Other Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

Drug Interactions With Antimalarial Medications In Older Travelers: A Clinical Guide, Jelena Lewis, Tania Gregorian, Ivan Portillo, Jeff Goad

Pharmacy Faculty Articles and Research

Increasingly older adults are traveling to international destinations with malaria as a present risk. Surveillance systems indicate that older adults are more likely to suffer severe complications from malaria. The role of health care providers in selecting an appropriate medication for chemoprophylaxis or treatment of malaria in adults becomes more difficult as older adults undergo physiologic changes that alter the pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic nature of medications potentially causing increased drug interactions, adverse events, and altered drug action. A comprehensive literature search from 1970 to present, with a focus on the last 10 years, was conducted on drug interactions, pharmacokinetic and …

Exploration Of Factors Associated With Perceived Barriers To Cervical Cancer Screening Among Chinese American Women, Wei-Chen Tung, Minggen Lu, Michelle Granner, Jiani Mcdonough, Susan Ervin

Faculty Publications

This study explored factors associated with perceived barriers to Pap smear testing among Chinese American women (CAW). A total of 121 CAW, ages 21–65, living in California and Nevada completed a self-report questionnaire. Data included demographics, prior screening behavior, risk factors, and perceived barriers to screening. Logistic regression models revealed that participants with less education, and who have never been screened were more likely to report (I) worry about getting a Pap smear, (II) expense of a Pap smear, and (III) not knowing where to get a Pap smear. Partner’s resistance to the women’s participation in screening was another barrier …

Short Relative Leg Length Is Associated With Overweight And Obesity In Mexican Immigrant Women, Mireya Vilar-Compte, James Macinko, Beth C. Weitzman, Carlos M. Avendaño-Villela

Department of Public Health Scholarship and Creative Works

Background: Prior research suggests that undernutrition and enteric infections predispose children to stunted growth. Undernutrition and infections have been associated with limited access to healthy diets, lack of sanitation, and access barriers to healthcare - all associated with human rights. Stunting has also been documented to be a major determinant of subsequent obesity and non-communicable diseases. Short leg length relative to stature during adulthood seems to be a good proxy indicator tracking such barriers, and has been reported to be associated with adverse health effects during adulthood. Our objective was to examine the association between relative leg length (as measured …

Predicting The Effects Of Medicaid's Sobriety Requirements On The Spread Of Hepatitis C In Rhode Island, Mary Cate Gallagher

Honors Projects in Science and Technology

Hepatitis C (HCV) is the most prevalent infectious disease in America (1). This virus is spread through blood to blood contact, and disproportionally affects the People Who Inject Drugs (PWID) community. There is a 99% effective curative treatment available. However, Rhode Island Medicaid stipulates that a patient must be six months sober before accessing this treatment. Because of this barrier, less than 16% of people infected with HCV are able to access the curative treatment and the disease continues to run rampant throughout the state. Using SIS disease spread modeling techniques fit to current published Rhode Island Department of Health …

Ecological Determinants Of Respiratory Health: Examining Associations Between Asthma Emergency Department Visits, Diesel Particulate Matter, And Public Parks And Open Space In Los Angeles, California, Jason A. Douglas, Reginald S. Archer, Serena E. Alexander

Health Sciences and Kinesiology Faculty Articles

Los Angeles County (LAC) low-income communities of color experience uneven asthma rates, evidenced by asthma emergency department visits (AEDV). This has partly been attributed to inequitable exposure to diesel particulate matter (DPM). Promisingly, public parks and open space (PPOS) contribute to DPM mitigation. However, low-income communities of color with limited access to PPOS may be deprived of associated public health benefits. Therefore, this novel study investigates the AEDV, DPM, PPOS nexus to address this public health dilemma and inform public policy in at-risk communities. Optimized Hotspot Analysis was used to examine geographic clustering of AEDVs, DPM, and PPOS at the …

The Chapman Bone Algorithm: A Diagnostic Alternative For The Evaluation Of Osteoporosis, Elise Levesque, Anton Ketterer, Wajiha Memon, Cameron James, Noah Barrett, Cyril Rakovski, Frank Frisch

Mathematics, Physics, and Computer Science Faculty Articles and Research

Osteoporosis is the most common metabolic bone disease and goes largely undiagnosed throughout the world, due to the inaccessibility of DXA machines. Multivariate analyses of serum bone turnover markers were evaluated in 226 Orange County, California, residents with the intent to determine if serum osteocalcin and serum pyridinoline cross-links could be used to detect the onset of osteoporosis as effectively as a DXA scan. Descriptive analyses of the demographic and lab characteristics of the participants were performed through frequency, means and standard deviation estimations. We implemented logistic regression modeling to find the best classification algorithm for osteoporosis. All calculations and …

Abstracts From The 24th Annual Health Care Systems Research Network Conference, April 11–13, 2018, Minneapolis, Minnesota

Journal of Patient-Centered Research and Reviews

Founded in 1994, the Health Care Systems Research Network (HCSRN) is a consortium of 18 research centers that are housed in community-based health systems. The organization's annual conference serves as a venue for research teams to disseminate scientific findings, stimulate new collaborations, and share insights about conducting research in real-world care-delivery settings. Abstracts accepted for presentation at HCSRN 2018 are published within this supplement of the Journal of Patient-Centered Research and Reviews.

Usefulness Of The Captia Syphilis Igg Eia Test Method And Reverse Algorithm For Detection Of Syphilis Infection In A Public Health Setting, Patricia Armour

Theses and Dissertations

Syphilis, a systemic sexually transmitted disease, is on the rise in the US, with infection rates the highest recorded since 1994 according to the CDC. Useful laboratory testing is an important diagnostic tool for determining individual syphilis infection and preventing community-wide disease spread.

The purpose of this study was to determine the usefulness of a specific automated treponemal test method, the Captia^TM Syphilis IgG EIA, and the syphilis reverse algorithm interpretation for detecting syphilis infection among patients seeking care in a public health clinic. The study employed a retrospective, nonexperimental descriptive correlational design with data collected between 2012-2013 from …

A Novel Model Of “Remedy And Elimination Of Tuberculosis”, Akanksha Mishra

Master's Theses

Tuberculosis (TB), is one of the top ten causes of death worldwide. TB is commonly linked to poverty and creates poverty as it is the single largest cause of death in the 15-49-year-old age group in South-East Asia (WHO, 2017). It is also linked to the HIV population, and its leading cause of death. TB is effected by socio-economic factors, cultural factors, and health policy. My goal of this dissertation is to identify systematic approaches that shall support the mission set by World Health Organization (WHO): to eliminate TB globally by the year 2050. Measures might include addressing social barriers …

Reducing Medication Errors In Pneumonia Patients During Transitions Of Care, Laressa Bethishou, Noah Fang, Lisa Shieh

Pharmacy Faculty Articles and Research

Purpose: At Stanford Health Care, as part of a hospital-wide initiative to reduce pneumonia readmission rates, an interdisciplinary collaborative effort was created between physicians and transitions of care (ToC) pharmacists to optimize discharge planning and medication management for pneumonia patients. The purpose of this study was to describe the impact of the ToC pharmacist in identifying and reducing medication errors on discharge for pneumonia patients.

Methodology: Retrospective chart review was conducted on patients discharged with a pneumonia diagnosis between December 2015 to Feb 2016. Patients were stratified based on whether they received ToC pharmacist medication review vs. standard …

Managing The Cost Of Diabetes, Laressa Bethishou

Pharmacy Faculty Articles and Research

"This is of concern to health care providers because inadequate management of diabetes results in short- and long-term complications. Patients with diabetes and no health insurance have fewer physician visits and are prescribed fewer medications for management of their diabetes. Patients with diabetes make up 11.9% of all emergency department visits in the United States.Hispanic and non-Hispanic blacks are at greater risk for developing diabetes and serious associated health complications, including chronic kidney disease. This may be attributed to a combination of genetics, diet, and exercise. However, access to health care resources may also play an important role."

Sex-Dependent Effects Of Ho-1 Deletion From Adipocytes In Mice, Peter A. Hosick, Mary Frances Weeks, Michael W. Hankins, Kyle H. Moore, David E. Stec

Department of Exercise Science and Physical Education Scholarship and Creative Works

Induction of heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1) has been demonstrated to decrease body weight and improve insulin sensitivity in several models of obesity in rodents. To further study the role of HO-1 in adipose tissue, we created an adipose-specific HO-1 knockout mouse model. Male and female mice were fed either a control or a high-fat diet for 30 weeks. Body weights were measured weekly and body composition, fasting blood glucose and insulin levels were determined every six weeks. Adipocyte-specific knockout of HO-1 had no significant effect on body weight in mice fed a high-fat diet but increased body weight in female mice …

Metastatic Biomarkers In Synovial Sarcoma, Rosalia De Necochea-Campion, Lee M. Zuckerman, Hamid R. Mirshahidi, Shahrzad Khosrowpour, Chien-Shing Chen, Saied Mirshahidi

Library Articles and Research

Synovial sarcoma (SS) is an aggressive soft tissue sarcoma (STS) that typically occurs in the extremities near a joint. Metastatic disease is common and usually occurs in the lungs and lymph nodes. Surgical management is the mainstay of treatment with chemotherapy and radiation typically used as adjuvant treatment. Although chemotherapy has a positive impact on survival, the prognosis is poor if metastatic disease occurs. The biology of sarcoma invasion and metastasis remain poorly understood. Chromosomal translocation with fusion of the SYT and SSX genes has been described and is currently used as a diagnostic marker, although the full impact of …

An Evaluation Of African American Fathers’ Perceptions And Influences On Child Food Choices And Physical Activity Behaviors, Valerie Annette Richardson

Dissertations

Child obesity is affecting children’s health nationwide. Rates are highest among African Americans (AA) in the South. Research has explored parents’ influence on child eating and activity, but most has reported on mothers’ influences. The purpose of this research was to investigate perceptions about AA fathers’ influences on their children’s eating and physical activity. Using a structured focus group questionnaire based on the parent layer constructs of Birch and Ventura’s Ecological Model for Child Overweight (2009), four focus groups were conducted with 28 AA fathers with children 6- to 11-years-old in a rural and an urban church setting in southeast …

The Construct And Predictive Validity Of Psychosocial Correlates Of Television Viewing, Raheem Paxton, Pascal Jean-Pierre, Saehwan Park, Yong Gao Dr., Stephen Herrmann, G J. Norman

Journal of Health Disparities Research and Practice

Background: Many studies have examined the consequences of prolonged television viewing, but few studies have examined the psychological states that contribute to this behavior. In this study, we evaluated the construct and predictive validity of psychosocial correlates of television viewing in a population of African American (AA) breast cancer survivors (BCS).

Methods: AA BCS (N = 342, Mean age = 54 years) completed measures of decisional balance, self-efficacy, family support, and time spent watching television online. Exploratory structural equation modeling (ESEM) was used to examine the construct and predictive validity as well as the differential item functioning of the instruments …

Retrospective Frames Of Disability: Themes Derived From Parents Of Children Who Grew Up With Congenital Disability, Sheryl L. Holt

Theses and Dissertations--Rehabilitation Sciences

Introduction: For children born with physical disabilities, the perspectives and actions of their parents prove significant to their childhood developmental outcomes clinically, educationally, socially, and with regard to community participation. The lived world and perceptions of parents who have children with disabilities however is not well investigated. This study sought to understand parents’ framing of theirs and their children’s disability experiences. Family systems together with family systems intervention models, and disability theory were used to provide structure to interview instrumentation and subsequent analysis. Child-centered and ecologic influences were also used to track the transformative processes over time that infuses parental …

Mechanisms By Which Dietary Ellagic Acid Attenuates Obesity And Obesity-Mediated Metabolic Complications, Inhae Kang

College of Education and Human Sciences: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Ellagic acid (EA) is a polyphenol found in various fruits and plants, such as berries, pomegranates, muscadine grapes, nuts and bark of oak tree. EA has been known to exhibit anti-inflammatory and anti-proliferative effects in various types of cancer. However, little is known about the effects of EA on obesity. Herein, 1) the lipid-lowering role of EA was identified in primary human adipose stem cells (hASCs) and human hepatoma Huh7 cells; 2) the molecular mechanisms by which EA attenuates adipogenesis by epigenetic modification were identified; 3) the effects of EA on high fat and high sucrose-mediated obesity was …

Current Opinion In The Role Of Testosterone In The Development Of Prostate Cancer: A Dynamic Model, Xiaohui Xu, Xinguang Chen, Hui Hu, Amy B. Dailey, Brandie D. Taylor

Health Sciences Faculty Publications

Background: Since the landmark study conducted by Huggins and Hodges in 1941, a failure to distinguish between the role of testosterone in prostate cancer development and progression has led to the prevailing opinion that high levels of testosterone increase the risk of prostate cancer. To date, this claim remains unproven.

Presentation of the Hypothesis: We present a novel dynamic mode of the relationship between testosterone and prostate cancer by hypothesizing that the magnitude of age-related declines in testosterone, rather than a static level of testosterone measured at a single point, may trigger and promote the development of prostate cancer.

Testing …

Quantitative Ultrasound: Measurement Considerations For The Assessment Of Muscular Dystrophy And Sarcopenia, Michael O. Harris-Love, Reza Monfaredi, Catheeja Ismail, Marc R. Blackman, Kevin Cleary

Exercise and Nutrition Sciences Faculty Publications

Diagnostic musculoskeletal ultrasound has potential clinical utility in characterizing pathological muscle tissue. Sonography has been long proposed as method of assessing muscle damage due to neuromuscular diseases such as muscular dystrophy, and more recently, changes in body and tissue composition associated with muscle wasting disorders such as sarcopenia. The use of quantitative ultrasound as an adjunct diagnostic procedure has different technical challenges than the traditional use of ultrasound in clinical medicine. Operator-dependent technique and variation are critical considerations when obtaining measures of echointensity (i.e., tissue composition estimates) and tissue dimensions (i.e., muscle thickness) – key elements of the ultrasound assessment …

Using Quantitative Disease Dynamics As A Tool For Guiding Response To Avian Influenza In Poultry In The United States Of America, K. M. Pepin, E. Spackman, J. D. Brown, K. L. Pabilonia, Lindsey P. Garber, J. Todd Weaver, D. A. Kennedy, Kelly A. Patyk, K. P. Huyvaert, Ryan S. Miller, Alan B. Franklin, Kerri Pedersen, T. L. Bogich, P. Rohani, Susan A. Shriner, Colleen T. Webb, S. Riley

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Wild birds are the primary source of genetic diversity for influenza A viruses that eventually emerge in poultry and humans. Much progress has been made in the descriptive ecology of avian influenza viruses (AIVs), but contributions are less evident from quantitative studies (e.g., those including disease dynamic models). Transmission between host species, individuals and flocks has not been measured with sufficient accuracy to allow robust quantitative evaluation of alternate control protocols. We focused on the United States of America (USA) as a case study for determining the state of our quantitative knowledge of potential AIV emergence processes from wild hosts …

Regulating Rsma Expression In Pseudomonas Aeruginosa, Sean D. Stacey

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Pseudomonas aeruginosa, a Gram-negative bacillus, commonly infects immunocompromised individuals and uses a variety of virulence factors to persist in these hosts. The posttranscriptional regulator, RsmA, plays a role in the expression of many virulence factors in P. aeruginosa. RsmA up regulates virulence factors used in colonizing hosts. However, regulation of rsmA is not well elucidated. Transposon mutagenesis was performed on P. aeruginosa containing a transcriptional rsmA-lacZ fusion to answer this question. Mutants were screened via β-galactosidase assay and transposon insertions identified via arbitrary PCR. A probable MFS transporter, we named mtpX, was one significant transposon mutant identified. …

Physical Activity And Exercise During Adolescence And Young Adulthood Can Act As Preventative Measures Against The Development Of Osteoporosis In Elderly People, Christine C. Center

Honors College Theses

Osteoporosis, “the silent killer,” is responsible for 8.9 million annual fractures. Although not bound to these factors, osteoporosis typically targets females that are post-menopausal and have a family history of the disease. Osteoporosis is caused by a decrease in bone mass density. Physical activity and exercise and often spoken about when the topic of osteoporosis is discussed because of the impact they have on maintaining bone mass density in an effort to delay osteoporosis. This paper first provides an overview of osteoporosis, explanation of methods of diagnosing osteoporosis, risk factors, complications and treatment for osteoporosis. Topics covered include, bone mass …

Men Who Have Sex With Men And Use Of An In Home Hiv Test, Richard Jimenez

2010-2016 Archived Posters

The authors will examine Men Who Have Sex with Men’s (MSM ) knowledge, attitudes, and utilization patterns of a new rapid in home HIV test. Data will be collected via a focus group interview session of MSM ages 18-21 recruited from the Houston, Texas metropolitan area with the assistance of a community research collaborator partner, the Montrose Center.

The Effects Of Supplemental Fish Oil On Blood Pressure And Morning Cortisol In Normotensive Adults: A Pilot Study, Eric E. Noreen, Josef Brandauer

Health Sciences Faculty Publications

Purpose: To determine the effects of 6wk of supplementation with fish oil (FO) on blood pressure and the morning salivary cortisol concentration in normotensive adults.

Methods: Testing was performed following an overnight fast. Subjects (n=40; 35+/-13y, mean+/-SD) rested supine for 40 min, at which time blood pressure and heart rate were measured. Saliva was collected and analyzed for cortisol. Subjects were then randomly assigned to either: 4g/d of Safflower Oil (SO); pr 4g/d of FO supplying 1,600mg/d eicosapentaenoic acid and 800mg/d docosahexaenoic acid. Testing was repeated following 6wk treatment.

Results: Compared to SO, there was a significant decrease …

The Mechanism Of Tumorigenesis In The Immortalized Human Pancreatic Cell Lines: Cell Culture Models Of Human Pancreatic Cancer, Zhe Chang

Dissertations and Theses (Open Access)

The mechanism of tumorigenesis in the immortalized human pancreatic cell lines: cell culture models of human pancreatic cancer

Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is the most lethal cancer in the world. The most common genetic lesions identified in PDAC include activation of K-ras (90%) and Her2 (70%), loss of p16 (95%) and p14 (40%), inactivation p53 (50-75%) and Smad4 (55%). However, the role of these signature gene alterations in PDAC is still not well understood, especially, how these genetic lesions individually or in combination contribute mechanistically to human pancreatic oncogenesis is still elusive. Moreover, a cell culture transformation model with sequential …

2009- 2010 Unlv Mcnair Journal, Kathleen Bell, Danetta Bradley, Vacheral M. Carter, Nydia Diaz, Kathryn E. English, Sarah Harrison, Michelle Israel, Christina Macke, Erica Orozco, Pilar Palos, Sandra Ramos, Soraya A. Silverman, Susan Taylor, Sajar Camara, William Mccurdy, Yvonne C. Morris, Maxym V. Myroshnychenko, Ricardo Rios, Monique Sulls, Bremen Vance, Barbara Wallen

McNair Journal

Journal articles based on research conducted by undergraduate students in the McNair Scholars Program

Table of Contents

Biography of Dr. Ronald E. McNair

Statements:

Dr. Neal J. Smatresk, UNLV President

Dr. Juanita P. Fain, Vice President of Student Affairs

Dr. William W. Sullivan, Associate Vice President for Retention and Outreach

Mr. Keith Rogers, Deputy Executive Director of the Center for Academic Enrichment and Outreach

McNair Scholars Institute Staff

Inside Unlv, Diane Russell, Shane Bevell, David Ashley, Cate Weeks, Jennifer Lawson

Inside UNLV

No abstract provided.

Percutaneous Endoscopic Gastrostomy Placement Time In People With Cystic Fibrosis, Sarah Gunnell

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

A retrospective chart review was conducted on pediatric patients at the Intermountain Cystic Fibrosis Center who had a percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy (PEG) placed between 1993 and 1999. Height velocity improved significantly in the group of patients with a PEG placed; however, pulmonary function declined more significantly over time.

Questionnaires regarding attitude toward PEG placement were sent to patients enrolled in accredited cystic fibrosis centers in the mountain west region and to their parents. The overall response rate was 54.25% for the PEG questionnaire and 24% for the non-PEG questionnaire. Ninety-six percent of the patients with a PEG reported that weight …

Trends. The Attack On Mbeki: Praising Through Damning, Ibpp Editor

International Bulletin of Political Psychology

This article discusses the controversial contention by President Thabo Mbeki of the Republic of South Africa that poverty and lack of health infrastructures are the causes of AIDS and HIV in Africa instead of limiting his analysis to the biological line of virus inducing disease.

Insulin, Walter Zeit

Bachelors’ Theses

The objectives of this paper are: 1. A review of the discovery of insulin. 2. A discussion of the nature of insulin. 3. A discussion of the distribution of insulin. 4. A study of the development of the pancreas. 5. The presentation of a problem for further investigation.