Computer Sciences Commons^™

Are We Making A Better World With Information And Communication Technology For Development (Ict4d) Research? Findings From The Field And Theory Building, Sajda Qureshi

Information Systems and Quantitative Analysis Faculty Publications

As Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) continue to penetrate people’s lives the world over, there is a sense that understanding the role of ICTs in the context of development needs to be conceptualized theoretically while making empirical contributions that add to what we know (Avgerou, 2008; Davison, 2012; Sein and Harindranath, 2004; Sahay and Walsham, 1995). Other scholars have pointed to the importance of this research for the field of Information Systems (ISs) in offering broader contributions. Avgerou (2008) suggests that in the era of globalization such research offers contributions in ISs beyond “organizational organizational and national boundaries and support …

Fusing Heterogeneous Data For Alzheimer's Disease Classification, P. S. Pillai, Tze-Yun Leong

Research Collection School Of Computing and Information Systems

In multi-view learning, multimodal representations of a real world object or situation are integrated to learn its overall picture. Feature sets from distinct data sources carry different, yet complementary, information which, if analysed together, usually yield better insights and more accurate results. Neuro-degenerative disorders such as dementia are characterized by changes in multiple biomarkers. This work combines the features from neuroimaging and cerebrospinal fluid studies to distinguish Alzheimer's disease patients from healthy subjects. We apply statistical data fusion techniques on 101 subjects from the Alzheimer's Disease Neuroimaging Initiative (ADNI) database. We examine whether fusion of biomarkers helps to improve diagnostic …

Mobile Cloud Computing Based Non Rigid Registration For Image Guided Surgery, Arun Brahmavar Vishwanatha

Computer Science Theses & Dissertations

In this thesis we present the design and implementation of a Mobile Cloud computing platform for non-rigid registration required in Image Guided Surgery (MCIGS). MCIGS contributes in flexible, portable and accurate alignment of pre-operative brain data with intra-operative MRI, for image guided diagnosis and therapy and endoscopic skull base surgery. Improved precision of image guided therapy and specifically neurosurgery procedures is known to result in the improved prognosis for brain tumor patients. MCI GS system is tested with Physics Based Non-Rigid Registration method form ITK. Our preliminary results for brain images indicate that the proposed system over Wi-Fi can be …

Inferring Interaction Type In Gene Regulatory Networks Using Co-Expression Data, Pegah Khosravi, Vahid H. Gazestani, Leila Pirhaji, Brian Law, Mehdi Sadeghi, Bahram Goliaei, Gary D. Bader

Publications and Research

Background

Knowledge of interaction types in biological networks is important for understanding the functional organization of the cell. Currently information-based approaches are widely used for inferring gene regulatory interactions from genomics data, such as gene expression profiles; however, these approaches do not provide evidence about the regulation type (positive or negative sign) of the interaction.

Results

This paper describes a novel algorithm, “Signing of Regulatory Networks” (SIREN), which can infer the regulatory type of interactions in a known gene regulatory network (GRN) given corresponding genome-wide gene expression data. To assess our new approach, we applied it to three different benchmark …

Improving Patient Flow With Data-Driven Patient Prioritization Method In The Emergency Department, Kar Way Tan, Sean Shao Wei Lam

Research Collection School Of Computing and Information Systems

We aim to improve the length-of-stay (LOS) of patients in the Emergency Department (ED) ambulatory care area. We propose the use of real-time computerized physician order entry data and ED patient flow management system to estimate the consultation time of patients re-entering the queue to consult a doctor again after receiving treatment or results of tests. The estimation allows decision-makers to apply dynamic prioritization strategies that help the ED to identify patients who can complete their ED treatment process quickly, freeing up resources in the ED and lowering overall LOS.

Multiblock Discriminant Analysis For Integrative Genomic Study, Mingon Kang, Dong-Chul Kim, Chunyu Liu, Jean Gao

Computer Science Faculty Publications

Human diseases are abnormal medical conditions in which multiple biological components are complicatedly involved. Nevertheless, most contributions of research have been made with a single type of genetic data such as Single Nucleotide Polymorphism (SNP) or Copy Number Variation (CNV). Furthermore, epigenetic modifications and transcriptional regulations have to be considered to fully exploit the knowledge of the complex human diseases as well as the genomic variants. We call the collection of the multiple heterogeneous data “multiblock data.” In this paper, we propose a novel Multiblock Discriminant Analysis (MultiDA) method that provides a new integrative genomic model for the multiblock analysis …

Developing A Bilingual, Computer-Tailored, Hpv Vaccination Promotion Intervention Targeting Latino Parents, Angela Chia-Chen Chen, Ashish Amresh

Publications

In this paper we present an innovative, computer-tailored application aimed at increasing Latino parents' intention to vaccinate their adolescent children against Human Papilloma Virus (HPV). HPV infection is the most common sexually transmitted infection in the United States. Latinas have the highest age-adjusted incidence rate for HPV-associated cervical cancer compared with their counterparts in other racial/ethnic groups. HPV vaccines offer hope against HPV-associated diseases. Because parental consent is required for children under age 18 to receive t h e HPV vaccination in most U. S. states, parents' attitudes and intention to have their children vaccinated are keys for promoting HPV …

The Importance Of A Pictorial Medical History In Assisting Medical Diagnosis Of Individuals With Intellectual Disabilities: A Telemedicine Approach, Grace Bonanno

CCAC Theses and Dissertations

When face-to-face physical medical exams are not possible, virtual physical exams, in the form of a pictorial medical exam/history, can be substituted, and telemedicine can be the means to deliver these virtual exams. The goal of this work was to determine if presence in the form of a visual and/or pictorial medical history can be of benefit to clinicians in the diagnosis of medical conditions of individuals with developmental disabilities (DDs) and/or intellectual disabilities (IDs), in particular those who cannot, because of their cognitive and/or physical disabilities, verbally relate their illness to a clinician. Virtual exams can also be useful …

Pediapp Finder: Creating A Pediatric Application Database, Sara Pro, Adrianne Leblanc, April Wasjutin, Robert Williams

Dissertations, Masters Theses, Capstones, and Culminating Projects

It is estimated that of the 85% of Americans that own cell phones, over half of these cell phone owners use apps on their phone (Fox & Duggan, 2012; Purcell, 2011). According to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (2013), by 2015, 500 million mobile device users will be using mobile health, or “m-Health” apps. Healthcare professionals are increasingly adopting mobile technology as an innovative, cost-efficient, and timesaving tool that may promote patient wellness and disease prevention (Kumar, 2013; mHealth Bible, 2013). Although mobile technology is a natural fit to the field of occupational therapy, research demonstrates that few resources …

An Information Privacy Examination Of The Practices Of Pharmaceutical Companies Regarding Use Of Information Collected Through Their Websites, Shonda Dellena Brown

CCAC Theses and Dissertations

Consumers have begun to take a more proactive approach to their healthcare by accessing pharmaceutical companies Websites to obtain health and drug information, support groups, rebates, coupons, as well as free drug trials. In exchange for these benefits, companies require consumers to voluntarily disclose information. However, research has shown that consumers continue to be concerned about how their information is managed, used, and distributed by companies, especially if accessed via the Web. To date, there has been limited empirical research to examine the actual online practices of companies when it comes to privacy, especially those of pharmaceutical companies. Using Delphi …

Interactive Cause And Effect Comic-Book Storytelling For Improving Nutrition Outcomes In Children, Ashish Amresh, Madhumita Sinha, Rebecca Birr, Rahul Salla

Publications

Obesity among children and adolescents is increasingly becoming a major public health problem. Poverty and lower socio-economic status as well as lack of parental awareness regarding a balanced diet and adequate exercise all contribute towards childhood obesity. Unfortunately minority children have been especially vulnerable, among them inner-city Latino children continue to have the highest incidence rates of overweight and obesity; hence targeted intervention for this population group is of paramount importance. Access and affordability of smartphones and mobile internet devices provide an opportunity to create nutrition education interventions that can significantly impact and change attitude and knowledge regarding healthy diet …

Handling Human Hacking: Creating A Comprehensive Defensive Strategy Against Modern Social Engineering, Charles Snyder

Senior Honors Theses

Social engineering is one of the most devastating threats to any company or business. Rather than relying upon technical flaws in order to break into computer networks, social engineers utilize a suave personality in order to deceive individuals through clever conversation. These devious conversations frequently provide the attacker with sufficient information to compromise the company’s computer network. Unlike common technical attacks, social engineering attacks cannot be prevented by security tools and software. Instead of attacking a network directly, a social engineer exploits human psychology in order to coerce the victim to inadvertently divulge sensitive information. Further complicating the issue, the …

Image Enhancement Of Cancerous Tissue In Mammography Images, Richard Thomas Richardson

CCAC Theses and Dissertations

This research presents a framework for enhancing and analyzing time-sequenced mammographic images for detection of cancerous tissue, specifically designed to assist radiologists and physicians with the detection of breast cancer. By using computer aided diagnosis (CAD) systems as a tool to help in the detection of breast cancer in computed tomography (CT) mammography images, previous CT mammography images will enhance the interpretation of the next series of images. The first stage of this dissertation applies image subtraction to images from the same patient over time. Image types are defined as temporal subtraction, dual-energy subtraction, and Digital Database for Screening Mammography …

Volume 07, Rachel C. Lombardi, Ben Osterhout, Lindsay Graybill, Rebecca E. Dey, Skyler T. Carpenter, Emma Beckett, Jason Ware, Mollie Andrews, James Bates, Landon Cooper, Tiffani Jeffries, Maria Wheaton, Dallas Price, Laura Kahler, Sarah Charlton, Anna Bultrowicz, Emily Spittle, Erin Godwin, Eamon Brokenbrough

Incite: The Journal of Undergraduate Scholarship

Introduction from Interim Dean Dr. Jennifer Apperson

Spatial Analysis of Potential Risk Factors Associated with Addition of Atlantic Coast Pipeline Through Virginia by Rachel C. Lombardi

"Delicate Matters with No Speaking," "Hope and Nothing," "Mono Duality" by Ben Osterhout

"Connect" Graphic Design Senior Project by Lindsay Graybill

Phenolic Acids in Brassicaceae Plants: Ovipositional Stimulants or Deterrents for Cabbage White Butterfly, Pieris Rapae? by Rebecca E. Dey And Skyler T. Carpenter

"Abecedarian Cards" by Emma Beckett, Jason Ware, And Mollie Andrews

Helvetica: A Type Specimen Book by James Bates, Landon Cooper, Tiffani Jeffries, And Maria Wheaton

“Things Left Behind” by Dallas …

A Study Of Access Control For Electronic Health Records, Sergio Vincent Senese

All Student Theses and Dissertations

The expansion between Information Technology and Healthcare has created many new options for both disciplines, as well as challenges. One of these topics is the Electronic Health Record (EHR) and the push for a universal record. A challenge for this topic is access control: how to keep patient’s personal health information secure, but at the same time accessible to all fields of healthcare and accomplish this within the federal privacy laws made by our government. This study focuses on the idea of a single EHR containing all the different medical information for all the areas of healthcare for a patient. …

Physio@Home: Exploring Visual Guidance And Feedback Techniques For Physiotherapy Exercises, Richard Tang, Xing-Dong Yang, Scott Bateman, Joaquim Jorge, Anthony Tang

Research Collection School Of Computing and Information Systems

Physiotherapy patients exercising at home alone are at risk of re-injury since they do not have corrective guidance from a therapist. To explore solutions to this problem, we designed Physio@Home, a prototype that guides people through pre-recorded physiotherapy exercises using realtime visual guides and multi-camera views. Our design addresses several aspects of corrective guidance, including: plane and range of movement, joint positions and angles, and extent of movement. We evaluated our design, comparing how closely people could follow exercise movements under various feedback conditions. Participants were most accurate when using our visual guide and multi-views. We provide suggestions for exercise …

Formative Research On An Instructional Design Theory For Virtual Patients In Clinical Education: A Pressure Ulcer Prevention Clinical Reasoning Case, Manon Maitland Schladen

CCAC Theses and Dissertations

Despite advances in health care over the past decades, medical errors and omissions remain significant threats to patient safety and health. A large number of these mistakes are made by trainees, persons who are just beginning to build the case-based experiences that will transform them from novices to expert practitioners. Clinicians use both intuitive and deductive problem-solving skills in caring for patients and they acquire expertise in applying these skills through interaction with many and varied cases.

The contemporary heath care environment, with decreased lengths of stay for patients and reduced duty hours for trainees, makes getting optimal patient exposure …

Bridging The Vocabulary Gap Between Health Seekers And Healthcare Knowledge, Liqiang Nie, Yiliang Zhao, Akbari Mohammad, Jialie Shen, Tat-Seng Chua

Research Collection School Of Computing and Information Systems

The vocabulary gap between health seekers and providers has hindered the cross-system operability and the interuser reusability. To bridge this gap, this paper presents a novel scheme to code the medical records by jointly utilizing local mining and global learning approaches, which are tightly linked and mutually reinforced. Local mining attempts to code the individual medical record by independently extracting the medical concepts from the medical record itself and then mapping them to authenticated terminologies. A corpus-aware terminology vocabulary is naturally constructed as a byproduct, which is used as the terminology space for global learning. Local mining approach, however, may …

Respiratory Particle Deposition Probability Due To Sedimentation With Variable Gravity And Electrostatic Forces, Ioannis Haranas, Ioannis Gkigkitzis, George D. Zouganelis, Maria K. Haranas, Samantha Kirk

Physics and Computer Science Faculty Publications

In this paper, we study the effects of the acceleration gravity on the sedimentation deposition probability, as well as the aerosol deposition rate on the surface of the Earth and Mars, but also aboard a spacecraft in orbit around Earth and Mars as well for particles with density ρ_p = 1300 kg/m³, diameters d_p = 1, 3, 5 µm and residence times t = 0.0272, 0.2 s respectively. For particles of diameter 1 µm we find that, on the surface of Earth and Mars the deposition probabilities are higher at the poles when compared to the …

Novel Incorportation Of Biomedical Engineering Algorithms (Bispectral Index Guided Or Anesthetic Concentration Guided) In Real-Time Decision Support To Prevent Intraoperative Awareness Using An Electronic Anesthesia Information Mananagement System, Amy Melanie Shanks

Wayne State University Dissertations

Background: Intraoperative awareness with explicit recall (AWR) is a feared complication of surgery that can lead to significant psychological distress. Several large prospective trials have been completed comparing two methods of monitoring anesthetic depth [minimum alveolar concentration (MAC) or electroencephalography (EEG) monitoring using the bispectral index (BIS)] for the prevention of AWR. However, these trials were conducted in high risk populations, limiting generalizability.

Research Hypothesis: Real-time decision support with Anesthesia Information Management System alerts based on a novel anesthetic concentration algorithm (incorporating the use of intravenous anesthetics) or an EEG-guided algorithm will reduce the known incidence of AWR.

Methods: First, …

Regression Analysis Of Cloud Computing Adoption For U.S. Hospitals, Terence H. Lee

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Industrial experts agree that cloud computing can significantly improve business and public access to low cost computing power and storage. Despite the benefits of cloud computing, recent research surveys indicated that its adoption in U.S. hospitals is slower than expected. The purpose of this study was to understand what factors influence cloud adoption in U.S. hospitals. The theoretical foundation of the research was the diffusion of innovations and technology-organization-environment framework. The research question was to examine the predictability of cloud computing adoption for U.S. hospitals as a function of 6 influential factors: relative advantage, compatibility, complexity, organizational size, structure, and …

Diffusion Of Electronic Health Records In Rural Primary Care Clinics, Patricia Lynn Mason

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

By the end of 2015, Medicare-eligible physicians at primary care practices (PCP) who do not use an electronic health record (EHR) system will incur stiff penalties if they fail to meet the deadline for using EHRs. Yet, less than 30% of rural primary clinics have fully functional EHR systems. The purpose of this phenomenology study was to explore rural primary care physicians and physician assistants' experiences regarding overcoming barriers to implementing EHRs. Complex adaptive systems formed the conceptual framework for this study. Data were collected through face-to-face interviews with a purposeful sample of 21 physicians and physician assistants across 2 …

Nurses Knowledge, Skills, And Attitude Toward Electronic Health Records (Ehr), Sharon L. Adams

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Information technology (IT) has been rapidly integrated into the healthcare industry, including nursing, and has the ability to reduce errors, cut cost, and enhance patient care. However, approximately 45% of the current nurse workforce lacks adequate training in computer skills, which may hinder the adoption of health-related IT in the workplace. Characteristics of Rogers's diffusion of innovation (relative advantage, compatibility, complexity, trialability, and observability) guided this project. This project was conducted to address the problem of IT adoption on a local level and was designed to assess whether simulation training on a generic electronic health record (EHR) system would improve …

Security Risks Of Medical Devices In Wireless Environments, Krishnun Sansurooah

Australian eHealth Informatics and Security Conference

The advancement of wireless medical devices technology, that has developed in hospitals and migrated into the home environment, has created unsustainability in in terms of the management of security for such devices. Through this paper, we shall attempt to explain how medical devices have completely changed the way security needs to be approached in the medical field. We shall also explore the history of medical devices and the organizational problems faced for the development of these devices, the different stakeholders strengths and weaknesses, especially if the device is implanted inside the body of a patient. Once the risk is understood …

Risk Based Optimization For Improving Emergency Medical Systems, Sandhya Saisubramanian, Pradeep Varakantham, Hoong Chuin Lau

Research Collection School Of Computing and Information Systems

In emergency medical systems, arriving at the incident location a few seconds early can save a human life. Thus, this paper is motivated by the need to reduce the response time – time taken to arrive at the incident location after receiving the emergency call – of Emergency Response Vehicles, ERVs (ex: ambulances, fire rescue vehicles) for as many requests as possible. We expect to achieve this primarily by positioning the "right" number of ERVs at the "right" places and at the "right" times. Given the exponentially large action space (with respect to number of ERVs and their placement) and …

Predictive Analytics For Disease Condition Of Patients In Emergency Department, Azade Tabaie

Wayne State University Theses

Emergency Departments (EDs) in hospitals are experiencing severe crowding and prolonged patient waiting times. The reported crowding in hospitals shows patients in hospital hallways, long waiting times and full occupancy of ED beds. ED crowding has several potential unfavorable effects including patients and staff frustration, lower patient satisfaction and poor health outcomes. The primary motivations behind this study are shortening the patients’ waiting time and improving patient satisfaction and level of care.

The very initial interaction between clinicians and a patient is recorded on nurse triage notes which contain details of the reason for patient’s visit including specific symptoms and …

Seniors With Diabetes-Investigation Of The Impact Of Semantic Auditory Distractions On The Usability Of A Blood Glucose Tracking Mobile Application, Jose A. Rivera Rodriguez

CCAC Theses and Dissertations

Diabetes is the seventh leading cause of death in the United States. With the population rapidly aging, it is expected that 1 out of 3 Americans will have diabetes by 2050. Mobile devices and mobile applications have the potential to contribute to diabetes self-care by allowing users to manage their diabetes by keeping track of their blood glucose levels. Usability is important for systems that help people self-manage conditions such as diabetes. Age and diabetes-related cognitive decline might intensify the impact of usability issues for the users who need these mobile applications the most. As highlighted by usability researchers, the …

The Relationship Between Information Technology And Organizational Effectiveness As Perceived By Health Care Providers, Christian Chikwem Ukaga

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The U.S. Congress has made health information technology a central component of the national quest to improve health care delivery. The problem addressed in this study was the uncertainty among healthcare providers regarding the benefits of health care information technology adoption relative to healthcare delivery processes and outcomes. The purpose of the study was to understand the effectiveness of information technology as perceived by healthcare providers. The research questions were designed to investigate the relationship between health information technology and organizational effectiveness, exchange of information, organizational process, organizational productivity, and direct personal care. Sociotechnical systems theory and Donabedian's framework for …

Security Of Eprescription: Security Of Data At Rest In Prescription Exchange Services Vs On Mobile Devices, Kyaw Kyaw Htat, Patricia A. H. Williams, Vincent Mccauley

Australian eHealth Informatics and Security Conference

One area of healthcare that has moved more quickly than others in adopting electronic transfer of information is prescribing in the primary care environment. Several Acts and Regulations have been repealed and amended at Commonwealth and State levels to enable this progress over the past decade, as medication provision is a strictly controlled area of healthcare. Further, numerous standards and specifications have been developed and adopted to support and safeguard the regulatory changes and facilitate the electronic transfer of prescriptions. However, the current model of electronic prescription transfer comes with a substantial price tag for ongoing use. With the Nation’s …

Electronic Health Record Simulator, Samuel M. Brown

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

The Electronic Health Record Simulator is exactly that; it is meant to simulate an EHR (like those found in hospitals and clinics) for use in an academic setting. Its purpose is to familiarize students with the operation of real-world EHRs in order to better prepare them for the workforce. It allows instructors to create fictional patients (with full lab values), and allows students to fill in information as in a real EHR.