Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

Comparison Of Oral Glucose Tolerance And Hemoglobin A1c As An Initial Indicator Of Type 2 Diabetes, Shelby L. Knox

Physician Assistant Scholarly Project Papers

The purpose of this literature review was to evaluate the diagnostic utility of hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) compared to oral glucose tolerance testing (OGTT) for diagnosis of type 2 diabetes. Databases ClinicalKey, PubMed, Dynamed, and CINAHL withdrew a total of 17 peer-reviewed cross-sectional and retrospective studies, secondary data and pooled data analyses, and meta-analyses. Inclusion criteria included human studies, black, white, Hispanic, and Asian populations, studies < 10 years old, individuals > 15 years of age, fasting plasma glucose in conjunction with OGTT, and subjects without known type 2 diabetes. Exclusion criteria included alternative forms of diabetes, screening and diagnosis of prediabetes, comparisons in relation to specific …

Cannabidiol: An Adjunctive Therapy To Risperidone For Autistic Children Experiencing Behavioral Outbursts, Cherie Dowell

Physician Assistant Scholarly Project Papers

The purpose of this systemic literature review was to evaluate the safety, efficacy, and tolerability of medical cannabis in the treatment of aggression, irritability, and self-injurious behaviors in autistic children that are currently receiving risperidone. For this literature review, DynaMed, Cochrane, PubMed, ClinicalKey, and CINAHL were searched using various keywords and phrases. Studies that were included in this review were published after 2005, were peer-reviewed, and included systemic reviews, journal articles, clinical trials, randomized control trials, and meta-analyses. Studies that did not directly discuss autism and behavioral issues; autism treatment with risperidone, medical cannabis, or cannabidiol; that did not specifically …

Comparison Of Conjunctive Probiotic Use Versus No Probiotic Use In Outcomes Of Antibiotic-Associated Diarrhea, Samantha L. Simley

Physician Assistant Scholarly Project Papers

Antibiotics are utilized in the medical community for the treatment of bacterial infections. Consequently, the use of antibiotics may result in certain gastrointestinal side effects. Antibiotic-associated diarrhea is one side effect that can be seen in patient populations that are on an antibiotic regimen. Due to this side effect profile, patient compliance on an antibiotic regimen may be compromised. This lack in patient compliance led to increased interest to determine if there are treatment options available to prevent or reduce instances of antibiotic-associated diarrhea. One treatment option of interest includes the use of probiotics. The purpose of this literature review …

The Efficacy Of Testosterone Replacement Vs Aromatase Inhibitors/ Serms In The Presence Of Hypogonadism, Tobias Charles Steen

Physician Assistant Scholarly Project Papers

The prevalence of male hypogonadism increases with age, although it can occur in any age group. Patients with hypogonadism can experience a wide range of symptoms including mood changes, decreased libido, decreased muscle mass, erectile dysfunction and bone loss. Traditionally, management of this condition has been accomplished through some form of testosterone replacement therapy (TRT). While TRT has proven effective at attenuating the symptoms of hypogonadism, it is not without side effects. TRT can at times be expensive, painful, cause gynecomastia, acne, water weight gain and infertility. Recently, medications such as selective estrogen receptor modulators (SERMs) and aromatase inhibitors (AIs) …

Anticholinergic Medications And Risk Of Developing Dementia, Heidi N. Artz Schmaltz

Physician Assistant Scholarly Project Papers

Abstract (to Come)

The Use Of Ketamine In Asthma Exacerbations, Stephanie Frentzel

Physician Assistant Scholarly Project Papers

Asthma is a chronic, non-curable respiratory disease that has multi-factorial effects on the bronchial mucosa. Despite optimal prevention and standardized first-line asthma care, the symptoms can deteriorate, leading to an asthma exacerbation, which is a medical emergency. The purpose of this review was to determine the efficacy of ketamine use as an adjunctive medication for acute asthma exacerbations that had failed standard guideline-directed treatments. Relevant databases included searches looking for ketamine use in asthma. Ketamine can be used as an adjunctive medication and has been found to be beneficial in stopping the emergency's progression by alleviating bronchospasms, increasing oxygen availability, …

The Disparities Of The Marginalized: Focusing Race And Queerness In Science And Medicine, Kearby Stiles

Honors College Theses

The United States is an immensely diverse country in which certain groups have been—and continue to be—marginalized in society because of their differences. Science and healthcare are areas in which marginalized peoples are negatively affected by a society that punishes difference and diversity. This is an immense problem because in biological and medical school education, in clinical research, and medical practices, little attention is given to marginalized populations. In this paper, I focus on the disadvantages faced by people of color, trans, and intersex people. I decided to focus on race because the history and current state of racism in …

Investigating Media Influence On Canine Breed Popularity And Increasing Prevalence Of Genetic Linked Disorders, Callie Anderson

Honors College Theses

This study is focused on influence of social media on dog breed popularity, and if an increase in popularity leads to an increase in the prevalence of genetic-linked disorders observed in specified breeds in a clinical setting. This study was conducted by comparing an in-depth analysis of past research investigating the influence of popular culture on the trends of dog breed popularity as it relates to trends in media and fashion, with the results of a survey of clinical observations by veterinarians practicing in the area surrounding Murray, Kentucky. The results of the literary analysis revealed that humans are greatly …

In With A Runny Nose, Out In A Body Bag: Why Is It So Difficult For Black Women To Leave The Hospital Alive?, Chelsea Carter

Liberal Arts Capstones

In the Black community, there is an unspoken understanding about going to the doctor with a runny nose, and leaving in a body bag. A recent article published by The Oprah Magazine demonstrates that racism is rampant in the United States healthcare system, and it is taking the lives of Black women at an alarmingly disproportionate rate (Stallings, 2018). When seeking medical treatment, many Black women are at the mercy of doctors who hold an implicit bias against Black women. Simply put, implicit bias describes when people behave and treat others based on negative preconceptions they have about other people, …

Exploring Equity In Health And Poverty Impacts Of Control Measures For Sars-Cov-2 In Six Countries, Sedona Sweeney, Theo Prudencio Juhani Capeding, Rosalind Eggo, Maryam Huda, Mark Jit, Don Mudzengi, Nichola R. Naylor, Simon Procter, Matthew Quaife, Lela Serebryakova

Community Health Sciences

Background: Policy makers need to be rapidly informed about the potential equity consequences of different COVID-19 strategies, alongside their broader health and economic impacts. While there are complex models to inform both potential health and macro-economic impact, there are few tools available to rapidly assess potential equity impacts of interventions.
Methods: We created an economic model to simulate the impact of lockdown measures in Pakistan, Georgia, Chile, UK, the Philippines and South Africa. We consider impact of lockdown in terms of ability to socially distance, and income loss during lockdown, and tested the impact of assumptions on social protection coverage …

“In This Industry, You're No Longer Human”: An Exploratory Study Of Women’S Experiences In Pornography Production In Sweden, Meghan Donevan

Dignity: A Journal of Analysis of Exploitation and Violence

Despite being a global, billion-dollar industry, very little is known about the conditions women face within the pornography industry. The aim of this study was to explore women’s experiences in pornography production, with a particular focus on structural antecedents to entrance, coercion, and violence within the industry, as well as current needs and any barriers to exiting the industry. Semi-structured, in-depth interviews were conducted with nine women with experiences in pornography production in Sweden. Participants identified young age, financial insecurity, earlier exposure to sexualized violence, and poor mental health as typical antecedents to entering the pornography industry. Once in the …

Recovering From Substance Abuse In Arkansas: The Accessibility And Affordability Of Drug Treatment Programs, Whitney King

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This thesis is going to examine how people recover from drug addiction and see if there are any similarities due to their socioeconomic statuses at the time of recovery. This research addresses the following questions: How accessible and affordable are drug addiction recovery programs and rehabilitation facilities in Arkansas for mid- to low-income individuals? What are the social costs for people who can’t obtain drug rehabilitation services? The goal of this research is to explore whether there is a lack of affordable recovery programs in the state of Arkansas. This project utilizes survey responses as well as in-depth interviews with …

Developing A Microdialysis Sampling-Based Biofilm/Macrophage Co-Culture Model, Alda Diaz Perez

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The host immune system and bacterial cells are known to interact during the human lifetime. Bacteria secrete a wide variety of signaling molecules, known as quorum sensing (QSC) molecules, that modulate the host immune system. While immune-biofilm interactions involve this chemical signaling network, the mechanisms through which this occurs are not well understood. This work aimed to develop a new method that can be used not only in vitro settings but also in vivo. The microdialysis sampling technique has widely been used in in vitro and in vivo settings in humans, mice, and rats for the collection of neuropeptides, cytokines, …

Behavioral Adverse Events With Brivaracetam, Levetiracetam, Perampanel, And Topiramate: A Systematic Review., Bernhard J Steinhoff, Pavel Klein, Henrik Klitgaard, Cédric Laloyaux, Brian D Moseley, Kristen Ricchetti-Masterson, Felix Rosenow, Joseph I Sirven, Brien Smith, John M Stern, Manuel Toledo, Patricia A Zipfel, Vicente Villanueva

Neuroscience Articles

PURPOSE: To understand the currently available post-marketing real-world evidence of the incidences of and discontinuations due to the BAEs of irritability, anger, and aggression in people with epilepsy (PWE) treated with the anti-seizure medications (ASMs) brivaracetam (BRV), levetiracetam (LEV), perampanel (PER), and topiramate (TPM), as well as behavioral adverse events (BAEs) in PWE switching from LEV to BRV.

METHODS: A systematic review of published literature using the Cochrane Library, PubMed/MEDLINE, and Embase was performed to identify retrospective and prospective observational studies reporting the incidence of irritability, anger, or aggression with BRV, LEV, PER, or TPM in PWE. The incidences of …

Exercise-Induced Alterations In Phospholipid Hydrolysis, Airway Surfactant, And Eicosanoids And Their Role In Airway Hyperresponsiveness In Asthma, Ryan C Murphy, Ying Lai, James D Nolin, Robier A Aguillon Prada, Arindam Chakrabarti, Michael V Novotny, Michael C Seeds, William A Altemeier, Michael H Gelb, Robert Duncan Hite, Teal S Hallstrand

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

The mechanisms responsible for driving endogenous airway hyperresponsiveness (AHR) in the form of exercise-induced bronchoconstriction (EIB) are not fully understood. We examined alterations in airway phospholipid hydrolysis, surfactant degradation, and lipid mediator release in relation to AHR severity and changes induced by exercise challenge. Paired induced sputum (

Gastrointestinal Complications In Critically Ill Children: Experience From A Resource-Limited Country, Sidra Ishaque, Mariam Shakir, Asma Akbar Ladak, Anwar Ul Haque

Department of Paediatrics and Child Health

Objectives: To determine the frequency and predictors of outcome of gastrointestinal complications (GIC) in critically ill children.
Methods: This descriptive study was prospectively conducted in The Pediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU), The Aga Khan University Hospital (AKUH), Karachi, from September 2015 to January 2017. After obtaining approval from the Ethical Review Committee of AKUH and informed consent from the parents, all children (aged one month to 18 years), of either gender, admitted to the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU) during the study period were included. The frequency of the defined GIC: vomiting, high gastric residue volume (GRV), diarrhea, constipation, and …

Media’S Portrayal Of Women And Its Impact On Body Image And Self-Esteem, Hannah Bareis

Marketing Undergraduate Honors Theses

This project addresses the portrayal of women in media and its damaging effects on body image and self-esteem. It raises two critical questions: What negative impact is media creating on women? What can be done to combat these destructive effects?

According to a study done by Common Sense Media, "American teens use an average of 9 hours of media daily, not including for school and homework" (Common Sense Media, 2015). This data, along with many others, shows the severity of media exposure to teens. This has brought a valuable discussion to the table. How has this impacted female body image, …

Mortality In Hospitalized Patients With Cancer And Coronavirus Disease 2019: A Systematic Review And Meta-Analysis Of Cohort Studies, Aakash Desai, Rohit Gupta, Shailesh Advani, Lara Ouellette, Nicole M Kuderer, Gary H Lyman, Ang Li

Library Staff Publications

BACKGROUND: Heterogeneous evidence exists on the effect of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) on the clinical outcomes of patients with cancer.

METHODS: A systematic review was performed using the Medline, Embase, and CENTRAL databases and the World Health Organization Novel Coronavirus website to identify studies that reported mortality and characteristics of patients with cancer who were diagnosed with COVID-19. The primary study outcome was mortality, defined as all-cause mortality or in-hospital mortality within 30 days of initial COVID-19 diagnosis. The pooled proportion of mortality was estimated using a random-effects model, and study-level moderators of heterogeneity were assessed through subgroup analysis and …

The Effects Of Differences In Vaccination Rates Across Socioeconomic Groups On The Size Of Measles Outbreaks, Elizabeth Hunter, John D. Kelleher

Conference papers

Vaccination rates are often presented at the level of a country or region. However, within those areas there might be geographic or demographic pockets that have higher or lower vaccination rates. We use an agent-based model designed to simulate the spread of measles in Irish towns to examine if the effectiveness of vaccination rates to reduce disease at a population level is sensitive to the uniformity of vaccinations across socioeconomic groups. We find that when vaccinations are not applied evenly across socioeconomic groups we see more outbreaks and outbreaks with larger magnitudes.

Mindful Eating And Perceived Stress In College Students, Emily G. Garrett

Graduate Theses

Background: Evidence suggests that in college student populations, stress levels often manifest as maladaptive eating and/or functional gastrointestinal disorders. These conditions can degrade wellbeing and academic performance if not addressed.

Research aim/question(s): The purpose of this study was to examine the relationships between students’ perceived stress, their overall mindfulness, and mindful eating patterns. Gastrointestinal (GI) symptoms and bowel habits were also investigated to determine whether these factors were stress-related or influenced mindfulness behaviors.

Materials and Methods: An online survey was conducted during the 2020-2021 academic year. Demographic information, including smoking, alcohol, and drug use patterns, was gathered in addition to …

Examining Physical Activity Behaviors And Psychometric Beliefs Of College Students Before And After The Covid-19 Shutdown, James White Iii

Graduate Theses

Objectives: The purpose of this study was to examine PA behaviors, social support and self-efficacy for PA, Rosenberg self-esteem, and perceptions of body weight before and after the COVID-19 shutdown (March 15, 2020) among the college demographic.

Participants: 311 college students from a four-year, comprehensive, southeastern university in the United States were included in the study from December 1, 2020 until March 5, 2021.

Methods: Surveys were conducted via Qualtrics, an online survey system, and consisted of approximately 40 items, including demographic information, PA behaviors, social support and exercise, self-esteem, self-efficacy to exercise, and perceptions of body weight and self-image. …

Tight Trip Vs. Loose Grip On Russian Kettlebell Swing Work Capacity, Austin Deshner, Abigail Mccarty, Jerrell C. Campbell, Andrew Fields, Will W. Peveler

Masters Theses

The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of a tight grip(TG) and a loose grip(LG) on work capacity while performing Russian kettlebell swings(KBS). It was hypothesized that LG would result in an ability to perform more work. Thirty fit adults (16 male; 14 female) were tested. Two (TG and LG) separate counterbalanced trials for each subject were collected, counting the number of repetitions completed until volitional exhaustion. RPE for forearms and overall exhaustion were collected post-trial. SPSS was used to run a paired samples t-test. There was a significant difference between the two grips (p = 0.013)(TG …

Effects Of Different Recovery Methods On Hangboard Performance In Rock Climbers: A Pilot Study, Daniel Tyler Ehrich

Masters Theses

The purpose of this study was to determine whether static stretching, dynamic shakes, or repeated contractions would promote the greatest retention in performance in hangboard training within a given period of time. Five volunteer intermediate climbers from the Liberty University rock climbing team were instructed to suspend themselves from a 20mm ledge on a hangboard until voluntary failure while time was recorded. After failure, subjects performed one of three different recovery methods and a control in randomized order for two minutes in alternating fifteen-second intervals. Upon finishing recovery, subjects would hang from the same ledge and have their time recorded …

Behavioural Incentivization In Healthcare Operations, Nicholas Teck Boon Yeo

Dissertations and Theses Collection (Open Access)

Common across current research in healthcare operations is the conclusion that there exist many inefficiencies in today’s healthcare systems. Governments and healthcare organisations have sought to address these inefficiencies through the introduction of new policies and operational procedures or by relying on incentives to encourage specific behaviour. However, despite these attempts to reduce inefficiencies in the healthcare systems, the problem persists and is further exacerbated by growing medical complexities coupled with a rapidly ageing population. Against this backdrop, this dissertation investigates two issues within healthcare operations: (i) colorectal cancer (CRC) screening adherence, and (ii) blood donor management. A distinguishing feature …

Increasing Awareness Amongst Injured Student-Athletes, Daniel Lomeli

Capstone Projects and Master's Theses

The NCAA states that there are around half a million college student athletes in America, and according to the National Athletic Trainers’ Association (2020) ninety percent of them will have a sports related injury some time in their career. Student-athletes compared to non-athletes are less likely to utilize resources and professional assistance (Moulton, Molstad, & Turner 1997). Due to fear of seeming weak, losing training time, judgement from peers or coaches and the appearance of needing any psychological assistance, many athletes are less likely to seek help (Brooks & Bull, 1999). Student Athletes seem to worsen their academic performance as …

Acute Care Nurse Practitioners’ Role In The Icu: A Retrospective Analysis Of Central Line Access Delays For Patients In Septic Shock, Violeta Aguirre

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Morbidity and mortality related to sepsis management have been popular research topics for a significant part of the last two decades. The Surviving Sepsis Campaign was launched in 2002 with goals to develop medical management guidelines, improving diagnosis by building awareness, expanding healthcare provider education, and improving appropriate treatment (Society of Critical Care Medicine [SCCM], 2019). Professional organizations and governing bodies continuously revise guidelines for the early identification and treatment of sepsis. The latest treatment recommendations for the Hour-1 Bundle of sepsis management (SEP-1) include initiating vasopressors in conjunction with fluid resuscitation to reach the hemodynamic goal of maintaining a …

Implementation Of A Protocol In The Freestanding Emergency Department To Screen For And Identify Possible Victims Of Human Trafficking, Joe Alvarado

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Human trafficking (HT) victims often seek medical care in the emergency room setting. In a recent study among HT survivors, 88% attested to receiving medical care while in captivity, with 63% treated in the emergency care setting. Freestanding emergency departments typically have lower acuity and lower patient volumes than hospital-based emergency departments. This setting creates shorter wait times and minimizes the length of stay at every point during the emergency room experience. For traffickers, this is an ideal situation if their victim needs medical attention, and they want to get in and get out of the emergency room with less …

Mapping Nevada's Dental Workforce, Kelvin Chen

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Access to care is a concern at the forefront of public health. Due to socioeconomic and geopolitical pressures, the distribution of healthcare providers across a population often does not coincide with the demand for healthcare in a specific geographic area. Rural areas typically do not have enough providers and urban areas typically have too many. This stark reality underscores an inherent inefficiency in the allocation of healthcare resources and is a discrepancy that must be addressed by state-sponsored institutions and programs. From a public health perspective, the problem of insufficient or lack of access to care is the greater of …

The Role Of Nutrition And Hormone Signaling In Extended Larval Development And Obesity In Starvation-Selected Drosophila Melanogaster, Jennifer M. Clark

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Brief periods of starvation are a common stressor that most animals encounter in the wild and must be able to survive in order to maximize their fitness. Starvation resistance of the adult fruit fly, Drosophila melanogaster, is thought to be primarily conferred by adult fat stores, body size, metabolic rate, behavior, and activity levels. Additionally, flies selected for starvation resistance also often show delayed pupariation, which is usually indicative of altered hormone signaling. How starvation selection extends development and if it contributes to adult starvation resistance remains incompletely studied. Identifying the targets of starvation selection that cause extended development and …

Understanding The Role Of Ano1 In Oral Cancer, Mallary Forrest

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

In 2008, the gene ANO1 was discovered to encode a calcium activated chloride channel. This gene is located on the 11q13 locus, a locus that is commonly amplified in many cancers including cancer of the head and neck. ANO1 is situated in close proximity to genes associated with growth and apoptosis. As rapid proliferation and lack of apoptosis are hallmark characteristics of cancer, growth factors and apoptosis mediators are expected to be altered in cancer. But what does a calcium activated chloride channel have to contribute to cancer’s pathogenesis? Is it an active gene in cancer progression or is it …