Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

Recruitment, Retention, Job Satisfaction Of Nurse Educators In Arkansas, Peggy B. Lee

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Facing a crucial shortage of nurses and nurse educators, administrators of colleges and universities need to explore employment and individual characteristics that are related to recruitment and retention of nurse educators. Adding to the nurse and nurse educator shortage is the concern that the population of the United States is aging which creates a growing demand for more RNs. A further issue that complicates the nurse and nurse educator shortage is that nursing education is not producing enough RNs. Schools of nursing are positioned to have to prepare more new nurse graduates over the next decade in an effort to …

Automated Prediction Of Glasgow Outcome Scale For Traumatic Brain Injury, Bolan Su, Thien Anh Dinh, A. K. Ambastha, Tianxia Gong, Tomi Silander, Shijian Lu, C. C. Tchoyoson Lim, Boon Chuan Pang, Cheng Kiang Lee, Tze-Yun Leong, Chew Lim Tan

Research Collection School Of Computing and Information Systems

Clinical features found in brain CT scan images are widely used in traumatic brain injury (TBI) as indicators for Glasgow Outcome Scale (GOS) prediction. However, due to the lack of automated methods to measure and quantify the CT scan image features, the computerized prediction of GOS in TBI has not been well studied. This paper introduces an automated GOS prediction system for traumatic brain CT images. Different from most existing systems that perform the prognosis based on pre-processed data, our system directly works on brain CT scan images based on the image features. Our system can also be extended to …

Hypertensive Crisis, Burden, Management, And Outcome At A Tertiary Care Center In Karachi, Aysha Almas, Ayaz Ghouse, Ahmed Raza Iftikhar, Munawar Khursheed

Department of Medicine

Objectives:. Hypertension, if uncontrolled, can lead to hypertensive crisis. We aim to determine the prevalence of hypertensive crisis, its management, and outcome in patients presenting to a tertiary care center in Karachi.
Methods: This was a cross-sectional study conducted at the Aga Khan University, Karachi, Pakistan. Adult inpatients (>18 yrs) presenting to the ER who were known hypertensive and had uncontrolled hypertension were included.
Results. Out of 1336 patients, 28.6% (387) had uncontrolled hypertension. The prevalence of hypertensive crisis among uncontrolled hypertensive was 56.3% (218). Per oral calcium channel blocker; 35.4% (137) and intravenous nitrate; 22.7% (88) …

Clinical, Lifestyle, Socioeconomic Determinants And Rate Of Asymptomatic Intracranial Atherosclerosis In Stroke Free Pakistanis., Ayeesha Kamran Kamal, Farzin Majeed, Omrana Pasha, Hasan Rehman, Muhammad Islam, Iqbal Azam Syed, Muhammad Saleem Ilyas, Munawar Hussain, Kamran Masood, Bilal Ahmed, Sumaira Nazir, Zafar Sajjad, Scott E. Kasner

Department of Medicine

Background: Intracranial Atherosclerotic Disease (ICAD) is the most frequent etiology of stroke with high prevalence among Asians. Despite this, early determinants of ICAD have not been described from this region.

Methods: The study is an analytical prospective cross-sectional study of 200 adults from Radiology Departments of two diagnostic centers in Karachi. Eligible participants confirmed the absence of stroke symptoms via the Questionnaire for Verifying Stroke Free Status (QVSFS) and underwent an interview covering medical, socio demographic, lifestyle and anthropometric evaluation using locally validated and standardized definitions. Magnetic Resonance Images (MRI) were centrally reviewed to detect ICAD using the criterion used …

Nerve Fiber Diameter Measurements Using Hematoxylin And Eosin Staining And Brightfield Microscopy To Assess The Novel Method Of Characterizing Peripheral Nerve Fiber Distributions By Group Delay, Jorge Arturo Vazquez

Master's Theses

Peripheral neuropathies are a set of common diseases that affect the peripheral nervous system, causing damage to vital connections between various parts of the body and the brain and spinal cord. Different clinical conditions are known to selectively impact various size nerve fibers, which often makes it difficult to diagnose which peripheral neuropathy a patient might have. The nerve conduction velocity diagnostic test provides clinically useful information in the diagnosis of some peripheral neuropathies. This method is advantageous because it tends to be minimally invasive yet it provides valuable diagnostic information. However, this test does not determine characteristics of peripheral …

A Comparison Of Fatigue During Cardiocerebral Resuscitation With Different Compression Rates Among Layperson And Professional Rescuers, Christopher Cassidy

Master's Theses

Quality chest compressions during Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR) are vital to maintaining adequate perfusion of oxygenated blood to the organs of the body to sustain life. Over the years, the compression rate recommended in Basic Life Support (BLS)/ Advanced Cardiac Life Support (ACLS) protocols for the best possible outcome has risen, and with that increase there are questions regarding rescuer fatigue and the effectiveness of compressions. Layperson and professional rescuers, answering to an emergency, both maintain continuous chest compressions until advanced life support arrives. Depending on the location, this arrival time would most likely be longer than the two minute standard …

Promoting Teamwork In Translational Medical Teams: Insights And Recommendations From Science And Practice, Lauren E. Benishek, Ashley M. Hughes, Megan E. Gregory, Shirley C. Sonesh, Eduardo Salas, Elizabeth H. Lazzara

Publications

Translational medical teams are transdisciplinary, highly collaborative, and operate within dynamic environments to solve time-sensitive and complex problems. These teams are tasked with turning observations in the laboratory and clinic into effective interventions that improve the health of individuals and the public. The nature of the problems they seek to solve requires coordination among clinicians, scientists, and experts from various scientific disciplines. Characteristically, translational medical teams have complex compositions, structure, and pluralistic goals, which pose significant challenges and barriers to enacting effective teamwork, compromising team performance. Given these challenges, it is imperative to glean insights from teams research and the …

Subacute Sclerosing Panencephalitis: Clinical And Demographic Characteristics, Arshad Rafique, Nida Amjad, Prem Chand, Syed Sohail Zahoor Zaidi, Muhammad Suleman Rana, Khalid Ahmed, Shahnaz Ibrahim

Department of Paediatrics and Child Health

Objective: To determine the clinical and demographic characteristics of children diagnosed with Subacute sclerosing panencephalitis (SSPE).

Study Design: Case series.

Place and Duration of Study: The Aga Khan University Hospital, Karachi, from January 2000 to June 2012.

Methodology: A retrospective analysis was done, regarding medical charts of 43 children under the age of 16 years with a discharge diagnosis of SSPE. Demographic and clinical characteristics were recorded. Results were expressed as percentages.

Results: Most of the 43 patients were male (72%). The average age at presentation was 8.7 years with average duration of symptoms being 100.6 days. History of …

The Interrelationships Among A Concussion-Related Biomarker, Head Hits, And Impact Test In Collegiate Football Players, Lucas Bianco

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Head injuries are prevalent in collegiate athletics with concussions being common among contact sports, such as football. Concussion assessment and diagnosis is complicated by the lack of objective and assessment techniques. The purpose of the study was to determine if there is a relationship between the level of a concussion-related biomarker, self-report (subjective) head hits, video-analyzed head hits, and ImPACT test scores in college football athletes before and after a football practice session.

After being recruited and consented to participate, 29 Division I college football athletes provided a blood sample via finger stick two days before a 2014 spring football …

Stride Length-Speed Relationship During Body Weight Supported Running, Carmen Chona

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

The purpose of this study was to determine if body weight support influences the stride length-speed relationship. Additionally, the purpose was to determine if impact characteristics of running are influenced by body weight support and speed. Subjects (n=10; 6 female, 4 male) volunteered to participate in this study. All subjects were injury free and were comfortable running on a treadmill for 30 minutes. Subjects ran on a lower body positive (LBPP, Alter-G, G-Trainer) treadmill for 4 conditions of body weight (100, 40, 30 and 20% of body weight) and 4 running speeds (100, 110, 120 and 130% of the preferred …

An Evaluation Of Kinematic Variables During Stance Phase Of A Training Endurance Run, Joshua Paul Bailey

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

The purpose of the study was to evaluate kinematics of the lower extremity during the stance phase of an endurance training run. Fifteen participants (8 male, 7 female; 30.5 ± 8.4 years; 71.8 ± 11 kg; 1.73 ± 0.07 m) reported that they were currently signed up for, or planned on signing up for, an endurance race within the next six months of participation in the study (9 half marathon, 3 marathon, 1 triathlon, 2 21k trail run). All had a weekly running mileage greater than 20 miles (23.8 ±4.6 miles). Participants were required to complete the 15–kilometer training run …

Family Presence During Resuscitation Of Adults: The Impact Of An Online Learning Module On Critical Care Nurses' Perception And Self-Confidence, Kelly Powers

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Family presence during resuscitation (FPDR) involves offering family members the option to remain with their loved one who is undergoing life-saving measures. FPDR has been shown to enhance comfort and facilitate grieving, and 90% to 100% of patients and family members support it as an option. However, critical care nurses are not fully supportive of FPDR and approximately only one-third implement it in their care of patients. The perceived risks of FPDR are cited as a primary reason for lack of support and implementation. Yet, the perceived risks have not been proven, while the benefits have been established in research. …

Impaired Theory Of Mind In Psychotic And Affective Disorders, Erik Nelson Ringdahl

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Psychotic symptoms in bipolar I disorder during mood episodes has been associated with several negative outcomes raising the question as to whether psychosis is a risk factor for a more severe form of this chronic and debilitating condition. However, relatively little research has been directed at understanding the relationships among social cognitive functioning in bipolar I disorder with and without a history of psychosis. Impaired social cognition has been identified as a putative endophenotypic markers in schizophrenia and the evidence is mounting as to whether similar impairments also exist in bipolar I disorder. Given the plethora of research supporting the …

Gate Monte Carlo Simulations In A Cloud Computing Environment, Blake Austin Rowedder

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

The GEANT4-based GATE is a unique and powerful Monte Carlo (MC) platform, which provides a single code library allowing the simulation of specific medical physics applications, e.g. PET, SPECT, CT, radiotherapy, and hadron therapy. However, this rigorous yet flexible platform is used only sparingly in the clinic due to its lengthy calculation time. By accessing the powerful computational resources of a cloud computing environment, GATE's runtime can be significantly reduced to clinically feasible levels without the sizable investment of a local high performance cluster. This study investigated a reliable and efficient execution of GATE MC simulations using a commercial cloud …

Synthesis And Characterization Of Novel Platinum(Ii) And Platinum(Iv) Complexes Containing 4,4′--Disubstituted--2,2′--Bipyridine Ligands For The Treatment Of Cancer, Van Vo

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Three series of platinum(II) and platinum(IV) complexes containing 4,4′-disubstituted-2,2′-bipyridine ligands have been synthesized and characterized by 1H NMR, 13C NMR spectroscopy, elemental analysis, mass spectroscopy, and differential scanning calorimetry measurements. The MTS cell proliferation assay was used to examine the in vitro anti-proliferative activities of these complexes in various human breast, lung, and prostate cancer cells. The cell's response to the complexes varies between different cell lines; however, the low EC₅₀ values determined from the MTS data indicate that several of the complexes are much more potent than cisplatin.

Flow cytometric analysis of selected compounds revealed induction of apoptosis …

Strengthening A Social Justice Lens For Addictions Practice: Exploration, Reflections, Possibilities And A Challenge To Our Shared Work To Promote Recovery Among The Most Vulnerable, Laura Burney Nissen

School of Social Work Faculty Publications and Presentations

Addiction is commonly conceptualized as a personal problem, a family problem, a neighborhood problem, a community problem, and even a social problem. But how might addiction be understood as a social justice problem?

Substance abuse problems, addictions, and addiction treatment and the related preparation of professionals to fill its treatment ranks exist within an ideological and political infrastructure. Issues of social justice are often conspicuously absent as a primary consideration of the experience of people seeking treatment (acknowledging the treatment gap that impacts some people more than others), for communities ravaged by addiction (acknowledging that some communities are affected more …

Erratum To Traditional Chinese Medicine And New Concepts Of Predictive, Preventive And Personalised Medicine In Diagnosis And Treatment Of Sub-Optimal Health [The Epma Journal 5, (2014) 12], Wei Wang, Alyce Russell, Yuxiang Yan

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

No abstract provided.

The Counselor Experience In Counseling Clients Who Have Been Sexually Assaulted, Carrie J. Tremble

Dissertations

Despite sexual assault being the second highest reported violent crime in the United States, the literature regarding the experience of counselors who counsel clients who have been sexually assaulted is limited. This qualitative study explored and described the lived experiences of 9 counselors who, in the last five years, have provided counseling services to at least five clients who had been sexually assaulted when they were at least 18 years of age. The phenomenological data analysis approach of Moustakas (1994) was utilized to guide the data collection and analysis. Through in-depth, semi-structured interviews, the participants were able to share their …

Efficacy Of Parent-Child Interaction Therapy With The Use Of In-Room Coaching, Cassie Shacklett Reeve

Dissertations

One significant consequence of oppositional and defiant behavior is an increase in negative interactions between caregivers and the child exhibiting those behaviors (Greene & Doyle, 1999). Parent-Child Interaction Therapy (PCIT) is an empirically supported treatment that targets the development of a nurturing parent-child relationship along with teaching effective discipline strategies to decrease child noncompliance (Bodiford-McNeil & Hembree-Kigin, 2010). The purpose of the present study was to evaluate the efficacy of PCIT when modified by utilizing strictly in-room coaching. This type of research would allow for expanded use of this empirically supported treatment into community agencies and clinics which do not …

New Bsn Nurse Informatics Competencies: Perceptions Of Academic Preparedness For Practice, Teri Montgomery Boyd

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

One rapidly expanding nursing program at a public research university in the mid-south region of the United States served as the site for this study. Recent nurse graduates were selected in a purposeful sampling from alumni who had conferred degrees from May 2007 through May 2013. Sixty-three graduates completed the online survey in Phase I and five recent graduates participated in semi-structured interviews during Phase II of the study. Data were collected utilizing a mixed methods design. Descriptive statistics explained survey and interview results. Of the knowledge, skills, and attitudes (KSAs), attitude competencies reported the highest means and were very …

Improving Adjunct Nursing Instructors' Knowledge Of Student Assessment In Clinical Courses, Kelly Vowell Johnson

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Utilization of adjunct nursing instructors to teach clinical courses is a common occurrence in nursing programs. Adjunct clinical instructors are often expert clinicians, but they have limited experience in teaching and lack the expertise needed to be successful in the educator role, such as knowledge of student assessment. Faculty development programs that focus on student assessment can provide adjunct clinical faculty members with the necessary knowledge to become effective educators and ensure student, faculty, and program success.

The purpose of this study was to examine to what extent a faculty development workshop on evaluating students in clinical courses affected adjunct …

New Beginnings: A Discussion Guide Adaptation For Living With Diabetes Among An Urban American Indian Community, Eudora Lynette Claw

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Diabetes is a chronic disease where the body has the inability to control the sugar levels in the blood to convert into to usable energy needed to fuel the body's cells. Some common diabetic complications include heart disease, stroke, amputations, and possibly blindness. It can be successfully managed with routine care of monitoring of sugar levels, eating a healthy diet, and daily exercise. The occurrence of type 2 diabetes is rising rapidly worldwide, but is a burden for AI/ANs (American Indian/Alaska Natives) at a substantially disproportionate rate. The purpose of this pilot study was to participate in a one-day curriculum …

The Wetsuit Effect: Physiological Response To Wearing A Wetsuit, Aaron Prado

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of wearing a wetsuit on resting cardiovascular parameters (mean arterial pressure (MAP), rate-pressure product (RPP), and heart rate variability (HRV)). Furthermore, the position (i.e., upright vs. prone) as well as the wetsuit size were explored as possible factors that influence the cardiovascular parameters. Twelve male participants (79.1±5.1 kg, 178.4±2.9 cm, 33.3±12.1 years) granted written consent and were assigned two wetsuits based on height, weight, and corresponding manufacturer recommendations. SWS signified the smallest possible wetsuit the subject could fit into according to recommendations, LWS signified the largest wetsuit the subject could …

Evaluation Of The Effectiveness Of A Newly Implemented, Proactive Approach To Legionellosis Investigations Conducted By The Southern Nevada Health District, Devin Charlotte Raman

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

This project is an evaluation of a new, more proactive approach to legionellosis investigations conducted by the Southern Nevada Health District. The new protocol was conceived, written and adopted in April of 2012 with the goal of preventing outbreaks of Legionnaires' disease that can have a significant impact on public health and the resort industry of Las Vegas. The objectives of this project were to determine if the remediation methods were successful at eliminating the target organism from water systems and maintaining a negative status throughout the monitoring period, to conduct a cost/benefit analysis, and to compare this protocol with …

Methodological Quality And Study Report Characteristics Of Current Nursing Education Research, Staci Lynn Warnert

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

The state of the science of nursing education is determined by the extent of and characteristics of nursing education research. Based on previous research findings, the methodological quality of nursing education research could be much higher. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the methodological quality, funding, journal impact factor, international nature, and areas of inquiry of current nursing education research (Aim 1). The study also aimed to determine research characteristic differences between current nursing education research and research published four to six years ago (Aim 2).

For Aim 1, this study was a cross-sectional design study. Nursing education …

Regulation Of L1 Expression And Retrotransposition By Melatonin And Its Receptor: Implications For Cancer Risk Associated With Light Exposure At Night., Dawn Deharo, Kristine J Kines, Mark Sokolowski, Robert T Dauchy, Vincent A Streva, Steven M Hill, John P Hanifin, George Brainard, David E Blask, Victoria P Belancio

Department of Neurology Faculty Papers

Expression of long interspersed element-1 (L1) is upregulated in many human malignancies. L1 can introduce genomic instability via insertional mutagenesis and DNA double-strand breaks, both of which may promote cancer. Light exposure at night, a recently recognized carcinogen, is associated with an increased risk of cancer in shift workers. We report that melatonin receptor 1 inhibits mobilization of L1 in cultured cells through downregulation of L1 mRNA and ORF1 protein. The addition of melatonin receptor antagonists abolishes the MT1 effect on retrotransposition in a dose-dependent manner. Furthermore, melatonin-rich, but not melatonin-poor, human blood collected at different times during the circadian …

Transition From Hospital To Home Following Pediatric Solid Organ Transplant: Qualitative Findings Of Parent Experience, Stacee M. Lerret, Marianne E. Weiss, Gail Stendahl, Shelley Chapman, Katie Neighbors, Joan Lokar, Ashley Voit, Jerome Menendez, Estella M. Alonso

College of Nursing Faculty Research and Publications

Transplant providers are challenged to determine appropriate interventions for patients and families due to limited published research regarding the context of the post-discharge experience from the perspective of parents of transplanted children. The purpose of this study is to describe the parent perspective of the transition from hospital to home following their child's solid organ transplant. Within a mixed-methods design, 37 parents of pediatric heart, kidney, and liver transplant recipients from three pediatric hospitals responded to qualitative interview questions on the day of hospital discharge and three wk following hospital discharge. Insight to the discharge preparation process revealed necessary education …

Tumour-Stroma Crosstalk In The Development Of Squamous Cell Carcinoma., Yok Zuan Lim, Andrew P South

Department of Dermatology and Cutaneous Biology Faculty Papers

Squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) represents one of the most frequently diagnosed tumours and contributes significant mortality worldwide. Recent deep sequencing of cancer genomes has identified common mutations in SCC arising across different tissues highlighting perturbation of squamous differentiation as a key event. At the same time significant data have been accumulating to show that common tumour-stroma interactions capable of driving disease progression are also evident when comparing SCC arising in different tissues. We and others have shown altered matrix composition surrounding SCC can promote tumour development. This review focuses on some of the emerging data with particular emphasis on SCC …

An Evaluation Of Mammography Rates For Women, 50-74 Years Old, At The San Francisco Department Of Public Health, Kimberly Litts

Master's Projects and Capstones

This paper explores the efforts of the San Francisco Department of Public Health (SFDPH) and San Francisco General Hospital (SFGH) to increase their overall mammogram screening rate to 76.7% by June 2015 in order to receive funding from the federal government. The target population is women within SF DPH’s primary care program, 50-74 years old, and overdue for a mammogram.

The literature reports there are health disparities among women who receive mammograms and how breast cancer affects them. African American women have the highest mortality rates and women of color are more likely to be diagnosed at a later stage, …

The In-Hospital Consultation Today: Whom Does It Best Serve?, Herbert L Fred

The Texas Heart Institute Journal

No abstract provided.