Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

Association Between White Matter Hyperintensities, Cortical Thinning, And Clinical Outcomes In Mild Traumatic Brain Injury, Thomas Helmut Knoblauch

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) is a global health challenge, with over 4.6 million confirmed cases annually in North America alone. Mild traumatic brain injuries (mTBIs) are the most common and make up approximately 81% of all TBI diagnoses worldwide [1]. Studies indicate that 10–15% of patients suffer from trauma induced symptoms (i.e. headache, loss of balance, cognitive impairments, fatigue, and mental health/affective disorders) as far as 1 year post injury [2]. Prediction and management of these post-traumatic sequalae is complicated by a lack of symptom associated neuroimaging findings. In spite of a “prominent distribution” of frontotemporal WMHs in pediatric subjects …

The Influence Of Cerebellar Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation On Motor Function In Parkinson’S Disease, Lidio Lima De Albuquerque

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Parkinson's disease (PD) is the most common movement disorder and the second most common neurodegenerative disorder. PD is characterized by dopaminergic cell loss in the substantia nigra pars compacta, which leads to a reduction in dopamine in the striatum. These physiological mechanisms lead to a number of motor impairments such as bradykinesia, rigidity, tremor, and postural instability that severely limit the ability of individuals with PD to perform many essential daily living activities. Although current pharmacological, surgical, and physical exercise treatment approaches are valuable they are either only mildly effective, expensive, or associated with a variety of side effects. Therefore, …

Oral Localization Of Scardovia Wiggsiae, Graydon Ramos Carr

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Early childhood caries is one of the most prevalent diseases in the United States among children. The formation of caries is a complex, multifactorial process that is still being studied. Researchers have thought for years that Streptococcus mutans was the primary causative agent of early childhood caries. The recent discovery of a novel cariogenic pathogen, Scardovia wiggsiae and its significant contribution to the etiology of early childhood caries has led oral health researchers to re-evaluate this microorganism and its link to this disease. While there have been several projects undertaken within the University of Nevada, Las Vegas School of Dental …

Utilizing Breathing Techniques To Maximize Training Performance, Peyton Cater

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Anaerobic exercise causes metabolic acidosis to occur in the muscle, which is unfavorable for sustaining high intensity activity, as fatigue starts to set in. In order to compensate for the onset of fatigue produced by an acidic environment, respiratory alkalosis, induced by hyperventilation, can be performed to mitigate these effects. In contrast, research has shown that slowing down the breath rate, such as a two second inhale and three second exhale, has led to an increase in performance outcomes. Purpose: To investigate power output and the physiological responses after implementation of different breathing techniques during the recovery periods of intermittent …

The Relationship Between Tree Canopy And Social Capital On Physical Activity In Unlv Students, Melissa Bartshe

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Despite the numerous health benefits, rates of physical activity are low, especially among the college student population. Neighborhood tree canopy is one aspect of the built environment that has been shown to positively impact physical activity. Social capital has also been correlated with higher rates of physical activity. The sprawling urban design and arid desert climate of Las Vegas pose unique challenges to both tree canopy and social capital. Additionally, the relationship between tree canopy, social capital, and physical activity is understudied in the college student population. The purpose of this study was to assess the relationship of tree canopy …

Rapid Evolution Of Starvation Resistance In Drosophila: Physiological And Molecular Mechanisms, Austin Joseph Mckenna

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

The Gibbs lab has maintained starvation-selected Drosophila melanogaster for >130 generations. These starvation-selected flies evolved an obese phenotype with a suite of physiological differences compared to control-fed flies. Previous studies have shown that long-term starvation-selected Drosophila contain more lipids, have lower metabolic rates and develop more slowly than controls. This dissertation encompasses 1) Examining the molecular mechanisms contributing to starvation resistance, 2) Functional validation of the candidate plin1 allele, and 3) Rapid physiological and genomic evolution in starvation-selected Drosophila.

Starvation-selected Drosophila survive starvation conditions much longer than control-fed flies. This study took a simple approach to identify possible differences in …