Investigative Techniques Commons^™

Longitudinal Clonal Lineage Dynamics And Functional Characterization Of Pancreatic Cancer Chemo-Resistance And Metastasization, Chieh-Yuan Li

Dissertations and Theses (Open Access)

In recent years, technological advancements, such as next-generation sequencing and single-cell interrogation techniques, have enriched our understanding in tumor heterogeneity. By dissecting tumors and characterizing clonal lineages, we are better understanding the intricacies of tumor evolution. Tumors are represented by the presence of and dynamic interactions amongst clonal lineages. Each lineage and each cell contributes to tumor dynamics through intrinsic and extrinsic mechanisms, and the variable responses of clones to perturbations in the environment, especially therapeutics, underlie disease progression and relapse. Thus, there exists a pressing need to understand the molecular mechanisms that determine the functional heterogeneity of tumor sub-clones …

Face Mask Effects Of Co2, Heart Rate, Respiration Rate, And Oxygen Saturation On Instructor Pilots, Andrew R. Dattel, Nicola M. O'Toole, Guillermina Lopez, Kenneth P. Byrnes

Publications

The COVID-19 pandemic has required people to take new measures to mitigate the spread of the communicable virus. Guidelines from health organizations, government offices, and universities have been disseminated. Adherence to these guidelines cannot be more critical for flight training. This study explored the effects face masks had on CO2, heart rate, respiration rate, and oxygen saturation while wearing a face mask at an oxygen level simulated to 5,000 feet. Thirty-two instructor pilots (IP) volunteered to participate in the study. IPs spent 90 minutes in a normobaric chamber while wearing a cloth face mask or a paper face mask. Participants …

Pre-Stretching Of The Hamstrings Before Squatting Acutely Increases Biceps Femoris Thickness Without Impairing Exercise Performance, Thiago Barbosa Trindade, Leônidas Oliveira Neto, José Claudino Neto Pita, Vagner Deuel De Oliveira Tavares, Paulo Moreira Silva Dantas, Brad J. Schoenfeld, Jonato Prestes

Publications and Research

Background: Bilateral squat exercise is widely used in resistance training (RT) programs to increase lower limb strength and muscle mass, but this exercise does not result in significant hypertrophy of the hamstrings. It has been speculated that stretching between sets with a certain degree of tension results in muscle hypertrophy, while acute stretching could decrease performance during maximal contractions.

Objective: This study investigated the acute effects of hamstring stretching before bilateral squatting on muscle thickness (MT), electromyography (EMG), and total training volume (TTV) on exercise performance.

Methods: Fourteen resistance-trained young men, with ∼7.5 years of RT experience, performed the 10 …

Does A Diagnostic Algorithm Reduce The Overuse Of Chest Ct Angiography In Suspected Pulmonary Embolism? : A Pre- And Post-Intervention Retrospective Study In A Critical Access Hospital, Rattanaporn Mahatanan, Brianna Philbrick, William J. Hirschfeld, Gina Gomez

Journal of Maine Medical Center

Background: Pulmonary embolism (PE) is a common and potentially fatal disease. Although CTA is a gold standard for diagnosis, it carries risks for patients. We sought to minimize the overutilization of chest CTA by implementing a diagnostic algorithm in the hospital to evaluate the likelihood of PE and determine the need for imaging with CTA.

Methods: A retrospective medical chart review was performed for all patients suspicious of PE at Redington-Fairview General Hospital 3 months before and after diagnostic algorithm implementation. Patients who underwent either D-dimer testing or chest CTA were included. Patients were excluded if d-dimer testing was …

Developing An Online Health Community For Autoimmune Disease Patients Through Self-Managed Diet, Rachel Greene

Critical and Creative Thinking Capstones Collection

Part I, Autoimmune Disease Management and the Need for Intervention, discusses current and standard Autoimmune Disease- (AI/AID) management and the shortcomings within. Typical AID-management led by healthcare professionals lacks a holistic, symptom-based approach, thus further contributing to the daily chronic pain of the afflicted. This analysis indicates the need to connect those suffering with AID’s to scientific research that has determined strict dieting can significantly reduce symptoms associated with AID’s. Part II, Synthesizing A Model For Online Health Community Engagement, examines the website prototype of Greenebean, which is an online community developed via user-centric design, in a theoretical, physical, and …

Effects Of Acute Intracranial Pressure Changes On Optic Nerve Head Morphology In Humnans And Pig Model, Sachin Kedar

Theses & Dissertations

The optic nerve head (ONH) is located at the interface of intracranial and intraocular compartments. It is comprised of lamina cribrosa (LC), a fenestrated connective tissue tethered to the posterior sclera across the scleral canal. Since LC is exposed to intraocular pressure (IOP) anteriorly and intracranial pressure (ICP) posteriorly, it is an ideal site for noninvasively detecting intracranial pressure (ICP) fluctuation. We hypothesized that the pressure differential between IOP and ICP across LC, will determine LC position and meridional diameter of scleral canal (also called Bruch’s membrane opening- BMOD). We tested our hypothesis in 19 human subjects undergoing medically necessary …

Clinically Relevant 3d Characterization Of Simulated Non-Carious Cervical Dental Lesions And The Effects Of Toothbrush And Toothpaste Types On Wear, James Needy

Biomedical Engineering Undergraduate Honors Theses

This study sought to develop a novel method to quantitatively characterize non-carious cervical lesions (NCCLs) using an intraoral scanner (IOS) paired with Geomagic Wrap mesh software. The goal was to compare results with those obtained using an optical profilometer and Proscan superimposition software for clinical application. Comparisons were made using a previously published dataset aimed at measuring tooth loss associated with differing toothbrush and toothpaste types. Results show good comparability between methods and confirm that variation in brush stiffness and paste abrasivity result in significantly and predictably different levels of NCCL development. Extracted human maxillary premolars were assigned to one …

Epidemiologic Survey Of Legionella Urine Antigen Testing Within A Large Wisconsin-Based Health Care System, Caroline P. Toberna, Hannah M. William, Jessica J. F. Kram, Kayla Heslin, Dennis J. Baumgardner

Journal of Patient-Centered Research and Reviews

Purpose: Legionella pneumophila pneumonia is a life-threatening, environmentally acquired infection identifiable via Legionella urine antigen tests (LUAT). We aimed to identify cumulative incidence, demographic distribution, and undetected disease outbreaks of Legionella pneumonia via positive LUAT in a single eastern Wisconsin health system, with a focus on urban Milwaukee County.

Methods: A multilevel descriptive ecologic study was conducted utilizing electronic medical record data from a large integrated health care system of patients who underwent LUAT from 2013 to 2017. A random sample inclusive of all positive tests was reviewed to investigate geodemographic differences among patients testing positive versus negative. Statistical comparisons …

How The Wuhan Lockdown Significantly Cut Covid-19 Infections, Singapore Management University

Perspectives@SMU

CUHK study reveals the mandatory quarantine of the virus epicentre reduced infections by restricting mobility during the early stages of the outbreak and that social distancing policies in other cities were effective in containing the spread of the noval coronavirus

Budd-Chiari Syndrome From A Tunneled-Dialysis Catheter?, Ifrah Butt Md, Kairavee D. Dave Md, Lucas Rindy Do, Arash Zarrin Do, Livasky Concepcion Md, Daniel Heller Md, Franklin Kasmin Md, Steven Kaplan Md, John Rivas Md

Internal Medicine

No abstract provided.

Seek And You Shall Find: Is Routine Duplex Ultrasound Screening For Deep Vein Thrombosis In Trauma Warranted?, Ashley Thompson Md, Krista Miller Md, Tatiana R. Eversley-Kelso Mph, Eric Shaw Phd, James Dunne Md, Heather Macnew Md, Facs

General Surgery

See additional files

The Effects Of The Myokinesthetic System On Medial Tibial Stress Syndrome In The Physically Active: A Case Study, Rodrigo E. Martinez, Evelyn Benitez-Lopez, Lindsey Larkins

Clinical Practice in Athletic Training

Medial tibial stress syndrome (MTSS) is a common pathology in physically active people and one of many overuse leg injuries present in weight bearing athletes, with the highest prevalence in runners. Researchers have extensively explored treatment for MTSS, but a long-lasting and effective treatment option has not been established. This case report aimed to explore the effects of The MyoKinesthetic SystemTM (MYK), a form of manual therapy, on two athletes diagnosed with MTSS. Patient one is a 19-year-old male rugby player with a previous history of MTSS, who reported leg pain while running which progressed to constant pain. Patient two …

Mass Spectrometry Based Lipidomic Investigation Of Staphylococcus Aureus Lipid Metabolism And Characterization Of Lipase A, Naren Gajenthra Kumar

Theses and Dissertations

Staphylococcus aureus produces an arsenal of virulence factors and is adept at colonizing multiple hosts by employing specific processes to persist at different sites of infection. Infections caused by this pathogen range from self-limiting infections of the skin like folliculitis to life threatening and chronic conditions like infective endocarditis, non-healing diabetic foot ulcers and atopic dermatitis. As the field continues to expand its understanding of the mechanisms by which this pathogen rapidly develops resistance to new antibiotics, the underlying mechanisms that facilitates niche adaptation and host colonization among healthy individuals remain elusive.

Bacterial and host lipid metabolism presents and area …

Tick-Borne Infections In New Hampshire: An Evaluation Of The Diagnostic Process In A Local Patient Population, Katherine Anderson

Honors Theses and Capstones

Overall, approximately 95 percent of reported cases of vector-borne disease were associated with ticks, making these the most medically important group of arthropods in the United States.¹ Despite the prevalence of tick-borne infections, the process for the diagnosis of this condition is not well studied. This study aims to analyze data from a pool of 100 patients who underwent testing for tick-borne disease in the same institution in Dover, New Hampshire during the most recent peak tick season of 2019. Information utilized in this study included: patient age, sex, location of testing (inpatient versus outpatient), diagnostic testing methods used …

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. …

Prediction Of Molecular Mutations In Diffuse Low-Grade Gliomas Using Mr Imaging Features, Zeina A. Shboul, James Chen, Khan M. Iftekharrudin

Electrical & Computer Engineering Faculty Publications

Diffuse low-grade gliomas (LGG) have been reclassified based on molecular mutations, which require invasive tumor tissue sampling. Tissue sampling by biopsy may be limited by sampling error, whereas non-invasive imaging can evaluate the entirety of a tumor. This study presents a non-invasive analysis of low-grade gliomas using imaging features based on the updated classification. We introduce molecular (MGMT methylation, IDH mutation, 1p/19q co-deletion, ATRX mutation, and TERT mutations) prediction methods of low-grade gliomas with imaging. Imaging features are extracted from magnetic resonance imaging data and include texture features, fractal and multi-resolution fractal texture features, and volumetric features. Training models include …

Diagnostic Accuracy Of Imaging Techniques For Rotator Cuff Pathology: An Evidence-To-Practice Review, Hayley O’Connell, Brittany Decamp, Zachary Winkelmann

Clinical Practice in Athletic Training

When comparing imaging techniques for rotator cuff pathologies, clinicians tend to consider musculoskeletal ultrasonography (MSK US), magnetic renaissance imaging (MRI), and magnetic renaissance imaging with arthrogram (MRA) as diagnostic imaging techniques. Since the most recent systematic review on imaging conducted in 2003, imaging technology has improved, indicating the need for a meta-analysis to evaluate the accuracy of new diagnostic techniques (MSK US) for evaluating rotator cuff pathologies. The accuracy of MSK US readings between radiologists and non-radiologists was also analyzed. Data were extracted from three different databases and included articles exploring diagnostic imaging and the accuracy of technique at the …

Point-Of-Care Ultrasound (Pocus) Workshop For Internal Medicine Residents: A Pre/Post-Training Assessment Of Confidence And Knowledge, Abraham Lee, Cesar Gutierrez, Michelle Lopez

MEDI 9331 Scholarly Activities Clinical Years

Across the country, internal medicine residency training programs are having difficulty figuring out how to optimally implement an effective point-of-care ultrasound training into their respective curricula. This study aimed to assess whether a week-long training course of didactics, followed by hands-on practice, improved both the confidence and knowledge skills of internal medicine residents using point-of-care ultrasound (POCUS). The trainees were asked to complete pre/post-training surveys, which tested their ability to interpret POCUS images and also asked them to score their confidence in using POCUS. Results showed a statistically significant improvement in not only their confidence in using POCUS, but also …

Spectrographic Analysis Of The Lombard Effect, Julia Saxon

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

In my honors project I will study the feasibility of using spectrographic analysis to measure the Lombard effect. The Lombard effect is a well-known phenomenon in which talkers reflexively increase the intensity of their voices in the presence of background noise. We hypothesize that other measurable features of speech will also change with vocal intensity consistent with what is shown in literature. However, the current authors will discuss findings in terms of its potential value as a test of pseudohypoacusis, also known as nonorganic or functional hearing loss. The author and a licensed audiologist will examine the /i/ and /u/ …

Development Of A Method For Quantification Of Toluene Diisocyanate And Methylenediphenyl Diisocyanate Migration From Polyurethane Foam Sample Surface To Artificial Sweat By Hplc-Uv-Ms, Aleksandra Donchenko, Simon Aubin, Sébastien Gagné, Mark Spence, Livain Breau, Jacques Lesage

Études primaires

The US Environmental protection agency (EPA) has published guidance that includes test procedures for evaluating indoor exposure to chemicals from products. One of the test procedures represents the migration test for evaluating potential dermal exposure from home furniture. Such an evaluation involves the chemical measurement of the sweat which is currently unavailable in the literature. The objective of this project was to develop and validate an analytical method for quantification of migration of 4,4′-methylenediphenyl diisocyanate (MDI), 2,6-toluene diisocyanate (2,6-TDI) and 2,4-toluene diisocyanate (2,4-TDI) from a polyurethane (PU) flexible foam to artificial sweat that meets the recommendations of the EPA test …

On Site Comparison Of The Osha 42, Asset Ez4-Nco, Iso-Chek, Dan And Cip10 Methods For Measuring Toluene Diisocyanate (Tdi) At A Polyurethane Foam Factory, Simon Aubin, El Mekki Hamdi, Audrey Joly, Philippe Sarazin, Jacques Lesage, Livain Breau, Mark Spence, Sébastien Gagné

Études primaires

Because of the semi-volatile nature of diisocyanates (being airborne in both physical vapor and particulate phases), their high reactivity and low occupational exposure limits, diisocyanate exposure evaluation has been challenging for industrial hygienists and laboratories. The objective of this study was to compare the toluene diisocyanate (2,4 and 2,6 isomers, TDI) concentration measured by five methods in a flexible polyurethane foam factory using different collection or derivatization approaches. The methods used were: OSHA 42 modified (filter, 1-(2-pyridyl)piperazine) (OSHA), Asset EZ4-NCO (denuder and filter, dibutylamine) (Asset), Iso-Chek (double-filter, 9-(N-methylaminomethyl) anthracene and 1,2-methoxyphenylpiperazine), DAN (filter, 1,8-diaminonaphthalene), and CIP10 (centrifugation, 1,2-methoxyphenylpiperazine). Particle real-time …

On-Site Comparison Of The Osha 47, Asset Ez4-Nco, Iso-Chek, Dan, And Cip10 Methods For Measuring Methylene Diphenyl Diisocyanate (Mdi) At An Oriented-Strand Board (Osb) Factory, Simon Aubin, El Mekki Hamdi, Audrey Joly, Philippe Sarazin, Jacques Lesage, Livain Breau, Mark Spence, Sébastien Gagné

Études primaires

Diisocyanates are occupational contaminants and known sensitizers causing irritation (skin and respiratory tract) as well as occupational asthma. Because of their physicochemical properties (semi-volatile and high reactivity) and low occupational limits, diisocyanate exposure evaluation is still a challenge nowadays for industrial hygienists and laboratories. The objective of this study was to compare the methylene diphenyl diisocyanate (MDI) concentrations measured by five methods using different collection or derivatization approaches in an oriented-strand board (OSB) factory. The methods used were: OSHA 47 (filter, 1-(2-pyridyl)piperazine) (OSHA), Asset EZ4-NCO (denuder and filter, dibutylamine) (Asset), Iso-Chek (double-filter, 9-(N-methylaminomethyl) anthracene and 1,2-methoxyphenylpiperazine), DAN (filter, 1,8-diaminonaphthalene), and …

Validation Of A Low-Cost Inertial Motion Capture System For Whole-Body Motion Analysis, X. Robert-Lachaine, H. Mecheri, A. Muller, C. Larue, A. Plamondon

Études primaires

While some low-cost inertial motion capture (IMC) systems are now commercially available, generally, they have not been evaluated against gold standard optical motion capture (OMC). The objective was to validate the low-cost Neuron IMC system with OMC. Whole-body kinematics were recorded on five healthy subjects during manual handling of boxes for about 32 min while wearing 17 magnetic and inertial measurement units with Optotrak clusters serving as a reference. The kinematical model was calibrated anatomically for OMC and with poses for IMC. Local coordinate systems were aligned with angular velocities to dissociate differences due to technology or kinematical model. Descriptive …

Conception D’Oreilles Artificielles Réalistes Dédiées À L’Étude Du Confort Acoustique Et Physique Des Protecteurs Auditifs Intra-Auriculaires, Simon Benacchio, Olivier Doutres, Éric Wagnac, Franck Sgard

Rapports de recherche scientifique

Au Québec, environ 360 000 travailleurs sont exposés quotidiennement à des niveaux de bruit susceptibles d’engendrer des problèmes d’audition. Les protecteurs auditifs individuels sont souvent utilisés pour pallier ce problème. Cependant, l’inconfort lié à l'utilisation de ces protecteurs limite la durée du port et donc l'efficacité de la protection. Le développement d'outils de conception acoustique minimisant les sources d’inconforts auditifs et physiques de ces protecteurs tout en assurant une atténuation adéquate constitue le contexte de cette recherche.

La présente étude se concentre sur deux indicateurs du confort associés au port des bouchons d’oreille : l’atténuation et l’effet d’occlusion. L’atténuation quantifie …

Mechanisms Of Value-Biased Prioritization In Fast Sensorimotor Decision Making, Kivilcim Afacan-Seref

Dissertations and Theses

In dynamic environments, split-second sensorimotor decisions must be prioritized according to potential payoffs to maximize overall rewards. The impact of relative value on deliberative perceptual judgments has been examined extensively, but relatively little is known about value-biasing mechanisms in the common situation where physical evidence is strong but the time to act is severely limited. This research examines the behavioral and electrophysiological indices of how value biases split-second perceptual decisions and the possible mechanisms underlying the process. In prominent decision models, a noisy but statistically stationary representation of sensory evidence is integrated over time to an action-triggering bound, and value-biases …

Comparative Performance Of The Nanoscan And The Classic Smps In Determining N95 Filtering Facepiece Efficiency Against Nanoparticles, Clothilde Brochot, Fariborz Haghighat, Ali Bahloul

Études primaires

Nanoparticles are defined as particles with at least one dimension in the range of 1–100 nm. Due to the special properties of nanoparticles, they are used in many workplaces, thus leading to occupational exposure. Filtering facepieces (FFPs) are generally used in these workplaces to reduce the exposure. Many studies have measured FFP efficiency in laboratories using a scanning mobility particle sizer (SMPS). The aim of this study was to determine whether a NanoScan could be used to measure FFP efficiency against nanoparticles in workplaces for one type of N95 FFP. The results showed that the NanoScan gave maximum penetration and …

Single-Molecule Analysis Of Subtelomeres And Telomeres In Alternative Lengthening Of Telomeres (Alt) Cells, Heba Z. Abid, Jennifer Mccaffrey, Kaitlin Raseley, Eleanor Young, Katy Lassahn, Dharma Varapula, Harold Riethman, Ming Xiao

School of Medical Diagnostics & Translational Sciences Publications

BACKGROUND: Telomeric DNA is typically comprised of G-rich tandem repeat motifs and maintained by telomerase (Greider CW, Blackburn EH; Cell 51:887-898; 1987). In eukaryotes lacking telomerase, a variety of DNA repair and DNA recombination based pathways for telomere maintenance have evolved in organisms normally dependent upon telomerase for telomere elongation (Webb CJ, Wu Y, Zakian VA; Cold Spring Harb Perspect Biol 5:a012666; 2013); collectively called Alternative Lengthening of Telomeres (ALT) pathways. By measuring (TTAGGG) n tract lengths from the same large DNA molecules that were optically mapped, we simultaneously analyzed telomere length dynamics and subtelomere-linked structural changes at a large …

Tunable Multiphase Dynamics Of Arginine And Lysine Liquid Condensates, Rachel S. Fisher, Shana Elbaum-Garfinkle

Advanced Science Research Center

Liquid phase separation into two or more coexisting phases has emerged as a new paradigm for understanding subcellular organization, prebiotic life, and the origins of disease. The design principles underlying biomolecular phase separation have the potential to drive the development of novel liquid-based organelles and therapeutics, however, an understanding of how individual molecules contribute to emergent material properties, and approaches to directly manipulate phase dynamics are lacking. Here, using microrheology, we demonstrate that droplets of poly-arginine coassembled with mono/polynucleotides have approximately 100 fold greater viscosity than comparable lysine droplets, both of which can be finer tuned by polymer length. We …

Molecular And Behavioral Mechanisms Mediated Paclitaxel-Induced Changes In Affect-Like Behavior In Mice, Julia Meade

Theses and Dissertations

Paclitaxel and oxaliplatin are two chemotherapeutics that cause acute neurotoxicity and chemotherapy-induce peripheral neuropathy (CIPN) in 70-90% of cancer patients. Chemotherapy-induced sensory changes are correlated with depression and anxiety. We characterized the effects of these drugs on sensation and various mood-related behaviors in mice, to determine if changes in sensation are associated with depression-like behavior, to explore putative mechanisms of chemotherapy-induced depression-like behavior (Aim 1), and to develop a mouse model of chemotherapy-induced operant responding deficit (Aim 2). In Aim 1, we observed that a cumulative dose of 32 mg/kg paclitaxel induced mechanical hypersensitivity and transiently reduced preference for sucrose …

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, …