Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

Loss Of Dna Polymerase Zeta Enhances Spontaneous Tumorigenesis, John P Wittschieben, Vaishali Patil, Veronika Glushets, Lisa J Robinson, Donna F Kusewitt, Richard D Wood

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Mammalian genomes encode at least 15 distinct DNA polymerases, functioning as specialists in DNA replication, DNA repair, recombination, or bypass of DNA damage. Although the DNA polymerase zeta (polzeta) catalytic subunit REV3L is important in defense against genotoxins, little is known of its biological function. This is because REV3L is essential during embryogenesis, unlike other translesion DNA polymerases. Outstanding questions include whether any adult cells are viable in the absence of polzeta and whether polzeta status influences tumorigenesis. REV3L-deficient cells have properties that could influence the development of neoplasia in opposing ways: markedly reduced damage-induced point mutagenesis and extensive chromosome …

Using Simulation: Emergency Care For Patients With Acute Myocardial Infarction, Katharine M. Mcgahey

Nursing Masters

Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death in the United States, affecting nearly eighty million people (American Heart Association IAHAI, 2009). Included in this population are those with heart attack or myocardial infarction (MI). Coughlin (2008) estimated that about 1.2 to 1.5 million Americans will have an MI annually. For approximately thirty eight percent of these patients, it is a recurrent event.

Pilot Study On Pet Therapy And Quality Of Life, Kathy L. Vanvoorhis

Nursing Masters

The World Health Organization (WHO) defines quality of life (QOL) as an individual’s perception of his or her position in life in the context of their culture and value systems in relation to their goals and expectations. The goal of this pilot study was to determine how pet therapy can influence QOL of residents in assisted living facilities. To measure the anticipated change in QOL, each participant in the experimental group was required to complete the WHO Quality of Life brief questionnaire, WHOQOL-BREF, before the initiation of the pet therapy program and after the session, for a total of two …

Developing An Educational Module For Advanced Practice Nurses: The Screening And Management Of Postpartum Depression In Primary Care, Lynne Weiler

Nursing Masters

Postpartum depression (PPD) is thought to affect 13% of new mothers. Yet it is believed that up to 50% of cases escape detection, resulting in a host of adverse sequelae for mother, infant and family. The current state of the science is promising, as advances in pharmacotherapy and psychotherapy have demonstrated PPD's amenability to treatment. However, expertise among providers appears to be deficient, as seen in survey results which portray most physicians and nurse practitioners largely ill-equipped to detect and deal with PPD. A rich opportunity to intervene exists, particularly within primary care settings, where suffering women may be encountered. …

Hydatid Disease Of The Breast, Imrana Masroor, M. Azeemuddin, S. Khan, A. Barakzai

Department of Radiology

Cystic hydatid disease is caused by the parasite Echinococcus granulosus. Humans are the accidental intermediate hosts of this organism. Hydatid disease is endemic in countries in which raising sheep and cattle constitutes an important means of livelihood. The most commonly affected organs are the liver and lungs. Involvement of the kidney, bone, brain and other organs is rare. Breast involvement in this disease is also very rare. A case of isolated hydatid cyst of the breast is presented, along with a review of the literature and a discussion on the pertinent clinical and radiological aspects of the disease.

Headache In Cerebral Venous Thrombosis: Incidence, Pattern And Location In 200 Consecutive Patients., Mohammad Wasay, Suleman Kojan, Alper I Dai, George Bobustuc, Zubair Sheikh

Section of Neurology

We analyzed the incidence, pattern and location of headache in consecutive 200 Patients with proven diagnosis of CVT to identify an association between localization of headache and site of sinus involvement. Headache was present in 136 (68%) Patients. The duration of headache (reported in 128 Patients) was reported as acute (1-3 days), 81 Patients (60%), sub-acute (4-14 days), 33 Patients (24%), and chronic (more than 14 days), 14 Patients (10%). The quality of headache (reported in 72 Patients) was reported as throbbing 12 (9%), band like 27 (20%), thunderclap 7 (5%), and other (pounding, exploding, stabbing, etc.) 26 (20%). The …

The International Surgical Trial In Intracerebral Haemorrhage (Stich)--What Are Its Implications In A Resource Limited Health System Like Pakistan, Maria Khan, Ayeesha Kamran Kamal

Section of Neurology

No abstract provided.

Crimean-Congo Hemorrhagic Fever In A Dengue-Endemic Region: Lessons For The Future., Farheen Ali, Taimur Saleem, Umair Khalid, Syed Faisal Mahmood, Bushra Jamil

Department of Medicine

Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever and dengue hemorrhagic fever are endemic in Pakistan. However, the overlap of geographic distribution and early clinical features between the two conditions make a reliable diagnosis difficult in the initial stage of illness. A 16-year-old boy presented with a history of hematemesis and high-grade fever. A preliminary diagnosis of dengue hemorrhagic fever was made and supportive treatment was instituted; however, the patient continued to deteriorate clinically. Dengue IgM antibody testing was negative on the third day of admission. Qualitative polymerase chain reaction test for Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever viral RNA was sent but the patient expired shortly after …

Growing Burden Of Neurological Diseases In Pakistan � Need For A National Health Survey, Mohammad Wasay, Shaukat Ali

Department of Medicine

No abstract provided.

Dyssegemental Dyspalsia; Rolland-Desbuquois Type--A Case Report From Pakistan, Bushra Afroze

Department of Paediatrics and Child Health

Two different forms of dyssegmental dysplasia can be distinguished; the lethal Silverman-Handmaker type and less severe Rolland-Desbuquois type. Patients with Rolland-Desbuquois type often survive beyond neonatal period. The purpose of this paper is to report a rare case of Dyssegmental dysplasia, Rolland-Desbuquois type from Pakistan.

Teaching Paediatric Critical Care Medicine To Paediatric Residents, Anwarul Haque, Rizwan Haider, Muhammad Sohail Salat

Department of Paediatrics and Child Health

Critical care training during paediatric residency provides an ideal opportunity to learn and refine the skills needed in the early recognition and prompt treatment of the acutely ill paediatric patients. Paediatric critical care medicine is a relatively young sub-specialty in Pakistan. The aim of this study is to describe our experience of teaching paediatric residents in paediatric critical care medicine during paediatric intensive care unit rotation. Our paediatric critical care teaching curriculum for residents is based on the spectrum of our common critical care problems along with basic principal of critical care. The clinical rotation in our paediatric intensive care …

Team-Based Learning: Engagement And Accountability With Psychometric Analysis Of A New Instrument, Heidi Ann Mennenga

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

With calls for transformation, innovation, and excellence in nursing education from national bodies of nursing, nurse educators must determine the best possible teaching strategies to meet educational standards. Team-based learning, an innovative teaching strategy, offers educators a structured, student-centered learning environment and may be more effective than current teaching pedagogies in meeting the needs of nurse educators.

The purpose of this study was to (a) examine differences in student engagement between baccalaureate nursing students taught using team-based learning and those taught using traditional lecture, (b) examine how levels of engagement affected examination scores, (c) examine potential differences in student examination …

Outcomes Associated With A Unlv Outdoor Adventures' Women's Wilderness Canoe Trip, Joanna Leigh Libby

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

The purpose of this study was to examine the outcomes associated with a short term women's canoe trip. Short debriefings, field observations and in-depth interviews were used to capture women's experiences and the processes that take place to achieve these experiences.

Eight females from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas participated in a three day canoeing trip led by the University's outdoor program. Their ages range from 18 to 40 and are all affiliated with the University of Nevada, Las Vegas in some way.

Results from the participant's interviews highlighted four major themes. These themes are the disengagement from traditional …

Development Of A Functional Mri Olfactory Protocol, Jeremy Mangum

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Many people can spend a few days with an acute form of sinusitis, a stuffy nose, or sinus congestion that inhibits their ability to smell, but there are fourteen million Americans over the age of fifty that suffer from some form of chronic olfactory dysfunction. Some neurological disorders such as Parkinson's disease and Alzheimer's disease have demonstrated that olfactory dysfunction is a frequent and early sign. While these diseases have no known cure, there are medicines that exist to slow the progression of such debilitating illnesses. By identifying such diseases in their early stages, we can improve the quality of …

An Analysis Of Restaurant Food Safety Violations: Human Factors, Non-Human Factors, And Food-Borne Illness, Jai Choung

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

An estimated 76 million food-borne illnesses occur in the United States each year, causing 325,000 hospitalizations and 5,000 deaths, according to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Food safety is an increasingly important topic to governmental food regulators, not only in trying to reduce the number of illnesses from contaminated food. Governmental regulators also are becoming aware of the vulnerability of the food supply chain as a target for bioterrorism. Recommendations have been developed to protect the U. S. food supply from terrorism, but little of the research and recommendations relate to the food-service level.

Eighty percent of reported cases …

Anxiolytic Effect Of Midazolam Premedication Assessed By Clinical And Platelet Aggregation Profiles, Ehtesham I Khan, Rehana S Kamal, Hameed Ullah

Department of Anaesthesia

BACKGROUND: It is well documented that surgery is associated with increased anxiety, which has an adverse impact on patient's outcome. This study was designed to assess the anxiolytic effect of midazolam in pre-anaesthetic medication by using clinical and platelet aggregation profiles.METHODS: Sixty ASA I and II female patients aged between 35 and 60 years undergoing elective abdominal hysterectomy were randomly divided into two equal groups. Group I received placebo as pre-medication while group II received 0.15 mg/kg midazolam as pre-medication 1 hour preoperatively. They were monitored for visual analogue scale (VAS) for anxiety, observer's anxiety criteria, sedation score, blood pressure, …

Reproductive Toxicology, Robert L. Brent

Department of Pediatrics Faculty Papers

Summary

1. WEC has many useful scientific purposes.

2. You cannot utilize WEC to label a drug or chemical as a teratogen if the exposures utilized will result in embryonic or fetal death in vivo.

3. WEC can indicate that a drug or chemical is embryotoxic.

4. If the exposure level for clinical use of a drug or environmental exposure of a chemical is known, it should be used in WEC studies along with higher exposures as well.

5. You cannot predict that a drug is a cardiac teratogen from WEC when no cardiac malformations are observed, as in this …

A Review Of Sports Injury Data Collection Literature And Recommendations For Future Research, Stephen Bailey, Ebonie Scase, Michael Heynen, Mary E. Magarey

Internet Journal of Allied Health Sciences and Practice

Purpose: There is significant cost associated with sports injury. Establishing injury profiles in contact sports like Australian Rules Football (ARF) will facilitate implementation of injury prevention strategies. The purpose of this literature review was to investigate sports injury data collection methodology, assess the strengths and limitations of previous research and identify gaps in the relevant literature. Recommendations for methodology of future sports injury data collection studies are made, particularly with reference to junior ARF. Method: A non-systematic literature search was undertaken in a narrative fashion to determine past and current injury surveillance in Australian Rules Football (ARF), Soccer, Rugby league …

The Effect Of Coaching On Physical Activity And Quality Of Life In Children And Adolescents With Cystic Fibrosis: A Quality Improvement Pilot Study, Anne K. Swisher, Kathryn Moffett

Internet Journal of Allied Health Sciences and Practice

Purpose: Physical activity is well known to improve or maintain exercise capacity and overall health in patients with cystic fibrosis (CF). However, many patients do not meet recommended guidelines for physical activity. The purpose of this study was to determine if individualized, targeted coaching could improve the levels of physical activity and quality of life in children and adolescents with CF. Subjects: Twelve children with CF, ages 7 to 17, participated in this study.Method: Each participant completed a physical activity questionnaire (PAQ) and a disease-specific quality of life questionnaire (CFQ) at baseline and three months later. The participants were given …

The Interrater Reliability Of The Load And Shift Test For Anterior Shoulder Instability: A Technical Report, Morey J. Kolber, Melissa Carrao

Internet Journal of Allied Health Sciences and Practice

Background: Shoulder disorders affect up to 67% of the adult population at some point in their lifetime. The shoulder complex ranks third, trailing low back and neck pain, in musculoskeletal disorders for which individuals seek physical rehabilitation. The assessment of shoulder stability is an integral component of the patient examination, as it may assist the clinician in making a diagnosis, measuring improvement or deterioration, and determining functional impairments. Reliable tests and measurements are therefore essential to both the clinician and researcher desiring to objectively monitor disease progression, outcomes, and mobility impairments. Many of the currently used clinical tests for anterior …

Neurodevelopmental Outcomes In Patients With Hypoplastic Left Heart Syndrome, Elizabeth Hagan, Harvey Feldman

Internet Journal of Allied Health Sciences and Practice

Purpose: Hypoplastic Left Heart Syndrome (HLHS) accounts for 7-9% of all congenital heart diseases. It is fatal unless surgically corrected. Survival has improved overtime. However, neurodevelopmental outcomes have not been known until recently. This paper discusses the neurodevelopmental outcomes of patients with HLHS and the factors that influence these outcomes. Methods: A search of the literature was performed using several databases, medical textbooks and other on-line sources to locate research related to HLHS and neurodevelopment in HLHS. Results: Mean performance IQ scores tended to be lower than mean verbal IQ scores. Mean motor scores were below normal population values indicating …

Speech And Language Characteristics In Kabuki Syndrome, Parul Malik, Anuradha Sharma, Sachin Sakhuja, Sanjay Munjal, Naresh K. Panda

Internet Journal of Allied Health Sciences and Practice

The aim of this study was to delineate the language difficulties in Kabuki Syndrome. At presentation, the child with Kabuki Syndrome had waddling gait, dolicocephaly, and frontal bossing. On administering an Indian standardized test (Linguistic Profile Test), different aspects of spontaneous language production were analysed. Receptive language skills were within normal limits, but expressive language skills showed deficits in semantic and syntactic areas. Articulation errors appeared mainly due to poor oral-motor coordination and hypotonia. A dull flat pattern of speech was characteristic to the child.

Mbp-1 Upregulates Mir-29b That Represses Mcl-1, Collagens, And Matrix-Metalloproteinase-2 In Prostate Cancer Cells., Robert Steele, Justin L. Mott, Ratna B. Ray

Journal Articles: Biochemistry & Molecular Biology

c-myc promoter binding protein (MBP-1) is a multi-functional protein known to regulate expression of targets involved in the malignant phenotype. We have previously demonstrated that exogenous expression of MBP-1 inhibits prostate tumor growth, although the mechanism of growth inhibition is not well understood. We hypothesized that MBP-1 may modulate microRNA (miRNA) expression for regulation of prostate cancer cell growth. In this study, we demonstrated that exogenous MBP-1 upregulates miR-29b by 5-9 fold in prostate cancer cells as measured by real-time quantitative reverse transcription-PCR. Subsequent studies indicated that exogenous expression of miR-29b inhibited Mcl-1, COL1A1, and COL4A1. Further, a novel target …

Palmitoleate Attenuates Palmitate-Induced Bim And Puma Up-Regulation And Hepatocyte Lipoapoptosis., Yuko Akazawa, Sophie Cazanave, Justin L. Mott, Nafisa Elmi, Steven F. Bronk, Shigeru Kohno, Michael R. Charlton, Gregory J. Gores

Journal Articles: Biochemistry & Molecular Biology

BACKGROUND & AIMS: Saturated free fatty acids induce hepatocyte lipoapoptosis. This lipotoxicity involves an endoplasmic reticulum stress response, activation of JNK, and altered expression and function of Bcl-2 proteins. The mono-unsaturated free fatty acid palmitoleate is an adipose-derived lipokine which suppresses free fatty acid-mediated lipotoxicity by unclear mechanisms. Herein we examined the mechanisms responsible for cytoprotection.

METHODS: We employed isolated human and mouse primary hepatocytes, and the Huh-7 and Hep 3B cell lines for these studies. Cells were incubated in presence and absence of palmitate (16:0), stearate (18:0), and or palmitoleate (16:1, n-7).

RESULTS: Palmitoleate significantly reduced lipoapoptosis by palmitate …

African American Women's Infant Feeding Choices: Analyzing Self-Efficacy And Narratives From A Black Feminist Perspective, Karen Marie Robinson

Dissertations (1934 -)

Breast milk is the optimal form of nutrition for infants up to six months of age. Commercial formula is unequal to breast milk nutritionally, economically, and psychologically. African American women (AAW) continue to breastfeed the least compared to other populations. Few researchers conducting research related AAW's infant feeding preferences have employed the Black Feminist philosophy or the theory of self-efficacy. This philosophy and theory may offer insight into factors that influence AAW's infant feeding choices.

The purpose of this mixed-method study was to examine prenatal breastfeeding self-efficacy (confidence) and actively listen to and analyze AAW's reports of factors influencing their …

Associate Degree Nursing Students' Thoughts, Feelings, And Experiences Of Short Study Abroad In A Low-Income Country, Cynthia Foronda

Dissertations (1934 -)

Associate Degree Nursing students are rarely offered opportunities to study abroad. Educational research about nursing students studying abroad is limited but suggests positive outcomes. Prior research has focused on graduate or baccalaureate students in developed and less developed countries, thus, the experience of studying abroad in a low-income country for the associate degree student is unknown. The purpose of this study was to describe the thoughts, feelings, and experiences of associate degree nursing students who participated in a short study abroad course in a low-income country. Ten students participated in phone interviews to share narratives two to six weeks following …

Parenting Behaviors And Their Relationship With A Child's Weight Status, Michele L. Polfuss

Dissertations (1934 -)

Pediatric obesity is a critical healthcare problem that has continued to increase in prevalence. It has been well established that pediatric obesity is a multifactorial problem

with no easy solution. Complicating matters has been the fact that there has been a disproportionate increase across ethnicity and socioeconomic status. Parents have been found to play a critical role supporting a child's behavior through environment, role modeling and ongoing parenting practices.

This study utilized a cross sectional correlational study design to determine what the relationship is, if any, between a child's weight status and parenting behaviors. In addition the study examined if …

Shared Presence: Caring For A Dying Spouse, Lana Sue Mclouth Kanacki Phd, Ms, Rn

Dissertations

There is limited research on female spouses and their end-of-life experience with their dying husbands. The purpose of this study was to explore wives' perceptions of hospital and hospice care at their husbands' end-of-life. The grounded theory method was used for this study. Data were collected over thirteen months and then transcribed and coded for meaning. Participants were 25 elderly widows (62-103 years of age) with 19 husbands' deaths in a hospice setting and 6 in the hospital. They were widowed from 6 months to 10 years after the death of their spouses. They were good informants with excellent recollections …

Neurodevelopmental Outcomes Of High Risk Infants, Lisa E. Miklush Phd, Msn, Rnc, Cns

Dissertations

Background: Infant developmental research has revealed amazing physical, cognitive, and social capacities of the human infant. Along with this knowledge is a growing appreciation of numerous factors that have the potential to impact the individual infant's developmental trajectory, either enhancing or compromising the eventual outcome. Enhanced understanding of those factors that shape infant developmental trajectories will provide an evidence base for the establishment of a supportive environment for the youngest members of society. Purpose: To determine the relationship between neurodevelopmental outcome and gestational age, birth weight, Apgar scores, NICU admission, infant gender, maternal depression, home environment, and parent-child interaction. Methodology: …

Effects Of Perceived Fitness Level Of Exercise Partner On Intensity Of Exertion, Thomas G. Plante, Meghan Madden, Sonia Mann, Grace Lee

Psychology

Problem statement: Social comparison theory was used to examine if exercising with a research confederate posing as either high fit or low fit would increase the exertion in exercising. Approach: 91 college students were randomly assigned to one of three conditions: Biking alone, biking with a high fit confederate, or biking with a low fit confederate. All participants were instructed to complete 20 min of exercise at 60-70% of their maximum target heart rate. Results: Results indicated that participants in the high fit condition exercised harder than those in the low fit condition. However, no mood differences emerged between conditions. …