Analytical, Diagnostic and Therapeutic Techniques and Equipment Commons^™

Mechanism Of Fecal Bacteriotherapy In Treating Clostridium Difficile Infection And Gi Tract Disorders, Rivka Steinberg

The Science Journal of the Lander College of Arts and Sciences

Clostridium difficile infection, an increasingly prevalent and virulent condition, is often resistant to treatment. Standard antibiotic therapy is rarely efficient when used to treat recurrent C. difficile infection. Fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) is a safe, effective and inexpensive treatment that has a cure rate of about 90%, according to clinical trials and reports. This approach may also be applicable in treating ulcerative colitis, a type of inflammatory bowel disease, on the basis of the restoration of flora imbalances. Additionally, recent data suggests that a disproportion in composition of the gut microbiome may contribute to obesity. FMT, may restore a healthy …

The Psychological And Neurological Effectiveness Of Placebo Treatment, Aliza Jeidel

The Science Journal of the Lander College of Arts and Sciences

Placebo effect is an alternative medical approach that doctors utilize in treating health issues. For years, people thought that placebo pills were inert drugs or medically illegitimate measures that have psychological effects on the patient, therefore alleviating the patient’s pain. However, in recent years, with the advent of technology, more studies are involving neurological aspects to the already-proven psychological aspects of the placebo effect. Yet there is still some opposition and much to be proven better on this topic. What is very important is that although there is opposition, there is growing recognition that the placebo effect may actually involve …

Perceived Threat Associated With Police Officers And Black Men Predicts Support For Policing Policy Reform, Allison L. Skinner, Ingrid J. Haas

Center for Brain, Biology, and Behavior: Faculty Publications

Racial disparities in policing and recent high-profile incidents resulting in the deaths of Black men have ignited a national debate on policing policies. Given evidence that both police officers and Black men may be associated with threat, we examined the impact of perceived threat on support for reformed policing policies. Across three studies we found correlational evidence that perceiving police officers as threatening predicts increased support for reformed policing practices (e.g., limiting the use of lethal force and matching police force demographics to those of the community). In contrast, perceiving Black men as threatening predicted reduced support for policing policy …

Aptameric Sensors: In Vitro Selection Of Dna That Binds Bromocresol Purple, Derek B. Miller

Honors Undergraduate Theses

Aptamers being used as sensors is an emerging field that has capabilities of being tomorrow’s diagnostic tools. As aptameric sensors have become more popular, their visualization systems have been limited. The majority of today’s aptameric sensors require expensive machinery such as a fluorometer in order to visualize results. We propose a system that will cut the need for instrumentation and be detected via the naked eye. With the selection of an aptamer to bind the pH indicating dye bromocresol purple (BCP) this may be achieved. When rendered active, the binding towards BCP will facilitate a color change from yellow to …

Validity Of Wearable Fitness Trackers On Sleep Measure, Alyssa Keill

Research Presentations

Wearable trackers that detect sleep offer users a way to track their sleep quality and patterns without the use of expensive equipment. Few studies have tested the validity of these trackers on sleep measure. PURPOSE: To examine the validity of the Actigraph GT9X (AG), SenseWear Mini Armband (SW), Basis Peak (BP), Fitbit Charge HR (FB), Jawbone UP3 (JU), and Garmin Vivosmart (GV) for estimating sleep variables as compared with a sleep diary. METHODS: 78 healthy individuals participated in the study. Group 1 (n= 38) and wore the AG, SW, BP, and FB or Group 2 (n = 40) …

Examining The Validity Of Fitbit Charge Hr Tm For Measuring Heart Rate In Free-Living Conditions, Jung-Min Lee, Hyun-Sung An, Seoung-Ki Kang, Youngdeok Kim

Research Presentations

Optical blood flow sensors (i.e. photoplethysmographic techniques) have recently been utilized in wearable activity trackers. The Fitbit Charge HRTM (FBHR) is one of the widely recognized wearable activity trackers that utilizes Fitbit’s proprietary PurePulse optical heart rate (HR) technology to automatically measure wrist-based HR. Despite its increasing popularity, however, no study to date has addressed the validity of FBHR for measuring HR in free-living conditions. PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to examine the validity of FBHR for measuring HR using a chest strap Polar HR monitor (PHR) as a reference measure in free-living conditions. METHODS: Ten …

A Randomized Controlled Trial Of Anesthesia Guided By Bis Vs. Standard Care And Effects On Cognition, Zohn Centimole

Theses and Dissertations--Nursing

Postoperative cognitive dysfunction (POCD) occurs frequently in individuals undergoing major surgery with general anesthesia. POCD adversely affects morbidity and health-related quality of life. Derived electroencephalographic (EEG) monitoring is utilized to guide the anesthesia provider in titration of volatile anesthetics. POCD has been associated volatile anesthetic neurotoxicity. EEG monitors are known to reduce a patient’s total cumulative dose exposure to volatile anesthetics. There is currently little evidence to support utilization of EEG monitors as a guide to reduce the incidence of POCD.

The purpose of this dissertation was to develop and test a technique of general anesthesia, delivered by anesthesia providers …

Biventricular Finite Element Modeling And Quantification Of 3d Langragian Strains And Torsion Using Dense Mri, Zhanqiu Liu

Theses and Dissertations--Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering

Statistical data suggests that increased use of evidence-based medical therapies has largely contributed to the decrease in American death rate caused by heart disease. And my studies are about two applications of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) as a non-invasive approach in evidence-based health care research. In my first study, the achievement of a pulmonary valve replacement surgery was assessed on a patient with tetralogy of Fallot (TOF). In order to evaluate the remodeling of right ventricle, two biventricular finite element models were built up for pre-surgical images and post-surgical images. In my second study, 3D Lagrangian strains and torsion in …

Developing And Evaluating Complex Interventions: Enhancing The Role Of Qualitative Research, Lisa Whitehead, Marie Crowe, Carol Bugge, Kirsten Coppell

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

The use of qualitative research methods alongside randomized controlled trials of health-care interventions have the potential to contribute to the development and evaluation of both complex and other health interventions. Qualitative evaluations of interventions are rarely reported but can provide insight into the intervention process, and the feasibility and acceptability of the intervention, to improve and adapt interventions.

The Effect Of Intermittent Pneumatic Compression On The Management Of Pain Associated With Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness, Ashley Kay Lindahl

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

Intermittent pneumatic compression is used for the recovery of active individuals following intense exercise with little research to support its use. This study evaluates the effectiveness of intermittent pneumatic compression on musculoskeletal pain associated with DOMS among healthy college age population. Objective: Evaluate the efficacy of intermittent pneumatic compression, compared to a placebo, in the prevention of pain associated with delayed onset muscle soreness. Design: Experimental, Repeated Measure Design. Participants: Thirty healthy college-age volunteers (15 male: 21.5 ± 2.3 yrs, 179.3 ± 9.9 cm, 91.4 ± 26.4 kg; 15; female: 20.4 ± 1.5 yrs, 168.9 ± 6.9 cm, 69.1 ± …

The Immediate Effects Of Thearapeutic Taping On Musculoskeletal Pain, Aaron Michael Krejci

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

Context: Therapeutic taping is commonly used as a preventative intervention; however, its utilization as an immediate pain management intervention is still unknown. This study assesses the immediate effectiveness of therapeutic taping on musculoskeletal pain. Objective: Evaluate the immediate effects of three therapeutic taping interventions on musculoskeletal pain. Design: Experimental, single-group repeated measures design. Participants: 29 physically active volunteers (14 male, 15 female) with a mean age of 20.9 ± 1.98. Methods: Participants were induced with delayed onset muscle soreness to their elbow flexors of the non-dominant arm. Forty-eight hours after induction, participants’ baseline pain was measured using the Numeric Pain …

A New Technique To Improve The Operation Of Prosthetic Limbs During Muscle Fatigue, H. Albunashee, G. Rasool, K. Iqbal, G. White

Journal of the Arkansas Academy of Science

Prosthetic limbs hold a promise to renew the quality of life for the amputee. Neural commands are decoded via a classifier to generate control signals for the prosthetic devices. In the literature, many challenges and limitations have been identified that affect the prosthesis operation. One such drawback is muscle fatigue which degrades the surface electromyogram (sEMG) signals, and consequently, the performance of the deployed classification algorithm declines from 90% to 50% of average accuracy. We used a new technique using the Linear Discrimination Analysis (LDA) algorithm and the muscle synergy-based task discrimination (MSD) algorithm to improve the classification accuracy. In …

The Influence Of Solid Microneedles On The Transdermal Delivery Of Selected Antiepileptic Drugs, Julia Nguyen, Kevin B. Ita, Matthew J. Morra, Inna E. Popova

Faculty Publications & Research of the TUC College of Pharmacy

The aim of this project was to examine the effect of microneedle rollers on the percutaneous penetration of tiagabine hydrochloride and carbamazepine across porcine skin in vitro. Liquid chromatography-mass spectrometric analysis was carried out using an Agilent 1200 Series HPLC system coupled to an Agilent G1969A TOF-MS system. Transdermal flux values of the drugs were determined from the steady-state portion of the cumulative amount versus time curves. Following twelve hours of microneedle roller application, there was a 6.74-fold increase in the percutaneous penetration of tiagabine hydrochloride (86.42 ± 25.66 µg/cm²/h) compared to passive delivery (12.83 ± 6.30 µg/cm …

The Effects Of Testosterone Supplementation On Cognitive Functioning In Older Men, Eka Wahjoepramono, Prita Asih, Vilia Aniwiyanti, Kevin Taddei, Satvinder Dhaliwal, Stephanie Fuller, Jonathan Foster, Malcolm Carruthers, Giuseppe Verdile, Hamid R. Sohrabi, Ralph Martins

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

Reduction in testosterone levels in men during aging is associated with cognitive decline and risk of dementia. Animal studies have shown benefits for testosterone supplementation in improving cognition and reducing Alzheimer’s disease pathology. In a randomized, placebo-controlled, crossover study of men with subjective memory complaint and low testosterone levels, we investigated whether testosterone treatment significantly improved performance on various measures of cognitive functioning. Forty-four men were administered a battery of neuropsychological tests to establish the baseline prior to being randomly divided into two groups. The first group (Group A) received 24 weeks of testosterone treatment (T treatment) followed by 4 …

1h-Nmr Urinary Metabolomic Profiling For Diagnosis Of Gastric Cancer, Angela W. Chan, Pascal Mercier, Daniel Schiller, Robert Bailey, Sarah Robbins, Dean T. Eurich, Michael B. Sawyer, David Broadhurst

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

Background:

Metabolomics has shown promise in gastric cancer (GC) detection. This research sought to identify whether GC has a unique urinary metabolomic profile compared with benign gastric disease (BN) and healthy (HE) patients.

Methods:

Urine from 43 GC, 40 BN, and 40 matched HE patients was analysed using ¹H nuclear magnetic resonance (¹H-NMR) spectroscopy, generating 77 reproducible metabolites (QC-RSD < 25%). Univariate and multivariate (MVA) statistics were employed. A parsimonious biomarker profile of GC vs HE was investigated using LASSO regularised logistic regression (LASSO-LR). Model performance was assessed using Receiver Operating Characteristic (ROC) curves.

Results:

GC displayed a clear discriminatory biomarker profile; the BN profile overlapped with GC and HE. LASSO-LR identified …

Reductions In Circulating Levels Of Il-16, Il-7 And Vegf-A In Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, Abdolamir Landi, David Broadhurst, Suxanne D. Vernon, D. Lorne J. Tyrell, Michael Houghton

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

Recently, differences in the levels of various chemokines and cytokines were reported in patients with myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS) as compared with controls. Moreover, the analyte profile differed between chronic ME/CFS patients of long duration versus patients with disease of less than 3 years. In the current study, we measured the plasma levels of 34 cytokines, chemokines and growth factors in 100 chronic ME/CFS patients of long duration and in 79 gender and age-matched controls. We observed highly significant reductions in the concentration of circulating interleukin (IL)-16, IL-7, and Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A (VEGF-A) in ME/CFS patients. All …

The Effectiveness Of Self-Management Mobile Phone And Tablet Apps In Long-Term Condition Management: A Systematic Review, Lisa Whitehead, Philippa Seaton

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

Background:

Long-term conditions and their concomitant management place considerable pressure on patients, communities, and health care systems worldwide. International clinical guidelines on the majority of long-term conditions recommend the inclusion of self-management programs in routine management. Self-management programs have been associated with improved health outcomes; however, the successful and sustainable transfer of research programs into clinical practice has been inconsistent. Recent developments in mobile technology, such as mobile phone and tablet computer apps, could help in developing a platform for the delivery of self-management interventions that are adaptable, of low cost, and easily accessible.

Objective:

We conducted a systematic review …

Discriminant Validity Of The Hospital Anxiety And Depression Scale, Beck Depression Inventory (Ii) And Beck Anxiety Inventory To Confirmed Clinical Diagnosis Of Depression And Anxiety In Patients With Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease, Tina Phan, Owen Carter, Claire Adams, Grant Waterer, Li Ping Chung, Maxine Hawkins, Cobie Rudd, Mel R. Ziman, Natalie Strobel

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

The objective of this study was to investigate the discriminant validity of commonly used depresson and anxiety screening tools in order to determine the most suitable tool for patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). COPD patients (n = 56) completed the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS), Beck Depression Inventory (BDI-II) and Beck Anxiety Inventory (BAI). These scores were compared to confirmed clinical diagnosis of depression and anxiety using the Mini Neuropsychiatric Interview. HADS depression subscale (HADS-D) sensitivity/specificity was 78/81 %; BDI-II 89/77 %; HADS anxiety subscale (HADS-A) 71/81 %; and BAI 89/62 %. HADS-D sensitivity/specificity was improved …

An Algorithm For Extracting The Ppg Baseline Drift In Real-Time, Tuan Ngoc Nguyen

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

Photoplethysmography is an optical technique for measuring the perfusion of blood in skin and tissue arterial vessels. Due to its simplicity, accessibility and abundance of information on an individual’s cardiovascular system, it has been a pervasive topic of research within recent years. With these benefits however there are many challenges concerning the processing and conditioning of the signal in order to allow information to be extracted. One such challenge is removing the baseline drift of the signal, which is caused by respiratory rate, muscle tremor and physiological changes within the body as a response to various stimuli.

Over the years …

The Physician’S Perspective On The Impact Of Interpretive Services On The Physician- Patient Relationship, Amrita Pandey

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

The basis of the physician-patient relationship relies heavily on communication. It has been known that conversation between physician and patient is important in both diagnosing and providing therapeutic support. However, according to the US Census Bureau twenty percent of the US population does not use English as their first language. These residents face language barriers on a daily basis, including when they are being treated medically. The aim of this study was to research the physician’s perspective on the use of interpretive services and how it impacts the physician- patient relationship. The research consisted of surveying physicians who encounter patients …

Vague Neuroglycopenic Complaints Camouflage Diagnosis Of Adolescent Insulinoma: A Case Report., Kelsee Halpin, Ryan Mcdonough, Patria Alba, Jared Halpin, Vivekanand Singh, Yun Yan

Manuscripts, Articles, Book Chapters and Other Papers

BACKGROUND: Insulinoma is a rare diagnosis in the general population with estimates of 1 in 250,000 people per year. Reports of these pancreatic islet cell tumors are even more unusual in children and adolescents. Chronic hypoglycemia due to an insulinoma often presents with neuroglycopenic symptoms that can easily be overlooked, especially in adolescents where nonspecific complaints are common. This may result in delayed diagnosis with prolonged periods of untreated hypoglycemia and associated complications. The rarity of pediatric insulinoma, vagueness of presenting symptoms, and challenge of tumor localization make insulinoma a true diagnostic quandary for clinicians.

CASE PRESENTATION: In this report, …

Reducing Overutilization Of Testing For Clostridium Difficile Infection In A Pediatric Hospital System: A Quality Improvement Initiative., J Michael Klatte, Rangaraj Selvarangan, Mary Anne Jackson, Angela Myers

Manuscripts, Articles, Book Chapters and Other Papers

OBJECTIVES: Study objectives included addressing overuse of Clostridium difficile laboratory testing by decreasing submission rates of nondiarrheal stool specimens and specimens from children ≤12 months of age and determining resultant patient and laboratory cost savings associated with decreased testing.

METHODS: A multifaceted initiative was developed, and components included multiple provider education methods, computerized order entry modifications, and automatic declination from laboratory on testing stool specimens of nondiarrheal consistency and from children ≤12 months old. A run chart, demonstrating numbers of nondiarrheal plus infant stool specimens submitted over time, was developed to analyze the initiative's impact on clinicians' test-ordering practices. A …

Does Music Therapy Reduce Anxiety Levels In End-Stage Renal Disease Patients Undergoing Hemodialysis?, Andrew C. Konopacki

PCOM Physician Assistant Studies Student Scholarship

OBJECTIVE: The objective of this selective EBM review is to determine whether or not music therapy reduces anxiety levels in end-stage renal disease patients undergoing hemodialysis.

STUDY DESIGN: Systematic Review of two randomized controlled trials and one crossover study published in English in 2008, 2012 and 2013, respectively.

DATA SOURCES: Two non-blind randomized controlled trials and one cross-over study were found via PubMed and EBSCOhost databases.

OUTCOMES MEASURED: Subjective Anxiety Levels were measured in ESRD patients undergoing hemodialysis pre and posttest via patient self-reporting. An anxiety level survey graded on a scale of 1-10 was used in the study by …

Is Non-Nutritive Sucking An Effective Method Of Providing Analgesia To Newborns Undergoing Painful Procedures?, Eric B. Hooper

PCOM Physician Assistant Studies Student Scholarship

OBJECTIVE: “The objective of this selective EBM review is to determine whether or not nonnutritive sucking is an effective method of providing analgesia to infants undergoing painful procedures.”

STUDY DESIGN: A systematic review of three blinded randomized-controlled trials (RCT’s), published from 2011 to 2013. All were published in English, one of which was translated from its original Spanish version to an English publication. DATA

SOURCES: Three RCT’s were found using the PubMed database and all were published in peer-reviewed journals.

OUTCOMES MEASURED: The incidence and severity of pain were measured during procedures using the Premature Infant Pain Profile (PIPP) and/or …

Does Exogenous Melatonin Improve Quality Of Sleep In Patients Experiencing Sleep Disturbances Secondary To Chronic Diseases?, Blessen B. Thomas

PCOM Physician Assistant Studies Student Scholarship

Objective: The objective of this selective EBM review is to determine whether or not “Does exogenous melatonin improve quality of sleep in patients experiencing sleep disturbances secondary to chronic diseases?”

Study Design: Three Randomized, placebo-controlled studies (RCT) published in 2010, 2013 and 2008. Data Sources: All RCTs searched and located using PubMed database.

Outcomes Measured: Clinical outcome for all three articles using quality of sleep or quality of life questionnaires such as the Leeds Sleep Evaluation. All of which evaluated POEMs, and were self reported by participants.

Results: In a randomized control study (RCT) by Serfaty et al, sleep quality …

The Effect Of Therapeutic Horseback Riding On Balance And Self-Efficacy In Children With Developmental Disabilities, Lauren M. Hurley, Alexandra Smola

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

The prevalence of developmental disabilities in children in the United States is a serious problem. Since children with developmental disabilities often show decreased self-efficacy and balance, researchers have studied the effects of interventions in this population. The purpose of this study is to determine the effect of a 10-week THR session on balance and task-specific self-efficacy in children with physical disabilities ages 6 to 18 years old. Bandura’s social cognitive theory and The Physical Stress Theory will guide the quasi-experimental study. A pre-test post-test design will be implemented over a 12 week span at 3 different riding centers in the …

Association Of Running Biomechanics And Injury In Middle School Cross Country Runners, Rachel Salberg

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

INTRODUCTION: While associations between running biomechanics and injury incidence have been fairly well investigated in the adult population, few studies have targeted the adolescent population. Since the adolescent developmental stage places certain vulnerabilities on athletes, adolescents typically sustain injuries that differ from those of adults (DiFiori J.P., et al, 2014). Due to these vulnerabilities, it would be relevant to investigate the biomechanics-injury relationship specifically in this population. PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to investigate the associations that exist between running gait characteristics and incidence of injury for middle school cross country runners METHODS: The running gait of 19 …

Chronic Pain Causal Attributions In An Interdisciplinary Primary Care Clinic: Patient-Provider And Provider-Provider Discrepancies, Bryan Jensen

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of the present study was to investigate the influence of pain causal attributions on patient pain-related functioning, treatment engagement, and clinical outcomes. Additionally, the impact of discordant pain causal attributions between patients and their providers as well as between interdisciplinary providers was examined. Patients rated their pain functioning and causal pain attributions during a regular clinic visit. Following the patient’s visit both the behavioral medicine provider and internal medicine resident provided ratings of similar pain-related functioning domains and causal attributions. Follow-up data were collected from the electronic medical record three months following that clinic visit. Overall, results revealed …

Diagnostic Practices Of Autism Spectrum Disorders In Brazil, Ana Claudia Vespa Mainer Dias

Master's Theses

In Brazil, in spite of over half a million students with special needs in primary education, little research has been conducted about ASD diagnostic practices. This involves learning about the training that professionals are receiving, what diagnostic practices are being implemented on the field, and whether those are being contextualized according to the Brazilian culture. Students with special needs are directly affected by the results of diagnostic practices, since identifying the individuals is one of the first steps. Lack of understanding about that stage may lead to the problematic realities of underidentification or overidentification, exclusion of children who should receive …

Test–Retest, Retest, And Retest: Growth Curve Models Of Repeat Testing With Immediate Post-Concussion Assessment And Cognitive Testing (Impact), Arthur C. Maerlender, Caitlin J. Masterson, Tiffany D. James, Jonathan Beckwith, Per Gunner Brolinson, Joe Crisco, Stefan Duma, Laura A. Flashman, Rick Greenwald, Steven Rowson, Beth Wilcox, Tom W. Mcallister

Department of Psychology: Faculty Publications

Computerized neuropsychological testing has become an important tool in the identification and management of sports-related concussions; however, the psychometric effect of repeat testing has not been studied extensively beyond test–retest statistics. The current study analyzed data from Division I collegiate athletes who completed Immediate Post-Concussion Assessment and Cognitive Testing (ImPACT) baseline assessments at four sequential time points that varied over the course of their athletic careers. Administrations were part of a larger National Institutes of Health (NIH) study. Growth curve modeling showed that the two memory composite scores increased significantly with successive administrations: Change in Verbal Memory was best represented …