that used conventional methodologies were largely unsuccessful in diagnosing VIN. In this study, liquid based cytology and HPV typing by PCR have been assessed as possible alternatives to biopsy for follow-up surveillance of women treated for VIN.

Methods: Women with a history of VIN and a …

The Effectiveness Of Shoulder Injury Assessment Techniques: Analyzing The Occurrences Of False Positives, Alec Cianfichi

Undergraduate Theses and Capstone Projects

Shoulder injuries are very common in sports such as baseball, football, and tennis due to high impact and stress placed on the shoulder joint. Due to the greater chance of shoulder injuries in these types of sports, it is imperative for shoulder injury assessments to be accurate in order to ensure that the athlete does not participate with an injured shoulder or lose participation time due to an incorrect assessment. In order to assess the validity of the Apprehension, Relocation, and Surprise test for shoulder instability, student athletes with no known shoulder injuries were evaluated. Tests were conducted under the …