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Dynamic Competing Risk Model For Multi-Type Recurrent Events With Dependent Termination, Alokananda Ghosh May 2019

Dynamic Competing Risk Model For Multi-Type Recurrent Events With Dependent Termination, Alokananda Ghosh

Dissertations & Theses (Open Access)

Cardiovascular disease (CVD), defined by the World Health Organization (WHO) as diseases that involve the heart and/or blood vessels is the number one cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide. In the United States more health care dollars are spent managing and treating CVD and/or its complications than any other disease process. Coronary heart disease (CHD) is the leading cause of deaths (43.8%) attributable to CVD, followed by stroke (16.8%), hypertension (9.4%) and heart failure (HF) (9%). CVD-related deaths and attendant morbidities, which include lifelong disability are in many cases preventable. This research proposes a dynamic risk model that handles multi-type …


Redesigning Care: Evaluation Of A Postpartum Depression Screening And Treatment Program In Obstetric Clinics In Houston, Texas, Haley D. Jackson May 2019

Redesigning Care: Evaluation Of A Postpartum Depression Screening And Treatment Program In Obstetric Clinics In Houston, Texas, Haley D. Jackson

Dissertations & Theses (Open Access)

Postpartum depression is a common complication of childbirth and is often underdiagnosed although it affects about 13-15% of new mothers (O’Hara and Swain, 1996; Munk-Olsen et al., 2006). To improve detection and treatment for postpartum depression, four obstetric clinics in Houston, Texas were trained to use the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS) to screen women for postpartum depression at the 6 week postpartum visit. The purpose of this study was to evaluate compliance with screening women for postpartum depression at the 6 week postpartum visit, with referring women that score at-risk to the women’s reproductive mental health clinic, and with …


Epidemiology Of Tuberculosis In Internationally Displaced Children Resettling In Harris County, Gabriella S. Lamb May 2019

Epidemiology Of Tuberculosis In Internationally Displaced Children Resettling In Harris County, Gabriella S. Lamb

Dissertations & Theses (Open Access)

Background More than 300,000 refugees arrived in the United States (U.S.) from 2010-2015, and Texas accepts the 2nd highest number of refugees. Texas also accepts large numbers of asylees, parolees, and special immigrant visa holders. Additionally, a large proportion of trafficked persons in the U.S. live in or pass through Texas. Foreign-born children are disproportionately affected by tuberculosis (TB) and account for two-thirds of U.S. childhood TB cases. Children are at greater risk for progression from TB infection to disease and experience greater morbidity and mortality from TB disease. This makes screening for and treatment of TB infection in children …


Clinical Diagnostic Whole Exome Sequencing For Infants In Intensive Care Settings: Outcomes Analysis And Economic Evaluation, Hadley Stevens Smith May 2019

Clinical Diagnostic Whole Exome Sequencing For Infants In Intensive Care Settings: Outcomes Analysis And Economic Evaluation, Hadley Stevens Smith

Dissertations & Theses (Open Access)

Whole exome sequencing (ES) is an extensive form of genetic testing and increasingly used as a diagnostic tool. Clinical uptake of genome-scale sequencing occurred without clear guidelines for application or robust information regarding potential impact on patient health outcomes or cost of care. For infants in intensive care with suspected genetic conditions, ES can be especially powerful to identify a specific diagnosis and inform crucial decisions about medical care. However, little is known about the cost-effectiveness of ES compared to other diagnostic strategies. This project first assessed the literature on pediatric clinical ES. Then, using electronic medical record, diagnostic laboratory, …


A Narrative Review Of Factors That Contribute To Sustainability Of Community-Based Fall Prevention Programs, Stephanie Koweek May 2019

A Narrative Review Of Factors That Contribute To Sustainability Of Community-Based Fall Prevention Programs, Stephanie Koweek

Dissertations & Theses (Open Access)

Falls are a significant problem for the geriatric population globally. As the population ages and elderly people continue to live longer with co-morbidites, they will continue to be at risk for falls. While several community-based fall prevention programs exist, they face chal lenges with sustainability. This paper is a narrative review of factors that contribute to the sustainability of community-based fall prevention programs as well as barriers to sustainabil ity. In total eight papers were included in this review. Findings from this review indicated that the following factors were keys to sustainability of community-based fall prevention pro grams: funding, external …


Exploring Prenatal Risk Factors Among Hispanic Children With Autism Spectrum Disorders. – A Pilot Study In The Rio Grande Valley, Lauren Tien May 2019

Exploring Prenatal Risk Factors Among Hispanic Children With Autism Spectrum Disorders. – A Pilot Study In The Rio Grande Valley, Lauren Tien

Dissertations & Theses (Open Access)

Background: Peer-reviewed studies suggest that a hostile gestational environment is associated with delayed neurological development in infants. Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is estimated to affect 1 in 59 children in the United States; however, few studies have specifically investigated risk factors for autism in Hispanic children. Purpose: The University of Texas RGV Hispanic Autism Research Center (HARC) studied Hispanic children with ASD and their biological mothers to identify potential environmental exposures and prenatal risk factors that could impact the risk for ASD through preliminary research in the Rio Grande Valley. Methods: This pilot study recruited 25 Hispanic mothers and their …


Understanding The Similarity And Diveristy Of The Accessory Gene Regulator Quorum Sensing Systems In The Genus Clostridium, Rotem Magal May 2019

Understanding The Similarity And Diveristy Of The Accessory Gene Regulator Quorum Sensing Systems In The Genus Clostridium, Rotem Magal

Dissertations & Theses (Open Access)

The Accessory Gene Regulator (Agr) quorum sensing system is a cell-cell communication system that is involved in regulating various bacterial processes such as toxin production, antibiotic production, biofilm formation, and other biomolecules. Despite the importance of the Agr system to Clostridia, the similarity and diversity of the system have been overshadowed by phylum-wide investigations of individual Agr components. To determine the variability of the Agr system within and between Clostridium species, we compared the sequences of its components within and between species using bioinformatics and phylogenetic tools. Putative Agr operons were found in over 50 Clostridia species, including undescribed components …


Trends In Advanced Hiv Disease And Long-Term Outcomes Of Hivinfected Children Treated With Antiretroviral Therapy In Eastern And Southern Africa: 2003-2017, Peter James Elyanu May 2019

Trends In Advanced Hiv Disease And Long-Term Outcomes Of Hivinfected Children Treated With Antiretroviral Therapy In Eastern And Southern Africa: 2003-2017, Peter James Elyanu

Dissertations & Theses (Open Access)

Despite the over 10-years’ experience providing pediatric antiretroviral therapy(ART) and implementing different WHO guidelines, data on updated trends (after 2010) in advanced disease at ART start, and on long-term survival of children receiving ART are scarce. Without these data, the impact of recent WHO guidelines on early treatment initiation and long-term survival remains unclear. First, we examined trends in advanced disease at ART start, then described 10-year survival and investigated risk factors of early mortality in children treated with ART and lastly examined the association between rapid ART initiation and outcomes (mortality and loss to follow-up) of HIV infected. We …


Cost-Effectiveness Of Collegiate Recovery Programs, Sierra Castedo De Martell May 2019

Cost-Effectiveness Of Collegiate Recovery Programs, Sierra Castedo De Martell

Dissertations & Theses (Open Access)

The prevalence of substance use disorders (SUDs) is greater among full-time college students and young adults regardless of enrollment status than it is among any other age group (1,2). These disorders represent substantial costs to both society and to institutions of higher education, both in terms of life years lost and in lost tuition revenue. The recent proliferation of collegiate recovery programs (CRPs) – supportive communities and resource centers for students seeking to maintain SUD recovery while pursuing a higher education – have the potential to help ameliorate some of these costs. While these CRPs are typically low-cost compared to …


Ends Device Types And Subsequent Use Of Combustible Tobacco Products Among Texas Youth, Aslesha Sumbe May 2019

Ends Device Types And Subsequent Use Of Combustible Tobacco Products Among Texas Youth, Aslesha Sumbe

Dissertations & Theses (Open Access)

The aims of the study were to determine whether ENDS device types (i.e., disposable devices, replaceable cartridges, and refillables) at initial, or first ENDS use is longitudinally associated with subsequent initiation of combustible tobacco products (cigarettes, hookah, cigars) and continued, past 30-day use of combustible and ENDS products. This study is a secondary analysis of data from the Texas Adolescent Tobacco and Marketing Surveillance system (TATAMS) study, a longitudinal cohort study of students who were in the 6th, 8th, and 10th grades (n = 3907) during the 2014-2015 academic year. Data were collected every 6 months, from 2014-2018. Using data …


Sustainability In Quality Improvement And Patient Safety Initiatives, Angelo P. Giardino, Eileen R. Giardino Apr 2019

Sustainability In Quality Improvement And Patient Safety Initiatives, Angelo P. Giardino, Eileen R. Giardino

Journal of Nursing & Interprofessional Leadership in Quality & Safety

The question often asked of a quality improvement initiative is whether the improvement process has been sustained within the organization. Rarely is the question answered satisfactorily. The sustainability of an improvement process is important as it justifies the investment of human and financial capital. The term 'evaporation of improvements' addresses the dilemma that between 33% to 70% of all innovations are reportedly not sustained (Fleiszer, Semenic, Ritchie, Richer, & Denis, 2015) . This evaporation of improvement captures the frustrating inability of many institutions to maintain the achieved improvement after the newness of the initial effort wears off (Buchanan, Fitzgerald, & …


Spatial Analysis Of Exposure To Soil Heavy Metals, Oral Bioaccessibility And Risk Assessment In Houston, Texas, Tsai Shu Chu Apr 2019

Spatial Analysis Of Exposure To Soil Heavy Metals, Oral Bioaccessibility And Risk Assessment In Houston, Texas, Tsai Shu Chu

Dissertations & Theses (Open Access)

Chronic exposure to heavy metals could lead to adverse health effects such as cancer, neurological development diseases and immunological diseases. The ingestion pathway has been considered the major exposure route for heavy metal contaminated soils. Heavy metals may be proportionally bioaccessible for the human body to absorb. There are no risk assessment studies done in Houston to evaluate health risks from exposure to heavy metals and no spatial analysis done yet. The aims of this dissertation are (1) to characterize 13 heavy metals: magnesium (Mg), vanadium (V), chromium (Cr), manganese (Mn), iron (Fe), cobalt (Co), nickel (Ni), copper (Cu), zinc …


The Impact Of The Aca Cost-Sharing Elimination Provision On The Utilization Of Breast, Cervical, And Colorectal Cancer Screening Services Among Insured Individuals In The United States, Sara Salah Atallah Apr 2019

The Impact Of The Aca Cost-Sharing Elimination Provision On The Utilization Of Breast, Cervical, And Colorectal Cancer Screening Services Among Insured Individuals In The United States, Sara Salah Atallah

Dissertations & Theses (Open Access)

Preventive cancer screenings are essential to early detect cancer and subsequently save lives. However, out-of-pocket expenditures for cancer screening services deter individuals from obtaining them. In an effort to improve the utilization of cancer screening, the Affordable Care Act (ACA) implemented a cost-sharing elimination provision that removes all forms of cost sharing including copayments, co-insurance and deductibles from certain preventive care services that are recommended by widely known scientific figures such as the United States Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF). This study evaluated the impact of the ACA cost-sharing elimination provision for preventive care services from 2008 through 2016 using …


Stochastic Search Variable Selection Applied To A Bayesian Hierarchical Generalized Linear Model For Dyads, Adriana Lopez Ordonez Apr 2019

Stochastic Search Variable Selection Applied To A Bayesian Hierarchical Generalized Linear Model For Dyads, Adriana Lopez Ordonez

Dissertations & Theses (Open Access)

In behavioral science research, many outcomes of interest can be influenced by interpersonal relationships (Gyarmathy & Neaigus, 2007). To assess such outcomes, data can be collected using dyads. Each dyad has two elements, an actor, who responds to a stimulus and a partner, who can potentially influence the actor (Kenny, Kashy, & Cook, 2006). One popular model for analyzing dyadic data is the Actor Partner Interdependence model (APIM). In this study, we proposed a variable selection method applied to a probit Bayesian Hierarchical Generalized Linear Model (Bayesian HGLM) to fit the APIM to dyadic data. The proposed method used stochastic …


Kolmogorov-Smirnov Type Tests Under Spatial Correlations, Wenjun Zheng Apr 2019

Kolmogorov-Smirnov Type Tests Under Spatial Correlations, Wenjun Zheng

Dissertations & Theses (Open Access)

Kolmogorov-Smirnov test is a non-parametric hypothesis test that measures the probability of deviations, that the interested univariate random variable is drawn from a pre-specified distribution (one-sample KS) or has the same distribution as a second random variable (twosample KS). The test is based on the measure of the supremum (greatest) distance between an empirical distribution function (EDF) and a pre-specified cumulative distribution function (CDF) or the largest distance between two EDFs. KS test has been widely adopted in statistical analysis due to its virtue of more general assumptions compared to parametric test like t-test. In addition, the p-value derived from …


Dynamic Prediction Of Survival Data Using Single Or Multiple Longitudinal Markers, Xuehan Ren Mar 2019

Dynamic Prediction Of Survival Data Using Single Or Multiple Longitudinal Markers, Xuehan Ren

Dissertations & Theses (Open Access)

Recurrent events and time-to-event data occur frequently in longitudinal studies. In large clinical trials with survival endpoints, researchers collect a multitude of longitudinal markers. There is a growing need to utilize these rich longitudinal information to build prediction models and assess their prognostic performance. In this dissertation research, I propose a novel approach of integrating longitudinal markers in modeling the recurrent event or terminal event data, and conduct dynamic prediction of event risks. Under joint a model framework, I jointly model a longitudinal outcome and a recurrent event process with the two process correlated via shared latent function. The probability …


Impact Of Serratus Plane Block On Pain Scores And Incentive Spirometry Volumes After Chest Trauma, Nadia Hernandez, Johanna De Haan, Dallis Clendeninn, David E Meyer, Semhar Ghebremichael, Carlos Artime, George Williams, Holger Eltzschig, Sudipta Sen Jan 2019

Impact Of Serratus Plane Block On Pain Scores And Incentive Spirometry Volumes After Chest Trauma, Nadia Hernandez, Johanna De Haan, Dallis Clendeninn, David E Meyer, Semhar Ghebremichael, Carlos Artime, George Williams, Holger Eltzschig, Sudipta Sen

Journal Articles

No abstract provided.