Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

Listening To The Ranks: Perceptions Of The U.S. Air Force Occupational Health And Safety Training, Melissa Jo Breunig

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Occupational health and safety hazards are abundant in military environments. Due to the hazardous occupational settings, injuries remain a public health concern in the United States military. Public health plays a critical role in injury reduction by addressing the need for comprehensive safety education training, and more specifically, exposure related injuries. A secondary data analysis was completed using Communication Theory as the overarching framework to analyze 13 qualitative interviews conducted with Airmen to gain their perceptions of the occupational health and safety training at Nellis and Creech Air Force Base (AFB). Pedagogy and training content were the two main themes …

Characteristics Of Unintentional Prescription Drug Poisoning Admissions Clark County, Nevada 2009-2013, Tamara Bruno

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Prescription drug abuse has been the fastest growing drug problem in the United States in recent years, and is the second most commonly abused category of illegal and illicit drugs, after marijuana (SAMHSA, 2013; Carnevale, 2011). Reducing the morbidity and mortality associated with prescription drug abuse in challenging because multiple factors contribute to the problem. Prescribing behaviors and the lack of education among providers and pharmacists along with inadequate counseling and

monitoring of patients prescribed pain medication are important factors (Machikanti, 2007; Okie, 2010). Patients' misuse or abuse, diversion or the sharing or sell of pills, and doctor shopping are …

Designing A Mechanical Linkage Capable Of Decreasing Force Transfer From The Facemask To The Protective Helmet When Loading Occurs, Levi Hansen

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Introduction

Sports that involve extensive personal contact have a high incidence of injury. The introduction of regulations mandating the use of personal protective equipment in these sports is the most common injury control strategy (Marshall et al., 2002). Negligible attention has been paid to the mechanical linkage between the facemask and helmet as a means of reducing force transfer from the facemask, through the helmet, and to the head and or neck of the athlete.

Methods

A novel prototype mechanical linkage of reasonable simplicity that provides 360° of freedom in motion capable of decreasing force transfer from the facemask to …

Socio-Economic And Cultural Determinants Of Health Care Services Utilization In Ghana, Vickita Akosua Antwiwaa Harvey

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

The study examines the relationship between socio-economic and cultural determinants of health care service utilization in Ghana using Ghana Demographic and Health Survey (GDHS) 2008 data collected by Ghana Statistical Service (GSS) in which a two-stage sample design was used. The first stage involved a systematic sampling, with probability proportional to size, of 412 clusters using the 2000 Ghana Population and Housing Census as the sampling frame. At the second stage, systematic samples of 30 households from each cluster were selected, making a total of 12,360 sampled households. According to the GSS, data were not collected in some of the …

Postural Sway And Brain Hemispheric Power Spectral Density Under Different Attentional Focus Conditions, Sharon Jalene

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

The purpose of this study was to determine the differences, if any, in the root mean square error (RMSE) of postural sway and hemispheric power spectral density (PSD) in the alpha and beta bands (8-12Hz and 12-25Hz) during different conditions of attentional focus (i.e., internal focus (IF), and external focus (EF) and a control condition (C)). Previous studies have shown that the adoption of IF and EF significantly alter motor performance and that EF promotes automaticity (Wulf, 2013). Sports performance and balance studies utilizing EEG spectral analyses report increased alpha oscillations during expert performance and stable balance and increased beta …

The Lived Experience Of Nursing Students During Their Psychiatric Nursing Education: Does It Influence View Of Psychiatric Nursing As A Career Choice?, Lisa Mcconlogue

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Using a van Manen phenomenological approach combined with a Colaizzi step-wise data analysis procedure, this study seeks to describe the lived experience of recent nursing school graduates during their psychiatric didactic and clinical education and how the experience influenced their view of psychiatric nursing as a specialty choice.

Inclusion criteria for participants were registered nurses (RN) who graduated from their entry level nursing program within the last three years; graduated from a United States RN program; and are currently working as an RN in an inpatient setting. Two groups of participants were selected; one group of nurses who chose psychiatric …

Factors Associated With Rapid Readmission Among Nevada State Pyschiatric Hospital Patients, Christopher Owen Moore

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Rapid readmission (RR) of psychiatric patients within 30 days of discharge places a costly burden on state psychiatric facilities and may be an indicator of suboptimal service provision. Several studies have previously considered RR to inpatient facilities, but there is a lack of information available about the variables associated with RR of psychiatric patients to state-operated inpatient facilities in Nevada. This study attempts to identify factors associated with RR at a southern Nevada state psychiatric hospital. Participants included 7,177 patients admitted between May 1, 2012 and April 30, 2014. All 12,068 admissions, including 2,220 RR, were reviewed, and rapid readmits …

Lung Cancer Survival Disparities In Nevada, Chima Osuoha

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer death in both men and women in the United States. Nevada shows moderate incidence rates of lung cancer for men but high rates for women. Little is known about the lung cancer experience and survival characteristics of the nearly 2000 new cases occurring every year in the State. The purpose of this study was to measure the extent to which geographic area of residency, gender, race, health insurance, social economic status (SES) and stage at diagnosis were associated with survival in patients diagnosed with lung cancer in Nevada. This was a retrospective …

Hemispheric Asymmetry In The Perception Of Musical Pitch Structure, Matthew Adam Rosenthal

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Both the left and right hemispheres contribute to the perception of pitch structure

in music. Music researchers have attempted to explain the observed asymmetries in the perception of musical pitch structure by characterizing the dominant processing style of each hemisphere. However, no existing characterizations have been able to account for all of the empirical findings. To better explain existing empirical findings, this dissertation characterizes the left hemisphere as dominant in temporal pitch processing (i.e. with respect to the sequential ordering of pitches) and the right hemisphere as dominant in non-temporal pitch processing (i.e. without respect to the sequential ordering of …

Physical Therapy Non-Treatment Of The Acute Hospital Inpatient, Daniel Lee Young

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

The detrimental effects of inactivity and mobility extend to the most ill and injured patients in the acute hospital setting. Facilitating the activity and exercise of these most critical patients often requires the skill and expertise of a physical therapist. When physical therapists are involved in the care of hospital inpatients they experience significant benefits; patients experience fewer secondary complications related to their primary illness or injury, they spend less time in critical care units and less time in the hospital overall, and when they leave they go to less restrictive environments and more comfortable care settings. These known benefits …

Induction Of Differentiation Of Dental Pulp-Derived Mesenchymal Stem Cells (Dpsc), Aubrey Young

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Mesenchymal stem cells are derived from a variety of human tissues and are being bioengineered and studied for possible uses in the advancement of medicine. Recent efforts are being focused on Dental Pulp Stem Cells (DPSC's) due to the accessibility of this tissue. Many factors influence DPSC quality and quantity, including the specific methods used to isolate, collect, concentrate, and store these isolates once they are removed. Ancillary factors, such as the choice of media, the selection of early versus late passage cells, and cryopreservation techniques may also influence the differentiation potential and proliferative capacity of DPSC isolates.

The objective …

Family Nurse Practitioner Mentoring Relationships' Impact On Organizational Commitment, Patricia Bartley-Daniele

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Family nurse practitioners (FNPs) are vital primary care providers who are responding to increased primary health care needs in the United States. Organizational commitment is reflective of workplace relationships that foster professional development, innovation, and outcome achievement. An organizationally committed FNP workforce is essential to achieving primary health care goals.

Mentorship has been proposed as a strategy to foster FNP organizational commitment. Mentoring has been characterized as a teaching-learning relationship. The mentor can serve as a guide to foster graduate FNP practitioner transition into primary care practice. Types of mentoring relationships occur in formal workplace settings or develop as informal …

An Assessment Of A 13-Week Teaching Gardens Intervention On Healthy Behavior Outcomes In 4th And 5th Grade Students At Crestwood Elementary School In Las Vegas, Nevada, Miranda Corgiat

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Nearly 13 million children and adolescents are considered to be obese in the United States, with children enrolled in Clark County School District showing elevated overweight and obese weight statuses compared to national averages. Carrying an excessive amount of weight can lead children to experience a multitude of complications with their physical and mental health as well as increase their risk of developing various chronic diseases. The American Heart Association's Las Vegas Teaching Gardens program implemented a school-based garden pilot study to target environmental causes of obesity in 4th and 5th grade students at Crestwood Elementary School. The objective of …

Social Network Analysis (Sna) Of Clark County, Nevada Tuberculosis (Tb) Case And Contact Investigation Data To Determine Pediatric Risk Factors For Disease Transmission, Darin Michael Cozatt

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Within the spectrum of childhood (infancy, early childhood, middle childhood, and adolescence), TB is a priority disease, and preventive care is recommended by the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP)/Bright Futures initiative (AAP, 2008). Within the early childhood stage (15 months to 4 years), TB is classified as "HR2" (high risk 2), behind lead poisoning, which is "HR1" (AAP, 2008), the highest risk within this age range. Within the middle childhood stage (5 to 10 years), TB becomes an HR1. TB is preventable, and targeted screening is the best prevention method. The AAP/Bright Futures initiative further specifies the risk based on …

Designing A Process To Reliably Split Extracted Teeth To Access The Dental Root Canal, Happy Singh Ghag

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Introduction

Mesenchymal stem cell (MSC) research is a contemporary topic in modern healthcare. These cells have the ability to divide and generate progeny, which then become committed to specific and distinctive end-stage phenotypes, such as cartilage or bone (Caplan 1991). MSCs have been isolated from a variety of tissues such as the umbilical cord, bone marrow, adipose tissue (Ding, Shyu & Lin 2011) and dental pulp (Takeda et al 2008). Although dental pulp is a viable source for MSCs, peer reviewed research has given limited attention to its retrieval process through intentional tooth splitting of extracted teeth. The purpose of …

Factor Structure Of The Cpt-Ii, Mary Vertinski

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

The current study investigates the factor structure of the Conners' Continuous Performance Test-II (CPT-II) in four pediatric samples of participants: (a) patients with traumatic brain injury, (b) healthy controls, (c) patients with various clinical diagnoses, and (d) all of the previously mentioned subjects combined. Confirmatory factor analyses (CFA) were used to investigate a one-, three- and four-factor model fit of the data. None of the models examined were an adequate fit for the data; however, it appears that the four-factor model seemed to be the best fitting of the models examined. Failure to find reasonably adequate fit precluded further analyses.

Application Of The Transtheoretical Model: Assessing Exercise Behavior In African Americans In A Church-Based Setting, Robin Marie White

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Sedentary behavior rates are higher among African-American men and women than in other American races and ethnicities, placing them at greater risk for chronic illness. Routine physical activity reduces the risk of chronic health problems such as: (a) overweight and obesity, (b) type 2 diabetes, (c) hypertension, (d) coronary artery disease, (e) stroke, (f) congestive heart failure, and (g) cancers. Assessment of African-Americans' exercise attitudes in a church-based setting may provide information with which to develop effective interventions to improve physical activity. This descriptive, cross-sectional study used components of the Transtheoretical Model (TTM) to assess whether any associations exist between …

The Interrelationships Among A Concussion-Related Biomarker, Head Hits, And Impact Test In Collegiate Football Players, Lucas Bianco

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Head injuries are prevalent in collegiate athletics with concussions being common among contact sports, such as football. Concussion assessment and diagnosis is complicated by the lack of objective and assessment techniques. The purpose of the study was to determine if there is a relationship between the level of a concussion-related biomarker, self-report (subjective) head hits, video-analyzed head hits, and ImPACT test scores in college football athletes before and after a football practice session.

After being recruited and consented to participate, 29 Division I college football athletes provided a blood sample via finger stick two days before a 2014 spring football …

New Beginnings: A Discussion Guide Adaptation For Living With Diabetes Among An Urban American Indian Community, Eudora Lynette Claw

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Diabetes is a chronic disease where the body has the inability to control the sugar levels in the blood to convert into to usable energy needed to fuel the body's cells. Some common diabetic complications include heart disease, stroke, amputations, and possibly blindness. It can be successfully managed with routine care of monitoring of sugar levels, eating a healthy diet, and daily exercise. The occurrence of type 2 diabetes is rising rapidly worldwide, but is a burden for AI/ANs (American Indian/Alaska Natives) at a substantially disproportionate rate. The purpose of this pilot study was to participate in a one-day curriculum …

An Evaluation Of Kinematic Variables During Stance Phase Of A Training Endurance Run, Joshua Paul Bailey

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

The purpose of the study was to evaluate kinematics of the lower extremity during the stance phase of an endurance training run. Fifteen participants (8 male, 7 female; 30.5 ± 8.4 years; 71.8 ± 11 kg; 1.73 ± 0.07 m) reported that they were currently signed up for, or planned on signing up for, an endurance race within the next six months of participation in the study (9 half marathon, 3 marathon, 1 triathlon, 2 21k trail run). All had a weekly running mileage greater than 20 miles (23.8 ±4.6 miles). Participants were required to complete the 15–kilometer training run …

The Percussionist Bodybuilder: Optimizing Performance Through Exercise And Nutrition, Anthony Joseph Merlino

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Do preventive therapies have the potential to help avoid common injuries among percussionists? This document investigates physiological therapy and nutrition in relation to percussion performance. My interest in this subject matter is derived from my personal experiences with injuries related to the performance of percussion. Although I have studied and played percussion professionally for more than a decade, I was unaware of certain methods of rehabilitation that were available to me prior to my injuries. As I learned about the rehabilitation process through first hand experience, I discovered that my injuries were very common among percussionists. This raised the question: …

The Effect Of Acute Lps-Induced Immune Activation And Brain Insulin Signaling Disruption In A Diabetic Model Of Alzheimer's Disease, Andrew Scott Murtishaw

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a neurodegenerative disorder marked by progressive cognitive impairments and pathological hallmarks that include amyloid plaques, neurofibrillary tangles, and neuronal loss. Several well-known mutations exist that lead to early-onset familial AD (fAD). However, these cases only account for a small percentage of total AD cases. The vast majority of AD cases are sporadic in origin (sAD) and are less clearly influenced by a single mutation but rather some combination of genetic and environmental risk.

The etiology of sAD remains unclear but numerous risk factors have been identified that increase the chance of developing AD. Among these risk …

The Wetsuit Effect: Physiological Response To Wearing A Wetsuit, Aaron Prado

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of wearing a wetsuit on resting cardiovascular parameters (mean arterial pressure (MAP), rate-pressure product (RPP), and heart rate variability (HRV)). Furthermore, the position (i.e., upright vs. prone) as well as the wetsuit size were explored as possible factors that influence the cardiovascular parameters. Twelve male participants (79.1±5.1 kg, 178.4±2.9 cm, 33.3±12.1 years) granted written consent and were assigned two wetsuits based on height, weight, and corresponding manufacturer recommendations. SWS signified the smallest possible wetsuit the subject could fit into according to recommendations, LWS signified the largest wetsuit the subject could …

Impaired Theory Of Mind In Psychotic And Affective Disorders, Erik Nelson Ringdahl

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Psychotic symptoms in bipolar I disorder during mood episodes has been associated with several negative outcomes raising the question as to whether psychosis is a risk factor for a more severe form of this chronic and debilitating condition. However, relatively little research has been directed at understanding the relationships among social cognitive functioning in bipolar I disorder with and without a history of psychosis. Impaired social cognition has been identified as a putative endophenotypic markers in schizophrenia and the evidence is mounting as to whether similar impairments also exist in bipolar I disorder. Given the plethora of research supporting the …

Methodological Quality And Study Report Characteristics Of Current Nursing Education Research, Staci Lynn Warnert

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

The state of the science of nursing education is determined by the extent of and characteristics of nursing education research. Based on previous research findings, the methodological quality of nursing education research could be much higher. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the methodological quality, funding, journal impact factor, international nature, and areas of inquiry of current nursing education research (Aim 1). The study also aimed to determine research characteristic differences between current nursing education research and research published four to six years ago (Aim 2).

For Aim 1, this study was a cross-sectional design study. Nursing education …

A Qualitative Study Of The Perceived Health Care Needs Of Undocumented Latino Day Laborers Living In Las Vegas, Nevada, Siboney Zelaya

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Undocumented (unauthorized, illegal) immigrants seek employment on the street corners near home improvement stores offering their services and selling their labor to the employers who arrive in their cars or trucks to pick them up for a few hours of hard work. The number of undocumented immigrants in the United States continues to increase. By percentage of overall population, Nevada has one of the largest shares of undocumented immigrants in the United States, and the bulk of that percentage is Latino.

The purpose of this phenomenological qualitative research study is to gain knowledge about undocumented Latino day laborers' perceived health …

Synthesis And Characterization Of Novel Platinum(Ii) And Platinum(Iv) Complexes Containing 4,4′--Disubstituted--2,2′--Bipyridine Ligands For The Treatment Of Cancer, Van Vo

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Three series of platinum(II) and platinum(IV) complexes containing 4,4′-disubstituted-2,2′-bipyridine ligands have been synthesized and characterized by 1H NMR, 13C NMR spectroscopy, elemental analysis, mass spectroscopy, and differential scanning calorimetry measurements. The MTS cell proliferation assay was used to examine the in vitro anti-proliferative activities of these complexes in various human breast, lung, and prostate cancer cells. The cell's response to the complexes varies between different cell lines; however, the low EC₅₀ values determined from the MTS data indicate that several of the complexes are much more potent than cisplatin.

Flow cytometric analysis of selected compounds revealed induction of apoptosis …

Evaluation Of The Effectiveness Of A Newly Implemented, Proactive Approach To Legionellosis Investigations Conducted By The Southern Nevada Health District, Devin Charlotte Raman

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

This project is an evaluation of a new, more proactive approach to legionellosis investigations conducted by the Southern Nevada Health District. The new protocol was conceived, written and adopted in April of 2012 with the goal of preventing outbreaks of Legionnaires' disease that can have a significant impact on public health and the resort industry of Las Vegas. The objectives of this project were to determine if the remediation methods were successful at eliminating the target organism from water systems and maintaining a negative status throughout the monitoring period, to conduct a cost/benefit analysis, and to compare this protocol with …

An Efficient Standardized Method Of Maintaining Quality Assurance In Therapeutic Treatment Record Keeping, Kelsey Michael Bradshaw

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Quality assurance (QA) within the field of mental health is the practice of monitoring and reviewing services to ensure adherence to specified standards of care. Agents within State governments and various organizations influence record keeping procedures through ethical guidelines and law. For instance, client records must be maintained for all clients receiving mental health services, including informed consent, releases of information, treatment plans, and progress notes. Accurate and timely record keeping procedures assure quality mental health services. However, professionals sometimes err in the maintenance of client records, which can have a negative impact on services, clients, and practitioners. To assist …

Stride Length-Speed Relationship During Body Weight Supported Running, Carmen Chona

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

The purpose of this study was to determine if body weight support influences the stride length-speed relationship. Additionally, the purpose was to determine if impact characteristics of running are influenced by body weight support and speed. Subjects (n=10; 6 female, 4 male) volunteered to participate in this study. All subjects were injury free and were comfortable running on a treadmill for 30 minutes. Subjects ran on a lower body positive (LBPP, Alter-G, G-Trainer) treadmill for 4 conditions of body weight (100, 40, 30 and 20% of body weight) and 4 running speeds (100, 110, 120 and 130% of the preferred …