Digital Commons Network^™

Restoring Wholeness To Psychiatry: Models Of Understanding, Gregory Brown, Lisa Durette, Timothy Ebright, Katie Cho

Psychiatry & Behavioral Health Faculty Research

Psychiatric practice is at a critical juncture in its evolution. Its identified model for understanding the complexity of individuals and their conditions has been the biopsycho-social-spiritual model since it was first proposed nearly half a century ago. In practice, this construct is being challenged by a biomedical model which asserts all psychiatric conditions can be reduced to either neurotransmitter or gene-based causation. We explore how models are used in science to approximate larger reality, with a focus on Systems Theory, which is the philosophical foundation for the bio-psycho-social-spiritual model to describe why this model is necessarily more complete than the …

Utilizing Asynchronous Video Discussions, Amanda Pasinski

UNLV Best Teaching Practices Expo

Providing students with a way to communicate face-to-face with each other during online classes can be a struggle. Asynchronous text-based discussion posts and synchronous video discussions have unique limitations. Asynchronous video discussions may integrate the benefits of both, while addressing their limitations. Instructors can utilize the free third-party app FlipGrid to create simple, low-stakes video discussion assignments. Flipgrid integrates with Canvas and works with mobile and desktop devices; students can use the mobile app or their computer’s microphone and camera to create and customize videos.

Focused And Autonomous Writing Through Objects, Yvonne Houy

UNLV Best Teaching Practices Expo

Objects—carefully curated—help focus discussions and knowledge explorations, and become the basis of student-centered scholarly writing when Object-based learning (OBL) is combined with structured research writing assignments using the Cornell Notes questions in a Google form.

Educators cannot eliminate distractions but can encourage focus and attention (Lang, Distracted, 2020, 1-24). I propose using curated objects to focus student attention: Such object-based learning (OBL) allows students to engage holistically with otherwise abstract facts, figures and frameworks (Chatterjee and Hannan, 2016). Combining OBL with structured active note taking, such as through the Cornell note taking method, “can lead to efficient study practices, better …

Accreditation Woes: Thinking Outside The Box For Program And Course Assessment Design – Competency And Outcome Rubrics In Canvas, Nicole Espinoza

UNLV Best Teaching Practices Expo

Using competency-based rubrics and proper assessment design in course, program, and/or university levels allows for an instructor and administration to see the level of knowledge attainment for student, course, or full program. This poster will showcase how a degree program approached assessments with a new lens - using Canvas rubrics and outcomes. It will showcase the piloted program data for the MHA program. Even though this data is specific to a graduate degree program, this assessment design can be used by all individuals, courses, and programs!

In Situ Recording Of Mars Soundscape, S. Maurice, B. Chide, N. Murdoch, R. D. Lorenz, D. Mimoun, R. C. Wiens, Arya Udry, The Supercam Team

Geoscience Faculty Research

Before the Perseverance rover landing, the acoustic environment of Mars was unknown. Models predicted that: (1) atmospheric turbulence changes at centimetre scales or smaller at the point where molecular viscosity converts kinetic energy into heat1, (2) the speed of sound varies at the surface with frequency2,3 and (3) high-frequency waves are strongly attenuated with distance in CO2 (refs. 2,3,4). However, theoretical models were uncertain because of a lack of experimental data at low pressure and the difficulty to characterize turbulence or attenuation in a closed environment. Here, using Perseverance microphone recordings, we present the first characterization of the acoustic environment …

Microbial Contamination On Ambulance Surfaces: A Systematic Literature Review, Adam Obenza, Patricia Cruz, Mark Buttner, D. Woodard

Environmental & Global Health Faculty Research

Healthcare-associated infections (HAIs) are infections that patients acquire while receiving medical treatment in a healthcare facility. During ambulatory transport, the patient may be exposed to pathogens transmitted from emergency medical service (EMS) personnel or EMS surfaces. The aim of this study was to determine whether organisms commonly associated with HAIs have been detected on surfaces in the patient-care compartment of ambulances. Five electronic databases – PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, Embase and Google Scholar were used to search for articles using inclusion and exclusion criteria following the PRISMA checklist. Inclusion criteria consisted of articles published in English, between 2009 and …

Temporal Scattering, Depolarization, And Persistent Radio Emission From Magnetized Inhomogeneous Environments Near Repeating Fast Radio Burst Sources, Yuan-Pei Yang, Wenbin Lu, Yi Feng, Bing Zhang, Di Li

Physics & Astronomy Faculty Research

Some repeating fast radio burst (FRB) sources exhibit complex polarization behaviors, including frequencydependent depolarization, variation of rotation measure (RM), and oscillating spectral structures of polarized components. Very recently, Feng et al. reported that active repeaters exhibit conspicuous frequency-dependent depolarization and a strong correlation between RM scatter (σRM) and the temporal scattering time (τs), s s 1.0 0.2, both of which can be well described by multipath propagation through a magnetized inhomogeneous plasma screen. This observation strongly suggests that the temporal scattering and RM scatter originate from the same region. Besides, a particular finding of note in Feng et al. is …

Exploratory Analysis Of The Associations Between Neonicotinoids And Measures Of Adiposity Among Us Adults: Nhanes 2015–2016, Amruta M. Godbole, Sheniz Moonie, Courtney Coughenour, Cai Zhang, Aimin Chen, Ann M. Vuong

Environmental & Global Health Faculty Research

Background: Toxicology studies suggest that neonicotinoids may be associated with adiposity development via thyroid hormone disruption and increased oxidative stress. Prior epidemiological studies report mixed results for the association between neonicotinoids and adiposity measures.

Objective: To examine the association between detectable concentrations of parent neonicotinoids (imidacloprid, acetamiprid, clothianidin) and neonicotinoid metabolites (5-hydroxy-imidacloprid, N-desmethyl-acetamiprid) with adiposity measures among US adults, and whether sex modifies the associations for neonicotinoid metabolites with adiposity.

Methods: National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) 2015–2016 data was utilized to estimate covariate-adjusted associations between detectable neonicotinoids and fat mass index (FMI), lean mass index (LMI), waist …

Socio-Demographic, Maternal, And Infant Characteristics Associated With Early Childhood Development Delays Among Children Of Young Mothers In Brasília, Brazil, Lily Kofke, Rafael Pérez-Escamilla, Muriel Bauermann Gubert, Gabriela Buccini

Social and Behavioral Health Faculty Research

Background Holistic attention to adolescent health is needed to sustain the benefits of investment in early childhood development. Any such interventions must make sure to address the needs of adolescent and young adult parents. This study explored the social and demographic maternal variables associated with risk of early childhood development (ECD) delay for children of young mothers in Brazil. Methods Cross-sectional secondary data analysis was done using data from young mothers (aged 13–24) and their children (aged 0–2), collected from community health centers in Brasília, Brazil, between 2017–2018. The Denver Developmental Screening Test II was used to assess risk of …

Profit Or Purpose: What Increases Medical Doctors’ Job Satisfaction?, Young Kyun Chang, Won-Yong Oh, Sanghee Han

Management, Entrepreneurship and Technology Faculty Research

This study integrates two competing views to examine whether medical doctors are satisfied with their jobs when they perceive their hospitals as being oriented toward profit (i.e., rational choice theory) or purpose (i.e., public service motivation). Using a sample of 127 doctors from 70 hospitals, this study tests these competing views. The results show that doctors who perceive their hospitals as purpose-driven are likely to experience job satisfaction, and this pattern still holds even if they also perceive their hospitals to be emphasizing profits. However, only the purpose-driven orientation results in job satisfaction via a sense of meaningfulness. Thus, this …

Biomechanical Evaluation Over Level Ground Walking Of User-Specific Prosthetic Feet Designed Using The Lower Leg Trajectory Error Framework, Victor Prost, W. Brett Johnson, Jenny A. Kent, Matthew J. Major, Amos G. Winter V.

Physical Therapy Faculty Research

The walking pattern and comfort of a person with lower limb amputation are determined by the prosthetic foot’s diverse set of mechanical characteristics. However, most design methodologies are iterative and focus on individual parameters, preventing a holistic design of prosthetic feet for a user’s body size and walking preferences. Here we refined and evaluated the lower leg trajectory error (LLTE) framework, a novel quantitative and predictive design methodology that optimizes the mechanical function of a user’s prosthesis to encourage gait dynamics that match their body size and desired walking pattern. Five people with unilateral below-knee amputation walked over-ground at self-selected …

Impact Of Tissue Processing On Microbiological Colonization In The Context Of Placentophagy, Sophia K. Johnson, Jana Pastuschek, Denial C. Benyshek, Yvonne Heimann, Anne Möller, Jürgen Rödel, Jacob White, Janine Zöllkau, Tanja Groten

Anthropology Faculty Research

A mother’s postpartum ingestion of raw or processed placental tissue—referred to as human maternal placentophagy—is an emerging health trend observed in industrialized nations. Placenta is commonly consumed as small pieces of raw tissue, or as raw or steamed dehydrated pulverized and encapsulated tissue. To investigate the potential neonatal health risks of this behavior, the present study focused on microbial colonization of processed placenta preparations with potentially pathogenic bacteria Streptococcus agalactiae (Group-B-Streptococci; GBS) and Escherichia coli (E. coli). In the clinical approach placentas from 24 mothers were analyzed. Two placentas, from 13 mothers with confirmed positive maternal GBS status, showed GBS-growth …

Race-Ethnic Population Changes In Mountain West Metros, 2010-2020, Joshua Padilla, Olivia K. Cheche, Caitlin J. Saladino, William E. Brown Jr.

Demography

The 2020 census shows continuing nationwide trends in population growth when compared to the last decade. The growth of various race-ethnic groups across the country contribute to the diversification of the population in selected regions. Using the U.S. Census Bureau 2020 data prepared by William H. Frey of the Brookings Institution, this fact sheet focuses on the population changes in nine Mountain West metros.

Ukraine-Russia War: Nevada Twitter And Disinformation Trends, Mary Blankenship, Caitlin J. Saladino, William E. Brown Jr.

Elections & Governance

This fact sheet analyzes responses to the ongoing Ukraine-Russia War posted on Twitter by users located in Nevada and identifies the most circulated narratives and disinformation topics.

3-Multi Ranked Encryption With Enhanced Security In Cloud Computing, Yeeun Kim, Junggab Son, Reza M. Parizi, Gautam Srivastava, Heekuck Oh

Computer Science Faculty Research

Searchable Encryption (SE) enables data owners to search remotely stored ciphertexts selectively. A practical model that is closest to real life should be able to handle search queries with multiple keywords and multiple data owners/users, and even return the top-k most relevant search results when requested. We refer to a model that satisfies all of the conditions a 3-multi ranked search model. However, SE schemes that have been proposed to date use fully trusted trapdoor generation centers, and several methods assume a secure connection between the data users and a trapdoor generation center. That is, they assume the trapdoor generation …

Introspective Meditation Before Seeking Pleasurable Activities As A Stress Reduction Tool Among College Students: A Multi-Theory Model-Based Pilot Study, Manoj Sharma, Amar Kanekar, Kavita Batra, Traci Hayes, Ram Lakhan

Social and Behavioral Health Faculty Research

In the realm of behavioral interventions, a combined approach of yoga and a cognitive-behavioral strategy in the form of introspective meditation (manan-dhyana) may offer benefits as a stress management tool. This pilot study focuses on introspective meditation performed before seeking pleasurable activities, which is a self-reflection about whether to pursue a goal that will bring sensory pleasure in life. A non-probability sample of college students was recruited from a mid-sized Southern University of the United States using a 52-items web-based survey built in Qualtrics. Univariate, bivariate, and multivariate statistics were used to analyze data. Of total 65 students, only 21.5% …

Investigating The Future Potential Of An Upgraded Alma To Image Planet-Forming Disks At Sub-Astronomical-Unit Scales, Benjamin P. Burrill, Luca Ricci, Sarah K. Harter, Shangjia Zhang, Zhaohuan Zhu

Physics & Astronomy Faculty Research

In recent years, ALMA has been able to observe large-scale substructures within protoplanetary disks. Comparison with the predictions from models of planet–disk interactions has indicated that most of these disk substructures can be explained by the presence of planets with the mass of Neptune or larger at orbital radii of ≈5–100 au. Better resolution is needed to observe structures closer to the star, where terrestrial planets are expected to form, as well as structures opened by planets with masses lower than Neptune. We investigate the capabilities of a possible extension to ALMA that would double the longest baseline lengths in …

Depression And Factors Impacting Quality Of Life Among Adults With Asthma Presence In Nevada, Elizabeth D. Kahane, Lung-Chang Chien, Brian Labus, Dharini M. Bhammar, Jocy-Anna Chevalier, Sheniz Moonie

Epidemiology & Biostatistics Faculty Research

Background: Asthma, a chronic, non-communicable disease has been shown to negatively affect mental health and quality of life among adults. Annually approximately 8% of adult Nevadans report current asthma symptoms and 12.6% report having a lifetime diagnosis. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the association between asthma and depression and explore quality of life factors affecting adult Nevadans with asthma. Methods: Using behavioral risk factor surveillance system (BRFSS) data, this study evaluated the association between self-reported asthma and depression in Nevada using weighted multiple logistic regression. BRFSS asthma call-back survey (ACBS) data were used to determine the frequency …

Focus On Top Tier 2.0: Socio-Economic Development, University Of Nevada, Las Vegas University Of Nevada, Las Vegas

Focus on Top Tier 2.0

Socio-economic development leverages our strengths at UNLV. Our efforts engage industry and align faculty and student initiatives. We not only support and further our research mission, but we are an incubator for ideas. Such innovation drives entrepreneurship and economic development.

Top Boomtowns In The Mountain West, Ally M. Beckwith, Caitlin J. Saladino, William E. Brown Jr.

Cities & Metros

This fact sheet highlights data on the top boomtowns in the Mountain West region in 2019 and 2021. The original SmartAsset report includes data on the rapid economic growth and prosperity in boomtown cities through new employment opportunities and residents.

Phenotypic Disruption Of Cuticular Hydrocarbon Production In Hybrids Between Sympatric Species Of Hawaiian Picture-Wing Drosophila, Thomas J. Fezza, Matthew S. Siderhurst, Eric B. Jang, Elizabeth A. Stacy, Donald K. Price

Life Sciences Faculty Research

Interspecies hybrids can express phenotypic traits far outside the range of parental species. The atypical traits of hybrids provide insight into differences in the factors that regulate the expression of these traits in the parental species. In some cases, the unusual phenotypic traits of hybrids can lead to phenotypic dysfunction with hybrids experiencing reduced survival or reproduction. Cuticular hydrocarbons (CHCs) in insects are important phenotypic traits that serve several functions, including desiccation resistance and pheromones for mating. We used gas chromatography mass spectrometry to investigate the differences in CHC production between two closely related sympatric Hawaiian picture-wing Drosophila species, Drosophila …

Dark Fluxes From Accreting Black Holes Through Several Mechanisms, Rong-Gen Cai, Sichun Sun, Bing Zhang, Yun-Long Zhang

Physics & Astronomy Faculty Research

We discuss the possibility that accreting black hole systems can be sources for dark matter flux through several different mechanisms. We firstly discuss two types of systems‘: coronal thermal plasmas around supermassive black holes in active galactic nuclei (AGNs), and accretion disks of stellar-mass X-ray black hole binaries (BHBs). We explore how these black hole systems may produce keV light dark matter fluxes and find that the dark fluxes from those sources might be too weak to account for the current XENON1T excess. On the other hand, black holes can be good accelerators to accrete and boost heavy dark matter …

The Rise Of Southern Nevada As A Cluster For Metropolitan Transit Technology Innovations, Arthur C. Nelson

Policy Briefs and Reports

Southern Nevada is emerging as the nation’s leader in private sector-driven innovations in transportation technologies. From the humble beginnings of a monorail system serving a portion of major hotel and gaming venues along the Las Vegas Strip, now supplemented by an array of people movers, Southern Nevada continues to attract transit innovations in tunneling, Hyperloop, and driverless vehicle delivery technologies. The region may soon anchor a high-speed rail system connecting Southern Nevada to Los Angeles. The purpose of this briefing paper is to frame the nature of this emerging transportation cluster and the opportunities this creates for Southern Nevada to …

Fear Of Falling Avoidance Behavior Assessment And Intervention In Parkinson’S Disease: A Scoping Review, John V. Rider, Jason K. Longhurst, Nirmala Lekhak, Daniel L. Young, Merrill R. Landers

Nursing Faculty Research

Falling and fear of falling (FOF) are significant concerns for people with Parkinson’s disease (PD). FOF can lead to activity avoidance behavior, a risk factor for increased falls and further functional decline. The significant implications of fear of falling avoidance behavior (FFAB) among PD warrant a literature review. The objective of this review was to explore existing literature on FFAB and identify what is known about this phenomenon in people with PD. This scoping review considered studies including adults 18 years and older diagnosed with PD experiencing FFAB. Using Joanna Briggs Institute methodology and the PRISMA extension for scoping reviews, …

Trends In Scientific Output On The Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, And Transgender (Lgbt) Community Research: A Bibliometric Analysis Of The Literature, David An, Kavita Batra

School of Medicine Faculty Research

Introduction: Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender (LGBT) represent a diverse group with special needs due to the unusual developmental experiences and social inequalities. This paper aims to explore and outline a future research direction in LGBT issues through tracing our historical understanding of this population from an aspect of scientific research. Methods: LGBT-related peer-reviewed documents were retrieved from the PubMed database and the study period was set from the inception to 2021. Python-based methods were then performed to analyze the publication metadata and extract the most prominent research topics based on the abstract contents. Key points covered in the study …

Teachers’ Exposure To Professional Development And The Quality Of Their Instructional Technology Use: The Mediating Role Of Teachers’ Value And Ability Beliefs, Margaret A. Bowman, Vanessa W. Vongkulluksn, Zilu Jiang, Kui Xie

Educational Psychology, Leadership, and Higher Education Faculty Research

© 2020 The Author(s). Published with license by Taylor & Francis Group, LLC. One way to help teachers use technology effectively is through professional development (PD). However, understanding of how exposure to PD relates to teachers’ personal characteristics is limited. The purpose of this research was to investigate the relationships among PD exposure, teachers’ abilities and values, and teachers’ quality of technology integration according to Bloom’s taxonomy. By surveying 724 middle and high school teachers, and using structural equation modeling, this study showed that values mediate the influence of PD exposure on technology integration. Results suggest that PD may be …

Knowledge Or Awareness Of Non-Communicable Diseases And Their Associated Risk Factors Among University Students In Fiji: A Cross-Sectional Study, Awadhesh Kumar Shirotriya, Kavita Batra

School of Medicine Faculty Research

Introduction: Chronic diseases (aka Non-communicable diseases, NCDs) contribute to the global burden of morbidity and mortality, with a significant share of premature deaths among low-and middle-income countries (LMICs), including Fiji. The early exposure to the risk factors of NCDs affects the entire life course; knowledge or awareness of adolescents towards NCDs and associated risk factors is critical for health promotion. This study aims to investigate the knowledge or awareness level of chronic conditions and their risk factors among Fijian students. Methods: In this cross-sectional study, a sample of 338 university students was recruited using the paper as well as web-based …

Nutrition Literacy Of Middle School Students And Its Influencing Factors: A Cross-Sectional Study In Chongqing, China, Mao Zeng, Yuzhao Zhu, Zhengjie Cai, Jinli Xian, Shengping Li, Tiankun Wang, Zumin Shi, Manoj Sharma, Yong Zhao

Social and Behavioral Health Faculty Research

Nutrition literacy plays an important role in children's dietary habits and nutrition. This study aimed to analyse the status of nutrition literacy and its influencing factors amongst middle school students in Chongqing, China. “Nutrition literacy scale for middle school students in Chongqing” was used in 29 districts of Chongqing in September 2020. The scores of nutrition literacy and its' three sub-domains (functional, interactive and critical nutrition literacy) were divided into low and high groups based on their median scores. Binary logistic regression was used to measure the influencing factors of nutrition literacy. A total of 18,660 middle school students were …

Circumbinary Disk Evolution In The Presence Of An Outer Companion Star, Rebecca G. Marin, Stephen Lepp, Stephen H. Lubow, Matthew A. Kenworthy, Grant M. Kennedy, David Vallet

Physics & Astronomy Faculty Research

We consider a hierarchical triple system consisting of an inner eccentric binary with an outer companion. A highly misaligned circumbinary disk around the inner binary is subject to two competing effects: (i) nodal precession about the inner binary eccentricity vector that leads to an increase in misalignment (polar alignment) and (ii) Kozai–Lidov (KL) oscillations of eccentricity and inclination driven by the outer companion that leads to a reduction in the misalignment. The outcome depends upon the ratio of the timescales of these effects. If the inner binary torque dominates, then the disk aligns to a polar orientation. If the outer …

Safest Cities In The Mountain West, Saha Salahi, Dielle T. Telada, Zachary Walusek, William E. Brown Jr., Caitlin J. Saladino

Cities & Metros

This fact sheet examines AdvisorSmith’s ranking list of the safest U.S. cities, drawing from the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s (FBI) Uniform Crime Reporting (UCR) dataset released in September 2021. Monthly crime data are presented for violent crimes (e.g. murder, rape, robbery, assault) and property crimes (e.g. burglary, larceny, motor vehicle theft). Data for the Mountain West states of Arizona, Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico, and Utah are included.