Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

The Fight For Zadroga, Naeisha Rose

Capstones

The attack on the World Trade Center cost many first responders and volunteers, like Ken George, a retired highway crewmember who was part of the search and rescue, to lose their health. Ken had needs a respirator for his restricted airway disease, he is o n 33 medications and five years ago he had a heart attack. Bi- =weekly or monthly, he visits a doctor for his PTSD, his heart, his lungs and general healthcare. After seeing the devastating conditions that the responders like Ken worked in, Congresswoman C arolyn Maloney (D-12) worked tirelessly with many politicians, both Democrats and …

Improving Patient Care Outcomes To Reduce Recurrent Admissions Of Patients With Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease, Lisa Maria Friedrich

Seton Hall University DNP Final Projects

Purpose:Transitional care is time-limited, with the goal of ensuring safety and health continuity for at-risk patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) as they move from one setting to the next. An acute care episode of COPD ranges from relatively healthy adults to adults with multiple chronic conditions or those in the end-of-life phase. The primary quality concern of an urgent need to improve health care is in response to the gaps of sufficient experience to manage patients with COPD, leading to hospital readmissions. Implementation of standards of care for the improvement of health-related quality of life (HRQL) of COPD …

Adhd And Social Impairment Among Children: Problem Solving Skills As A Potential Mediator, Rebecca Mccord

Senior Theses

This study tested the hypothesis that problem solving skills mediate the relation between ADHD symptoms and social impairment in children. Problem solving skills were evaluated by the Test of Problem Solving 3 – Elementary Version (TOPS), which separated problem solving skills into six different subtypes: making inferences, sequencing, negative questions, problem solving, predicting, and determining causes. ADHD symptoms were assessed through the parent report of the Disruptive Behavior Disorder Scale (DBD). Social impairment was assessed through the parent report of social skills using the Social Skills Improvement System (SSIS). Three hundred seventy-two (372) children between the ages of eight and …

Travel Tales: The Role Of Storytelling In Abroad Experience And Healing, Colleen N. Mcmurray

Capstone Collection

This capstone paper examines the perceived effectiveness of storytelling in the healing process. It aims to answer the question: What role does storytelling play in the healing of returning travelers? The study was conducted by analyzing forty digital videos, categorizing themes, and analyzing the themes in relation to themes found within several articles about the power and effects of storytelling. Five principal themes were used from the data collected. The themes were then used to gain a deeper understanding of how storytelling makes the storyteller feel and how storytelling can be used for healing. The author of this paper has …

Cerebral Oximetry Readings In The Sitting Position Versus Supine Position For Patients Undergoing General Anesthesia, Christopher Turner

Doctoral Projects

Problem: Inadequate cerebral blood flow is a significant risk for patients undergoing surgery in the sitting position. Placing the patient in a sitting position may cause a drop in pressure at the level of the brain when compounded with induction and maintenance of general anesthesia. These changes may cause a decrease in cerebral blood flow and oxygenation. Inadequate perfusion for a prolonged period of time could produce negative neurological consequences in the short and long term postoperative period.

Purpose: The purpose of this project is to determine if there is a significant drop in cerebral oximetry, from baseline, when patients …

A Parallel-Group Randomized Controlled Trial Of The Boa®-Constricting Iv Band, Richard N. Bradley

Richard N Bradley

Background. Few studies have demonstrated the ideal technique for placement of peripheral venous access.

Objectives. The purpose of this study was to conduct a randomized, controlled trial to determine if there was a difference in success rates for establishing peripheral intravenous lines (IVs) when using the BOA® Constricting Band (BOA) compared to a standard elastic tourniquet.

Methods. Eligible participants were paramedics working in the out-of-hospital setting and nurses working in a trauma center. The intervention group intended to use the BOA® for all IV attempts, while the control group intended to use standard elastic tourniquets. The primary outcome was success …

Athletic Training Program Awarded Grant To Study Head Impacts In Men’S College Lacrosse, Theresa Miyashita

Theresa Miyashita

US Lacrosse has awarded Sacred Heart University’s athletic training education program a $15,000 grant to study the effects of on-the-field head impacts over the course of the Pioneers’ college men’s lacrosse season.

18f-Fdg Pet/Ct Imaging Of Extranodal Rosai-Dorfman Disease With Hepatopancreatic Involvement - A Pictorial And Literature Review., Faiq A. Shaikh Md, Omer Awan Md, Mph, Sohaib A. Mohiuddin Md, Saleem Farooqui, Salman A. Khan, William Mccartney

Department of Radiology & Diagnostic Medical Imaging

We share our experience with serial PET/CT imaging on a patient with extranodal Rosai-Dorfman disease (RDD) with hepatopancreatic involvement. RDD is a benign proliferative disorder of histiocytes mainly involving the lymph nodes. It typically presents with fever and painless cervical lymphadenopathy in young adults and less than half of RDS cases demonstrate extranodal involvement. RDD involvement of the liver and pancreas is extremely rare, and this case highlights the role of PET/CT in its management.

Research Roundup From The Research Committee, Mary Insana Fisher, Shana Harrington

Mary Insana Fisher

With the expectations of accountability by consumers and third party payors for the efficacy of physical therapy practice, there has been a significant increase in the push to develop outcome measures in rehabilitation. One type of these measures, patient-reported outcome measures (PROs), are becoming increasingly more common in clinical practice. The American Physical Therapy Association’s Guide to Physical Therapist Practice 3rd edition includes outcomes assessment as an integral part of the Patient and Client Management model, and delineates that appropriate tests and measures depend upon established psychometric properties of the measurement.1 The Section on Research formed the Evidence Database to …

Oncology Section Edge Task Force On Breast Cancer Outcomes: A Systematic Review Of Outcome Measures For Functional Mobility, Mary Insana Fisher, Jeannette Lee, Claire Davies, Hannah Geyer, Genevieve Colon, Lucinda Pfalzer

Mary Insana Fisher

Background: Breast cancer treatments in women with breast cancer often result in physical impairments that lead to activity limitations and participation restrictions. These limitations and restrictions manifest in impaired functional mobility skills that may impact survivorship. Thus, evaluation of functional mobility is an important part of survivorship care. Purpose: To identify functional mobility outcome measures that possess strong psychometric properties and are clinically useful for examination of women treated for breast cancer. Methods: Multiple electronic databases were searched for articles published after 1995. Studies were included if they reported psychometric properties, used clinically feasible methods, were performed on adults, and …

Knee Range Of Motion: Reliability And Agreement Of 3 Measurement Methods, Paul G. Peters, Michael A. Herbenick, Philip A. Anloague, Ronald J. Markert, L. Joseph Rubino

Philip A. Anloague

We conducted a study to compare 3 methods of measuring knee range of motion: visual estimation by physicians, hand goniometry by physical therapists, and radiographic goniometry. We hypothesized that reliability would be high within and across all techniques. We found intrarater and interrater reliability to be satisfactory for visual estimation, hand goniometry, and radiographic goniometry. Interrater reliability across methods did not agree satisfactorily. Between-methods differences in estimating knee range of motion may result from variations in technique among physicians and physical therapists.

The Association Between Critical Thinking And Scholastic Aptitude On First-Time Pass Rate Of The National Physical Therapy Examination, Daniel W. Suckow, C. Jayne Brahler, Betsy Donahoe-Fillmore, Mary Insana Fisher, Philip A. Anloague

Philip A. Anloague

Objectives: 1) To investigate the relationships among critical thinking (CT) abilities, overall academic performance in the Doctorate of Physical Therapy (DPT) program as measured by cumulative grade point average (GPA), and National Physical Therapy Examination (NPTE) licensure scores, and 2) To determine if NPTE scores were significantly different between groups of students who were classified as having low, moderate or high CT abilities. Background: It is well-established that physical therapy practice requires good clinical reasoning skills. Passage of the NPTE is required for licensure. Research to date has been mixed as to whether CT abilities or GPA can predict success …

Chronic Elbow Dislocation Treated With Open Reduction And Lateral Ulnar Collateral Ligament Reconstruction, Louis Joseph Rubino, Michael A. Herbenick, Ryan P. Finnan, Philip A. Anloague

Philip A. Anloague

In the United States, chronic unreduced elbow dislocations are rare injuries. We report the successful short-term outcome of a chronic elbow dislocation treated with open reduction and lateral ulnar collateral ligament reconstruction using a split semitendinosus allograft in a figure-of-8 technique without use of hinged external fixation. The authors have obtained the patient’s written informed consent for print and electronic publication of the case report.

Load Carriage Distance Run And Pushups Tests: No Body Mass Bias And Occupationally Relevant, Paul M. Vanderburgh, Nicholas S. Mickley, Philip A. Anloague, Kimber Lucius

Philip A. Anloague

Recent research has demonstrated body mass (M) bias in military physical fi tness tests favoring lighter, not just leaner, service members. Mathematical modeling predicts that a distance run carrying a backpack of 30 lbs would eliminate M-bias. The purpose of this study was to empirically test this prediction for the U.S. Army push-ups and 2-mile run tests. Two tests were performed for both events for each of 56 university Reserve Offi cer Training Corps male cadets: with (loaded) and without backpack (unloaded). Results indicated signifi cant M-bias in the unloaded and no M-bias in the loaded condition for both events. …

The Effects Of Training Programs Using Free Weights And Free Motion Machines On Strength In Untrained College-Age Females, Katherine Milton

Graduate Theses

No abstract provided.

Scoliosis Analog Model For The Evaluation Of Bracing Technology, Chloe Ly Chung

Theses and Dissertations (ETD)

Thoracolumbar braces are commonly used to treat Adolescent Idiopathic Scoliosis (AIS). Braces serve to reduce and prevent progression of the spinal curve by applying corrective forces. The magnitude and direction of these corrective forces applied by the brace to the spine remain unknown. Additionally the brace fitting process involves making alterations to the brace that affect its corrective force capacity. The objective was to design and validate an analog model of a mid-thoracic single curve scoliotic deformity for quantifying structural properties of the brace and the force response of the brace on the spine. This model was used to investigate …

An Exploration Of Nurse Adherence To Ventilator-Associated Pneumonia Bundle Interventions: A Quantitative Study, Alexis Luna

Senior Theses

Ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP) poses a significant health risk to patients on mechanical ventilation in hospital intensive care units (ICU). It is the responsibility of the nurse to implement VAP bundle interventions to decrease the prevalence of VAP in mechanically ventilated patients. The objective of the study was to measure nurse perception of adherence to VAP bundle interventions of oral hygiene, head-of-bed elevation, spontaneous breathing trials, daily sedation vacations, and peptic ulcer and deep vein thrombosis prophylaxis. A descriptive study involving a sample population of 28 ICU nurses at 3 hospitals in northern California was conducted. A 57-item questionnaire was developed …

A New Method For Shear Wave Speed Estimation In Shear Wave Elastography, Aaron J. Engel, Gregory R. Bashford

Biomedical Imaging and Biosignal Analysis Laboratory

Visualization of mechanical properties of tissue can aid in noninvasive pathology diagnosis. Shear wave elastography (SWE) measures the elastic properties of soft tissues by estimation of local shear wave propagation speed. In this paper, a new robust method for estimation of shear wave speed is introduced which has the potential for simplifying continuous filtering and real-time elasticity processing. Shear waves were generated by external mechanical excitation and imaged at a high frame rate. Three homogeneous phantoms of varying elastic moduli and one inclusion phantom were imaged. Waves propagating in separate directions were filtered and shear wave speed was estimated by …

Effects Of Implicit Vs. Explicit Cueing On Dynamic Balance And Injury: A Grant Proposal, Curtis Dodson, Ryan Baugus

Student-Faculty Research - College of Physical Therapy

No abstract provided.

Background Differences In Baseline And Stimulated Mmp Levels Influence Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm Susceptibility, Matthew A. Dale, Melissa K. Suh, Shijia Zhao, Trevor Meisinger, Linxia Gu, Vicki J. Swier, Devendra K. Agrawal, Timothy Greiner, Jeffrey S. Carson, B. Timothy Baxter, Wanfen Xiong

Department of Mechanical and Materials Engineering: Faculty Publications

Objective: Evidence has demonstrated profound influence of genetic background on cardiovascular phenotypes. Murine models in Marfan syndrome (MFS) have shown that genetic background-related variations affect thoracic aortic aneurysm formation, rupture, and lifespan of mice. MFS mice with C57Bl/6 genetic background are less susceptible to aneurysm formation compared to the 129/SvEv genetic background. In this study, we hypothesize that susceptibility to abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) will be increased in 129/SvEv mice versus C57Bl/6 mice. We tested this hypothesis by assessing differences in aneurysm size, tissue properties, immune response, and MMP expression.

Methods: Mice of C57Bl/6 or 129/SvEv background underwent AAA induction …

The Effect Of Neurostimulation On Ischemic Pain And Methods Of Assessing Pain, Kaylee Keck

Biomedical Engineering

Peripheral arterial disease (PAD) impacts approximately eight million people in the United States [1]. Disease progression leads to chronic ischemic pain, hindering quality of life. Pharmaceuticals are a typical treatment for pain associated with PAD; but as few as 30% of patients have a significant reduction of pain (≥50%) [2].

Neurostimulation is commonly used as a treatment for various diseases and injuries, including Parkinson’s disease and sports-related back and knee injuries [2]. The objective of the study was to explore neurostimulation and its effect on pain and paresthesia for a model of acute peripheral ischemia in young college students.

Pain …

Interaction Of Alu Polymorphisms And Novel Measures Of Discrimination In Association With Blood Pressure In African Americans Living In Tallahassee, Alexis C. Boulter, Jackyn Quinlan, Aida T. Miró-Herrans, Laurel N. Pearson, Nubiana L. Todd, Clarence C. Gravlee, Connie J. Mulligan

Human Biology Open Access Pre-Prints

African Americans are 40% more likely to be afflicted with hypertension in comparison to non-Hispanic, white Americans, resulting in a 30% higher instance of mortality due to cardiovascular disease. There is debate about the relative contributions of genetic and sociocultural risk factors to the racial disparity in hypertension.

We assayed three Alu insertion polymorphisms located in the angiotensin-1-converting enzyme (ACE), tissue plasminogen activator (PLAT), and with no-lysine kinase 1 (WNK1) genes. We also estimated West African genetic ancestry and developed novel measures of perceived discrimination to create a biocultural model of blood pressure among …

Feasibility Of Using Raman-Based Techniques For Breast Cancer Detection, Sara Mollamohammada

Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Breast cancer is one of the common types of cancer among women all over the world. Early diagnosis is an effective way that improve the treatment process and gives the patients a better chance of survival. Many of the patients infected by breast cancer choose breast conservation surgery (BCS). However, some of those will be subjected to mastectomy, and many will have tumor recurrence as there is no precise technique to show the tumor margins. Raman-based methods are powerful techniques with potential to rapidly differentiate normal from tumor tissues and provides a solution to detect tumor margin. This is because …

Icloudecg: A Mobile Cardiac Telemedicine System, David S. Clifford

Masters Theses

With rising healthcare costs and a substantially growing number of patients 65 or over, the benefits of telemedicine and patient self-monitoring systems are becoming increasingly evident. Patients, physicians, hospitals, and even insurance providers benefit from vigilant, cost-effective patient monitoring systems. This thesis describes the development of a portable, smart-phone connected system for continuous cardiac monitoring. The system is capable of continuously monitoring the conditions of the heart, automated detection of cardiac arrhythmias, and real-time notifying patients and physicians of the detected abnormalities. The system consists of four main subsystems: 1) a Bluetooth capable chest-strap ECG, 2) an Android-enabled mobile device, …

Improved Sensitivity To Fluorescence For Cancer Detection In Wide-Field Image-Guided Neurosurgery, Michael Jermyn, Yoann Gosselin, Pablo A. Valdes, Mira Sibai, Kolbein Kolste

Dartmouth Scholarship

In glioma surgery, Protoporphyrin IX (PpIX) fluorescence may identify residual tumor that could be resected while minimizing damage to normal brain. We demonstrate that improved sensitivity for wide-field spectroscopic fluorescence imaging is achieved with minimal disruption to the neurosurgical workflow using an electron-multiplying charge-coupled device (EMCCD) relative to a state-of-the-art CMOS system. In phantom experiments the EMCCD system can detect at least two orders-of-magnitude lower PpIX. Ex vivo tissue imaging on a rat glioma model demonstrates improved fluorescence contrast compared with neurosurgical fluorescence microscope technology, and the fluorescence detection is confirmed with measurements from a clinically-validated spectroscopic probe. Greater PpIX …

Acute Effects Of Whole-Body Vibration On Lower Extremity Muscle Performance In Persons With Multiple Sclerosis, Kurt Jackson, Harold L. Merriman, Paul M. Vanderburgh, C. Jayne Brahler

Harold L. Merriman

Background and Purpose: Whole-body vibration (WBV) is a relatively new form of exercise training that may influence muscle performance. This study investigated the acute effects of high (26 Hz) and low (2 Hz) frequency WBV on isometric muscle torque of the quadriceps and hamstrings in persons with multiple sclerosis (MS). Participants and Method: Fifteen individuals (mean age = 54.6 years, SD = 9.6) with MS and Expanded Disability Status Scale (EDSS) scores ranging from 0-6.5 (mean = 4.2, SD = 2.3) participated in this randomized cross-over study. Following baseline measures of isometric quadricep and hamstring torque, subjects were exposed to …

Breast Cancer Rehabilitation: Clinical Examination And Outcomes Assessment, Nicole L. Stout, Shana Harrington, Lucinda Pfalzer, Mary Insana Fisher

Mary Insana Fisher

Breast cancer is the most commonly diagnosed cancer in women in the United States. The treatment for breast cancer occurs along a protracted time period and includes many different disease treatment modalities. These treatments carry with them a large number of adverse effects that negatively impact function in both the short term and long term. It is necessary for rehabilitation providers to interface with patients being treated for breast cancer throughout the continuum of care so that interval assessments can be conducted to identify emerging impairments and alleviate disability. To achieve this, the rehabilitation provider must have an understanding of …

Echocardiographic Predictors Of Admission Among Patients With Heart Failure With Reduced Ejection Fraction, Chi C. Cho, Yang Shi, Robyn Shearer, Nasir Z. Sulemanjee, Dianne L. Zwicke, T. Edward Hastings, Omar M. Cheema, Vinay Thohan

Journal of Patient-Centered Research and Reviews

Background: Congestive heart failure afflicts 5.7 million people in the United States with annual incidence of 600,000 and mortality of 280,000. Heart failure accounts for greater than 1 million hospitalizations annually and the single largest inpatient Medicare expense. As the U.S. population ages and greater emphasis is placed on population health as a means to bend projected health care expenditures, large health care organizations will need to develop algorithms to identify patients at high risk with heart failure and possibly preempt hospitalizations. Doppler echocardiography is routinely performed in clinical assessment of severe heart failure.

Purpose: We sought to determine echocardiographic …

The Role Of Traditional Chinese Medicine In The Management Of Chronic Pain: A Biopsychosocial Approach, John Burns, Tiffany A. Mullen

Journal of Patient-Centered Research and Reviews

The National Institute of Medicine revealed that chronic pain affects more than 100 million adults in the United States, citing chronic pain as the leading reason patients seek medical care. Pain is also an extremely costly problem, with $635 billion per year spent nationally, more than cancer, heart disease and diabetes combined. The biomedical model of chronic pain management has largely revolved around the use of narcotic analgesics for pain control. Unfortunately, this corresponds to a growth in the rate of abuse, misuse and overdose of these drugs. Additionally, there is an inherent failure rate to the myriad procedures used …

Cardiopulmonary Exercise Testing-Based Algorithm And Its Usefulness In Clinical Cardiology, Mirza Nubair Ahmad, Syed Hasan Yusuf, Rafath Ullah, Mary Ellis, Haroon Yousaf, Timothy E. Paterick, Khawaja Afzal Ammar

Journal of Patient-Centered Research and Reviews

Background: Only cardiopulmonary exercise (CPX) testing provides information on the ability of the cardiovascular system to meet the body’s metabolic demands in terms of oxygen consumption (VO₂) and carbon dioxide production (VCO₂). However, CPX testing is underutilized by cardiologists due to complex diagnostic algorithms involving up to 30 variables as well as lack of validation studies. In addition, CPX also provides oxygen (O₂) pulse as a continuous measure of stroke volume, which is its superiority to other stress modalities in which systolic function is measured at peak stress and rest. In the literature, it …