Analytical, Diagnostic and Therapeutic Techniques and Equipment Commons^™

A Mixed Methods Study Exploring The Relationship Of Cognitive And Motivational Factors To Sonography Student Performance, Renee Hathaway

Public Access Theses and Dissertations from the College of Education and Human Sciences

The purpose of this mixed methods study was to examine relationships between sonography students’ levels of self-regulation and self-efficacy and their performance in a 16-week introductory vascular sonography skills laboratory course. Measures for the study were designed to yield qualitative and quantitative data related to student goals, strategies, and course performance, and were generated by both students and faculty. Qualitative data from the study included student self-reports of self-regulatory strategies and instructor evaluations of student performance, while quantitative data were provided by instructor and student ratings of performance, student self-efficacy ratings, and student reports on their use of deliberate practice ...

3d-Printed Fluidic Devices And Incorporated Graphite Electrodes For Electrochemical Immunoassay Of Biomarker Proteins, Abdulhameed Alabdulwaheed

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Biomarkers are measurable indicators of health status or disease state that can be used for diagnosis and may help guide patient treatment strategies. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISA) and other many clinical techniques currently used for measuring biomarker proteins lack sensitivity, demand high analysis cost, are often not well-suited for measuring multiple biomarkers in a single sample, and require long analysis times. Here, we demonstrate simple, low-cost 3D-printed flow-through devices with integrated electrodes modified with gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) for electrochemical immunoassays of S100B, a biomarker protein related to conditions like skin cancer and brain injuries. Flow-through devices are fabricated from photocurable-resin ...

Limiting Antibiotic Use In Acute Sinusitis: Partly A Matter Of Vocabulary?, Dennis J. Baumgardner

Journal of Patient-Centered Research and Reviews

In his issue introduction, the editor-in-chief of Journal of Patient-Centered Research and Reviews comments on an included article that describes the successful use of an electronic medical record best practice alert to reduce the rate of antibiotic prescription for acute sinusitis. Various methods previously tried to improve antibiotic stewardship in this illness are briefly reviewed. Borrowing on the model of acute bronchitis, it is suggested that a change in conveyed diagnostic vocabulary to “sinus cold” when describing acute sinusitis may help limit antibiotics for this predominantly viral infection.

Role Of Echocardiography In The Intensive Care Unit: Overview Of The Most Common Clinical Scenarios, Luca Longobardo, Concetta Zito, Scipione Carerj, Giuseppe Caracciolo, Bijoy K. Khandheria

Journal of Patient-Centered Research and Reviews

The intensive care unit (ICU) is among the more important settings in which echocardiography plays a pivotal role. The ease of use, speed of execution, and completeness of information on heart anatomy and function that echocardiography is able to provide makes this tool the perfect diagnostic technique in patients for whom exhaustive information must be quickly obtained by physicians who sometimes lack specific skills in cardiovascular imaging. However, the clinical entities encountered by ICU clinicians are often difficult to distinguish and patient symptoms may not be obvious. This brief review describes three common clinical scenarios that benefit from echocardiography in ...

Investigation Of Zebrafish Larvae Behavior As Precursor For Suborbital Flights: Feasibility Study, Pedro Llanos, Kristina Andrijauskaite, Mark Rubinstein, Sherine S.L. Chan

Pedro J. Llanos (www.AstronauticsLlanos.com)

Computer Aided Clinical Trials For Implantable Cardiac Devices, Rahul Mangharam

Real-Time and Embedded Systems Lab (mLAB)

In this paper we aim to answer the question, ``How can modeling and simulation of physiological systems be used to evaluate life-critical implantable medical devices?'' Clinical trials for medical devices are becoming increasingly inefficient as they take several years to conduct, at very high cost and suffer from high rates of failure. For example, the Rhythm ID Goes Head-to-head Trial (RIGHT) sought to evaluate the performance of two arrhythmia discriminator algorithms for implantable cardioverter defibrillators, Vitality 2 vs. Medtronic, in terms of time-to-first inappropriate therapy, but concluded with results contrary to the initial hypothesis - after 5 years, 2,000+ patients ...

A Novel Deep Learning Framework For Internal Gross Target Volume Definition From 4d Computed Tomography Of Lung Cancer Patients, Xiadong Li, Ziheng Deng, Qinghua Deng, Lidan Zhang, Tianye Niu, Yu Kuang

Health Physics & Diagnostic Sciences Faculty Publications

In this paper, we study the reliability of a novel deep learning framework for internal gross target volume (IGTV) delineation from four-dimensional computed tomography (4DCT), which is applied to patients with lung cancer treated by Stereotactic Body Radiation Therapy (SBRT). 77 patients who underwent SBRT followed by 4DCT scans were incorporated in a retrospective study. The IGTV_DL was delineated using a novel deep machine learning algorithm with a linear exhaustive optimal combination framework, for the purpose of comparison, three other IGTVs base on common methods was also delineated, we compared the relative volume difference (RVI), matching index (MI) and encompassment ...

Efficacy Of Smart Infusion Pumps From A Nursing Perspective, Kassi B. Zaborowski

Applied Research Projects

In today’s healthcare, intravenous (IV) therapy-related errors have become rampant and are responsible for a substantial portion of hospital injuries and deaths. In the last decade, however, since the development and implementation of “smart” IV pumps, a significant number of these IV medication errors have allegedly been reduced. The purpose of this paper is to discuss research surrounding an evaluation of the efficacy of smart IV pumps from a nursing perspective.

Classification Of Intensity-Modulated Proton Therapy Plans, Alice Liu

The International Student Science Fair 2018

Abstract

Title: Classification of IMPT Plans

Purpose:

Create a method to aid physicists and dosimetrists in the classification of Intensity Modulated Proton Therapy treatment plans.

Method:

A Python program was developed to read structure sets and dose grids from radiation treatment plans. The program outputs field-specific histograms of the number of voxels within the planning target volume that received dose and normalizes each histogram to the percent volume of the target that received each field’s contribution of the total dose. It then determines the number of Gaussian distributions in each histogram, which serves as an initial classification metric, and ...

Omega: A Software Tool For The Management, Analysis, And Dissemination Of Intracellular Trafficking Data That Incorporates Motion Type Classification And Quality Control, Alessandro Rigano, Vanni Galli, Jasmine M. Clark, Lara E. Pereira, Loris Grossi, Jeremy Luban, Raffaello Giulietti, Tiziano Leidi, Eric Hunter, Mario Valle, Ivo F. Sbalzarini, Caterina Strambio-De-Castilla

University of Massachusetts Medical School Faculty Publications

MOTIVATION: Particle tracking coupled with time-lapse microscopy is critical for understanding the dynamics of intracellular processes of clinical importance. Spurred on by advances in the spatiotemporal resolution of microscopy and automated computational methods, this field is increasingly amenable to multi-dimensional high-throughput data collection schemes (Snijder et al, 2012). Typically, complex particle tracking datasets generated by individual laboratories are produced with incompatible methodologies that preclude comparison to each other. There is therefore an unmet need for data management systems that facilitate data standardization, meta-analysis, and structured data dissemination. The integration of analysis, visualization, and quality control capabilities into such systems would ...

A Rationally Engineered Capsid Variant Of Aav9 For Systemic Cns-Directed And Peripheral Tissue-Detargeted Gene Delivery In Neonates, Dan Wang, Shaoyong Li, Dominic J. Gessler, Jun Xie, Li Zhong, Jia Li, Karen Tran, Kim Van Vliet, Lingzhi Ren, Qin Su, Ran He, Jason E. Goetzmann, Terence R. Flotte, Mavis Agbandje-Mckenna, Guangping Gao

Open Access Articles

Adeno-associated virus (AAV) has provided the gene therapy field with the most powerful in vivo gene delivery vector to realize safe, efficacious, and sustainable therapeutic gene expression. Because many clinically relevant properties of AAV-based vectors are governed by the capsid, much research effort has been devoted to the development of AAV capsids for desired features. Here, we combine AAV capsid discovery from nature and rational engineering to report an AAV9 capsid variant, designated as AAV9.HR, which retains AAV9's capability to traverse the blood-brain barrier and transduce neurons. This variant shows reduced transduction in peripheral tissues when delivered through ...

Adeno-Associated Virus Genome Population Sequencing Achieves Full Vector Genome Resolution And Reveals Human-Vector Chimeras, Phillip W. L. Tai, Jun Xie, Kaiyuen Fong, Matthew Seetin, Cheryl Heiner, Qin Su, Michael Weiand, Daniella Wilmot, Maria L. Zapp, Guangping Gao

Open Access Articles

Recombinant adeno-associated virus (rAAV)-based gene therapy has entered a phase of clinical translation and commercialization. Despite this progress, vector integrity following production is often overlooked. Compromised vectors may negatively impact therapeutic efficacy and safety. Using single molecule, real-time (SMRT) sequencing, we can comprehensively profile packaged genomes as a single intact molecule and directly assess vector integrity without extensive preparation. We have exploited this methodology to profile all heterogeneic populations of self-complementary AAV genomes via bioinformatics pipelines and have coined this approach AAV-genome population sequencing (AAV-GPseq). The approach can reveal the relative distribution of truncated genomes versus full-length genomes in ...

Inertial Sensor-Based Variables Are Indicators Of Frailty And Adverse Post-Operative Outcomes In Cardiovascular Disease Patients, Rahul Soangra, Thurmon E. Lockhart

Physical Therapy Faculty Articles and Research

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) patients with intrinsic cardiac cause for falling have been found to be frail and submissive to morbidity and mortality as post-operative outcomes. In these older CVD patients, gait speed is conjectured by the Society of Thoracic Surgeons (STS) as an independent predictor of post-operative morbidity and mortality. However, this guideline by STS has not been studied adequately with a large sample size; rather it is based largely on expert opinions of cardiac surgeons and researchers. Although one’s gait speed is not completely associated with one’s risk of falls, gait speed is a quick robust measure ...

Patient Acceptance Of Remote Scribing Powered By Google Glass In Outpatient Dermatology: Cross-Sectional Study, Sandra Odenheimer, Deepika Goyal, Veena Jones, Ruth Rosenblum, Lam Ho, Albert Chan

Faculty Publications

Background: The ubiquitous use of electronic health records (EHRs) during medical office visits using a computer monitor and keyboard can be distracting and can disrupt patient-health care provider (HCP) nonverbal eye contact cues, which are integral to effective communication. Provider use of a remote medical scribe with face-mounted technology (FMT), such as Google Glass, may preserve patient-HCP communication dynamics in health care settings by allowing providers to maintain direct eye contact with their patients while still having access to the patient’s relevant EHR information. The medical scribe is able to chart patient encounters in real-time working in an offsite ...

Cognitive And Emotional Correlates Of Improved Gait Distance During The Course Of Physical Therapy Treatment For An Incomplete Spinal Cord Injury, Danielle Miller

Honors Theses

Objective

The focus of spinal cord injury rehabilitation over the past four decades has shifted from medical management to issuses that affect quality of life and community participation (Gómara- Toldrà, Sliwinski, & Dijkers, 2014). However, the care team for spinal cord injury patients still need to collaberate in order to design and implement interventions that result in maximum participation to provide an individual with a spinal cord injury an effective rehabilitation program. In order to create such a rehablitation program, the care team must know how certain psychological and cognitive aspects, such as depression and implict memory, are related to the ...

A Fresh Look At Huntingtin Mrna Processing In Huntington's Disease, Lindsay S. Romo, Emily S. Mohn, Neil Aronin

RNA Therapeutics Institute Publications

Huntington's disease (HD) is an inherited neurodegenerative disorder caused by a mutation that expands the polyglutamine (CAG) repeat in exon 1 of the huntingtin (HTT) gene. Wild-type HTT protein interacts with other proteins to protect cells against toxic stimuli, mediate vesicle transport and endocytosis, and modulate synaptic activity. Mutant HTT protein disrupts autophagy, vesicle transport, neurotransmitter signaling, and mitochondrial function. Although many of the activities of wild-type HTT protein and the toxicities of mutant HTT protein are characterized, less is known about the activities of HTT mRNA. Most putative HD therapies aim to target mutant HTT mRNA before it ...

Patient Acceptance Of Remote Scribing Powered By Google Glass In Outpatient Dermatology: Cross-Sectional Study, Sandra Odenheimer, Deepika Goyal, Veena Goel Jones, Ruth K. Rosenblum, Lam Ho, Albert S. Chan

Deepika Goyal

Integration Of Complementary And Alternative Medicine Into The Healthcare System In The United States, Nikki Lu

Global Honors Theses

Chronic diseases are a prevalent issue around the world and chronic diseases are hard to prevent due to various systemic factors in the healthcare system. This paper mainly focused on socioeconomic issues and highlighted a few systemic factors in the US healthcare system. These factors have created various health disparities, inequities among socially constructed groups, and financial expenditures in the US healthcare system. Socioeconomic factors significantly impact the health and healthcare among socially constructed groups. Additionally, in this paper there are current approaches in addressing these healthcare factors such as social determinants of health and precision medicine as well as ...

2'-5'-Oligoadenylate Synthetase 1 (Oas1) And Health Disparities In Prostate Cancer, Aisha S. Hunt

Electronic Theses & Dissertations Collection for Atlanta University & Clark Atlanta University

2’ -5’ –oligoadenylate synthetase 1 (OAS1) is an antiviral enzyme that in the presence of double-stranded RNA structures, such as viral genomes or single-stranded RNA transcripts with significant double-stranded character, converts ATP to a series of 2’ -5’ –oligoadenylates (2-5A). 2-5A promotes dimerization of latent ribonuclease (RNaseL) to form catalytically active RNaseL, a candidate hereditary prostate cancer (PCa) gene. RNaseL is anti-proliferative and promotes senescence and apoptosis in PCa cells. Genotyping analysis was completed on over 600 genomic DNA samples from African-American and Caucasian, normal and PCa subjects. Genotyping was performed to screen the following SNPs in the last exon ...

Radical Social Ecology As Deep Pragmatism: A Call To The Abolition Of Systemic Dissonance And The Minimization Of Entropic Chaos, Arielle Brender

Student Theses 2015-Present

This paper aims to shed light on the dissonance caused by the superimposition of Dominant Human Systems on Natural Systems. I highlight the synthetic nature of Dominant Human Systems as egoic and linguistic phenomenon manufactured by a mere portion of the human population, which renders them inherently oppressive unto peoples and landscapes whose wisdom were barred from the design process. In pursuing a radical pragmatic approach to mending the simultaneous oppression and destruction of the human being and the earth, I highlight the necessity of minimizing entropic chaos caused by excess energy expenditure, an essential feature of systems that aim ...