Matching Items (146)
Filtering by
- Resource Type: Text
Description
This study confirms that there is stigma attached to how Somali-Americans perceive mental and emotional impairments compared to the perception of physical disabilities and impairments. More Somali-Americans are willing to seek help regarding their mental and physical health which is a positive step in improving the perceptions of Somali-Americans towards mental or emotional impairments and physical disabilities. Findings can contribute to the knowledge of health care professionals (i.e. nurses) in caring for patients identifying as Somali to promote culturally competent care.
ContributorsAden, Amina (Author) / Hosley, Brenda (Thesis director) / Lee, Rebecca (Committee member) / Lyles, Annmarie (Committee member) / Arizona State University. College of Nursing & Healthcare Innovation (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2016-12
Description
With the rising data output and falling costs of Next Generation Sequencing technologies, research into data compression is crucial to maintaining storage efficiency and costs. High throughput sequencers such as the HiSeqX Ten can produce up to 1.8 terabases of data per run, and such large storage demands are even more important to consider for institutions that rely on their own servers rather than large data centers (cloud storage)1. Compression algorithms aim to reduce the amount of space taken up by large genomic datasets by encoding the most frequently occurring symbols with the shortest bit codewords and by changing the order of the data to make it easier to encode. Depending on the probability distribution of the symbols in the dataset or the structure of the data, choosing the wrong algorithm could result in a compressed file larger than the original or a poorly compressed file that results in a waste of time and space2. To test efficiency among compression algorithms for each file type, 37 open-source compression algorithms were used to compress six types of genomic datasets (FASTA, VCF, BCF, GFF, GTF, and SAM) and evaluated on compression speed, decompression speed, compression ratio, and file size using the benchmark test lzbench. Compressors that outpreformed the popular bioinformatics compressor Gzip (zlib -6) were evaluated against one another by ratio and speed for each file type and across the geometric means of all file types. Compressors that exhibited fast compression and decompression speeds were also evaluated by transmission time through variable speed internet pipes in scenarios where the file was compressed only once or compressed multiple times.
ContributorsHowell, Abigail (Author) / Cartwright, Reed (Thesis director) / Wilson Sayres, Melissa (Committee member) / Taylor, Jay (Committee member) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2017-05
Description
Research on human grasp typically involves the grasp of objects designed for the study of fingertip forces. Instrumented objects for such studies have often been designed for the simulation of functional tasks, such as feeding oneself, or for rigidity such that the objects do not deform when grasped. The goal of this thesis was to design a collapsible, instrumented object to study grasp of breakable objects. Such an object would enable experiments on human grip responses to unexpected finger-object events as well as anticipatory mechanisms once object fragility has been observed. The collapsible object was designed to be modular to allow for properties such as friction and breaking force to be altered. The instrumented object could be used to study both human and artificial grasp.
ContributorsTorrez, Troy (Author) / Santos, Veronica (Thesis director) / Santello, Marco (Committee member) / Artemiadis, Panagiotis (Committee member) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2012-05
Description
Many bacteria actively import environmental DNA and incorporate it into their genomes. This behavior, referred to as transformation, has been described in many species from diverse taxonomic backgrounds. Transformation is expected to carry some selective advantages similar to those postulated for meiotic sex in eukaryotes. However, the accumulation of loss-of-function alleles at transformation loci and an increased mutational load from recombining with DNA from dead cells create additional costs to transformation. These costs have been shown to outweigh many of the benefits of recombination under a variety of likely parameters. We investigate an additional proposed benefit of sexual recombination, the Red Queen hypothesis, as it relates to bacterial transformation. Here we describe a computational model showing that host-pathogen coevolution may provide a large selective benefit to transformation and allow transforming cells to invade an environment dominated by otherwise equal non-transformers. Furthermore, we observe that host-pathogen dynamics cause the selection pressure on transformation to vary extensively in time, explaining the tight regulation and wide variety of rates observed in naturally competent bacteria. Host-pathogen dynamics may explain the evolution and maintenance of natural competence despite its associated costs.
ContributorsPalmer, Nathan David (Author) / Cartwright, Reed (Thesis director) / Wang, Xuan (Committee member) / Sievert, Chris (Committee member) / School of Life Sciences (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2016-05
Description
Telestroke networks reduce disparities in acute stroke care between metropolitan primary stroke centers and remote hospitals. Current technologies used to conduct remote patient assessments have very high start-up costs, yet they cannot consistently establish quality connection in a timely manner. Smartphgones can be used for high quality video teleconferencing (HQ-VTC). They are relatively inexpensive and widley used among healthcare providers. We aimed to study the reliability of HQ-VTC using smartphones for conducting the NIHSS. Two vascular neurologists (VNs) assessed 83 stroke patients with the NIHSS. The remote VN assessed patients using videoconferencing on a smartphone with the assistance of a bedside medical aide. The bedside VN rated patients ontemporaneously. Each VN was blinded to the other's NIHSS scores. We tested the inter-method agreement and physician satisfaction with the device. We demonstrated high total NIHSS score correlation between the methods (r=0.941, p<0.001). The mean total NIHSS scores for bedside and remote assessments were 7.3 plus or minus 7.9 and 6.7 plus or minus 7.6 with ranges of 0-30 and 0-37, respectively. Seven NIHSS categories had significantly high agreement beyond chance: LOC-questions, LOC-commands, visual fields, motor left arm, motor right arm, motor left leg, motor right leg; seven categories had moderate agreement: LOC-consciousness, best gaze, facial palsy, sensory, best language, dysarthria, extinction/inattention; one category had poor agreement: ataxia. There was high physician satisfaction with the device. The VNs rated 96% of the assessments as good or very good for "image quality," "sound quality," "ease of use," and "ability to assess subject using NIHSS," and 84% of the assesssments as good or very good for "reception in hospital." The smartphones with HQ-VTC is reliable, easy to use, and affordable for telestroke NIHSS administration. This device has high physician satisfaction. With the variety of smartphones and professional medical applications available today, the telestroke practitioner has all the tools necessary for fast clinical decision-makingby accessing electronic medial records, viewing images, and tracking patient vitals.
ContributorsVegunta, Sravanthi (Author) / Demaerschalk, Bart (Thesis director) / Santello, Marco (Committee member) / Hurlbut, Ben (Committee member) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2012-05
Description
Mammary gland development in humans during puberty involves the enlargement of breast tissue, but this is not true in non-human primates. To identify potential causes of this difference, I examined variation in substitution rates across genes related to mammary development. Genes undergoing purifying selection show slower-than-average substitution rates, while genes undergoing positive selection show faster rates. These may be related to the difference between humans and other primates. Three genes were found to be accelerated were FOXF1, IGFBP5, and ATP2B2, but only the latter one was found in humans and it seems unlikely that it would be related to the differences between mammary gland development at puberty between humans and non-human primates.
ContributorsArroyo, Diana (Author) / Cartwright, Reed (Thesis director) / Wilson Sayres, Melissa (Committee member) / Schwartz, Rachel (Committee member) / School of Life Sciences (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2016-05
Description
Research supports that music therapy can be used in multiple aspects of care for patients living within different environments. There is a gap in the literature when it comes to the impact of music sessions for older adults who do not have a diagnosed disease, therefore this study analyzes this population specifically. This study examines music therapy and its effects on anxiety and depression in adults aged 65 or older living in independent living homes. The adults participated in a mixed-methods study over the span of one month examining music as an intervention to decrease anxiety and depression. Each subject consented into the study, completed a demographic survey, answered open-ended questions regarding their experience with anxiety/sadness and ways to cope, as well as Profile of Moods Scale (POMS) during the first session. On the last week of the study, the participants were asked to fill out the same POMS scale to evaluate whether music influenced anxiety and depression. There was limited evidence found in this study to support the use of music therapy as an intervention to decrease anxiety and depression in adults over the age of 65.
ContributorsWolfus, Sarah Ilyssa (Author) / Lee, Rebecca (Thesis director) / Larkey, Linda (Committee member) / Arizona State University. College of Nursing & Healthcare Innovation (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2018-05
Description
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in the United States announced that there has been roughly a 50% increase in the prevalence of food allergies among people between the years of 1997 - 2011. A food allergy can be described as a medical condition where being exposed to a certain food triggers a harmful immune response in the body, known as an allergic reaction. These reactions can range from mild to fatal, and they are caused mainly by the top 8 major food allergens: dairy, eggs, peanuts, tree nuts, wheat, soy, fish, and shellfish. Food allergies mainly plague children under the age of 3, as some of them will grow out of their allergy sensitivity over time, and most people develop their allergies at a young age, and not when they are older. The rise in prevalence is becoming a frightening problem around the world, and there are emerging theories that are attempting to ascribe a cause. There are three well-known hypotheses that will be discussed: the Hygiene Hypothesis, the Dual-Allergen Exposure Hypothesis, and the Vitamin-D Deficiency Hypothesis. Beyond that, this report proposes that a new hypothesis be studied, the Food Systems Hypothesis. This hypothesis theorizes that the cause of the rise of food allergies is actually caused by changes in the food itself and particularly the pesticides that are used to cultivate it.
ContributorsCromer, Kelly (Author) / Lee, Rebecca (Thesis director) / MacFadyen, Joshua (Committee member) / Sanford School of Social and Family Dynamics (Contributor) / Dean, W.P. Carey School of Business (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2018-12
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 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
Description
Although previous studies have elucidated the role of position feedback in the regulation of movement, the specific contribution of Golgi tendon organs (GTO) in force feedback, especially in stabilizing voluntary limb movements, has remained theoretical due to limitations in experimental techniques. This study aims to establish force feedback regulation mediated by GTO afferent signals in two phases. The first phase of this study consisted of simulations using a neuromusculoskeletal model of the monoarticular elbow flexor (MEF) muscle group, assess the impact of force feedback in maintaining steady state interaction forces against variable environmental stiffness. Three models were trained to accurately reach an interaction force of 40N, 50N and 60N respectively, using a fixed stiffness level. Next, the environment stiffness was switched between untrained levels for open loop (OL) and closed loop (CL) variants of the same model. Results showed that compared to OL, CL showed decreased force deviations by 10.43%, 12.11% and 13.02% for each of the models. Most importantly, it is also observed that in the absence of force feedback, environment stiffness is found to have an effect on the interaction force. In the second phase, human subjects were engaged in experiments utilizing an instrumented elbow exoskeleton that applied loads to the MEF muscle group, closely mimicking the simulation conditions. The experiments consisted of reference, blind and catch trial types, and 3 stiffness levels. Subjects were first trained to reach for a predetermined target force. During catch trials, stiffness levels were randomized between reaches. Responses obtained from these experiments showed that subjects were able to regulate forces with no significant effects of trial type or stiffness level. Since experimental results align closely with that of closed loop model simulations, the presence of force feedback mechanisms mediated by GTO within the human neuromuscular system is established. This study not only unveils the critical involvement of GTO in force feedback but also emphasizes the importance of understanding these mechanisms for developing advanced neuroprosthetics and rehabilitation strategies, shedding light on the intricate interplay between sensory inputs and motor responses in human proprioception.
ContributorsAbishek, Kevin (Author) / Lee, Hyunglae (Thesis advisor) / Buneo, Christopher (Committee member) / Santello, Marco (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2023