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“Flowing Along The Wall”: Anarcha-Feminist Bioethics And Resistance In Octavia E. Butler’S Dawn 2019., Theresa Mendez

Master's Theses

Science fiction (sf) texts conversant with the temporal play between past, present, and future push readers to imagine the extremes of human and environmental existence, interaction, and potential. Simultaneously, despite the sf genre’s tendency to traffic in extremes, these texts provoke readers to consider the ways in which these imagined worlds are grounded in history as well as in the contemporary social moment. As Donna Haraway has argued, “the boundary between science fiction and social reality is an optical illusion” (306). This illusory boundary must continue to be traversed in order to consider how sf literatures, particularly those which imagine …

Selling Childhood: How The Middle Class Used Children In The Anti-Tuberculosis Movement (1930s-1940s), Hannah Fisher

Senior Theses

During the anti-tuberculosis movement of the 1930s and 1940s, children were chosen as focal points, with their roles shaped by society’s changing view of childhood, the emergence of the middle class, and the socioeconomic and political climate. Children were used by middle-class reformers as conduits through which to disseminate information and enact controls on the working class. Health education in schools had two main goals: (1) for educated children to become educated adults, and (2) for educated children to transform the behaviors of adults around them. Although researchers have studied middle-class interventions into children’s health, few have analyzed the role …

Intersex Wildlife As Sentinels For Human Health And Endocrine Disruption Near Superfund Sites: A Systematic Review, Olivia Anderson, Melissa Perry

GW Research Days 2016 - 2020

Fish and wildlife are often used as sentinels for human health. This systematic review examines one aspect of wildlife health, intersex (both ovarian and testicular tissue) animals and their prevalence or severity near Superfund sites (EPA designated toxic waste sites). The body of evidence demonstrates some evidence of this indicator and more research is needed, specifically a meta-analysis that is outside the scope of this study.

An Analysis Of Providers’ Perceived Barriers To Contraceptive Access And Reproductive Healthcare, Ashley Weadick

Senior Honors Projects

The field of Reproductive Healthcare covers nearly every aspect of women’s health. Even during non-reproductive years, Reproductive Healthcare is important for women because it provides medical care often essential to their lives before and after child-bearing years. Contraception is needed by many women before they wish to have children, and after they have any children they choose to have, they may again wish to use contraception or they may require help with postpartum care. One of many reasons why Reproductive Healthcare is so important is because it explains the wide array of options available when it comes to methods of …

Implications Of Genetic Variation Of Common Drug Metabolizing Enzymes And Abc Transporters Among The Pakistani Population, Nasir Ali Afsar, Henrike Bruckmueller, Anneke Nina Werk, Muhammad Kashif Nisa, H R. Ahmad, Ingolf Cascorbi

Department of Biological & Biomedical Sciences

Genetic polymorphism of drug metabolizing enzymes and transporters may influence drug response. The frequency varies substantially between ethnicities thus having implications on appropriate selection and dosage of various drugs in different populations. The distribution of genetic polymorphisms in healthy Pakistanis has so far not been described. In this study, 155 healthy adults (98 females) were included from all districts of Karachi. DNA was extracted from saliva and genotyped for relevant SNVs in CYP1A1, CYP2B6, CYP2C9, CYP2C19, CYP2D6, CYP3A4 and CYP3A5 as well as ALDH3A1, GSTA1, ABCB1 and ABCC2. About 64% of the participants were born to parents who were unrelated …

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

Dissertations and 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 …

The Prevalence Of Practicing Safety Professionals’ Knowledge, Involvement, And Competency Associated With Workplace Wellness Programs: Gauging The Safety Profession’S Engagement With The Total Worker Health Initiative, Jennifer C. Laine

Dissertations and Theses (Open Access)

The morbidity and mortality burden of occupational injuries and illnesses in the United States became such a public health concern that in 1970 the Occupational Safety and Health Act was signed into law. This law requires employers to provide workplaces “free from recognized hazards” and spurred the development of specific regulations along with the creation of academic and professional training programs to educate individuals about the safety sciences and careers in safety fields. Today there are an estimated 26,000 professionally trained and board certified safety professionals supporting workplace programs across the country, alongside numerous non-certified, but degreed, practicing safety professionals. …

Predictors Of On-Treatment Mortality Of Patients Undergoing Palliative Radiation Therapy: Improving The Quality Of End-Oflife Cancer Care, Matthew Stephen Ning

Dissertations and Theses (Open Access)

PURPOSE: Excessive medical treatment at end-of-life is an indicator of poor quality care. While radiation therapy (RT) is effective for palliation, some patients die shortly after or even during treatment. Any treatment that requires terminal patients to spend significant time in the hospital setting contradicts palliative goals. This study investigates patterns of end-of-life RT to inform quality improvement initiatives.

METHODS: All patients who died within 6 months of starting RT at a single large academic cancer center between 2015 through 2018 were identified through our institutional databases on an Institutional Review Board-approved protocol. Clinical factors including age, treatment service, number …

Potential Reduction Of Lung Dose Via Vmat With Jaw Tracking In The Treatment Of Single-Isocenter/Two-Lesion Lung Sbrt, Damodar Pokhrel, Lana Sanford, Matthew Halfman, Janelle A. Molloy

Radiation Medicine Faculty Publications

Purpose/objectives: Due to higher radiosensitivity, non‐target normal tissue dose is a major concern in stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT) treatment. The aim of this report was to estimate the dosimetric impact, specifically the reduction of normal lung dose in the treatment of single‐isocenter/two‐lesion lung SBRT via volumetric modulated arc therapy with jaw tracking (JT‐VMAT).

Materials/methods: Twelve patients with two peripherally located early‐stage non‐small‐cell‐lung cancer (NSCLC) lung lesions underwent single‐isocenter highly conformal non‐coplanar JT‐VMAT SBRT treatment in our institution. The mean isocenter to tumors distance was 5.6 ± 1.9 (range 4.3–9.5) cm. The mean combined planning target volume (PTV) was 38.7 …

Seeing Eye To Eye: A Machine Learning Approach To Automated Saccade Analysis, Maigh Attre

Honors Scholar Theses

Abnormal ocular motility is a common manifestation of many underlying pathologies particularly those that are neurological. Dynamics of saccades, when the eye rapidly changes its point of fixation, have been characterized for many neurological disorders including concussions, traumatic brain injuries (TBI), and Parkinson’s disease. However, widespread saccade analysis for diagnostic and research purposes requires the recognition of certain eye movement parameters. Key information such as velocity and duration must be determined from data based on a wide set of patients’ characteristics that may range in eye shapes and iris, hair and skin pigmentation [36]. Previous work on saccade analysis has …

Xerostomia: A Comprehensive Review, Danevin Putrus

Honors College Theses

This thesis will be highlighting the condition known as Xerostomia. Xerostomia is the condition also known as “dry mouth”. This condition affects many people all throughout the world with symptoms causing bad breath, discomfort, difficulty speaking and many other. The seriousness of this condition can lead to cardiovascular disease, dementia, respiratory infections, diabetes mellitus, rheumatoid arthritis, and even cancer (Absolutedental.com). Currently there is not any one specific solution for the condition although many have been proposed. Throughout the thesis I will closely examine former research studies, current solutions proposed, and propose my own study and solution based on research and …

Feedforward And Feedback Signals In The Olfactory System, Srimoy Chakraborty

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The conglomeration of myriad activities in neural systems often results in prominent oscillations. The primary goal of the research presented in this thesis was to study effects of sensory stimulus on the olfactory system of rats, focusing on the olfactory bulb (OB) and the anterior piriform cortex (aPC). Extracellular electrophysiological measurements revealed distinct frequency bands of oscillations in OB and aPC. However, how these oscillatory fluctuations help the animal to process sensory input is not clearly understood. Here we show high frequency oscillations in olfactory bulb carry feedforward signals to anterior piriform cortex whereas feedback from the aPC is predominantly …

Reducing The Risk: Psychological And Technological Approaches For Improving Handwashing Practices In The Foodservice Industry, Jeffrey Allan Clark

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

As Americans are spending greater portions of their dollar on food consumed outside the home, the foodservice industry plays more of an integral part of daily existence compared to previous generations. Given the numerous annual foodborne illness outbreaks that threaten human lives while undermining confidence in the food supply, food safety is a pertinent issue for industry stakeholders, government regulators, and consumers. Food worker handwashing reduces the risk of foodborne illness transmission, yet compliance with this simple behavior is a complex problem. This dissertation addresses, predominantly, the issue of sub-optimal handwashing practices through applying psychology and technology, including wearable computers …

Crumbling Foundations: The Case For Prioritizing Self-Care Among Educational Leaders, Joshua Brent Ray

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

There is a potentially dangerous disassociation between human behavior, decision-making, and ethics and the notion that these fundamental aspects of what it means to be human originate simply as the functions of an organ. A deeper knowledge of the operation and limitations of the brain suggests biological input could possess the ability to unknowingly alter human behavior and effectiveness. This study utilizes a research-based understanding of the implications of human health and self-care habits on neurological, psychological, and behavioral function to examine the current practices of educational administrators across Arkansas while exploring systemic and job-based factors within the profession that …

Evaluation Of The Health And Exposure Histories Of A Community Surrounded By Industry And Industrial Waste : A Mixed Methods Approach., Lindsay Koloff Tompkins

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Environmental pollution is not distributed equally across members of society. Low-income individuals are more likely to live near waste sites and other sources of pollution, and, therefore, face greater exposure to environmental health hazards. One such community in Louisville, Kentucky, the Riverside Gardens neighborhood, consists of approximately 300 homes that are surrounded on three sides by industry and industrial waste, including a remediated Environmental Protection Agency Superfund site, a former coal-burning power plant and coal ash storage site, and multiple chemical, rubber, and plastic manufacturing companies. Residents have reported elevated rates of cancer and other chronic diseases and have requested …

Polydrug Use Among People Who Use Opioids, National Survey On Drug Use And Health 2002 To 2017., Diana Kuo Stojda

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Introduction: Mortality due to overdose has been increasing since 2010 in the U.S., with an increase in the reported use of heroin and co-use of heroin and prescription opioids. Trends and correlates of polydrug use need to be analyzed to propose policies to reduce overdose risk. The overall objective of this study is to characterize high-risk polydrug groups among people who use opioids (PWUO) to understand the patterns of co-used substances and overdose risk factors. Methods: Publicly available data from the 2002-2017 National Survey on Drug Use and Health were analyzed to obtain weighted prevalence rates and trends …

An Evaluation Of The Supply And Demand Of Radiation Oncology Medical Physicists In The United States., Christine Marie Swanson

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Background: This dissertation is a mixed methods evaluation of the radiation oncology medical physics workforce in the United States. Radiation oncology medical physicists serve a vital role in the safe treatment of patients with radiation therapy. While cancer incidence continues to rise, the pathways to board certification in radiation oncology medical physics continue to narrow causing a potential shortage of radiation oncology physicists in the United States. While there is no lack of data about the medical physics community it has scarcely been used to evaluate the current state of the workforce. In order to ensure patient safety, appropriate physics …

Arterial Stiffness During Whole-Body Passive Heat Stress In Healthy Older Adults, Zachary J. Schlader, Yoshiyuki Okada, Stuart A. Best, Qi Fu, Craig G. Crandall

Kinesiology and Health Promotion Faculty Publications

We tested the hypothesis that whole‐body passive heat stress reduces arterial stiffness in older adults. At preheat stress (baseline) and when core temperature was elevated by 0.6 ± 0.2°C (mild) and 1.2 ± 0.3°C (moderate), arterial stiffness was measured in eight healthy younger (26 ± 5 years) and eight healthy older (70 ± 4 years) adults in the supine position. Arterial stiffness was estimated from carotid‐to‐femoral pulse wave velocity (cfPWV, applanation tonometry). cfPWV was higher at baseline in older adults (8.8 ± 2.3 m/sec vs. 5.6 ± 0.9 m/sec, P < 0.01) and this difference was maintained throughout passive heat stress (P < 0.01). cfPWV did not change (P ≥ 0.49) with passive heat stress in either …

Assessing The Impact Of Environmental Factors On Sedentary Behavior, Brandy Baker

Dissertations and Theses (Open Access)

Objectives Mexican Americans are burdened with many of the same noncommunicable diseases present in sedentary populations. Those living on the Texas/Mexico border have higher rates of obesity and diabetes than others in the nation. Sedentary behavior and perceptions of the environment have not been well studied among Mexican Americans, especially when examining education, gender and age. Study Design Sample was drawn from the Cameron County Hispanic Cohort (CCHC) where participants were randomly selected and completed a survey to report sedentary behavior and perceptions of the environment among other examinations. The participants’ initial visit with the CCHC was included in the …

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

Dissertations and 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 …

Predictors Of On-Treatment Mortality Of Patients Undergoing Palliative Radiation Therapy: Improving The Quality Of End-Of-Life Cancer Care, Matthew Stephen Ning

Dissertations and Theses (Open Access)

PURPOSE: Excessive medical treatment at end-of-life is an indicator of poor quality care. While radiation therapy (RT) is effective for palliation, some patients die shortly after or even during treatment. Any treatment that requires terminal patients to spend significant time in the hospital setting contradicts palliative goals. This study investigates patterns of end-of-life RT to inform quality improvement initiatives. METHODS: All patients who died within 6 months of starting RT at a single large academic cancer center between 2015 through 2018 were identified through our institutional databases on an Institutional Review Board-approved protocol. Clinical factors including age, treatment service, number …

Failed Initial Tumor Necrosis Inhibitor (Tnfi) Therapy – What Next For Rheumatoid Arthritis Patients?, Aliza Matusevich

Dissertations and Theses (Open Access)

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a chronic inflammatory disease of the joints affecting over 1.3 million Americans with annual societal costs estimated at $39.2 billion, rising faster than medical inflation. Therapy with tumor necrosis factor inhibitors (TNFi) has greatly improved the management of patients with rheumatoid RA; however, substantial numbers of patients do not experience an adequate response to these drugs, necessitating a change in treatment regimen. There are two basic approaches for TNFi failure: cycling (switching to a second TNFi) or swapping (to a drug with another mechanism of action) but the choice is controversial due to questions of comparative …

The Association Between Sleep Duration And Dementia: A Meta-Analysis, Sherri Hong

Dissertations and Theses (Open Access)

In the United States, the current cases of Alzheimer’s disease will double by 2050. Therefore, it is important to study risk factors associated with dementia such as sleep duration. This meta-analysis was conducted to understand the discrepancy in study results since some demonstrated a V shaped association between duration of sleep and dementia while others found no association. If there truly is an association then sleep duration could be targeted to decrease the burdens caused by dementia. A meta-analysis of published studies was conducted to assess the association between sleep duration and the different forms of dementia. The articles were …

A Mendelian Randomization Study Of Circulating Gamma Prime Fibrinogen And Total Fibrinogen Levels On Venous Thromboembolism And Ischemic Stroke Subtypes, Jillian Maners

Dissertations and Theses (Open Access)

Introduction: Fibrinogen is a key component of the coagulation cascade, and variation in its circulating levels may contribute to thrombotic diseases, such as venous thromboembolism (VTE) and ischemic stroke. Gamma prime (γ′) fibrinogen is an isoform of fibrinogen and has anticoagulant properties, including inhibiting thrombin and slowing platelet aggregation, that may affect clot formation.

Methods: Two-sample Mendelian randomization (MR) was applied to estimate the causal effect of total circulating fibrinogen and its isoform, γ′ fibrinogen, on risk of VTE and ischemic stroke subtypes using summary statistics from published genome-wide association studies of fibrinogen, VTE, and ischemic stroke, and an unpublished …

Failed Initial Tumor Necrosis Inhibitor (Tnfi) Therapy – What Next For Rheumatoid Arthritis Patients?, Aliza Matusevich

Dissertations and Theses (Open Access)

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a chronic inflammatory disease of the joints affecting over 1.3 million Americans with annual societal costs estimated at $39.2 billion, rising faster than medical inflation. Therapy with tumor necrosis factor inhibitors (TNFi) has greatly improved the management of patients with rheumatoid RA; however, substantial numbers of patients do not experience an adequate response to these drugs, necessitating a change in treatment regimen. There are two basic approaches for TNFi failure: cycling (switching to a second TNFi) or swapping (to a drug with another mechanism of action) but the choice is controversial due to questions of comparative …

Big Tobacco. Big Marijuana? Longitudinal Trends And Multi-Directional Tobacco And Marijuana Use Among Youth And Young Adults In Texas, Shannon Rogers

Dissertations and Theses (Open Access)

Due to the pace of legal changes in marijuana policy, shifting trends in marijuana use, and emerging products in the tobacco product marketplace (e.g., ecigarettes), the cycle of risk between marijuana and tobacco use is not currently wellunderstood. I used longitudinal data from two parallel rapid response surveillance studies of youth (aged 12-19 years) and young adults (aged 18-25 years) living in the five counties (Bexar, Dallas, Harris, Tarrant, and Travis) that surround the four largest cities in Texas (Austin, Houston, San Antonio, and Dallas/Fort Worth). I used Generalized Linear Mixed Models (GLMMs) and six-panel cross-lagged regression models to analyze …

Assessing The Relationship Between University Environmental Health And Safety Program Resourcing And Ultimate Outcomes, Jason R. Shyu

Dissertations and Theses (Open Access)

College and university campuses contain a diverse set of potential health and safety risks mixed with a population that is equally varied. Such a combination requires effective risk management programs adapted to address these challenges. Methods currently exist to predict risk financing premiums and institutional risk control resources (inputs), but there are no models addressing relationships to final Environment Health & Safety (EHS) program outcomes (outcomes such as injuries or illnesses). Publicly available data obtained from the University of Texas System Office of Risk Management describing their 14 campuses was combined with publicly available data from the National Science Foundation …

The Use Of Neoadjuvant Brachytherapy In Endometrial Cancer, Alison Yoder

Dissertations and Theses (Open Access)

Uterine cancer is the most common gynecologic malignancy in the United States with almost 62,000 cases expected in 2019. In general, treatment consists of primary surgery possibly followed by adjuvant radiation and/or chemotherapy. However, in cases with cervical involvement or when the patient is a non-surgical candidate, neoadjuvant treatment can be employed; specifically, neoadjuvant radiation with or without brachytherapy and/or chemotherapy. There have not been any large-scale studies looking at the addition of brachytherapy to external beam radiation in the neoadjuvant setting and whether or not its addition improves outcomes. In order to analyze this, the National Cancer Database was …

The Relationship Between Social Media Use And Depression In College Students: A Scoping Review, Susan Wu

Dissertations and Theses (Open Access)

Background: In 2017, 17.3 million adults in the U.S. (7.1% of all U.S. adults) have had at least one major depressive episode, with individuals ages 18-25 having the highest prevalence of major depression at 13.1%. Studies have looked at the association between social media (SM) use and depression with mixed findings. The goal of this research is to conduct a scoping review of existing evidence for the relationship between SM use and depression among college students.

Methods: Searches for articles published in the scientific literature were performed on PubMed, Embase and Scopus. Articles selected followed an inclusion criteria: studied SM …

Long-Term Outcomes After Endovascular Stent Placement For Long-Segment Superficial Femoral Artery Lesions, Nader Zamani

Dissertations and Theses (Open Access)

Objective: Endovascular intervention is commonly pursued as first-line management of symptomatic, long-segment superficial femoral artery (SFA) disease. The relative effectiveness and comparative long-term outcomes among bare metal stents (BMSs), covered stents (CSs), and drug-eluting stents (DESs) for long-segment SFA lesions remain uncertain.

Methods: A retrospective cohort study identified patients with symptomatic SFA lesions measuring at least 15cm who successfully received an endovascular stent (BMS, CS, or DES). The outcomes were patency, patient presentation upon stent occlusion, amputation free survival (AFS), and all-cause mortality. Proportional hazards regressions and a multinomial logistic regression model were used to control for significant confounders.

Results: …