Analytical, Diagnostic and Therapeutic Techniques and Equipment Commons^™

Champ's Triathlon Training Program, Rachael Sollman

OTD Capstone Projects

Champ's Triathlon Training Program was created to provide an adaptive fitness opportunity to the community of Nashville, TN. This program was specifically targeting children 8 to 15 years old diagnosed with Down's Syndrome and Cerebral Palsy, Gross Motor Function Classification Scale levels I, II, and III. Champ's Triathlon Training Program was an extension of the Champ's Tri My Best Triathlon hosted by a team of therapists and Vanderbilt's Pediatric Clinic, including Kelley Newman. The program aimed to increase the participants' strength, flexibility, and endurance through triathlon related activities such as running/walking, swimming, and biking. Outcomes of the program were to …

Alexithymia Symptoms Are Not Associated With Childhood Trauma Or Crhr1 Rs110402 Genotype, Emily Wiatr, Grace Sullivan, Scott Stoltenberg

Center for Brain, Biology, and Behavior: Faculty Publications

Alexithymia is associated with difficulties in emotional self-regulation, and alexithymia is specifically associated with an absence of emotional experience and cognition of emotion. Past research has indicated a potential association between alexithymia and the CRHR1 gene . Situational factors may also impact the expression of the CRHR1 gene within an individual. Berenbaum (1996) found associations between PTSD/childhood trauma and alexithymia. This study examined these associations using the Online Alexithymia Questionnaire-G2 (OAQ-G2) as well as DNA samples gathered from 657 participants at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln (72% women; 78.6% white; mean age= 20.34; standard deviation of 2.6). It was hypothesized that …

Single Vs. Multiple Laparoscopies: Pain Status One Year Post-Hysterectomy For Chronic Pelvic Pain, Ghadear Shukr, Madeleine R. Gonte, Victoria Webber, David Eisenstein

Medical Student Research Symposium

Despite the prevalence of chronic pelvic pain (CPP)— affecting one in seven women in the U.S.— its cause is often unknown. As such, an evaluation of our current approaches to the work-up of CPP is warranted. Laparoscopy is considered a gold standard tool in the evaluation of CPP with 40% of all laparoscopies in the U.S. performed for this condition [1]. However, limited data exists portraying the clinical importance and outcomes for repeat diagnostic laparoscopies. This is a retrospective case-control study to determine the incidence of multiple laparoscopies for CPP over the past 10 years, and to compare outcomes between …

: Preoperative Patient-Centric Predictors Of Postoperative Outcomes In Patients Undergoing Arthroscopic Meniscectomy, Sreten Franovic, Noah Kuhlmann, Alexander Pietroski, Collin Schlosser, Luke Hessburg, Kelechi Okoroha, Vasilios Moutzouros, Eric Makhni

Medical Student Research Symposium

The Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System (PROMIS) is a valid and efficient means of collecting patient outcomes in patients with meniscal tears. The studies purpose was to define the minimally clinical important difference (MCID) for PROMIS domains following meniscectomy procedures. Secondary aims included determining the role of pre-operative PROMIS computer adaptive test (CAT) scores in predicting achievement of MCID following meniscectomy. Patients undergoing arthroscopic meniscectomy who completed PROMIS CAT forms for physical function (PROMIS-PF), pain interference (PROMIS-PI), and depression (PROMIS-D), from July 2017 to July 2019, at a single institution were utilized. MCID was calculated according to the distribution methodology, …

Us Guided Management Of Undifferentiated Dyspneic Patient In The Ed, Kaleigh Miller

Longitudinal Scholar's Project

Intro: Undifferentiated dyspnea can be a complicated presentation muddled by patient comorbidities and similar symptomology shared among etiologies. Some studies have shown increased mortality and length of stay in the hospital when incorrectly initially diagnosed in the ED. US has been shown more effective at differentiating these causes and improves diagnostic accuracy. This study will implement US exam upon initial exam of patient and chart time to diagnosis/treatment, length of stay in ED, length of stay in hospital admissions versus discharge rates, and 30 day mortality. ADHF and COPD/asthma patient differentiation will be the focus.

Methods: Prospective cohort study of …

Optimal Multi-Stage Arrhythmia Classification Approach, Jianwei Zhang, Huimin Chu, Daniele Struppa, Jianming Zhang, Sir Magdi Yacoub, Hesham El-Askary, Anthony Chang, Louis Ehwerhemuepha, Islam Abudayyeh, Alexander Barrett, Guohua Fu, Hai Yao, Dongbo Li, Hangyuan Guo, Cyril Rakovski

Mathematics, Physics, and Computer Science Faculty Articles and Research

Arrhythmia constitutes a problem with the rate or rhythm of the heartbeat, and an early diagnosis is essential for the timely inception of successful treatment. We have jointly optimized the entire multi-stage arrhythmia classification scheme based on 12-lead surface ECGs that attains the accuracy performance level of professional cardiologists. The new approach is comprised of a three-step noise reduction stage, a novel feature extraction method and an optimal classification model with finely tuned hyperparameters. We carried out an exhaustive study comparing thousands of competing classification algorithms that were trained on our proprietary, large and expertly labeled dataset consisting of 12-lead …

A 12-Lead Electrocardiogram Database For Arrhythmia Research Covering More Than 10,000 Patients, Jianwei Zhang, Jianming Zhang, Sidy Daniako, Hai Yao, Hangyuan Guo, Cyril Rakovski

Mathematics, Physics, and Computer Science Faculty Articles and Research

This newly inaugurated research database for 12-lead electrocardiogram signals was created under the auspices of Chapman University and Shaoxing People’s Hospital (Shaoxing Hospital Zhejiang University School of Medicine) and aims to enable the scientific community in conducting new studies on arrhythmia and other cardiovascular conditions. Certain types of arrhythmias, such as atrial fibrillation, have a pronounced negative impact on public health, quality of life, and medical expenditures. As a non-invasive test, long term ECG monitoring is a major and vital diagnostic tool for detecting these conditions. This practice, however, generates large amounts of data, the analysis of which requires considerable …

A Comparative Study Of Machine Learning Approaches For Human Activity Recognition, Loknath Ambati, Omar El-Gayar

SDSU Data Science Symposium

The goal of this project is to study the performance of Machine Learning (ML) techniques used in Human Activity Recognition (HAR). Specifically, we aim to 1) evaluate and benchmark the performance of various ML techniques used for HAR against established ML performance metrics using multiple datasets, and 2) map the characteristics of various HAR datasets to appropriate ML techniques. From a theoretical perspective, the research will shed light into the strengths and weaknesses of various ML techniques that can provide insights into future research aimed at improving these techniques for HAR. From a practical perspective, the research provides guidance into …

From Their Perspective: A Qualitative Analysis Of Stroke Survivor’S Motivation To Participate In Rehabilitation, Katie Tinsley, Rachel Johnson

Undergraduate Research Symposium

Introduction: It is common practice for healthcare professionals to make judgments about a patient's motivation based on their demeanor and compliance with therapy. Motivation is one of the predictors used to determine a stroke survivor's rehabilitation potential. There are several theories and constructs for motivation; however, there is limited research applying these concepts in stroke rehabilitation. Rehabilitation clinicians primarily rely on their clinical judgment and consult the evidence from related fields to identify the motivational needs of a stroke survivor. The objective of this study was to understand specific barriers to participation and identify motivational needs to sustain engagement in …

Listening To The Patient: A Typology Of Contextual Red Flags In Disease Management Encounters, Amy E. Binns-Calvey, Gunjan Sharma, Naomi Ashley, Brendan Kelly, Frances M. Weaver, Saul J. Weiner

Journal of Patient-Centered Research and Reviews

Purpose: Patients send clues, often unwittingly, when they are grappling with a life challenge that complicates their care. For instance, a patient may lose control of a previously well-managed chronic condition or start missing appointments. When explored, these clues help clinicians uncover the life circumstance impacting the individual’s ability to manage their health and health care. Such clues are termed “contextual red flags.” Effective care requires recognizing them, asking about them, and customizing the care plan where feasible. We sought to develop a typology of contextual red flags by analyzing audio recordings along with the medical records of encounters between …

Lead X-Ray Vests: Pros And Cons In Dental Radiography And Patient Education On Radiographic Technology, Kayla D. Oakley, Emily Deker

Dental Hygiene Student Scholarship

Problem: There is a greater need to emphasize and educate patients and providers about radiologic advancements and patient exposure. The tradition of placing lead x-ray vests on patients for all radiographs is no longer a necessity. Without the explanation of why lead aprons are no longer needed, unnecessary steps for the provider and potential harm to the patient could be caused.

Methods: This review of literature was assembled by analyzing data from primary and secondary sources through online databases. The most recent research on the risks and benefits of the use of lead x-ray vests towards patients in …

Neuropsychological Change After A Single Season Of Head Impact Exposure In Youth Football, Arthur C. Maerlender, Eric Smith, P. Gunnar Brolinson, Joseph J. Crisco, Jillian Urban, Amaris Ajamil, Steven Rowson, Eamon T. Campolettano, Ryan A. Gellner, Srinidhi Bellamkonda, Emily Kieffer, Mireille E. Kelley, Derek Jones, Alex Powers, Jonathan Beckwith, Joel Stitzel, Richard M. Greenwald, Stefan Duma

Center for Brain, Biology, and Behavior: Faculty Publications

Objectives: Head impact exposure (HIE) in youth football is a public health concern. The objective of this study was to determine if one season of HIE in youth football was related to cognitive changes.

Method: Over 200 participants (ages 9–13) wore instrumented helmets for practices and games to measure the amount of HIE sustained over one season. Pre- and post-season neuropsychological tests were completed. Test score changes were calculated adjusting for practice effects and regression to the mean and used as the dependent variables. Regression models were calculated with HIE variables predicting neuropsychological test score changes.

Results: For the full …

The Effect Of In-Service Methodology On Learning Transfer For School Personnel Managing Students Following Concussion, Jennifer Parent-Nichols, Angela Desilva Mousseau, Joshua Cleland, Jonathan D. Lichtenstein, Arthur C. Maerlender

Center for Brain, Biology, and Behavior: Faculty Publications

Background: It is essential to increase the knowledge base of teachers involved in facilitating return to learning in middle school students following a concussion. However, the best method to enhance the transfer of learning for teachers remains to be elucidated. Application of Adult Learning Theory (ALT) is a plausible solution to this problem. Purpose: The purpose of this randomized post-test study was to examine the effects of ALTon the transfer of learning in teachers who work with individuals with concussion. Methods: A convenience sample of 169 teachers at four middle schools were randomized to receive an in-service regarding concussion management …

Sleep And Stress In The Acute Phase Of Concussion In Youth, Arthur C. Maerlender, Caitlin Masterson, Jessica L. Calvi, Todd Caze, Ross Mathiasen, Dennis Molfese

Center for Brain, Biology, and Behavior: Faculty Publications

This study sought to address the complex interplay between both biological and psychological perceptions of stress and sleep in the acute stages following a mild traumatic brain injury. A secondary goal was to identify potential targets for intervention. Eleven acutely injured youth (mean age 12 years) were studied at home with overnight actigraphy, salivary cortisol and melatonin assays, and subjective ratings of stress and fatigue (injured group). Nine matched control youth also were assessed (control group). Results suggested longer sleep latencies (time to fall asleep) and higher levels of fatigue in the injured group exist (p ¼ 0.025 and p …

The Global Assessment Of School Functioning (Gasf): Criterion Validity And Interrater Reliability, Arthur C. Maerlender, Joseph Palamara, Jonathan Lichtenstein

Center for Brain, Biology, and Behavior: Faculty Publications

The Global Assessment of School Functioning (GASF) provides a robust estimate of a student's overall level of functioning within the school environment. It is intended to capture a global metric reflecting academic, social and general behavioral functioning within the school. It is a modification of the Global Assessment of Functioning and reflects functioning across academics, interpersonal relationships, school behavior, and school participation. It was developed to allow school personnel a means to communicate the general level of student functioning without re- verting to specific issues or immediate concerns. This paper reports on the scale's criterion validity and interrater reliability. Confirmations …

Psychometric Properties Of The Standardized Assessment Of Concussion In Youth Football: Validity, Reliability, And Demographic Factors, Arthur C. Maerlender, Eric Smith, P. Gunnar Brolinson, Jillian Urban, Steven Rowson, Amaris Ajamil, Eamon T. Campolettano, Ryan A. Gellner, Srinidhi Bellamkonda, Mireille E. Kelley, Derek Jones, Alex Powers, Jonathan Beckwith, Joseph J. Crisco, Joel Stitzel, Stefan Duma, Richard M. Greenwald

Center for Brain, Biology, and Behavior: Faculty Publications

The objective of this study was to determine the psychometrics (reliability, validity) of the original Standardized Assessment of Concussion (SAC) in a youth sample (ages 11 to 13). Demographic factors of race, level of vocabulary knowledge, mother’s level of education were also considered. Over 150 youth football athletes completed the SAC and a brief battery of NIH Toolbox cognitive tests as part of a larger study on biomechanical factors in youth sport concussion. This was a within-subjects design (pre-season, post-season assessments), and correlational analysis of convergent and discriminant validity. Between groups analysis based on demographic differences was also employed. The …

Modeling Interactions Between Brain Function, Diet Adherence Behaviors, And Weight Loss Success, Amanda N. Szabo-Reed, Laura E. Martin, Jinxiang Hu, Hung-Wen Yeh, Joshua Powell, Rebecca J. Lepping, Trisha M. Patrician, Florance J. Breslin, Joseph E. Donnelly, Cary R. Savage

Center for Brain, Biology, and Behavior: Faculty Publications

Summary

Introduction: Obesity is linked to altered activation in reward and control brain cir-cuitry; however, the associated brain activity related to successful or unsuccessful weight loss (WL) is unclear.

Methods: Adults with obesity (N = 75) completed a baseline functional magnetic res-onance imaging (fMRI) scan before entering a WL intervention (ie,3-month diet and physical activity [PA] program). We conducted an exploratory analysis to identify the contributions of baseline brain activation, adherence behavior patterns, and the asso-ciated connections to WL at the conclusion of a 3-month WL intervention. Food cue-reactivity brain regions were functionally identified using fMRI to index brain activation …

Males With Chronic Ankle Instability Demonstrate Deficits In Neurocognitive Function Compared To Control And Copers, Adam B. Rosen, Melanie L. Mcgrath, Arthur C. Maerlender

Center for Brain, Biology, and Behavior: Faculty Publications

The purpose of this study was to determine if there were neurocognitive deficits among controls, copers and those with chronic ankle instability (CAI). Participants included those without history of ankle injury (n = 14), ankle sprain copers (n = 13) and patients with self-reported CAI (n = 14). They completed a battery of valid and reliable computer-based neurocognitive tests. The differences between neurocognitive domain scores were compared across the Control, Coper and CAI groups. Patients with CAI had lower composite memory, visual memory and simple attention compared to controls. In males with CAI, large differences in memory and attention were …

Neural Bases Of Phonological And Semantic Processing In Early Childhood, Avantika Mathur, Douglas H. Schultz, Yingying Wang Dr.

Center for Brain, Biology, and Behavior: Faculty Publications

During the early period of reading development, children gain phonological (letter-to-sound mapping) and semantic knowledge (storage and retrieval of word meaning). Their reading ability changes rapidly, accompanied by learning-induced brain plasticity as they learn to read. This study aims at identifying the neural bases of phonological and semantic processing in early childhood by using a combination of univariate and multivariate pattern analysis. Nineteen typically developing children between the age of five and seven performed visual word-level phonological (rhyming) and semantic (related meaning) judgment tasks during functional magnetic resonance imaging scans. Our multivariate analysis showed that young children with good reading …

Oral Contraceptives As Possible Acl Injury Prevention Method, Haley Schweizer

Capstone Showcase

ABSTRACT

Introduction: Anterior Cruciate Ligament (ACL) injuries are an upsetting setback for many athletes that require a long and costly recovery process. The injury rates are four times greater in women than men. Preventative measures that help to prevent ACL injuries are limited to stretching and strengthening. Therefore, this review aims to investigate if oral contraceptive [I] usage provides a possible new avenue for prevention of ACL injury [O] in young female athletes (ages 18-30) [P] compared to those that do not take oral contraceptives [C].

Methods: A literature review was performed though PubMed, Google Scholar, SCOPUS Database, and ClinicalKey …

The Efficacy Of Acute Normovolemic Hemodilution Compared To Cell Salvage As A Blood Transfusion Alternative, Julia Yu

Capstone Showcase

Blood transfusions are currently the treatment of choice for significant blood loss. However, there are a variety of reasons for which they cannot be utilized. Current alternatives are acute normovolemic hemodilution (ANH) and cell 1 This study analyzes whether ANH or cell salvage is more effective in minimizing blood loss in perioperative or trauma patients. Multiple different studies involving either ANH or cell salvage were compared to each other. However, due to the lack of research conducted in either method, results obtained were largely inconclusive.

Adaptive Background Correction Of Crystal Image Datasets: Towards Automated Process Control, Luke Kiernan, Ian Jones, Lauri Kurki, Patrick J. Cullen, Toufic El Arnaout

Articles

Improving the data descriptor calculation of crystal’s physical properties requires sophisticated imaging techniques and algorithms. It has been possible to construct 2D population balance models benefiting from characteristic measurements of both crystal’s length and width, compared to the single representative sizes used in 1D models. Our aim is to ameliorate the procedure of determining shape (and not only size) factors, in an automated fashion and directly from the process, for implementation in future models. Here, approaches suitable for real-time applications were employed including engineered imaging sensors and adaptive algorithms. We described the latter in detail for varying 2D image datasets. …

Development Of A Torque-Based Device For The Quantification Of Arm Rigidity In Patients With Parkinson’S Disease, Georgina O. Miller

Theses and Dissertations

Parkinsonian rigidity is caused by the inability of the muscles to relax and extend properly, due to reduced dopamine levels and often begins on one side of the body before spreading contralaterally. The current standard for determining joint rigidity in a clinical setting is a test completed by the clinician based on the feel of the relaxed wrist and elbow joints as they are passively flexed and extended and a series of ordinal rating scales, the Movement Disorder Society’s – Unified Parkinson’s Disease Rating Scale (MDS-UPDRS), Hoehn and Yahr Scale (H&Y), and Parkinson’s Disease Questionnaire-39 (PDQ-39). These methods are used …

The Positive Effects Of Exercise On Active Transplant Recipients And Its Impact On Medication Adherence, Travane Morrison

Theses

Organ failure is a life-threatening condition (Daugirdas et al, 2014). Non-adherence to medication is one of the main causes of the failure of a transplanted organ (Oberlin et al, 2016). In an effort to combat non-adherence to medication, research had employed intervention studies to tackle the main cause of non-adherence (Chisholm-Burns, 2013). The aims of this project are three fold. Firstly it aims to find if complications associated with organ transplant affect the individual’s medication adherence. Secondly, it explores the connections between exercise and medication adherence. Thirdly the research explores if exercise assists with possible complications associated with an organ …

Vibrational Spectroscopy For In Vitro Monitoring Stem Cell Differentiation, Francesca Ravera, Esen Efeoglu, Hugh Byrne

Other resources

Stem cell technology has attracted considerable attention over recent decades due to its enormous potential in regenerative medicine and disease therapeutics. Studying the underlying mechanisms of stem cell differentiation and tissue generation is critical, and robust methodologies and different technologies are required. Towards establishing improved understanding and optimised triggering and control of differentiation processes, analytical techniques such as flow cytometry, immunohistochemistry, reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction, RNA in situ hybridisation analysis, and fluorescence-activated cell sorting have contributed much. However, progress in the field remains limited because such techniques provide only limited information, as they are only able to address specific, …

Genetic Taster Status As A Mediator Of Neural Activity And Swallowing Mechanics In Healthy Adults, Angela M. Dietsch, Ross M. Westemeyer, William G. Pearson Jr., Douglas H. Schultz

Center for Brain, Biology, and Behavior: Faculty Publications

As part of a larger study examining relationships between taste properties and swallowing, we assessed the influence of genetic taster status (GTS) on measures of brain activity and swallowing physiology during taste stimulation in healthy men and women. Twenty-one participants underwent videofluoroscopic swallowing study (VFSS) and functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) during trials of high-intensity taste stimuli. The precisely formulated mixtures included sour, sweet-sour, lemon, and orange taste profiles and unflavored controls. Swallowing physiology was characterized via computational analysis of swallowing mechanics plus other kinematic and temporal measures, all extracted from VFSS recordings. Whole-brain analysis of fMRI data assessed blood …

The Never-Ending Lap, Ennica D. Jacob, Alexis Reese

Capstones

This personal film documents the journey of a Haitian-American woman dealing with sexual trauma in a culture that doesn’t speak candidly on the topic. How can women of the African- American diaspora break the cycle of sexual trauma and what are coping mechanisms to navigate their life choices with awareness?

The Never-Ending Lap will follow Ennica’s own healing process, delving delve into the cycles of sexual trauma. The film will explore past experiences through journal entries, therapy sessions and her love for track and field as she is on the road to search for coping mechanisms and healing.

Link: https://ennicajacob.myportfolio.com/videos

Image Restoration Using Automatic Damaged Regions Detection And Machine Learning-Based Inpainting Technique, Chloe Martin-King

Computational and Data Sciences (PhD) Dissertations

In this dissertation we propose two novel image restoration schemes. The first pertains to automatic detection of damaged regions in old photographs and digital images of cracked paintings. In cases when inpainting mask generation cannot be completely automatic, our detection algorithm facilitates precise mask creation, particularly useful for images containing damage that is tedious to annotate or difficult to geometrically define. The main contribution of this dissertation is the development and utilization of a new inpainting technique, region hiding, to repair a single image by training a convolutional neural network on various transformations of that image. Region hiding is also …

Data Mining Raman Microspectroscopic Responses Of Cells To Drugs In Vitro Using Multivariate Curve Resolution-Alternating Least Squares, David Perez-Guaita, Guillermo Quintas, Zeineb Farhane, Roma Tauler, Hugh Byrne

Articles

Raman microspectroscopy is gaining popularity for the analysis of time-dependent biological processes such as drug uptake and cellular response. It is a label-free technique which acquires signals from a large variety of components, including cell biomolecules and exogenous compounds such as drugs and nanoparticles, and is commonly employed for in vitro analysis of cells and cell populations with no labelling or staining required. By monitoring the changes to the Raman spectra of the cell as a result of a perturbing agent (e.g. inoculation of a drug or toxic agent), one can study the associated changes in cell biochemistry involved in …

Cannabidiol Is Beneficial In Management Of Drug-Resistant Dravet Syndrome, Nikita Desai

Clinical Research in Practice: The Journal of Team Hippocrates

A critical appraisal and clinical application of Devinsky O, Cross H, Laux L, et al. Trial of Cannabidiol for Drug-Resistant Seizures in the Dravet Syndrome. N Engl J Med. 2017;376(21):2011-2020. doi: 10.1056/NEJMoa1611618.