Physical Sciences and Mathematics Commons^™

Development Of A Novel Technique For Predicting Tumor Response In Adaptive Radiation Therapy, Rebecca Marie Seibert

Doctoral Dissertations

This dissertation concentrates on the introduction of Predictive Adaptive Radiation Therapy (PART) as a potential method to improve cancer treatment. PART is a novel technique that utilizes volumetric image-guided radiation therapy treatment (IGRT) data to actively predict the tumor response to therapy and estimate clinical outcomes during the course of treatment. To implement PART, a patient database containing IGRT image data for 40 lesions obtained from patients who were imaged and treated with helical tomotherapy was constructed. The data was then modeled using locally weighted regression. This model predicts future tumor volumes and masses and the associated confidence intervals based …

Data Mining Of Pancreatic Cancer Protein Databases, Peter Revesz, Christopher Assi

CSE Conference and Workshop Papers

Data mining of protein databases poses special challenges because many protein databases are non- relational whereas most data mining and machine learning algorithms assume the input data to be a type of rela- tional database that is also representable as an ARFF file. We developed a method to restructure protein databases so that they become amenable for various data mining and machine learning tools. Our restructuring method en- abled us to apply both decision tree and support vector machine classifiers to a pancreatic protein database. The SVM classifier that used both GO term and PFAM families to characterize proteins gave …

The Morbidity & Mortality Of Prevalent Heart Failure, Jennifer Kwon

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

The first study population included 292 unselected consecutive patients from the LLUMC heart failure clinic who were enrolled in the study from January to July 2006 and were followed up through the end of December 2010. The treatment policy at the clinic was to uptitrate dosages of beta-adrenergic blockade (β-blockers), angiotensin-converting-enzyme inhibitors (ACEi) and angiotensin II receptor blockers (ARB) to the most tolerable levels in order to reach target dosages, as recommended by the Heart Failure Society of America (HFSA). Patients were classified into systolic heart failure (ejection fraction (EF) < 40%) or diastolic heart failure (EF≥40%). All dosages of β-blockers, ACEi and ARB were extracted through chart reviews and were used as the main predictors of the patients' survival. Results from analyses showed that reaching target dosages of β-blockers and ACEi/ARB may increase survival when compared to not reaching target among the systolic HF population (HR_{β_biockers}= 0.64, 95% CI 0.26-1.56 and HR_ACEi/ARB=0.50, …

Limited Sampling Estimates Of Epigallocatechin Gallate Exposures In Cirrhotic And Noncirrhotic Patients With Hepatitis C After Single Oral Doses Of Green Tea Extract., Dina Halegoua-De Marzio, Walter K. Kraft, Constantine Daskalakis, Xie Ying, Roy L Hawke, Victor J. Navarro

Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology Faculty Papers

BACKGROUND: Epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG) has antiangiogenic, antioxidant, and antifibrotic properties that may have therapeutic potential for the treatment of cirrhosis induced by hepatitis C virus (HCV). However, cirrhosis might affect EGCG disposition and augment its reported dose-dependent hepatotoxic potential.

OBJECTIVE: The safety, tolerability, and disposition of a single oral dose of EGCG in cirrhotic patients with HCV were examined in an exploratory fashion.

METHODS: Eleven patients with hepatitis C and detectable viremia were enrolled. Four had Child-Pugh (CP) class A cirrhosis, 4 had Child-Pugh class B cirrhosis, and 3 were noncirrhotic. After a single oral dose of green tea extract 400 …

Prediction Of Radiation Pneumonitis By Dose-Volume Histogram Parameters In Lung Cancer--A Systematic Review, George Rodrigues, Michael Lock, David D'Souza, Edward Yu, Jake Van Dyk

Michael Lock

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: To perform a systematic review of the predictive ability of various dose-volume histogram (DVH) parameters (V(dose), mean lung dose (MLD), and normal tissue complication probability (NTCP)) in the incidence of radiation pneumonitis (RP) caused by external-beam radiation therapy.

METHODS AND MATERIALS: Studies assessing the relationship between CT-based DVH reduction parameters and RP rate in radically treated lung cancer were eligible for the review. Synonyms for RP, lung cancer, DVH and its associated parameters (NTCP, V(20), V(30), MLD) were combined in a search strategy involving electronic databases, secondary reference searching, and consultation with experts. Individual or group data …

Technology Assessment Of Automated Atlas Based Segmentation In Prostate Bed Contouring, Jeremiah Hwee, Alexander Louie, Stewart Gaede, Glenn Bauman, David D'Souza, Tracy Sexton, Michael Lock, Belal Ahmad, George Rodrigues

Michael Lock

BACKGROUND: Prostate bed (PB) contouring is time consuming and associated with inter-observer variability. We evaluated an automated atlas-based segmentation (AABS) engine in its potential to reduce contouring time and inter-observer variability.

METHODS: An atlas builder (AB) manually contoured the prostate bed, rectum, left femoral head (LFH), right femoral head (RFH), bladder, and penile bulb of 75 post-prostatectomy cases to create an atlas according to the recent RTOG guidelines. 5 other Radiation Oncologists (RO) and the AABS contoured 5 new cases. A STAPLE contour for each of the 5 patients was generated. All contours were anonymized and sent back to the …

The Effect Of Genetic Background And Dose On Non-Targeted Effects Of Radiation, Sarah Irons, Virginia Sierra, Deborah Bowler, Kim Chapman, Stefania Militi, Fiona Lyng, Munira Kadhim

Articles

Purpose: This work investigates the hypothesis that genetic background plays a significant role in the signalling mechanisms underlying induction and perpetuation of genomic instability following radiation exposure.

Materials and methods: Bone marrow from two strains of mice (CBA and C57) were exposed to a range of X-ray doses (0, 0.01, 0.1, 1 and 3 Gy). Different cellular signalling endpoints: Apoptosis, cytokine levels and calcium flux, were evaluated at 2 h, 24 h and 7 d post-irradiation to assess immediate and delayed effects.

Results: In CBA (radiosensitive) elevated apoptosis levels were observed at 24 h post X-irradiation, and …

A Descriptive Study Of Childhood Cancer Statistics: Montgomery County, Jamie L. Hartig

Master of Public Health Program Student Publications

Objective: This research describes childhood cancer and identifies variances in childhood cancer statistics in the United States, Ohio, and Montgomery County.

Methods: This is a descriptive analysis of childhood cancer statistics using the Ohio Cancer Incidence Surveillance System (OCISS) (Ohio Department of Health, 2010) and CDC Wonder database (United States Department of Health and Human Services [USDHHS], Centers for Disease Control and Prevention [CDC], & National Cancer Institute [NCI], 2008 & 2011.) Cancer incidences between white children and black children were compared for the years 1999-2009. The OCISS database was also used to compare vital status by race, cancer stage …

Building A Computer Program To Support Children, Parents, And Distraction During Healthcare Procedures, Kirsten Hanrahan, Ann Marie Mccarthy, Charmaine Kleiber, Kaan Ataman, W. Nick Street, M. Bridget Zimmerman, Annel L. Ersig

Business Faculty Articles and Research

This secondary data analysis used data mining methods to develop predictive models of child risk for distress during a healthcare procedure. Data used came from a study that predicted factors associated with children's responses to an intravenous catheter insertion while parents provided distraction coaching. From the 255 items used in the primary study, 44 predictive items were identified through automatic feature selection and used to build support vector machine regression models. Models were validated using multiple cross-validation tests and by comparing variables identified as explanatory in the traditional versus support vector machine regression. Rule-based approaches were applied to the model …

Conventional Isolated Aortic Valve Replacement In Octogenarians: A 10-Year Single Center Experience, James K. Wu Md, Justin D. Roberts Do, Gregory S. Troutman Bs, Michael J. Weiss Mph, Sanjay M. Mehta Md, Theodore G. Phillips Md, Michael F. Szwerc Md, Gary W. Szydlowski Md, Timothy S. Misselbeck, Raymond L. Singer Md

Department of Surgery

No abstract provided.

Cosmic Ray Particles Images With Orca-Ii Erg, George Mcnamara

George McNamara

Cosmic ray particles image series acquired using a Hamamatsu ORCA-II ERG scientific grade CCD camera, cooled to -60 C. Each image is a consecutive 600 second (10 minute) exposure time with no light to the camera.

While processing the data, I discoverd that the background changed around planes 25 and 227 (see Excel file and jpeg screenshots), so I also processed only planes 025-227 (203 planes total, 2030 minutes, 33.83 hours). the CCD industry "rule of thumb" for a "typical" CCD sensor (i.e. 1/3" CCD) is that one cosmic ray particle strikes a sensor approximately every 30 seconds (assuming not …

A Comparison Of Individual Versus Community Influences On Youth Smoking Behaviours: A Cross-Sectional Observational Study, Anna M. Adachi-Mejia, Heather A. Carlos, Ethan M. Berke, Susanne E. Tanski, James Sargent

Dartmouth Scholarship

Objectives: To compare individual with community risk factors for adolescent smoking. Design: A cross-sectional observational study with multivariate analysis.Setting: National telephone survey.Participants: 3646 US adolescents aged 13–18 years in 2007 recruited through a random digit-dial survey.

Radiation Dose Distributions In Three Dimensions From Tomographic Optical Density Scanning Of Polymer Gels: Ii. Optical Properties Of The Bang Polymer Gel, Yevgeniya Zastavker, Marek Maryanski, John Gore

Yevgeniya V. Zastavker

A newly developed method of radiation dosimetry makes use of the optical properties of polymer gels. The dose-response mechanism relies on the production of light-scattering polymer micro-particles in the gel at each site of radiation absorption. The scattering produces an attenuation of transmitted light intensity that is directly related to the dose and independent of dose rate. For the BANG polymer gel (bis, acrylamide, nitrogen, and gelatin) the shape of the dose-response curve depends on the fraction of the cross-linking monomer in the initial mixture and on the wavelength of light. At 500 nm the attenuation coefficient (μ) increases by …

Mri-Based Attenuation Correction In Emission Computed Tomography, Harry R. Marshall

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

The hybridization of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) with positron emission tomography (PET) or single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) enables the collection of an assortment of biological data in spatial and temporal register. However, both PET and SPECT are subject to photon attenuation, a process that degrades image quality and precludes quantification. To correct for the effects of attenuation, the spatial distribution of linear attenuation coefficients (μ-coefficients) within and about the patient must be available. Unfortunately, extracting μ-coefficients from MRI is non-trivial. In this thesis, I explore the problem of MRI-based attenuation correction (AC) in emission tomography.

In particular, I …

A Mathematical Model For Dengue Fever In A Virgin Environment, Jason K. Bowman

Senior Honors Projects

Dengue is a mosquito-borne viral infection found in tropical and subtropical regions around the world. The disease was named in 1779 and the first recorded epidemic of it occurred simultaneously on three continents within the following decade. Dengue is characterized by flu-like symptoms and, while its symptoms are generally reported as quite unpleasant, is rarely fatal. However, in some cases patients can contract a more serious form of the disease, known as Dengue Hemorrhagic Fever, which is far more dangerous. The World Health Organization estimates that today over 2.5 billion people are at risk for Dengue (over 40% of the …

Effects Of Hyperthermia On Photochemical Internalization-Mediated Delivery Of Bleomycin, Christina Schlazer

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Standard treatment protocols for high-grade gliomas, such as glioblastoma multiforme (GBM), are highly ineffective due to their inability to eradicate infiltrating tumor cells. Improvements in overall survival are likely to be realized only with the development of more effective localized therapies capable of eradicating tumor cells in the surgical resection margin and beyond. Photochemical internalization (PCI) is a localized light-based therapeutic modality that enhances the efficacy of therapeutic macromolecules including chemotherapeutic agents such as bleomycin. A number of studies have shown that this photodynamic therapy (PDT) - based modality may prove effective in the treatment of high-grade gliomas.

Three-dimensional multicell …

Hearts And Minds: Examining The Evolution Of The Egyptian Excerebration And Evisceration Traditions Through The Impact Mummy Database, Andrew D. Wade

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Egyptian mummification and funerary rituals were a transformative process, making the deceased a pure being; free of disease, injury, and disfigurements, as well as ethical and moral impurities. Consequently, the features of mummification available to specific categories of individuals hold social and ideological significance. This study refutes long-held classical stereotypes, particularly dogmatic class associations; demonstrates the apocryphal nature of universal heart retention; and expands on the purposes of excerebration and evisceration implied by synthetic and radiological analyses.

Features of the embalming traditions, specifically the variable excerebration and evisceration traditions, represented the Egyptian view of death. Fine-grain analyses, through primary imaging …

Breast Cancer Screening Practices Among American Indians And Alaska Natives In The Midwest, Christine M. Daley, Melissa Filippi, Aimee S. James, Sarah Brokenleg, Stacy Braiuca, K. A. Greiner, Won S. Choi

Journal of Health Disparities Research and Practice

American Indian and Alaska Native (AI/AN) women currently have some of the highest mortality rates from breast cancer for any racial/ethnic group in the United States and some of the lowest screening rates. However, current data are not available for regional differences in screening, which can result in dramatically different stage at diagnosis and mortality. We conducted surveys with 120 focus group participants in a needs assessment of mammography among AI/AN in the greater Kansas City metropolitan area and parts of Northeast Kansas. We found that among women under age 40, for whom recommended screenings include only annual clinical breast …

Advances In Ultrafast Time Resolved Fluorescence Physics For Cancer Detection In Optical Biopsy, R. R. Alfano

Publications and Research

We discuss the use of time resolved fluorescence spectroscopy to extract fundamental kinetic information on molecular species in tissues. The temporal profiles reveal the lifetime and amplitudes associated with key active molecules distinguishing the local spectral environment of tissues. The femtosecond laser pulses at 310 nm excite the tissue. The emission profile at 340 nm from tryptophan is non-exponential due to the micro-environment. The slow and fast amplitudes and lifetimes of emission profiles reveal that cancer and normal states can be distinguished. Time resolved optical methods offer a new cancer diagnostic modality for the medical community.

Anthropogenic Climate Change And Allergic Diseases, James Blando, Leonard Bielory, Viann Nguyen, Rafael Diaz, Hueiwang Anna Jeng

Community & Environmental Health Faculty Publications

Climate change is expected to have an impact on various aspects of health, including mucosal areas involved in allergic inflammatory disorders that include asthma, allergic rhinitis, allergic conjunctivitis and anaphylaxis. The evidence that links climate change to the exacerbation and the development of allergic disease is increasing and appears to be linked to changes in pollen seasons (duration, onset and intensity) and changes in allergen content of plants and their pollen as it relates to increased sensitization, allergenicity and exacerbations of allergic airway disease. This has significant implications for air quality and for the global food supply.

A Systematic Selection Method For The Development Of Cancer Staging Systems, Yunzhi Lin, Richard Chappell, Mithat Gonen

Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, Dept. of Epidemiology & Biostatistics Working Paper Series

The tumor-node-metastasis (TNM) staging system has been the anchor of cancer diagnosis, treatment, and prognosis for many years. For meaningful clinical use, an orderly, progressive condensation of the T and N categories into an overall staging system needs to be defined, usually with respect to a time-to-event outcome. This can be considered as a cutpoint selection problem for a censored response partitioned with respect to two ordered categorical covariates and their interaction. The aim is to select the best grouping of the TN categories. A novel bootstrap cutpoint/model selection method is proposed for this task by maximizing bootstrap estimates of …

Retrospective Evaluation Of Admissions For Chemotherapy-Inducednausea, Vomiting, And Dehydration, Katelin Van Leer Pharmad, Janine Barnaby Rph, Bcop

Department of Pharmacy

No abstract provided.

Quitline Fax Referrals – Increasing Enrollment And Outcomes, Alice Dalla-Palu Mpa, Ctts-M, Cac, Jeanne Fignar Aas, Patricia Lavan Rdh, Ba, Kayshin Chan Mph

Department of Emergency Medicine

No abstract provided.

Procedural Wound Geometry And Blood Flow Generation For Medical Training Simulators, Rifat Aras, Yuzhong Shen, Jiang Li, David R. Holmes Iii (Ed.), Kenneth H. Wong (Ed.)

Electrical & Computer Engineering Faculty Publications

Efficient application of wound treatment procedures is vital in both emergency room and battle zone scenes. In order to train first responders for such situations, physical casualty simulation kits, which are composed of tens of individual items, are commonly used. Similar to any other training scenarios, computer simulations can be effective means for wound treatment training purposes. For immersive and high fidelity virtual reality applications, realistic 3D models are key components. However, creation of such models is a labor intensive process. In this paper, we propose a procedural wound geometry generation technique that parameterizes key simulation inputs to establish the …

Short-Term Plasticity At The Schaffer Collateral: A New Model With Implications For Hippocampal Processing, Andrew Hamilton Toland

Dissertations and Theses

A new mathematical model of short-term synaptic plasticity (STP) at the Schaffer collateral is introduced. Like other models of STP, the new model relates short-term synaptic plasticity to an interaction between facilitative and depressive dynamic influences. Unlike previous models, the new model successfully simulates facilitative and depressive dynamics within the framework of the synaptic vesicle cycle. The novelty of the model lies in the description of a competitive interaction between calcium-sensitive proteins for binding sites on the vesicle release machinery. By attributing specific molecular causes to observable presynaptic effects, the new model of STP can predict the effects of specific …

Critical Assessment Of Outcomes In Acute Aortic Dissection (Type A) At A Community Hospital: A 10 Year Review, Timothy S. Misselbeck, James K. Wu Md, Stephen Deturk Ba, Michael F. Szwerc Md, Sanjay M. Mehta Md, Theodore G. Phillips Md, Gary W. Szydlowski Md, Raymond L. Singer Md

Department of Surgery

No abstract provided.

An Evaluation Of Warfarin Use And 30-Day Hemorrhage In Bariatric Surgery, Amanda M. Curry, Richard Boorse Md, Peter J. Bechtel Md, Cathy Fuhrman Rn, Msn, Cathleen Webber Rn, Mshs, Suzanne L. Smith Mba, Rrt, Tas

Department of Surgery

No abstract provided.

A Quality Improvement Initiative Using A Novel Travel Survey To Define High-Risk International Travel And Promote Patient-Centered Counseling, Craig A. Mackaness Do, Mark Knouse Md, Suzanne J. Templer Do, Deepti Verma Md, Allison Osborne Ba, Michael J. Weiss Mph

Department of Medicine

No abstract provided.

Rapid Door To Balloon Time In The Treatment Of Acute St- Elevation Myocardial Infarction Meaningfully Reduces Overall Hospital Stay, Amit N. Nanavati Md, Nainesh Patel Md, Bruce Feldman Do, J Patrick Kleaveland Md, Orlando E. Rivera Rn, David A. Cox Md

Department of Medicine

No abstract provided.

Factors Associated With Loss To Follow-Up Among Hiv-Infected Patients At An Urban, Hospital-Based Outpatient Hiv Clinic, Timothy J. Friel Md, Anthony Nerino, Lynn Nagel, J D'Aversa, Anthony Strobel, Dorothy Faulkner Phd

Department of Medicine

No abstract provided.