Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

Challenges Posed By Tick-Borne Rickettsiae: Eco- Epidemiology And Public Health Implications, Marina E. Eremeeva, Gregory A. Dasch

Environmental Health Sciences: Faculty Publications

Rickettsiae are obligately intracellular bacteria that are transmitted to vertebrates by a variety of arthropod vectors, primarily by fleas and ticks. Once transmitted or experimentally inoculated into susceptible mammals, some rickettsiae may cause febrile illness of different morbidity and mortality, and which can manifest with different types of exhanthems in humans. However, most rickettsiae circulate in diverse sylvatic or peridomestic reservoirs without having obvious impacts on their vertebrate hosts or affecting humans. We have analyzed the key features of tick-borne maintenance of rickettsiae, which may provide a deeper basis for understanding those complex invertebrate interactions and strategies that have permitted …

Using The Symmetry Of False Matches To Solve The Correspondence Problem, Cherlyn J. Ng, Bart Farell

Biomedical and Chemical Engineering - All Scholarship

Veridical stereoscopic depth depends on matching corresponding image points. This requires solving the stereo correspondence problem: how are true matches distinguished from false ones? Conventional algorithms select true matches on the basis of feature detection [what do you mean by ‘feature detection’ here? Is there some more specific term?] and adherence to natural statistics. They reject false matches as noise. We propose here an alternative that uses the signals present in false matches to delineate the true solution. When visualized in a Keplerian array, binocular matches are symmetrically reflected about an axis that is a potential solution. Properties such as …

Synapsis: Georgia Campus (2015), Philadelphia College Of Osteopathic Medicine

All Yearbooks

The yearbook includes Class Officers, American Academy of Osteopathy Undergraduate Teaching Fellows, In Memory of Anne Yi Chong, Orientation, Formals, Halloween Party, Student Clubs, Casino Night, Cadaver Ceremony, Student Fun Day, Words of Wisdom.

Synapsis: Philadelphia Campus 2015, Philadelphia College Of Osteopathic Medicine

All Yearbooks

No abstract provided.

The Impact Of Patient Portals On Release Of Information Requests, April Insco

Applied Research Projects

Patient portals are no longer a thing of the past. The government has issued a mandate that all covered entities who are reimbursed under Medicare payments must implement patient portals as a part of the Meaningful Use initiative or suffer penalties. The objective of this study is to review the data to see if there is a decrease in the number of release of information (ROI) requests at facilities that have implemented patient portals. A survey was conducted to determine if there was any change in the number of ROI requests that facilities received prior to implementation of patient portal …

Managing Copy And Paste Functionality In The Electronic Health Record, Tricia Urquhart-Jones

Applied Research Projects

The increased adoption of Electronic Health Records (EHR) has identified a significant need to develop tools to help providers maximize time spent documenting in the EHR. Copy and paste functionality, also known as carrying forward, cut and paste, and cloning, is one of many tools that can help providers save time and has been around longer than computers. A survey of thirteen Health Information Management (HIM) professionals responsible for HIMS functions within an acute care hospital in North Carolina was conducted. The survey response rate was 53%. The data gathered in this research study will add to HIM body of …

Health Information Exchanges And Patient Portals In Behavioral Health, Christine Peterson

Applied Research Projects

We live in an electronic world. Technology is everywhere, including in our healthcare system. With the advent on the electronic health record and the push to meet Meaningful Use, many healthcare organizations have already started using patient portals and sharing information among providers via health information exchanges. There have been roadblocks to successful implantation of patient portals and health information exchanges, one of which is how to handle behavioral health information and would these new technologies be accepted by patients with mental health diagnoses

The Challenges Of Establishing Partners In Health Information Exchange (Hie), Torian Tate

Applied Research Projects

Health information exchange (HIE) has become a focus of the health care industry. The ability to share information electronically between multiple health care providers is thought to be a key ingredient in the creation of a more efficient global health care system. VA Hospital Memphis has significant challenges in regard to HIE. The Virtual Lifetime Electronic Record (VLER) coordinator at the facility has been charged with establishing an HIE system. This requires the coordinator to identify partners to share health information with electronically, obtain buy-in from patients and providers through education, and to promote/market the VLER program facility-wide. The VA …

Design, Synthesis, Antiviral Activity, And Pre-Formulation Development Of Poly-Larginine- Fatty Acyl Derivatives Of Nucleoside Reverse Transcriptase Inhibitors, Bhanu P. Pemmaraju, Swapnil Malekar, Hitesh K. Agarwal, Rakesh Tiwari, Donghoon Oh, Gustavo F. Doncel, David R. Worthen, Keykavous Parang

Pharmacy Faculty Articles and Research

The objective of this work was to design conjugates of anti-HIV nucleosides conjugated with fatty acids and cell-penetrating poly-L-arginine (polyArg) peptides. Three conjugates of polyArg cell-penetrating peptides with fatty acyl derivatives of alovudine (FLT), lamivudine (3TC), and emtricitabine (FTC) were synthesized. In general, the compounds exhibited anti-HIV activity against X4 and R5 cell-free virus with EC50 values of 1.5–16.6 μM. FLT-CO-(CH2)12-CO-(Arg)7 exhibited EC50 values of 2.9 μM and 3.1 μM against X4 and R5 cell-free virus, respectively. The FLT conjugate was selected for further preformulation studies by determination of solution state degradation and lipid solubility. The compound was found to …

Graduate Bulletin, 2015-2016, Minnesota State University Moorhead

Graduate Bulletins (Catalogs)

No abstract provided.

Accurate Parental Perception As A Milestone In Managing Childhood Obesity, Florence Walusimbi

Master of Public Health Program Student Publications

Objective: There were three objectives of this study: to determine the accuracy of parental perception of their child’s weight status; to compare parent and child perception of the child’s weight status; and, to ascertain if comments from the child’s health professional about the child’s weight status was related to the accuracy of the parent’s perception.

Methods: Using NHANES 2011-2012 data, chi square analysis (p

Results: Overall, 24.7% of parents and 29.6% of children underestimated the child’s weight status. For overweight/obese children, 60.1% of parents and 60.4% of children underestimated the child’s weight status. Almost 90% of parents did not recall …

Development Of Population Protective Procedures For A Radiological Event, Daniel A. Baker

Master of Public Health Program Student Publications

Objective: The purpose of this investigation was to evaluate the execution of emergency preparedness procedures of the west central Ohio region during a radiological event. Preparedness plans were generated by the Dayton Metropolitan Medical Response System and Public Health – Dayton and Montgomery County, which would later be disseminated to eight counties in west central Ohio.

Methods: Two live scenarios, a region-wide functional exercise and a Medical Reserve Corps training exercise, were used to test different procedures and protocols for a radiological event relevant to various first response agencies (public health, law enforcement, emergency medical systems, hospitals, etc.). Exercise evaluation …

The Accuracy And Feasibility Of Production Records To Measure Food Selection In School Cafeterias, Erin R. Krafka, Ellen M. Claiborne

Master of Public Health Program Student Publications

Background: New meal pattern requirements have recently been introduced and emphasize the serving of vegetable subgroups. These regulations ensure students are offered certain food items, and the selection and consumption of these items are essential to track their progress and effectiveness. This study investigates whether production records are a feasible tool in tracking selection across time by comparing production records with direct observation of food selection in the lunchroom.

Methods: Food selection was measured through direct observation and production records for two consecutive weeks. The frequencies of daily items served were entered into Excel and each food item was coded …

Assessment Of Knowledge And Attitudes On Latent Tuberculosis Treatment Acceptance In A Southwest Ohio Public Health Clinic, Ann M. Biedenharn

Master of Public Health Program Student Publications

Latent tuberculosis infection (LTBI), like active tuberculosis (TB) disease, disproportionately affects foreign-born persons living in the United States. Without treatment, those diagnosed with LTBI risk going into active disease and potentially becoming infectious. Determining any knowledge, attitudes, or social characteristics associated with a person’s decision to initiate LTBI treatment is significant for TB control. A logic model based on the Theory of Reasoned Action functioned as a guide to understanding the antecedents related to LTBI treatment acceptance. Participants enrolled in the study at the time of LTBI treatment offer in a Southwest Ohio public health TB clinic. An examination of …

Relactation In Emergencies, Ashley N. Franz

Master of Public Health Program Student Publications

Disaster situations in the United States are unique entities that require solutions which are well thought out, appropriate for the population and planned well in advance. Infant and young child feeding in emergencies is no exception. While in peacetime infants may be safely nourished with both breastmilk and infant formula, disaster situations often add a level of complexity to feeding with infant formula, including lack of access to potable water and ability to effectively sterilize feeding items. Such complexities, along with the important and undeniable fact that breastmilk is the ideal form of food for all babies (and especially in …

Decompression Illness In United States Air Force: High Risk Occupations, Jaime Rojas

Master of Public Health Program Student Publications

Introduction: Although the physics of decompression sickness (DCS) is well understood, an individual’s unique response to the bubble formation places the United States Air Force’s (USAF) Airmen and missions at risk. We identified 123 decompression sickness diagnoses in the USAF between the years 2005-2010. From these cases we attempted to identify an association between the disease and the two occupations that are routinely performing high-altitude duties, the U2 pilot and the hypobaric chamber technician. Methods: A Chi-squared analysis was performed to identify if DCS was associated with the high-altitude occupations, tobacco, or alcohol. Results: There association between DCS and U2 …

Immigrant Women: Risk And Protective Factors Associated With Depression And Anxiety Disorders, Fartun Yussuf

Master of Public Health Program Student Publications

Purpose: The purpose of this review was to provide an international perspective on the effects of immigration on the mental health of women. Many of the current reviews focus on one ethnic group and the many factors influencing their mental health. This review examined many ethnic groups but attempted to focus on immigration-related factors that may act as risk or protective factors for depression and anxiety in first- and second-generation immigrant women.

Method: A search of electronic databases for peer-reviewed articles resulted in 30 studies, of which 19 were reviewed for this analysis. The search was limited to studies published …

Effects Of Workload On Measures Of Sustained Attention During A Flight Simulator Night Mission, Hans-Juergen Hoermann, Patrick Gontar, Andreas Haslbeck

International Symposium on Aviation Psychology - 2015

N=60 commercial airline pilots holding valid ATPLs flew a manual ILS approach following a weather induced missed approach during a night mission in full flight simulators. Measures of subjective fatigue, sustained attention, and the NASA Taskload Index were collected before and after the mission. In addition, sleep history data were available covering three days prior to the simulator. Both subjective and objective measures of fatigue showed significant ascent over the three hours of the experimental procedure. While sleep history data and roster information were related to both the overall level of fatigue and to reaction times, pilots who experienced a …

Army Aviation Manned-Unmanned Teaming (Mum-T): Past, Present, And Future, Grant Taylor, Terry Turpin

International Symposium on Aviation Psychology - 2015

As the use of unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) in military operations has increased, so too have their capabilities. One recently developed capability is the ability to operate in conjunction with traditional manned aircraft through a process called manned-unmanned teaming (MUM-T), allowing manned aviators to benefit from the unique capabilities of UAS. This paper provides an introduction to the concept of MUM-T, describing the early stages of research and development, current MUM-T capabilities in fielded Army systems, and planned future development efforts to continue to advance the capability.

Optimizing Performance Of Trainees For Uas Manpower, Interface And Selection (Optumis): A Human Systems Integration (Hsi) Approach, Jennifer Pagan, Dr. Randy Astwood, Cdr Henry Phillips

International Symposium on Aviation Psychology - 2015

Unmanned Aerial System (UAS) operations research by Williams (2004) found that platforms which employ winged aviators (e.g., Predator) have shown higher mishaps than those that select operators that are nonpilots (e.g., Shadow). One explanation may be negative training transfer from manned to unmanned platforms as operators are separated from the aircraft, thus depriving them of a range of sensory cues (McCarley & Wickens, 2007). Another explanation for higher Predator mishaps may be associated with poor Ground Control Station (GCS) design. These varying explanations for differences in mishap rates across platforms indicate the need to address a number of Human System …

Follow-Up Examination Of Simulator-Based Training Effectiveness, Maxine Lubner, Andrew R. Dattel, Deb Henneberry, Sharon Devivo

International Symposium on Aviation Psychology - 2015

A descriptive examination of the effectiveness of a simulator-based training program for pilots was conducted. Of 55 students of varying backgrounds, but mostly with limited flight experience, 13 enrolled in an intensive, simulator-based flight training program. Within two years the remainder had enrolled in conventional collegiate flight training, supplemented with some simulator training. The students in the intensive program completed their FAA Private Pilot certificates in an average of 5 weeks (not including simulator time). Moreover, the intensive program group earned their private pilot’s certificate in statistically significantly fewer hours (M=46.03) than the conventional collegiate flight training group (M=76.06). The …

The Electrooculogram And A New Blink Detection Algorithm, Samantha L. Epling, Matt Middendorf, Michael Hoepf, Christina Gruenwald, Lucas Stork, Scott Galster

International Symposium on Aviation Psychology - 2015

Accurate and efficient real-time cognitive workload assessment has many important applications, and physiological monitoring has proven quite helpful with this assessment. One such physiological signal, the electrooculogram (EOG), can provide blink rate and blink duration measures. In a recent study, we developed and validated a robust blink detection algorithm based on the vertical EOG (VEOG). This algorithm does not require baseline data and is adaptive in the sense that it works for a wide variety of individuals without any experimenter adjustments. The performance of the algorithm is quantified using truth data based on video recordings. The algorithm produced blink rate …

Functional Complexity Failures And Automation Surprises: The Mysterious Case Of Controlled Flight Into Stall (Cfis), Lance Sherry, Robert Mauro

International Symposium on Aviation Psychology - 2015

Nineteen modern airliner Loss of Control (LOC) accidents resulting in aerodynamic stalls were analyzed. These accidents involved structurally and mechanically sound aircraft decelerating through the 1.3VStall buffer to the stall airspeed - i.e. a Controlled Flight into Stall (CFIS). The analysis produced three main observations: First, the accidents were “functional complexity” failures -- the result of a complex sequence of behaviors of the automation functions. There were no consistent: failures that triggered the events (e.g. sensor failures), effects of triggering events on the automation (e.g. mode change), or commands issued by the automation (e.g. thrust setting). Second, the pilots were …

Evaluation Of An Eye Tracking-Based Assessment And Debrief Tool For Training Next Generation Multirole Tactical Aviation Skills, Meredith Carroll, Glenn Surpris, Greg Sidor, Winston Bennett Jr.

International Symposium on Aviation Psychology - 2015

As tactical aircraft become increasingly complex, pilots’ cognitive resources will become increasingly strained, especially as more critical and multifaceted information is presented on Helmet Mounted Displays (HMDs). Therefore, it is critical to ensure training results in pilots learning optimal strategies for operating in this information-rich environment, including appropriate attention allocation between different dynamic, adjustable displays and efficient scan strategies. To achieve this, a performance assessment and debrief system was developed that incorporates eye tracking technology into an HMD-enabled multirole fighter simulation to capture and process gaze data to aid in diagnosing why a pilot error occurred. The system utilizes eye …

Modeling Task Prioritization Behaivors In A Time-Pressured Multitasking Environment, Takeaki Toma, Kenneth H. Funk Ii

International Symposium on Aviation Psychology - 2015

Cockpit task management (CTM) theory is structurally consistent with cognitive multitasking models. Based on the CTM framework, it is hypothesized that aviation task prioritization behavior in human multitasking may be influenced by importance, urgency, performance status, salience, and workload of tasks in a cockpit. A middle fidelity flight simulation study was conducted to test the above hypotheses. Questionnaire data indicated that the perceived task importance, the perceived task urgency and the perceived task salience had significant relationships with the perceived task priority after taking the individual difference and flight situational difference into account. The perceived task priority was related to …

Open Source Devices For Human Factors Research, Kevin M. Gildea, Nelda J. Milburn

International Symposium on Aviation Psychology - 2015

The availability of increasingly powerful and versatile open source software and hardware products continues to open new possibilities for the design and development of experimental devices. The declining cost of many proprietary software and hardware solutions has further increased the options available to researchers. These new capabilities have led to an increasing number of people engaging in design and development of devices for research and other purposes. Capabilities that were previously only available to well-funded engineering organizations are now accessible to individuals and small teams with limited resources. The formation and growth of local and online support communities have provided …

Physiological Indicators Of Workload In A Remotely Piloted Aircraft Simulation, Michael Hoepf, Matt Middendorf, Samantha Epling, Scott Galster

International Symposium on Aviation Psychology - 2015

Toward preventing performance decrements associated with mental overload in remotely piloted aircraft (RPA) operations, the current research investigated the feasibility of using physiological measures to assess cognitive workload. Two RPA operators were interviewed to identify factors that impact workload in target tracking missions. Performance, subjective workload, cortical, cardiac and eye data were collected. One cardiac and several eye measures were sensitive to changes in workload as evidenced by performance and subjective workload data. Potential future applications of this research include closed loop systems that employ advanced augmentation strategies, such as adaptive automation. Thus, by identifying physiological measures well suited for …

Exploring The Mathematical Predictability Of The Advanced Aircraft Training Climate, Preven Naidoo

International Symposium on Aviation Psychology - 2015

Effective pilot training on advanced aircraft is vital in ensuring flight safety, and positive perceptions of the training climate can contribute to the success of the training. Hypothetically, characteristics of the trainee can predict the training climate. Thus far, predictive models have provided little information about the mental viscosity or psychological comfort of the processes of pilot training. The purpose of this study was to develop a mathematical model to predict the psychological comfort of the organisational environment for advanced aircraft pilot transition training using a dichotomous categorical criterion. A predictive model of the phenomena was contemplated from a non-parametric …

Inverting The Human/Automation Equation To Support Situation Awareness And Prevent Loss Of Control, Alez Kirlik, Kasey Ackerman, Ben Seefeldt, Enric Xargay, Donald Talleur, Ronald Carbonari, Naira Hovakimyan, Lui Sha, Anna Trujillo, Irene Gregory

International Symposium on Aviation Psychology - 2015

Despite the contributions of automation to aviation safety and efficiency, the problems associated with technology-centered rather than human-centered automation are well known: decreased pilot situation awareness, deterioration of manual piloting skills, difficulties pilots experience when trying to jump into the loop when needed, and so forth. We present a prototype architecture for human-automation interaction that reverses their traditional roles: in our design, the automation "looks over the shoulder" of the pilot and jumps into the loop when needed rather than the other way around to prevent aircraft loss-of-control (LoC). The architecture exploits the LoC prevention algorithm proposed by Wilborn and …

Reliability Of Instructor Pilots' Non-Technical Skills Ratings, Patrick Gontar, Hans-Juergen Hoermann

International Symposium on Aviation Psychology - 2015

This paper presents the results of different methods to assess reliability when instructor pilots rate pilots regarding their non-technical skills (NOTECHS). In preparation for a major inter-rater reliability study, this pretest analyzes the rating behavior of two instructor pilots during a full-flight simulator mission. Besides inter-rater reliability and test-retest reliability, the pilots’ self-rating (n =12) and the instructors’ point of view is analyzed. Results indicate a wide spread from poor to excellent reliabilities as a function of the different rating dimensions. Regarding inter-rater reliability, it is found that non-technical skills are rated more reliably under high workload conditions than under …