Digital Commons Network^™

Meta-Analysis Comparing Outcomes Of Catheter Ablation For Ventricular Arrhythmia In Ischemic Versus Nonischemic Cardiomyopathy, Indranill Basu-Ray, Dibbendhu Khanra, Sumit K Shah, Anindya Mukherjee, Sudhanva V Char, Bhavna Jain, T Jared Bunch, Michael Gold, Adedayo A Adeboye, Mohammad Saeed

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

BACKGROUND: Catheter ablation is an effective treatment for ventricular arrhythmia (VA) in ischemic cardiomyopathy (ICM). However, results in non-ICM (NICM) patients are not satisfactory, and studies comparing differences between NICM and ICM are limited. We conducted a meta-analysis of procedural characteristics and long-term outcomes of catheter ablation for VA, comparing results between ICM and NICM.

METHODS: Studies in the PubMed, EMBASE, and Cochrane databases were systematically reviewed. Four studies reporting comparison of catheter ablation of VA between ICM and NICM were examined. The Newcastle-Ottawa Scale was used to appraise study quality. A random-effects model with inverse variance method was used …

How Do Red Blood Cells Die?, Perumal Thiagarajan, Charles J Parker, Josef T Prchal

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Normal human red blood cells have an average life span of about 120 days in the circulation after which they are engulfed by macrophages. This is an extremely efficient process as macrophages phagocytose about 5 million erythrocytes every second without any significant release of hemoglobin in the circulation. Despite large number of investigations, the precise molecular mechanism by which macrophages recognize senescent red blood cells for clearance remains elusive. Red cells undergo several physicochemical changes as they age in the circulation. Several of these changes have been proposed as a recognition tag for macrophages. Most prevalent hypotheses for red cell …

Lifestyle Risk Factors, Quality Of Life, And Intervention Preferences Of Barrett's Esophagus Patients: A Prospective Cohort Study, Xiaotao Zhang, Sharmila Anandasabapathy, Julian Abrams, Mohamed Othman, Hoda J Badr

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Lifestyle counseling to achieve a healthy weight, quit smoking, and reduce alcohol is a cornerstone in the management of Barrett's Esophagus (BE). However, little is known about whether patients make these recommended lifestyle changes or the impact of non-adherence on their quality of life (QOL). This study characterized the lifestyle risk factors, QOL, and intervention preferences of BE patients as a first step toward developing lifestyle change interventions for this population.

METHODS: Patients with a confirmed BE diagnosis (N = 106) completed surveys at a surveillance endoscopy visit (baseline) and at 3- and 6-month follow-ups. Patients reported …

Meld-Na Is More Strongly Associated With Risk Of Infection And Outcomes Than Other Characteristics Of Patients With Cirrhosis, Zachary P Fricker, V V Pavan Kedar Mukthinuthalapati, Samuel Akinyeye, Naga Chalasani, Bashar M Attar, Maya Balakrishnan, Marwan Ghabril, Michelle T Long

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: The nature and outcomes of infection among patients with cirrhosis in safety-net hospitals are not well described. We aimed to characterize the rate of and risk factors for infection, both present on admission and nosocomial, in this unique population. We hypothesized that infections would be associated with adverse outcomes such as short-term mortality.

METHODS: We used descriptive statistics to characterize infections within a retrospective cohort characterized previously. We used multivariable logistic regression models to assess potential risk factors for infection and associations with key outcomes such as short-term mortality and length of stay.

RESULTS: The study cohort …

Protein-Functionalized Poly(Ethylene Glycol) Hydrogels As Scaffolds For Monolayer Organoid Culture, Reid L Wilson, Ganesh Swaminathan, Khalil Ettayebi, Carolyn Bomidi, Xi-Lei Zeng, Sarah E Blutt, Mary K Estes, K Jane Grande-Allen

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Stem cell-derived, organotypic in vitro models, known as organoids, have emerged as superior alternatives to traditional cell culture models due to their unparalleled ability to recreate complex physiological and pathophysiological processes. For this reason, they are attractive targets of tissue-engineering efforts, as constructs that include organoid technology would be expected to better simulate the many functions of the desired tissue or organ. While the 3D spheroidal architecture that is the default architecture of most organoid models may be preferred for some applications, 2D monolayer arrangements remain the preferred organization for many applications in tissue engineering. Therefore, in this work, we …

Risk And Protective Factor Specific To African American Youth And Adolescents: A Systematic Review, Darius Reed, Raymond Dewayne Adams

Journal of Family Strengths

Although existing suicide literature proposes that simply being African American protects against suicide (Nguyen et al., 2017; Street et al., 2012), few studies offer practical insights at mitigating suicidal ideations among African American children and adolescents let alone through a social work perspective (Reed, 2019). As the largest provider of mental health services in the United States (American Counseling Association, 2018), the field of social work research has understudied this phenomenon. While it is true that African Americans have experienced lower rates of suicide when compared to the general population (CDC, 2019), research has not compared the risk and protective …

Suicide Risks Among Children And Youth: Examining Predictors Of Suicide Ideation, The Disparate Suicide Risks For Certain Ethnic Groups, And How Best To Support Families

Journal of Family Strengths

This special edition of JFS underscores research on suicide risks among children and youth in the United States. The rate of death by suicide has increased for youth aged 10-24 by 50% over the last decade (Curtain, 2020). Death by suicide is the second leading cause of death for youth aged 10-24 (American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, 2018; Herons, 2019). Supporting evidence indicates that most children and youth who have attempted suicide have a major mental illness, such as depression. Risk factors associated with suicide may include, but are not limited to, impulsivity, feelings of helplessness, rejection, prior …

A Developmental Stage-Specific Network Approach For Studying Dynamic Co-Regulation Of Transcription Factors And Micrornas During Craniofacial Development, Fangfang Yan, Peilin Jia, Hiroki Yoshioka, Akiko Suzuki, Junichi Iwata, Zhongming Zhao

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Craniofacial development is regulated through dynamic and complex mechanisms that involve various signaling cascades and gene regulations. Disruption of such regulations can result in craniofacial birth defects. Here, we propose the first developmental stage-specific network approach by integrating two crucial regulators, transcription factors (TFs) and microRNAs (miRNAs), to study their co-regulation during craniofacial development. Specifically, we used TFs, miRNAs and non-TF genes to form feed-forward loops (FFLs) using genomic data covering mouse embryonic days E10.5 to E14.5. We identified key novel regulators (TFs Foxm1, Hif1a, Zbtb16, Myog, Myod1 and Tcf7, and miRNAs miR-340-5p and miR-129-5p) and target genes (

’My Body, My Boundaries’: The Impact Of A New Sexual Health Program On Elementary Age Children And Parents In Mississippi, Claire Kimberly

Journal of Applied Research on Children: Informing Policy for Children at Risk

Teaching elementary students about sexual health is not a common practice in the United States; however, the ability of children to understand and prevent sexual abuse could be learned in programs dedicated to improving communication about safe touch and boundaries. This study evaluates a program (i.e., “My Body, My Boundaries”) currently being conducted in Mississippi with elementary age students and their parents. The hour long program taught children and their parents/guardians about proper body names and how to set clear boundaries of who can and cannot touch them. A total of 101 parents/guardians and 127 children completed the program. Significant …

How Minority Parents Could Help Children Develop Healthy Eating Behaviors: Parent And Child Perspectives, Chishinga Callender, Denisse Velazquez, Meheret Adera, Jayna M Dave, Norma Olvera, Tzu-An Chen, Shana Alford, Debbe Thompson

Children’s Nutrition Research Center Staff Publications

Minority children and children living in under-resourced households are at the greatest risk for obesity and diet-related disparities. Identifying effective strategies to reduce these risks is an important step in child obesity prevention. Parents influence the home environment and play a critical role in child obesity prevention. Eighteen parent–child dyads living in under-resourced Houston area communities participated in a mixed methods study (online surveys, telephone interviews). The purpose of the research reported here was to conduct a secondary analysis of the qualitative data to explore Black/African American and Hispanic parent and child perspectives of the ways in which parents could …

The Cardiac Neural Crest Cells In Heart Development And Congenital Heart Defects, Eileen M Burd, Ahmed Babiker, Jessica K Fairley, Divya Bhamidipati, Laila E Woc-Colburn, Blaine A Mathison

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

No abstract provided.

Youth Crisis And Transition Services (Cats): Incorporating Family Peer Support Specialists To Assist Families During Crisis, Julie E. Magers, Amanda Ribbers, Sophia Nguyen, Rebecca Marshall

Journal of Family Strengths

Abstract

Introduction: Crisis and Transition Services (CATS) provides transitional mental health services to high-acuity youth discharging from emergency departments (EDs). A novel component of CATS is the inclusion of a family peer support specialist (FSS) on the care team, who provides direct support to the parent or guardian in developing self-advocacy, crisis management skills, and self-efficacy in navigating systems. The FSS is not a typical role in a clinically oriented crisis program; empiric evaluation of this role can help guide quality improvements in the program and in workforce recruitment, training and support.

Methods: Demographic and service data were collected …

Susceptibility, Trial, And Current Use Prevalence Of Cigarettes, E-Cigarettes, Cigars, Snus, And Snuff Products In Mexican-Americans Adults At Texas-Mexico Border, Jordyn Pike, David G. Marsden, Anna V. Wilkinson, Miryoung Lee, Joseph B. Mccormick, Susan P. Fisher-Hoch

Journal of Family Strengths

Background: US tobacco prevalence estimates often combine Hispanic subgroups, distorting a precise view of specific tobacco use patterns across culturally, geopolitically, and even genetically diverse ethnicities. National and regional data are commonly discordant given the variation in Hispanic samples, and often do not include non-cigarette tobacco product prevalence. Cameron Country Hispanic Cohort (CCHC) participants at the Texas-Mexico border provide a unique opportunity to observe tobacco use patterns in an ethnically homogenous Mexican-American population.

Methods: CCHC participants (n=1,672) reported on susceptibility to, ever, and current use of cigarettes, e-cigarettes, cigars, snus, and snuff products. The present study reports cross-sectional prevalence for …

Suicide Ideation, Depression, And Family Structure In Elementary Students, Amanda Koshollek, Collin Wright, Cass Henriques, Makaela Caldwell, Quintin Hunt

Journal of Family Strengths

Background: Little research has been done with suicidality in children under 12 but a growing amount of research suggests family systems play a role in childhood depression and suicide; to date, no measure for suicide ideation exists for children under 12. Aims: The aims of this paper are as follows: (1) to adapt a measure of suicide ideation for children under 12; (2) to test if this measure captures suicide ideation differently than depression; and (3) to determine if with whom children live serves as a protective factor against suicide. Method: A sample of 115 children between ages 8 and …

Large-Scale Characterization Of Drug Responses Of Clinically Relevant Proteins In Cancer Cell Lines, Wei Zhao, Jun Li, Mei-Ju M Chen, Yikai Luo, Zhenlin Ju, Nicole K Nesser, Katie Johnson-Camacho, Christopher T Boniface, Yancey Lawrence, Nupur T Pande, Michael A Davies, Meenhard Herlyn, Taru Muranen, Ioannis K Zervantonakis, Erika Von Euw, Andre Schultz, Shwetha V Kumar, Anil Korkut, Paul T Spellman, Rehan Akbani, Dennis J Slamon, Joe W Gray, Joan S Brugge, Yiling Lu, Gordon B Mills, Han Liang

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Perturbation biology is a powerful approach to modeling quantitative cellular behaviors and understanding detailed disease mechanisms. However, large-scale protein response resources of cancer cell lines to perturbations are not available, resulting in a critical knowledge gap. Here we generated and compiled perturbed expression profiles of ∼210 clinically relevant proteins in >12,000 cancer cell line samples in response to ∼170 drug compounds using reverse-phase protein arrays. We show that integrating perturbed protein response signals provides mechanistic insights into drug resistance, increases the predictive power for drug sensitivity, and helps identify effective drug combinations. We build a systematic map of "protein-drug" connectivity …

A Steroid Receptor Coactivator Stimulator (Mcb-613) Attenuates Adverse Remodeling After Myocardial Infarction, Lisa K Mullany, Aarti D Rohira, John P Leach, Jong H Kim, Tanner O Monroe, Andrea R Ortiz, Brittany Stork, M Waleed Gaber, Poonam Sarkar, Andrew G Sikora, Todd K Rosengart, Brian York, Yongcheng Song, Clifford C Dacso, David M Lonard, James F Martin, Bert W O'Malley

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Progressive remodeling of the heart, resulting in cardiomyocyte (CM) loss and increased inflammation, fibrosis, and a progressive decrease in cardiac function, are hallmarks of myocardial infarction (MI)-induced heart failure. We show that MCB-613, a potent small molecule stimulator of steroid receptor coactivators (SRCs) attenuates pathological remodeling post-MI. MCB-613 decreases infarct size, apoptosis, hypertrophy, and fibrosis while maintaining significant cardiac function. MCB-613, when given within hours post MI, induces lasting protection from adverse remodeling concomitant with: 1) inhibition of macrophage inflammatory signaling and interleukin 1 (IL-1) signaling, which attenuates the acute inflammatory response, 2) attenuation of fibroblast differentiation, and 3) promotion …

Clinical Prediction Of Coronavirus Disease-2019: How Accurate Can One Be?, Gabriel Aisenberg, Kevin O Hwang

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Background Some models based on clinical information have been reported to predict which patients have Coronavirus Disease-2019 (COVID-19) pneumonia but have failed so far to yield reliable results. We aimed to determine if physicians were able to accurately predict which patients, as described in clinical vignettes, had, or did not have this infection using their clinical acumen and epidemiological data. Methods Of 1177 patients under investigation for COVID-19 admitted, we selected 20 and presented them in a vignette form. We surveyed physicians from different levels of training (

Responsible Fatherhood Program For Native Men: A Mixed-Method Evaluation Of The Good Road Of Life Training, Allyson Kelley, Clayton Small Dr., Maha Charani

Journal of Family Strengths

Objective. The purpose of this evaluation was to document the impact of the Good Road of Life (GRL) Training on Native men from four communities in the Western US. Design: A mixed-method evaluation design was used to document changes in participant responses (N=60) based on pre/post assessments and qualitative data provided. Results. Findings from the quantitative analysis show statistically significant increases in overall mean pre and post knowledge scores for healthy relationships, help seeking behaviors, self-esteem, confidence, and communication skills. Qualitative themes demonstrate the positive impact GRL has on American Indian fathers. Themes related to impacts include …

Integrating Group And Teletherapy Into Public School Settings: A Qualitative Analysi, Peggy Smith, Anne Van Horn, Sophie Mccollum, Catherine Christian, Sarah Kennedy, Mayra Perez Ms, Eric A. Storch Ph.D.

Journal of Family Strengths

We report on a program which aimed to deliver evidence-based mental healthcare services to disadvantaged adolescents in an inner city high school in the Southeastern United States experiencing symptoms of emotional disorders. This program had two main components: in-person group counseling and individual cognitive behavioral therapy via a tele-health platform. The goals of this paper are to: (1) describe the design, implementation, and efficacy of a school based mental health program (2) summarize self-reported behavioral health issues and themes generated from participant responses, and (3) assess the implications of the use of tele-health platforms in school-based behavioral health systems. Preliminary …

A Formative Evaluation Of The Family Strengthening Program In The Treasure Valley, Seung Youn Chyung Edd, Megan Miller Ms, Jennifer A. Shamsy Ms, Jaime Hansen Mpa, Sarah Leeds Mph

Journal of Family Strengths

Family Advocates, a nonprofit organization serving families in the Treasure Valley in Idaho, offers the Family Strengthening Program. This is a 20-week program providing weekly meetings for families who need to develop strong family cohesion, resilience, and parenting skills to maintain healthy families. The program uses the Strengthening Families’ approach with an emphasis on the protective factors framework and provides incentives to participants for participation. A third-party evaluation team from a local university conducted a formative evaluation of the program to help improve its quality. The evaluation team used both goal-based and goal-free, needs-based evaluation approaches, and analyzed quantitative and …

Strengths-Based Group Supervision: Restoring Child And Adolescent-Centered Social Work Team Meetings, Whitney Grube, Dr. Amy Mendenhall

Journal of Family Strengths

Child mental health social workers are inundated on a daily basis with complex family dynamics. Burn-out and cynicism towards change become frequent. Strengths-based group supervision is a client-based alternative to the “team meeting as usual” approach and combats some of the challenges workers often experience. Strengths-based group supervision is based on The Strengths Model, a case management model with four distinct components. The Model has been implemented in adult mental health settings and recently has been adapted for work with youth with mental illness. This paper describes strengths-based group supervision and discusses it’s applicability to different child serving systems.

2020 Graduates Project Abstracts By Cizik School Of Nursing At Uthealth, Dnp Program

Doctor of Nursing Practice Projects 2018-2023

The Cizik School of Nursing at UTHealth proudly presents the DNP Project abstracts for the 2020 Class of DNP Graduates.

Parent Well-Being In Divorce Education, Sharon E. Powell, Sarah Cronin, Ellen Mccann, Jenifer Mcguire, Emily Becher, Eugene Hall

Journal of Family Strengths

Objective. To describe the role of parent well-being in divorce education and to explore the relationship between parent well-being, coparenting, and child outcomes. Design. Data was analyzed using multiple regression from pre, post, and follow-up surveys from 272 parents who took the Parents Forever divorce education course. Results. Changes in positive and negative coparenting significantly predicted changes in child well-being over time, accounting for 8% of the variance in change in child well-being. Parent-well-being significantly predicted changes in child well-being over and above coparenting and, when entered into the regression model, an additional 7.2% of the variance in changes in …

Applications Of Statistical Methods Studying The Impact Of Mobilization Regimes On The Total Collection Yield Of Hematologic Stem Cell, Mengchen Ding

Dissertations and Theses (Open Access)

Hematologic malignancies are cancers that develop in the blood, bone marrow, and lymph nodes. Hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) is a critical therapeutic approach that contributes to offer a potential cure for hematologic cancers and other hematologic disorders by replacing abnormal bone marrow with healthy bone marrow components to help bone marrow function recovery. Peripheral blood is the primary resource for collecting hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs). The collection yield of HSCs is critical for successful transplantation. Few articles have discussed this topic that the collection of stem cells not only from healthy donors but also from donors with a hematologic …

The Comparative Effect Of Automated Reminders/Recalls Interventions On The Appointments Rate Of Adolescent Wellness Care Visit, Biai Dominique Elmir Digbeu

Dissertations and Theses (Open Access)

An Adolescent Wellness Care (AWC) visit is an annual preventive doctor visit predestined to assess the overall health of adolescents aged between 12 and 21 years old. Compared to their younger counterparts, adolescents who are using public insurance are at risk of not completing AWC visits due to several factors related to age or providers disparities in their living environment. This research was a quasiexperimental study aiming to compare two methods of automated Reminders/Recalls (RR) interventions, ‘phone-only’ versus ‘phone-and-text’, in order to evaluate which method is more effective in helping parents/guardians or young adults to schedule an AWC visit. A …

Case Manager Perceptions Of The Effects Of Caseload Level Reduction In A Child Welfare Agency, Julie Steen

Journal of Family Strengths

This study sought to assess the effects of caseload level reduction in a child welfare agency that provides in-home supervision and out-of-home care in the United States. Focus groups were conducted to collect the perceptions of case managers employed by the agency, which reduced caseloads from the 40s to the 20s. Transcript passages revealed that the perceptions were overwhelmingly positive, with the case managers describing positive impacts for job satisfaction, retention, foster child well-being, permanency, and safety. The case managers also described the mechanisms by which caseload level reduction exerted its effects. Specifically, the reduction allowed for additional/extended home visits …

Beyond The Nuclear Family: A Qualitative Examination Of Extended Family Involvement Among American Indian Families, Ashleigh Coser, Maureen Sullivan, Hannah Espeleta

Journal of Family Strengths

A common practice among American Indian (AI) families, as well as many ethnic minority families, is involving both nuclear and extended family members in raising children. This practice is believed to serve as a protective factor for families against negative outcomes and provide a potential avenue for social support. Several authors have described extended family members being involved in helping to care taking, sharing cultural knowledge and customs, and disciplining youth. As a result, it has been proposed that extended family members help to nurture the parent-child relationship and provide various forms of support to parents. Despite this, the available …

Characterization Of Age-Associated Copd Progression In The Copd Gene Cohort, Lauryn A. Winter

Dissertations and Theses (Open Access)

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a progressive and debilitating lung disease affecting primarily older adults. Incidence, morbidity and mortality from COPD are increasing worldwide. The purpose of this study was to determine the associations between age at baseline and markers of disease progression in COPD patients using data generated by the Genetic Epidemiology of COPD (COPD Gene) study. Participants with COPD were stratified by age (younger: age <65 years, elderly: age ≥ 65 years) and disease characteristics (lung function, exercise tolerance, exacerbation history, and comorbidity burden) at baseline and five-year follow up were compared between groups. Associations between age group and changes in these measures were also assessed. Disease characteristics differed significantly between elderly and younger COPD patients at both study visits. Elderly COPD patients had worse lung function and more comorbidities than younger COPD patients, while younger COPD patients reported more dyspnea and more frequent and severe exacerbations than elderly COPD patients. Following covariate adjustment, elderly participants were less likely than younger participants to develop new frequent exacerbations over the study period (relative risk ratio (95% confidence interval): 0.42 (0.20, 0.87)). There were no other significant associations between age group and markers of disease progression. These results suggest that although elderly COPD patients exhibit evidence of more severe lung function impairment than younger COPD patients, the rate of disease progression is similar between elderly and younger patients. However, further exploration is needed to understand the possible contribution of survivorship bias to this finding. Nevertheless, this study supports the importance of early detection and early intervention to slow disease progression and maximize both life expectancy and quality of life for COPD patients.

Asthma-Copd Overlap Syndrome And Disease Progression In The Copdgene Cohort Study, Caitlyn Winter

Dissertations and Theses (Open Access)

Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) is a debilitating and degenerative lung disease characterized by progressive airway obstruction and alveolar destruction. When asthma and COPD co-occur and interact, with asthma having been diagnosed first, the resulting respiratory disease is called Asthma-COPD Overlap Syndrome (ACOS). Current research suggests that persons with ACOS may have more severe respiratory disease and lifestyle limitations than those with either disease alone. The purpose of the current study was to determine if and how disease progression differs in patients with ACOS versus COPD only, using data collected during the COPDGene cohort study. Demographic characteristics and disease outcome …

Breastfeeding Duration And Reasons Given For Early Cessation Of Breastfeeding Among Wic Mothers, Amy Willa

Dissertations and Theses (Open Access)

The Breastfeeding Duration and Reasons for Early Cessation of Breastfeeding Among WIC Mothers study was conducted to describe the duration of and factors associated with early breastfeeding cessation among the Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) population. We collected data from a random sample of WIC medical records, sampling medical records belonging to mothers who initiated breastfeeding an infant but did not breastfeed to 52 weeks. Data were analyzed to answer the questions: How long do WIC mothers breastfeed? What reasons are given during counseling sessions at WIC for early cessation of breastfeeding? Do socio-economic, demographic, or medical factors influence the …