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There is considerable evidence indicating an association between aflatoxin ingestion and liver cancer in humans. The development of methods that would permit the monitoring of aflatoxin exposure in individuals would provide useful information in assessing human risk from this toxin. In this study, an ELISA technique, using a polyclonal antibody raised against aflatoxin B1 in the rabbit, was developed for monitoring the levels of aflatoxin excreted in human urine samples. Urine could not be used directly in the assay because high blanks were observed from the presence of some aflatoxin-like substances. A 'clean-up' procedure using Sep-Pak C[13] cartridges and immunoaffinity columns was developed. The methods were validated using [3]H-AFB[1] in both buffer and presumed uncontaminated human urine samples from Europeans. As AFB[1] itself is unlikely to be found in human samples, urine from marmoset monkeys treated with [14]C-AFB1 were also used in the validation processes as they are likely to contain a spectrum of aflatoxin metabolites similar to those in human urine. The levels of AFB[1]. equivalents were monitored by both radioactive counting and ELISA. The radioactive measurements demonstrated that the overall recovery of the ELISA method was approximately 50%. The failure to detect all of the aflatoxin contamination in the urine may be due to the inability of the antibody to detect most of the polar aflatoxin metabolites. When the ELISA method was used in monitoring aflatoxin excreted in patients with or without liver disease from Thailand, a range of aflatoxin levels in the urine samples were obtained. Since in Thailand, liver fluke infection, caused by Opisthorchis viverrini is a serious health problem in the area where there is high contamination with aflatoxin in food and a high incidence of liver cancer, the interaction between liver fluke infection and aflatoxin ingestion was also studied using hamster as an animal model. The results indicated that liver fluke infection may alter the pattern of aflatoxin metabolites excreted in hamster urine, which in turn could affect the results obtained from the ELISA. Measurements by the ELISA method of aflatoxin excreted in urine samples from Thai vegetarians; who are a population at high risk of exposure to aflatoxin suggested that this group of people excreted higher levels of aflatoxin, but a further study with a greater number of subjects would be necessary to confirm this finding.

Master of Science / Department of Computer Science / Daniel A. Andresen / With an improvement in technology and miniaturization of sensors, there have been attempts to utilize the new technology in various areas to improve the quality of human life. One main area of research that has seen an adoption of the technology is the healthcare sector. The people in need of healthcare services find it very expensive this is particularly true in developing countries. As a result, this project is an attempt to solve a healthcare problem currently society is facing. The main objective of the project was to design a remote healthcare system. It’s comprised of three main parts. The first part being, detection of patient’s vitals using sensors, second for sending data to cloud storage and the last part was providing the detected data for remote viewing. Remote viewing of the data enables a doctor or guardian to monitor a patient’s health progress away from hospital premises. The Internet of Things (IoT) concepts have been widely used to interconnect the available medical resources and offer smart, reliable, and effective healthcare service to the patients. Health monitoring for active and assisted living is one of the paradigms that can use the IoT advantages to improve the patient’s lifestyle. In this project, I have presented an IoT architecture customized for healthcare applications. The aim of the project was to come up with a Remote Health Monitoring System that can be made with locally available sensors with a view to making it affordable if it were to be mass produced. Hence the proposed architecture collects the sensor data through Arduino microcontroller and relays it to the cloud where it is processed and analyzed for remote viewing. Feedback actions based on the analyzed data can be sent back to the doctor or guardian through Email and/or SMS alerts in case of any emergencies.

abstract: Background: Understanding an athlete’s workload is one way to determine the likelihood of receiving a sports injury. Workload variables are categorized as either internal load (IL) such as heart rate, or external load (EL) which include speed, distance or volume. Objective: This study investigated the correlation between IL and EL measured by micro-technology in female college soccer players. In addition, the utility of IL and EL to predict risk of soft tissue injury on lower limbs was examined. Method: 23 NCAA Division One women soccer players 19.2 ± 1.2 years old, 168.2 ± 7.3 cm, and 141.0 ± 17.9 kg were recruited. Only field players with no prior lower limb injuries were included. IL measurements collected were ratings of perceived exertion (S-RPE), average heart rate (Avg-HR), training impulse (TRIMP i.e., HR x time) and estimated maximum heart rate (Max HR). Total distance (TD), average speed (Avg-Spd), high speed running distance (HSR), estimated maximum speed (Max speed) and intensity volume index (VI index) were identified as EL. The workload data were categorized as being either acute or chronic. Acute was defined as the measured average workload the seven days immediately prior to the injury, while chronic workload meant the average workload 21 days before the athletes were hurt. Spearman correlation was used to examine the relationships between IL and EL and one-way ANOVA and Kruskal Wallis tests were conducted to investigate the mean differences between injury groups. Results: There were significant positive correlations between S-RPE and TD (r = .82, p < .001), TRIMP and TD (r =.75, p < .001), Avg-HR and Avg-Spd (r = .80, p < .001), and H-HR zone and HSR (r = .60, p < .001). The results indicated that the acute Avg-HR, the A/C ratio of Avg-Spd and VI index were significantly (p = .001) higher in the injured compared to the non-injured group. Conclusion: The study indicated that internal and external load were significantly correlated in this group of female soccer players. Also, acute Avg-HR and A/C of speed and volume index may predict the risk of soft-tissue injury in female athletes. / Dissertation/Thesis / Masters Thesis Exercise and Wellness 2018

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Investigations have been made on the minimisation of the background count rate detected in proportional counters, while maximising the signal detection efficiency. Two methods of background rejection have been developed, based on the time profile of the shaped detector pulses and on the lateral extent of the induced charge distribution on the cathode. Both these systems have proved highly efficient, and the former has been applied to a multiwire proportional chamber designed as a monitor for plutonium lung contamination, an application where high efficiency detection is critical. This instrument, which incorporates full six-sided "massless" guard cells, and utilises real-time data acquisition and handling by microcomputer, has been developed, optimised, and assessed as a possible competitor to the phoswich detectors in use at present and the solid state detectors under development. Results indicate that the counter is likely to offer no more than a marginal improvement in sensitivity, insufficient to justify its increased compexity and higher costs.

Patient self-monitoring of blood pressure (SMBP) has shown promise in contributing towards improving ongoing management of hypertension, however it has yet to be fully integrated into guidelines or routine general practice in the UK. The aims of this thesis were to investigate the role of SMBP in the management of hypertension to better understand: patient and clinician attitudes to SMBP; what behaviour change SMBP targets in patients to bring about better BP outcomes; to what extent SMBP is utilised as part of routine hypertension management in the UK; and to understand patient preferences for hypertension management in light of effective models of care. A mixed methods approach was used including: systematic reviews of qualitative and quantitative evidence; semi-structured interviews with patients; a cross sectional survey; and a discrete choice experiment. Self-monitoring was associated with better medication adherence, which could have significant impact at a population level given the high proportion of non-adherent hypertensive patients. Use of SMBP should be seen as a continuum from being used solely to inform clinical decisions, through facilitating interaction between patients and clinicians, to empowering patients to be autonomous for example in self-management. SMBP was most effective when patients had the knowledge and skills to make improvements in their lifestyle, and this has been shown in clinical trials and through qualitative investigation. Clinicians recognise the potential benefits of SMBP, but are concerned that patients may become burdened. Clinicians should feel encouraged that patients are supportive of self-monitoring, but they must ensure that patients who wish to self-manage are equipped with the skills to do so. Lack of facility to make positive change may lead some patients to feeling disempowered and clinicians need to be cognisant of this fact.

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Class of 2012 Abstract / Objectives: The primary objective of this study was to evaluate the appropriateness of when aminoglycoside serum concentrations are obtained and assess whether the timing and techniques used in obtaining aminoglycoside serum concentrations are appropriate. Additionally, pharmacists’ interpretation of aminoglycoside serum concentrations and the appropriateness of intervention in response to these results were assessed. Methods: This descriptive retrospective study to evaluate the appropriateness of aminoglycoside monitoring at an academic medical center has been approved by the Institutional Review Board. Patients over the age of 46 weeks gestational age admitted to an academic medical center between February 1, 2010 to February 1, 2011 who were prescribed intravenous aminoglycoside therapy were included in this study. Patients with therapy duration of less than 72 hours without at least one aminoglycoside level were excluded. The time of aminoglycoside concentrations in relation to time of aminoglycoside administration along with calculated pharmacokinetic parameters and therapy recommendations documented in clinical notes were also recorded. Appropriateness of aminoglycoside monitoring and documentation were determined by use of expert opinion and pharmacokinetic guidelines. Results: Timing of aminoglycoside serum concentrations and subsequent clinical assessments were evaluated in 103 subjects. The median (range) age was 28 (0.2 – 88) years. The initial aminoglycoside prescribed in 12%, 40%, and 48% of subjects was amikacin, gentamicin, and tobramycin, respectively. A total of 314 aminoglycoside concentrations were obtained: 41 amikacin, 129 gentamicin, and 144 tobramycin. At least one clinical pharmacokinetic assessment of aminoglycoside concentration(s) was written for 91 subjects (88%). The aminoglycoside indication, actual time of aminoglycoside dose administration, estimated renal function, and both goal peak/trough aminoglycoside concentrations were documented in at least one aminoglycoside clinical note for each of these 91 subjects at a rate of 95%, 80%, 89%, and 51%, respectively. Calculated peak, trough, estimated volume of distribution, and estimated half-life or ke were documented in 53 subjects. Conclusions: Aminoglycoside serum concentration monitoring can be used to maximize therapeutic outcomes while minimizing toxicity. However, errors in obtaining and evaluating serum drug levels can arise that may affect patient outcomes. For monitoring to be effective, the timing of serum concentration orders, the process of obtaining serum concentration samples, and the interpretation of data including pharmacokinetic calculations should be accurate.