Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

At-Risk And Problem Gambling In Families - Finnish Population-Based Study With Register-Linkage, Tiina Latvala

International Conference on Gambling & Risk Taking

Families of problem gamblers experience harms, however, there are no population level estimates as to how many families in Finland are exposed to at-risk and problem gambling (ARPG) of a family member. The study analyzed data from Finnish Gambling 2019, a nationally representative study with register linkage, to derive how many families are exposed to ARPG of a family member. It also examined whether the exposing to ARPG of a family member would be more common among low-income families or in families that had received social assistance.

The results showed that 9% of families were exposed to at-risk gambling (ARG) …

Psychosocial Characteristics Of Gambling Addicts – Does It Matter When They Start Their Treatment?, Neven Ricijas Phd, Dora Dodig Hundric Phd, Sabina Mandic Ma, Sanja Radic Bursac Ma, Davor Bodor Phd

International Conference on Gambling & Risk Taking

Abstract:

Gambling disorder is well known as a hidden addiction and therefore is subjected to a prolonged time in seeking treatment. During the development of addiction, the psychosocial functioning is more openly or covertly disrupted, and gambling addicts manifest various problems and risky behaviors. At the same time, motivational mechanism for seeking professional help are complex and influenced by different individual circumstances.

This study was conducted with N=315 patients in the Daily Clinic for Gambling Addiction. The psychosocial functioning of the patients is assessed at the beginning of the treatment, while a specific aim of this paper is to explore …

Validity Of Fitbit And Garmin Devices While Ascending And Descending Flights Of Stairs, Alan Garcia

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Two popular wearable fitness device brands are Fitbit and Garmin. The validity of Fitbit and Garmin’s wrist-worn devices in measuring step counts in various settings, such as walking up and down a staircase, is unclear. PURPOSE: To determine if four devices, the Fitbit Charge 2, Fitbit Versa 2, Garmin Fēnix 5 and Garmin Vívosmart HR+ record valid measures of step count when ascending and descending flights of stairs at three different speeds. METHODS: Twenty-eight participants (n=28) were tested individually. Two devices were randomly selected to be placed on each wrist. Participants climbed up and then down one, two, and three …

Safety And Efficacy Of Fecal Microbiota Transplantation In Treatment Of Inflammatory Bowel Disease In The Pediatric Population: A Systematic Review And Meta-Analysis, Mark Hsu, Kyaw Min Tun, Kavita Batra, Lubaba Haque, Tahne Vongsavath, Annie S. Hong Md

School of Medicine Faculty Research

Background and Aims: Fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) has been increasingly studied in the inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) population. However, most studies have focused on the adult population, and the safety and efficacy of FMT in a pediatric population is less well understood. This systematic review and meta-analysis investigates the safety and efficacy of FMT in a pediatric IBD population.

Methods: A comprehensive literature search of publications published prior to 30 June 2022 was undertaken. Safety data, IBD-related outcomes, and microbiome analysis were obtained from these studies when accessible. Individual estimates of each study were pooled, and sensitivity analysis was conducted. …

The Black Progress Index In Mountain West Metropolitan Statistical Areas (Msas), Zachary Billot, Caitlin J. Saladino, William E. Brown Jr.

Demography

This fact sheet examines data from the Brookings Institution report, “Black Progress Index: Examining Social Factors That Influence Black Well-Being” authored by Andre Perry and Jonathan Rothwell in September 2022. The Black Progress Index (BPI) score is constructed using data and social factors that impact life expectancy for Black Americans. This fact sheet compares the BPI with the actual life expectancy of Black people in Mountain West metropolitan statistical areas (MSAs). This fact sheet also examines each of the 13 variables included in the original report to present the BPI in the Las Vegas-Henderson-Paradise, NV MSA.

The Psychometric Properties Of The Modified Fear Of Falling Avoidance Behavior Questionnaire In Parkinson’S Disease And Older Adults, Billy La, Arturo Aldaco, Ashley Haller

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Background/purpose: The Fear of Falling Avoidance Behavior Questionnaire (FFABQ), developed in 2011 to measure fear of falling avoidance behavior, has good evidence for reliability and validity. However, a recently modified version (mFFABQ) is theorized to be easier to understand for those completing the questionnaire because the Likert responses are more logical in completing the item stem. The purpose of this study was to examine the test-retest reliability and construct validity of the mFFABQ in adults with Parkinson’s Disease (PD) and older adults aged 60-90 years. Methods: Thirty-nine participants (age 72.21 ± 9.5; 29 men, 10 women) diagnosed with PD (diagnosis …

Utilization And Perception Of Peer-Support After Lower Limb Loss In The United States: Potential Benefits On Mobility Outcomes, Moriah Maluotoga, Roopkiran Thind

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Introduction: Limb loss is a life-changing event that significantly impacts patients’ functioning as well as psychosocial well-being. Psychosocial support in the form of amputee peer-support is widely recognized as beneficial to individuals after lower limb loss (LLL). However, there is currently a lack of research on the utilization of peer-support after LLL and its perceived benefits to function. The purpose of this cross-sectional study was to examine and quantify participants’ experiences with peer-support after LLL, and how peer-support experience is associated with mobility outcomes. We hypothesized that participants with LLL would express generally positive experiences with peer-support and that it …

Acute Effects Of Post-Activation Potentiation On Increasing Bat Velocity In Competitive Baseball Players: A Case Series, Phillipp Yu, John Macdonald, Katrina Myers

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Purpose/Hypothesis: Hitting a baseball is widely considered as one of the most difficult motor tasks in sports. It requires quick decision-making and coordinated activation of key muscles to produce a precise and rapid swing. Higher bat velocity has been shown to be associated with offensive performance of baseball players, as greater bat velocities permit more time to be spent analyzing a pitch and can lead to greater outcomes when a ball is hit in play. Baseball players and coaches have traditionally sought on-deck routines to temporarily enhance bat velocity before an at-bat, primarily swinging a weight bat. However, this method …

The Feasibility Of A Large-Amplitude Aquatic-Based Exercise Occupational Therapy Program For Individuals With Early Parkinson’S Disease, Brigitte Baker

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Purpose: The purpose of this research was to determine if a 4-week aquatic-based, large-amplitude exercise program would increase strength and coordination for occupational performance in areas of activities of daily living (ADLs) and mobility in individuals with Parkinson's disease (PD) stage I-II, functional mobility as measured by Timed Up and Go test, and quality of life as measured by PDQ-39 in relation to occupational engagement.Methodology: Recruitment was through capstone placement site, Hands on Rehab, 7921 Professional Circle, Huntington Beach, CA 92648, in which a signed EAA was on file. Informed Consent was reviewed by the student-clinician as well as the …

Lumbopelvic Biomechanics And Muscle Performance In Individuals With Unilateral Transfemoral Amputation: Implications For Lower Back Pain, Jason Ciccotelli

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Many people with lower extremity amputation (LEA) experience lower back pain (LBP). The amount of pain they experienced can be debilitating and severely interferes with activities of daily living. Previous studies have explored LBP in populations without LEA, and the evidence is also growing within the limb loss population. However, the mechanism for the high prevalence of LBP after LEA remains unclear. The lower back muscles, specifically the multifidi muscles, play an important role in stabilization of the spine during motion, and LBP has been associated with decreased mobility in patient populations, but the degree of dysfunction in the spinal …

Oxygen Consumption In Highly Skilled Baseball Pitchers, Jesse Clingman

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

The purpose of this study was to describe the physiological demands of highly skilled baseball pitchers during pitching, along with pitch metrics. Three junior college and three professional (n = 6) baseball pitchers participated in this study. Participants completed a graded exercise test (GXT) to volitional exhaustion to determine maximal oxygen consumption (VO2 max) and estimated body fat percentage, height, and body mass were measured on day one of testing. Next, participants faced live batters on a baseball field while wearing a portable metabolic analyzer (Cosmed K5) to measure respiratory gases including oxygen consumption (VO2) and carbon dioxide produced (VCO2) …

Differential Effects Of Extracellular Matrix Glycoproteins Fibronectin And Laminin-5 On Dental Pulp Stem Cell Phenotypes And Responsiveness, Hyungbin Lee

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Dental pulp stem cells (DPSCs) are mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) with the potential to differentiate in a limited number of other tissue types. Some evidence has suggested the modulation of DPSC growth may be mediated, in part, by exogenous extracellular matrix (ECM) glycoproteins, including fibronectin (FN) and laminin-5 (LN5). Although preliminary research suggests that some ECM glycoproteins may work as functional biomaterials to modulate DPSC growth responses, the primary goal of this project is to determine the specific effects of FN and LN5 on DPSC growth and viability.Using an existing DPSC repository, n = 16 DPSC isolates were cultured and …

Telehealth In Patients With Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus, Saghi Nassrouie

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Description: Type 2 diabetes mellitus (DM2) is an epidemic that has many factors involved in its management to maintain control. Patients with DM2 require routine evaluations and blood work to provide comprehensive care. COVID-19 caused major shifts in traditional care which sparked an increase in the utilization of technology like telehealth. Telehealth can be an effective tool used to manage diabetes and help attain better glucose control, but its effectiveness during the COVID-19 pandemic warrants further investigation.Purpose: The purpose of this project was to determine if telehealth visits were more effective in reducing Hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) in adult patients with …

Development And Usefulness Of An Advocacy Toolkit To Promote Systems-Level Advocacy Among Occupational Therapy Students In Nevada, Mary Angela Mendoza Terencio

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Advocating at the systems level to influence legislation and regulation can protect, promote, and progress the occupational therapy profession. This quality improvement project aimed to create and evaluate an advocacy toolkit for professional students in Nevada. The toolkit was developed under the guidance of a team of advocacy experts and leaders. Twenty-five students were recruited through convenience sampling to evaluate the toolkit. Data was collected through a one-group pretest-posttest qualitative improvement design to capture changes in awareness of Nevada-specific regulatory and legislative information, attitudes toward advocacy efforts, and the toolkit’s usability. Comparisons between the pre- and post-toolkit surveys were analyzed …

Musculoskeletal Injury Concealment In The Reserve Officers’ Training Corps, Joshua D. Wooldridge

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

INTRODUCTION: Among service members, musculoskeletal injuries threaten military readiness and place a substantial burden on medical and financial resources. While musculoskeletal injuries (MSKIs) are a leading threat to military readiness, service members’ unwillingness to seek care constrains current prevention and surveillance efforts. A growing body of evidence shows US service members conceal a large proportion of injuries, especially in training environments. The Reserve Officers’ Training Corps is a critical training environment for future US military commissioned officers. Reserve Officers’ Training Corps (ROTC) is the largest commissioning source of new officers for the US military. ROTC cadets are college students concurrently …

Utilizing An Interdisciplinary Approach: Education Of Early Progressive Mobility Protocol In The Icu/Acute Setting, Mary Ashley Galan-Gornal

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, Early Progressive Mobility (EPM) was used more frequently in an interdisciplinary approach to improve patient outcomes. The aim is to create a protocol that takes an interdisciplinary approach and makes use of early progressive mobility. In the acute setting, occupational therapists are equipped to promote quality of life and independence both, during and after hospitalization, which is critical for early mobilization being beneficial for patients who are able to participate in therapy.This Doctoral Capstone project was aimed at demonstrating the value of occupational therapists in the intensive care unit (ICU)/acute setting by utilizing EPM in …

An Educational Sleep Hygiene Module For Unlv Students To Promote Occupational Performance, Therese Fernandez

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Does participation in a sleep hygiene educational module improve perceived ability to practice habits supporting increased engagement for leisure occupations in UNLV students? Sleep hygiene refers to a set of rules or practices to promote and allow for better sleep quality. Poor sleep quality is a prevalent problem among college students due to numerous reasons, including poor sleep hygiene. Since there is a strong correlation between poor sleep quality and daily function and given that occupational therapists assist clients to function optimally in activities of daily living despite impairment, it is essential to expand this area of practice to include …

Increasing Self-Perceived Competence In Performing Independent Living Skills Among Unhoused Youth And Young Adults, Stacie M. Gomez

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Purpose: The aim of this project is to determine if the development and implementation of an independent living skills workshop would improve the perceived competence of unhoused youth in performing independent living skills.Methods: The Casey Life Skills Short Assessment was used as a pre-test and post-test. It was found that unhoused young adults generally scored low on finding affordable housing, budgeting, banking skills, education training, and feeling a sense of pride in their lives. A four-week independent living skills program was designed and implemented, which included workshops focused on identified needs. The data was analyzed using a Paired Samples t-Test …

Maternal Health In The Context Of Social, Political, And Economic Change Among Hadzabe Foragers Of Tanzania, Kristen Herlosky

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Many low and middle-income countries have implemented new national policy measures aimed at reducing maternal morbidity and mortality due to globalized efforts to improve women’s maternal health. One of the main goals is to move childbirth into hospital facilities and improve health access and education outreach. For Indigenous communities around the world, these measures have fallen short of their goals. Indigenous women suffer from greater social, political, and economic disparities and inequalities, have poorer health indicators overall, and worse maternal health outcomes compared to their non-Indigenous counterparts. For small-scale communities, we have limited data on reproductive health among women, specifically …

Chemotherapeutic Drug Resistance Associated With Differential Mirna Expression Of Mir-375 And Mir-27 Among Oral Cancer Cell Lines, Kieran Huni

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Objective: Although progress has been made towards the identification of molecular profiles that influence oral cancer growth and metastasis, recent advances have suggested that non-coding microRNAs (such as miR-21, miR-27, miR-145, miR-155, miR-365, miR-375 and miR-494) may be involved in multiple aspects of chemotherapeutic responsiveness. Based upon the paucity of information regarding this phenomenon, this project will determine whether these specific microRNAs are correlated with oral cancer responsiveness to chemotherapies, including Paclitaxel, Cisplatin and Fluorouracil (5FU).Methods: Commercially available and well-characterized oral squamous cell carcinoma cell lines (SCC4, SCC9, SCC15, SCC25 and CAL27) were used for this study. Experimental 96-well assays …

Investigating Students’ Lived Experience With Prebriefing Structure And Elements In Nursing Simulation Education, Meghan Liebzeit

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Prebriefing is a growing body of knowledge in nursing simulation education. It is recognized as an important factor in the simulation experience, however the practice of prebriefing varies widely making it difficult to understand what methods best prepare students for the simulation scenario. While research over the last decade has identified prebriefing increases confidence, skills, and clinical judgment, what content is important to include in prebriefing, or how it promotes the achievement of outcomes is under recognized.Implementing an intervention based on a pedagogically sound eight-week simulation clinical course, developed with the theoretical underpinnings of Vygotsky’s Zone of Proximal Development, Kolb’s …

Dental Pulp Stem Cell Differentiation Potential Of Bmp-2 And Bmp-4, David Li

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Introduction: Many studies are now evaluating the potential for dental pulp stem cells (DPSC) to assist with more complex and biotechnology applications, such as facilitating and promoting osseointegration following dental implants. However, the effects of factors that may control osseointegration and bone repair using DPSC including bone morphogenic proteins (BMP-2, BMP-4) are not yet well understood.Objective: Based upon this lack of evidence, the primary goal of this project is to evaluate the potential effects of BMPs (alone or in combination with other growth factors) to induce factors associated with osteogenesis. Methods: DPSC isolates from an existing repository (n = 13) …

The Covid-19 Pandemic And On-Time Vaccine Completion In The Childhood Population: A Strategic Plan, Chris Elaine Mariano

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

In March 2020, the entire world was placed into lockdown due to the COVID-19 virus, which impacted everyday life, including healthcare. People were scared to leave their homes and obtain preventative services, including vaccinations from birth to adulthood. There was a significant decrease in childhood vaccinations due to the COVID-19 pandemic. A strategy mix is defined as an intervention utilized for vaccination improvement. Strategy mixes were implemented to improve vaccination administration, and ultimately, vaccination rates. However, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, these strategy mixes or interventions were placed on hold causing immunization administration to decrease which could cause vaccine-preventable diseases …

Enhanced Iot-Based Electrocardiogram Monitoring System With Deep Learning, Jian Ni

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Due to the rapid development of computing and sensing technologies, Internet of Things (IoT)-based cardiac monitoring plays a crucial role in providing patients with cost-efficient solutions for long-term, continuous, and pervasive electrocardiogram (ECG) monitoring outside a hospital setting. In a typical IoT-based ECG monitoring system, ECG signals are picked up by sensors located on the edge, and then uploaded to the remote cloud servers. ECG interpretation is performed for the collected ECGs in the cloud servers and the analysis results can be made instantly available to the patients as well as their healthcare providers.In this dissertation, we first examine the …

Independent Living Skills Training For Individuals With Serious Mental Illness Through Program Development And Grant Writing, Bianca Rideout

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Serious mental illnesses can affect an individual’s level of independence. Oftentimes, individuals with such mental illnesses require assistance from a family member or paid caregiver to live in the community successfully. Occupational therapists work with people across the lifespan to improve an individual’s independence and overall well-being through meaningful occupations. Activities of daily living (ADLs) and instrumental activities of daily living (IADLs) are both comprised of tasks that are often completed by a person on a regular basis. Occupational therapists habilitate and rehabilitate people to be able to complete ADLs and IADLs as independently as possible. Many ADLs and IADLs …

Exploration Of Occupational Therapy Program Development Through Nih Grant Writing, Larissa Silcox

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

There is a gap in current literature which describes the effects of yoga-based exercise on the physical health, mental health, and well-being among adults with Down syndrome (Ds). In addition, there is limited research available which describes the impact these effects may have on participation in everyday occupations. Individuals with Ds are living longer lives and will require evidence-based occupational therapy (OT) interventions to ensure healthy growth, development across the lifespan, and ability to participate in meaningful occupations as they age. The current project explores the process of writing a National Institutes of Health R03 grant application that includes a …

Yoga As An Occupational Therapy Intervention For Inpatient Rehabilitation, Sydney Sladek

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

The purpose of this capstone project was to develop and determine if an adapted and individualized yoga-based program can support and have an impact on patients’ physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual health and improve patients’ perceptions of recovery at Encompass Health Rehabilitation Hospital of Henderson. This was a project focused on quality improvement, focused on the ACOTE focus area of clinical program development in which the student developed and tested outcomes of an occupational therapy (OT) program in a clinical setting. The research design was a quality improvement design with pre and post-measures. Five patients participated in the program one …

Exploring The Usefulness Of The Alert Program On Children With Developmental Delays Or Disabilities At Positively Kids, Ashley Cassandra Manabat Tolentino

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

This quality improvement project explored the implementation of the Alert Program's (AP) first and second phases within the Foundation for Positively Kids social skills program, PK Social ETC. This study focused on three staff members' perception of the Alert Program's usefulness on their clients' self-regulation skills and occupational participation when engaged in their daily social skills group. The Alert Program was delivered through weekly education sessions for the staff, followed by two groups involving the children to provide visual demonstrations for the staff over eight weeks. Data was collected through a pre- and post-survey using a Qualtrics survey to capture …

An Adolescent Concussion Management Toolkit For Occupational Therapists, Coby Yoshimura

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

The aim of this project was to demonstrate the role occupational therapists may serve during concussion recovery, by integrating current research and findings into an instructional resource from an occupational therapy (OT) lens. An OT-based toolkit was created to prioritize the identification, assessment, and treatment of two realms of concussion management: functional cognition and vision. The development of a pre and post survey using a modified version of the Generalized Self-Efficacy (GSE) scale was used to determine occupational therapists’ perceived self-efficacy before and after reviewing the created OT-based toolkit. A related samples Wilcoxon signed rank-test was used to analyze pre …

Fear Of Recurrence As A Mediator Of Illness Perception And Perceived Stress In Acute Myocardial Infarction Survivors, Sarah E. Zvonar

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Purpose: The primary objective of this study is to evaluate fear of recurrence as a mediator of illness perception and perceived stress. This research will determine how illness perceptions and fear of recurrence affect perceived stress in the acute myocardial infarction (AMI) population. Other aims will observe how demographics predict patients who may experience increased fear of recurrence and stress in the AMI population, how the variables of fear of recurrence change over time, and if fear of recurrence is still a significant mediator after controlling for depression and anxiety.Rational/ Conceptual Basis/ Background: Acute myocardial infarctions (AMIs) are often accompanied …