Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

Mapping The Arrangement Of Neural Ensembles Involved In Distinct Stages Of Spatial Memory Processing In Hippocampal Regions, Mikayla Hutchinson, Juan Marcos Alarcón, Phd, Adriana Melchiades, Phd

Journal of Health Disparities Research and Practice

Memory traces are believed to be supported by neural ensembles sculpted by learning activity. Reactivation of these ensembles would elicit memory recall. Although the recruitment of neural ensembles appears to be essential to memory formation and storage, not much is known of the exact arrangement of such ensembles during memory processes.

The goal of this project is to identify ensembles of neurons associated with distinct stages of the processing of a spatial memory in the hippocampus of mice. We hypothesize that as memory progresses, from early to late (more consolidated) stages, the majority of neurons constituting the ensemble will migrate …

Development Of The Family Poverty Index (Fpi): A Novel Index To Measure Socioeconomic Status, Ozi Amuzie, Joseph Rigdon, Phd, Feifei Qin, Mph, Cynthia R. Rovnaghi, M.S., Kanwaljeet S. Anand, M.D.

Journal of Health Disparities Research and Practice

The CANDLE Study aims to uncover factors experienced during pregnancy and early life that affect cognition, behavior, and health of children. External stressors and socioeconomic status (SES) influence the fetus through “prenatal programming”. However, comprehensive measures of SES do not exist, except those based on income and education.

We selected 53 variables from the CANDLE study including annual household income, headcount, marital status, health insurance, parental occupation and education. Singular value decomposition imputation (SVDI), a principal components analysis approach unaffected by the 24.4% missing data in our variables, was applied to all 53 variables (Troyanskaya, 2001).

All variables were distilled …

Internal Regulation Of Triglyceride Levels In The Liver Through Autophagy-Induced Protein Manipulation, Luis Alvarez, Benny Hung-Junn Chang, Ph.D, Sarah Lee, Ms

Journal of Health Disparities Research and Practice

Overnutrition in modern society has created many pathological conditions that have personal and social consequences. Fatty liver is one of such conditions that used to be considered transient and benign but is now known to be the beginning stage of more severe liver diseases. Excess lipids due to overnutrition are usually manifested in the liver by the appearance of subcellular structures known as lipid droplets (LD). LD are composed of a monolayer of phospholipids wrapping around a neutral lipid core mostly comprised of triglyceride (TG). TG is classically known to be catabolized by lipolytic-enzymes, such as Triglyceride lipase (ATGL), Hormone-sensitive …

Need For Advancing Underrepresented Minorities In The Health Sciences And Medicine, Bonnie Halpern-Felsher, Phd, Sheila Mclaughlin, Mfa

Journal of Health Disparities Research and Practice

This manuscript introduces the abstracts from the Stanford Coordinating Center.

Niddk’S Short-Term Research Experience For Underrepresented Persons (Step-Up) Program, Rob Rivers, Phd, Kelley Brinkley, M.S., Lawrence Agodoa, M.D

Journal of Health Disparities Research and Practice

This abstract provides an overview to this issue.

Advances In Management Of Neuropsychiatric Syndromes In Neurodegenerative Diseases, Jeffrey Cummings, Aaron Ritter, Kasia Rothenberg

School of Medicine Faculty Research

Purpose of Review Neuropsychiatric syndromes (NPS) are common in neurodegenerative disorders (NDD). This review describes the role of NPS in the diagnosis of NDD, criteria for the diagnosis of NPS, management of NPS, and agents in clinical trials for NPS. Recent Findings NPS play an increasingly important role in the diagnosis of NDD. Consensus diagnostic criteria have evolved for psychosis, depression, agitation, and apathy in NDD. With one exception—pimavanserin is approved for the treatment of hallucinations and delusions in Parkinson’s disease—there are no drugs approved by the FDA for treatment of NPS in NDD. Trials show that atypical antipsychotics reduce …

Psychopathology And Hypersexuality Among Veterans With And Without Histories Of Alcohol‐Use Disorders, Jonathan Moisson, Marc N. Potenza, Steven D. Shirk, Rani A. Hoff, Crystal L. Park, Shane W. Kraus

Psychology Faculty Research

Background and Objectives: Little research has examined the clinical characteristics of U.S. post‐9/11 military veterans coping with alcohol problems. Specifically, we examined psychopathology and hypersexuality among male and female post‐9/11 veterans with and without a lifetime history of alcohol‐use disorders (AUDs). Methods: Using data from a baseline telephone interview and follow‐up web‐based survey, we examined frequencies of AUDs, mental health and addictive disorders, sexual behaviors, hypersexuality, and problematic use of pornography in a national convenience sample of 283 U.S. veterans. Results: Many (39.1%) veterans met lifetime criteria for AUDs. Bivariate associations revealed that veterans with lifetime AUDs met clinically significant …

Further Analyses Of The Safety Of Verubecestat In The Phase 3 Epoch Trial Of Mild-To-Moderate Alzheimer’S Disease, Michael F. Egan, Yuki Mukai, Tiffini Voss, James Kost, Julie Stone, Christine Furtek, Erin Mahoney, Jeffrey L. Cummings, Pierre N. Tariot, Paul S. Aisen, Bruno Vellas, Christopher Lines, David Michaelson

Integrated Health Sciences Faculty Research

Background: Verubecestat, a BACE1 inhibitor that reduces Aβ levels in the cerebrospinal fluid of humans, was not effective in a phase 3 trial (EPOCH) of mild-to-moderate AD and was associated with adverse events. To assist in the development of BACE1 inhibitors, we report detailed safety findings from EPOCH. Methods: EPOCH was a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled 78-week trial evaluating verubecestat 12 mg and 40 mg in participants with mild-to-moderate AD diagnosed clinically. The trial was terminated due to futility close to its scheduled completion. Of 1957 participants who were randomized and took treatment, 652 were assigned to verubecestat 12 mg, 652 …

Pcr Monitoring Of Parasitemia During Drug Treatment For Canine Chagas Disease, Chih-Ling Zao, Ya-Chin Yang, Lisa Tomanek, Anthony Cooke, Ron Berger, Lung-Chang Chien, Roy Madigan

Environmental & Global Health Faculty Research

To date, there is no clear standard to monitor drug treatment for canine Chagas disease. We used 2 real-time PCR (rtPCR) assays targeting Trypanosoma cruzi kinetoplast DNA (kDNA) and nuclear satellite DNA (nDNA) to detect T. cruzi in canine whole blood. Samples were collected randomly from 131 untreated dogs with unknown T. cruzi infection status in Texas. ... See full text for complete abstract.

Reduced Gabaergic Signaling At The Axon Initial Segment Decreases Vigilance State Transitioning, Austin John Boren

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Sleep is a highly regulated homeostatic process that is disrupted in an estimated 50-70 million Americans. Regulation of sleep depends upon coordinated signaling of multiple neurotransmitter systems. In particular, inhibitory gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) signaling is required to suppress wake-active brain regions in order to initiate and maintain sleep states. GABA type A receptors (GABAARs) are ionotropic receptors with subunit compositions uniquely enriched on subcellular domains of target cells. α2 subunit-containing GABAARs are the primary target of GABA released onto the axon initial segment (AIS), a site critical for phasing the oscillatory activity of cortical cells. α2-containing GABAARs have previously been …

Factors Associated With Eosinophilic Esophagitis In Nevada, Julia Lorraine Anderson

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Eosinophilic esophagitis (EoE) is a rare immune-mediated illness with symptoms that range from difficulty swallowing to food impaction of the esophagus. Most published studies have been documented among patients residing in cool regions with significant annual rainfall. No published studies to our knowledge have been performed examining the healthcare utilization trends of EoE in Nevada. Utilizing two unique databases, the factors associated with EoE healthcare utilization patterns in Nevada were examined. All analyses were performed in R version 3.5.1. This study included a demographic and regional analysis identifying risk factors associated with having an EoE healthcare visit in Nevada. Several …

Optimization Of Motor Performance, Lee-Kuen Chua

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

According to the OPTIMAL (Optimizing Performance Through Intrinsic Motivation and Attention of Learning) theory of motor learning, enhanced expectancies (EE), autonomy support (AS), and external focus (EF) augment the coupling of a person’s actions to intended movement goals. This goal-action coupling is postulated to boost a person’s focus on goal-related aspects of the motor task while reducing the person’s self-related thoughts, resulting in enhanced performance of skilled movements as well as in improving the acquisition outcomes for the learning of motor skills. The three studies in this compilation report were aimed at providing empirical evidence for the motor performance benefits …

A Controlled Examination Of Motivational Strategies: Reviewing Positive Consequences For Goal Achievement, Negative Consequences For Undesired Behavior, And A Relaxation Exercise, Yulia Gavrilova

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Introduction: Motivation is an integral part of human life and one of the most fundamental aspects of behavior change. Of interest to the present study are two motivational approaches, Negative Consequences Review (NCR) and Positive Consequences Review (PCR). NCR is an intervention component originally designed as part of Family Behavior Therapy (FBT) to motivate individuals with their goals through a discussion of negative consequences associated with undesired behaviors. PCR was developed as an auxiliary component of FBT to inspire individuals’ motivation to achieve their goals through a discussion about positive consequences of reaching goals. Purpose: The purpose of this study …

Healthcare Access And Utilization By Transgender Populations: A United States Transgender Survey Study, Axenya Kachen

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Transgender communities in the United States are highly marginalized and have been systematically and infrastructurally ignored due to the widespread fundamental belief that gender exists as a binary classification. The dichotomous theoretical framework of sex and gender prevented public recognition of this community as a population of interest for public health research and targeted intervention. Sexual and gender minority (SGM) populations have fought for basic human rights, including access to affordable healthcare. The National Center for Transgender Equality (NCTE) was founded in 2003 to advocate for the advancement of equality for transgender people. In 2015, the NCTE conducted the United …

Adolescent Pregnancy: A Clinical Guideline For School Nurses In New Mexico, Karin Ludi

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

The overall purpose of this project is to ensure that school nurses and health assistants are knowledgeable and have the resources to care for pregnant adolescents in the public school system. New Mexico has consistently ranked in the top 10 in the United States for teen births to women aged 15-19 years. The New Mexico School Health Manual is currently used to guide school nurses and health assistants in the care of pregnant adolescents, but it is vague and addresses emergencies such as labor and bleeding.

From this author’s experience as a school nurse in the public school system, it …

Animal Assisted Therapy And Support Animals, What Mental Health Professionals Know And Understand, Alexandro H. Velez

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Animal-assisted therapy can greatly benefit mental health professionals with clients in and out of the school settings in many ways. It is believed mental health professionals are successfully implementing Animal Assisted Therapy, even though some are not. Mental health professionals who are not using Animal Assisted Therapy are not doing so as the result of various variables, such as lack of information, knowledge, training, certification and policies, which prevents them from using Animals Assisted Therapy with clients and the community. It is also believed some mental health professionals are using animals as part of therapeutic interventions without proper training. The …

An Exploration Of Attitudes Toward Dogs Among College Students In Bangalore, India, Shelly Volsche, Miriam Mohan, Peter B. Gray, Madhavi Rangaswamy

Anthropology Faculty Research

Conversations in the field of anthrozoology include treatment and distinction of food animals, animals as workers versus pests, and most recently, emerging pet trends including the practice of pet parenting. This paper explores attitudes toward pet dogs in the shared social space of urban India. The data include 375 pen-and-paper surveys from students at CHRIST (Deemed to be University) in Bangalore, India. Reflecting upon Serpell’s biaxial concept of dogs as a relationship of affect and utility, the paper considers the growing trend of pet dog keeping in urban spaces and the increased use of affiliative words to describe these relationships. …

Plasticity In The Human Gut Microbiome Defies Evolutionary Constraints, Andres Gomez, Ashok Kumar Sharma, Elizabeth K. Mallott, Klara J. Petrzelkova, Carolyn A. Jost Robinson, Carl J. Yeoman, Franck Carbonero, Barbora Pafco, Jessica M. Rothman, Alexander Ulanov, Klara Vickova, Katherine R. Amato, Stephanie L. Schnorr, Nathaniel J. Dominy, David Modry, Angelique Todd, Manolito Torralba, Karen E. Nelson, Michael B. Burns, Ran Blekhman, Melissa Remis, Rebecca M. Stumpf, Brenda A. Wilson, H. Rex Gaskins, Paul A. Garber, Bryan A. White, Steven R. Leigh

Anthropology Faculty Research

The gut microbiome of primates, including humans, is reported to closely follow host evolutionary history, with gut microbiome composition being specific to the genetic background of its primate host. However, the comparative models used to date have mainly included a limited set of closely related primates. To further understand the forces that shape the primate gut microbiome, with reference to human populations, we expanded the comparative analysis of variation among gut microbiome compositions and their primate hosts, including 9 different primate species and 4 human groups characterized by a diverse set of subsistence patterns (n = 448 samples). The results …

Cultural Factors Affecting Resilience Of Filipino Immigrant Women, Andrew Reyes

Nursing Faculty Research

This presentation describes the results of a descriptive study exploring the relationship between resilience, acculturative stress, and cultural family beliefs about disclosing mental health problems among Filipino immigrant women living in the United States.

Building Health Equity One Institution At A Time: The Research Infrastructure In Minority Institutions Project, Laura H. D'Anna, Dennis G. Fisher, Lyka Eunice F. Trinidad, Carol Canjura, Jefferson L. Wood

Journal of Health Disparities Research and Practice

Developing a well-trained workforce interested in, and prepared for, conducting health equity research is an important national priority. Scientists from Minority-Serving Institutions (MSIs) bring unique perspectives and experiences with racial, ethnic and social inequities in health and health status but often lack access to training and mentoring opportunities, which is crucial for increasing the diverse pool of investigators who are adequately prepared to conduct health disparities research and to compete for National Institutes of Health research funding. The focus of the California State University, Long Beach (CSULB) Research Infrastructure in Minority Institutions (RIMI) Project was to: (a) enhance CSULB’s infrastructure …

“I Don’T Want To Look Sick Skinny”: Perceptions Of Body Image And Weight Loss In Hispanics Living With Hiv In South Texas, Jordan W. Abel, Omar Allen, Delia Bullock, Erin Finley, Elizabeth Walter, Phillip Schnarrs, Barbara S. Taylor

Journal of Health Disparities Research and Practice

Objective: Obesity is rising in people with HIV (PLWH) and Hispanics. Both HIV and obesity are associated with cardiovascular disease morbidity and mortality. Our goal is to understand perceptions of body image and lifestyle in Hispanics with HIV to adapt interventions appropriately.

Methods: We conducted semi-structured interviews with 22 Hispanic PLWH and 6 providers. Purposive sampling selected patient participants across weights and genders. Interviews were coded and analyzed using grounded theory, comparing perspectives between patients with and without obesity, and patients and providers.

Results: Participants felt obesity and diabetes were “normal” in the community. Patients exhibited understanding of healthy diet …

"Courage 2 Test": An Evaluation Of A Social Media Marketing Campaign To Increase Hiv Testing Among Young Black Men, Jamal T. Jones, Laura F. Salazar, Richard A. Crosby

Journal of Health Disparities Research and Practice

The purpose of this study was to evaluate a social media marketing (SMM) campaign designed to increase HIV testing among young Black men attending a public university in Atlanta, GA. “Courage 2 Test” was a three-month SMM campaign (launched from February 2017 to April 2017) that included targeted Facebook and Instagram advertisements to encourage HIV testing. Students completed an online survey via two cross-sectional samples (n=106 at baseline and n=98 post campaign). Campaign evaluation involved assessing the effects of campaign exposure and the pre/post-grouping variable on ever testing for HIV and testing for HIV in the previous six months via …

“You Come Back To The Same Ole Shit:” A Qualitative Study Of Smoking Cessation Barriers Among Women Living With Hiv: Implications For Intervention Development, Faith E. Fletcher, Damon J. Vidrine, Meredith K. Buchberg Trejo, Yamile' Molina, Beverly E. Sha, Brenikki R. Floyd, Noreen Sarhene, Jamesetta Mator, Alicia K. Matthews

Journal of Health Disparities Research and Practice

Although tobacco use among women living with HIV (WLWH) is decreasing, the prevalence is more than double that of women in the general population and remains an important health behavior to target among WLWH. Few smoking cessation interventions specifically focus on the unique social and medical needs of women living with HIV (WLWH). Thus, the investigative team engaged WLWH (N=18) in qualitative focus groups to: 1) understand barriers and facilitators to smoking cessation; and 2) inform intervention structure and content priorities. Participants identified salient reasons for smoking and barriers to smoking cessation, which included coping mechanisms for life stressors, HIV-related …

Implementing Autism Screening For Latino Children In Primary Care: Perspectives From Parents And Providers, Mary Troxel, Keri Linas, Diane Jacobstein, Matthew Biel, Sandra H. Soto, Isabella Lorenzo-Hubert, Soraya Dos-Santos, Rocio Mendez, Bruno J. Anthony

Journal of Health Disparities Research and Practice

While Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) and other developmental disabilities are being diagnosed at increasing rates, there is strong evidence of disparities in rates of identification and utilization of services by Latino children as compared to non-Latino children. Attempts to reduce these disparities include culturally-informed early screening for ASD risk. In preparation for initiation of a screening program in a primary care setting serving primarily Latino children, focus groups and interviews were conducted with Latino parents (N=31), medical staff (N=15), health care providers (N=4) to better understand the barriers and facilitators to engagement around developmental concerns that contribute to the low …

A Collaborative Effort To Assess Disparities Associated With Behavioral Health In The North Texas Region, Sushma Sharma

Journal of Health Disparities Research and Practice

Objective: This study aimed to provide an assessment of 16 North Texas Counties’ behavioral health access disparities and provide details of the percentage of hospital patient visits from each county diagnosed with mental health and drug issues. The gender, age, race-ethnicity and insurance status of each patient, the zip codes where they live and patient migration between different providers was also detailed. Furthermore, the number of psychiatric beds for each county is listed.

Methods: This study utilized the DFWHC Foundation's data warehouse which contains comprehensive hospital visit data from 96 partner hospitals, to understand the clinical trends of mental health …

Predictors And Missed Opportunities For Blood Glucose Screening Among African Americans: Implications For Church-Based Populations, Alexandria G. Bauer, Jannette Berkley-Patton, Carole Bowe Thompson, Kelsey Christensen

Journal of Health Disparities Research and Practice

African Americans (AAs) are disproportionately diagnosed with prediabetes, diabetes, and related complications. Guidelines for prediabetes/diabetes screening emphasize reaching at-risk adults. The AA church has potential to increase reach of BGS with AA church members and community members. The current study identified predictors of blood glucose screening (BGS) and individuals with missed opportunities for BGS among church-affiliated AA adults. Participants were drawn from a previous pilot study (Project Faith Influencing Transformation) conducted in six AA churches over eight months. Eligibility criteria included self-identifying as AA and being aged 18 or older. Participants who had previously been diagnosed with diabetes were excluded, …

Disrupting The Intergenerational Transmission Of Trauma Among Alaska Native People: A Conceptual Model For The Family Wellness Warriors Initiative, Lily Ray, Bobbi Outten, Polly Andrews, Katherine Gottlieb

Journal of Health Disparities Research and Practice

Background: Increasing evidence demonstrates the life-long physical, emotional, and social effects of traumatic experiences. In recognition that many health disparities are driven by high rates of traumatic experiences, Alaska Native and American Indian people have created wellness programs that build health by first healing historical and lifetime trauma. Yet, many of these promising community-based interventions are not described in the health sciences literature. Southcentral Foundation’s Family Wellness Warriors Initiative (FWWI) was created by Alaska Native people, addresses traumatic experiences as the root cause of family violence, and builds on cultural strengths. The goal of this study was to build a …

Teaching About Cultural Competence And Health Disparities In An Online Graduate Public Health Course, Anuli Njoku, Drph, Mph, Uchenna Baker, Phd, Med

Journal of Health Disparities Research and Practice

The growing diversity in U.S. society encourages the need for culturally competent healthcare professionals to provide optimal services to a diverse population. This increasing diversity also brings greater awareness to health disparities among distinct subgroups of the U.S. population. Addressing health disparities in the USA will require a multidimensional approach from various sectors, including the field of education. Developing health disparities curricula can help cultivate conscious future health practitioners. Faculty development programs can be integral in equipping faculty to develop curricula on and teach students about health disparities. With a growth in online learning and in the number of adult …

Factors Associated With Participation In The Oregon Summer Food Program: A Mixed Methods Analysis, Alethea Chiappone, Teresa M. Garvin, Casey Blaser, Hollyanne E. Fricke, Lisa Weissenburger-Moser Boyd, Tom Barnard, Amy L. Yaroch

Journal of Health Disparities Research and Practice

The Summer Food Service Program (SFSP) was established to ensure children eligible for the National School Lunch Program (NSLP) continue to receive meals outside of the school year. However, participation in SFSP is relatively low (2.8 million annually) when compared with NSLP participation (30.4 million annually), suggesting that challenges exist in reaching children. Using a mixed methods approach, this study explored factors associated with SFSP participation. A secondary data analysis of the Oregon SFSP identified factors associated with SFSP participation at the Oregon SFSP-, sponsor-, and site-levels. Semi-structured interviews with SFSP sponsors explored barriers and facilitators to SFSP participation. Results …

Alzheimer's Disease Drug Development Pipeline: 2019, Jeffrey Cummings, Garam Lee, Aaron Ritter, Marwan Sabbagh, Kate Zhong

School of Medicine Faculty Research

Introduction Alzheimer's disease (AD) has few available treatments, and there is a high rate of failure in AD drug development programs. Study of the AD drug development pipeline can provide insight into the evolution of drug development and how best to optimize development practices. Methods We reviewed clinicaltrials.gov and identified all pharmacologic AD trials of all agents currently being developed for treatment of AD. Results There are 132 agents in clinical trials for the treatment of AD. Twenty-eight agents are in 42 phase 3 trials; 74 agents are in 83 phase 2 trials; and 30 agents are in 31 phase …