Investigative Techniques Commons^™

Determining Risk Of Falls In Community-Dwelling Older Adults: A Systematic Review And Meta-Analysis Using Posttest Probability, Michelle M. Lusardi, Stacy Fritz, Addie Middletown, Leslie Allison, Mariana Wingood, Emma Phillips, Michelle Criss, Sangita Verma, Jackie Osborne, Kevin Chui

All PTHMS Faculty Publications

BACKGROUND:

Falls and their consequences are significant concerns for older adults, caregivers, and health care providers. Identification of fall risk is crucial for appropriate referral to preventive interventions. Falls are multifactorial; no single measure is an accurate diagnostic tool. There is limited information on which history question, self-report measure, or performance-based measure, or combination of measures, best predicts future falls.

PURPOSE:

First, to evaluate the predictive ability of history questions, self-report measures, and performance-based measures for assessing fall risk of community-dwelling older adults by calculating and comparing posttest probability (PoTP) values for individual test/measures. Second, to evaluate usefulness of cumulative …

The Immediate Effects Of A Seated Versus Supine Upper Thoracic Spine Thrust Manipulation Compared To Sham Manipulation In Individuals With Subacromial Pain Syndrome – A Randomized Controlled Trial, Jason K. Grimes

Physical Therapy Faculty Publications

Background: Individuals with Subacromial Pain Syndrome (SPS) often present with a variety of contributing factors. It is possible that a subgroup exists within SPS that has primary impairments of scapular mobility and/or muscle strength. In an attempt to better identify scapular contributions in SPS, the Scapular Assistance Test (SAT) and Scapula Reposition Test (SRT) have been described. Additionally, thoracic spine thrust manipulation has been shown to be effective for shoulder pain. Problem Statement: It is currently unknown whether or not there are impairments in scapulothoracic muscle force generation or scapular mobility in individuals with SPS who have positive results on …

Taurine's Effect On Cocaine Reward And Neurogenesis In The Adolescent Male Rat Brain., Avery E. Villa-Gonzalez

Dissertations and Theses

Adolescence is a developmentally critical transition from childhood to adulthood including both maturation of the body and the brain. Neuroplastic changes result in dynamic organization of the brain during adolescence, leaving them vulnerable to development of mental illness and drug-seeking behavior. According to the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, the psychostimulant cocaine is the second most popular illicit drug in the world. Cocaine, amongst having many detrimental effects, has shown to also decrease hippocampal neurogenesis, resulting in decreased neuroplasticity and cognitive dysfunction. Previous students in our laboratory have shown that treatment of adult male rats with the essential …

Urine Cotinine In Children And Parental Behavior Modification: A Pilot Study, Teresa Lachance

Muskie School Capstones and Dissertations

“Urine Cotinine in Children and Parental Behavior Modification” was designed by Dr. Deirdre Burns, a pediatrician at the Barbara Bush Children’s Hospital (BBCH). It was implemented as a pilot study to determine whether urine cotinine testing in children who are admitted to the hospital for respiratory illness and tracking parental smoking behaviors over time was feasible. Parents were given a brief survey to assess their current smoking behaviors and to understand their readiness to quit smoking. They received smoking cessation materials provided by the Breathe Easy Coalition of Maine. These materials outline information about second-hand and third-hand smoke, and encourage …

Biochemical And Biophysical Methods For Analysis Of Poly(Adp-Ribose) Polymerase 1 And Its Interactions With Chromatin., Maggie H. Chassé, Uma M. Muthurajan, Nicholas J. Clark, Michael A. Kramer, Srinivas Chakravarthy, Thomas Irving, Karolin Luger

Manuscripts, Articles, Book Chapters and Other Papers

Poly (ADP-Ribose) Polymerase I (PARP-1) is a first responder to DNA damage and participates in the regulation of gene expression. The interaction of PARP-1 with chromatin and DNA is complex and involves at least two different modes of interaction. In its enzymatically inactive state, PARP-1 binds native chromatin with similar affinity as it binds free DNA ends. Automodification of PARP-1 affects interaction with chromatin and DNA to different extents. Here we describe a series of biochemical and biophysical techniques to quantify and dissect the different binding modes of PARP-1 with its various substrates. The techniques listed here allow for high …

The Aging Human Heart. Doppler Echocardiographic Assessment Of The Resting Adult Heart Across The Age Bands., Anthony Ryan

Masters

Objectives: To determine the influence of aging on measured left ventricular (LV) diastolic parameters using healthy subjects aged 40-79 years. To propose age-related reference values for LV filling pressure, LV isovolumic relaxation time (LV IVRT) and myocardial stiffness index for each decade using pulsed waved tissue Doppler.

Background: Pulsed wave tissue Doppler parameters have been used for over a decade in the clinical setting as an aid to the evaluation of diastolic function and filling pressures, however there is limited information on normal reference ranges especially in middle age and the older person.

Methods: Subjects with no …

Assessment Protocol For Cognitive And Auditory Processing Skills For Clients Receiving Neurofeedback Treatment For Traumatic Brain Injury & Concussion: Literature Review, Elexea N. Aurilio, Miranda Hendrus

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

Neurofeedback has become increasingly popular in the medical world and will hopefully become more commonly used in the fields of speech-language pathology and audiology. Currently, there is a lack of a singular, baseline and progression diagnostic tool to measure a client’s cognitive and auditory processing skills once they are referred for neurofeedback treatment.

Effect Of Local Magnetic Field Disturbances On Inertial Measurement Units Accuracy, Xavier Robert-Lachaine, Hakim Mecheri, Christian Larue, André Plamondon

Études primaires

Inertial measurement units (IMUs), a practical motion analysis technology for field acquisition, have magnetometers to improve segment orientation estimation. However, sensitivity to magnetic disturbances can affect their accuracy. The objective of this study was to determine the joint angles accuracy of IMUs under different timing of magnetic disturbances of various durations and to evaluate a few correction methods. Kinematics from 12 individuals were obtained simultaneously with an Xsens system where an Optotrak cluster acting as the reference system was affixed to each IMU. A handling task was executed under normal laboratory conditions and imposed magnetic disturbances. Joint angle RMSE was …

Validation Of Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System Short Forms For Use In Childhood-Onset Systemic Lupus Erythematosus., Jordan T. Jones, Adam C. Carle, Janet Wootton, Brianna Liberio, Jiha Lee, Laura E. Schanberg, Jun Ying, Esi Morgan Dewitt, Hermine I. Brunner

Manuscripts, Articles, Book Chapters and Other Papers

OBJECTIVE: To validate the pediatric Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System short forms (PROMIS-SFs) in childhood-onset systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) in a clinical setting.

METHODS: At 3 study visits, childhood-onset SLE patients completed the PROMIS-SFs (anger, anxiety, depressive symptoms, fatigue, physical function-mobility, physical function-upper extremity, pain interference, and peer relationships) using the PROMIS assessment center, and health-related quality of life (HRQoL) legacy measures (Pediatric Quality of Life Inventory, Childhood Health Assessment Questionnaire, Simple Measure of Impact of Lupus Erythematosus in Youngsters [SMILEY], and visual analog scales [VAS] of pain and well-being). Physicians rated childhood-onset SLE activity on a VAS and completed …

Can A Layer Of Antimicrobial Agents Be Placed Around Breast Implants To Prevent Staph Infections From Occurring?, Valerie L. Tran

Undergraduate Research Posters

The most common infection that occurs after breast augmentation is a staph infection. Currently, there are only three ways to treat this type of infection, all of which treat the breast implant after the infection has developed. The first option is to treat the infection with an oral antibiotic. If this doesn’t completely rid the infection, then intravenous antibiotics are used. If this too doesn’t remove the infection, then surgery will be performed to remove the breast implant and a new implant will be inserted. Although, these options have a low mortality rate, the success rate of completely getting rid …

Use Of The Novel Derivatizing Agent 1,8-Diaminonapthalene With The Cip10 Sampler To Measure 4,4'-Methylene Diphenyl Diisocyanate Atmospheres, Silvia Puscasu, Simon Aubin, Philippe Sarazin, Lucile Richard, Mark Spence, Sébastien Gagné

Études primaires

DAN is a novel derivatizing agent for isocyanate sampling which targets total reactive isocyanate group (TRIG). Field evaluations have been conducted for 4,4’-Methylene diphenyl diisocyanate (MDI) sampling using DAN as the derivatizing agent in a CIP10. The perimidone formed, selective of TRIG, was analyzed in laboratory by liquid chromatography coupled to tandem mass spectrometry. Workplaces using MDI-based polyurethane spray foam and MDI wood product binder were studied. Each study compared the data obtained between the CIP10/DAN, the CIP10/MP, and a reference method. As a first evaluation, the CIP10/DAN sampled simulated MDI spray foam atmosphere in parallel with impingers (reference method) …

Cervical Spine Angles, Craniocervical Posture, Neck Length, And Oropharyngeal Airway Analyses Of Sleep Apnea Patients In Both Supine And Upright Positions: A Retrospective 3-D Imaging Study, Brian Tuan Luong

Theses & Dissertations

Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is one of the most common respiratory disorders. Previous airway studies of OSA subjects have largely relied on 2-D radiographs.

The purpose of this study is to use 3-D imaging to the analyze the relationships among cervical spine angles, craniocervical posture, cervical spine length and the oropharyngeal airway volume in OSA patients in both the supine and upright positions.

Twenty-eight OSA subjects with 3-D imaging were included. Airway, craniocervical posture, spine angles, and spine length were assessed using Dolphin 11.8. Correlation analyses were utilized to detect associations among the recorded and measured variables. Mean differences were …

The Role Of Nicotine, A7 Nicotinic Acetylcholine Receptors And Extracellular Matrix Remodeling In Pulmonary Fibrosis., Glenn Ward Vicary

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The median survival for idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) patients from diagnosis is a dismal 3 years. This condition is characterized by pulmonary fibroproliferation and excess production and disordered deposition of extracellular matrix (ECM) proteins resulting in obliteration of the original tissue architecture, loss of lung function and eventual death due to respiratory failure. The main hindrance to the development of effective treatments against pulmonary fibrosis is the late detection of its progression and is often of unknown cause. Tobacco smoke represents the most important environmental factor linked to the development of pulmonary fibrosis, with over 60% of IPF patients current …

Quality Management: A Global Case Study In Organ Transplantation, Cassie L. Rodriguez

Master's Projects and Capstones

Every year the US and European countries face an epidemic of organ failure from a multitude of reasons: cancer, genetic predisposition, exposure to harmful chemicals in home or surrounding areas or through drinking, drugs and smoking. Another problem faced, is the ratio of organ donors to organ recipients. Over 121,000 patients are on the waiting for an organ transplant, and a fraction of those waiting will die because of time. The Hanover Medical school and department of quality management, have created an integrated approach to organ transplant avenues. Quality management is a systematic guide for organ transplantation that allows all …

Monitoring Change In Volume Of Calcifications In Juvenile Idiopathic Inflammatory Myopathy: A Pilot Study Using Low Dose Computed Tomography., Maria Ibarra, Cynthia Rigsby, Gabrielle A. Morgan, Christina L. Sammet, Chiang-Ching Huang, Dong Xu, Ira N. Targoff, Lauren M. Pachman

Manuscripts, Articles, Book Chapters and Other Papers

BACKGROUND: Dystrophic calcifications may occur in patients with J uvenile Idiopathic Inflammatory Myopathy (JIIM) as well as other connective tissue and metabolic diseases, but a reliable method of measuring the volume of these calcifications has not been established. The purpose of this study is to determine the feasibility of low dose, limited slice, Computed Tomography (CT) to measure objectively in-situ calcification volumes in patients with JIIM over time.

METHODS: Ten JIIM patients (eight JDM, two Overlap) with calcifications were prospectively recruited over a 2-year period to undergo two limited, low dose, four-slice CT scans. Calculation of the volume of calcifications …

Assessment Of Diastolic Function In Single-Ventricle Patients After The Fontan Procedure., Renee Margossian, Lynn A. Sleeper, Gail D. Pearson, Piers C. Barker, Luc Mertens, Michael D. Quartermain, Jason T. Su, Girish S. Shirali, Shan Chen, Steven D. Colan, Pediatric Heart Network Investigators

Manuscripts, Articles, Book Chapters and Other Papers

BACKGROUND: Patients with functional single ventricles after the Fontan procedure have abnormal cardiac mechanics. The aims of this study were to determine factors that influence diastolic function and to describe associations of diastolic function with current clinical status.

METHODS: Echocardiograms were obtained as part of the Pediatric Heart Network Fontan Cross-Sectional Study. Diastolic function grade (DFG) was assessed as normal (grade 0), impaired relaxation (grade 1), pseudonymization (grade 2), or restrictive (grade 3). Studies were also classified dichotomously (restrictive pattern present or absent). Relationships between DFG and pre-Fontan variables (e.g., ventricular morphology, age at Fontan, history of volume-unloading surgery) and …

New Measures To Capture End Of Life Concerns In Huntington Disease: Meaning And Purpose And Concern With Death And Dying From Hdqlife (A Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement System)., N E Carlozzi, N R Downing, M K Mccormack, S G Schilling, J S Perlmutter, E A Hahn, J S Lai, S Frank, K A Quaid, J S Paulsen, D Cella, S M Goodnight, J A Miner, M A Nance

Rowan-Virtua School of Osteopathic Medicine Departmental Research

PURPOSE: Huntington disease (HD) is an incurable terminal disease. Thus, end of life (EOL) concerns are common in these individuals. A quantitative measure of EOL concerns in HD would enable a better understanding of how these concerns impact health-related quality of life. Therefore, we developed new measures of EOL for use in HD.

METHODS: An EOL item pool of 45 items was field tested in 507 individuals with prodromal or manifest HD. Exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses (EFA and CFA, respectively) were conducted to establish unidimensional item pools. Item response theory (IRT) and differential item functioning analyses were applied to …

Developing Novel Machine Learning Algorithms To Improve Sedentary Assessment For Youth Health Enhancement., Gowtham Kumar Golla, Jordan A. Carlson, Jun Huan, Jacqueline Kerr, Tarrah Mitchell, Kelsey Borner

Manuscripts, Articles, Book Chapters and Other Papers

Sedentary behavior of youth is an important determinant of health. However, better measures are needed to improve understanding of this relationship and the mechanisms at play, as well as to evaluate health promotion interventions. Wearable accelerometers are considered as the standard for assessing physical activity in research, but do not perform well for assessing posture (i.e., sitting vs. standing), a critical component of sedentary behavior. The machine learning algorithms that we propose for assessing sedentary behavior will allow us to re-examine existing accelerometer data to better understand the association between sedentary time and health in various populations. We collected two …

Changing Diagnostic Methods And Increased Detection Of Verotoxigenic Escherichia Coli, Ireland, Thomas Rice, Noreen Quinn, Roy D. Sleator, Brigid Lucey

Department of Biological Sciences Publications

The recent paradigm shift in infectious disease diagnosis from culture-based to molecular-based approaches is exemplified in the findings of a national study assessing the detection of verotoxigenic Escherichia coli infections in Ireland. The methodologic changes have been accompanied by a dramatic increase in detections of non-O157 verotoxigenic E. coli serotypes.

Characterization Of Left-Ventricular Thrombus Formation Using High Frequency Ultrasound, Kelsey A. Bullens, Arvin H. Soepriatna, Pavlos P. Vlachos, Craig J. Goergen

The Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship (SURF) Symposium

Heart failure is a leading cause of death in the United States, and cardiac thrombus, a common morbidity associated with heart failure, significantly increases a patient’s risk of embolic events. The objective of this project is to characterize left-ventricular (LV) thrombus development using high frequency ultrasound imaging in a murine model. C57BL/6J wild-type mice (n=6) were injected intraperitoneally with iron dextran five times a week for six weeks to increase oxidative stress in the heart. Granulocyte-colony stimulating factor (G-CSF) was subcutaneously injected daily during the second week to initiate stem cell migration and stimulate endothelial cell activation, thus increasing the …