Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

"The Great Debate" 2019 - Brookings V. Unlv Debate Team, Brookings Mountain West, University Of Nevada, Las Vegas

Brookings Scholar Lecture Series

Brookings Mountain West, in partnership with the UNLV Debate Team, was proud to host the inaugural UNLV - Brookings Institution event, “The Great Debate.” Representatives from the nationally ranked UNLV Debate Team engaged colleagues from the Brookings Institution in a battle of ideas and policy positions destined to be remembered as one of the great intellectual forums of the 21st century. Featured speakers participated in a modified format of intercollegiate debate rules that allowed teams and individual members the opportunity to craft their arguments and responses in an open and respectful exchange of information to persuade, inform, and entertain audience …

A Systematic Review Of The Caries Prevalence Among Children Living In Chernobyl Fallout Countries, Michael Wolgin, Nicole Filina, Valentyn Dvornyk, Edward Lynch, Andrej M. Kielbassa

Dental Medicine Faculty Research

The present study analyzed the data concerning the caries prevalence in children born and permanently residing in Chernobyl fallout areas. Setting forth to evaluate if differences regarding the caries prevalence can be observed compared to non-contaminated sites of affected East European countries. Methods used to assess the caries prevalence were limited to DMFT/dmft (decayed, missing and filled teeth) for the primary and the permanent dentitions. The databases PubMed, EMBASE/Ovid, Cochrane Library, Scopus, and eLIBRARY were consulted for the electronic literature search...(Please see text for full abstrast)

Enhancement Of Viable Adipose-Derived Stem Cells In Lipoaspirate By Buffering Tumescent With Sodium Bicarbonate, Ashish Francis Md, Wei Z. Wang Md, Joshua J. Goldman Md, Xin-Hua Fang Mt, Shelley J. Williams Ms, Richard C. Baynosa Md; Facs

School of Medicine Faculty Research

Background: Fat grafting is a growing field within plastic surgery. Adipose-derived stem cells (ASCs) and stromal vascular fracture (SVF) may have a role in fat graft survival. Our group previously demonstrated a detrimental effect on ASC survival by the lidocaine used in tumescent solution. Sodium bicarbonate (SB) buffers the acidity of lidocaine. The purpose of this study was to determine whether SB buffering is a practical method to reduce ASC and SVF apoptosis and necrosis seen with common lidocaine-containing tumescent solution. Methods: Human patients undergoing bilateral liposuction for any indication were included in this study. An internally controlled, split-body design …

Self-Reported Addiction To Pornography In A Nationally Representative Sample: The Roles Of Use Habits, Religiousness, And Moral Incongruence, Joshua B. Grubbs, Shane W. Kraus, Samuel L. Perry

Psychology Faculty Research

Background and aims: Despite controversies regarding its existence as a legitimate mental health condition, self-reports of pornography addiction seem to occur regularly. In the United States, prior works using various sampling techniques, such as undergraduate samples and online convenience samples, have consistently demonstrated that some pornography users report feeling dysregulated or out of control in their use. Even so, there has been very little work in US nationally representative samples to examine self-reported pornography addiction. Methods: This study sought to examine self-reported pornography addiction in a US nationally representative sample of adult Internet users (N = 2,075). Results: The results …

Forgotten Fathers: Postpartum Depression In Men, Brandon Eddy, Von Poll, Jason B. Whiting, Marcia A. Clevesy

Couple & Family Therapy Program Faculty Research

Although postpartum depression is common and well-studied in mothers, many fathers also experience symptoms. This qualitative study investigated fathers’ experiences of postpartum depression. Data from secondary sources such as blogs, websites, forums, and chat rooms were analyzed using a combination of phenomenological and content analysis methods to understand father’s experiences of paternal postpartum depression. Six themes emerged from the data including fathers’ needing education, adhering to gender expectations, repressing feelings, being overwhelmed, resentment of baby, and the experience of neglect. These data provide useful information that can aid health care providers, researchers, clinicians, and families in understanding the experience of …

Pediatric Ingestion Of Multiple Button Batteries, Johnny Fong Md, Tony Zitek

School of Medicine Faculty Research

A two-year-old male presented to the pediatric emergency department for possible foreign body ingestion. Two hours prior to arrival, the child was found with the packaging for 10 button batteries, but his mother was only able to find one battery. The patient had no symptoms. Physical exam was within normal limits. Radiographs (Image 1) showed six foreign bodies within the stomach and one distally

Implant Impression Accuracy Of Parallel And Non-Parallel Implants: A Comparative In-Vitro Analysis Of Open And Closed Tray Techniques, Motaz S. Osman, Hassan M. Ziada, Neamat H. Abubakr, Ahmed M. Suliman

Dental Medicine Faculty Research

Background The outcome of the evaluation of impression techniques accuracy may improve the selection criteria for an ideal technique. The aim was to evaluate the accuracy of the open and closed tray techniques for implant impressions, in a partially edentulous maxilla, replaced with a three-unit fixed partial denture, as well as to assess the effect of implants parallelism on accuracy. Material and methods This is an experimental in vitro study to evaluate impressions accuracy of a simulated area restored with an implant retained FPD, using the open and closed tray implant impression techniques. The effect of implant position angulation, parallelism, …

Geographic And Socio-Economic Variation In Markers Of Indoor Air Pollution In Nepal: Evidence From A Nationally-Representative Data, Saruna Ghimire, Shiva Rah Mishra, Abhishek Sharma, Adugna Siweya, Nipun Shrestha, Bippin Adhikari

School of Public Health Faculty Research

Background: In low-income countries such as Nepal, indoor air pollution (IAP), generated by the indoor burning of biomass fuels, is the top-fourth risk factor driving overall morbidity and mortality. We present the first assessment of geographic and socio-economic determinants of the markers of IAP (specifically fuel types, cooking practices, and indoor smoking) in a nationally-representative sample of Nepalese households. Methods: Household level data on 11,040 households, obtained from the 2016 Nepal Demographic and Health Survey, were analyzed.Binary logistic regression analyses were conducted to assess the use of fuel types, indoor cooking practices, indoor smoking and IAP with respect to socio-economic …

Silver Diamine Fluoride Versus Sodium Fluoride For Arresting Dentine Caries In Children: A Systematic Review And Meta-Analysis, Alice Trieu, Ahmed Mohamed, Edward Lynch

Dental Medicine Faculty Research

Dental caries can compromise quality of life and is associated with demineralization of tooth structure by organic acids produced by microorganisms. This study systematically reviewed the dentine caries arrest capabilities of silver diamine fluoride (SDF) and sodium fluoride (NaF). A comprehensive search strategy was developed to identify the relevant publications in electronic databases and hand searched journals and reviews (to March 2018). By applying strict inclusion and exclusion criteria, only six papers (two randomized controlled trials, two follow-up articles and two secondary statistical analysis studies) were considered for full text qualitative and quantitative assessment. The included studies were critically appraised …

Treatment Combinations For Alzheimer’S Disease: Current And Future Pharmacotherapy Options, Jeffrey L. Cummings, Gary Tong, Clive Ballard

Integrated Health Sciences Faculty Research

Although Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is the world’s leading cause of dementia and the population of patients with AD continues to grow, no new therapies have been approved in more than a decade. Many clinical trials of single-agent therapies have failed to affect disease progression or symptoms compared with placebo. The complex pathophysiology of AD may necessitate combination treatments rather than monotherapy. The goal of this narrative literature review is to describe types of combination therapy, review the current clinical evidence for combination therapy regimens (both symptomatic and disease-modifying) in the treatment of AD, describe innovative clinical trial study designs that …

A Qualitative Study On Parental And Community Stakeholder Views Of The Link Between Full-Day Kindergarten And Health In Southern Nevada, Courtney Coughenour, Jennifer Pharr, Maxim Gakh Jd, Mph, Sheila Clark, Prescott Cheong

School of Public Health Faculty Research

Studies show that children who attend full-day kindergarten (FDK) experience both academic and developmental benefits compared to children who attend half-day programs. Sectors outside of health, such as education, can have important intended and unintended impacts on health. The purpose of this qualitative study was to understand perceptions of parental and other stakeholders in Southern Nevada (USA) about the education–health link, and to understand priorities regarding how FDK access could affect health. Two 90-minute focus groups were conducted with 14 adult stakeholder participants representing parents, current and former teachers, and community members. Transcripts were analyzed using conventional content analysis. Eight …

Rethinking Intravenous Catheter Size And Location For Computed Tomography Pulmonary Angiography, Travis Marshall, Nae Meng Chen, Eric Nguyen, David E. Slattery, Tony Zitek

School of Medicine Faculty Research

Introduction: Computed tomography pulmonary angiography (CTPA) is the test of choice for diagnosis of pulmonary embolism (PE) in the emergency department (ED), but this test may be indeterminate for technical reasons such as inadequate contrast filling of the pulmonary arteries. Many hospitals have requirements for intravenous (IV) catheter size or location for CTPAs to reduce the chances of inadequate filling, but there is a lack of clinical data to support these requirements. The objective of this study was to determine if a certain size or location of IV catheter used for contrast for CTPA is associated with an increased chance …

Analysis Of Self-Reported Walking For Transit In A Sprawling Urban Metropolitan Area In The Western U.S., Courtney Coughenour, Hanns De La Fuente-Mella, Alexander Paz

School of Public Health Faculty Research

Walkability is associated with increased levels of physical activity and improved health and sustainability. The sprawling design of many metropolitan areas of the western U.S., such as Las Vegas, influences their walkability. The purpose of this study was to consider sprawl characteristics along with well-known correlates of walkability to determine what factors influence self-reported minutes of active transportation. Residents from four neighborhoods in the Las Vegas Metropolitan Area, targeted for their high and low walkability scores, were surveyed for their perceptions of street-connectivity, residential-density, land-use mix, and retail–floor-area ratio and sprawl characteristics including distance between crosswalks, single-entry-communities, high-speed streets, shade, …

Propolis Or Caffeic Acid Phenethyl Ester (Cape) Inhibits Growth And Viability In Multiple Oral Cancer Cell Lines, Wendy Saarem, Fang Wu Yang, Elena Farfel

Dental Medicine Faculty Research

Objective: Propolis is a natural antimicrobial resin from honeybee hives that contains caffeic acid phenethyl ester (CAPE), which has anti-proliferative activity against some human cancers, including colon, liver, lung and breast – although limited evidence has evaluated this potential in oral cancers. Based upon this information, the primary objective of this study was to evaluate the anti-tumor effects of CAPE against multiple well-characterized oral cancer cell lines. Methods: Using well-characterized oral cancer cell lines (SCC15, SCC25 and CAL27), CAPE was administered at 100 ug/mL to assess any effects on cellular viability or growth over three days. A normal, non-cancerous cell …

Adding Meaning To Physical Fitness Test Results In Individuals With Intellectual Disabilities, Thessa Hilgenkamp, Alyt Oppewal

Physical Therapy Faculty Research

Purpose:Evaluating physical fitness in individuals with intellectual disabilities (ID) is challenging, and a multitude of different versions of tests exist. However, psychometric properties of these tests are mostly unknown, and both researchers as clinical practitioners struggle with selecting appropriate tests for indi- viduals with ID. We aim to present a selection of field tests with satisfactory feasibility, reliability, and val- idity, and of which reference data are available. Methods:Tests were selected based on (1) literature review on psychometric properties, (2) expert meet- ings with physiotherapists and movement experts, (3) studies on population specific psychometric proper- ties, and (3) availability of …

Measurement Of Anterior Translation Of The Mandibular Condyle Using Sonography, Kai-Yu Ho, Brooke Laskowski, Danielle Garcia, Christensen J. Hardy, Emilio Puentedura

Physical Therapy Faculty Research

[Purpose] To establish a standardized sonographic approach to quantify anterior translation of the mandibular condyle during mouth opening by examining the reliability of image acquisition and processing, and to understand how anterior condylar translation contributes to mouth opening. [Participants and Methods] Twenty-eight participants without temporomandibular disorder (TMD) participated. During day 1 of data collection, all participants performed maximal mouth opening while an examiner recorded anterior condylar translation using sonography. The mouth opening range of motion was also obtained. On day 2 of data collection, the same procedure was performed on 6 participants that participated in day 1 of data collection. …

Two-Stage Bagging Pruning For Reducing The Ensemble Size And Improving The Classification Performance, Hua Zhang, Yujie Song, Bo Jiang, Bi Chen, Guogen Shan

Environmental & Global Health Faculty Research

Ensemble methods, such as the traditional bagging algorithm, can usually improve the performance of a single classifier. However, they usually require large storage space as well as relatively time-consuming predictions. Many approaches were developed to reduce the ensemble size and improve the classification performance by pruning the traditional bagging algorithms. In this article, we proposed a two-stage strategy to prune the traditional bagging algorithm by combining two simple approaches: accuracy-based pruning (AP) and distance-based pruning (DP). These two methods, as well as their two combinations, “AP+DP” and “DP+AP” as the two-stage pruning strategy, were all examined. Comparing with the single …

Effect Of Prehospital Tourniquets On Resuscitation In Extremity Arterial Trauma, Allison G. Mcnickle, Douglas R. Fraser, Paul J. Chestovich, Deborah A. Kuhls, John J. Fildes

School of Medicine Faculty Research

Background: Timely tourniquet placement may limit ongoing hemorrhage and reduce the need for blood products. This study evaluates if prehospital tourniquet application altered the initial transfusion needs in arterial injuries when compared with a non-tourniquet control group. Methods: Extremity arterial injuries were queried from our level I trauma center registry from 2013 to 2017. The characteristics of the cohort with prehospital tourniquet placement (TQ+) were described in terms of tourniquet use, duration, and frequency over time. These cases were matched 1:1 by the artery injured, demographics, Injury Severity Score, and mechanism of injury to patients arriving without a tourniquet (TQ−). …

Strategies Employed By Community-Based Service Providers To Address Hiv-Associated Neurocognitive Challenges: A Qualitative Study, Renato M. Liboro, Sean B. Rourke, Francisco Ibanez-Carrasco, Andrew Easton, Daniel Pugh, Claudia Medina, Allan Rae, Paul A. Shuper, Lori E. Ross

Psychology Faculty Research

Background: HIV-associated neurocognitive disorders and other causes of neurocognitive challenges experienced by people living with HIV (PLWH) persist as public health concerns in developed countries. Consequently, PLWH who experience neurocognitive challenges increasingly require social support and mental health services from community-based providers in the HIV sector. Methods: Thirty-three providers from 22 AIDS service organizations across Ontario, Canada, were interviewed to determine the strategies they used to support PLWH experiencing neurocognitive difficulties. Thematic analysis was conducted to determine key themes from the interview data. Results: Three types of strategies were identified: (a) intrapersonal, (b) interpersonal, and (c) organizational. Intrapersonal strategies involved …

The Prevalence Rate Of Cigarette Smoking Among Congestive Heart Failure Patients At A Local Family Health Center, Salome Kapella-Mshigeni, Eunice Kimunai, Chad L. Cross

School of Medicine Faculty Research

Introduction: The prevalence rate of smoking is well documented in the general population, but little is known among patients with Congestive Heart Failure (CHF). The mortality rate of CHF in San Bernardino county is nearly double (18.7 per 100,000 deaths) than that of the State of California (10.8 per 100,000 deaths). There is a need to fill knowledge gaps for CHF patients and identify evidence-based interventions that will help reduce health disparities among populations. Objective: This study aimed to determine the prevalence rate of cigarette smoking among an underserved population for patients with CHF seen at a Family Health Clinic …

Bioaerosol Concentrations And Size Distributions During The Autumn And Winter Seasons In An Industrial City Of Central China, Lung-Wen Chen, Ting Liu, Mi Zhang, John G. Watson, Judith C. Chow, Junji Cao, Hongyu Chen, Wei Wang, Jiaquan Zhang, Changlin Zhan, Hongxia Liu, Jingru Zheng, Naiwen Chen, Ruizhen Yao, Wensheng Xiao

Environmental & Global Health Faculty Research

The ambient bioaerosols were measured in PM2.5 and PM10 samples taken in Huangshi City, Hubei Province, China, during autumn and winter from November 2017 to February 2018. Both the bioaerosol number concentration and size distribution (0.37–16 µm) were obtained by direct fluorescent staining coupled with microscopic imaging. The bioaerosol number concentrations ranged from 0.05 to 3.4 # cm–3 for PM2.5 and from 0.17 to 5.7 # cm–3 for PM10, with averages of 0.90 # cm–3 and 1.9 # cm–3, respectively. In terms of particle number, the bioaerosols were dominated by fine particles (0.37–2.5 µm in diameter), with a larger proportion …

Factors Influencing Healthy Eating Habits Among Low-Income African Americans In Tennessee, Kushal Patel, Jonathon Smith, Jemal Gishe 9637046, Mohamed Kanu, Rosemary Theriot, Jianguo Liu, Yuan Zhou, Margaret Hargreaves

Journal of Health Disparities Research and Practice

Introduction: Poor nutrition and diet are significant contributors to the development of chronic illnesses such as cancer and diabetes, particularly among individuals of lower socioeconomic status (SES).This study examined demographic and lifestyle factors that influenced decisions to engage in healthy eating behaviors among low-income African Americans in three urban Tennessee cities.

Methods: As part of the Meharry Community Networks Program (CNP) needs assessment, a 123-item community survey was administered to assess demographic characteristics and eating behaviors among low-income African Americans. The total sample size was 1116. The primary outcome of interest was the healthy eating habits score which was calculated …

Comparison Of Compliance With Cervical Cancer Screening Among Women Aged 18 And Above In Arkansas And The United States, Sarah N. O'Connor, Jun Tao, L. Joseph Su

Journal of Health Disparities Research and Practice

Introduction: Cervical cancer preys on women without access to preventative screening. Any woman who has developed an invasive case of cervical cancer should be regarded as a failure of screening. Disparities in access to screening, triage, and treatment fuel an uneven distribution in the burden of cervical cancer within the United States; weighing unusually heavy on the Southern States like Arkansas. The purpose of this study was to evaluate demographic and behavioral risk factors for cervical cancer and identify potential barriers which may influence the likelihood of complying with current Pap test recommendations on a state level, in Arkansas, and …

Who Speaks For Me?: Addressing Variability In Informed Consent Practices For Minimal Risk Research Involving Foster Youth, Mary V. Greiner, Sarah J. Beal, Antonio Allen, Vikash Patel, Jareen Meinzen-Derr, Armand Antommaria

Journal of Health Disparities Research and Practice

Background: Youth in protective custody (i.e., foster care) are at higher risk for poorer physical and mental health outcomes compared with those who are not. These differences may be due in part to the lack of research on the population to create evidence-based recommendations for health care delivery. A potential contributor to this lack of research is difficulties in obtaining informed consent for empirical studies in this population. The objective of this study was to describe the approaches to obtaining informed consent in minimal risk studies of foster youth and provide recommendations for future requirements.

Methods: We conducted a …

Racial Discrimination And Preterm Birth Among African American Women: The Important Role Of Posttraumatic Stress Disorder, Amelia Gavin, Nancy Grote, Kyaien Conner, Taurmini Fentress

Journal of Health Disparities Research and Practice

Among African American infants, preterm birth (PTB) is the most frequent cause of infant mortality. In the United States, there remains a stark African American-Non-Hispanic White difference in PTB (< 37 weeks of completed gestation). When compared to Non-Hispanic White infants, African American infants have greater than three times the risk of preterm-related mortality. Prior research studies have examined whether traditional prenatal risk factors explain the African American-Non-Hispanic White difference in PTB. However identification of these factors fails to explain the disparity. The lack of progress in addressing the African American - Non-Hispanic White difference in PTB suggests that exposures to risk factors across the life-course may be vital to addressing the African American-Non-Hispanic White difference in PTB. One potential life-course risk exposure is racial discrimination, which has been shown to influence the increased risk of PTB among African American women. However, research is needed to reveal the mechanisms that underlie the association between racial discrimination and PTB. Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) may be one potential mechanism by which African American women's exposure to racial discrimination contributes to increased risk of PTB. This concept paper strives to advance our understanding of the increased risk of PTB among African American women. Recommendations are suggested to mitigate the impact of racial discrimination and PTSD on the PTB risk among African American women.

Exploring The Cultural Perceptions Of Physical Activity Among Transnational Nigerian Immigrants, Kelechi D. Ibe-Lamberts, Daudet Ilunga Tshiswaka, Abi Fapohunda

Journal of Health Disparities Research and Practice

Background: Transnational Nigerian Immigrants, as other Transnational African Immigrants, are a subset of African immigrants with the unique ability to sustain multi-national ties. These ties could potentially affect health behavior choices and participation in physical activity. Physical Activity has the potential to improve health and prevent chronic diseases; however, there is a lack of literature regarding physical activity and its determinants within the Transnational African Immigrant population in general. This study investigated the cultural factors that shape Transnational Nigerian Immigrants’ perceptions and attitudes towards physical activity.

Methods: Semi-structured, individual interviews supported by photo-elicitation were conducted on 24 Transnational …

Prehypertensive Risk Among African-American Undergraduates: Do The Extra Pounds Really Matter?, Cecile N. Yancu, Amber Debono, Anna K. Lee, Correll Mcrae, Daphne Witherspoon

Journal of Health Disparities Research and Practice

The objective of this study is to examine prehypertension among young African American adults and evaluate the predictive value of easily obtained standard measures of adiposity. Data for this study of 155 primarily African-American undergraduates was collected between April 2010-11. Participants provided family health history and anthropometric measures, including body weight, body mass index (BMI), and waist to hip (WHR) ratio. Percentages were calculated for demographics. The average systolic blood pressure measured over two time periods within a single semester generated prehypertension rates. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression examined the impact of BMI, WHR, weight, and family medical history on …

Disparities In Access To Primary Care And Emergency Department Utilization In A Large Medicaid Program, Natasha Parekh, Marian Jarlenski, David Kelley

Journal of Health Disparities Research and Practice

Identifying and eliminating disparities are priorities for State Medicaid programs, especially in the context of increased enrollment through Medicaid expansion. We assessed racial, ethnic, regional, and managed care organization (MCO) differences, as well as time trends before and after Medicaid expansion, in primary care and emergency department (ED) utilization in a large Medicaid program. We performed a cross-sectional evaluation of data from Pennsylvania Medicaid from 2011-2015. Three primary care outcomes included: 1) adult access to primary care; 2) adolescent access to primary care; and 3) pediatric access to dental care. Our fourth outcome reflected ED utilization. We observed significant racial …

Sleep Apnea In Children, Tanya Al-Talib

School of Dental Medicine - UMC Briefs

Does your child snore? Have you witnessed your child stop breathing while sleeping? Is your child not growth at a normal rate? Does your child feel tired? Does your child have trouble focusing in school? Does your child wet the bed?

All of the above conditions may be related to having sleep problems and or sleep disordered breathing.

Identification Of Candidate Mirna Biomarkers For Glaucoma, Allyson Hindle, Robrecht Thoonen, Jessica V. Jasien, Robert M. H. Grange, Krishna Amin, Jasen Wise, Mineo Ozaki, Robert Ritch, Rajeev Malhotra, Emmanuel S. Buys

Life Sciences Faculty Research

Purpose: Glaucoma, a leading cause of blindness worldwide, often remains undetected until irreversible vision loss has occurred. Treatments focus on lowering intraocular pressure (IOP), the only modifiable and readily measurable risk factor. However, IOP can vary and does not always predict disease progression. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are promising biomarkers. They are abundant and stable in biological fluids, including plasma and aqueous humor (AqH). We aimed to identify differentially expressed miRNAs in AqH and plasma from glaucoma, exfoliation syndrome (XFS), and control subjects. Methods: Plasma and AqH from two ethnic cohorts were harvested from glaucoma or XFS (often associated with glaucoma, n …