Other Medical Sciences Commons^™

Investigation Of Stereotactic Body Radiation Therapy Delivery Accuracy On An Elekta Linear Accelerator, Addie Barron

LSU Master's Theses

Purpose: This work investigated the delivery accuracy of high-dose lung and spine stereotactic treatments delivered with the Elekta Infinity and Versa HD platforms. The accuracy of these platforms will be used for consideration in implementing a spine stereotactic radiosurgery (SSRS) program at Mary Bird Perkins Cancer Center.

Methods: A geometric phantom was used to perform Winston-Lutz type tests that assessed the relevant degrees of freedom (gantry, collimator, and couch) of the delivery system. A lung stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT) and spine SRS treatment plan were generated for use in end-to-end testing. Delivery accuracy was tested using a novel diode …

Tertiary Care Centres Must Do More For Patients With Unknown Conditions: Lessons Learned From A Child, Guido Filler, Lana Rothfels

Patient Experience Journal

Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome (POTS) is a debilitating disease with a commonly non-uniform and unspecific presentation that makes diagnosis difficult. A twelve-year-old girl, recently diagnosed with Addison’s Disease, was referred to paediatric nephrology for Fludrocortisone-induced nocturnal hypertension. She had fallen off the growth curve for both height and weight from the 50th percentile at birth to below the 5th percentile at presentation. The severity and multitude of her symptoms, including muscle weakness, poor body control, dizziness, light headedness, persistent fatigue, excessive sweating, tachycardia, chronic constipation and recurrent infection hinted at the unusual nature of this case of Addison’s. At the …

An Interprofessional Education Initiative For Allied Health Students Preparing To Serve Individuals With Autism Spectrum Disorders, Brenda L. Beverly, Donna Wooster

University Faculty and Staff Publications

The need for effective services for persons with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) is driving efforts to better prepare teams of allied health professionals. To address this need, an interprofessional graduate course was piloted with students from three allied health professions: physical therapy, occupational therapy, and speech-language pathology. The course aims were to address knowledge and competency in the field of ASD and to promote interprofessional abilities during entry-level preparation. Nine graduate students participated in weekly on-line education and attended a day-long autism conference with local practitioners from seven different professions. Attitude changes toward interprofessional practice were assessed with two pre- …

Understanding Regenerative Medicine And Its Position In Healthcare, Tyler F. Ward

Kentucky Journal of Undergraduate Scholarship

Abstract: Regenerative medicine is an emerging field of the healthcare industry that has the potential to treat a myriad of health conditions. Induced pluripotent stem cells, human embryonic stem cells, and tissue engineering are a few of the treatment methods that may be delivered by healthcare professionals in personalized medicine. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval is necessary within the United States before any of these treatment options are available. Specific cellular therapies are currently undergoing clinical trials and it may be years before approval is acquired. The National Institute of Health is proactively working to ensure that healthcare policies, …

Defining The Radioresponse Of Mossy Cells, Devon Ivy

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

Clinical radiotherapy is used to treat a variety of brain tumors within the central nervous system. While effective, it can result in progressive and debilitating cognitive impairment that can diminish quality of life. These impairments have been linked to hippocampal dysfunction and corresponding deficits in spatial learning and memory. Mossy cells are a major population of excitatory neurons located within the dentate hilus and highly involved in hippocampal circuitry. They play critical roles in spatial navigation, neurogenesis, memory, and are particularly vulnerable to a variety of neurotoxic insults. However, their sensitivity to ionizing radiation has yet to be investigated in …

Three Speeds Of Yoga And The Effects On Salivary Cortisol Levels In Female Nursing Students, Meagan Hennekens

All NMU Master's Theses

Purpose: Nursing students are prone to stress-related diseases, such as depression and anxiety, which are associated with chronically elevated cortisol levels due to the excessive firing of the Hypothalamic Pituitary Adrenal (HPA) axis. This study assessed three speeds of yoga and how they acutely affected salivary cortisol levels within female nursing students. Methods: Students participated in three yoga sessions cadenced at different speeds in a non-randomized order: (i) standard-speed yoga (SSY), (ii) high-speed yoga (HSY), and (iii) slow-speed yoga (SLSY). Each class integrated sequencing concepts from the brahmana/langhana strategy (BLS) and the Para Yoga Blueprint (PYB). Cortisol samples were …

Spinal Cord Trauma: An Overview Of Normal Structure And Function, Primary And Secondary Mechanisms Of Injury, And Emerging Treatment Modalities, Daniel Morin

Senior Honors Theses

The structures of the spinal cord and vertebral column are designed to provide flexibility, while still providing ample protection for the spinal cord deep within. While it does offer remarkable protection against most routine trauma, the spinal cord is still vulnerable to high-force etiologies of trauma and may become damaged as a result. These events are referred to as primary injury. Following the initial injury, the body’s own physiological responses cause a cascade of deleterious effects, known as secondary injury. Secondary injury is a major therapeutic target in mitigating the effects of spinal cord injury (SCI), and much research is …

Development Of A Positron-Emitting Surrogate Microsphere For Image-Based Dosimetry In Yttrium-90 Radioembolization Therapy, Gregory D. Chambers

Nuclear Engineering ETDs

Radioembolization of liver tumors using yttrium-90 (Y-90) labeled microspheres is a proven method of treatment. The primary decay mode of Y-90 is beta-minus decay. The electrons produced during decay deliver a cytotoxic radiation dose in a localized volume. The radiation dose is sufficient to kill tumor cells yet spare the normal liver. The Y-90 microspheres are delivered via a catheter that has been placed in an artery that supplies blood to the tumor. Microspheres are injected and the blood distributes the microspheres. The current practice involves two separate procedures. The first procedure is an assessment of the vasculature of the …

Disparities In Healthcare Coverage And Utilization After Expanded Dependent Coverage, Tina Hernandez-Boussard, Doug E. Morrison, Lu Tian, Sanjay Basu

Journal of Health Disparities Research and Practice

Background. A goal of expanding insurance coverage is reducing racial disparities in healthcare utilization, however the effects of such expansions under the affordable care act (ACA) on disparities remain unclear. The 2010 dependent coverage expansion provided an opportunity to evaluate disparities following a major coverage expansion.

Objectives. We sought to understand changes in emergency department (ED)utilization following a major insurance expansion, the 2010 dependent coverage expansion.

Research Design. We present changes in coverage and utilization among young adults (19-25 years old) before and after the dependent coverage expansion, compared to a control group (26-31 years old) unaffected …

Benefit Of Intensity Modulated Bolus Electron Conformal Therapy For Post Mastectomy Chest Wall Irradiation, John Doiron

LSU Master's Theses

Purpose: The delivery of post-mastectomy radiotherapy (PMRT) with bolus electron conformal therapy (BECT) for patients with left-sided breast cancer can reduce second cancer complication probability (SCCP) compared to modern rotational intensity modulated x-ray (IMXT) techniques such as volumetric modulated arc therapy (VMAT) or Tomotherapy. However, rotational IMXT yields superior levels of dose homogeneity compared to BECT. This study investigates the use of intensity modulated (IM) BECT (IM-BECT) to improve dose homogeneity in the chest wall (CW) region of the PMRT planning target volume (PTV) abutted to parallel opposed IMXT tangents for the remaining PTV for a clinically-representative set of patients, …

Team Based Approach To Fall Prevention In Elderly Population: A Four Year Review, Britney Schwartz Bsn, Rn, Anne Yaple, Jamie Gaul Pharmd, Bcps, Jennifer Ferguson, Katelyn Hougham, Fenlei Chang Md, Phd

Parkview Pharmacy Department

Poster Presentation

“The research reported on this poster was supported by Parkview Health, Indiana University School of Medicine, and Aging & In-Home Services of NE Indiana. The investigators retained full independence in the conduct of this research”

Methods:

The Fall Prevention Clinic was established 4 years ago as an outpatient service within a community hospital.  The patient completes a series of two appointments after a physician referral is received • 1st Visit – Composed of evaluation by a multi-disciplinary team: Neurologist (Neuro),RN Care Advisor (RN), Physical Therapist (PT), Pharmacist (RPh), Occupational Therapist (OT), and Aging & In-Home Services (AIHS) …

Effects Of Energy-Based Therapies On Postoperative Recovery: An Integrative Review Of The Literature, Emily M. Wooten

Honors Undergraduate Theses

Associated with health care reform, there has been a growing interest among healthcare professionals regarding use of energy-based therapies as a complementary therapeutic intervention. The purpose of this integrative literature review was to examine the impact of energy-based therapies (i.e. healing touch, reiki, therapeutic touch) on patients’ postoperative recovery. The methodology included identifying appropriate peer-reviewed, English-language research articles on the topic area that were published between 2006 to 2018. Following a search in select data bases, articles focusing on the topic were critiqued, analyzed and synthesized by the researcher. Consistent and inconsistent findings along with gaps in the literature are …

Glycosaminoglycan Lyases In The Preparation Of Oligosaccharides, Alhumaidi B. Alabbas

Theses and Dissertations

Glycosaminoglycans are heterogeneous polysaccharides that mediate important biological functions. There has been considerable interest in deciphering the precise GAG sequences that are responsible for protein interactions. In fact, several GAG oligosaccharides have been discovered to date as targeting proteins with higher level of specificity. Yet, it has been difficult to develop GAG oligosaccharides as drugs. One of the key reasons for this state of art is that GAG synthesis is extremely challenging and is highly structure-specific. Thus, much of the biology and pharmacology of GAG remains unknown and unexploited to date.

An alternative approach is to prepare GAG oligosaccharides using …

Student And Faculty Perceptions Of Live Synchronous Distance Education For Allied Health Students Following Program Expansion To A Rural Campus, Betsy J. Becker, Kelsey Rutt, Allyson Huntley, Harlan Sayles, Kim Michael

Internet Journal of Allied Health Sciences and Practice

Background & Purpose: Distance education (DE) is a means to meet allied health workforce needs in rural locations where healthcare worker shortages are apparent. Five allied health programs were expanded to a rural campus teaching synchronously using distance education technology. The purpose of this convergent parallel mixed methods study was to explore perceptions of allied health students and faculty at two campus locations.

Methods: Quantitative and qualitative information were collected through a survey of students and faculty (physical therapy, physician assistant, and medical imaging [diagnostic medical sonography, radiography, magnetic resonance imaging] programs). Both campuses served as live and distance sites …

The Nervous System And Cancers Of The Head And Neck, Christian A. Graves

Theses and Dissertations

The anatomy of the head and neck is closely associated with the nervous system which plays an important role in the prognosis of head and neck cancer (HNC). However, the molecular interactions between these compartments and HNC remain poorly understood. We present a novel big data approach utilizing clinical data, sequencing, and machine learning to identify and validate potential molecular pathways by which the nervous system affects the development and progression of HNC. Our studies demonstrate across multiple datasets that perineural invasion (PNI) frequently occurs in HPV+ HNC. Furthermore, we show novel activating and missense mutations and pathways that may …

Advanced Clearing Methods And Imaging Techniques For Optimized Three- Dimensional Reconstruction Of Dense Tissues, Caleb A. Padgett

Theses and Dissertations

Advances in tissue clearing have allowed biological and biomedical researchers to image entire segments of tissue and generate three-dimensional reconstructions, allowing for a better understanding of the structural and morphological characteristics of large tissues. This study compared three commonly utilized clearing methods and analyzed their effectiveness in increasing imaging depth for three-dimensional reconstruction of large tissue segments. Mouse heart, mouse brain, mouse colon, and embryonic chick tissues were cut into thick sections, cleared and immunolabeled with an antibody specific to each tissue type, and imaged using a confocal microscope. The results of this study concluded that most tissues cleared by …

Effect Of Resveratrol On The Development Of Eczema, Christopher Carlucci

Theses and Dissertations

Atopic dermatitis is a type of eczema characterized by chronic inflammation of the skin, affecting millions of people worldwide. Resveratrol, a naturally occurring stilbenoid, is widely believed to exhibit beneficial effects on a host of chronic diseases. Although some previous studies have aimed to evaluate the effects of resveratrol on the pathogenesis of atopic dermatitis, this relationship remains ill-defined. We have previously established that mast cell activation, remodeling, and cellular infiltration in the hypodermis all begin prior to the IgE-mediated immune response in an atopic dermatitis mouse model, and that this early pathogenesis is directly related to an increase in …

The Effects Of Emerging Technology On Healthcare And The Difficulties Of Integration, Skyler J. Pavlish-Carpenter

Honors Undergraduate Theses

Background: Disruptive technology describes technology that is significantly more advanced than previous iterations, such as: 3D printing, genetic manipulation, stem cell research, innovative surgical procedures, and computer-based charting software. These technologies often require extensive overhauls to implement into older systems and must overcome many difficult financial and societal complications before they can be widely used. In a field like healthcare that makes frequent advancements, these difficulties can mean that the technology will not be utilized to its full potential or implemented at all.

Objective: To determine the inhibiting factors that prevent disruptive technology from being implemented in conventional healthcare.

Methods: …

The Future Of Nuclear Security: A Medical Physicist’S Perspective, Katharine E. Thomson

International Journal of Nuclear Security

Planning for the future of nuclear security is a vital and complex task, requiring cooperation and contribution from many disciplines and industries. This diversity of expertise should include the medical sector, which faces many of the same challenges as the nuclear industry: controlling access to dangerous material, creating a strong security culture, cooperating with the wider world and engaging the public.

Medical physicists, of which the author is one, oversee all aspects of small-scale radiation use. This paper discusses three key areas increasingly important to both medical and nuclear uses of radioactive materials: public engagement, prevention of nuclear and radiological …

Proposed Method For Measuring The Let Of Radiotherapeutic Particle Beams, Stephen D. Bello

Physics & Astronomy ETDs

The Bragg peak geometry of the depth dose distributions for hadrons allows for precise and effective dose delivery to tumors while sparing neighboring healthy tissue. Further, compared against other forms of radiotherapeutic treatments, such as electron beam therapy (EBT) or photons (x and \(\gamma\)-rays), hadrons create denser ionization events along the particle track, which induces irreparable damage to DNA, and thus are more effective at inactivating cancerous cells. The measurement of radiation's ability to inactivate cellular reproduction is the relative biological effectiveness (RBE). A quality related to the RBE that is a measurable physical property is the linear energy transfer …