Bachelor of Science, Wittenberg University, 2022, Exercise Science

While majority of the evidence shows acute and longitudinal cardiovascular anomalies exist in a patient population following COVID-19 infection, little is known about subsequent cardiovascular effects in a student-athlete population. With known potential effects to student-athletes pulmonary function, it is reasonable to assume long-term cardiovascular complications exist as well. Therefore, the aim of this study is to determine if longitudinal cardiovascular effects of COVID-19 exist in student-athletes. Twenty-four college-aged student-athletes were split into two groups for comparison based on self-reported COVID status. Twelve subjects reported to have tested positive for COVID-19 10-14 months prior (COV+), while the other twelve participants reported to have never tested positive for COVID-19 (CON). Both groups were sport-matched to ensure that cardiorespiratory fitness was comparable. Direct comparison of both groups was analyzed for VO2, heart rate, and blood pressure via student t-tests with significance set a priori at p<0.05. Age, resting heart rate, resting mean arterial pressure, VO2peak were not different between groups. Additionally, heart rate and mean arterial pressure during exercise corresponding to 85% HRR was not different between groups. Heart rate recovery and mean arterial pressure recovery after exercise was different between groups, with a longer recovery period for the COV+ group compared to the CON group. The mean arterial pressure recovery time is prolonged before returning to resting levels in the representative subject from the COV+ group. Additionally, heart rate was slowed in returning to resting levels in the COV+ group. Interestingly, no differences existed between groups regarding heart rate and mean arterial pressure during exercise.

Committee: John Thistlethwaite (Advisor); Cathy Pederson (Committee Member); Hung-Sheng Hsu (Committee Member) Subjects: Health Care; Health Sciences; Sports Medicine

Master of Arts, The Ohio State University, 2018, Psychology

Resting high frequency heart rate variability (HF-HRV) is chiefly known as a physiological index of executive function, emotion regulation capabilities, psychopathology, and overall well-being. The need for affect (NA), defined as the motivation to approach or avoid emotional eliciting experiences and situations, has been linked with emotion regulation capabilities, psychopathology, and overall health. Furthermore, the approaching and avoiding of emotional experiences has been linked with the same executive brain regions that are associated with resting HF-HRV. However, there has been no investigation on the direct association of resting HF-HRV and NA. Moreover, evidence suggests that both resting HF-HRV and NA are associated with trait anxiety, such that trait anxiety may play a mediating role in this relationship. Therefore, the present study examined both the direct relationship of resting HF-HRV and NA, and the potential mechanistic role of trait anxiety. The current study consists of 146 participants (82 females, 64 ethnic minority, mean age = 20). The participants first completed a 5-minute resting baseline, and then answered a set of questionnaires including the 26-item NA Scale and the 20 item Spielberger Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI-T). The NA Scale encompasses two subscales intended to measure the motivation to approach (NA-approach) and motivation to avoid (NA-avoid) emotion inducing experiences, independently. Resting HF-HRV was measured in accordance with previously established guidelines. Zero order correlations showed a negative trending relationship with resting HF-HRV and NA-Avoid (r = -.16, p = .06). Controlling for important covariates, this relationship became significant (r = -.19, p =.03). No such significant associations were found between resting HF-HRV and NA-approach or NA-total. Mediation analysis showed that trait anxiety was indeed a significant mediator on the link between resting HF-HRV and NA-Avoid (B= -.96 (SE = .48), [-2.13,-.20 (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: Julian Thayer (Committee Chair); Michael Vassey (Committee Member); Baldwin Way (Committee Member) Subjects: Psychology

Master of Arts, University of Toledo, 2015, Psychology - Clinical

The current study is aimed at developing a multi-dimensional approach to understanding Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD). Within the United States there is a 2.9% prevalence rate of GAD over 12 months among adults, with a lifetime risk of 9.0% (American Psychiatric Association, 2013). This common disorder has been a significant area of study over the past several decades and various researchers have attempted to understand the factors that cause, maintain, and prevent GAD (Borkovec et al., 2004; Newman et al., 2011). The current study aimed to investigate infrequently assessed components (i.e., affect, heart rate variability, social abilities, and social perceptions) of GAD. A sample of 57 undergraduate participants completed measures of general anxiety, affect, and depression. They then entered a laboratory setting where they completed baseline measures of affect and worry, while ECG was recorded continuously throughout the duration of the study. Participants engaged in four subsequent phases: affect manipulation, two social interaction situations, and a recovery period. Some findings lend support to the Negative Contrast Avoidance Model, and results indicate that individuals with GAD present as being submissive, and are more likely to find others to be dominant, hostile, and less affectionate.

Committee: Jason Levine PhD (Committee Chair); Jon Elhai PhD (Committee Member); Andrew Geers PhD (Committee Member) Subjects: Psychology

Doctor of Philosophy, The Ohio State University, 2009, Psychology

Empirical investigations of subjective and cardiac responses to music date back over 125 years. However, the literature has been plagued by methodological/interpretive pitfalls. Most investigations have not “recomposed” music along a particular dimension (e.g., tempo), but rather used unique pieces of music that vary along a number of dimensions (genre, instrumentation, dynamics), adding potential confounds. Additionally, the utility of measuring mean heart rate (HR) changes to music is not particularly strong: for as many studies that report significant effects of music on HR, nearly an equal number report a null effect. The present study used two less-frequently investigated indices of cardiac activity—HR variability (HRV) and phasic HR—which are known to index parasympathetic nervous system activity. Higher baseline levels of HRV have been consistently linked with greater health and emotional well-being, and increased cognitive flexibility. Phasic HR refers to beat-by-beat changes in HR, and indexes adjustments in attention and emotional processing. Three experiments used the same general class of stimuli: MIDI performances of piano ragtime, recomposed at 60, 90, and 120 beats per minute. To examine the role of individual differences in HRV and its relationship to responses to music, median split and trend value analyses were performed. Trend value analysis applies the logic and formulas of group trend analysis to individual subjects. Experiment 1 utilized 2.5-min excerpts of music, and found that HRV decreased as tempo increased, indicating greater parasympathetic withdrawal to faster music. Importantly, no significant relationship was found between tempo and mean HR. Furthermore, as revealed by median split and trend value analyses, tempo had a larger and more consistent effect on HRV in subjects with higher baseline HRV. Experiment 2 utilized 12–16-s excerpts of music, and found that phasic IBI waveforms increased with tempo. Waveforms were larger for subjects (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: Julian Thayer PhD (Advisor); John Sollers PhD (Committee Member); Richard Jagacinski PhD (Committee Member); Peter Kilcup PhD (Committee Member) Subjects: Health; Music; Psychology

Master of Science in Biomedical Engineering (MSBME), Wright State University, 2015, Biomedical Engineering

Non-contact imaging photoplethysmography is an exciting new field based on the principles of traditional photoplethysmography where viable signals can now be acquired without the use of contact equipment. Recent advances regarding non-contact imaging photoplethysmography have permitted a wide range of new possibilities focused on sensing the cardiopulmonary system. Physiological metrics such as pulse rate, respiration rate, and pulse rate variability can be obtained by current photoplethysmographic imaging methods. Although previous systems were challenged by head-motion artifacts, the mitigation of rigid head-motion artifacts has been demonstrated with a multi-imager design. This study investigated the feasibility and accuracy of pulse rate variability utilizing a multi-imager recording system. Parameters such as sampling rate, image resolution, and number of imagers utilized were examined in an attempt to minimize overall system data bandwidth. Accurate pulse rate variability metrics where found within the frequency and temporal domains, along with promising results regarding the aforementioned input parameters.

Committee: Mary Fendley Ph.D. (Advisor); Nasser Kashou Ph.D. (Committee Member); Phani Kidambi Ph.D. (Committee Member) Subjects: Biomedical Engineering; Biomedical Research

Master of Science in Engineering, University of Akron, 2006, Biomedical Engineering

Remote Physiological Monitoring as an application of telemedicine holds great promise for providing efficient and economical health care. Most telemedicine applications have been limited to the use of interactive video for physician consultations, educational, research and administrative purposes. In this research project, an attempt was made to design and implement software that provided an interactive remote physiological monitoring system with instantaneous feedback to the physician at any remote location, about the general health of the patient, through the internet. The software acquired sixteen channels of raw physiological signals and provided twenty parameters, which included heart rate, blood pressure, temperature and respiratory rate, describing the physiological condition of the patient. Reliable algorithms were implemented for the processing of raw physiological signals to provide accurate values of useful physiological parameters. The remote communication between the physician end and the patient end was achieved using the Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol (TCP/IP). The data acquisition, signal processing and display of the processed output at patient's site were controlled by the physician at the remote site. The design of software was such that, it was interchangeably used for patient monitoring as well as training of subjects to control their physiological responses to various environmental stressors. The software was designed and implemented in the Microsoft Visual Basic 6.0® Integrated Development Environment.

Committee: Bruce Taylor (Advisor) Subjects:

Master of Science, The Ohio State University, 2005, Graduate School

Committee: Not Provided (Other) Subjects:

Master of Science, The Ohio State University, 2024, Anatomy

A traumatic brain injury (TBI) is caused by a forceful blow to the head or body and can lead to temporary or permanent brain damage, or even death. There are many complications that may arise from sustaining a TBI. Depending on the severity of the injury, TBI patients may experience a level of immune suppression, and this may result in an increased risk for developing nosocomial infections. Because the brain plays a role in the regulation of the autonomic nervous system (ANS), a TBI may also cause ANS dysfunction downstream and an upregulation of the sympathetic nervous system. The body's inability to maintain physiological balance after injury may create worse outcomes for patients long term. Currently, there are a limited number of studies that show reliable methods for predicting future outcomes for patients with TBIs. In recent years, heart rate variability (HRV) has been shown to be a non-invasive indicator of predicting patient outcomes after sustaining such injuries in the adult population. Heart rate variability is the variability in the time elapsed between each heartbeat and measures the body's ability to return to a baseline heart rate after experiencing a stressful event. This study sought to analyze the relationship between heart rate variability and the level of immunosuppression in pediatric TBI patients to see if there is a negative correlation between the two measures. Immune suppression was determined by a lipopolysaccharide (LPS) stimulated TNF – α production value of <520 pg/mL. HRV data was analyzed using a frequency and time domain analysis and the two measures were correlated. This study found a significant positive correlation between time domain measures and the LPS induced TNF – α response. Power in the low frequency band of heart rate (0.04-0.15 Hz) is used as a marker of sympathetic and parasympathetic activity. Power in the high frequency band of heart rate (0.15-0.40 Hz) is used as a marker of parasympathetic activity. Significant c (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: Eric Sribnick (Advisor); James Cray Jr. (Committee Member); Jessica Blackburn (Committee Member) Subjects: Anatomy and Physiology

DNP, Otterbein University, 2025, Nursing

Tachyarrhythmias are common postoperatively in the congenital cardiac surgery population. About 1% of the population is born with congenital heart disease (CHD), with 50% of patients undergoing surgery for CHD experiencing arrhythmias. Complications can arise from postoperative arrhythmias, including hemodynamic instability and myocardial depression, having catastrophic health repercussions. Despite the high prevalence and complications, there is no standard practice for postoperative tachyarrhythmia prevention in the chosen population, and prevention is at the provider's discretion. However, literature exploring the effects of dexmedetomidine notes promising results for using the drug for postoperative tachyarrhythmia prevention. The project aims to address the lack of evidence-based guidelines for tachyarrhythmia prevention in CHD cardiac surgery patients by implementing evidence-based practice guidelines for the intraoperative use of dexmedetomidine. The project utilizes quantitative data to evaluate and assess the effectiveness of the guideline in a level one pediatric trauma center. Following a review of literature, data collection, and data evaluation, the evidence-based guidelines for intraoperative use of dexmedetomidine are effective in reducing the incidence of postoperative tachyarrhythmias in congenital cardiac surgery patients, as well as a reduction in heart rate and invasive ventilation time. Utilizing the explored guidelines can lead to better patient outcomes, fewer complications, and a universal prevention protocol for anesthesia providers, providing consistently better results.

Committee: Regina Prusinski (Advisor); Brian Garrett (Committee Member); Joy Shoemaker (Committee Member) Subjects: Nursing

Doctor of Philosophy, The Ohio State University, 2023, Biomedical Engineering

Heart rate constantly fluctuates from beat-to-beat on a timescale ranging from seconds to hours under physiological conditions, termed heart rate variability (HRV). Clinical studies have shown that reduced HRV correlates with an increased risk for cardiac arrhythmias in various diseases, like chronic heart failure (CHF). HRV also influences the formation of pro-arrhythmic alternans, a beat-to-beat alternation in intracellular calcium (Ca) levels or the action potential duration (APD), which can form at different spatial scales. In this thesis, I investigate the impact of fluctuations in heart rate on alternans formation and arrhythmic propensity in various physiological and pathological conditions. I show that high HRV has anti-arrhythmic effects, such as mitigating the effects of subcellular Ca alternans formation. I also generate long-term, patient-specific simulations using patient RR sequences and a normal sinus rhythm and CHF model and demonstrate that both specific changes in heart rate and CHF-associated remodeling influence APD alternans formation. Finally, I examine the relationship between changes in RR sequence statistical properties and arrhythmia formation in Dravet Syndrome, a type of genetic epilepsy. My results suggest that the time course of response to epinephrine/caffeine treatment is a potential biomarker for arrhythmia-related Sudden Unexpected Death in Epilepsy in Dravet Syndrome.

Committee: Seth Weinberg (Advisor); Rengasayee Veeraraghavan (Committee Member); Thomas Hund (Committee Member) Subjects: Biomedical Engineering; Medicine; Physiology

Psy. D., Antioch University, 2023, Antioch Seattle: Clinical Psychology

Music's ability to influence emotional states and physical arousal has become an increasingly popular area of study. The wealth of literature around music and stress suggests a significant amount of interest in leveraging music to manage stress. However, as attention increases, the robustness of research becomes an increasing concern. This study investigates the current literature and proposes recommendations for the future studying of the psychological and physiological impacts of music as it relates to stress reduction. Existing literature was reviewed with a focus on the operationalization of key concepts of music and stress. The analysis showed considerable discrepancies in research design, operationalization of music, operationalization of the psychological aspects of stress, and operationalization of the physiological aspects of stress. The findings of this study have implications for future research design. This dissertation is available in open access at AURA (https://aura.antioch.edu) and OhioLINK ETD Center (https://etd.ohiolink.edu).

Committee: Michael Toohey (Committee Chair); Michael Sakuma (Committee Member); Brad Lichtenstein (Committee Member) Subjects: Clinical Psychology; Music; Psychobiology; Psychology

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 Arts (MA), Bowling Green State University, 2022, Psychology/Clinical

The current study sought to examine the relationship between coping strategies and cardiovascular reactivity to stress. Previous research has shown links between coping responses and cardiovascular measures with mixed results. This study utilized both active and passive stressors in order to elicit differing patterns of autonomic nervous system activation in response to stress. Participants completed a questionnaire regarding their predominant coping strategies based on a three-factor model of task-oriented, emotion-oriented and avoidance-oriented coping. Participants were then asked to engage in a cognitive math task and to view a video depicting a surgical procedure in counterbalanced order. Measures of blood pressure, heart rate, and high frequency-heart rate variability were taken throughout baseline, stressors, and recovery conditions. This study proposed that when the nature of the stressor and predominant coping strategies aligned, there would be less physiological response to the stressor. Specifically, that during the active math task those that reported higher use of task-oriented coping would show less cardiovascular reactivity. Those reporting higher use of emotion-oriented coping would show less cardiovascular reactivity when engaged in the passive video stressor. Results indicated that participants responded to the stressor and recovery conditions in the expected pattern but did not support either hypothesis. Coping, as defined by the three-factor model, was not related to cardiovascular reactivity to the laboratory stressors.

Committee: William O'Brien Ph.D. (Advisor); Dara Musher-Eizenman Ph.D. (Committee Member); Joshua Grubbs Ph.D. (Committee Member) Subjects: Psychology

Doctor of Philosophy, The Ohio State University, 2022, Industrial and Systems Engineering

Low back pain (LBP) and neck pain (NP) arise from complex interactions among physical, psychological, and social stressors. One psychological stressor that may play a role in the etiology of low back and neck pain but has not yet been studied relative to spinal injury is cognitive dissonance. Originally introduced by Leon Festinger in 1957, Cognitive Dissonance Theory (CDT) posits that humans strive for psychological consistency and experience both psychological discomfort and physiological arousal when their beliefs, values, or behaviors are placed at odds with the world around them. These psychological and physiological effects, known as the cognitive dissonance state (CDS), may also yield biomechanical changes that increase the risk of experiencing spinal injury. Thus, the objective of the study was to explore the potential association between cognitive dissonance and low back/neck pain injury risk. A laboratory study was conducted to examine the effects of the CDS on psychological, physiological, and biomechanical factors associated with LBP and NP injury risk. Seventeen healthy subjects (ages 19-44) participated in the experiment, which involved a precision lowering task. To elicit the CDS, subjects were provided negative feedback on their task performance that ran counter to a pre-established expectation that their performance on the task was excellent. Dependent measures included changes to positively and negatively oriented psychological affect, changes to blood pressure, changes to heart rate variability (HRV), and changes to spinal loads in the cervical and lumbar spines (calculated via two electromyography-assisted biomechanical models). Providing subjects with negative feedback inconsistent with their expectations yielded changes to positively and negatively oriented affect and blood pressure consistent with the CDS, but main effects of the CDS condition on HRV were opposite of expected. However, there was substantial variability in the psychologic (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: William S. Marras (Advisor); Afton L. Hassett (Committee Member); Tristan E. Weaver (Committee Member); Carolyn M. Sommerich (Committee Member) Subjects: Biomechanics; Industrial Engineering; Social Psychology

Doctor of Philosophy, Case Western Reserve University, 2022, Biomedical Engineering

Objective The vagus nerve is a significant part of the autonomic nervous system, providing sensory and control innervation to nearly every organ in the body, and containing a large number of afferent fibers from the gastrointestinal system. As a result, the vagus nerve is a major therapeutic target via vagus nerve stimulation (VNS) for a variety of chronic diseases; however, the mechanisms of VNS are not well understood. Previous vagus nerve recording studies have been limited to non-survival experiments under anesthesia, partly due to limitations in existing recording technologies for recording high-SNR signals. Here, a novel recording interface, made of carbon nanotube yarns (CNTYs), is developed with the goal of recording signals from the vagus nerve in non-anesthetized animals. Methods The manufacture of CNTY electrodes are described, along with three different methods for electrode implantation. CNTY electrodes were implanted in the left cervical vagus nerve in rats, and vagal ENG was recorded for up to 16 weeks in both anesthetized and freely-moving animals. Results CNTY electrodes were shown to have stable impedance and SNR up to 10 weeks after implantation, with no evidence of nerve damage or inflammation. Chronically implanted CNTY electrodes were used to obtain the first direct recordings of vagal tone, showing that heart rate variability (HRV), commonly used as an indirect measure of vagal activity, was not correlated with actual vagal tone in healthy rats. Additionally, spontaneous spiking activity in the vagus was found to correlate strongly with food intake, with various changes in spiking behavior observed before, during, and after eating. Neural firing rates were also sufficient to classify animal behaviors (eating, drinking, grooming, and resting). Significance These results demonstrate that CNTY electrodes are an effective chronic interface for small autonomic nerves, providing high SNR, signal stability, and minimal damag (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: Dominique Durand (Advisor); A. Bolu Ajiboye (Committee Member); Stephen Lewis (Committee Member); Ken Gustafson (Committee Chair) Subjects: Biomedical Engineering; Neurosciences

Doctor of Philosophy, The Ohio State University, 2021, Psychology

Making choices that range from simple to complex and from important to inconsequential is something humans experience on a regular basis. This process is largely controlled by executive brain regions related to judgment and decision-making. Interestingly, such executive brain regions are associated with resting heart rate variability (HRV) defined as the temporal variation between heart beats and reflects cardiac vagal tone. If the areas of the brain responsible for decision making and HRV overlap, then resting HRV should predict better choice behaviors and performance. Adaptive choice visual search (ACVS) is a paradigm developed to capture the attentional control strategies observers deploy when making choices in dynamically shifting environments (Irons & Leber, 2018). In this dissertation, the primary aim was to explore the association between resting vagally mediated HRV and performance on the ACVS task. In addition, I sought to investigate if two psychological variables, i.) adaptive choice strategies and ii.) maximization, were independently associated with ACVS performance and how these variables moderated an HRV-ACVS association. Choice satisficing refers to the evaluation of selections in a choice situation that simply meet a threshold of acceptability (Schwartz, et al., 2002). I predicted that those with higher HRV would have faster reaction times (RT), utilize more optimal search strategies, and demonstrate qualities of maximizers - where individuals seek out the best available choice from all of the options available to them - based on their scores on the Maximization Scale (Schwartz, et al., 2002). I also hypothesized that switching between attentional sets incurs a response time cost, and that there will be lower switching costs among those with higher HRV. In my study, vagally mediated HRV was collected continuously throughout the experiment. Participants (N = 62; n = 34 males, n = 17 ethnic minorities, mean age = 20.84 years (SD = 2.86)) first complet (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: Julian Thayer PhD (Advisor); Michael Vasey PhD (Committee Chair); Andrew Leber PhD (Committee Member); Kevin Passino PhD (Committee Member) Subjects: Cognitive Psychology; Physiological Psychology; Psychology

Doctor of Philosophy, The Ohio State University, 2020, Public Health

Background: Wildland firefighters are repeatedly exposed to elevated levels of wildland fire smoke during wildfire suppression and prescribed burns. Information of wildland fire smoke exposure of wildland firefighters is only available for the western and southeastern United States, and no assessment of this occupational exposure has been reported for the midwestern region. Since different geographic areas have unique vegetative fuels, soil characteristics, and fire conditions, wildland firefighters working in the midwestern states might be exposed to different levels of wildland fire smoke with different particle compositions. As past studies of more disease-relevant outcomes have been mostly limited to pulmonary and respiratory responses, acute cardiovascular effects and systemic oxidation due to occupational wildland fire smoke exposure were investigated among wildland firefighters. Objectives: The specific aims of this study are to 1) characterize occupational exposure of wildland firefighters to air pollutants, including particulate matter with aerodynamic diameter equal to or less than 2.5 microns (PM2.5), carbon monoxide (CO), black carbon (BC), and trace metals in wildland fire smoke emissions from prescribed burns in the midwestern United States; 2) assess the effect of wildland fire smoke exposure on acute cardiovascular responses by investigating cross-shift changes in hemodynamic parameters, blood pressure (BP) and heart rate (HR), among wildland firefighters on prescribed burn days and compare those to the corresponding changes on regular work days; 3) determine the effect of wildland fire smoke exposure on systemic oxidation by studying cross-shift changes in oxidative biomarkers, 8-isoprostane, malondialdehyde (MDA), and oxidized guanine species (Ox-GS) in spot urine samples collected from wildland firefighters on prescribed burn days and their associations with urinary mutagenic potency; and 4) investigate task-related difference (holding, lighting (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: Olorunfemi Adetona (Advisor); Darryl Hood (Committee Member); Qinghua Sun (Committee Member); Chi (Chuck) Song (Committee Member) Subjects: Environmental Health; Occupational Health; Public Health

Master of Science, The Ohio State University, 2020, Electrical and Computer Engineering

Wearable devices make a significant contribution in health monitoring systems by continuously collecting important health parameters with the intention of prevention, early detection and control of diseases. Photoplethysmography (PPG) appears as a feasible, affordable and non-invasive technique for long term health monitoring and is commonly used in various wearable systems and medical devices. However, PPG signal is highly prone to different noise sources such as motion and ambient light which affect the reliability of the estimated results of health metrics. Therefore, a measure of quality, signal quality index (SQI), is needed for identifying poor signals distorted by artifacts before making any interpretations. In this study, three SQI estimation methods are presented in order to assess PPG signals collected from MotionSense HRV. First method, adaptive template matching, generates individual-specific templates and calculates correlation for signal quality. Second method, subspace matching, focuses on the linear combination of high quality PPG signals, while autoencoder as a third method provides the nonlinear correspondences between them. The performances of proposed approaches are evaluated based on heart rate measurements obtained from both PPG and ECG signals with the hypothesis that the error in the heart rate estimation reduces as the poor data is discarded. In addition, as an application of SQI, the analysis of sensor design in terms of channels and light color is performed. All three methods validate the hypothesis by showing that the error monotonically decreases during data rejection. The results also indicate that the choice of light and the combination of channels affect measured data quality. Combining channels significantly reduces the error with less data losses rather than using individual channels. Additionally, green color is more effective than infrared color in assessing signal quality.

Committee: Emre Ertin (Advisor); Lee Potter (Committee Member) Subjects: Electrical Engineering

Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.), Bowling Green State University, 2020, Psychology/Clinical

The prevalence of overweight and obesity has continued to rise among adults. While biological factors contribute to overweight (Frayling et al., 2007), body weight regulation is influenced by behavior (Fuglestad, Jeffery, & Sherwood, 2012). Behavioral weight loss interventions often demonstrate only modest reductions in weight, possibly because the psychological factors that modulate obesity-related behaviors are rarely targeted in treatment. Thus, psychological flexibility may be of particular importance, given it describes the ability to perform goal-consistent behavior in the presence of contrary urges or environmental demands. To characterize the dynamic factors involved in psychological flexibility (Kashdan & Rottenberg, 2010), the present study examined between-group (overweight/obese: n=33, normal weight: n=47) differences in executive function, cognitive traits of awareness and acceptance, and heart rate variability (HRV). Individuals with overweight/obesity demonstrated poorer attention-shifting (Wisconsin Card Sorting Task, p = .009) and lower attention and awareness (Mindful Attention Awareness Scale, p = .01 and Difficulties in Emotion Regulation subscale emotional clarity, p = .006). Participants with overweight/obesity also demonstrated greater vagally-mediated HRV compared to normal weight with marginal significance (p = .07) and a medium effect size (partial eta squared = .042) across all HRV conditions (rest, stress, and recovery). No other significant differences were found regarding executive function (i.e., inhibition and working memory), cognitive features of acceptance and awareness (i.e. subscales of the Difficulties in Emotion Regulation scale), or HRV reactivity and recovery. Findings suggest some factors essential to psychological flexibility may be altered in individuals with overweight/obesity compared to normal-weight.

Committee: Abby Braden Ph.D. (Advisor); Amilcar Challu Ph.D. (Other); Dara Musher-Eizenman Ph.D. (Committee Member); William O'Brien Ph.D. (Committee Member) Subjects: Psychology

Bachelor of Science, Walsh University, 2020, Honors

Stroke remains one of the leading causes of death and the leading cause of disability in the United States. After the onset of stroke, patients experience various complications such as spasticity, hemiplegia, hemiparesis, aphasia, and other motor and cognitive disabilities. A large percentage of patients with stroke experience a persistent decline in cardiovascular fitness, including decreased VO2 max, and continue to experience risk factors for stroke. Recent studies suggest physical therapists should implement high intensity aerobic exercise into sessions with patients with stroke to elicit favorable increases in VO2 max, motor abilities, and to decrease risks factors for future stroke. This project consists of a retrospective case series through an inpatient rehabilitation hospital analyzing the aerobic exercise implemented in the therapy sessions of patients with stroke. The overarching question for this thesis is whether physical therapists are properly implementing and documenting aerobic exercise for stroke patients. The heart rates recorded at rest and after aerobic exercise, treating therapist, the patient's FIM score, and the different therapeutic interventions were recorded from each physical therapy visit. After collecting and analyzing the data, results suggest that physical therapists at this specific hospital are not documenting resting heart rates or heart rates after aerobic exercise. There was no significant difference in the average times for different types of therapeutic interventions between the groups of subjects. Additional research is needed at other inpatient hospitals to understand how physical therapists are incorporating aerobic exercise, and if guidelines are being met. This research is important because physical therapists use evidence-based practice to increase patient outcomes. Frequency of stroke is predicted to increase in the future, implying a need to incorporate effective evidence-based practices.

Committee: Robert Phillips P.T., D.P.T., Ph.D., N.C.S (Advisor) Subjects: Physical Therapy