Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

Perceptions Of Voice Health, Voice Health Care, And Voice Health Education In The Performance Community, Katelyn Nelson

Capstone Experience: Master of Public Health

There is a medical consensus that proper voice health precautions can protect the voice and decrease the occurrence and severity of voice disorders in vocal performers. Similarly, seeking medical treatment for voice disorders can speed recovery time and preserve the voice. Voice disorders are common in performance students and professionals because of demanding curricula and frequent voice use, but little is known about their voice care needs, preferred voice care resources, and clinical care. The purpose of this study was to add to the research on voice health by interviewing faculty members in the College of Communication, Fine Arts, and …

Non-Emergency Utilization Of Ems: Contributing Factors And Strategies To Promote Effective Care With Appropriate Resources, Jason Jones

Capstone Experience: Master of Public Health

Non-emergency use of EMS resources can impose a substantial burden on emergency response systems and the communities they serve by reducing the response capacity for time-sensitive and life-threatening situations and through the subsequent diversion of funding that could be used to more effectively address health disparities. National EMS response data suggest that a large proportion of EMS patient encounters are for non-emergent reasons. Despite being a nation-wide issue, inadequate research has been conducted to understand why non-emergency and frequent use occurs and what strategies may be effective in mitigating avoidable use. Community paramedicine (CP), an emerging specialty in EMS that …

A Preliminary Analysis Of Project Ag Aware: Sbirt In Agricultural Work Settings, Rachel L. Rutt

Capstone Experience: Master of Public Health

Background: An increasing number of individuals are being negatively affected by substance abuse in the U.S. and Nebraska communities. These communities are seeing immense increases in opioid prescribing rates, especially in rural areas. The aims of this study are to 1) describe the study population of agricultural workers in Nebraska; 2) estimate the prevalence of alcohol misuse, illegal drug use, and anxiety among agricultural workers in Nebraska; and 3) examine factors associated with alcohol misuse among agricultural workers in Nebraska.

Methods: Adult agricultural workers (N=1,206) completed a paper or online survey for Project Ag Aware. Alcohol misuse, illegal drug use, …

Developing A Community Innovation Grant In Response To Increasing Rural Critical Incidents In Agricultural Mental Health And Wellbeing, Community Trauma, And Natural Disasters, Chessa S. Quenzer

Capstone Experience: Master of Public Health

Spink Area Support Network (SASN) is a skilled team of community volunteers that facilitate rural critical incident response services in an effort to prevent a critical incident and offer structured support during the aftermath. SASN was developed in response to identified gaps in rural critical incident response and risk reduction through prevention in Spink County, South Dakota. SASN utilizes a collaborative team approach to fill in gaps between first responder silos and establish community interventions by providing support and resources while utilizing critical incident stress management methods. SASN requires funding to maintain response resources, training, prevention education, and follow-up services. …

Developing A Program Evaluation Plan For Medicaid Prenatal Care Management Programs, Shardae Sims

Capstone Experience: Master of Public Health

Prenatal care management (PNCM) is an intervention that targets women during the perinatal period to improve birth outcomes. PNCM has the potential to address social determinants of health issues and gaps or barriers to care that could lower incidences of adverse birth outcomes in Nebraska. There is currently a gap in the literature for studies that fully assess the impact of prenatal care management programs and the program’s ability to reach set goals. The purpose of this research is to develop an evaluation plan and potential implementation strategies that can be utilized by the Medicaid PNCM program in Nebraska. The …

Developing A Rabies Prevention Program Based On Rabies Exposure Data In Nebraska, Jill Oatman

Capstone Experience: Master of Public Health

Eighty-nine percent of Nebraska’s towns are considered rural, with populations of less than 3,000 people and with many towns having less than 1,000 residents. Rural areas consist of crop ground, livestock facilities and regions inhabited by wildlife. Nebraska has two large urban cities, Lincoln and Omaha. Animal and human health in these communities can be greatly impacted by infectious diseases that are transmitted between animals and humans, known as zoonotic diseases. One zoonotic disease of great concern is rabies. Zoonotic diseases not only impact the health of animals and humans, but the social well-being of communities and result in increased …

Network-Level Mechanisms Underlying Effects Of Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation (Tdcs) On Visuomotor Learning, Pejman Sehatpour, Clément Dondé, Matthew J. Hoptman, Johanna Kreither, Devin Adair, Elisa Dias, Blair Vail, Stephanie Rohrig, Gail Silipo, Javier Lopez-Calderon, Antigona Martinez, Daniel C. Javitt

Publications and Research

Transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) is a non-invasive brain stimulation approach in which low level currents are administered over the scalp to influence underlying brain function. Prevailing theories of tDCS focus on modulation of excitation-inhibition balance at the local stimulation location. However, network level effects are reported as well, and appear to depend upon differential underlying mechanisms. Here, we evaluated potential network-level effects of tDCS during the Serial Reaction Time Task (SRTT) using convergent EEG- and fMRI-based connectivity approaches. Motor learning manifested as a significant (p <.0001) shift from slow to fast responses and corresponded to a significant increase in beta-coherence (p <.0001) and fMRI connectivity (p <.01) particularly within the visual-motor pathway. Differential patterns of tDCS effect were observed within different parametric task versions, consistent with network models. Overall, these findings demonstrate objective physiological effects of tDCS at the network level that result in effective behavioral modulation when tDCS parameters are matched to network-level requirements of the underlying task.

Brain Substrates Explain Differences In The Adoption And Degree Of Financial Digitalization, Santiago Carbo-Valverde, Juan A. Lacomba-Arias, Francisco M. Lagos-García, Francisco Rodriguez-Fernandez, Juan Verdejo-Román

All Works

© 2020, The Author(s). This study analyzes neural responses connected to trust and risk to explain financial digitalization decisions. It shows that brain responses distinctively inform differences in the adoption of digital financial channels that are not shown by any other sociodemographic or behavioral indicators. From a methodological standpoint, the study explores if usage patterns of digital financial channels and instruments are associated with psychological and biological indicators; it uses functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to investigate whether financial digitalization decisions are linked to the evoked brain response to the safety associated with video images of financial transactions through digitalized …

Prescribing Laughter To Ameliorate Mental Health, Sleep, And Wellbeing In University Students: A Protocol For A Feasibility Study Of A Randomised Controlled Trial, Freda N. Gonot-Schoupinsky, Gulcan Garip, David Sheffield, Omar M. Omar, Teresa Arora

All Works

© 2020 Objectives: This research is the first study to investigate the potential effects of a laughter prescription on both psychological health and objective sleep parameters in university students. The primary objective is to evaluate the feasibility of prescribing laughter to inform a larger randomised controlled trial. Secondary objectives are to assess if a two-week laughter prescription improves subjective and objective sleep outcomes, wellbeing, and/or psychological health outcomes. Trial design: To assess the feasibility of a randomised controlled trial for laughter prescription in relation to sleep, psychological health, and wellbeing. Forty university students will be recruited and randomised to one …

Law Library Blog (December 2020): Legal Beagle's Blog Archive, Roger Williams University School Of Law

Law Library Newsletters/Blog

No abstract provided.

Risk Factors Contributing To The Development Of Bronchopulmonary Dysplasia Among Preterm Infants, Caitlin E. Bradley

Graduate Doctoral Dissertations

Bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD) is a pulmonary disease that affects infants born < 32 weeks gestational age. Despite improved survival among preterm infants, the incidence and severity of BPD has not improved, rather the features and severity of BPD have evolved (Abman et al., 2017). BPD is a disease that has significant impact on the outcomes of preterm infants, including poor pulmonary and neurodevelopmental outcomes (Abman et al., 2017). Since its identification in 1967, and many iterations to its defining criteria, healthcare practitioners are unable to accurately predict infants’ risk of developing BPD. Further, there is significant family, social, and economic impacts from BPD. This dissertation research examined risk factors for BPD, as identified in a mid-range theory developed from a systematic review of the literature. This mid-range theory is framed using the Neuman Systems Model (NSM) (2011). The research utilized a secondary analysis of data from a database including a cohort of infants born at < 32 weeks’ gestation (n=455) treated at Boston Children’s Hospital. Findings from this research demonstrated that multiple intrapersonal risk factors are associated with development of BPD and the grades of BPD severity including gestational age, birth weight, surfactant administration, necrotizing enterocolitis, infections, mechanical ventilation duration, and patent ductus arteriosus. This research adds to the current body of research by demonstrating specific risks associated with BPD. Findings of this research could be used to identify maternal infant dyads that would benefit from early therapy(s) to reduce BPD risk.

Meta-Analysis Of The Association Between Acute Particulate Matter Exposure And Cardiovascular Disease, Issa El-Kildani

Masters Theses

Cardiovascular disease, which involves a wide range of conditions, including narrowed or blocked coronary arteries, has remained the leading cause of death in the United States for over 50 years. The majority of cardiovascular conditions are preventable, which can be identified through risk factors. However, maintaining healthy life choices can be difficult for most Americans, as the vast majority live in populated urban cities. Urban life can pose hazardous conditions to individuals, especially air pollution. Air pollution includes gaseous pollutants, such as carbon monoxide, nitrogen oxides, ozone and sulfur dioxide, and particulate matter. Of these pollutants, particulate matter has become …

“We Have A Lot Of Home Deliveries” A Qualitative Study On The Impact Of Covid-19 On Access To And Utilization Of Reproductive, Maternal, Newborn And Child Health Care Among Refugee Women In Urban Eastleigh, Kenya, Adelaide Lusambili, Michela Martini, Faiza Abdirahman, Abena Asante, Sharon Ochieng, Joseph N. Guni, Rose Maina, Stanley Luchters

Population Health, East Africa

Background: Little is known about how pregnant refugee women, and the frontline health care workers who serve them, are affected by the COVID-19 pandemic in terms of health, and health service access. Women refugees are classified as a vulnerable group with regard to pregnancy outcomes and access to maternal care, and may be disproportionally at risk for COVID-19 infection as they are likely to face unique barriers to information and access to reproductive health services during the pandemic. Few studies identify gaps that could inform potential interventions to improve service uptake for refugee women, particularly in the context of …

Implementation Fidelity Of Nutritional Counselling, Iron And Folic Acid Supplementation Guidelines And Associated Challenges In Rural Uasin Gishu County Kenya, Roselyter Riang’A, Anne Nangulu, Jacqueline Broerse

Population Health, East Africa

Background: Implementation fidelity which is defined as the degree to which programmes are implemented as intended is one of the factors that affect programme outcome, thus requiring careful examination. This study aims to acquire insight into the degree to which nutritional counselling and Iron and Folic Acid supplementation (IFAs) policy guidelines during pregnancy have been implemented as intended and the challenges to implementation fidelity.

Methods: Data were collected in rural Uasin Gishu County in the western part of Kenya through document analysis, questionnaires among intervention recipients (n = 188) and semi-structured interviews with programme implementers (n = 6). …

Curricular Influence On Professional Formation In Physical Therapy Students, Chad W. Jackson

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Professionalism is needed from each healthcare professional to meet the needs of patients, society, and the expectation that the profession has for its members. Professionalism comprises many attributes and is developed explicitly and implicitly over time through a variety of influential factors. Professional formation education should be an intentional emphasis in any professional program. However, in the academic preparation of healthcare professionals, including physical therapists, a lack of consistency exists in professionalism curricula. It does not appear there are published studies that have specifically compared the effect of curricular approaches in physical therapy education on students’ professional formation. The purpose …

Use Of The Cameo Ii Acuity Tool To Decrease Burnout For Nurses Working In A Pediatric Intensive Care Unit, Frances Lynn Feria-Clement

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The World Health Organization (WHO) reported registered nurse burnout is an occupational hazard resulting in serious consequences for patients, healthcare organizations, and individual registered nurses (Woo et al., 2020). The purpose of this project was to see if the Complexity Assessment and Monitoring to Ensure Optimal Outcomes II (CAMEO II) Acuity Tool, used as an intervention for staffing and scheduling, would have a positive effect against nurse burnout in a pediatric critical care setting in a pediatric medical center. Maslach’s Burnout Inventory- Human Services Survey for Medical Personnel (MBI-HSSMP) was used as a pre- and postsurvey to measure the emotional …

Gardasil Vaccine Trends Within Nevada, California, And The U.S.: A Comparative Study, Karen S. Gutierrez

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Despite decreasing incidence in cervical cancer in the U.S., there continues to be an increase in public health concern for cervical cancer worldwide. Recent studies report that individuals are disproportionately affected based on region, sex, and race. Additionally, the human papillomavirus (HPV) attributable cancers may be reduced between 70% and 90% through the universal use of HPV-vaccines. In order to expand current knowledge and implement intervention programs in Nevada, it is critical to examine the associations among the Gardasil vaccine, cervical cancer screening, and adverse events following immunization as well as to understand the different socio-demographic subgroups affected. To our …

How Does Stress And Coping Impact Undergraduate Students' Mental Health On A Racially Diverse Campus?, Kristina Ricker-Boles

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

The study focuses on how subjective stress and mastery skills impact physical and mental wellbeing among UNLV undergraduate college students. Bovier, Chamot, and Perneger’s (2004) study was repeated within a racially diverse campus setting. The Transactional Model of Stress and Coping provided the foundation of this study with an emphasis on primary and secondary appraisal among racial and ethnic groups. The study utilized the Pearlin Coping Questionnaire, the Short Form-12 (SF-12), the Brief Encounter Psychosocial Instrument (BEPSI), and Duke-UNC Functional Social Support Questionnaire to assess subjective stress, mastery skills, and the moderator of social support while comparing the results among …

Epilepsy Risk Prediction Model For Patients With Tuberous Sclerosis Complex, Laura S Farach, Melissa A Richard, Philip J Lupo, Mustafa Sahin, Darcy A Krueger, Joyce Y Wu, Elizabeth M Bebin, Kit Sing Au, Hope Northrup, Tacern Study Group

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

BACKGROUND: Individuals with tuberous sclerosis complex are at increased risk of epilepsy. Early seizure control improves developmental outcomes, making identifying at-risk patients critically important. Despite several identified risk factors, it remains difficult to predict. The purpose of the study was to evaluate the combined risk prediction of previously identified risk factors for epilepsy in individuals with tuberous sclerosis complex.

METHODS: The study group (n = 333) consisted of individuals with tuberous sclerosis complex who were enrolled in the Tuberous Sclerosis Complex Autism Center of Excellence Research Network and UT TSC Biobank. The outcome was defined as having an epilepsy diagnosis. …

The Cortico-Limbo-Thalamo-Cortical Circuits: An Update To The Original Papez Circuit Of The Human Limbic System, Jochen Profit, Paul J Sharek, Xin Cui, Courtney C Nisbet, Eric J Thomas, Daniel S Tawfik, Henry C Lee, David Draper, J Bryan Sexton

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

OBJECTIVES: Key validated clinical metrics are being used individually and in aggregate (Baby-MONITOR) to monitor the performance of neonatal intensive care units (NICUs). The degree to which perceptions of key components of safety culture, safety climate, and teamwork are related to aspects of NICU quality of care is poorly understood. The objective of this study was to test whether NICU performance on key clinical metrics correlates with caregiver perceptions of safety culture.

STUDY DESIGN: Cross-sectional study of 6253 very low-birth-weight infants in 44 NICUs. We measured clinical quality via the Baby-MONITOR and its nine risk-adjusted and standardized subcomponents (antenatal corticosteroids, …

Tracheostomy While On Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation: A Comparison Of Percutaneous And Open Procedures, Ismael A Salas De Armas, Kha Dinh, Bindu Akkanti, Pushan Jani, Reshma Hussain, Lisa Janowiak, Kayla Kutilek, Manish K Patel, Mehmet H Akay, Rahat Hussain, Jayeshkumar Patel, Chandni Patel, Yafen Liang, John Zaki, Biswajit Kar, Igor D Gregoric

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Although the ideal timing of tracheostomy for critically ill patients is controversial, transitioning from an endotracheal tube can be beneficial. Concerns arise for patients under extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) support. Studies have described percutaneous and open tracheostomy approaches for critically ill patients but, to our knowledge, have not compared the two specifically in ECMO patients. This study analyzed safety and aimed to identify if there was a difference in major bleeding or other tracheostomy-associated complications. A single-center retrospective cohort study of all patients who received tracheostomy while on ECMO from July 2013 to May 2019 was completed. The primary endpoint …

Covid-19, Coronavirus, Wuhan Virus, Or China Virus? Understanding How To “Do No Harm" When Naming An Infectious Disease, Theodore C. Masters-Waage, Nilotpal Jha, Jochen Reb

Research Collection Lee Kong Chian School Of Business

When labeling an infectious disease, officially sanctioned scientific names, e.g., “H1N1 virus,” are recommended over place-specific names, e.g., “Spanish flu.” This is due to concerns from policymakers and the WHO that the latter might lead to unintended stigmatization. However, with little empirical support for such negative consequences, authorities might be focusing on limited resources on an overstated issue. This paper empirically investigates the impact of naming against the current backdrop of the 2019-2020 pandemic.

Capacity Allocation And Revenue Sharing In Healthcare Alliances, Xiaoquan Gao, Jianpei Wen, Jie Song

Research Collection Lee Kong Chian School Of Business

This study investigates the operations of a healthcare alliance, where two types of independent hospitals [general hospitals (GHs) and community healthcare centers (CHCs)] collaborate in capacity allocation and revenue management to improve efficiency and revenue. Specifically, the GH allocates part of its capacity to establish a dedicated green channel for referral patients from the CHC based on a negotiated revenue sharing scheme. Generally, independent hospitals, like GHs and CHCs, in the healthcare delivery system provide complementary and substitute services due to the referral process and patients choice. Both service providers need each other, and their collaboration is very beneficial to …

Nason's "The Autism Discussion Page: On Stress, Anxiety, Shutdowns, And Meltdowns" (Book Review), Jaclyn Lee Parrott

The Christian Librarian

No abstract provided.

The Surveillance Of Gastrointestinal Parasitic Nematodes Of Northwest Arkansas Dairy Cattle Using Traditional And Genetic Parasitological Identification Procedures, Eva M. Wray

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Traditional and genetic parasitological identification procedures were compared using naturaland artificial nematode parasite infections in Holstein steer calves. The traditional parasitological procedures measured fecal egg counts, coprocultures with subsequent larval collection and adult nematodes collected at necropsy. The genetic identification procedures measured ITS-2 sequences extracted from different stages of nematode development: raw feces, concentrated nematode eggs, third stage larvae and adults. The primary nematodes observed were Cooperia oncophora, Cooperia punctata and Ostertagia ostertagi. The traditional techniques were not significantly different from one another, while the genetic sequencing showed variation amongst the different procedures. The raw feces sequences showed the most …

Effect Of Feed Additives And Toxic Elements On Swine Growth Performance, Nutrient Digestibility, Immune Function And Reproductive Performance, Richard A. Mudarra Hernández

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

To evaluate the effects of peptide in combination of zinc oxide (Zno) or acidifiers (Exp 1), and gossypol (G) from cottonseed meal (CSM) ( Exp 2&3) on growth performance, complete blood cell counts (Exp 1, 2&3), nutrient digestibility (Exp 1), plasma gossypol (Exp 2&3) and semen quality (Exp 3), weaned pigs (Exp 1), growing gilts (Exp 2) and growing boars (Exp 3) were randomly allotted to dietary treatments. Treatments for Exp 1 during phase 1&2 were: (1) Positive Control (PC), formulated to meet NRC (2012) nutrient requirements; (2) Negative control (NC), fish meal was reduced to achieve -0.13% SID lysine; …

Behavioral And Enhanced Perinatal Intervention (B-Epic): A Randomized Trial Targeting Tobacco Use Among Opioid Dependent Pregnant Women, Amanda Fallin-Bennett, Michelle R. Lofwall, Teresa M. Waters, Paul Nuzzo, Janine Barnett, Letitia Ducas, Andrea Mccubbin, Niraj R. Chavan, Lisa Blair, Kristin Ashford

Nursing Faculty Publications

Background

Opioid use during pregnancy is a significant public health issue. The standard of care for treating opioid use disorder during pregnancy includes medications for opioid disorder (MOUD). However, tobacco use often goes unaddressed among pregnant women on MOUD. In 2018, our team received a National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) funded R34 to conduct a three year-randomized trial to test the feasibility of a novel tobacco intervention for pregnant women receiving MOUD.

Aims

The aims of this study are: (1) to determine the impact of the B-EPIC intervention on maternal tobacco use and stage of change; (2) to determine …

Trend Analysis Of Lab Tests Requisitions Of Covid-19 Prognostic Biomarkers At A Clinical Chemistry Reference Laboratory-An Observational Study, Sibtain Ahmed, Farooq Ghani

Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine

Background: Biochemical parameters, such as C-reactive protein (C-RP), Procalcitonin (PCT), Lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) and Ferritin are associated with COVID-19 severity and prognosis. This trend analysis of COVID-19 prognostic biomarker requisitions is aimed at providing a reflection of the clinical practices adopted amidst the peak of the pandemic. This knowledge of the prognostic biomarkers utilized, will further aid to classify patients based on their risk, for optimal resource allocation and improve outcomes.
Material & methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted at the clinical chemistry laboratory at the Aga Khan University Hospital (AKUH), Karachi Pakistan. A team consisting of two clinical chemistry …

Author Correction: Pesticide Pollution In Freshwater Paves The Way For Schistosomiasis Transmission (Scientific Reports, (2020), 10, 1, (3650), 10.1038/S41598-020-60654-7), Jeremias M. Becker, Akbar A. Ganatra, Faith Kandie, Lina Mühlbauer, Jörg Ahlheim, Werner Brack, Baldwyn Torto, Eric L. Agola, Francis Mcodimba, Henner Hollert, Ulrike Fillinger, Matthias Liess

All Peer-Reviewed Publications

An amendment to this paper has been published and can be accessed via a link at the top of the paper.

Pesticide Pollution In Freshwater Paves The Way For Schistosomiasis Transmission, Jeremias M. Becker, Akbar A. Ganatra, Faith Kandie, Lina Mühlbauer, Jörg Ahlheim, Werner Brack, Baldwyn Torto, Eric L. Agola, Francis Mcodimba, Henner Hollert, Ulrike Fillinger, Matthias Liess

All Peer-Reviewed Publications

Schistosomiasis is a severe neglected tropical disease caused by trematodes and transmitted by freshwater snails. Snails are known to be highly tolerant to agricultural pesticides. However, little attention has been paid to the ecological consequences of pesticide pollution in areas endemic for schistosomiasis, where people live in close contact with non-sanitized freshwaters. In complementary laboratory and field studies on Kenyan inland areas along Lake Victoria, we show that pesticide pollution is a major driver in increasing the occurrence of host snails and thus the risk of schistosomiasis transmission. In the laboratory, snails showed higher insecticide tolerance to commonly found pesticides …