Theses and dissertations

This collection includes both ASU Theses and Dissertations, submitted by graduate students, and the Barrett, Honors College theses submitted by undergraduate students. 

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Effect of splinting techniques on the correction of hand deformities: a scoping review

Description
The purpose of this paper was to systematically review current literature regarding the effect of hand splints on aesthetic outcomes for individuals with acquired hand deformities. Hand splints vary in form and function, and are used to maintain or ameliorate hand function and aesthetics. A literature search was performed on…

The purpose of this paper was to systematically review current literature regarding the effect of hand splints on aesthetic outcomes for individuals with acquired hand deformities. Hand splints vary in form and function, and are used to maintain or ameliorate hand function and aesthetics. A literature search was performed on peer-reviewed publications that used splinting as an intervention for conservative hand improvement. Evidence from ten randomized clinical trials (published from 2003 to 2015) was evaluated for aesthetic improvement among a total of 659 subjects. Cosmetic outcomes were analyzed by a change in angle measurements, such as extensor lag, ulnar deviation, and passive and active range of motion. Of these ten studies, five focused on hand deformities caused by neurological impairment, while the other five measured those with musculoskeletal complications. Only two of the ten studies concluded that splinting could aesthetically improve the hands, and only one of these reporting statistical significance in its data. The data was not only limited in quantity, but was presented in heterogeneous formats. There was an extensive variation in measured outcomes, intervention protocols, follow-up times, and many other aspects of the studies; this dissimilarity led to difficulty in performing a systematic assessment. The majority of evidence concludes that splinting does not improve the appearance of deformities, however none directly investigated this measure. Therefore, further RCTs that include measurements of cosmetic traits are necessary to better quantify the effect of splinting for management of hand deformities. This review was the first of its kind to evaluate the correction of hand deformities using splints as an intervention.
ContributorsVale, Nicholas Marshall (Author) / Santello, Marco (Thesis director) / Skiba, Jeffry (Committee member) / Harrington Bioengineering Program (Contributor, Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor, Contributor) / School of Biological and Health Systems Engineering (Contributor)
Created2017-05

Preliminary Investigation of the Effects of Pneumatically-Driven Soft Back Exosuit During Walking with Obstacle Avoidance

Description

Falls are known to be a common occurrence and a costly one as well, as they are the second leading cause of unintentional deaths and millions of other injuries worldwide. Falls often occur due to an increase in trunk flexion angle, so this experiment aims to reduce the trunk flexion…

Falls are known to be a common occurrence and a costly one as well, as they are the second leading cause of unintentional deaths and millions of other injuries worldwide. Falls often occur due to an increase in trunk flexion angle, so this experiment aims to reduce the trunk flexion received while stepping over an obstacle. To achieve this a soft actuator was attached to the trunk and pressure was sent as subjects walked and stepped over an obstacle presented on a treadmill. The pressure is meant to stiffen the back which should in theory reduce the trunk flexion angle and lower the chances of falling. In this experiment, two groups were tested: three participants from a control group (healthy young adults) and three participants from an experimental group (healthy elderly adults). Since elderly adults have the highest fall risk due to overall lack of stability, they are the experimental group and the focus for this experiment. The results from the study showed that elderly adults had a beneficial effect with the soft actuator as there was a noticeable difference in trunk flexion when the device was attached. The experiment also supported prior research that stated that trunk flexion was greater in elderly adults than younger adults. Despite the positive results, further studies should be done to prove that the soft devices influence lowering trunk flexion angle as well as to see if the device has any noticeable effect on younger adults.
ContributorsFisher, Caleb (Author) / Lee, Hyunglae (Thesis director) / Olivas, Alyssa (Committee member) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor) / Harrington Bioengineering Program (Contributor)
Created2023-05

Fisher_Spring_2023.pdf

ContributorsFisher, Caleb (Author) / Lee, Hyunglae (Thesis director) / Olivas, Alyssa (Committee member) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor) / Harrington Bioengineering Program (Contributor)
Created2023-05

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ContributorsFisher, Caleb (Author) / Lee, Hyunglae (Thesis director) / Olivas, Alyssa (Committee member) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor) / Harrington Bioengineering Program (Contributor)
Created2023-05

IMG_6854.MOV

ContributorsFisher, Caleb (Author) / Lee, Hyunglae (Thesis director) / Olivas, Alyssa (Committee member) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor) / Harrington Bioengineering Program (Contributor)
Created2023-05

IMG_6858.MOV

ContributorsFisher, Caleb (Author) / Lee, Hyunglae (Thesis director) / Olivas, Alyssa (Committee member) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor) / Harrington Bioengineering Program (Contributor)
Created2023-05

IMG_7496.MOV

ContributorsFisher, Caleb (Author) / Lee, Hyunglae (Thesis director) / Olivas, Alyssa (Committee member) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor) / Harrington Bioengineering Program (Contributor)
Created2023-05

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ContributorsFisher, Caleb (Author) / Lee, Hyunglae (Thesis director) / Olivas, Alyssa (Committee member) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor) / Harrington Bioengineering Program (Contributor)
Created2023-05

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ContributorsFisher, Caleb (Author) / Lee, Hyunglae (Thesis director) / Olivas, Alyssa (Committee member) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor) / Harrington Bioengineering Program (Contributor)
Created2023-05
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Comparative Exposure Assessment of Antibiotic Resistance Determinants in Biosolids in Fertilizer Application to Lettuce Crops

Description
Water is a scarce resource that is recycled through wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) to help fulfill the demand for water. Agriculture is a large consumer of water, indicating that WWTP-treated water is proportionally applied to crops at a high rate. Recycled water is highly regulated but is capable of containing…

Water is a scarce resource that is recycled through wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) to help fulfill the demand for water. Agriculture is a large consumer of water, indicating that WWTP-treated water is proportionally applied to crops at a high rate. Recycled water is highly regulated but is capable of containing high-risk pathogens and contaminants despite the efforts of physical and microbial treatments throughout the WWTP process. WWTPs are also producers of biosolids, treated sewage sludge regulated by the EPA that can be applied in agricultural settings to act as a fertilizer. Biosolids are a useful fertilizer as they are rich in nitrogen and contain many beneficial nutrients for soil and crops. Due to biosolids being a by-product of recycled water, they are susceptible to containing the same pathogens and contaminants that can be transferred in the WWTP systems. Antibiotic resistance (AR) is an ever-growing threat on a global scale and is one of the areas of concern for consideration of pathogen spread from WWTPs. Antibiotic resistance bacteria, created through mutation of bacterial plasmids producing antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs), have been quantified and studied to help mitigate the risk posed by continued AR spread in the environment. This study aims to produce a comprehensive collection of quantified ARG concentration data in biosolids, as well as producing a QMRA model integrating Monte Carlo distributions to provide groundwork for understanding of the direct dosage and consumption of ARGs to the standard U.S. citizen. The study determined that sul1, sul2, tetM, and tetO are ARGs of high concern in biosolid samples based on current concentration data of biosolid samples. The resulting dose models and gene concentration distributions provide data to support the need to mitigate AR risk presented by agricultural biosolid application.
ContributorsMorgan, Grace (Author) / Hamilton, Kerry (Thesis director) / Muenich, Rebecca (Committee member) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor) / Harrington Bioengineering Program (Contributor)
Created2022-05