Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

Hallucinet-Ing Spatiotemporal Representations Using A 2d-Cnn, Paritosh Parmar, Brendan Morris

Electrical & Computer Engineering Faculty Research

Spatiotemporal representations learned using 3D convolutional neural networks (CNN) are currently used in state-of-the-art approaches for action-related tasks. However, 3D-CNN are notorious for being memory and compute resource intensive as compared with more simple 2D-CNN architectures. We propose to hallucinate spatiotemporal representations from a 3D-CNN teacher with a 2D-CNN student. By requiring the 2D-CNN to predict the future and intuit upcoming activity, it is encouraged to gain a deeper understanding of actions and how they evolve. The hallucination task is treated as an auxiliary task, which can be used with any other action-related task in a multitask learning setting. Thorough …

The Effect Of Stress And Acculturation On The Self-Rated Health Of Arab Americans, Abdul-Rahman Suleiman, Arash Javanbakht, Keith Whitfield

Office of the President Faculty Publications

BACKGROUND: The self-rated health of Arab Americans has been found to be worse than non-Hispanic whites. Psychosocial factors such as stress and acculturation may explain this disparity. As a result, we designed this survey to better understand the effects of stress and acculturation on the self-rated health of the Arab-American community. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Using a convenience sample, we surveyed 142 self-identified Arab Americans regarding demographics, stress, acculturation, and self-rated health. Stress was measured using instruments assessing perceived stress, everyday discrimination, and acculturative stress. Acculturation was measured using a modified Vancouver Index of Acculturation. To measure self-rated health, participants were …

The Onset Of Exercise-Associated Hyponatremia And Individual Differences In Inappropriate Arginine Vasopressin Excretion: A Review Of Proposed Mechanisms, Michelle Stehman, Stephen A. Maris

Topics in Exercise Science and Kinesiology

Topics in Exercise Science and Kinesiology Volume 2: Issue 1, Article 10, 2021. Exercise-associated hyponatremia (EAH) has been reported to develop during endurance events such as triathlons and marathons. As these events become more popular, the incidence of developing EAH also increases. The development of EAH is commonly associated with the overconsumption of hypotonic fluids such as water and tends to be more prevalent in females. There is also evidence to suggest the inappropriate secretion of arginine vasopressin (AVP) leading to water retention may predispose an individual for developing EAH, especially when coupled with the overconsumption of fluids. Recent research …

Global, Regional, And National Progress Towards Sustainable Development Goal 3.2 For Neonatal And Child Health: All-Cause And Cause-Specific Mortality Findings From The Global Burden Of Disease Study 2019, Asma Awan, Numerous Authors, See Full List Below

Environmental & Global Health Faculty Research

Background: Sustainable Development Goal 3.2 has targeted elimination of preventable child mortality, reduction of neonatal death to less than 12 per 1000 livebirths, and reduction of death of children younger than 5 years to less than 25 per 1000 livebirths, for each country by 2030. To understand current rates, recent trends, and potential trajectories of child mortality for the next decade, we present the Global Burden of Diseases, Injuries, and Risk Factors Study (GBD) 2019 findings for all-cause mortality and cause-specific mortality in children younger than 5 years of age, with multiple scenarios for child mortality in 2030 that include …

The Economic Sustainability Of Culture In Hawai’I: Tourists’ Willingness To Pay For Hawaiian Cultural Experiences, Gabriella Andrade, Holly Itoga, Catherine Linnes, Jerome Agrusa, Joseph Lema

Hospitality Faculty Research

Given the current travel restrictions with the COVID-19 pandemic, there is an unprecedented opportunity for Hawai’i to reexamine its current tourism offerings and establish a new approach to support a more authentic, cultural, and sustainable tourism for the U.S. domestic tourist market. As tourists from the continental U.S. are the largest source market for visitors to Hawai’i, the purpose of this study is to examine the trend towards an “authentic cultural” tourism experience and evaluate whether U.S. visitors will be willing to pay for a deeper integration and representation of Hawaiian culture in tourism offerings. The contingent valuation method (CVM) …

Educational Attainment Of Same-Sex And Opposite-Sex Dizygotic Twins: An Individual-Level Pooled Study Of 19 Twin Cohorts, Keith E. Whitfield, Numerous Authors, See Full List Below

Office of the President Faculty Publications

Comparing twins from same- and opposite-sex pairs can provide information on potential sex differences in a variety of outcomes, including socioeconomic-related outcomes such as educational attainment. It has been suggested that this design can be applied to examine the putative role of intrauterine exposure to testosterone for educational attainment, but the evidence is still disputed. Thus, we established an international database of twin data from 11 countries with 88,290 individual dizygotic twins born over 100 years and tested for differences between twins from same- and opposite-sex dizygotic pairs in educational attainment. Effect sizes with 95% confidence intervals (CI) were estimated …

Does Low Income Effects 5-Year Mortality Of Hepatocellular Carcinoma Patients?, Dong Jun Kim, Ji Won Yoo, Jong Wha Chang, Takashi Yamashita, Eun-Cheol Park, Kyu-Tae Han, Seung Ju Kim, Sun Jung Kim

School of Medicine Faculty Research

Background: In Korea, the universal health system offers coverage to all members of society. Despite this, it is unclear whether risk of death from hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) varies depending on income. We evaluated the impact of low income on HCC mortality. Methods: The Korean National Health Insurance sampling cohort was used to identify new HCC cases (n = 7325) diagnosed between 2004 and 2008, and the Korean Community Health Survey data were used to investigate community-level effects. The main outcome was 5-year all-cause mortality risk, and Cox proportional hazard models were applied to investigate the individual- and community-level factors associated …

Valproic Acid Autoinduction: A Case-Based Review, Sean Bennett, Mujeeb U. Shad

School of Medicine Faculty Research

Although valproic acid (VPA) induces the metabolism of multiple other drugs, the clinical reports of VPA autoinduction are rare. A comprehensive literature search yielded only one published case series, which provided the rationale to conduct a review of the published cases along with a new case of VPA autoinduction. Although there may be myriad of reasons for lack of published cases of VPA autoinduction, potential underreporting may be one of the core reasons. Lack of understanding into the highly complex metabolism of VPA may also make it difficult to recognize and report VPA autoinduction. However, it is important to mention …

Skilled Maneuvering: Evaluation Of A Young Driver Advanced Training Program, Samantha A. Slinkard-Barnum, Laura K. Gryder-Culver, Kavita Batra, Paul J. Chestovich, Deborah A. Kuhls

Department of Surgery Faculty Research

BACKGROUND: Young drivers (YDs) are disproportionately injured and killed in motor vehicle crashes throughout the United States. Nationally, YDs aged 16 to 20 years constituted nearly 9% of all traffic-related fatalities in 2018. A Nevada Advanced Driver Training (ADT) program for YDs aims to reduce YD traffic injuries and fatalities through four modules taught by professional drivers. The program modules include classroom-based didactic lessons and hands-on driving exercises intended to improve safe driving knowledge and behaviors. The overarching purpose of this study was to determine if theNevada ADT programachieved its objectives for improving safe driving knowledge and behaviors based on …

Childhood Exposure To Per- And Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (Pfas) And Neurobehavioral Domains In Children At Age 8 Years, Ann M. Vuong, Kimberly Yolton, Changchun Xie, Kim N. Dietrich, Joseph M. Braun, Glenys M. Webster, Antonia M. Calafat, Bruce P. Lanphear, Aimin Chen

Environmental & Global Health Faculty Research

Background: Toxicological studies have raised concerns regarding the neurotoxic effects of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS). However, observational evidence from human studies investigating the association between childhood PFAS and neurobehavior is limited and remains unclear. Objectives: To examine whether childhood PFAS concentrations are associated with neurobehavior in children at age 8 years and whether child sex modifies this relationship. Methods: We used data from 208 mother-child dyads in the Health Outcomes and Measures of the Environment (HOME) Study, a prospective pregnancy and birth cohort (Cincinnati, OH, USA). We quantified PFAS in child serum at 3 and 8 years. We assessed …

Relationship Between Cognitive Performance And Lower Extremity Biomechanics: Implications For Sports-Related Concussion, Jason M. Avedesian, Tracey Covassin, Shelby Baez, Jennifer Nash, Ed Nagelhout, Janet S. Dufek

Physical Therapy Faculty Research

Background: Collegiate athletes with prior sports-related concussion (SRC) are at increased risk for lower extremity (LE) injuries; however, the biomechanical and cognitive mechanisms underlying the SRC-LE injury relationship are not well understood. Purpose: To examine the association between cognitive performance and LE land-and-cut biomechanics among collegiate athletes with and without a history of SRC and to determine the association among multiple cognitive testing batteries in the same athlete cohort. Study Design: Controlled laboratory study. Methods: A cohort of 20 collegiate athletes with prior SRC (9 men, 11 women; mean ± standard deviation [SD] age, 20.5 ± 1.3 years; mean ± …

Consensus-Based Standards And Indicators To Strengthen Trauma Center Injury And Violence Prevention Programs, Christy Adams, Deborah A. Kuhls, Shelli Stephens-Stidham, Julie Alfonso, Stewart Williams, Glen H. Tinkoff

School of Medicine Faculty Research

For decades, the American College of Surgeons Committee on Trauma (ACSCOT) has published Resources for Optimal Care of the Injured Patient, which outlines specific criteria necessary to be verified by the college as a trauma center, including having an organized and effective approach to prevention of trauma. However, the document provides little public health-specific guidance to assist trauma centers with developing these approaches. An advisory panel was convened in 2017 with representatives from national trauma and public health organizations with the purpose of identifying strategies to support trauma centers in the development of a public health approach to injury and …

Dietary Blueberry And Soluble Fiber Improve Serum Antioxidant And Adipokine Biomarkers And Lipid Peroxidation In Pregnant Women With Obesity And At Risk For Gestational Diabetes, Arpita Basu, Jeannette Crew, Jeffrey L. Ebersole, Jefferson W. Kinney, Arnold M. Salazar, Petar Planinic, James M. Alexander

Kinesiology and Nutrition Sciences Faculty Research

Pregnancies affected by obesity are at high risk for developing metabolic complications with oxidative stress and adipocyte dysfunction contributing to the underlying pathologies. Few studies have examined the role of dietary interventions, especially those involving antioxidants including polyphenolic flavonoids found in fruits and vegetables on these pathologies in high-risk pregnant women. We conducted an 18 gestation-week randomized controlled trial to examine the effects of a dietary intervention comprising of whole blueberries and soluble fiber vs. control (standard prenatal care) on biomarkers of oxidative stress/antioxidant status and adipocyte and hormonal functions in pregnant women with obesity (n = 34). Serum samples …

Endo-Sponge In Management Of Anastomotic Colorectal Leaks: A Systematic Review And Meta-Analysis, Banreet S. Dhindsa, Yassin Naga, Syed M. Saghir, Sarav Gunjit Singh Daid, Saurabh Chandan, Harmeet Mashiana, Amaninder Dhaliwal, Abhitej Sidhu, Harlan Sayles, Daryl Ramai, Ishfaq Bhat, Shailender Singh, Stephanie Mcdonough, Douglas G. Adler

School of Medicine Faculty Research

Background and study aims Following colorectal surgery, anastomotic dehiscence and leak formation has an incidence of 2 % to 7 %. Endo-SPONGE has been applied in the management of anastomatic leaks (ALs) after colorectal surgery. This is the first systematic review and meta analysis to evaluate the efficacy and safety of Endo-SPONGE in the management of colorectal ALs. Patients and methods: The primary outcomes assessed were the technical and clinical success of Endo-SPONGE placement in colorectal ALs. The secondary outcomes assessed were the overall adverse events (AEs) and the AE subtypes. Pooled estimates were calculated using random-effects models with 95 …

The “East Side” Of Las Vegas: A Latinx Historical Framework, Nathalie Martinez

Spectra Undergraduate Research Journal

Spanish heritage speakers in the United States are a reflection of everchanging linguistic and sociolinguistic pressures that result in myriad varieties across generations. This paper provides a preliminary historical framework to fill this gap of linguistic knowledge in the Spanish-speaking community of Las Vegas, Nevada. The goals were two-fold: (1) highlight the largest Spanish-speaking communities in Las Vegas and (2) explore the significance of the East Side in the history of the Latinx population of Las Vegas. Through the analysis of oral histories and historical works, the investigation highlights the Mexican, Salvadoran, and Cuban populations of Las Vegas and their …

Qualitative Review Of Educational Interventions For Improving Physical Activity Behaviors In Older Asian Americans In The United States, Raisa Kabir, Manoj Sharma, Sayeda Tazim Zaidi, Chia-Liang Dai

Spectra Undergraduate Research Journal

Physical activity (PA) provides numerous health benefits and minimizes chronic diseases and mental health issues, especially in older adults. The national survey data indicated that only 27.3% to 44.3% of older adults meet the recommended PA guidelines of 150 to 300 minutes/ week. There is limited data on PA behavior among older Asian American (AA) adults as very few to no local/national surveys have targeted these marginalized subgroups. This comprehensive review aims to identify existing PA intervention strategies and to update current knowledge on the effectiveness of these interventions to improve PA behavior among aging AA in the US. The …

The Future Of The Live Entertainment Tax In Southern Nevada, Katie M. Gilbertson

Spectra Undergraduate Research Journal

The Live Entertainment Tax (LET) in Nevada generated nearly one billion dollars during the 2019-2020 fiscal year. LET revenue all goes to the State General Fund, even though 97 percent of LET revenue is generated in Clark County. Nevada is experiencing an economic crisis, particularly in the tourism industry. Solutions from various fields suggest the best way to boost the local economy is to reinvest revenue in its original county. One policy solution Nevada policymakers should consider is to carve out a percentage of revenue generated by the LET to return directly back to Clark County to revitalize tourism.

Diabetes Mellitus Affects Working Memory, Dylone C. Braganza, Emmanuel Flores, Lauren A. Crew, Ryan A. Wirt, Andrew A. Ortiz, Adam M. Mcneela, Jefferson W. Kinney, James M. Hyman

Spectra Undergraduate Research Journal

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) degrades the brain’s ability to remember, think, and carry out tasks. The exact cause is not known, but several risk factors have been identified, including diabetes mellitus (DM). DM causes elevated blood sugar levels due to reduced insulin production in the pancreas. The linkage between elevated glucose levels and the behavioral impairments are not fully understood, which was the focus of this study. Rats were trained to alternate directions in a maze to receive a reward on consecutive trials. After training, five rats were injected with streptozotocin (STZ), which induces hyperglycemia by injuring pancreatic beta cells. Three …

A Timeline Of Discovery And Current Research On Primary Open-Angle Glaucoma And Emergence Of Potentially Permanent Treatment Solutions, Yonosuke Dejesus, Guadalupe Moreno Ceballos

Spectra Undergraduate Research Journal

This research examines the timeline of the discovery and research of Primary Open-Angle Glaucoma (POAG). By reviewing the literature on genetic and molecular mechanisms, we aim to emphasize a long-term treatment solution (iSTENT) to mitigate intraocular pressure (IOP) related to POAG etiology and disease progression. POAG is a multifactorial, autosomal dominant, adult-onset eye disease wherein the optic nerve cells become damaged due to a buildup of excess aqueous humor, resulting in increased IOP. Consequently, POAG leads to progressive loss of peripheral vision and is the leading cause of blindness in the US. Due to the multifactorial nature of glaucoma’s inheritance …

Racial Profiling: Understanding The Practice Of Stop-And-Frisk In New York City, Lisa Ly

Spectra Undergraduate Research Journal

Racial profiling has become a prominent issue in modern policing today. Instead of being based on individual suspicion, racial profiling embodies a belief that people of color are continuously singled out by the police for scrutiny and harassment. Policies and procedures make the Black community vulnerable to police discrimination and racial profiling. Floyd et al. v. City of New York et al. (2013) declared that the New York Police Department’s (NYPD) practice of stop-and-frisk was racially profiling Black civilians. This study sought (1) to determine if the NYPD post-Floyd is still engaging in racial profiling towards Black civilians; and (2) …

Protective Factors That Foster Resilience To Hiv/Aids: Insights And Lived Experiences Of Older Gay, Bisexual, And Other Men Who Have Sex With Men, Renato M. Liboro, Tammy C. Yates, Sherry Bell, Brandon Ranuschio, George Da Silva, Charles Fehr, Francisco Ibañez-Carrasco, Paul A. Shuper

Psychology Faculty Research

Since the beginning of the HIV/AIDS epidemic, gay, bisexual, and other men who have sex with men (gbMSM) have been disproportionately impacted by HIV/AIDS health disparities. Research showed that resilience to HIV/AIDS is associated with increased use of relevant health services, lower sexual health risks, and improved mental health outcomes among racially and ethnically diverse gbMSM. As the subpopulation that has historically been impacted by HIV/AIDS the longest, older gbMSM living with HIV/AIDS have inarguably exhibited resilience to HIV/AIDS the most. The qualitative study described in this paper sought to identify and examine protective factors that fostered resilience to HIV/AIDS …

Developing Methods To Detect And Diagnose Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy During Life: Rationale, Design, And Methodology For The Diagnose Cte Research Project, Jeffrey Cummings, Numerous Authors, See Full List Below

School of Medicine Faculty Research

Background: Chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) is a neurodegenerative disease that has been neuropathologically diagnosed in brain donors exposed to repetitive head impacts, including boxers and American football, soccer, ice hockey, and rugby players. CTE cannot yet be diagnosed during life. In December 2015, the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke awarded a seven-year grant (U01NS093334) to fund the “Diagnostics, Imaging, and Genetics Network for the Objective Study and Evaluation of Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy (DIAGNOSE CTE) Research Project.” The objectives of this multicenter project are to: develop in vivo fluid and neuroimaging biomarkers for CTE; characterize its clinical presentation; refine …

Robotic Bronchoscopy For Peripheral Pulmonary Lesion Biopsy: Evidence-Based Review Of The Two Platforms, Abhishek Kumar, Jose D. Caceres, Siddharthan Vaithilingham, Gurshan Sandhu, Nikhil K. Meena

School of Medicine Faculty Research

Despite many advancements in recent years for the sampling of peripheral pulmonary lesions, the diagnostic yield remains low. Initial excitement about the current electromagnetic navigation platforms has subsided as the real-world data shows a significantly lower diagnostic sensitivity of ~70%. “CT-to-body divergence” has been identified as a major limitation of this modality. In-tandem use of the ultrathin bronchoscope and radial endobronchial ultrasound probe has yielded only comparable results, attributable to the limited peripheral reach, device maneuverability, stability, and distractors like atelectasis. As such, experts have identified three key steps in peripheral nodule sampling—navigation (to the lesion), confirmation (of the correct …

Education Regarding And Adherence To Recommended Nutrition Guidelines Among Dental Students, Camille Frayna, Christoffer Devantier, Braden Harris, Karl Kingsley, Joshua M. Polanski

Dental Medicine Faculty Research

The Dietary Guidelines for Americans (DGA) were developed to reduce or prevent many types of chronic illness, including cancer, heart disease and diabetes. Healthcare provider recommendations may be influenced by understanding of and adherence to the DGA, which may be incorporated into provider training, medical and dental clinical curricula—although few studies have evaluated adherence to the DGA among dental students. This approved retrospective study of voluntary student responses from a first-year dental school nutrition course included a short dietary and exercise survey administered as part of the DGA learning module. A total of N = 299 students completed the voluntary …

Measuring Routine Childhood Vaccination Coverage In 204 Countries And Territories, 1980–2019: A Systematic Analysis For The Global Burden Of Disease Study 2020, Release 1, Natalie C. Galles, Patrick Y. Liu, Rachel I. Updike, Stephen S. Lim, Jonathan F. Mosser, Asma Tahir Awan, Gbd 2020, Release 1, Vaccine Coverage Collaborators

Environmental & Global Health Faculty Research

Background: Measuring routine childhood vaccination is crucial to inform global vaccine policies and programme implementation, and to track progress towards targets set by the Global Vaccine Action Plan (GVAP) and Immunization Agenda 2030. Robust estimates of routine vaccine coverage are needed to identify past successes and persistent vulnerabilities. Drawing from the Global Burden of Diseases, Injuries, and Risk Factors Study (GBD) 2020, Release 1, we did a systematic analysis of global, regional, and national vaccine coverage trends using a statistical framework, by vaccine and over time. Methods: For this analysis we collated 55 326 country-specific, cohort-specific, year-specific, vaccine-specific, and dose-specific …

Syndemic Of Opioid Crisis And Covid-19 Pandemic: A Call To Invest In Solutions, Manoj Sharma, Kavita Batra

Social and Behavioral Health Faculty Research

Preliminary data by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention [CDC, 2020] indicated a significant surge in the number of opioid involved deaths amidst COVID-19 pandemic and these trends are concerning, which warrant a collective investment in finding the solutions (Baumgartner & Radley, 2021; Becker & Fiellin, 2020). [...]this editorial aims to reflect on the interaction of the COVID-19 pandemic with the existing opioid crisis and its role in widening the gap of the pre-existing disparities, and discusses implications of practice to protect the health of vulnerable drug-users. Recently, the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) allowed take-home …

The Effects Of Real-Time Computerized Needle Tip Location Feedback On State Anxiety And Immediate Performance Of Simulated Ultrasound-Guided Regional Anesthesia, Joseph Janakes

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Background: Complications of ultrasound-guided regional anesthesia (UGRA) in the clinical setting are severe and frequently related to improper needle tip placement, which is a challenging skill for novice student learners. Accordingly, anesthesia education programs are incorporating simulation-based teaching methods that use expensive procedural task trainers to aid in UGRA training. However, it was unknown if the task trainers with real-time computerized needle tip location feedback affect student anxiety and immediate simulated UGRA performance, leaving educators wondering if the cost was justified.Aims: The purpose of the study was to examine the effects of real-time computerized needle tip location feedback on students’ …

Are Gaming And Gambling Disorders Related? Examining The Roles Of Money, Relative Deprivation, And Upward Mobility, Anthony J. King

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Few studies have examined the financial motives and risks involved in modern video games, as well as the psychosocial factors contributing to this type of gaming involvement. Previous research on gambling has shown financial motives alone to be a major risk factor for the development of gambling disorder, with higher levels of personal relative deprivation (PRD) identified as a main contributor to this relationship. Therefore, the present study investigated whether this association applied to US adult video gamers, and if it would predict their problematic gaming behaviors. We hypothesized PRD and gaming disorder severity would have a positive association, with …

Relationships Between Mindfulness, Nonacademic Factors, Stress, And Test Performance: A Cross-Sectional Study, Rebecca A. Baumeister

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Successful test performance is essential to nursing students. Poor performance comes with consequences such as inability to progress or removal from the program, leading to attrition. The influence of academic factors on test performance have been widely researched and stress is known to hinder it, yet other factors may also impact test performance.

Dispositional mindfulness has the potential to support test performance, but no known studies have focused on these two variables among undergraduate nursing students. A gap also exists in relation to the influence of nonacademic factors on undergraduate nursing students’ test performance. Due to the ongoing nursing shortage, …

Job Burnout: An Examination Of Outpatient Clinics, Aysa M. Chavarria

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

The purpose of this study was to examine job burnout of medical providers in outpatient clinics. Job burnout is a psychological syndrome resulting from job interpersonal stressors; it is measured using three dimensions: (1) emotional exhaustion – feelings of being emotionally overextended and exhausted by one’s work, (2) depersonalization -a unfeeling and impersonal response toward patients, and (3) personal accomplishment – feelings of competence and achievement in one’s work (Maslach & Jackson, 2020). Using a convenience sample, healthcare providers in Southern Nevada were asked to participate. The study was approved by the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, Internal Review Board …