Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

Gambling Education Programs For Adolescents: A Systematic Review, Brittany Keen, Alex Blaszczynski, Fadi Anjoul

International Conference on Gambling & Risk Taking

Around two thirds of Australian adolescents aged 10-14 years old have gambled in the last year, and rates of problem gambling are up to four times higher among adolescents than in the adult population. Schools provide a unique opportunity to intervene in cognitive and behavioural development, and while several gambling education programs exist in schools across Australia and internationally, few have been empirically evaluated. The purpose of this review was to provide a systematic appraisal of the published research on gambling education programs for adolescents. The review aimed to identify the number and quality of studies that have evaluated gambling …

The Economics Of Lotto, Ian Walker, Robert E. Pryce, Rhys Wheeler, Nick Powdathvee

International Conference on Gambling & Risk Taking

No abstract provided.

Narcissism, Sensation Seeking, Depression, Anxiety, And Cognitive Distortions: Comparative Analysis Between Poker And Video Lottery Terminal Players, David Levesque B.A., Serge Sevigny Ph.D., Christian Jacques M.Ps., Isabelle Giroux Ph.D.

International Conference on Gambling & Risk Taking

According to the psycho-structural interaction model, the interaction between structural characteristics of a gambling game and player’s characteristics could foster the development of gambling problems. Those interactions may vary according to the types of game played. This study aims to compare poker and video lottery terminals players (VLTs) on six psychological characteristics (narcissism, sensation seeking, depression, anxiety, cognitive distortions and problem gambling severity) and to examine cognitive distortions as a mediator between personality/mood disturbance and problem gambling severity. The sample consisted of 191 poker players and 81 VLT players. Standard assessments were completed online and by phone within a cross-sectional …

The Cost Of Getting Lost: Measuring The Slot Machine ‘Zone’ With Attentional Dual Tasks, W. Spencer Murch

International Conference on Gambling & Risk Taking

A contemporary stance on regular and problematic electronic gaming machine (EGM) gamblers argues that these individuals use machine gambling as a means of escaping aversive feelings rather than as a means of seeking out excitement. Often called “The Slot Machine Zone,” this hypothesis currently rests on qualitative and anecdotal data suggesting that machine gamblers are somehow lost in the game (Schüll, 2012). Conceptually similar to work on flow and dissociation, the zone hypothesis predicts that problematic EGM play is associated with 1) increased self-reported dissociation / immersion, 2) attenuated peripheral attention, and 3) a positive physiological state as a result. …

Childhood Health Status And Adulthood Cardiovascular Disease Morbidity In Rural China: Are They Related?, Qing Wang, Jay Shen

School of Public Health Faculty Research

Cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) are among the top health problems of the Chinese population. Although mounting evidence suggests that early childhood health status has an enduring effect on late life chronic morbidity, no study so far has analyzed the issue in China. Using nationally representative data from the 2013 China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study (CHARLS), a Probit model and Two-Stage Residual Inclusion estimation estimator were applied to analyze the relationship between childhood health status and adulthood cardiovascular disease in rural China. Good childhood health was associated with reduced risk of adult CVDs. Given the long-term effects of childhood health on …

Developing Therapeutic Communication Skills: Integration Of Standardized Client Simulation In An Associate Degree Nursing Program, Kristine Weber, Timothy Farrell

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

By the year 2020, it is projected that there will be a shortage of 300,000 to one million registered nurses in the United States (Juraschek, Zhang, Ranganathan & Lin, 2012). Therapeutic communication skills are a fundamental and integral part of any registered nurse’s practice. Despite the importance of therapeutic communication, evidence suggests that the lack of skill development in nursing programs is having an adverse effect on the NCLEX-RN pass rate of graduating registered nurses. Identifying and addressing shortfalls in effective communication offers an opportunity to improve this pass rate. Learning to effectively communicate in a simulated situation will provide …

Low Back Pain In Student Nurses: Literature Review And Prospective Cohort Study, Nancy Menzel, Du Feng, Jessica Doolen

Nursing Faculty Research

There is consensus that registered nurses worldwide have a high prevalence of work-related musculoskeletal disorders, particularly of the back. Patient handling activities such as lifting present the highest risk of injury, activities that begin in nursing school. A literature review identified 21 studies of back pain in nursing students, indicating a wide range of prevalence rates. A prospective cohort study of nursing students in a United States baccalaureate program followed 119 students who completed the Nordic Musculoskeletal Questionnaire upon beginning the 16 month upper division major and then a year later. There was no statistically significant change in low back …

The Effects Of Locomotion-Induced Shock Loading On Tibiofemoral Bone Stress Response, Alexa Standerfer, Suzenna Ngo, Karen Daun

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Purpose/Hypothesis: Knee osteoarthritis (Coats, Zioupos, & Aspden) is a degenerative joint disease that negatively impacts the quality of life. About 9.3 million people in the U.S. population are affected. It has been suggested via magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) studies that bone marrow edema (i.e., indicative of bone stress response) and joint structure changes may be the main contributing factors of pain in OA. Frontal plane lower extremity (LE) alignment has been a topic of much interest regarding development of OA in the knee joint. It is hypothesized that varus alignment increases forces through the medial compartment of the knee, thereby …

Identifying Learning Acquired During Debriefing, Shelly J. Reed

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Debriefing, the reflective activity following an experiential learning exercise, has been identified as the most important part of simulation learning and is also important for learning in other activities utilized in nursing education. There is general agreement that debriefing provides learning and improves performance. However, there is little specific evidence about the phenomenon of learning acquired during debriefing, including how it occurs, how it is defined and identified, and how it is evaluated by debriefing facilitators. In addition, there are no instruments or tools specifically measuring learning acquired during debriefing. Without practical and theoretically grounded tools, simulation activities will continue …

Implementation Of The Obesity Prevention And Management (Opm) Guideline To Increase Recognition And Treatment Of Childhood Overweight And Obesity In An Urgent Care Setting, Krystle Denise Apodaca

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Childhood obesity carries multiple significant and costly health associated risk factors. Obese children have a higher risk of cardiovascular disease, diabetes, sleep apnea, bone and joint problems, as well as self-esteem issues. Childhood overweight and obesity are associated with $14.1 billion in healthcare utilization each year. New Mexico (NM) has experienced significant increase in overweight and obesity with associated chronic illnesses over the past 15 years. Addressing the public health crisis of childhood overweight and obesity requires an innovative and broad approach beyond primary care and health policy changes. Urgent care settings are highly accessed by pediatric patients. To address …

The National Diabetes Prevention Program An Intervention For Diabetes Risk Reduction, Kavita Batra

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Diabetes mellitus is among the most frequently occurring chronic conditions, affecting 28 million adults in the Nation. The Nevada diabetes prevalence rate is approaching the National average, with 1 out of 4 diabetic patients experiencing serious clinical complications. Diabetes is typically preceded by a preventable condition classified as prediabetes, in which the blood sugar level exceeds the normal level, yet not enough to be classified as Type 2 diabetes. Prediabetes increases the risk of developing diabetes within 10 years, if not effectively managed. In an attempt to help reduce this risk, the CDC recently introduced an evidence-based intervention, the National …

The Radionuclide Concentration In Dust Collected At The Nellis Dunes Recreational Area, Mathew John Bensen

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Dust Samples were collected from three different location at the Nellis Dunes Recreation Area, each being of a different soil type. These samples were sieved to different particles sizes and then analyzed using a high-purity germanium gamma well detector. The isotopes found in each sample were: Pb-214, Th-231, Pb-212, Cs-137, and K-40. The activities for these isotopes ranged from: 8.36 * 10-7 µCi/g to 3.11 * 10 -6 μCi/g, 2.53 * 10-7 µCi/g to 9.98 * 10-7 µCi/g, 2.17 * 10-7 µCi/g to 2.51 * 10-7 µCi/g, 7.41 * 10-8 µCi/g to 4.22 * 10-7 µCi/g, and 7.38 * 10-6 …

Standardization Of Military Rapid Response Teams, Kristine Patricia Broger

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

The healthcare industry is continuously challenged to improve patient outcomes while remaining focused on cost-containment and patient safety. The National Patient Safety goals (2009) provide healthcare organizations with performance standards aimed at reducing morbidity and mortality rates. Rapid response teams (RRT) are one of the initiatives intended to decrease cardiopulmonary arrests outside the Intensive Care Unit (ICU), decrease unplanned admission into the ICU, and decrease mortality rates.

The last twelve years at war has created a high deployment rate for military medical personal. Each year military hospitals lose an average of eight to ten providers to support the War of …

The Development Of Sexual Attitudes In The Family Of Origin And Sexual Satisfaction Later In Life, Bryant Christlieb

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

The purpose of this study was to determine if variance for individuals’ sexual satisfaction as well as attitudes toward sexual instrumentality, sexual permissiveness, sexual communion and attitudes could be predicted by family sexual communication during adolescence as well as various demographic factors such as age, years together, gender, race, income level, religion, religiosity and sexual orientation. This was done by recruiting 250 people via Mechanical Turk (www.mturk.com) and through undergraduate courses at the University of Nevada-Las Vegas. The researcher used an enter-method multiple regression model and Kendall’s Tau for non-parametric data. The results of this study show that sexual satisfaction …

Differences In Perceived Importance Of Preventative Services And Healthcare Provider Trust Among Hispanics, Jonathan James Gore

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

The Hispanic population varies greatly in their risk factors, health outcomes and access to care by country of origin, level of education and language dominance (Vega & Amaro, 1994) (Fiscella, Franks, Doescher, & Saver, 2002b). The differences within the Hispanic population also extend to their knowledge and attitudes toward health choices and maintenance, where they receive their health information, and what they access to meet their health care needs. Subpopulations within the Hispanic community as defined by language dominance and nativity must be understood as separate and distinct so that the health needs of each can be adequately addressed. The …

Cancer Among Asian American Population In The United States: Incidence And Survival Disparities, Hongbin Jin

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Part I

Cancer incidence disparities exist among specific Asian American populations. However, the existing reports exclude data from large metropoles like Chicago, Houston, and New York. Moreover, incidence rates by subgroup have been underestimated due to the exclusion of Asians with unknown subgroup. Cancer incidence data for 2009 to 2011 for eight states accounting for 68% of the Asian American population were analyzed. Race for cases with unknown subgroup was imputed using stratified proportion models by sex, age, cancer site, and geographic regions. Age-standardized incidence rates were calculated for 17 cancer sites for the six largest Asian subgroups. Our analysis …

A Qualitative Study Of Job Competencies For Healthcare Social Work Administrators: An Application Of The Short Competency Model Process Used To Identify The Behaviors And Personal Characteristics Of Exemplary Performers, Lashonda Jones-Moore

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Job competencies are central to every organization’ s human resource management system. Competencies can be used to help organizations create high performance cultures, select and hire a workforce, develop leaders, and establish a foundation for training strategies. Social work, as a profession, has developed competency models for many specialized fields of social work. Health is the second most common practice area reported by social workers with a master’ s degree in social work, the predominant social work degree for licensed social workers. In highly structured, rapidly evolving, and complex organizations such as healthcare systems, leaders and managers require distinctively different …

Investigation Of Sequential Intermittent Pneumatic Compression Effect On Run Performance, Max Evan Jones

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

The main aim of this study was to determine if IPC after a 5000 m run influences maximal effort 1600 m run performance. A secondary purpose was to determine if the level of IPC pressure used influences run performance. Nine subjects (6 male and 3 female were included in the study; 30 years±5.19 years; Height 173.72cm±8.25; Weight; 72.54±9.97 kg). These subjects were recruited to be in this study via word of mouth or social media advertisement in the Las Vegas area. Participant inclusion criteria was 18- 50 year old apparently healthy, had been running a minimum of 20 miles a …

A Study On Automated Process For Extracting White Blood Cellular Data From Microscopic Digital Injured Skeletal Muscle Images, Bibek Karki

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Skeletal muscle injury is one of the common injuries caused by high-intensity sports activities, military related works, and natural disasters. In order to discover better therapies, it is important to study muscle regeneration process. Muscle regeneration process tracking is the act of monitoring injured tissue section over time, noting white blood cell behavior and cell-fiber relations. A large number of microscopic images are taken for tracking muscle regeneration process over multiple time instances. Currently, manual approach is widely used to analyze a microscopic image of muscle cross section, which is time consuming, tedious and buggy.

Automation of this research methodology …

Creating A Dynamic, Multi-Purpose Correction For Multiple Geometries And Field Sizes To Account For Off-Axis And Asymmetric Backscatter With Varian Portal Dosimetry, Remy Manigold

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Intensity modulated radiation therapy and volumetric modulated arc therapy are increasingly common in radiation therapy due to their benefits of target conformity and normal tissue sparing. Due to the complexities of plan delivery and the precision required, the dose delivered must be accurately measured for quality assurance (QA). One of the most efficient ways to perform patient-specific QA when using clinical linear accelerators (linac) is to use an electronic portal imaging device (EPID). Amorphous silicon (aSi) Electronic Portal Imaging Devices (EPIDs) are attached to the linac and can provide real-time feedback with spatial resolution on the order of sub-millimeter pixel …

Understanding The Preparation And Support Needed For Undergraduate Clinical Faculty, Sara Mcpherson

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

ABSTRACT

Even as nursing programs attempt to meet public demands for more registered nurses in the workforce, they are challenged with finding qualified clinical faculty to teach them. Many programs have had to turn away otherwise qualified applicants due to lack of faculty. One solution to the shortage of nursing faculty has been to increase the number of part-time clinical faculty. Many clinical faculty hired for part-time positions hold degrees outside of nursing education. Additionally, new, full-time faculty are frequently expected to immediately begin teaching one or more clinical groups. While those new full-time and part-time faculty enter their role …

The Effect Of Attachment Placement And Location On Rotational Control Of Conical Teeth Using Clear Aligner Therapy, Pouya Momtaz

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Objective: To determine the optimal method to correct rotations of conical teeth using

thermoplastic appliances with and without attachments.

Introduction: Despite the increasing popularity of clear aligner therapy there are still questions as to its effectiveness, efficiency, case selection and limitations. It has been reported that the full prescription for clear aligners is not expressed, and that the mean accuracy of any type of tooth movement using clear aligners is only 41% (Drake, 2012). One of the major limitations of clear aligner therapy is correction of rotated conical teeth, especially canines and premolars (Kravitz, 2008). According to Simon, et al. …

Effectiveness Of Commercially-Available Cosmetic Cleaners On Cosmetics And Cosmetic Brushes, Vanessa Ortiz

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

The complex nature of skin contributes to the microbial population present on its surface. While normal skin flora is either beneficial or has no effect on the body, there are instances where pathogenic microorganisms are present and can cause infections. Damaged skin is more susceptible to infections from these microbes. Behavioral characteristics, such as the use of cosmetics, can affect the microbial population present on the skin. Staphylococcus aureus is the organism most commonly isolated from cosmetics, and it can be responsible for conjunctivitis, impetigo, boils, and folliculitis.

There are many ways microbial contamination of cosmetics can occur, such as …

Delirium Education Program For Critical Care Nurses: A Mixed Methods Study, Meredith Padilla Padilla

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Approximately 10-30% of hospital admissions develop delirium where nearly 30-40% of the delirium cases are preventable. Non-detection rates by acute care healthcare workers were reported at 72-75%. Hence, it is crucial for hospitals to develop delirium education programs focused on early recognition and prevention. Thus, the purpose of this mixed method study was to develop and evaluate the effect of a delirium education program (DEP) on improving critical care nurses’ knowledge and self-confidence in identifying delirium and the associated risk factors. In the quantitative strand (Phase I) of the study, both the intervention and control groups completed the online pre-tests …

The Relationship Between Clinical Teaching Models And Perceived Clinical Self-Efficacy And Attitude Toward Team Process, Christina H. Plemmons

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Nurse educators are called to transform the education of nursing students, a process that is paramount to meet the needs of an increasingly complex health care system. The complexity of health care requires graduate nurses who are self-efficacious, yet also function well as full members of a health care team. In response to this call, clinical instruction, an essential component of nursing education, is receiving increased attention. Clinical education is vital, not only to the development of clinical self-efficacy, but also to the integration of future nurses into a health care team. To further this education process, faculty members from …

Cultural Competence Of Nurse Practitioners: Providing Care For Gay And Lesbian Clients, Paul Steven Smith

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Nurse practitioners provide care to an increasing number of diverse individuals who are faced with specific healthcare needs, as well as health disparities. This care encompasses those individuals who identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual, or transgender (LGBT). These individuals may have experienced delivery of healthcare by providers who lacked the necessary knowledge and/or skills needed to adequately address the needs of this specific client population. Many in the LGBT population have faced prejudice, bias, or homophobia from healthcare providers that became a barrier to accessing healthcare. In order to avoid potential barriers, nurse practitioners who function increasingly as primary care …

Impacts To Phytoplankton After The Establishment Of Quagga Mussels In Lake Mead, Nevada, Warren Bruce Turkett

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Quagga mussels (Dreissena rostriformis bugensis) are an invasive species that were discovered in Lake Mead in January of 2007, and rapidly spread throughout the lake. Quagga mussels are about the size of a fingernail, but are known to clog pipes, damage infrastructure and alter ecosystems. In large numbers, mussels can have a dramatic impact on an ecosystem by reducing the phytoplankton and potentially increasing toxin producing cyanobacteria. This research analyzed data collected from three separate basins in Lake Mead to determine if water quality characteristics that are commonly impacted by invasive mussels have changed. Transparency, chlorophyll-a, phytoplankton and zooplankton samples …

Eight Steps To Weight Loss: Development Of An Evidence-Based Collaborative Provider-Patient Workbook For Overweight Or Obese Adults, Katherine Ann Wagner

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Despite decades of effort on the part of health care providers and policy makers to reduce the prevalence of obesity, the prevalence of obesity in the United States remains high (CDC, 2015). In the adult population ages 20 years of age and older, 35.7% are considered obese. The annual medical costs for people who are obese are $1,429 higher than people of a healthy weight (CDC, 2013). Obesity increases the risk for chronic health conditions such as hypertension, type 2 diabetes, hypercholesterolemia, coronary heart disease, stroke, asthma, arthritis, and cancer (Hammond & Levine, 2010). Over-weight and obesity are the main …

Human Touch: Perceptions Of Self-Efficacy From A Non-Pharmacology Treatment For Individuals Living With Hiv/Aids, Anne Elizabeth Weisman

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

HIV/AIDS and a subsequent drug regimen can create many negative symptoms and side

effects that lead those infected to seek out alternative and complementary therapies as treatments. Massage therapy is an ancient form of treatment that is now gaining popularity as part of the integrative medicine movement. A phenomenological, qualitative research study was conducted at Aid for AIDS of Nevada (AFAN). Participants received a massage and rich descriptive narratives were captured from the 12 participants, six female and six male, ranging in age from 30-67 years of age. The interviews were transcribed and coded for themes. For the purpose of …

Microbial Contamination Of Ice At Food Establishments In Las Vegas, Nevada, Jerry Wills

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

When food establishments make ice for consumption, it is important to use water free of pathogens and to employ hygienic practices. Freezing can reduce the number of culturable microorganisms present in water but does not eliminate them completely. Coliform bacteria are used as an indicator of water quality and are used to test for fecal contamination. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) establishes standards for drinking water, and has set a goal for zero total coliforms. Another commonly used tool to measure water quality is the heterotrophic plate count (HPC). The EPA limit for HPC is 500 colony forming units …