Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

Characterization Of Nanoparticles Using Inductively-Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry, Jabez D. Campbell

Graduate Theses/Dissertations

Nanomaterials are a relatively new class of materials that have many applications which span a wide host of fields from medical products to consumer products. The possible compositions and forms of nanomaterials are just as varied as the applications. Therefore, a versatile characterization method is needed for researchers and regulators alike to ensure nanomaterials are properly used. Single Particle Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry (SP-ICP-MS) is a functional method that could fill the characterization need in the nanomaterial research field. Using data from both SP-ICP-MS tests and data from literature established characterization methods, the viability of making SP-ICP-MS the standard …

Foot Injuries In Michigan, Usa, Gray Wolves (Canis Lupus), 1992–2014, Daniel J. O'Brien, Dean E. Beyer Jr., Erin Largent, Julie R. Melotti, Caitlin N. Ott-Conn, Donald H. Lonsway, Thomas M. Cooley, Robert Atkinson, Michelle Clayson, Kelly A. Straka

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

The range of gray wolves (Canis lupus) in the contiguous US is expanding. Research and monitoring to support population recovery and management often involves capture via foothold traps. A population-level epidemiologic assessment of the effect of trap injuries on wolf survival remains needed to inform management. We describe the baseline rate, type, and severity of foot injuries of wolves born 1992–2013 in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula, evaluate the reliability of field-scoring trap-related injuries, and the effect of injuries on wolf survival. We assessed foot injuries by physical and radiographic exam at postmortem and/or time of capture for 351 wolves using the …

Olfactory Lures In Predator Control Do Not Increase Predation Risk To Birds In Areas Of Conservation Concern, Page Klug, Amy A. Yackel Adams, Robert N. Reed

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Context. Lethal control of predators is often undertaken to protect species of conservation concern. Traps are frequently baited to increase capture efficacy, but baited traps can potentially increase predation risk by attracting predators to protected areas. This is especially important if targeted predators can escape capture due to low trap success. Snake traps using live mouse lures may be beneficial if traps effectively remove snakes in the presence of birds and do not attract additional snakes to the area.

Aims. The present study evaluated whether mouse-lure traps in areas occupied by birds (simulated by deploying birdlure traps) could influence predation …

Wild Pig Removal Reduces Pathogenic Bacteria In Low-Order Streams, Sara A. Bolds, B. Graeme Lockaby, Latif Kalin, Stephen S. Ditchkoff, Mark D. Smith, Kurt Vercauteren

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Invasive wild pig populations have undergone enormous increases in the United States and particularly across the southern U.S. in recent years. High fecundity rates and abilities to adapt quickly to varied habitats have enabled pig populations to become entrenched and difficult to eliminate. The pigs cause many negative impacts on ecosystems including degradation of water quality through infusion of fecal contamination and other non-point source pollutants. Our goal was to determine the effects of pig removal on water quality in streams that were known to be significantly polluted by pig activity Bolds (J Environ Qual 50: 441–453, 2021). We compared …

Regenerating Agroecosystems By Overcoming Human Exceptionalism In Designing For Increased Equity Of Benefits From Ecoservices, Ali Loker, Charles A. Francis

Department of Agronomy and Horticulture: Faculty Publications

Our commentary explores three critical issues related to ecosystem services. First is how ecoservices are currently designed and implemented primarily for human benefit without concern for how these impact other species. We conclude that awareness of this imbalance is the first step toward meaningful change. Second we observe that human exceptionalism guides most decisions, and ask whether we can overcome this mind-set to embrace ecoregeneration and design of resilient and mutually beneficial agroecosystems. Our attitude toward the challenge and moving toward greater humility about human roles that guide management decisions in the ecosystem is a requisite for change. Third we …

Studying Spread Patterns Of Covid-19 Based On Spatiotemporal Data, Beiyu Lin, Xiaowei Jia, Zhiqian Chen

Computer Science Faculty Publications

The current COVID-19 epidemic have transformed every aspect of our lives, especially our behavior and routines. These changes have been drastically impacting the economy in each region, such as local restaurants and transportation systems. With massive amounts of ambient data being collected everywhere, we now can develop innovative algorithms to have a much greater understanding of epidemic spread patterns of COVID-19 based on spatiotemporal data. The findings will open up the possibility to design adaptive planning or scheduling systems that will help preventing the spread of COVID-19 and other infectious diseases.

In this tutorial, we will review the trending state-of-theart …

Swosu Research And Scholarly Activity Fair 2022, Swosu Office Of Sponsored Programs

SWOSU Research and Scholarly Activity Fair Programs

On behalf of Southwestern Oklahoma State University, welcome to the Thirtieth Research and Scholarly Activity Fair! We are proud to host students and faculty from universities and community colleges from across the state at this meeting of scholars. Research and scholarly activity ranging from Business Administration, Education and Professional Studies, Fine Arts and Design, Liberal Arts, and Mathematics and Science.
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Sincerely, SWOSU Office of Sponsored Programs and URSAC

Plague Risk In The Western United States Over Seven Decades Of Environmental Change, Colin J. Carlson, Sarah N. Bevins, Boris V. Schmid

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

After several pandemics over the last two millennia, the wildlife reservoirs of plague (Yersinia pestis) now persist around the world, including in the western United States. Routine surveillance in this region has generated comprehensive records of human cases and animal seroprevalence, creating a unique opportunity to test how plague reservoirs are responding to environmental change. Here, we test whether animal and human data suggest that plague reservoirs and spillover risk have shifted since 1950. To do so, we develop a new method for detecting the impact of climate change on infectious disease distributions, capable of disentangling long-term trends (signal) and …

Analysis Of Hematocrit Levels In Walleye Sander Vitreus From Similar Waterbodies, Alyssa Hauser

Journal of Earth and Life Science

Walleye Sander vitreus are a popular fish among anglers and hold a prominent place in Minnesotan’s identity as their state fish. Because of this, multiple management practices are used to ensure the continued health of their populations within Minnesota waters. In this study, the process of analyzing hematocrit levels was used to determine if the analysis of hematological parameters could be a useful tool in detecting differences in population health. To evaluate this, blood samples were acquired from age-0 and age-1 fish from two similar lakes and run through a hematocrit centrifuge to separate platelets from plasma to read the …

Development Of An Hipsc-Cortical Neuron Long-Term Potentiation Model And Its Application To Alzheimer's Disease Modeling And Drug Evaluation, Kaveena Autar

Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2020-2023

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is commonly characterized by a loss of cognitive function due to the deterioration of neuronal synapses from the presence of senile amyloid beta-42 (Aß42) plaques. Evaluating cognitive deficits caused by Aß42 using human cortical neurons poses a challenge due to sourcing difficulties, and the use of animal models to assess drug efficacy creates biological hurdles from lack of species translatability. Recent advances in induced-pluripotent stem cell technology have enabled the development of mature, human-based cortical neuron models. The development of an hiPSC-cortical neuron differentiation protocol facilitates the exploration of disease onset and functional analysis from a patient-derived …

Cholera Transmission Dynamic Model With Environmental Impacts Of Plankton Reservoirs, Sweety Sarker

Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2020-2023

Cholera is an acute disease that is a global threat to the world and can kill people within a few hours if left untreated. In the last 200 years, seven pandemics occurred, and, in some countries, it remains endemic. The World Health Organization (WHO) declared a global initiative to prevent cholera by 2030. Cholera dynamics are contributed by several environmental factors such as salinity level of water, water temperature, presence of plankton especially zooplankton such as cladocerans, rotifers, copepods, etc. Vibrio cholerae (V. cholerae) bacterium is the main reason behind the cholera disease and the growth of V. cholerae depends …

Why Do Family Members Reject Ai In Health Care? Competing Effects Of Emotions, Eun Hee Park, Karl Werder, Lan Cao, Balasubramaniam Ramesh

Information Technology & Decision Sciences Faculty Publications

Artificial intelligence (AI) enables continuous monitoring of patients’ health, thus improving the quality of their health care. However, prior studies suggest that individuals resist such innovative technology. In contrast to prior studies that investigate individuals’ decisions for themselves, we focus on family members’ rejection of AI monitoring, as family members play a significant role in health care decisions. Our research investigates competing effects of emotions toward the rejection of AI monitoring for health care. Based on two scenario-based experiments, our study reveals that emotions play a decisive role in family members’ decision making on behalf of their parents. We find …

An Odd-Protocol For Agent-Based Model For The Spread Of Covid-19 In Ireland, Elizabeth Hunter, John D. Kelleher

Reports

No abstract provided.

Normative Data On The Foveal Avascular Zone In A Young Healthy Irish Population Using Optical Coherence Tomography Angiography, Susan M. O'Shea, Veronica O'Dwyer, Grainne Scanlon

Articles

Purpose: To establish normative data on the size, shape and vascular profile of the foveal avascular zone (FAZ) in a young, healthy, Irish population, using the Cirrus 5000 HD-OCT. Certain diseases may alter FAZ appearance. Normative databases provide normal baseline values for comparison, thus improving diagnostic ability.

Methods: One hundred and fifty-four subjects aged 18–35 years old were recruited. Superficial FAZ area, diameter, circularity, ganglion cell layer, central macular thickness (CMT), vascular perfusion and density were measured using the Cirrus 5000. Axial length was measured with the IOL Master and blood pressure was measured using the Omron sphygmomanometer. …

Trace Elements In Nails And Anemia In Children Living Along The Interoceanic Highway, Madre De Dios, Peru / Narrative Competence And Cognitive Mapping As A Culturally Sustaining Pedagogy In The Education Of Emergent Bilinguals, Tia Marks

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

Anthropogenic changes in the Peruvian Amazon, including deforestation, highway development, agriculture, and artisanal and small-scale gold mining (ASGM), have increased community concern about potential exposures toxic trace elements (TTE) including arsenic (As), cadmium (Cd), mercury (Hg), and lead (Pb). Such exposures can lead to detrimental health effects in children, such as developmental delays and anemia. The overarching goal of my dissertation was to understand exposure to both toxic and essential (manganese (Mn), selenium (Se), and zinc (Zn)) trace elements, anemia prevalence, and the associations between hemoglobin (Hb) levels and trace elements. To do this, I leveraged existing data from a …

System Measurements For X-Ray Phase And Diffraction Imaging, Erik Wolfgang Tripi

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

In medical imaging, X rays are used to look inside the body to find fractures in bones, abnormal masses, cavities in teeth, and so on. What makes X rays so good at looking at these types of structures is the X ray’s penetration power. When imaging soft tissue to search for tumors, X-ray images tend to have difficulty performing well. The reason for this is that the background structures, such as fat or fibro glandular tissue have similar absorption coefficients as the tumor. Mammography tends to have a high false positive rate and can miss tumors entirely as well. There …

Spaghetti Tracer: A Framework For Tracing Semiregular Filamentous Densities In 3d Tomograms, Salim Sazzed, Peter Scheible, Jing He, Willy Wriggers

Computer Science Faculty Publications

Within cells, cytoskeletal filaments are often arranged into loosely aligned bundles. These fibrous bundles are dense enough to exhibit a certain regularity and mean direction, however, their packing is not sufficient to impose a symmetry between—or specific shape on—individual filaments. This intermediate regularity is computationally difficult to handle because individual filaments have a certain directional freedom, however, the filament densities are not well segmented from each other (especially in the presence of noise, such as in cryo-electron tomography). In this paper, we develop a dynamic programming-based framework, Spaghetti Tracer, to characterizing the structural arrangement of filaments in the challenging 3D …

Toward A Real-Time Index Of Pupillary Activity As An Indicator Of Cognitive Load, Gavindya Jayawardena, Yasith Jayawardana, Sampath Jayarathna, Jonas Högström, Thomas Papa, Deepak Akkil, Andrew T. Duchowski, Vsevolod Peysakhovich, Izabela Krejtz, Nina Gehrer, Krzysztof Krejtz

Computer Science Faculty Publications

The Low/High Index of Pupillary Activity (LHIPA), an eye-tracked measure of pupil diameter oscillation, is redesigned and implemented to function in real-time. The novel Real-time IPA (RIPA) is shown to discriminate cognitive load in re-streamed data from earlier experiments. Rationale for the RIPA is tied to the functioning of the human autonomic nervous system yielding a hybrid measure based on the ratio of Low/High frequencies of pupil oscillation. The paper's contribution is drawn from provision of documentation of the calculation of the RIPA. As with the LHIPA, it is possible for researchers to apply this metric to their own experiments …

A Review Of Monte Carlo Methods And Their Application In Medical Physics For Simulating Radiation Transport, Joe Shields

Honors Theses and Capstones

Monte Carlo methods are used to calculate statistical behavior through the use of random number generators and probability density functions. They have been used extensively in medical physics for research in radiotherapy, designing technology, dosimetry, and advanced clinical applications. This paper provides a background on Monte Carlo methods and a review of radiation therapy physics and dosimetry. Additionally, there is a discussion of the different ways Monte Carlo methods are used in medical physics as well as a review of current research related to Monte Carlo methods. The final portion of this paper contains my own Monte Carlo simulation using …

Mindfulness And Pain Regulation: The Role Of Acceptance And Commitment Therapy For Individuals With Chronic Pain, Ariana C. White

Honors Theses and Capstones

Chronic pain is a significant and widely prevalent health condition which requires comprehensive care to address the many facets contributing to symptomatology. In 2016, 20% of American adults (about 50 million) reported experiencing chronic pain, of which 7.4% indicated that chronic pain frequently limited their life and participation in activities within the past 3 months (CDC, 2018). As a result, many individuals with chronic pain turn to opioid-based medication for pain relief, but long-term use of opioids actually increases pain sensation (Tobin, 2019). Moreover, opioid medication is unable to target underlying mental health components which emerge as part of chronic …

Progress In Protein Structure Prediction: An Xai Perspective, Yosef E. Granillo, Badri Adhikari

Undergraduate Research Symposium

The full extent of the impact of deep learning models on structural biology will depend on their ability to provide novel biological insights. The field of structure prediction, where deep learning has produced miraculously accurate results, is at a critical stage of benefiting from the methods in interpretable deep learning. The exact mechanisms by which advanced computational models learn to interpret protein shapes and functions during their training remain largely unclear. These questions underscore the need for further research, as understanding these mechanisms is crucial for researchers to trust the predictions of these models. However, interpretable machine learning is ripening …

Can Environmental Law Solve The "Forever Chemical" Problem?, Mark P. Nevitt, Robert V. Percival

Faculty Articles

Although federal environmental law purports to provide the public with comprehensive protection against chemical risks, the U.S. chemical industry is characterized by self­ regulation. This self-regulation is exemplified by the dangers posed by per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (''PFAS'')­ broad classes of persistent toxic substances that have now entered nearly every American's bloodstream and hundreds of public drinking water systems. Despite data linking exposure to these "forever chemicals" to cancer, infertility, and a host of other public health harms, environmental law has failed to safeguard the American people from PFAS' toxic legacy. How did this occur? And what should be done …

A Game Theoretical Model Of Radiological Terrorism Defense, Shraddha Rane, Jason Timothy Harris

International Journal of Nuclear Security

Radiological dispersal devices (RDD) pose a threat to the United States. Healthcare facilities housing high-risk radioactive materials and devices are potentially easy targets for unauthorized access and are vulnerable to malevolent acts of theft or sabotage. The three most attractive candidates for use in RDD considered in this study are: ⁶⁰Co (radiosurgery devices), ¹³⁷Cs (blood irradiators) and ¹⁹²Ir (brachytherapy high dose radiation device). The threat posed by RDDs has led to evaluating the security risk of radioactive materials and defending against attacks. The concepts of risk analysis used in conjunction with game theory lay the foundations of …

To Investigate The Foveal Avascular Zone In A Young Healthy Population Using Optical Coherence Tomography Angiography, Susan O'Shea

Masters

Introduction/Aims Inflammatory diseases such as diabetes, glaucoma and age-related macular degeneration (AMD) can alter the size and shape of the foveal avascular zone (FAZ). Macular pigment (MP), a powerful antioxidant, located at the macula can protect the eye from oxidative stress damage. This study aims to investigate possible factors affecting the FAZ, such as vessel perfusion and overweight/obesity, in association with MP status in a young, healthy population. Normative values for FAZ size/shape and vascularity will also be proposed.

Methods One hundred and fifty-four subjects aged 18-35 years old were recruited. Superficial FAZ area, diameter, ganglion cell layer, central macular …

Trust In Human-Robot Interaction Within Healthcare Services: A Review Study, Dedra Townsend, Amirhossein Majidirad

Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering Faculty Publications

There has always been a dilemma of the extent to which human can rely on machines in different activities of daily living. Ranging from riding on a self-driving car to having an iRobot vacuum clean the living room. However, when it comes to healthcare settings where robots are intended to work next to human, making decision gets difficult because repercussions may jeopardize people’s life. That has led scientists and engineers to take one step back and think out of the box. Having concept of trust under scrutiny, this study helps deciphering complex human-robot interaction (HRI) attributes. Screening essential constituents of …

Mechanism For Selective Binding Of Aromatic Compounds On Oxygen-Rich Graphene Nanosheets Based On Molecule Size/Polarity Matching, Heyun Fu, Bingyu Wang, Dongqiang Zhu, Zhicheng Zhou, Shidong Bao, Xiaolei Qu, Yong Guo, Lan Ling, Shourong Zheng, Pu Duan, Jingdong Mao, Klaus Schmidt-Rohr, Shu Tao, Pedro J.J. Alvarez

Chemistry & Biochemistry Faculty Publications

Selective binding of organic compounds is the cornerstone of many important industrial and pharmaceutical applications. Here, we achieved highly selective binding of aromatic compounds in aqueous solution and gas phase by oxygen-enriched graphene oxide (GO) nanosheets via a previously unknown mechanism based on size matching and polarity matching. Oxygen-containing functional groups (predominately epoxies and hydroxyls) on the nongraphitized aliphatic carbons of the basal plane of GO formed highly polar regions that encompass graphitic regions slightly larger than the benzene ring. This facilitated size match–based interactions between small apolar compounds and the isolated aromatic region of GO, resulting in high binding …

Core Point Pixel-Level Localization By Fingerprint Features In Spatial Domain, Xueyi Ye, Yuzhong Shen, Maosheng Zeng, Yirui Liu, Huahua Chen, Zhijing Zhao

Computational Modeling & Simulation Engineering Faculty Publications

Singular point detection is a primary step in fingerprint recognition, especially for fingerprint alignment and classification. But in present there are still some problems and challenges such as more false-positive singular points or inaccurate reference point localization. This paper proposes an accurate core point localization method based on spatial domain features of fingerprint images from a completely different viewpoint to improve the fingerprint core point displacement problem of singular point detection. The method first defines new fingerprint features, called furcation and confluence, to represent specific ridge/valley distribution in a core point area, and uses them to extract the innermost Curve …

A Novel Framework To Estimate Cognitive Impairment Via Finger Interaction With Digital Devices, Ashley A Holmes, Shikha Tripathi, Emily Katz, Ijah Mondesire-Crump, Rahul Mahajan, Aaron Ritter, Teresa Arroyo-Gallego, Luca Giancardo

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Measuring cognitive function is essential for characterizing brain health and tracking cognitive decline in Alzheimer's Disease and other neurodegenerative conditions. Current tools to accurately evaluate cognitive impairment typically rely on a battery of questionnaires administered during clinical visits which is essential for the acquisition of repeated measurements in longitudinal studies. Previous studies have shown that the remote data collection of passively monitored daily interaction with personal digital devices can measure motor signs in the early stages of synucleinopathies, as well as facilitate longitudinal patient assessment in the real-world scenario with high patient compliance. This was achieved by the automatic discovery …

Quantification Of Infarct Core Signal Using Ct Imaging In Acute Ischemic Stroke, Uma Maria Lal-Trehan Estrada, Grant Meeks, Sergio Salazar-Marioni, Fabien Scalzo, Mudassir Farooqui, Juan Vivanco-Suarez, Santiago Ortega Gutierrez, Sunil A Sheth, Luca Giancardo

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

In stroke care, the extent of irreversible brain injury, termed infarct core, plays a key role in determining eligibility for acute treatments, such as intravenous thrombolysis and endovascular reperfusion therapies. Many of the pivotal randomized clinical trials testing those therapies used MRI Diffusion-Weighted Imaging (DWI) or CT Perfusion (CTP) to define infarct core. Unfortunately, these modalities are not available 24/7 outside of large stroke centers. As such, there is a need for accurate infarct core determination using faster and more widely available imaging modalities including Non-Contrast CT (NCCT) and CT Angiography (CTA). Prior studies have suggested that CTA provides improved …

Brain Antigens Stimulate Proliferation Of T Lymphocytes With A Pathogenic Phenotype In Multiple Sclerosis Patients, Assaf Gottlieb, Hoai Phuong T Pham, John William Lindsey

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

A method to stimulate T lymphocytes with a broad range of brain antigens would facilitate identification of the autoantigens for multiple sclerosis and enable definition of the pathogenic mechanisms important for multiple sclerosis. In a previous work, we found that the obvious approach of culturing leukocytes with homogenized brain tissue does not work because the brain homogenate suppresses antigen-specific lymphocyte proliferation. We now report a method that substantially reduces the suppressive activity. We used this non-suppressive brain homogenate to stimulate leukocytes from multiple sclerosis patients and controls. We also stimulated with common viruses for comparison. We measured proliferation, selected the …