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Title: Diffusion tensor imaging in mild traumatic brain injuries.
Creator: Hotiu, Angelica, Charles E. Schmidt College of Science, Department of Physics
Abstract/Description: Mild traumatic brain injuries (MTBI) are the leading type of head injuries with appreciable risque of sequelae leading to functional and psychological deficits. Although mild traumatic brain injuries are frequently underdiagnosed by conventional imaging modalities, rapidly evolving techniques such as diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) reveal subtle changes in white matter integrity as a result of head trauma and play an important role in refining diagnosis, therapeutic interventions and...
Show moreMild traumatic brain injuries (MTBI) are the leading type of head injuries with appreciable risque of sequelae leading to functional and psychological deficits. Although mild traumatic brain injuries are frequently underdiagnosed by conventional imaging modalities, rapidly evolving techniques such as diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) reveal subtle changes in white matter integrity as a result of head trauma and play an important role in refining diagnosis, therapeutic interventions and management of MTBI. In this dissertation we use diffusion tensor imaging to detect the microstructural changes induced by axonal injuries and to monitor their evolution during the recovery process. DTI data were previously acquired from 11 subjects, football players of age 19-23 years (median age 20 years). Three players had suffered a mild traumatic brain injury during the season and underwent scanning within 24 hours after the injury with follow-ups after one and two weeks. A set of diffusion indices, such as fractional anisotropy, axial, radial and mean diffusivity were derived from the diffusion tensor. Changes in diffusion indices in concussed subjects were analyzed based on two different approaches: whole brain analysis, using tract-based spatial statistics (TBSS) and region of interest analysis (ROI). In both approaches we use a voxelwise analysis to examine group differences in diffusion indices between five controls and three concussed subjects for all DTI scans. Additional statistical analysis was performed between control groups consisting of five and three non-injured players. Both analyses demonstrated that the MTBI group reveals increase in fractional anisotropy and decreases in transversal and mean diffusivity in cortical and subcortical areas within 24 hours after the injury., No changes were detected in TBSS analysis for the follow-up data sets. Furthermore, our ROI approach revealed multiples regions with significantly different voxels, non-uniformly distributed throughout the brain, for all diffusion indices in all three scans. Three of the diffusion indices fractional anisotropy, mean and transversal diffusivity showed higher vulnerability to head trauma in subcortical and cortical areas than in regions in the lower brain. Recovery of white matter pathways occured at different locations in the brain at one and two weeks after head trauma. Strong recovery was observed in mean and transversal diffusivity in subcortical areas that correspond to the corticospinal tract. No recovery was found for fractional anisotropy and axial diffusivity in the same region. Also, decreases in fractional anisotropy and increases in transversal and axial diffusivity were observed in the spleninum of the corpus callosum. As voxelwise analysis performed on DTI data revealed white matter regions, which exhibit changes in diffusion parameters in the concussed group for all three scans, we conclude that diffusion tensor imaging is a powerful technique for early detection of axonal injuries and may serve as an important tool for monitoring microstructural changes during the recovery process.
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Date Issued: 2010
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/FAU/2100579
Subject Headings: Brain, Magnetic resonance imaging, Brain, Concussion, Diagnosis, Neuropsychology, Diffusion tensor imaging
Format: Document (PDF)

Title: Cytogenetic of chromosomal synteny evaluation: bioinformatic applications towards screening of chromosomal aberrations/ genetic disorder.
Creator: Sharma, Sandhya, Neelakanta, Perambur S., Florida Atlantic University, College of Engineering and Computer Science, Department of Computer and Electrical Engineering and Computer Science
Abstract/Description: The research efforts refer to tracking homologus loci in the chromosomes of a pair of a species. The purpose is to infer the extent of maximum syntenic correlation when an exhaustive set of orthologs of the species are searched. Relevant bioinformatic analyses use comparative mapping of conserved synteny via Oxford grid. In medical diagnostic efforts, deducing such synteny correlation can help screening chromosomal aberration in genetic disorder pathology. Objectively, the present study...
Show moreThe research efforts refer to tracking homologus loci in the chromosomes of a pair of a species. The purpose is to infer the extent of maximum syntenic correlation when an exhaustive set of orthologs of the species are searched. Relevant bioinformatic analyses use comparative mapping of conserved synteny via Oxford grid. In medical diagnostic efforts, deducing such synteny correlation can help screening chromosomal aberration in genetic disorder pathology. Objectively, the present study addresses: (i) Cytogenetic framework of syntenic correlation and, (ii) applying information-theoretics to determine entropy-dictated synteny across an exhaustive set of orthologs of the test pairs of species.
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Date Issued: 2014
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/fau/fd/FA00004331, http://purl.flvc.org/fau/fd/FA00004331
Subject Headings: Cytogenetics, Genetic screening, Human chromosome abnormalities, Medical genetics, Molecular biology, Molecular diagnosis, Molecular genetics, Mutation (Biology)
Format: Document (PDF)

Title: Development of A Portable Impedance Based Flow Cytometer for Diagnosis of Sickle Cell Disease.
Creator: Dieujuste, Darryl, Zhuang, Hanqi, Du, Sarah, Florida Atlantic University, College of Engineering and Computer Science, Department of Computer and Electrical Engineering and Computer Science
Abstract/Description: Sickle cell disease is an inherited blood cell disorder that affects about 100,000 people in the US and results in high cost of medical care exceeding $1.1 billion annually. Sickle cell patients suffer from unpredictable, painful vaso-occlusive crises. Portable, costeffective approaches for diagnosis and monitoring sickle blood activities are important for a better management of the disease and reducing the medical cost. In this research, a mobile application controlled, impedance-based flow...
Show moreSickle cell disease is an inherited blood cell disorder that affects about 100,000 people in the US and results in high cost of medical care exceeding $1.1 billion annually. Sickle cell patients suffer from unpredictable, painful vaso-occlusive crises. Portable, costeffective approaches for diagnosis and monitoring sickle blood activities are important for a better management of the disease and reducing the medical cost. In this research, a mobile application controlled, impedance-based flow cytometer is developed for the diagnosis of sickle cell disease. Calibration of the portable device is performed using a component of known impedance value. The preliminary test results are then compared to those obtained by a commercial benchtop impedance analyzer for further validation. With the developed portable flow cytometer, experiments are performed on two sickle cell samples and a healthy cell sample. The acquired results are subsequently analyzed with MATLAB scripts to extract single-cell level impedance information as well as statistics of different cell conditions. Significant differences in cell impedance signals are observed between sickle cells and normal cells, as well as between sickle cells under hypoxia and normoxia conditions.
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Date Issued: 2018
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/fau/fd/FA00013145
Subject Headings: Sickle cell disease, Sickle cell anemia--Diagnosis, Flow cytometry--Diagnostic use, Mobile Applications
Format: Document (PDF)

Title: Decision making models utilized by nurses to activate rapid response teams.
Creator: Parker, Carlo G., Christine E. Lynn College of Nursing
Abstract/Description: The purpose of this study was to determine the relationships between the nurses' decision making model, frequency of Rapid Response Team (RRT) activation, and the nurse's skill at the early recognition of clinical deterioration. A descriptive, cross sectional quantitative design was used. The participants in this study were 167 acute care registered nurses who had activated the RRT at least once in the preceding 12 months. The participants first were asked to recall a time when they had made...
Show moreThe purpose of this study was to determine the relationships between the nurses' decision making model, frequency of Rapid Response Team (RRT) activation, and the nurse's skill at the early recognition of clinical deterioration. A descriptive, cross sectional quantitative design was used. The participants in this study were 167 acute care registered nurses who had activated the RRT at least once in the preceding 12 months. The participants first were asked to recall a time when they had made the decision to activate the RRT and then were asked to complete the instruments used in this study. Using the Nurse Decision-Making Instrument, the participant's decision making model then was categorized as analytic, intuitive, or mixed. The skill at early recognition of clinical deterioration was measured with the Manifestations of Early Recognition Instrument. Participant scores on the two instruments were significantly correlated with each other as well as to their frequency of RRT activation over the preceding 12 months. The findings of this study indicated that nurses who used analytical decision making activated the RRT with greater frequency than either the intuitive or mixed decision makers. In addition, registered nurses who used analytical decision making to activate the RRT tended to have higher levels of skill in the early recognition of clinical deterioration, as measured by the MER, than either the intuitive or mixed decision makers. Another finding of this study was that RNs with higher levels of skill in the early recognition of clinical deterioration tended to activate the RRT more frequently than RNs with lower levels of this skill. The implications of this study are that the use of analytical decision making may result in more frequent activation of the RRT., Increased frequency of RRT activation has been linked in the literature with decreased patient mortality rates. The significance of the findings from this study is that the use of analytic decision making has the potential to reduce the incidence of the number one patient safety indicator, failure to rescue.
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Date Issued: 2011
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/FAU/3318676
Subject Headings: Nursing, Decision making, Clinical competence, Outcome assessment (Medical care), Nursing diagnosis, Nurse and patient
Format: Document (PDF)

Title: Elucidating the role of Semaphorin 7A in breast cancer.
Creator: Garcia-Areas, Ramon A., lragavarapu-Charyulu, Vijaya, Florida Atlantic University, Charles E Schmidt College of Science, Department of Biomedical Science
Abstract/Description: Solid tumors can hijack many of the same programs used in neurogenesis to enhance tumor growth and metastasis, thereby generating a plethora of neurogenesis-related molecules including semaphorins Among them, we have identified Semaphorin7A (SEMA7A) in breast cancer We first used to the DA-3 mammary tumor model to determine the effect of tumor-derived SEMA7A on immune cells We found that tumor-derived SEMA7A can modulate the production of proangiogenic chemokines CXCL2/MIP-2 and CXCL 1, and...
Show moreSolid tumors can hijack many of the same programs used in neurogenesis to enhance tumor growth and metastasis, thereby generating a plethora of neurogenesis-related molecules including semaphorins Among them, we have identified Semaphorin7A (SEMA7A) in breast cancer We first used to the DA-3 mammary tumor model to determine the effect of tumor-derived SEMA7A on immune cells We found that tumor-derived SEMA7A can modulate the production of proangiogenic chemokines CXCL2/MIP-2 and CXCL 1, and prometastatic MMP-9 in macrophages We next aimed to determine the expression and function of SEMA7A in mammary tumor cells We found that SEMA7A is highly expressed in both metastatic human and murine breast cancer cells We show that both TGF-β and hypoxia elicits the production of SEMA 7 A in mammary cells SEMA7 A shRNA silencing in 4T1 cells resulted in decreased mesenchymal markers MMP-3, MMP-13, Vimentin and TGF-β) SEMA7A silenced cells show increased stiffness with reduced migratory and proliferative potential In vivo, SEMA7A silenced 4T1 tumor bearing mice showed decreased tumor growth and metastasis Genetic ablation of host-derived SEMA7A synergized to further decrease the growth and metastasis of 4T1 cells Our findings suggest novel functional roles for SEMA7A in breast cancer and that SEMA7A could be a novel therapeutic target to limit tumor growth and metastasis
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Date Issued: 2016
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/fau/fd/FA00004802
Subject Headings: Breast--Cancer--Diagnosis, Semaphorins, Protein precursors, Cellular signal transduction, Cell receptors
Format: Document (PDF)

Title: AUC estimation under various survival models.
Creator: Chang, Fazhe., Charles E. Schmidt College of Science, Department of Mathematical Sciences
Abstract/Description: In the medical science, the receiving operationg characteristic (ROC) curve is a graphical representation to evaluate the accuracy of a medical diagnostic test for any cut-off point. The area under the ROC curve (AUC) is an overall performance measure for a diagnostic test. There are two parts in this dissertation. In the first part, we study the properties of bi-Exponentiated Weibull models. FIrst, we derive a general moment formula for single Exponentiated Weibull models. Then we move on to...
Show moreIn the medical science, the receiving operationg characteristic (ROC) curve is a graphical representation to evaluate the accuracy of a medical diagnostic test for any cut-off point. The area under the ROC curve (AUC) is an overall performance measure for a diagnostic test. There are two parts in this dissertation. In the first part, we study the properties of bi-Exponentiated Weibull models. FIrst, we derive a general moment formula for single Exponentiated Weibull models. Then we move on to derive the precise formula of AUC and study the maximus likelihood estimation (MLE) of the AUC. Finally, we obtain the asymptotoc distribution of the estimated AUC. Simulation studies are used to check the performance of MLE of AUC under the moderate sample sizes. The second part fo the dissertation is to study the estimation of AUC under the crossing model, which extends the AUC formula in Gonen and Heller (2007).
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Date Issued: 2012
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/FAU/3359287
Subject Headings: Receiver operating characteristic curves, Medical screening, Statistical methods, Diagnosis, Statistical methods, Smoothing (Statistics)
Format: Document (PDF)

Title: Preserved and deficient calculation processes in Alzheimer's disease and mild cognitive impairment.
Creator: Jurado Noboa, Maria Beatriz., Charles E. Schmidt College of Science, Department of Psychology
Abstract/Description: Two skills necessary for the execution of proficient calculation, retrieving arithmetic facts from memory and accessing number magnitude information, were studied in a group of patients diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease (AD), mild cognitive impairment (MCI), and healthy controls to try to elucidate the locus of impairment in AD-related calculation deficits. This was achieved through the use of an arithmetic production task and a number-matching task as measures of explicit and implicit...
Show moreTwo skills necessary for the execution of proficient calculation, retrieving arithmetic facts from memory and accessing number magnitude information, were studied in a group of patients diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease (AD), mild cognitive impairment (MCI), and healthy controls to try to elucidate the locus of impairment in AD-related calculation deficits. This was achieved through the use of an arithmetic production task and a number-matching task as measures of explicit and implicit retrieval of arithmetic facts, and a numerical Stroop task that assesses automatic access to number magnitude representation. AD patients, but not MCI patients, showed high response latencies and a high number of errors when performing multiplications in the production task, and reduced automatic retrieval of arithmetic task in the number-matching task. All participants showed the classic problem-size effect often reported in the mathematical cognition literature. Performance on the numerical Stroop task suggests that access to number magnitude information is relatively resistant to cognitive impairment. ... Results for the AD group are consistent with a pattern of preserved and impaired cognitive processes that might mediate the reported calculation deficits in AD.
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Date Issued: 2013
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/fcla/dt/3362384
Subject Headings: Aging, Psychological aspects, Cognitive psychology, Memory disorders in old age, Alzheimer's disease, Diagnosis, Context effects (Psychology)
Format: Document (PDF)

Title: Roles of troponin I in heart development and cardiac function.
Creator: Du, Jianfeng., Charles E. Schmidt College of Science, Department of Biological Sciences
Abstract/Description: Two major troponin I (TnI) genes, fetal TnI (ssTnI) and adult TnI (cTnI), are expressed in the mammalian heart under the control of a developmentally regulated program. In this study, the up-stream domain (~1,800 bp) of mouse fetal TnI gene has been cloned and characterized. There is a high homology of this region among mouse, rat and human. Transfection assays indicated that conserved GA-rich sequences, CREB and a CCAAT box within the first 300 bp upstream of the transcription start site...
Show moreTwo major troponin I (TnI) genes, fetal TnI (ssTnI) and adult TnI (cTnI), are expressed in the mammalian heart under the control of a developmentally regulated program. In this study, the up-stream domain (~1,800 bp) of mouse fetal TnI gene has been cloned and characterized. There is a high homology of this region among mouse, rat and human. Transfection assays indicated that conserved GA-rich sequences, CREB and a CCAAT box within the first 300 bp upstream of the transcription start site were critical for the gene expression. Electrophoretic mobility shift assays (EMSAs) and chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP) assays revealed binding proteins to CREB site in nuclear extracts from myocardial cells. Thyroid hormone (T3) caused a significant inhibitory effect on ssTnI expression in myocardial cells. Cardiac troponin I (cTnI) mutations have been linked to the development of restrictive cardiomyopathy (RCM) in human patients. We modeled one mutation in human cTnI Cv terminus, arginine1 92 histidine (R192H) by cardiac specific expression of the mutated protein (cTnI193His in mouse sequence) in transgenic mice. The main functional alteration detected in cTnI193His mice by ultrasound cardiac imaging examinations was impaired cardiac relaxation manifested by a decreased left ventricular end diastolic dimension (LVEDD) and an increased end diastolic dimension in both atria. Echocardiography revealed a series of changes on the transgenic mice including a reversed E-to-A ratio, increased deceleration time, and prolonged isovolumetric relaxation time. At the age of 12 months, cardiac output in cTnI193His mice was significantly declined, and some transgenic mice showed congestive heart failure. The negative impact of cTnI193His on ventricular contraction and relaxation was further demonstrated in isolated mouse working heart preparations., Dobutamine stimulation increased heart rate in cTnI193His mice but did not improve CO.The cTnI193His mice had a phenotype similar to that in human RCM patients carrying the cTnI mutation. The results demonstrate a critical role of the COOH-terminal domain of cTnI in the diastolic function of cardiac muscle. This mouse model provides us with a tool to further investigate the pathophysiology and the development of RCM.
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Date Issued: 2008
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/FAU/186287
Subject Headings: Mice as laboratory animals, Biochemical markers, Diagnostic use, Heart, Diseases, Molecular diagnosis, Cardiovascular system, Pathophysiology
Format: Document (PDF)

Title: Chest pain monitor: A gender comparison of diagnostic treatments in the emergency department.
Creator: Burns, Patricia A., Florida Atlantic University, Torok, Don
Abstract/Description: The purpose of this study was to detect if gender affected the diagnostic and therapeutic procedures for chest pain in an Emergency Department (ED). This study evaluated the use of a chest pain assessment, Electrocardiograph (ECG), care path protocol, myocardial markers and notification of a cardiologist for an acute myocardial infarction (AMI), as well as, elapsed time of ED arrival to 1st ECG, and 1st ECG interpretation. The eleven-month retrospective analyses used abstracted data on 1870...
Show moreThe purpose of this study was to detect if gender affected the diagnostic and therapeutic procedures for chest pain in an Emergency Department (ED). This study evaluated the use of a chest pain assessment, Electrocardiograph (ECG), care path protocol, myocardial markers and notification of a cardiologist for an acute myocardial infarction (AMI), as well as, elapsed time of ED arrival to 1st ECG, and 1st ECG interpretation. The eleven-month retrospective analyses used abstracted data on 1870 discharges. Chi-squared analysis and ANOVA were used to determine if a gender bias existed in the use of the different diagnostic procedures (p < 0.05). Results indicated men were not treated more aggressively on the initial presentation of chest pain in the ED. Our findings may suggest that the use of a care path protocol by well-trained ED physicians at this hospital helped in identifying the typical and atypical presentations of chest pain regardless of gender.
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Date Issued: 2003
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/fcla/dt/13023
Subject Headings: Chest pain, Chest--Diseases--Diagnosis, Emergency medical services--Sex differences
Format: Document (PDF)

Title: The development of an animal model for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder: Effects of frontal lesions on activity in neonatal rats.
Creator: Stevenson, Bernadette Mietus, Florida Atlantic University, Johanson, Ingrid B., Terry, Leslie M.
Abstract/Description: This study was designed to develop an animal model of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder based on frontal cortical functioning in 3, 6, 9, & 12-day-old neonatal rats. In Expt. 1, frontal cortical activity was suppressed with intracranial injections of lidocaine, a local anesthetic. In Expt. 2, frontal activity was suppressed with brain transections. Pups in both experiments were tested in a habituation-to-odor learning paradigm and behaviors including general activity, headwaving,...
Show moreThis study was designed to develop an animal model of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder based on frontal cortical functioning in 3, 6, 9, & 12-day-old neonatal rats. In Expt. 1, frontal cortical activity was suppressed with intracranial injections of lidocaine, a local anesthetic. In Expt. 2, frontal activity was suppressed with brain transections. Pups in both experiments were tested in a habituation-to-odor learning paradigm and behaviors including general activity, headwaving, probing, and rolling were recorded. Results indicated that frontal cortical suppression, caused by either lidocaine injection or brain transection, resulted in significantly higher activity levels in 3-day-olds particularly with regard to rolling, suggesting that the frontal cortex is involved in the regulation of rolling behavior. Frontal transections, but not lidocaine injections, also significantly increased activity in 12-day-old pups due to increased locomotor probing and wall climbing. Results are consistent with the neuropsychological research regarding frontal cortical functioning and inhibition in children with ADHD, and show potential as a future animal model of ADHD.
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Date Issued: 1997
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/fcla/dt/15516
Subject Headings: Attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder, Attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder--Diagnosis
Format: Document (PDF)

Title: Development of a Wearable Device to Detect Epilepsy.
Creator: Khandnor Bakappa, Pradeepkumar, Agarwal, Ankur, Florida Atlantic University, College of Engineering and Computer Science, Department of Computer and Electrical Engineering and Computer Science
Abstract/Description: This paper evaluates the effectiveness of a wearable device, developed by the author, to detect different types of epileptic seizures and monitor epileptic patients. The device uses GSR, Pulse, EMG, body temperature and 3-axis accelerometer sensors to detect epilepsy. The device first learns the signal patterns of the epileptic patient in ideal condition. The signal pattern generated during the epileptic seizure, which are distinct from other signal patterns, are detected and analyzed by the...
Show moreThis paper evaluates the effectiveness of a wearable device, developed by the author, to detect different types of epileptic seizures and monitor epileptic patients. The device uses GSR, Pulse, EMG, body temperature and 3-axis accelerometer sensors to detect epilepsy. The device first learns the signal patterns of the epileptic patient in ideal condition. The signal pattern generated during the epileptic seizure, which are distinct from other signal patterns, are detected and analyzed by the algorithms developed by the author. Based on an analysis, the device successfully detected different types of epileptic seizures. The author conducted an experiment on himself to determine the effectiveness of the device and the algorithms. Based on the simulation results, the algorithms are 100 percent accurate in detecting different types of epileptic seizures.
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Date Issued: 2017
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/fau/fd/FA00004937, http://purl.flvc.org/fau/fd/FA00004937
Subject Headings: Epilepsy--Diagnosis--Technological innovations., Patient monitoring., Signal processing--Digital techniques., Wearable computers--Industrial applications.
Format: Document (PDF)

Title: Adaptive energy-aware real-time detection models for cardiac atrial fibrillation.
Creator: Bouhenguel, Redjem., College of Engineering and Computer Science, Department of Computer and Electrical Engineering and Computer Science
Abstract/Description: Though several clinical monitoring ways exist and have been applied to detect cardiac atril fibrillation (A-Fib) and other arrhythmia, these medical interventions and the ensuing clinical treatments are after the fact and costly. Current portable healthcare monitoring systems come in the form of Ambulatory Event Monitors. They are small, battery-operated electrocardiograph devices used to record the heart's rhythm and activity. However, they are not energy-aware ; they are not personalized ;...
Show moreThough several clinical monitoring ways exist and have been applied to detect cardiac atril fibrillation (A-Fib) and other arrhythmia, these medical interventions and the ensuing clinical treatments are after the fact and costly. Current portable healthcare monitoring systems come in the form of Ambulatory Event Monitors. They are small, battery-operated electrocardiograph devices used to record the heart's rhythm and activity. However, they are not energy-aware ; they are not personalized ; they require long battery life, and ultimately fall short on delivering real-time continuous detection of arrhythmia and specifically progressive development of cardiac A-Fib. The focus of this dissertation is the design of a class of adaptive and efficient energy-aware real-time detection models for monitoring, early real-time detection and reporting of progressive development of cardiac A-Fib.... The design promises to have a greater positive public health impact from predicting A-Fib and providing a viable approach to meeting the energy needs of current and future real-time monitoring, detecting and reporting required in wearable computing healthcare applications that are constrained by scarce energy resources.
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Date Issued: 2012
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/FAU/3358332
Subject Headings: Medical informatics, Medicine, Data processing, Imaging systems in medicine, Design and construction, Cardiovascular system, Diseases, Diagnosis, Bioinformatics
Format: Document (PDF)

Title: cTnI N-Terminal deletion: an agent for rescuing restrictive cardiomyopathy, a disease caused by mutations of Cardiac Troponin I.
Creator: Getfield, Cecile A., Huang, Xupei, Florida Atlantic University, Charles E. Schmidt College of Medicine, Department of Biomedical Science
Abstract/Description: Restrictive cardiomyopathy (RCM) is represented in part by left ventricular stiffness and diastolic dysfunction. Missense mutations of the cardiac troponin I (cTnI) gene cause idiopathic RCM. These mutations are located in the C-terminus of cTnI and affect cardiac relaxation. Transgenic mouse models presenting the pathology observed in clinical patients with RCM have been generated previously and express the mutant cTnI in their hearts. RCM-linked mutations increase cardiac myofilament Ca2+...
Show moreRestrictive cardiomyopathy (RCM) is represented in part by left ventricular stiffness and diastolic dysfunction. Missense mutations of the cardiac troponin I (cTnI) gene cause idiopathic RCM. These mutations are located in the C-terminus of cTnI and affect cardiac relaxation. Transgenic mouse models presenting the pathology observed in clinical patients with RCM have been generated previously and express the mutant cTnI in their hearts. RCM-linked mutations increase cardiac myofilament Ca2+ sensitivity and promote diastolic dysfunction in the heart. Previous studies using double transgenic mice (cTnI/R193H/ND) showed that ventricular relaxation is enhanced in the cTnI/R193H transgenic mice. In this study, another double transgenic mouse model, (cTnI/R193H/ND/KO), provides an avenue to investigate its rescuing effects on RCMlinked mutations in the cTnI /R193H/KO mouse. Use of molecular biological techniques, transgenic animal developments and murine echocardiography in this study has culminated into a greater understanding of RCM and diastolic dysfunction.
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Date Issued: 2014
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/fau/fd/FA00004196, http://purl.flvc.org/fau/fd/FA00004196
Subject Headings: Biochemical markers -- Diagnostic use, Cardiovascular system -- Pathophysiology, Coronary heart disease -- Molecular diagnosis, Mice as laboratory animals, Molecular biology
Format: Document (PDF)

Title: SMARTPHONE BASED SICKLE CELL DISEASE DETECTION AND ITS TREATMENT MONITORING FOR POINT-OF-CARE SETTINGS.
Creator: Ilyas, Shazia, Asghar, Waseem, Florida Atlantic University, Department of Computer and Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, College of Engineering and Computer Science
Abstract/Description: The majority of Sickle Cell Disease (SCD) prevalence is found in Sub-Saharan Africa, where 80% of the world’s population who suffer from this disease are born. Due to a lack of diagnosis and early treatments, 50-90% of these children will die before they reach the age of five. Current methods used for diagnosing SCD are based on hemoglobin analysis such as capillary electrophoresis, ion-exchange high-performance liquid chromatography, and isoelectric focusing. They require expensive...
Show moreThe majority of Sickle Cell Disease (SCD) prevalence is found in Sub-Saharan Africa, where 80% of the world’s population who suffer from this disease are born. Due to a lack of diagnosis and early treatments, 50-90% of these children will die before they reach the age of five. Current methods used for diagnosing SCD are based on hemoglobin analysis such as capillary electrophoresis, ion-exchange high-performance liquid chromatography, and isoelectric focusing. They require expensive laboratory equipment and are not feasible in these low-resource countries. It is, therefore, imperative to develop an alternative and cost-effective method for diagnosing and monitoring of SCD. This thesis aims to address the development and evaluation of a smartphone-based optical setup for the detection of SCD. This innovative technique can potentially be applied for low cost and accurate diagnosis of SCD and improve disease management in resource-limited settings where the disease exhibits a high prevalence. This Point-of-Care (POC) based device offers the potential to improve SCD diagnosis and patient care by providing a portable and cost effective device that requires minimal training to operate and analyze.
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Date Issued: 2020
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/fau/fd/FA00013475
Subject Headings: Anemia, Sickle Cell, Point-of-Care Systems, Sickle cell anemia--Treatment, Sickle cell anemia--Diagnosis, Smartphones
Format: Document (PDF)

Title: American cultural constructions of the gynecological experience.
Creator: Provenzano, Julie L., Florida Atlantic University, Harris, Michael S.
Abstract/Description: This thesis research asks why many American women feel uncomfortable going to the gynecologist. In order to investigate this phenomenon, thirty-one women were interviewed regarding their experiences at the gynecologist and their perceptions of their genitals. Using a medical anthropology framework to determine what factors facilitate negative feelings associated with gynecological examinations, the participants' responses were analyzed with regards to cultural influences. It was found that a...
Show moreThis thesis research asks why many American women feel uncomfortable going to the gynecologist. In order to investigate this phenomenon, thirty-one women were interviewed regarding their experiences at the gynecologist and their perceptions of their genitals. Using a medical anthropology framework to determine what factors facilitate negative feelings associated with gynecological examinations, the participants' responses were analyzed with regards to cultural influences. It was found that a paradox exists between American cultural constructions of women's genitals and the biomedical structure of a gynecological examination. Since American women are culturally ingrained with a notion of privacy and sexuality regarding their genitals, revealing them to a stranger within a medical setting can become a highly-charged emotional situation. Ultimately, this paradox is never fully resolved, perpetuating the cultural construction of a gynecological examination as an inherently negative and problematic experience.
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Date Issued: 2006
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/fcla/dt/13401
Subject Headings: Gynecological examination--Psychological aspects, Anxiety--Prevention, Generative organs, Female--Examination, Physical diagnosis--Psychological aspects
Format: Document (PDF)

Title: Mechanism and treatment of restrictive cardiomyopathy.
Creator: Jean-Charles, Pierre-Yves, Charles E. Schmidt College of Medicine, Department of Biomedical Science
Abstract/Description: Restrictive cardiomyopathy (RCM) is a cardiac muscle disorder characterized by increased ventricular stiffness and diastolic dysfunction. Patients with RCM often present severe cardiac problems which usually lead to heart failure and sudden death. No effective treatment is available for RCM which makes the finding of novel efficient therapies an urgent necessity. Great progress in molecular biology techniques and advances in transgenic animal development provide great opportunities for the...
Show moreRestrictive cardiomyopathy (RCM) is a cardiac muscle disorder characterized by increased ventricular stiffness and diastolic dysfunction. Patients with RCM often present severe cardiac problems which usually lead to heart failure and sudden death. No effective treatment is available for RCM which makes the finding of novel efficient therapies an urgent necessity. Great progress in molecular biology techniques and advances in transgenic animal development provide great opportunities for the study of RCM and other cardiovascular diseases encountered in clinical patients.... Our laboratory is among the first to generate transgenic mouse models of RCM based on cardiac troponin I (cTnI) missense mutations. In this study, transgenic mice that suffer from RCM have been generated to understand the factors behind the diastolic dysfunction associated with that myocardial disease.... The information obtained from this study allows a better understanding of the role of troponin in RCM and the factors behind the physiopathology of the disease. It will also offer a therapeutic strategy taking into account the physiological characteristic of RCM.
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Date Issued: 2012
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/FAU/3358554
Subject Headings: Biochemical markers -- Diagnostic use, Cardiovascular system -- Pathophysiology, Coronary heart disease -- Molecular diagnosis, Mice as laboratory animals, Molecular biology
Format: Document (PDF)

Title: Using classification and regression tree to detect hematology abnormalities.
Creator: Qian, Cheng., Florida Atlantic University, Wu, Jie, College of Engineering and Computer Science, Department of Computer and Electrical Engineering and Computer Science
Abstract/Description: The detection of the abnormal blood cells and particles in a blood test is essential in medical diagnosis. The detection rules, which are usually implemented in the widely used automated hematology analyzer, are therefore critical for the health and even lives of millions of people. The research endeavor of this thesis is on generating such detection rules using a supervised machine learning algorithm. The first part of this thesis studies the hematology data and surveys the popular...
Show moreThe detection of the abnormal blood cells and particles in a blood test is essential in medical diagnosis. The detection rules, which are usually implemented in the widely used automated hematology analyzer, are therefore critical for the health and even lives of millions of people. The research endeavor of this thesis is on generating such detection rules using a supervised machine learning algorithm. The first part of this thesis studies the hematology data and surveys the popular classification algorithms. In the second part, the selected algorithm, CART, is implemented with deliberately selected parameters. In the third part, a modification of the algorithm, logical pruning with Enclose the Normal principle, is exercised. To extend the algorithm and to achieve better performance, I developed and implemented the idea of decision tree combinations. The research has proven to be successful by the achievement of good performance and reasonable detection rules.
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Date Issued: 2004
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/fcla/dt/13189
Subject Headings: Regression analysis, Health survey--Statistical methods, Medical statistics, Blood--Diseases--Diagnosis, Hematology, Blood--Examination
Format: Document (PDF)

Title: A Systematic Review and Quantitative Meta-Analysis of the Accuracy of Visual Inspection for Cervical Cancer Screening: Does Provider Type or Training Matter?.
Creator: Driscoll, Susan D., Tappen, Ruth M., Florida Atlantic University, Christine E. Lynn College of Nursing
Abstract/Description: Background: A global cervical cancer health disparity persists despite the demonstrated success of primary and secondary preventive strategies, such as cervical visual inspection (VI). Cervical cancer is the leading cause of cancer incidence and death for women in many low resource areas. The greatest risk is for those who are unable or unwilling to access screening. Barriers include healthcare personnel shortages, cost, transportation, and mistrust of healthcare providers and systems. Using...
Show moreBackground: A global cervical cancer health disparity persists despite the demonstrated success of primary and secondary preventive strategies, such as cervical visual inspection (VI). Cervical cancer is the leading cause of cancer incidence and death for women in many low resource areas. The greatest risk is for those who are unable or unwilling to access screening. Barriers include healthcare personnel shortages, cost, transportation, and mistrust of healthcare providers and systems. Using community health workers (CHWs) may overcome these barriers, increase facilitators, and improve participation in screening for women in remote areas with limited access to clinical resources. Aim: To determine whether the accuracy of VI performed by CHWs was comparable to VI by physicians or nurses and to consider the affect components of provider training had on VI accuracy. Methods: A systematic review and quantitative meta-analysis of published literature reporting on VI accuracy, provider type, and training was conducted. Strict inclusion/exclusion criteria, study quality, and publication bias assessments improved rigor and bivariate linear mixed modeling (BLMM) was used to determine the affect of predictors on accuracy. Unconditional and conditional BLMMs, controlling for VI technique, provider type, community, clinical setting, HIV status, and gynecological symptoms were considered. Results: Provider type was a significant predictor of sensitivity (p=.048) in the unconditional VI model. VI performed by CHWs was 15% more sensitive than physicians (p=.014). Provider type was not a significant predictor of accuracy in any other models. Didactic and mentored hours predicted sensitivity in both BLMMs. Quality assurance and use of a training manual predicted specificity in unconditional BLMMs, but was not significant in conditional models. Number of training days, with ≤5 being optimal, predicted sensitivity in both BLMMs and specificity in the unconditional model. Conclusion: Study results suggest that community based cervical cancer screening with VI conducted by CHWs can be as, if not more, accurate than VI performed by licensed providers. Locally based screening programs could increase access to screening for women in remote areas. Collaborative partnerships in “pragmatic solidarity” between healthcare systems, CHWs, and the community could promote participation in screening resulting in decreased cervical cancer incidence and mortality.
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Date Issued: 2016
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/fau/fd/FA00004755
Subject Headings: Women--Health and hygiene., Cervix uteri--Cancer--Diagnosis., Cervix uteri--Cancer--Prevention., Medical screening., Medical care--Quality control., Community health services.
Format: Document (PDF)

Title: Development and testing of a measure of Alzheimer’s disease knowledge in a rural Appalachian community.
Creator: Weise, Lisa K., Williams, Christine L., Christine E. Lynn College of Nursing
Abstract/Description: Rural West Virginia has a very high percentage of older adults. The age-related disease of Alzheimer’s threatens the health of older Appalachians, yet research on Alzheimer’s disease (AD) in this population is scarce. In order to improve screening rates for cognitive impairment, Appalachians need to understand their vulnerability. The first step would be to assess their knowledge about AD but a suitable AD knowledge test has not been developed. The purpose of this study was to test the...
Show moreRural West Virginia has a very high percentage of older adults. The age-related disease of Alzheimer’s threatens the health of older Appalachians, yet research on Alzheimer’s disease (AD) in this population is scarce. In order to improve screening rates for cognitive impairment, Appalachians need to understand their vulnerability. The first step would be to assess their knowledge about AD but a suitable AD knowledge test has not been developed. The purpose of this study was to test the reliability and validity of a new measure of knowledge about AD that is culturally congruent, and to examine factors that may predict AD knowledge in this rural population. A correlational descriptive study was conducted with 240 participants from four samples of older adults in south central rural Appalachian West Virginia using surveys and face-to-face interviews. Results from tests for stability, reliability including Rasch modeling, discrimination and point biserial indices, and concurrent, divergent, and construct validity were favorable. Findings were that although more diversity in test item difficulty is needed, the test discriminated well between persons with higher and lower levels of education [F(2, 226) = 170.51, p = .001]. Using multiple regression, the predictors of AD knowledge included caregiver status, miles from a healthcare provider, gender, and education; (R2=.05, F(4,187) = 2.65, p =. 04). Only years of education accounted for a significant proportion of unique variance in predicting the total BKAD score (t = 2.14, p =. 03). Implications include the need for further tool refinement, testing for health literacy, coordination with recent statewide efforts to educate the public regarding AD, and community based participatory research in designing culturally effective education programs that will ultimately increase screening and detection of Alzheimer’s disease in rural populations.
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Date Issued: 2013
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/fau/fd/FA0004074
Subject Headings: Alzheimer's disease -- Diagnosis -- Social aspects, Alzheimer's disease -- Research -- Methodology, Health literacy -- West Virginia -- Appalachian Region, Southern, West Virginia -- Appalachian Region, Southern -- Social aspects
Format: Document (PDF)

Title: Partnering: An exploration of the process occurring between couples engaged in a Partner Breast Exam Program.
Creator: Scheinberg-King, Caryn R., Florida Atlantic University, Hektor, Lynne M.
Abstract/Description: The purpose of this study was to gain an understanding of what happens when partners participate in the Partner Breast Exam Program. A qualitative research design, using a grounded theory approach was used to understand the perspective of the couples participating in "Men Can Too" a Partner Breast Exam program. This approach was chosen because the experience of participation in Partner Breast Exam is "unchartered territory." Preliminary findings suggest that the process of partnering results...
Show moreThe purpose of this study was to gain an understanding of what happens when partners participate in the Partner Breast Exam Program. A qualitative research design, using a grounded theory approach was used to understand the perspective of the couples participating in "Men Can Too" a Partner Breast Exam program. This approach was chosen because the experience of participation in Partner Breast Exam is "unchartered territory." Preliminary findings suggest that the process of partnering results in a synergy between the couples. The three processes that comprise the Dynamics of a Synergistic Couple include: Sharing, Dyad: Male/Female Interaction, and Motivation. Partnering, by removing barriers such as fear, can promote a shared journey toward health for a couple, where they become synergistic partners in health, when they share the burden.
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Date Issued: 1996
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/fcla/dt/15363
Subject Headings: Breast--Cancer--Diagnosis, Breast--Examination, Helping behavior, Men--Attitudes, Women--Health and hygiene, Breast--Cancer--Nursing
Format: Document (PDF)

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