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Title: THE ROBOT WILL SEE YOU NOW: ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE AND THE MICROFOUNDATIONS OF INSTITUTIONAL CHANGE WITHIN MEDICINE.
Creator: Bagdasarian, Jennifer Ling, Goodrick, Elizabeth, Florida Atlantic University, Department of Management Programs, College of Business
Abstract/Description: The presence of artificial intelligence (AI) has incrementally increased in our lives since its introduction in the 1950s and has exponentially increased in the last decade. In medicine, AI holds the promise of providing complete panoramic views of a patient’s medical history, improving medical decision making, avoiding errors such as misdiagnosis and unnecessary procedures, interpretating tests and making treatment recommendations. In this study, I examine the influence of AI on decision...
Show moreThe presence of artificial intelligence (AI) has incrementally increased in our lives since its introduction in the 1950s and has exponentially increased in the last decade. In medicine, AI holds the promise of providing complete panoramic views of a patient’s medical history, improving medical decision making, avoiding errors such as misdiagnosis and unnecessary procedures, interpretating tests and making treatment recommendations. In this study, I examine the influence of AI on decision-making behaviors and the changes to the professional institution of medicine. This paper links theories of institutional change and professions to further our understanding of the processes of change in response to emergent technology. Recognizing that the autonomy of decision making is central to the model of professional work, this study (1) shows how changes in decision-making processes are a driver of change in the institution of professions and (2) highlights how this impacts the professional role identity of health care providers which has implications for how medicine is taught and how diagnoses are made.
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Date Issued: 2023
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/fau/fd/FA00014125
Subject Headings: Artificial intelligence, Medicine
Format: Document (PDF)

Title: PHENOESTHETICS AND THE ARCIMBOLDO CONNECTION: BRIDGING ART, SCIENCE, AND AESTHETICS IN CLINICAL PRACTICE.
Creator: Lindner, Robert W., Serra, Ilaria, Florida Atlantic University, Department of Languages, Linguistics and Comparative Literature, Dorothy F. Schmidt College of Arts and Letters
Abstract/Description: Amid the rapid advancements in clinical aesthetics, there lies an intricate gap between the artistic and sensory experience of facial aesthetics and the technical approach of medical sciences. As the field of clinical aesthetics veers further into the realm of the ideal, tensions arise between patient expectations and the practitioner's delivery. Central to this issue is the growing reliance on technology, which often overlooks the immediate sensory experience crucial for aesthetic...
Show moreAmid the rapid advancements in clinical aesthetics, there lies an intricate gap between the artistic and sensory experience of facial aesthetics and the technical approach of medical sciences. As the field of clinical aesthetics veers further into the realm of the ideal, tensions arise between patient expectations and the practitioner's delivery. Central to this issue is the growing reliance on technology, which often overlooks the immediate sensory experience crucial for aesthetic satisfaction. Drawing inspiration from the arts and humanities, this dissertation introduces "Phenoesthetics" as an epistemological bridge, harmonizing the seemingly disparate domains of sensory experience and scientific analysis. By using visual art, particularly the composite works of the Renaissance artist Giuseppe Arcimboldo, as an illustrative tool, this work seeks to elucidate the dual nature of facial aesthetics perception: the universal, tangible forms and the more abstract, cultural interpretations. By weaving together elements from the arts, humanities, and sciences, this study propounds a Phenoesthetics approach — a comprehensive method designed to enhance understanding and communication in clinical aesthetics. The aim is to provide practitioners with a robust framework, fostering more aligned expectations and improving satisfaction rates in the field of aesthetic medicine.
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Date Issued: 2023
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/fau/fd/FA00014360
Subject Headings: Esthetics, Aesthetics, Medicine
Format: Document (PDF)

Title: Hot-cold medicine revisited: another look at the debate over its origin.
Creator: Bourget, Sarah., Harriet L. Wilkes Honors College
Abstract/Description: Anthropologists like George Foster have argued over the origin of Latin American hot-cold medicine since the 1950s. Some argue that it originated within the indigenous populations of Latin America while others argue that hot-cold medicine originated from European humoral medicine. In this paper, I take another look at this debate, focusing on how its practice varies from community to community and relating the debate to changes that have occurred in the discipline of anthropology in recent...
Show moreAnthropologists like George Foster have argued over the origin of Latin American hot-cold medicine since the 1950s. Some argue that it originated within the indigenous populations of Latin America while others argue that hot-cold medicine originated from European humoral medicine. In this paper, I take another look at this debate, focusing on how its practice varies from community to community and relating the debate to changes that have occurred in the discipline of anthropology in recent years. I also look at other lines of evidence, such as the linguistics used in association with hot-cold medicine and the nearly universal existence of the hot-cold dichotomy, in order to support the theory that hot-cold medicine originated within the indigenous groups of Latin America.
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Date Issued: 2005
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/FAU/11573
Subject Headings: Traditional medicine, Alternative medicine, Medical anthropology
Format: Document (PDF)

Title: Isolation and structure elucidation of new compounds from Cornus Controversa and Delphinium Chrysotrichum.
Creator: He, Yangqing, West, Lyndon, Florida Atlantic University, Charles E. Schmidt College of Science, Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry
Abstract/Description: The aim of this dissertation was to explore structurally unique secondary metabolites from herb medicinal plants Cornus controversa and Delphinium chrysotrichum. The introduction in the first chapter provides a detailed review about the research progress of chemical constitutents of the genus Cornus. In addition, its pharmacological activities were also summarized in this chapter to provide a framework for understanding the roles of medicinal herbs belong to genus Cornus as anti-diabetes...
Show moreThe aim of this dissertation was to explore structurally unique secondary metabolites from herb medicinal plants Cornus controversa and Delphinium chrysotrichum. The introduction in the first chapter provides a detailed review about the research progress of chemical constitutents of the genus Cornus. In addition, its pharmacological activities were also summarized in this chapter to provide a framework for understanding the roles of medicinal herbs belong to genus Cornus as anti-diabetes therapeutics and to deliver useful information for further research. In chapter two, seven new compounds, including one iridoid glucoside, cornoside A (59), five iridoid aglycones, cornolactones A – E (60 – 64) and one indenone glucoside, cornoside B (65), together with 10 known compounds have been isolated from the leaves of Cornus controversa. The structures of these compounds were established by interpretation of spectroscopic data. Cornolactone A (61) is the first natural cis-fused tricyclic dilactone iridoid containing both a five- and six-membered lactone ring. Cornoside B (65) is the first alkaloid isolated from the genus Cornus bearing an indole-3-lactic acid-11--D-glucopyranoside skeleton. In chapter three, we described the structure elucidation of three new diterpenoid alkaloids delphatisine D (77), chrysotrichumines A (78) and B (79), as well as 11 known compounds from the whole plants of Delphinium chrysotrichum. Delphatisine D (77) is a rare atisine-type alkaloid from genus Delphinium and is the C-15 epimer of spiramine C which bears an internal carbinolamine ether linkage (NCOC) between C-7 and C-20. Chrysotrichumine A (78) is a rare natural C19-diterpenoid alkaloid possessing a nitrone group between C-17 and C-19. In addition, their cytotoxic activity against human breast cancer cell lines of MCF-7 and MDA-MB-231 were also reported. In chapter four, the detailed extraction and isolation procedures of the new compounds, cornosides A and B, cornolactones A – E, delphatisine D, chrysotrichumine A and B, as well as of all the known compounds were described. In addition, the experimental procedures for the determination of PPARγ and LXR agonistic activities and the MTT cytotoxicity assay were listed in this chapter.
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Date Issued: 2014
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/fau/fd/FA00004121
Subject Headings: Medicinal plants., Delphinium., Cornus (Plants)
Format: Document (PDF)

Title: The Non-Random Selection of Medicinal Plants Theory: a Case Study of a Kichwa Community in the Ecuadorian Amazon.
Creator: Robles Arias, Daniela M., Fadiman, Maria, Florida Atlantic University, Charles E. Schmidt College of Science, Department of Geosciences
Abstract/Description: The non-random selection of medicinal plants theory, which states that phylogeny affects the selection of medicinal plants, was proposed by Daniel Moerman to indirectly prove that traditional medicinal systems are rational and based in part by the therapeutic efficacy of plants. The logic of this theory is that because members of a taxonomical group share similar characteristics, some groups will be more medicinal and will be over-used in pharmacopoeias, while other groups bereft of secondary...
Show moreThe non-random selection of medicinal plants theory, which states that phylogeny affects the selection of medicinal plants, was proposed by Daniel Moerman to indirectly prove that traditional medicinal systems are rational and based in part by the therapeutic efficacy of plants. The logic of this theory is that because members of a taxonomical group share similar characteristics, some groups will be more medicinal and will be over-used in pharmacopoeias, while other groups bereft of secondary metabolites and therapeutic potential will be under-used medicinally. To test this theory, Moerman linearly regressed the total number of medicinal plants per family against the total number of plants per family present in an area and examined residual values to find over-used and under-used medicinal plant families. The method has been praised for its simplicity. Nonetheless, shortcomings have been noted and criticized, inspiring researchers to propose new procedures to test for phylogenetic biases in pharmacopoeias. Negative Binomial regression and examination of studentized residuals, the method used in this investigation, ameliorates the original one with a few corrections, conserving the simplicity and solving for all the criticized flaws. Also, this study incorporated different sociodemographic factors to determine if the intracultural homogeneity of traditional knowledge affects the results of the non-random selection of medicinal plants theory analysis. By testing Moerman’s theory, which is one of Ethnobotany’s major theories, this investigation is in agreement with the call to have more hypothesis-driven research within a theoretical framework to continue to advance the Ethnobotany field.
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Date Issued: 2018
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/fau/fd/FA00013000
Subject Headings: Medicinal plants, Ethnobotany, Ecuador, Amazon River Region
Format: Document (PDF)

Title: COMPARATIVE PHARMACOKINETICS, BIODISTRIBUTION AND DOSIMETRY OF 212Pb (ALPHA-EMITTER) LABELED ANTIBODY VS PEPTIDE VS SMALL MOLECULE.
Creator: Moshiri, Nader Sedeh, Leventouri, Theodora, Florida Atlantic University, Department of Physics, Charles E. Schmidt College of Science
Abstract/Description: With the advent of newly and more reliably designed targeted therapy methods in the past several years, targeted radionuclide therapy has attracted more attentions around the world as a more reliable treatment modality in combination with other well established traditional cancer treatments i.e., external beam radiotherapy and chemotherapy. Alpha particles have a high relative biological effectiveness (RBE) due to their high linear energy transfer (LET). However, to utilize them for...
Show moreWith the advent of newly and more reliably designed targeted therapy methods in the past several years, targeted radionuclide therapy has attracted more attentions around the world as a more reliable treatment modality in combination with other well established traditional cancer treatments i.e., external beam radiotherapy and chemotherapy. Alpha particles have a high relative biological effectiveness (RBE) due to their high linear energy transfer (LET). However, to utilize them for therapeutic purposes, precise human body dosimetry calculation is required. The measurement of their uptake and biodistribution can be quite challenging. Also, due to the complex biology of different types of cells, their shapes and functions, there is not a simple and clear understanding of the mechanism of action that fits all. This study aims to estimate and compare the human organ dosimetry of the alpha emitter, 212Pb, from animal data assuming that it is conjugated with three different types of commonly used targeting nanoparticles. For this purpose, the pre-published animal data of three different radionuclide labeled peptide, antibody, and small molecule carriers were selected and converted to human data. Then a compartmental model was designed for each of them to fit the model to the human data with 212Pb, half-life of 10.64 hours. Once each model reached the desired fit, the area under the curves were extracted then the estimated human organ dosimetry calculations took place via the MIRD scheme. The organ dosimetry results for 212Pb + three different carriers are presented in Tables 14, 17, and 20.
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Date Issued: 2023
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/fau/fd/FA00014215
Subject Headings: Cancer--Treatment, Lead-212, Nuclear Medicine
Format: Document (PDF)

Title: An examination of alexithymia in a non-treatment seeking population of acute and chronic pain sufferers.
Creator: Ramm, Karen L., Harriet L. Wilkes Honors College
Abstract/Description: Difficulty in communicating internal states may interfere with medical assessment of pain conditions. Individuals who score high on an assessment measure of a construct called alexithymia have difficulty in describing and/or identifying emotions. Both diffuse and low verbal communication styles have been related to alexithymia in chronic pain patients. Alexithymia has also been linked with pain intensity and various chronic pain conditions. As yet, research has not examined whether...
Show moreDifficulty in communicating internal states may interfere with medical assessment of pain conditions. Individuals who score high on an assessment measure of a construct called alexithymia have difficulty in describing and/or identifying emotions. Both diffuse and low verbal communication styles have been related to alexithymia in chronic pain patients. Alexithymia has also been linked with pain intensity and various chronic pain conditions. As yet, research has not examined whether alexithymia and acute pain are related. The current research examined high-functioning individuals with chronic, acute, or no pain. No difference in alexithymia levels was found between the groups. However, pain intensity was related to difficulty in identifying feelings, and participants who scored high in alexithymia produced a low number of words per sentence in pain descriptions.
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Date Issued: 2007
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/FAU/11606
Subject Headings: Emotions, Health aspects, Alexithymia, Evidence-based medicine, Mind and body, Somatoform disorders, Medicine and psychology
Format: Document (PDF)

Title: Predictive modeling for chronic conditions.
Creator: Jain, Ritesh, Agarwal, Ankur, Florida Atlantic University, College of Engineering and Computer Science, Department of Computer and Electrical Engineering and Computer Science
Abstract/Description: Chronic Diseases are the major cause of mortality around the world, accounting for 7 out of 10 deaths each year in the United States. Because of its adverse effect on the quality of life, it has become a major problem globally. Health care costs involved in managing these diseases are also very high. In this thesis, we will focus on two major chronic diseases Asthma and Diabetes, which are among the leading causes of mortality around the globe. It involves design and development of a...
Show moreChronic Diseases are the major cause of mortality around the world, accounting for 7 out of 10 deaths each year in the United States. Because of its adverse effect on the quality of life, it has become a major problem globally. Health care costs involved in managing these diseases are also very high. In this thesis, we will focus on two major chronic diseases Asthma and Diabetes, which are among the leading causes of mortality around the globe. It involves design and development of a predictive analytics based decision support system which uses five supervised machine learning algorithm to predict the occurrence of Asthma and Diabetes. This system helps in controlling the disease well in advance by selecting its best indicators and providing necessary feedback.
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Date Issued: 2015
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/fau/fd/FA00004382, http://purl.flvc.org/fau/fd/FA00004382
Subject Headings: Biomedical engineering, Chronic diseases -- United States -- Prevention, Cloud computing, Medical informatics, Medicine, Preventive, Primary care (Medicine)
Format: Document (PDF)

Title: An integrated framework for home healthcare delivery.
Creator: Conaster, Mark., College of Engineering and Computer Science, Department of Computer and Electrical Engineering and Computer Science
Abstract/Description: With the increasing demands of rising medical costs in combination with a boom in elderly patients in need of quality patient care medical practices are being stressed. Patient to nurse ratios are increasing and government spending in the medical domain is at an all-time high threatening the futures of government medical programs such as Medicare and Medicaid. In this thesis we propose a framework for the monitoring of a patient's vital statistics in a home-based setting using a mobile smart...
Show moreWith the increasing demands of rising medical costs in combination with a boom in elderly patients in need of quality patient care medical practices are being stressed. Patient to nurse ratios are increasing and government spending in the medical domain is at an all-time high threatening the futures of government medical programs such as Medicare and Medicaid. In this thesis we propose a framework for the monitoring of a patient's vital statistics in a home-based setting using a mobile smart device. We believe that in taking advantage of the wireless sensor technology which is readily available today we can provide a solution that is both economically and socially viable offering a solid quality of healthcare in a comfortable and familiar environment. Our framework exposes both 802.11 and Bluetooth wireless protocol transmitting medical sensor devices using an Android platform device as a monitoring hub.
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Date Issued: 2011
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/FAU/3174510
Subject Headings: Home care services, Technological innovations, Telecommunication in medicine, Internet in medicine, Medical informatics, Medical telematics
Format: Document (PDF)

Title: Understanding in healthcare professional involvement in patient internet use.
Creator: Morton, Neil., College of Business, Information Technology and Operations Management
Abstract/Description: Use of the Internet can increase patients' understanding about their medical conditions and offers opportunities to strengthen the patient-physician relationship, increase patient satisfaction, and improve health outcomes. However, physicians vary widely in the extent to which they accept patient online medical information seeking and make it part of the patient-physician relationship. This paper explores factors impacting the extent to which physicians advocate (encourage, speak in favor, or...
Show moreUse of the Internet can increase patients' understanding about their medical conditions and offers opportunities to strengthen the patient-physician relationship, increase patient satisfaction, and improve health outcomes. However, physicians vary widely in the extent to which they accept patient online medical information seeking and make it part of the patient-physician relationship. This paper explores factors impacting the extent to which physicians advocate (encourage, speak in favor, or are supportive of) patient internet use. Specifically, using social cognitive theory as a theoretical base, this study develops a model of the determinants of physician advocation of patient use of the internet for information about medical conditions and treatments. Survey data collected from a random sample of 179 physicians licensed to practice medicine in Florida is used to test the proposed model. Proxy efficacy for patient internet use, social efficacy for enlisting patient internet use, performance outcomes expectations, and personal outcome expectations are shown to be significant determinants of physician professional advocation of patient internet use. In addition to its direct impact, proxy efficacy is shown to influence intention to advocate patient internet use indirectly thru social efficacy and outcome expectations, demonstrating the key role of this construct in the proxy agency model. Self-efficacy, in contrast, is not found to be a significant factor. Overall, the results support the proposed model of technology use.
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Date Issued: 2009
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/FAU/215294
Subject Headings: Communication in medicine, Physician and patient, Medical informatics, Health in mass media, Evidence-based medicine
Format: Document (PDF)

Title: Statistical and Entropy Considerations for Ultrasound Tissue Characterization.
Creator: Navumenka, Khrystsina, Aalo, Valentine A., Florida Atlantic University, College of Engineering and Computer Science, Department of Computer and Electrical Engineering and Computer Science
Abstract/Description: Modern cancerous tumor diagnostics is nearly impossible without invasive methods, such as biopsy, that may require involved surgical procedures. In recent years some work has been done to develop alternative non-invasive methods of medical diagnostics. For this purpose, the data obtained from an ultrasound image of the body crosssection, has been analyzed using statistical models, including Rayleigh, Rice, Nakagami, and K statistical distributions. The homodyned-K (H-K) distribution has been...
Show moreModern cancerous tumor diagnostics is nearly impossible without invasive methods, such as biopsy, that may require involved surgical procedures. In recent years some work has been done to develop alternative non-invasive methods of medical diagnostics. For this purpose, the data obtained from an ultrasound image of the body crosssection, has been analyzed using statistical models, including Rayleigh, Rice, Nakagami, and K statistical distributions. The homodyned-K (H-K) distribution has been found to be a good statistical tool to analyze the envelope and/or the intensity of backscattered signal in ultrasound tissue characterization. However, its use has usually been limited due to the fact that its probability density function (PDF) is not available in closed-form. In this work we present a novel closed-form representation for the H-K distribution. In addition, we propose using the first order approximation of the H-K distribution, the I-K distribution that has a closed-form, for the ultrasound tissue characterization applications. More specifically, we show that some tissue conditions that cause the backscattered signal to have low effective density values, can be successfully modeled by the I-K PDF. We introduce the concept of using H-K PDF-based and I-K PDF-based entropies as additional tools for characterization of ultrasonic breast tissue images. The entropy may be used as a goodness of fit measure that allows to select a better-fitting statistical model for a specific data set. In addition, the values of the entropies as well as the values of the statistical distribution parameters, allow for more accurate classification of tumors.
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Date Issued: 2017
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/fau/fd/FA00004922, http://purl.flvc.org/fau/fd/FA00004922
Subject Headings: Ultrasonics in medicine., Artificial intelligence., Computer vision in medicine., Diagnostic ultrasonic imaging., Bioinformatics.
Format: Document (PDF)

Title: Risk-evaluation in clinical diagnostic studies: ascertaining statistical bounds via logistic regression of medical informatics data.
Creator: Dupont, Alice Norm., College of Engineering and Computer Science, Department of Computer and Electrical Engineering and Computer Science
Abstract/Description: The efforts addressed in this thesis refer to applying nonlinear risk predictive techniques based on logistic regression to medical diagnostic test data. This study is motivated and pursued to address the following: 1. To extend logistic regression model of biostatistics to medical informatics 2. Computational preemptive and predictive testing to determine the probability of occurrence (p) of an event by fitting a data set to a (logit function) logistic curve: Finding upper and lower bounds...
Show moreThe efforts addressed in this thesis refer to applying nonlinear risk predictive techniques based on logistic regression to medical diagnostic test data. This study is motivated and pursued to address the following: 1. To extend logistic regression model of biostatistics to medical informatics 2. Computational preemptive and predictive testing to determine the probability of occurrence (p) of an event by fitting a data set to a (logit function) logistic curve: Finding upper and lower bounds on p based on stochastical considerations 3. Using the model developed on available (clinical) data to illustrate the bounds-limited performance of the prediction. Relevant analytical methods, computational efforts and simulated results are presented. Using the results compiled, the risk evaluation in medical diagnostics is discussed with real-world examples. Conclusions are enumerated and inferences are made with directions for future studies.
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Date Issued: 2011
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/FAU/3332187
Subject Headings: Medical informatics, Clinical medicine, Decision making, Data processing, Medical protocols, Medicine, Research, Statistical methods
Format: Document (PDF)

Title: Client perspectives of complementary and alternative medicine: The case of acupuncture.
Creator: LaVoir, Dawn M., Florida Atlantic University, Harris, Michael S.
Abstract/Description: The ethnographic research conducted for this thesis focuses on why some Florida residents opt for complementary and alternative medical (CAM) therapies, specifically acupuncture, when conventional biomedical therapies are also available. Some of the variables include dissatisfaction with current biomedical practice, economic status, social and peer pressure, and curiosity. The results are compared with national trends on CAM usage. In this study, it was found that the primary reason that...
Show moreThe ethnographic research conducted for this thesis focuses on why some Florida residents opt for complementary and alternative medical (CAM) therapies, specifically acupuncture, when conventional biomedical therapies are also available. Some of the variables include dissatisfaction with current biomedical practice, economic status, social and peer pressure, and curiosity. The results are compared with national trends on CAM usage. In this study, it was found that the primary reason that individuals opt for CAM modalities was their negative experience with the practice of biomedicine. Overall, participants who have undergone a course of acupuncture therapy are empowered, relieved, and healthy.
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Date Issued: 2006
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/fcla/dt/13311
Subject Headings: Alternative medicine, Integrated delivery of health care, Acupuncture, Mind and body, Medical anthropology, Traditional medicine
Format: Document (PDF)

Title: Modeling simple epidemics.
Creator: Segovia, Linda., Harriet L. Wilkes Honors College
Abstract/Description: Epidemic models help us predict the outcome of an epidemic. I will discuss and compare two simple epidemic models: a deterministic model implemented by a simple differential equation, and a stochastic model, which is more realistic, but harder to analyze. In both models we assume, for simplicity, that each individual goes through only two stages: healthy (susceptible) and sick (infective). Such models, called SI epidemic models, describe infections with no immunity. We will show that, when...
Show moreEpidemic models help us predict the outcome of an epidemic. I will discuss and compare two simple epidemic models: a deterministic model implemented by a simple differential equation, and a stochastic model, which is more realistic, but harder to analyze. In both models we assume, for simplicity, that each individual goes through only two stages: healthy (susceptible) and sick (infective). Such models, called SI epidemic models, describe infections with no immunity. We will show that, when the population gets large, the more realistic stochastic model approaches the simple deterministic model on the average, which will allow us to see that the deterministic model is used for a good reason.
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Date Issued: 2007
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/FAU/40972
Subject Headings: Biomathematics, Medicine, Mathematics, Population biology, Mathematics, Epidemiology, Mathematical models
Format: Document (PDF)

Title: American perceptions of allergies.
Creator: Hilpert, Micheline M., Dorothy F. Schmidt College of Arts and Letters, Department of Anthropology
Abstract/Description: Allergies have taken on cultural meanings other than those offered by biomedicine. Interviews with allergic and non-allergic Americans were used to investigate the explanatory models of the lay population. This thesis uses ethnographic data to examine explanatory models of allergic conditions, highlighting metaphorical uses of allergies in American culture. The explanatory models of the subjects were contrasted to the biomedical model and the stereotypes created by the media in the United...
Show moreAllergies have taken on cultural meanings other than those offered by biomedicine. Interviews with allergic and non-allergic Americans were used to investigate the explanatory models of the lay population. This thesis uses ethnographic data to examine explanatory models of allergic conditions, highlighting metaphorical uses of allergies in American culture. The explanatory models of the subjects were contrasted to the biomedical model and the stereotypes created by the media in the United States. Important topics addressed in the analysis of the interview material were: what are the explanatory models of allergies in America, how do allergies influence the selfimage of someone with that condition, and how Americans with and without allergies perceive the allergic individual.
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Date Issued: 2011
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/FAU/3171399
Subject Headings: Allergy, Environmental aspects, Hypersensitivity, Medical anthropology, Social medicine, Philosophy
Format: Document (PDF)

Title: 3D-Printed Flexible Polylactic Acid/ Thermoplatic Polyurethane (PLA/TPU) Stents for Esophageal Malignancies.
Creator: Lin, Maohua, Kang, Yunqing, Tsai, Chi-Tay, Florida Atlantic University, College of Engineering and Computer Science, Department of Ocean and Mechanical Engineering
Abstract/Description: Palliation therapy for dysphagia using esophageal stents is the current treatment of choice for those patients with inoperable esophageal malignancies. However, the stents currently used in the clinical setting, regardless of the type of metal mesh or plastic mesh stents (covered/uncovered), may cause complications, such as tumor ingrowth and stent migration into the stomach. Furthermore, metal mesh stents have limited capacities for loading anti-cancer drugs. To effectively reduce/overcome...
Show morePalliation therapy for dysphagia using esophageal stents is the current treatment of choice for those patients with inoperable esophageal malignancies. However, the stents currently used in the clinical setting, regardless of the type of metal mesh or plastic mesh stents (covered/uncovered), may cause complications, such as tumor ingrowth and stent migration into the stomach. Furthermore, metal mesh stents have limited capacities for loading anti-cancer drugs. To effectively reduce/overcome those complications and enhance the efficacy of drug release, we designed and 3D-printed a tubular, flexible polymer stent with spirals, and then load anti-cancer drug, paclitaxel, on the stent for drug release. Non- spiral 3D-printed tubular and mesh polymer stents served as controls. The self-expansion and anti migration properties, cytotoxicity, drug release profile, and cancer cell inhibition of the 3D-printed stent were fully characterized. Results showed the self-expansion force of the 3D-printed polymer stent with spirals was slightly higher than the stent without spirals. The anti-migration force of the 3D-printed stent with spirals was significantly higher than the anti-migration force of a non-spiral stent. Furthermore, the stent with spirals significantly decreased the migration distance compared to the migration distance of the non-spiral 3D-printed polymer stent. The in vitro cytotoxicity of the new stent was examined through the viability test of human esophagus epithelial cells, and results indicated that the polymer stent does not have any cytotoxicity. The results of in vitro cell viability of esophageal cancer cells further indicated that the paclitaxel in the spiral stent treated esophageal cancer cells much more efficiently than that in the mesh stent. Furthermore, the results of the in vitro drug release profile and drug permeation showed that the dense tubular drug-loaded stent could efficiently be delivered more paclitaxel through the esophageal mucosa/submucosa layers in a unidirectional way than mesh stent that delivered less paclitaxel to the esophageal mucosa/submucosa but more to the lumen. In summary, these results showed that the 3D-printed dense polymer stent with spirals has promising potential to treat esophageal malignancies.
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Date Issued: 2019
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/fau/fd/FA00013230
Subject Headings: Paclitaxel, Stents, Esophageal Neoplasms, 3-D printing, Polymers in medicine
Format: Document (PDF)

Title: The adhesive effects in dental restoration.
Creator: Vargas, Raul., College of Engineering and Computer Science, Department of Ocean and Mechanical Engineering
Abstract/Description: The dental field shows proliferation in the market of new adhesives. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the mechanical properties on total restoration, based on the manufacturer's technical specifications, experimental and mechanical test results. The optimal dentist's selection will be when the most appropriate adhesive can be chosen for one specific restoration, avoiding wasted time, material and exposure to marginal infections with a failure restoration. This research was developed...
Show moreThe dental field shows proliferation in the market of new adhesives. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the mechanical properties on total restoration, based on the manufacturer's technical specifications, experimental and mechanical test results. The optimal dentist's selection will be when the most appropriate adhesive can be chosen for one specific restoration, avoiding wasted time, material and exposure to marginal infections with a failure restoration. This research was developed in stages. The first step is the study of the tooth morphological information. Following, there is the structure identification type and the chemical composition of six different pure adhesives. Next, perform the X-R Diffraction, Energy Disperse Spectroscopy (EDS), and Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM). The final step is to perform the mechanical test, computer simulation, and discuss the results to obtain the best dental adhesive with and the new finding. Result: The samples show an amorphous structure and a chemical composition in the X-R Diffraction, SEM and EDS experiments. The mechanical test shows real mechanical properties under tension and sheer rupture stress. Poisson ratio, strain, and another relationship will be used in the computer simulation test. Results will be reflected in the Discussion and Conclusion. Significance: The first conclusion is that the amorphous structure is present in all six adhesives experiments. In addition, it shows strong possibilities of bonding with another neighbor's molecules. The discussion will be extended to the bonding advantages for this type of structure in the total dental restoration., Findings: First, we found that the time delay of photo polymerization was controlled with the variable water evaporation of the etching treatment. In addition, it was found that the variable size of the wavelength of the curing light obtained better molecular organization and avoided internal stress and bonding defect. Lastly, the chemical composition was a variable that provided the opportunity to predict the type of bond and strength.
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Date Issued: 2008
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/fcla/dt/177014
Subject Headings: Dental adhesives, Fillings (Dentistry), Polymers in medicine, Dental bonding
Format: Document (PDF)

Title: A DATA ACQUISITION AND PROCESSING SYSTEM FOR THE STUDY OF PERIPHERAL VASCULAR DYNAMICS.
Creator: CIKIKCI, ISMAIL OGUZ., Florida Atlantic University, Shankar, Ravi
Abstract/Description: In this study, electrical impedance plethysmograph was used to measure the nonlinear elastic properties of the leg arteries. Two methods were used. In method one, a pressure cuff was wrapped around the lower leg and the recordings were made from under the cuff. Also a second set of recordings were made at a site distal to the cuff, to determine the attenuation of blood pressure pulse by the cuff at cuff pressures above diastolic. In method 2 an Inverter was used and recordings were made from...
Show moreIn this study, electrical impedance plethysmograph was used to measure the nonlinear elastic properties of the leg arteries. Two methods were used. In method one, a pressure cuff was wrapped around the lower leg and the recordings were made from under the cuff. Also a second set of recordings were made at a site distal to the cuff, to determine the attenuation of blood pressure pulse by the cuff at cuff pressures above diastolic. In method 2 an Inverter was used and recordings were made from the same segment. Also recordings were made from the upper arm at the heart level to define the blood pressure pulse, that causes the volume change in the leg arteries. A wide range of pressures were used and V-P and compliance curves were calculated with both the methods. In order to improve the accuracy and reduce operator errors, a personal computer based data acquisition and processing system was developed.
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Date Issued: 1986
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/fcla/dt/14338
Subject Headings: Arteries, Electronic data processing--Medicine, Diagnosis, Noninvasive
Format: Document (PDF)

Title: Overcoming alienation and separation with shamanic methods: Their relation to contemporary alternative medicine.
Creator: Aras, Claudette., Florida Atlantic University, Early, John D., Dorothy F. Schmidt College of Arts and Letters, Department of Anthropology
Abstract/Description: In this paper the literature of shamanism as well as psychology, biofeedback, hypnosis and other alternative therapies was researched, synthesized, and combined with direct clinical experience to provide a broad context for discussing why shamanic healing works. This approach was used in order to move shamanism out of the area of magic and sleight-of-hand into explanation systems more acceptable to western minds. Shamanic healing methods are demonstrated to be similar to those underlying many...
Show moreIn this paper the literature of shamanism as well as psychology, biofeedback, hypnosis and other alternative therapies was researched, synthesized, and combined with direct clinical experience to provide a broad context for discussing why shamanic healing works. This approach was used in order to move shamanism out of the area of magic and sleight-of-hand into explanation systems more acceptable to western minds. Shamanic healing methods are demonstrated to be similar to those underlying many alternative therapies, especially in their use of altered states of consciousness and self-healing. Examples are given of their effectiveness in overcoming the broad spectrum of illnesses caused by alienation and separation which are presently beyond the healing powers of allopathic medicine and psychology. Finally, ways to integrate shamanic philosophy and the potential efficacy of its healing approaches into psychology and allopathic medicine are suggested, an integration shown to be prerequisite to a genuine lasting cure for the ills of an alienated society.
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Date Issued: 1991
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/fcla/dt/14755
Subject Headings: Shamanism, Mental healing, Medicine and psychology, Mind and body
Format: Document (PDF)

Title: Measurement of brain activity using an ultrasonic measure of localized blood flow.
Creator: Dinev, Petko Dimitrov., Florida Atlantic University, Glenn, William E., College of Engineering and Computer Science, Department of Computer and Electrical Engineering and Computer Science
Abstract/Description: This dissertation presents a new type of two-dimensional, real time, color ultrasonic scanner able to measure and display brain metabolism by monitoring amplitudes of localized changes of intracranial interfaces. A real time image is obtained with a flexible array of transducers which eliminates the strong reflection from the skull due to a shape mismatch, and reduces the topological mislocations in the image. The image is generated by a superposition of a gray scale image representing static...
Show moreThis dissertation presents a new type of two-dimensional, real time, color ultrasonic scanner able to measure and display brain metabolism by monitoring amplitudes of localized changes of intracranial interfaces. A real time image is obtained with a flexible array of transducers which eliminates the strong reflection from the skull due to a shape mismatch, and reduces the topological mislocations in the image. The image is generated by a superposition of a gray scale image representing static structures, and a color coded pattern representing motion information. The new technique of motion detection based on image subtraction features high accuracy and gives the scanner the unique capability to detect multidirectional motion of the intracranial interfaces, and to display the amplitude of the motion in real time. A series of experiments performed with the scanner demonstrates outstanding agreement between theoretical design and hardware performance. The scanner has been measured to have a lateral resolution of 4 mm, a temporal resolution of 30 fr/s, a motion detection resolution of 5 $\mu$m, a time gain compensation of 40 dB, and a signal/noise ratio of more than 40 dB. Successful tests, performed on a live human brain, show a well defined echo pattern arising from intracranial structures within the brain, and a strong correlation between the detected surface pulsations and heart beat has been observed. Monitoring the image synchronously with the heart beat and the external stimulus presence gives clinicians the unique opportunity of visualization of detailed cross-sectional anatomy of portions of the human brain, permitting direct observation, mapping the structure and function in a normal human brain, and studying the pathophysiology of mental illness by demonstrating structural metabolic, and neurochemical abnormalities. Additional experiments, performed on other parts of the human body, demonstrated clearly the advanced features of the scanner and its successful application to other areas of medicine beyond neurology. Furthermore, this new real time, two-dimensional brain scanner will be suitable for remote diagnosis and consultation, and long-distance delivery of quality health care via teleconferencing and telecommunication equipment. The modular design of the scanner allows blocks, such as multidirectional motion detection, and the flexible transducer array to be used as stand alone units or to be built into already existing ultrasonic equipment such as sonars, motion sensors, nondestructive testing of materials, etc.
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Date Issued: 1996
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/fcla/dt/12485
Subject Headings: Diagnosis, Ultrasonic, Blood-vessels--Ultrasonic imaging, Ultrasonics in medicine
Format: Document (PDF)

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