Digital Commons Network^™

Msrd-Unet: Multiscale Residual Dilated U-Net For Medical Image Segmentation, Muna Khalaf, Ban N. Dhannoon

Baghdad Science Journal

Semantic segmentation is an exciting research topic in medical image analysis because it aims to detect objects in medical images. In recent years, approaches based on deep learning have shown a more reliable performance than traditional approaches in medical image segmentation. The U-Net network is one of the most successful end-to-end convolutional neural networks (CNNs) presented for medical image segmentation. This paper proposes a multiscale Residual Dilated convolution neural network (MSRD-UNet) based on U-Net. MSRD-UNet replaced the traditional convolution block with a novel deeper block that fuses multi-layer features using dilated and residual convolution. In addition, the squeeze and execution …

A Cross-Sectional Study Of The Prevalence Of Anal Dysplasia Among Women With High-Grade Cervical, Vaginal, And Vulvar Dysplasia Or Cancer: The Panda Study, Samantha Batman, Craig A Messick, Andrea Milbourne, Ming Guo, Mark F Munsell, Joel Fokom-Domgue, Mila Salcedo, Ashish Deshmukh, Kristina R Dahlstrom, Mallory Ogburn, Anthony Price, Nicole D Fleming, Jolyn Taylor, Aaron Shafer, Lauren Cobb, Keith Sigel, Erich M Sturgis, Elizabeth Y Chiao, Kathleen M Schmeler

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

BACKGROUND: High-risk human papillomavirus (HR-HPV) infection is a risk factor for anal cancer, yet no anal cancer screening guidelines exist for women with lower genital tract HPV-related disease. We sought to describe the prevalence of anal HR-HPV or cytologic abnormalities in such women.

METHODS: This cross-sectional study was performed between October 2018 and December 2021. Inclusion criteria were ≥21 years of age and a prior diagnosis of high-grade dysplasia/cancer of the cervix, vagina, or vulva. Participants underwent anal cytology and anal/cervicovaginal HR-HPV testing. Women with abnormal anal cytology were referred for high-resolution anoscopy (HRA).

RESULTS: 324 evaluable women were enrolled. …

Atrial Fibrillation In Aging: Mechanisms And Potential Therapeutics, Mengmeng Chang

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Atrial fibrillation (AF) is one of the most common cardiac arrhythmias seen in the clinics, and currently available antiarrhythmic pharmacotherapies in AF are not very effective. Although AF has been recognized as an aging-mediated disease, our understanding of the electrophysiological pathways that link aging and AF remain incomplete, which limits breakthroughs in the development of novel antiarrhythmic treatments for this disease. Studies have shown that aging increases the generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) in the heart, and high levels of ROS have been associated with development of AF in animals and patients. Additionally, in some forms of AF, the …

Chimes: December 5, 2022, Calvin University

Chimes

Solar project moving towards 2023 installation by David Ogboro

SPAUD program expanding to meet demand by Grace Buller

Calvin connections win major elections by Katie Rosendale

Betsy DeVos visit spurs engagement, dialogue by Savannah Shustack & Maya Oeverman

Learning in the messy middle: Student experiences of Calvin's political climate by Adelaide Mei & Hadassa Ribeiro

Men's and women's basketball off to strong starts by Lauren Nyong

MLK today: Former Calvin professor's new book on U.S. societal issues by Gabriel Choi

Students arts orgs make space for rest and expression despite challenges by Kipp De Man

Impact Of International Travel And Diarrhea On Gut Microbiome And Resistome Dynamics, Manish Boolchandani, Kevin S Blake, Drake H Tilley, Miguel M Cabada, Drew J Schwartz, Sanket Patel, Maria Luisa Morales, Rina Meza, Giselle Soto, Sandra D Isidean, Chad K Porter, Mark P Simons, Gautam Dantas

2020-Current year OA Pubs

International travel contributes to the global spread of antimicrobial resistance. Travelers' diarrhea exacerbates the risk of acquiring multidrug-resistant organisms and can lead to persistent gastrointestinal disturbance post-travel. However, little is known about the impact of diarrhea on travelers' gut microbiomes, and the dynamics of these changes throughout travel. Here, we assembled a cohort of 159 international students visiting the Andean city of Cusco, Peru and applied next-generation sequencing techniques to 718 longitudinally-collected stool samples. We find that gut microbiome composition changed significantly throughout travel, but taxonomic diversity remained stable. However, diarrhea disrupted this stability and resulted in an increased abundance …

The Polyamine Spermine Potentiates The Propagation Of Negatively Charged Molecules Through The Astrocytic Syncytium, Jan Benedikt, Christian J Malpica-Nieves, Yomarie Rivera, Miguel Méndez-González, Colin G Nichols, Rüdiger W Veh, Misty J Eaton, Serguei N Skatchkov

2020-Current year OA Pubs

The interest in astrocytes, the silent brain cells that accumulate polyamines (PAs), is growing. PAs exert anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, antidepressant, neuroprotective, and other beneficial effects, including increasing longevity in vivo. Unlike neurons, astrocytes are extensively coupled to others via connexin (Cx) gap junctions (GJs). Although there are striking modulatory effects of PAs on neuronal receptors and channels, PA regulation of the astrocytic GJs is not well understood. We studied GJ-propagation using molecules of different (i) electrical charge, (ii) structure, and (iii) molecular weight. Loading single astrocytes with patch pipettes containing membrane-impermeable dyes, we observed that (i) even small molecules do not …

How I Approach Leishmaniasis: Diagnosis And Treatment In The United States, Tara E Ness, Rachel Martin-Blais, Jill E Weatherhead

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Leishmaniasis is a vector-borne disease caused by over 20 species of obligate intracellular protozoa belonging to the genus Leishmania. Leishmaniasis has a global distribution, including in the United States, and can cause a spectrum of clinical syndromes, including cutaneous, mucosal, and visceral diseases depending on host factors and the infecting Leishmania spp. Accurate diagnosis, including Leishmania species identification, is an important step to guide the most appropriate therapeutic intervention. Antileishmanial therapy is dependent on the Leishmania spp. identified, the clinical syndrome, and the child's immune system. However, many treatment regimens for children have been extrapolated from adult clinical trials, which …

Activity Disruption Causes Degeneration Of Entorhinal Neurons In A Mouse Model Of Alzheimer’S Circuit Dysfunction, Rong Zhao, Stacy D Grunke, Caleb A Wood, Gabriella A Perez, Melissa Comstock, Ming-Hua Li, Anand K Singh, Kyung-Won Park, Joanna L Jankowsky

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Neurodegenerative diseases are characterized by selective vulnerability of distinct cell populations; however, the cause for this specificity remains elusive. Here, we show that entorhinal cortex layer 2 (EC2) neurons are unusually vulnerable to prolonged neuronal inactivity compared with neighboring regions of the temporal lobe, and that reelin + stellate cells connecting EC with the hippocampus are preferentially susceptible within the EC2 population. We demonstrate that neuronal death after silencing can be elicited through multiple independent means of activity inhibition, and that preventing synaptic release, either alone or in combination with electrical shunting, is sufficient to elicit silencing-induced degeneration. Finally, we …

Ed To Telemetry Bed: Optimizing Nurse Communication & Decreasing Team Frustration, Harmandeep (Harm) S. Madra

Master's Projects and Capstones

PROBLEM: According to the Institute of Medicine, boarding inpatients in the emergency department (ED) can result in an increased risk for medical errors, delay in treatments, and decreased quality of care. The goal is to move the patient to the hospital bed within 60 minutes from when an order is written for admission. The current average monthly compliance for ED throughput and admission to the inpatient bed is at 45% compared to the target of 70%. Lack of standardization during handoff can lead to delays, miscommunication and causes team frustration.

CONTEXT: In 2022, this community hospital’s ED microsystem had limited …

Effect Of Encouraging Awareness Of Reduced Fetal Movement And Subsequent Clinical Management On Pregnancy Outcome: A Systematic Review And Meta-Analysis, Mdjl Hayes, Jc Dumville, T Walsh, Le Higgins, M Fisher, A Akselsson, M Whitworth, Aep Heazell

More Faculty of Health Research

Objective Reduced fetal movement (RFM), defined as a decrease in maternal perception of frequency or strength of fetal movements, is a common reason for presentation to maternity care. Observational studies demonstrate an association between RFM, stillbirth, and fetal growth restriction related to placental insufficiency. However, individual intervention studies have described varying results. This systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to determine whether interventions aiming to encourage awareness of reduced fetal movement and/or improve its subsequent clinical management reduce the frequency of stillbirth or other important secondary outcomes. Data sources Searches were conducted in MEDLINE, EMBASE, CINAHL, The Cochrane Library, Web of …

Responsive Neurostimulation (Rns) Of The Centromedian Nucleus Of The Thalamus For The Treatment Of Drug Resistant Idiopathic Generalized Epilepsy, Angelique Manasseh, Hannah Guider, Brooklynn Bondy, Ayman Haykal, Nour Baki, Ashleigh Terrell, Michael Staudt, Christopher Parres, Andrew Zillgitt

Conference Presentation Abstracts

Rationale: Idiopathic generalized epilepsy (IGE) accounts for approximately one-third of all epilepsies. The majority of people with IGE achieve seizure-freedom from treatment with anti-seizure medications (ASM). However, up to 25% of people with IGE continue to experience seizures despite adequate ASM trials. In patients with drug resistant IGE, neuromodulation with responsive neurostimulation (RNS) in the bilateral centromedian nucleus (CMN) of the thalamus may be an effective treatment option. Methods: Five patients with drug resistant IGE were evaluated through the Beaumont Adult Comprehensive Epilepsy Center and underwent an epilepsy presurgical evaluation including video-EEG monitoring in the epilepsy monitoring unit, brain MRI, …

The George-Anne Daily, Georgia Southern University

George-Anne Media Group: Newsletters & Magazines

No abstract provided.

Mortality Assessment Of Pediatric Septic Patients Through Pediatric Sofa+Anion Gap And Pelod-2 Scores, Johaan Pawe Siampa, Arie Utariani, Elizeus Hanindito

Folia Medica Indonesiana

Highlight: • Sepsis and septic shock cause morbidity and mortality in pediatric patients. • The accuracy of pediatric sequential organ failure assessment and anion gap (pSOFA+AG) was compared with AG and pediatric logistic organ dysfunction-2 (AG+PELOD-2). • The mortality assessment of pediatric septic patients showed that pSOFA was more sensitive than PELOD-2, while pSOFA+AG was not more sensitive than PELOD-2. Abstract: Sepsis and septic shock are some of the causes of morbidity and mortality (50-60%) in pediatric patients treated in intensive care rooms. This study aimed to compare the accuracy of pediatric Sequential Organ Failure Assessment (pSOFA) score combined with …

The Influence Of Safety Communications And Safety Promotion Policies On Safety Performance Among Nurses In The Emergency Department At A Tertiary Hospital In Surabaya, Indonesia, Ratih Berliana, Noeroel Widajati, Nurhayati Saridewi, Endang Dwiyanti

Folia Medica Indonesiana

Highlights: • To reduce the occurrence of work-related accidents, the application of occupational safety and health principles in work activities is necessary. • This research analyzed the safety communications and safety promotion policies on the safety performance among nurses. • Safety communications have influence on safety performance, while safety promotion policies have no influence on safety performance. Abstract: The application of the occupational safety and health principles in work activities is expected to reduce the occurrence of work-related accidents. This research was conducted in the Emergency Department of a tertiary hospital of Dr. Soetomo General Academic Hospital, Surabaya, Indonesia, in …

Physical Workload And Work Fatigue Among Tank Car Drivers At Surabaya Integrated Terminal, Tasya Endah Milinia, Dani Nasirul Haq, Siti Arum Alia

Folia Medica Indonesiana

Highlights: • Physical workload had no correlation with work fatigue among tank car drivers. • Companies and tank car drivers are advised to carry out work fatigue management by exercising lightly and fulfilling nutritional and water intake. Abstract : Every year, there are nearly a thousand times more of non-fatal accidents than fatal accidents. In Indonesia, Java Island has the highest number of traffic accidents. Work accidents have three main factors, i.e. worker factors, labor factors, and environmental factors. Fatigue is one of the conditions called silent killer. The aim of this research was to analyze the correlation of physical …

Healing Of Radiation Dermatitis With Ozonated Aloe Vera Oil By Increasing Pdgf And Epidermal Thickness In Sprague-Dawley Rats, Widoasti Putri Utami, Yan Wisnu Prajoko, Christina H.N. Prihharsanti, Udadi Sadhana, Neni Susilaningsih, Maryam Restiwijaya, Muhammad Nur

Folia Medica Indonesiana

Highlights: • This study demonstrated the effect of ozonated Aloe vera oil in the healing of radiation dermatitis wound. • Groups that received no treatment was compared with groups that received treatment using 2.5% hydrocortisone ointment and ozonated Aloe vera. • Ozonated Aloe vera oil improves the healing of radiation dermatitis wound by increasing PDGF expression and epidermal thickness. Abstract : The long-term use of corticosteroids as a standard treatment for skin disorders, such as radiation dermatitis, can cause many side effects. Alternatively, ozonated Aloe vera oil may replace corticosteroids due to its fewer side effects and benefits in wound …

Antifungal Activity Of Kinar (Kleinhovia Hospita L.) Leaf Ethanol Extract Against Malassezia Furfur, Muhammad Zaid Wakano, Eka Astuty, Amanda Gracia Manuputty

Folia Medica Indonesiana

Highlights : • Alternative medicine is needed for pityriasis versicolor because there are recurrence cases and resistance to antifungal agents. • Kinar leaf ethanol extract cannot inhibit the growth of Malassezia furfur. • Further studies are suggested on the type of solvent and appropriate concentration to attract more bioactive compounds. Abstract : Pityriasis versicolor is a superficial dermatomycosis that can decrease human self-confidence. This infection is caused by the fungus Malassezia furfur. Eighty percent of recurrence cases after treatment and resistance to antifungal agents were found. Therefore, alternative medicine is needed. Kinar (Kleinhovia hospita Linn.) is a tropical plant that …

Hybrid Procedure In Aortoiliac Bifurcation And Femoral Lesion, Yudi Her Oktaviono

Folia Medica Indonesiana

Highlights: • A patient had a long segment of total occlusion to the proximal right common iliac and anterior tibial artery. • The treatment is a combination of percutaneous transluminal angioplasty (PTA) using vascular stent and the Fogarty thrombectomy. • Hybrid procedure can treat multilevel artery occlusive diseases, with shorter hospitalization, less perioperative morbidity, and similar early- and long-term efficacy. Abstract: Critical limb ischemia is a condition that threatens the viability of lower extremities and must be treated promptly to avoid major amputation. Revascularization is the most effective treatment method for critical limb ischemia. Revascularization using a hybrid of endovascular …

Clinical Importance Of Sarcopenia And How It Impacts Orthopaedic-Trauma Patients And The Surgical Outcomes, Ahmad Fauzi, David Idrial, Akbar Rizki Beni Asdi

Folia Medica Indonesiana

Highlights: • Sarcopenia can cause deleterious effects on patients. • The Asian Working Group for Sarcopenia (AWGS) and the European Working Group on Sarcopenia in Older People (EWGSOP) provide the most widely used criteria to diagnose sarcopenia. • Knowledge of sarcopenia should be a trigger for clinicians and surgeons to evaluate the treatment plan and anticipate the implications experienced by the patients. Abstract: Sarcopenia is a condition of low muscle strength, mass, and low physical performance that is affected by age (primary sarcopenia) and one or combination of systemic diseases, physical inactivity, and insufficient intake of energy (secondary sarcopenia). This …

A Model Of Performance Evaluation For Healthcare Workers Based On Satisfaction And Remuneration (Financial And Non-Financial), Joni Wahyuhadi, Nur Hidayah, Qurratul Aini

Folia Medica Indonesiana

Highlights: • This study aimed to formulate an evaluation model of the performance of health workers. • Employee performance targets and employee satisfaction were assessed by considering the financial and non-financial remuneration, Job Description Index (JDI), competencies, and motivation. • The performance evaluation model for health workers shows the importance of remuneration for government agencies, employees, and employee performance. Abstract: This study aimed to formulate an evaluation model of the performance of health workers from the perspective of financial and non-financial satisfaction and remuneration. The research method used was a literature study with a literature review approach. The research findings …

Predicting The Outcomes Of Internet-Based Cognitive Behavioral Therapy For Tinnitus: Applications Of Artificial Neural Network And Support Vector Machine, Hansapani Rodrigo, Eldré W. Beukes, Gerhard Andersson, Vinaya Manchaiah

School of Mathematical & Statistical Sciences Faculty Publications

Purpose:

Internet-based cognitive behavioral therapy (ICBT) has been found to be effective for tinnitus management, although there is limited understanding about who will benefit the most from ICBT. Traditional statistical models have largely failed to identify the nonlinear associations and hence find strong predictors of success with ICBT. This study aimed at examining the use of an artificial neural network (ANN) and support vector machine (SVM) to identify variables associated with treatment success in ICBT for tinnitus.

Method:

The study involved a secondary analysis of data from 228 individuals who had completed ICBT in previous intervention studies. A 13-point reduction …

Federated Learning Enables Big Data For Rare Cancer Boundary Detection, Sarthak Pati, Pamela Lamontagne, Daniel Marcus, Et Al.

2020-Current year OA Pubs

No abstract provided.

A Cross-Sectional Study Of The Prevalence Of Anal Dysplasia Among Women With High-Grade Cervical, Vaginal, And Vulvar Dysplasia Or Cancer: The Panda Study, Samantha Batman, Craig A. Messick, Andrea Milbourne, Ming Guo, Mark F. Munsell, Joel Fokom-Domgue, Mila Salcedo, Ashish Deshmukh, Kristina R. Dahlstrom, Mallory Ogburn

School of Medicine Publications

Background: High-risk human papillomavirus (HR-HPV) infection is a risk factor for anal cancer, yet no anal cancer screening guidelines exist for women with lower genital tract HPV-related disease. We sought to describe the prevalence of anal HR-HPV or cytologic abnormalities in such women.

Methods: This cross-sectional study was performed between October 2018 and December 2021. Inclusion criteria were ≥21 years of age and a prior diagnosis of high-grade dysplasia/cancer of the cervix, vagina, or vulva. Participants underwent anal cytology and anal/cervicovaginal HR-HPV testing. Women with abnormal anal cytology were referred for high-resolution anoscopy (HRA).

Results: 324 evaluable women were enrolled. …

Selective Vulnerability Of The Intermediate Retinal Capillary Plexus Precedes Retinal Ganglion Cell Loss In Ocular Hypertension, Priyamvada M Pitale, Guofu Shen, Rohini R Sigireddi, Maria Polo-Prieto, Yong H Park, Solomon E Gibson, Peter D Westenskow, Roomasa Channa, Benjamin J Frankfort

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Introduction: Glaucoma, a disease of retinal ganglion cell (RGC) injury and potentially devastating vision loss, is associated with both ocular hypertension (OHT) and reduced ocular blood flow. However, the relationship between OHT and retinal capillary architecture is not well understood. In this project, we studied microvasculature damage in mice exposed to mild levels of induced OHT.

Methods: Mild OHT was induced with the microbead model for 2 weeks. At this time point, some retinas were immunostained with CD31 (endothelium), Collagen IV (basement membrane), and RBPMS (RGCs) for z-stack confocal microscopy. We processed these confocal images to distinguish the three retinal …

Sacrificing Sovereignty: How Tribal-State Tax Compacts Impact Economic Development In Indian Country, Pippa S. Browde

Faculty Law Review Articles

Economic development is a critical component of tribal sovereignty. When a state asserts taxing authority within Indian Country, there is potential for overlapping, or juridical, taxation over the same transaction. Actual or even potential juridical taxation threatens economic development opportunities for tribes. For many years, tribes and states have entered into intergovernmental agreements called tax compacts to reduce or eliminate juridical taxation. Existing literature has done little more than mention tax compacts with cursory cost-benefit analyses of the agreements. This is the first Article to critically examine the role tax compacts serve in promoting tribes’ economic development.

This Article analyzes …

Tiktok Tourette's: Are We Witnessing A Rise In Functional Tic-Like Behavior Driven By Adolescent Social Media Use?, Jessica Frey, Kevin J. Black, Irene A Malaty

2020-Current year OA Pubs

Perceptions of Tourette syndrome (TS) and tic disorders are often driven by social media. During the COVID-19 pandemic, social media consumption greatly increased, particularly in the adolescent population. In parallel with increased social media consumption, there has also been an increase in tic severity and functional tic-like behavior (FTLB). Given that many of the tic videos posted on social media are misleading, perpetuate false beliefs about TS, or reinforce tic-like behaviors, there is increasing concern that these videos are driving the rapid increase in FTLBs. Several studies have reviewed newly presenting cases of FTLB and have found shared characteristics, including …

Symptom-Driven Inhaled Corticosteroid/Long-Acting Beta-Agonist Therapy For Adult Patients With Asthma Who Are Non-Adherent To Daily Maintenance Inhalers: A Study Protocol For A Pragmatic Randomized Controlled Trial, James G Krings, Kaitlyn M Wojcik, Vanessa Chen, Tejas C Sekhar, Kelly Harris, Abigail Zulich, Kaharu Sumino, Ross Brownson, Eric Lenze, Mario Castro

2020-Current year OA Pubs

BACKGROUND: While inhaled corticosteroids (ICS) are considered the essential foundation of most asthma therapy, ICS inhaler nonadherence is a notoriously common problem and a significant cause of asthma-related morbidity. Partially acknowledging the problem of nonadherence, international organizations recently made paradigm-shifting recommendations that all patients with mild-to-moderate persistent asthma be considered for symptom-driven ICS-containing inhalers rather than relying on adherence to traditional maintenance ICS inhalers and symptom-driven short-acting beta-agonists (SABA). With this new approach, asthma patients are at least exposed to the important anti-inflammatory effects of ICS-containing inhalers when their symptom reliever inhaler is deployed due to acute symptoms.

METHODS: This …

Prophylaxis And Remediation For Future Pandemic Pathogens-(Lessons From A Post-Covid World), Mark E. Obrenovich, Moncef B. Tayahi, Caryn L. Heidt, Steven N. Emancipator

Michigan Tech Publications, Part 1

Since influenza and coronaviruses are currently deadly and emerging threats worldwide, better treatment, remediation and prevention options are needed. In that regard, a basic understanding of severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS)-CoV-2/COVID-19 () and other viral pathogen mechanisms of transmission are expected. Unfortunately, unprecedented, and growing distrust of vaccines and even masks or personal protective equipment (PPE) in the United States and elsewhere presents itself as an added challenge. We postulate that development of improved and highly effective prophylactic measures, together with new life-saving therapies that do inhibit or otherwise treat infection of SARS-CoV-2, influenza and other viral pathogens, could be …

Cold Plasma Technology In Food Packaging, Kalpani Y. Perera, Jack Prendeville, Amit K. Jaiswal, Swarna Jaiswal

Articles

Cold plasma (CP) is an effective strategy to alter the limitations of biopolymer materials for food packaging applications. Biopolymers such as polysaccharides and proteins are known to be sustainable materials with excellent film-forming properties. Bio-based films can be used as an alternative to traditional plastic packaging. There are limitations to biopolymer packaging materials such as hydrophobicity, poor barrier, and thermos-mechanical properties. For this reason, biopolymers must be modified to create a packaging material with the desired applicability. CP is an effective method to enhance the functionality and interfacial features of biopolymers. It etches the film surface allowing for better adhesion …

Online Vs In Person Schooling- Which Is More Effective?, Allie Payne

Fall Student Research Symposium 2022

When I started this project, I was hoping to learn if online school was more effective, or in person school was more effective. I was hoping to learn whether or not I should register for online classes next semester. At first, I was hoping that online school would be a better option, because of the flexibility it entails. Research was conducted using library and internet resources to locate both primary and secondary research. For this study, personal accounts from the past and present online students shared their personal experiences with online learning. After conducting research, I have concluded that while …