PhD, University of Cincinnati, 2022, Nursing: Nursing - Doctoral Program

Background: Firefighter fatalities from heart attacks or sudden cardiac deaths (SCD) are the number one cause of on-duty firefighter deaths. With more than 1.1 million firefighters working in the United States, lack of routine monitoring of firefighters engaged in strenuous activities could result in the delayed early detection of cardiopulmonary compromise that warrants further medical evaluation. It is imperative for occupational health professionals and firefighter leadership to develop practical and cost-effective strategies facilitating early detection of cardiopulmonary distress in on-duty firefighters. Performing research during firefighting activities may lead to identifying effective real-time monitoring strategies leading to early detection and application of early interventions reducing or eliminating on-duty firefighter deaths due to cardiopulmonary issues. Aim: The aim of this dissertation research is to advance knowledge about using practical approaches, such as exploring exertion perception and monitoring vital signs variability, as surveillance techniques to assess for early signs of cardiopulmonary stress while firefighters are on-duty. Methods: For this manuscript-based dissertation, three interrelated manuscripts were completed. Manuscript one was a systematic review of existing literature to explore the relationship of Borg rating of perceived exertion (RPE)® scale and heart rate in firefighters. Two data-based manuscripts were constructed on data gathered during an exploratory, descriptive study conducted with 19 firefighter participants. Using an observational repeated measures design, four time points of data were collected from each participant under the two conditions (firefighter fire house activities and live-burn training activities). Manuscript two was an exploration of vital sign variability within and between the two conditions. Manuscript three was an exploration of vital sign variability in relationship to cardi (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: Carolyn Smith Ph.D. (Committee Member); Amit Bhattacharya Ph.D. (Committee Member); Susan Reutman Ph.D. (Committee Member); Joshua Lambert Ph.D. (Committee Member); William Jetter Ph.D. (Committee Member) Subjects: Occupational Safety

Master of Science, Miami University, 2019, Computational Science and Engineering

One of the most significant problems facing individuals in the modern workplace is injuries due to physical exertion. The purpose of this study is to demonstrate a correlation with elevations of Electroencephalography (EEG) biological signals alongside Electrocardiography (ECG or EKG) and oxygen levels to determine the thresholds of exertion for individuals. Demonstrating such a correlation between these measurements would provide a basis for future investigations into developing technologies to monitor individuals in physically intense work areas and recovery through physical therapy. This goal was achieved in this thesis using a nonintrusive EEG headset sensor with a compatible ECG lead. This study also introduces the use of various signal processing and data comparison techniques to demonstrate correlations between the various biological signals. A secondary portion of this research utilizes a newer signal processing technique adopted from a previous work.

Committee: Qihou Zhou Dr. (Committee Chair); AKM Jahangir Majumder Dr. (Committee Member); Donald Ucci Dr. (Committee Member); Miao Wang Dr. (Committee Member) Subjects: Biomedical Engineering; Electrical Engineering

Psy. D., Antioch University, 2018, Antioch New England: Clinical Psychology

Sports-related concussions continue to be a serious health concern as the prevalence and incidence of concussion continue to increase annually (Center for Disease Control [CDC], 2016). Decisions regarding return to play (RTP) following concussion represent one of the biggest challenges for sports medicine professionals. The literature recommends implementing an individualized, collaborative, multi-dimensional approach to increase accuracy when assessing concussion recovery and making RTP decisions (McCrory et al., 2013). The current study examined the self-reported practices of sports medicine professionals surrounding RTP decisions. The study utilized an author-developed questionnaire, Sports Medicine Practice Questionnaire (SMPQ), administered as an online survey to assess the practices of sports medicine professionals responsible for returning athletes to play after a concussion. A sample of 141 participants responded to the SMPQ. Most respondents (89%, n = 126) reported using neurocognitive testing to aid in their RTP decision. A majority of respondents (95%) reported engaging in consultation practices to confirm readiness to RTP. Significant consultation discrepancies were observed between participants' preference for consulting with team physicians versus neuropsychologists. Gender differences regarding consultation practices were noted with females consulting with neuropsychologists more than their male counterparts. Significant regional differences between the Northeast and South were found with the South endorsing greater implementation of post-exertional neurocognitive testing. From the pilot questionnaire consisting of 43 items, a revised brief 16-item SMPQ was generated, which yielded an internal consistency Cronbach a = .70. The implications of the findings are discussed with regard to the Concussion in Sports Group consensus statement (McCrory et al., 2017) and recognized current guidelines on the implementation of neurocognitive tests, gradual RTP exe (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: Gargi Roysircar EdD (Committee Chair); Vincent Pignatiello PsyD (Committee Member); Jonathan Lichtenstein PsyD (Committee Member) Subjects: Clinical Psychology

MS, University of Cincinnati, 2015, Engineering and Applied Science: Aerospace Engineering

NASA has initiated a series of tests aimed at understanding human physiological and biomechanical effects of spacesuits under a variety of conditions. Though these tests include metabolic rates, ground reaction forces, biomechanics, subjective workload and controllability feedback, the influences (kinematics, exertion and efficiency) of a combined spacesuit and portable life support system (PLSS) center of gravity (CG) during an astronaut's extravehicular task performance has not been completely understood. The work described in this thesis was aimed at developing a quantitative means of evaluating the influence of space suit and PLSS CG location on astronaut EVA task performance in terms of kinematics (joint angular ranges), exertion (joint torques and muscle forces), and efficiency (comparative work performed). Four CG locations, representing approximate CG extremes for the NASA MK III and Z1 space suits, were evaluated using a combined experimental and computational approach. Three common EVA tasks were studied: object translation, climbing and walking. It was found that the Low-Aft CG was the best for object translation, the High-Forward CG for walking and the Low-Forward CG for climbing.

Committee: Grant Schaffner Ph.D. (Committee Chair); Kelly Cohen Ph.D. (Committee Member); Kristin Yvonne Rozier Ph.D. (Committee Member) Subjects: Aerospace Materials

MEd, University of Cincinnati, 2010, Education : Health Promotion and Education

The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of music on ratings of perceived exertion (RPE) during resistance training. Specifically, 20 male, moderately weight-trained participants performed three sets of triceps dips until muscle failure. Each was tested under two separate conditions of no music and with music. In each session, participants were asked to rate their perceived exertion using Borg's RPE scale (Borg, 1998) after each set. In addition to RPE, the number of repetitions of each set and heart rate data were collected. Results showed: Total RPE (sum of RPE for each set) was 43 + 8.95 for no music, with no significant difference with music (p = .476). Total repetitions (sum of repetitions for each set) was 124.7 + 45.03 for no music, with no significant difference with music (p = .931). Heart rate (HR) recovery time (5 minute post HR - resting HR) was 12.2 + 10.3 for no music, with no significant difference with music (p = .832). The results revealed that music had no effect on RPE, repetitions or heart rate recovery time.

Committee: Bradley Wilson PhD (Committee Chair); Keith King PhD (Committee Member) Subjects: Health Education