Physical Sciences and Mathematics Commons^™

Technical Limitations Associated With Molecular Barcoding Of Arthropod Bloodmeals Taken From North American Deer Species, Erin M. Borland, Daniel A. Hartman, Matthew W. Hopken, Antoinette J. Piaggio, Rebekah C. Kading

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Accurate species-level identification of the source of arthropod bloodmeals is important for deciphering blood feeding patterns of field-collected specimens. Cytochrome c oxidase I (COI) mitochondrial gene sequencing has been used for this purpose; however, species resolution can be difficult to obtain from certain vertebrate genera, including Odocoileus. Sanger sequencing of mitochondrial genes was employed to identify the bloodmeal source of wild-caught mosquitoes trapped in Greeley, Colorado. Initial sequencing of the COI gene of mitochondrial DNA in bloodmeals was inadequate for species-level resolution of bloodmeals from deer in the genus Odocoileus, with current databases returning low fidelity matches to …

Repellent Surface Applications For Pest Birds, Shelagh T. Deliberto, James C. Carlson, Hailey E. Mclean, Caroline S. Olson, Scott J. Werner

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Common pest birds in the United States include the non-native European starling (Sturnus vulgaris), house sparrow (Passer domesticus), and the pigeon (Columba livia domestica), as well as native birds including Canada geese (Branta canadensis) and gull species (Laridae). Large concentrations of pest birds can create human health hazards and monetary losses due to consumption of crops, depredation, and fecal contamination and accumulation. Fecal contamination hazards include the potential spread of zoonotic diseases including antimicrobial-resistant zoonoses and human injury due to the accumulation of fecal material on walking surfaces. Additionally, fecal accumulation causes …

Strategies For Reducing Adverse Medical Events From Implanted Medical Devices, Gary John Zack

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Managing medical device monitoring processes is challenging and lacks a realtime, life cycle tracking strategy to reduce adverse medical events and revision costs for hospital administrators, physicians, and patients. Understanding the malfunctions of medical devices for cardiac and orthopedic patients could save lives and reduce hospital liability. Grounded in the business process reengineering conceptual framework, the purpose of this single qualitative case study was to explore strategies hospital managers used to redesign the implant recall surveillance process at one hospital in Pennsylvania. The 5 participants selected successfully implemented a medical device surveillance process that reduced adverse medical events and revision …

Exploration Of Ehr Implementation Strategies: A Qualitative Study, Scot Eric Loerch

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

AbstractElectronic health record system implementations have a high failure rate when properly developed strategies are not used. These implementation failures affect healthcare workers and practitioners core roles through a lack of documentation practices, which decreases the quality of the care of the patients. Grounded in the technology acceptance model, the purpose of this qualitative multiple case study was to explore the strategies information technology systems engineers use for the implementation of Health Information Management Systems. The participants were 10 information technology systems engineers from three healthcare organizations in the greater Tennessee area. The data were collected through recorded participant interviews …

Strategies Used In Ehealth Systems Adoption, Joshua Adams

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Failure to adopt an interoperable eHealth system limits the accurate communication exchange of pertinent health-care-related data for diagnosis and treatment. Patient data are located in disparate health information systems, and the adoption of an interoperable eHealth system is complex and requires strategic planning by senior health care IT leaders. Grounded in DeLone and McLean’s information system success model, the purpose of this qualitative case study was to explore strategies used by some senior information technology (IT) health care leaders in the successful adoption of an eHealth system. The participants were 8 senior health care IT leaders in the eastern United …

Cybersecurity Using Risk Management Strategies Of U.S. Government Health Organizations, Ian Cornelius Wilkinson

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Seismic data loss attributed to cybersecurity attacks has been an epidemic-level threat currently plaguing the U.S. healthcare system. Addressing cyber attacks is important to information technology (IT) security managers to minimize organizational risks and effectively safeguard data from associated security breaches. Grounded in the protection motivation theory, the purpose of this qualitative multiple case study was to explore risk-based strategies used by IT security managers to safeguard data effectively. Data were derived from interviews of eight IT security managers of four U.S. government health institutions and a review of relevant organizational documentation. The research data were coded and organized to …

Lifestyle Factors And Social Determinants As Predictors Of Weight/Body Mass Index, Uthman Alhaji Baba

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Obesity is a major public health concern that includes the risk of developing cardiovascular disease and premature death in adults. Previous studies have established the relationship between gender, educational level, household income and respondents’ weight but additional research is needed to factor the nature of education in relation to gender differences, diet, and other important behavioral mediators such as social determinants. The purpose of this quantitative cross-sectional study is to determine the extent to which frequency of physical activity, household income, social determinants of health (money for balanced meals, finances at the end of month, and poor mental health), respondent …

The Biochemical Characterization Of Cellular Retinoic Acid Binding Protein Type 1 (Crabp1), Emma Magna

Honors Theses

The goal of this research was to express and purify Cellular Retinoic Acid Binding Protein Type 1 (CRABP1). CRABP1 binds to retinoic acid in the cell and shuttles the retinoic acid from one area in the cell to another. The overproduction of CRABP1 appears to be problematic because it can sequester the retinoic acid and prevent it from regulating gene expression. Previous studies have shown that increased levels of CRABP1 can result in tumor-promoting activity and disruption of lipid biology in the cell. Our objective was to express this protein in an inducible bacterial system, so that we could purify …

“Sorry I Didn’T Hear You.” The Ethics Of Voice Computing And Ai In High Risk Mental Health Populations, Fazal Khan, Christopher Villongco

Scholarly Works

This article examines the ethical and policy implications of using voice computing and artificial intelligence to screen for mental health conditions in low income and minority populations. Mental health is unequally distributed among these groups, which is further exacerbated by increased barriers to psychiatric care. Advancements in voice computing and artificial intelligence promise increased screening and more sensitive diagnostic assessments. Machine learning algorithms have the capacity to identify vocal features that can screen those with depression. However, in order to screen for mental health pathology, computer algorithms must first be able to account for the fundamental differences in vocal characteristics …

After-Hours Incentives And Emergency Department Visits: Evidence From Ontario Forthcoming At Canadian Public Policy, Rose Anne Devlin, Koffi Ahoto Kpelitse, Lihua Li, Nirav Mehta, Sisira Sarma

Epidemiology and Biostatistics Publications

No abstract provided.

Development Of A Robust Treatment Delivery Framework For Stereotactic Body Radiotherapy (Sbrt) Of Synchronous Multiple Lung Lesions, Lana Catherine Critchfield

Theses and Dissertations--Radiation Medicine

Stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT) of lung tumors uses high doses of radiation to deliver high biological effective doses (BED) in very few fractions (1-5). With the use of highly conformal fields to cover the tumor without depositing large doses to non-cancerous structures, this technique has proven time and again to be successful at achieving high local control. However, frequently patients receiving SBRT are elderly with multiple medical comorbidities who may not tolerate long treatment times. Furthermore, many patients present with oligometastatic or multiple primary lung tumors. The success of SBRT on oligometastatic lung disease relies on physician experience with …

Microcystins And Liver Disease Mortality, Insights From An Ecological Study, Rajesh Tirpaul Melaram

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Microcystins (MCs) are toxic secondary metabolites produced by freshwater cyanobacteria. Algal bloom subsidence can stimulate MC release, which can impair liver function if orally exposed to in large doses. The purpose of this retrospective, U.S. ecological study was to determine if MC exposure represented an environmental risk factor for liver disease mortality using a socioecological approach. A longitudinal ecological substudy investigated the association between average total MCs in Lake Washington and Lake Manatee and age-adjusted chronic liver disease (CLD)/cirrhosis death rates in Brevard County and Manatee County, Florida (FL). A prediction model of total MCs was deduced by quantifying levels …

Information Security Ambassadors’ Perceptions Of Peer-Led Motivation In Phishing Detection, Kingkane Malmquist

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Phishing rates are increasing yearly and continue to compromise data integrity. The need to guard business information is vital for organizations to meet their business objectives and legal obligations. The purpose of this phenomenological study was to explore security ambassadors’ perceptions of motivating their peers to adopt safe internet behaviors in a large medical campus in Minnesota. Hackman and Oldham’s job characteristic motivation theory was used to frame the study. Data were collected from semistructured interviews with 20 security ambassadors. Data coding and analysis yielded 7 themes: rewarding, value, personal interest, limited information security knowledge, increased interest, communication, and topics …

Water Use Governance In A Temperate Region: Implications For Agricultural Climate Change Adaptation In The Northeastern United States, Rachel E. Schattman, Meredith T. Niles, Hannah M. Aitken

College of Agriculture and Life Sciences Faculty Publications

Climate change and access to water are interrelated concerns for agriculture and other sectors, even in temperate regions. Governance approaches and regulatory frameworks determine who has access to water, for what purpose, and when. In the northeastern United States, water governance has historically been conducted by states through a combination of statutory guidance and common law. However, it is unclear what effect if current governance approaches will be sufficient for achieving resource conservation and equitable allocation in a changing climate. To provide insight into these issues, we conducted the first review of freshwater governance in the 12 states that comprise …

Using Experimental Gaming Simulations To Elicit Risk Mitigation Behavioral Strategies For Agricultural Disease Management, Eric M. Clark, Scott C. Merrill, Luke Trinity, Gabriela Bucini, Nicholas Cheney, Ollin Langle-Chimal, Trisha Shrum, Christopher Koliba, Asim Zia, Julia M. Smith

College of Agriculture and Life Sciences Faculty Publications

Failing to mitigate propagation of disease spread can result in dire economic consequences for agricultural networks. Pathogens like Porcine Epidemic Diarrhea virus, can quickly spread among producers. Biosecurity is designed to prevent infection transmission. When considering biosecurity investments, management must balance the cost of protection versus the consequences of contracting an infection. Thus, an examination of the decision making processes associated with investment in biosecurity is important for enhancing system wide biosecurity. Data gathered from experimental gaming simulations can provide insights into behavioral strategies and inform the development of decision support systems. We created an online digital experiment to simulate …

A Multinational Study Of The Etiology And Clinical Teleology Of Moral Evaluations Of Patient Behaviors, Anna Yu Lee

CGU Theses & Dissertations

This dissertation is a collection of four studies which collectively explore a hypothesized construct of ‘moral evaluation of patient behaviors’ (MEPB) as a driver of health professionals’ readiness to interact humanistically with their patients. In these studies, ‘humanistic interactions’ refer to the non-technical, intangible skills and factors of clinical competence; the factors specifically explored in these studies were compassion toward patients, self-efficacy for treating patients, and optimism toward patient treatment. For the purpose of specificity, all factors were examined as they pertained to patients with substance use disorders. Survey data from a convenience sample of 524 health professionals (i.e. physicians, …

Novel Random Forest Methods And Algorithms For Autism Spectrum Disorders Research, Afrooz Jahedi

CGU Theses & Dissertations

Random Forest (RF) is a flexible, easy to use machine learning algorithm that was proposed by Leo Breiman in 2001 for building a predictor ensemble with a set of decision trees that grow in randomly selected subspaces of data. Its superior prediction accuracy has made it the most used algorithms in the machine learning field. In this dissertation, we use the random forest as the main building block for creating a proximity matrix for multivariate matching and diagnostic classification problems that are used for autism research (as an exemplary application). In observational studies, matching is used to optimize the balance …

Singlet Oxygen Generation By Porphyrins And Metalloporphyrins Revisited: A Quantitative Structure-Property Relationship (Qspr) Study, Andrey A. Buglak, Mikhail Filatov, Althaf M. Hussain, Manabu Sugimoto

Books/Book chapters

state followed by formation of singlet oxygen (1O2), which is a highly reactive species and mediates various oxidative processes. The design of advanced sensitizers based on porphyrin compounds have attracted significant attention in recent years. However, it is still difficult to predict the efficiency of singlet oxygen generation for a given structure. Our goal was to develop a quantitative structure-property relationship (QSPR) model for the fast virtual screening and prediction of singlet oxygen quantum yields for pophyrins and metalloporphyrins. We performed QSPR analysis of a dataset containing 32 compounds, including various porphyrins and their analogues (chlorins and bacteriochlorins). Quantum-chemical descriptors …

Knowledge And Behavioural Interventions To Reduce Human Health Risk From Private Groundwater Systems: A Global Review And Pooled Analysis Based On Development Status, S. Mooney, C. P. Mcdowell, J. O'Dwyer, P. D. Hynds

Articles

Groundwater contamination constitutes a significant health risk for private well users residing in rural areas. As the responsibility to safeguard rural private domestic groundwater typically rests with non-expert homeowners, interventions promoting risk mitigation and awareness represent the most viable means of preventing supply contamination. However, no global review or pooled analyses of these interventions has been undertaken to date. The current study sought to identify and quantify the performance of private well interventions from 1990 to 2018 via a global systematised review and pooled analysis. The PICO (Population-Intervention-Comparison-Outcome) approach was employed for literature identification. Relevant studies were statistically analysed across …

Short-Term Effects Of Ambient Ozone, Pm2. 5, And Meteorological Factors On Covid-19 Confirmed Cases And Deaths In Queens, New York., Atin Adhikari, Jingjing Yin

Department of Biostatistics, Epidemiology, and Environmental Health Sciences Faculty Publications

The outbreak of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), caused by the virus SARS-CoV-2, has been rapidly increasing in the United States. Boroughs of New York City, including Queens county, turn out to be the epicenters of this infection. According to the data provided by the New York State Department of Health, most of the cases of new COVID-19 infections in New York City have been found in the Queens county where 42,023 people have tested positive, and 3221 people have died as of 20 April 2020. Person-to-person transmission and travels were implicated in the initial spread of the outbreaks, but factors …

Urban Food Sovereignty: Urgent Need For Agroecology And Systems Thinking In A Post-Covid-19 Future, Ali Loker, Charles A. Francis

Department of Agronomy and Horticulture: Faculty Publications

The current COVID-19 pandemic has brought attention to challenges associated with our dominant industrial food system in the U.S. The general public now has more appreciation for farm workers and meatpacking employees, as well as those in grocery stores and in food transportation who are suddenly recognized as essential frontline workers. It apparently takes a crisis for us to focus clearly on the fragility of this system and the lives of people on whom we depend. In this commentary we discuss the definition of food sovereignty, how it manifests in urban areas, and how the COVID-19 pandemic can trigger viable …

A Comparative Spatial And Climate Analysis Of Human Granulocytic Anaplasmosis And Human Babesiosis In New York State (2013-2018), Collin J. O'Connor

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

Human granulocytic anaplasmosis (HGA) and human babesiosis are tick-borne diseases spread by Ixodes scapularis (the blacklegged or deer tick) and are the result of infection with Anaplasma phagocytophilum and Babesia microti, respectively. In New York State (NYS), incidence rates of these diseases increased concordantly until around 2013, when rates of HGA began to increase more rapidly than human babesiosis, and the spatial extent of the diseases diverged. Surveillance data of tick-borne pathogens (2007 to 2018) and reported human cases of HGA (n=4,297) and human babesiosis (n=2,986) (2013 to 2018) from the New York State Department of Health (NYSDOH) showed a …

A Short Remark On Bong Han Duct System (Pvs) As A Neutrosophic Bridge Between Eastern And Western Medicine Paradigms, Victor Christianto, Florentin Smarandache

Branch Mathematics and Statistics Faculty and Staff Publications

In a previous paper in this journal (IJNS), it is mentioned about a possible approach of “curemony” as a middle way in order to reconcile Eastern and Western’s paradigms of medicine [1]. Although it is known in literature that there are some attempts to reconcile between Eastern and Western medicine paradigms, known as “integrative medicine,” here a new viewpoint is submitted, i.e. Bong Han duct system (PVS), which is a proof of Meridian system, can be a bridge between those two medicine paradigms in neutrosophic sense. This can be considered as a Neutrosophic Logic way to bridge or reconcile the …

Iot Devices In The Public Health Sector, Cayla Young

Cybersecurity Undergraduate Research Showcase

In this research, proper attention is drawn to privacy and security concerns with the integration of Internet of Things (IoT) devices in the public health sector. Often, not much attention is given to IoT devices and its vulnerabilities concerning the medical industry. Effects of COVID-19 contact tracing applications are explored through research of various source types. Mitigation techniques for these privacy and security issues is given. Focus is brought to topics outlining the risks associated with genetic testing companies and the vulnerabilities of data collection and data storage. Recommendations are provided to help consumers avoid these risks. Lastly, a comprehensive …

The Experiences Of Ncaa Student-Athletes With An Eating Disorder Or Disordered Eating, Rachel E. Taylor

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to explore the experiences of student-athletes who had an eating disorder or disordered eating (ED/DE) while competing for the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA). Integrating criticism and connoisseurship and critical evocative portraiture, four post-collegiate women who participated in cross country and track, who were either clinically diagnosed with an ED/DE or who self-diagnosed, participated in two interviews to describe their experiences with and the impact of ED/DE on their athletic pursuits, academic pursuits, as well as their relationships with coaches, teammates, and family. The analysis of these interviews showed the complexity of this topic. …

Modulation Of Medical Condition Likelihood By Patient History Similarity, Jonathan Turner, Dympna O'Sullivan, Jon Bird

Articles

Introduction: We describe an analysis that modulates the simple population prevalence derived likelihood of a particular condition occurring in an individual by matching the individual with other individuals with similar clinical histories and determining the prevalence of the condition within the matched group.

Methods: We have taken clinical event codes and dates from anonymised longitudinal primary care records for 25,979 patients with 749,053 recorded clinical events. Using a nearest neighbour approach, for each patient, the likelihood of a condition occurring was adjusted from the population prevalence to the prevalence of the condition within those patients with the closest …

Detection Of A Peptide Hormone - Somatostatin - Label-Free Split-Aptameric Probes, Charles A. Dowis

Honors Undergraduate Theses

Peptide hormones are important biomolecules that transduce downstream effects such as cell proliferation, regulation, and gene expression. Their levels have been upregulated in various disorders such as cancer, yet detection methods are lacking. We designed two split aptamer-based assays for the detection of a peptide hormone – Somatostatin (SST) – with different signal readouts: fluorescent readout based on light-up aptamers and the colorimetric readout of ABTS peroxidation from a G-quadruplex. We used an already selected split-aptamer –SSTA5–for SST for our designs and we had expected the developed detection systems to exhibit detection and quantification capabilities that would hopefully allow their …

Distribution Of Human Exposure To Ozone During Commuting Hours In Connecticut Using The Cellular Device Network, Owais Gilani, Simon Urbanek, Michael J. Kane

Faculty Journal Articles

Epidemiologic studies have established associations between various air pollutants and adverse health outcomes for adults and children. Due to high costs of monitoring air pollutant concentrations for subjects enrolled in a study, statisticians predict exposure concentrations from spatial models that are developed using concentrations monitored at a few sites. In the absence of detailed information on when and where subjects move during the study window, researchers typically assume that the subjects spend their entire day at home, school, or work. This assumption can potentially lead to large exposure assignment bias. In this study, we aim to determine the distribution of …

Elephant And Anchors ‒ Photoelectron Photoion Coincidence Spectroscopy Of Small Oxygenated Molecules, Apeter Weidner

University of the Pacific Theses and Dissertations

The dissociative photoionization reactions of two small, oxygenated organics, namely 1,3-dioxolane and methyl vinyl ketone, were studied by photoelectron photoion coincidence (PEPICO) spectroscopy. Experiments involving 1,3-dioxolane were carried out in the photon energy range of 9.5‒13.5 eV. The statistical thermodynamics model shows that a total of six dissociation channels are involved in the formation of three fragment ions, namely C3H5O2+ (m/z 73), C2H5O+ (m/z 45) and C2H4O+ (m/z 44), with two channels contributing to the formation of each. By comparing the results of ab initio quantum chemical calculations to the experimentally derived appearance energies of the fragment ions, the most …

Model-Based Machine Learning To Identify Clinical Relevance In A High-Resolution Simulation Of Sepsis And Trauma, Zachary H. Silberman Md, Robert Chase Cockrell Phd, Gary An Md

Larner College of Medicine Fourth Year Advanced Integration Teaching/Scholarly Projects

Introduction: Sepsis is a devastating, costly, and complicated disease. It represents the summation of varied host immune responses in a clinical and physiological diagnosis. Despite extensive research, there is no current mediator-directed therapy, nor a biomarker panel able to categorize disease severity or reliably predict outcome. Although still distant from direct clinical translation, dynamic computational and mathematical models of acute systemic inflammation and sepsis are being developed. Although computationally intensive to run and calibrate, agent-based models (ABMs) are one type of model well suited for this. New analytical methods to efficiently extract knowledge from ABMs are needed. Specifically, machine-learning …