Analytical, Diagnostic and Therapeutic Techniques and Equipment Commons^™

Two-Dimensional Layered Mos2 Biosensors Enable Highly Sensitive Detection Of Biomolecules, Joonhyung Lee, Piyush Dak, Yeonsung Lee, Heekyeong Park, Woong Choi, Muhammad Ashraful Alam, Sunkook Kim

Birck and NCN Publications

We present a MoS₂ biosensor to electrically detect prostate specific antigen (PSA) in a highly sensitive and label-free manner. Unlike previous MoS₂-FET-based biosensors, the device configuration of our biosensors does not require a dielectric layer such as HfO₂ due to the hydrophobicity of MoS₂. Such an oxide-free operation improves sensitivity and simplifies sensor design. For a quantitative and selective detection of PSA antigen, anti-PSA antibody was immobilized on the sensor surface. Then, introduction of PSA antigen, into the anti-PSA immobilized sensor surface resulted in a lable-free immunoassary format. Measured off-state current of the device …

A Study Into The Diagnosis Of Obesity In Infants Less Than Two Years Old In The State Of Virginia, Lindsay Ann Bruno

Senior Honors Projects, 2010-2019

In 2007, the CDC reported approximately 12.5 million children and adolescents in the U.S. were obese. Among 24-month old clinically obese children, only 23% were diagnosed as obese. The most concerning is the prevalence of obesity in 6-month olds; 16% of 6-month old infants in the U.S. are obese, of which only 14% are diagnosed as being obese. Previous research concentrates on the factors that influence infant obesity, but does not address the prevalence of diagnosing obesity in children, particularly those under two years of age. The purpose of this project was to pioneer a survey exploring the prevalence of …

Implementing And Evaluating A Clinical Information Interface Between An Electronic Medical Record And A Patient Classification System, Tanya Osborne-Mckenzie

Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) Projects

As a result of the Affordable Care Act and the Institute of Medicine’s initiatives, hospitals are challenged to improve outcomes as efficiently as possible. How does the national initiative of RNs partnering with other healthcare professionals to improve the quality of patient care at a lower cost, cascade down to individual organizations? One answer may come by focusing on nurse staffing in acute care hospitals. Considering the impact RNs have on patient quality outcomes and the bottom line of hospitals, appropriate management of the RN workforce is one of the most important areas hospitals can focus on in order to …

Increasing Compliance Of Personal Protective Equipment S Election And Use For Isolation Precautions Among Rns & Nas On A Med-Surg Unit, Megan R. Alsmeyer

Master's Projects and Capstones

Background: Due to the high potential of transferring infectious diseases and/or organisms among patients, themselves, and the community, healthcare workers (HCWs) must be knowledgeable and confident in selecting the appropriate type of personal protective equipment (PPE), and the use in technique when putting on (donning) and removing (doffing) PPE based on the level of isolation precautions required for the patient being cared for.

Project Purpose: The purpose of this project is to determine whether assessing the knowledge and actual practice with observing, and utilizing an innovative approach of video and educational tools to isolation precautions would improve the consistency of …

Safe Patient Handling & No Lift Policy: Reducing The Incidence Of Work-Related Injuries Among Nursing Staff, Marissa N. Scanlon

Master's Projects and Capstones

Background: Patient handling is a major risk factor for work-related injuries among nurses. Inadequate and inappropriate safe patient handling practices contribute to increased work-related injuries, lost/restricted work days, and hospital costs.

Purpose: The focus of this study was to increase the use of mechanical lift equipment and Lift Team to reduce the incidence of work-related injuries among nursing staff involved in patient handling activities on the Medical-Cardiac IICU.

Methodology: The theoretical framework employed for this project was Lippitt’s change theory. Pre-and post-survey self-report evaluations were conducted prior to and following the implementation of the Bedside Mobility Assessment Tool (BMAT) and …

Developmental And Cultural Perspectives On Children’S Postoperative Pain Management At Home, Brooke N. Jenkins, Michelle A. Fortier

Psychology Faculty Articles and Research

Outpatient surgery is extremely common in children, and approximately 4 million children experience significant pain after surgery in the USA each year. Management of children's postoperative pain in the home setting is suboptimal and is impacted by characteristics of children and parents, as well as the larger family and cultural context. In particular, developmental status of the child, parental beliefs regarding pain expression and analgesic use in children, cultural values and language barriers can affect management of children's postoperative pain. Targeting the myriad barriers to children's pain management by capitalizing upon the use of tailored interventions may help bridge the …

Assessment Of The Effects Of Caffeine, Gallic Acid, And Epigallocatechin-3-Gallate On Cell Inhibition, Pim-3 And E. Cadherin Protein Levels In Two Lines Of Pancreatic Cancer Cells, Lena Haddad, Melissa Rowland-Goldsmith

Student Scholar Symposium Abstracts and Posters

According to the American Cancer Society, pancreatic cancer is currently the fourth leading cause of cancer related deaths in the United States. In addition to being an exceptionally aggressive form of cancer, it is particularly difficult to treat because it is usually diagnosed in late stages after the onset of metastasis (1). Consequently, the current treatments used, including chemotherapy and radiation, have been rendered ineffective (2). As a result, focus has been placed on using dietary alternatives which are known to possess chemopreventive properties (3). Previous studies have indicated that Gallic acid (an important phytochemical in pomegranates) and Epigallocatechin-3-Gallate (the …

Toxicity And Cosmesis Outcomes For Single Fraction Intra-Operative Electron Radiotherapy (Ioert) For Breast Cancer, Monica Hanna, Robert Ash, Wesley Babaran, Michele M. Carpenter, Afshin Forouzannia, Jay K. Harness, Brian Kaltenecker, Snehith Maddula, Venita Williams, Lawrence Wagman

Student Scholar Symposium Abstracts and Posters

Background: Adjuvant radiation therapy is proven to reduce local recurrence in patients with early stage breast cancer. To reduce toxicity, improve geographic accuracy, and reduce treatment time, IOERT can be utilized as an alternative to external beam radiation therapy. The study’s objective was to determine the short term toxicity and cosmesis profile of single fraction IOERT given as definitive treatment in a community setting. Materials and Methods: From Mar 2012 to Jul 2014, 84 patients (3 bilateral), ages 45-91 y.o. with stage 0-II were treated with IOERT (Mobetron, IntraOp Medical, Sunnyvale, CA). A single 21 Gy fraction was administered to …

Molecular Insights Into Prostate Field Cancerization: Telomere Length, Egr-­‐1 Expression, And Regulation Of Mic-­‐1, Pdgf-­‐A, And Fas, Emily Frisch, Kristin Gabriel, Marco Bisoffi

Student Scholar Symposium Abstracts and Posters

The diagnosis of prostate cancer (adenocarcinoma) relies on screening for elevated prostate-specific antigen (PSA) in blood samples and on digital rectal examination (DRE). With high PSA levels and/or abnormal DRE, physicians recommend a biopsy, which often misses the location of the adenocarcinoma and results in false negatives. Previous studies have shown expression of the key transcription factor early growth response 1 (EGR-1), the pro-survival factor macrophage inhibitor cytokine 1 (MIC-1), and the growth stimulatory platelet derived growth factor A (PDGF-A) to be up-regulated in histologically normal tissues 1 centimeter adjacent to prostate adenocarcinomas. We hypothesize that tumors emerge from “field …

Prostate Field Cancerization -- Thinking Outside The Tumor, Dor Shoshan, Marco Bisoffi

Student Scholar Symposium Abstracts and Posters

Prostate field cancerization (or field effect) is characterized by the presence of molecular alterations in histologically normal tissues adjacent to adenocarcinomas. Accordingly, our research indicates deregulated expression of several proteins that define this type of molecular pathology. The scope of the present study was to determine the expression of the key transcription factor and potential marker of field cancerization early growth response 1 (EGR-1) in human prostate tissues derived from prostatectomies and biopsy cores.

EGR-1 was detected by immunofluorescence using a polyclonal anti-human EGR-1 and Alexa Fluor 488-conjugated secondary antibodies. EGR-1 expression was quantitated by determining the pixel count per …

Nanopulse Generators: Their Design And Application To Cancer Therapy Studies, Daniel P. Wernig

Senior Honors Theses

Effective nanopulse generators have become critical in recent decades concerning the study of subcellular affects in response to nanosecond pulsed electric fields. It has been observed that nanosecond duration electric pulses can target intracellular organelles, ultimately leading to cell apoptosis, suggesting the possibility of a new, minimally invasive, low risk cancer therapy methodology. The standard topology for developing a medical nanopulser is the Blumlein “transmission line” approach. This approach relies on the nearly infinitesimal, yet finite amount of time required for an electromagnetic field to propagate down a short transmission line. Prior to design, requirements and constraints must be defined …

Development Of A Mobility-Enabling Spinal Orthosis And Methods For Evaluating And Developing Spinal Orthoses On A Robotic Platform, John C. Simmons

Theses and Dissertations (ETD)

Introduction: A number of decompressing spinal braces (typically pneumatic) have been introduced that attempt to mechanically emulate the “buoyancy” of water therapy by offloading upper torso load to the pelvic girdle as a treatment for lower back pain (LBP). Unfortunately, the beneficial upward force they apply on the upper torso typically makes it difficult or impossible for the patient to bend. For those cases where stabilization is not indicated, this undesirably hinders therapeutic exercise, independent living, and return to work. The cosmetic stigma of wearing an external pneumatic assembly large enough to provide significant offloading may provide additional disincentives to …

Cancer Survivorship Care: An Emphasis On Rehabilitation Needs In Maine, Cassandra Dawley, Charles Dowd, Irina Fedulow, Miranda Carlson, Lisa Gerhardt, Erin Pike, Kaitlin Powers, Nicole Christine, Angela Serrani

Disease Prevention and Health Promotion Resources

Presentation proposing that standardized rehabilitation and wellness services be incorporated into cancer treatment as well as into a personalized plan of care to be carried out after cancer treatment ends. Proposal is based on research regarding evidence of causation concerning impairments developed as a result of a cancer diagnosis and cancer treatment, evidence regarding rehabilitation and physical activity as an effective intervention in the prevention and treatment of impairments from cancer diagnosis and cancer treatment, and the underlying behavioral change theory for incorporation of a Cancer Survivorship Rehabilitation Algorithm which includes the use of rehabilitation and wellness services in the …

Development Of A Thin-Film Porous-Microelectrode Array (P-Mea) For Electrical Stimulation Of Engineered Cardiac Tissue., Hiren Vrajlal Trada 1977-

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Electrical stimulation has been increasingly used by research groups to enhance and increase maturation of cells in an engineered cardiac tissue (ECT). Current methods are based on using off-the-shelf wires or electrodes to deliver a stimulus voltage to the in-vitro tissue in culture medium. A major issue with this approach is the generation of byproducts in the medium due to the voltage levels required, which are typically in the range of 5V-10V. No solution currently exists that can accomplish electrical stimulation of cells in an ECT at a low voltage level. Therefore, in this study a novel, porous, thinfilm, microelectrode …

Mapping The Spatial And Temporal Dynamics Of Sensorimotor Integration During The Perception And Performance Of Wallowing, Megan E. Cuellar

Theses and Dissertations (ETD)

Similar to other complex sequences of muscle activity, swallowing relies heavily upon ‘sensorimotor integration.’ It is well known that the premotor cortex and primary sensorimotor cortices provide critical sensorimotor contributions that help control the strength and timing of swallowing muscle effectors. However, the temporal dynamics of sensorimotor integration remains unclear, even when performed normally without neurological compromise. Recent advances in EEG analysis blind source separation techniques via independent component analysis offer a novel and exciting opportunity to measure cortical sensorimotor activity in realtime during swallowing, concurrently with muscle activity during swallow initiation. In the current study, mu components were identified, …

Strengths And Weaknesses Of Hybrid Tpr Technology For Obtaining Structural And Mechanistic Insights Into Tpr Proteins, Shanshan Yu

Theses and Dissertations (ETD)

Tetratricopeptide (TPR) repeats are a 34-residue helix-turn-helix motif that when repeated pack into a superhelical structure. TPR domains are frequently found mediating protein-protein interactions, often through a central groove. One protein complex bearing numerous TPR repeats is the Anaphase Promoting Complex (APC). The anaphase-promoting complex (APC) is a multi-subunit complex, which orchestrates mitotic cell cycles. APC is an E3 ligase in the ubiquitin cascade, and directs the 26S proteosome degradation of cell-cycle regulators. Throughout mitotic progression, proteins that are key regulators of the cell cycle are assembled with polyubiquitin chains by APC.

One domain of the human APC is comprised …

Selective Indicators For Optical Determination Of Disease Biomarkers, Lovemore Hakuna

Dissertations and Theses

The most abundant biological thiols, homocysteine (Hcy), cysteine (Cys) and glutathione (GSH) have been the subject of intense research due to their association with a wide range of diseases. They play a key role in maintaining the redox status of biological systems. Selective detection methods for these thiols are challenging due to their similar structures and properties. Current commercially available detection methods use separations, fragile and expensive enzymatic or immunogenic materials and complex instrumentation. This has led to a global effort towards developing simple and inexpensive optical probes and indicators selective for specific biological thiols.

Highly selective chemical probes and …

Pathogenic Role Of Phosphodiesterase 4 (Pde4) In The Development Of Alcohol Induced Hepatic Steatosis., Diana Veronica Avila

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Alcohol induced hepatic steatosis is a significant risk factor for progressive liver disease. Steatotic hepatocytes have increased sensitivity to injury produced by inflammatory cytokines, particularly TNF. Cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP) has been shown to play a significant role in the regulation of both TNF production and lipid metabolism. However, the role of altered cAMP homeostasis in alcohol mediated hepatic steatosis and injury has not been studied. cAMP levels are tightly regulated by phosphodiesterase family of enzymes. Our recent work demonstrated that increased expression of hepatic PDE4, which specifically hydrolyzes and decreases cAMP levels, plays a pathogenic role in the development …

Current Therapeutic Research Is Now Indexed On Pubmed., John N Van Den Anker, Karel Allegaert, Walter K. Kraft

Department of Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics Faculty Papers

No abstract provided.

Stereotypes About Healthcare Professionals, Emotions, And Mammography Compliance, Kayla M. Kinworthy

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

Rates of mammography screening are particularly low for minority women, with only 42% of Latin American (Latino) women in the U.S. reporting having a mammogram in the last year as compared to 53% of non-Latino White (Anglo) women [1]. Minority patients are more likely to report negative healthcare encounters with their health professionals [2; 3], which may result in less favorable cultural stereotypes about healthcare professionals and more negative emotional reactions. Guided by Betancourt’s Integrative Model of Culture, Psychological Processes, and Health Behavior [4] and the Stereotype Content Model [5], the aim of the present research was to examine the …