Digital Commons Network^™

A Rare Case Of Erythema Elevatum Diutinum Presenting As Diffuse Neuropathy, G H. Nguyen, E L. Guo, D Norris

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

No abstract provided.

A Novel Approach To Identifying A Neuroimaging Biomarker For Patients With Serious Mental Illness, Alok Madan, J Christopher Fowler, Michelle A Patriquin, Ramiro Salas, Philip R Baldwin, Kenia M Velasquez, Humsini Viswanath, David L Molfese, Carla Sharp, Jon G Allen, Susan Hardesty, John M Oldham, B Christopher Frueh

Staff and Researcher Publications

Serious mental illness (SMI) is disabling, and current interventions are ineffective for many. This exploratory study sought to demonstrate the feasibility of applying topological data analysis (TDA) to resting-state functional connectivity data obtained from a heterogeneous sample of 235 adult inpatients to identify a biomarker of treatment response. TDA identified two groups based on connectivity between the prefrontal cortex and striatal regions: patients admitted with greater functional connectivity between these regions evidenced less improvement from admission to discharge than patients with lesser connectivity between them. TDA identified a potential biomarker of an attenuated treatment response among inpatients with SMI. Insofar …

Community-Based Partnerships: Collaboration And Organizational Partnerships In Criminal Justice, Meghan E. Hollis

Journal of Family Strengths

This research examined a collaborative communitypractitioner partnership involving many justice and non-justice system agencies in Tarrant County, Texas. The study examined the challenges of a community-based partnership for solving jail overcrowding issues and the overincarceration of mentally ill individuals. This research involved working with the behavioral and mental health providers, substance abuse services providers, health services providers, police, prosecutors, defense attorneys, judges, sheriff’s office, county administration, court administration, jail staff, reentry services providers and organizations, victim services organizations, and so many more. In this paper the focus is on the importance of reducing conflict between entities that see themselves as …

Predicting Sense Of Community In A Historic Latino/Latina Neighborhood Undergoing Gentrification, Laurie A. Walker, Jesse Littman, Amanda Riphenburg-Reese, Devra Ince

Journal of Family Strengths

Neighborhoods with generational Mexican American populations may have high levels of block Social Cohesion and neighborhood Sense of Community. Streetcar-focused development via federal and local investment often spurs gentrification in neighborhoods with ethnic concentrations, which shifts neighborhood demographics towards more White and higher income households. The new residential and business investment in the neighborhood often has an impact on existing neighborhood social dynamics. This study includes mixed methods resident survey data of long term and newer residents. The qualitative data analysis informs quantitative data analysis in order to better understand resident descriptions of the impact of neighborhood streetcar focused gentrification …

Sustainability And Spread Of Community-Based Initiatives: A Case Study Of Community Cares, A Children’S Hospital’S 16 Year Effort To Serve Its Community, Robert F. Austin, Patricia Coleman, Stephanie Meads, Angelo P. Giardino

Journal of Family Strengths

The sustainability and spread of innovations is often elusive, presenting continuous challenges to clinicians and healthcare leaders. Somewhere between 33 - 70% of all innovations are reportedly not sustained, and even fewer are spread beyond the original team, or to other units within an organization. In plain language, sustainability is defined as locking in progress, while continually building upon that foundation, while spread is the exchange of knowledge and experience to others beyond the original implementing team. The literature supports the concept that sustainability is both multi-dimensional and multi-factorial and has several characteristics and pre-conditions. Tax-exempt, not-for-profit organizations in the …

Influence Of Maternal Breast Milk Ingestion On Acquisition Of The Intestinal Microbiome In Preterm Infants, Katherine E Gregory, Buck S Samuel, Pearl Houghteling, Guru Shan, Frederick M Ausubel, Ruslan I Sadreyev, W Allan Walker

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

BACKGROUND: The initial acquisition and early development of the intestinal microbiome during infancy are important to human health across the lifespan. Mode of birth, antibiotic administration, environment of care, and nutrition have all been shown to play a role in the assembly of the intestinal microbiome during early life. For preterm infants, who are disproportionately at risk of inflammatory intestinal disease (i.e., necrotizing enterocolitis), a unique set of clinical factors influence the establishment of the microbiome. The purpose of this study was to establish the influence of nutritional exposures on the intestinal microbiome in a cohort of preterm infants early …

Introduction To The Issue On Organizational Partnerships, Russell Wolff, Rebecca Pfeffer Ph.D.

Journal of Family Strengths

Issue editors Russell Wolff, M.S. and Rebecca Pfeffer, Ph.D. introduce volume 16, Issue 2: Organizational Partnerships: How Collaboration Strengthens Families and Communities.

Head Start Since The War On Poverty: Taking On New Challenges To Address Persistent School Readiness Gaps, Pamela Joshi, Kimberly Geronimo, Dolores Acevedo-Garcia

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

This article explores Head Start’s overall effectiveness in improving school readiness outcomes and its potential to reduce gaps in these outcomes in light of changing program goals, resource and funding capacity, and the demographic changes in the low-income child population it serves. Although not an explicit goal of the Head Start program, we assess whether and how the program can address reducing school readiness gaps between children of different racial and ethnic backgrounds and income groups. Because of changing policy priorities and targeting vulnerable groups of children with diverse needs, meeting Head Start goals within funding constraints can be challenging. …

Book Review: Clean And White: A History Of Environmental Racism In The United States, William W. Mcclanahan

Journal of Family Strengths

Zimring, C.arl A. (2016). Clean and White: A History of Environmental Racism in the United States. New York, New York: NYU Press. 275 pages, $35.

View From The Street: Partnerships And Collaboration, Josh Reynolds, Richard Simonds

Journal of Family Strengths

Richard Simonds and Josh Reynolds are social workers in Houston. Richard is the Director of THRIVE Connection at Family Houston. Josh is the Director of United Way Care for Elders, an initiative of United Way of Greater Houston that is a collaborative of aging service providers.

One avenue of our collaboration has been a program called Financial Coaching at Family Services of Greater Houston. In aggregate we have run the program since 2007 – Josh from 2007 until the end of 2010, and Richard since that time. Financial Coaching and the more traditional Financial Education have been a part of …

The Strengths Perspective: Providing Opportunities For Teen Parents And Their Families To Succeed, Nila Ricks

Journal of Family Strengths

Majority of teen pregnancy literature and practice is deficit based, focusing on the consequences of teen pregnancy; significantly less research is devoted to the teens’ strengths. This article discusses the strengths-based perspective as a viable framework for clinicians and school social workers to implement to help teen parents and their families ameliorate some of the challenges they encounter. This article emphasizes the importance of clinicians, school social workers, and the community to adopt a strengths-based perspective when working with teen parents in order to cultivate strengths and opportunities for success. This article also provides specific strategies for practitioners to implement …

Ms 014 Guide To William Fields, Md Papers (1930-1987), William Fields (1913-2004)

Manuscript Finding Aids

The William Fields, MD papers contain scientific meeting booklets, academic books, binders containing case histories, research, symposium notes, and correspondence relating to the publication of his research of materials related to his career in Neurology. The collection consists of five boxes and equals 2.5 cubic feet. See more at MS 014.

Ms 012 Guide To Dorothea Kassell Papers (1946-1982), Dorothea Kassell 1946-1982

Manuscript Finding Aids

The Dorothea Kassell, RN papers contains newsletters, committee reports, memos, annual reports, business meeting minutes relating to the Houston Area Association of Occupational Health Nurses and Houston Area Association of Industrial Nurses, print campaigns, reprints, and other printed materials which document the career and experience of Dorothea Kassel’s career as an occupational health nurse. See more at MS 012.

Sel: Third Ward Intervention, Mike Malkemes, Joan Waters

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

A review of the effects of generational poverty on the development of children and the well-being of their families is compared with nine years of experience by Generation One, a non-profit organization that operates a school and a revitalization program in the Third Ward of Houston, Texas. Analysis of student behavior and the level and quality of parent involvement points to the children’s lack of self-control (tantrums, disruptions, etc.) and their parents’ limited engagement in school or the community as the key barriers to their learning. In the research of brain/cognitive, language/literacy, personal-social, emotional, and physical development, as well as …

Iaf: Examples Of Institutions Organizing On Behalf Of Families, Willie Bennett, Rev. John Ogletree

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

In 1997, Samsung received an $80 million tax abatement to build a plant in Austin, Texas amid the promise of “high paying jobs.” People were excited about the company coming to town and there was great buzz, but then they learned that most of the jobs would pay minimum wage. At a meeting of non-profits gathered to learn more about the Samsung jobs and to help them recruit, the company said that they also needed $1 million to train an advance group of 100 workers for six weeks. In addition to forgoing $80 million in tax revenue that this growing …

Perceptions Of Effectiveness Of School Counselors With Former Graduates In A Trio College Program, Marguerite Ohrtman Dr., Sarah Cronin, Erik Torgerson, Marin Thuen, Emily Colton

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

The context and variables that affect at-risk students are constantly changing. It is imperative that school counselors understand the risk factors for students and the cultural and social contexts the individual lives within. Working with at-risk students is even more challenging with the millennial generation. The culture in this generation promotes instant gratification as society has reinforced that all individuals will succeed. At-risk students in this generation can be in disbelief of even being at-risk and may assume that others will solve their problems. Federally funded TRIO programs have shown to a positive impact on at-risk student development. Although there …

50 Years After The War On Poverty: Successes Should Inspire The Next Bold Steps For Poor Children, Olivia Golden

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

Safety net programs emerging from the War on Poverty and later antipoverty efforts such as Head Start, Medicaid, the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC), and the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), among others have reduced poverty, and strengthened longer-term outcomes for poor children, leading to better health and greater economic success into adulthood. Unfortunately, despite the strong positive effect of these public programs, the poverty rate is still too high, particularly among America’s next generation of children and young adults. Struggling with economic insecurity is now a typical experience for America’s next generation, with the overwhelming majority of low-income households …

Circumstantial Disconnection: Homelessness And Parental Relationships With Children, Jonathan Holland, David Branham Sr.

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

This article looks at homeless individuals to see how they think their residential situation affects their relationship with their non-homeless children. Using a survey of 75 homeless parents in Houston, Texas this analysis finds that homeless parents of non-homeless children believe that their living situation has a detrimental impact on their relationship with their children. While many respondents felt that they had a good relationship with their children the chances of maintaining a good relationship were less for respondents with adult children than minor children. While a majority of respondents with children felt that finding housing stability would help their …

Task Persistence: A Potential Mediator Of The Income-Achievement Gap, Sara S. Whipple, Christine K. Genero, Gary W. Evans

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

Background: The pervasive gap in achievement among impoverished children has been investigated primarily in terms of parental investments, specifically parent to child speech and other forms of cognitive stimulation (e.g., toys, print materials). This research extends that literature by considering the role of a non-cognitive factor, namely task persistence, in the income-achievement gap. Using task persistence as the hypothesized mediator, duration of childhood in poverty is used to predict two educational variables - perceived academic competence and educational attainment. Although bivariate relationships between each of the variables have been demonstrated in past research, a full model linking task persistence with …

Trends In Child Poverty By Race/Ethnicity: New Evidence Using An Anchored Historical Supplemental Poverty Measure, Laura Nolan, Irwin Garfinkel, Neeraj Kaushal, Jaehyun Nam, Jane Waldfogel, Christopher Wimer

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

Official poverty statistics have been criticized, however, for being based on an outdated measure of poverty (Blank, 2008; Citro and Michael, 1995). First put into use in the 1960s, the official poverty measure’s (OPM) concept of needs has been updated for inflation but still reflects the living standards, family budgets, and family structures of that time. Moreover, when tallying family resources, the OPM misses key government programs such as Food Stamps and tax credits that have expanded since the 1960s. For these reasons, the Census Bureau and the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) implemented an improved “supplemental poverty measure” (SPM) …

50 Years After The War On Poverty, Thomas Mcinerny

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

Guest editor Thomas McInerny introduces Volume 7, Issue 1: 50 Years After the War on Poverty: Historic Victories and New Challenges.

An Unconditional War On Poverty: Action And Reaction, Robert Sanborn, Christopher Greeley

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

Christopher Greeley and Robert Sanborn's introduction to Volume 7, Issue 1: 50 Years After the War on Poverty: Historic Victories and New Challenges.

The Role Of Two Homologous E3 Ligases In Muscle Physiology, Gabrielle F. Gloston

Dissertations and Theses (Open Access)

Ubiquitin-mediated proteasomal degradation is an essential cellular function that is coordinated by three key components: E1 ubiquitin activating enzyme, E2 ubiquitin conjugating enzyme, and E3 ubiquitin ligases. There are an estimated 600 E3 ligases, some of which share high sequence homology; however, the functional significance often remains unknown. FBXL3 and FBXL21 are two homologous E3 ligases that have previously been reported to dictate circadian periodicity, with FBXL3 being the dominant E3 ligase and FBXL21 playing a regulatory role. A recent Yeast Two-Hybrid screen revealed a new shared target of FBXL3 and FBXL21: Telethonin (also known as TCAP). TCAP is a …

Using Mouse Models To Define How The P53 R72p Polymorphism Impacts The Adverse Effects Of Doxorubicin And Ionizing Radiation, Emily Dominguez

Dissertations and Theses (Open Access)

The single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) at codon 72 of the tumor suppressor gene p53 codes for either an arginine (R) or proline (P) (p53 R72P). This SNP may impact how cells respond to genotoxic insult. Studies in cell culture and in tissues from mouse models of the SNP indicate that, in response to gentoxic treatment, the two variants may differentially induce apoptosis and expression of p53 target genes. In epidemiological studies, the P variant is associated with decreased cancer survival and increased risk of side-effects from genotoxic cancer treatment. Genotoxic therapy is still the mainstay of cancer treatment, and doxorubicin …

The Role Of Streptococcus Gallolyticus Subspecies Gallolyticus In Colon Cancer Development, Jennifer L. Herold

Dissertations and Theses (Open Access)

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is the third most common cancer in men and women and is also the third most common cause of cancer death. A large body of evidence points towards the possibility that bacteria can have a significant impact on the development of cancer. It has been suggested that Streptococcus gallolyticus subsp. gallolyticus, a group D streptococci, may play a role in the development of CRC. Sg, formerly S. bovis biotype I, has been shown to be highly associated with CRC. In observing patients with either Sg bacteremia or endocarditis it was found that 25-80% of …

Concomitant Targeting Of The Mtor/Mapk Pathways: Novel Therapeutic Strategy In Subsets Of Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer, Dennis Ruder

Dissertations and Theses (Open Access)

Over the last decade, a paradigm-shift in lung cancer therapy has evolved into targeted-driven medicinal approaches. However, patients frequently relapse and develop resistance to available therapies. Herein, we utilized genomic mutation data from advanced chemorefractory non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients enrolled in the Biomarker-Integrated Approaches of Targeted Therapy for Lung Cancer Elimination (BATTLE-2) clinical trial to characterize novel actionable genomic alterations potentially of clinical relevance. We identified RICTOR alterations (mutations, amplifications) in 17% of lung adenocarcinomas and found RICTOR expression correlates to worse overall survival. There was enrichment of MAPK pathway genetic aberrations in key oncogenes (e.g. KRAS, BRAF, …

Maguk Scaffolds Organize A Key Synaptic Complex In Horizontal Cell Processes Contacting Photoreceptors, Alejandro Vila, Ph.D.

Dissertations and Theses (Open Access)

Synaptic processes and plasticity of synapses are mediated by large suites of proteins. In most cases, many of these proteins are tethered together by synaptic scaffold proteins. Scaffold proteins have a large number and typically a variety of protein interaction domains that allow many different proteins to be assembled into functional complexes. As each scaffold protein has a different set of protein interaction domains and a unique set of interacting partners, the presence of synaptic scaffolds can provide insight into the molecular mechanisms that regulate synaptic processes. In studies of rabbit retina, we found SAP102 and Chapsyn110 selectively localized in …

The Role Of Phosphorylation In Pam2 Motif-Containing Proteins Mediated Messenger Rna Deadenylation, Kai-Lieh Huang

Dissertations and Theses (Open Access)

Phosphorylation regulates many cellular processes. However, its role in mRNA deadenylation, a process to remove poly adenosines from the mature mRNA 3’ end tail, is unclear. The length of poly(A) tail determines mRNA stability and translation efficiency. Poly(A)-binding protein (PABP), which binds to newly synthesized poly(A) tails homogeneously and is known as a scaffold protein for PAM2 motif-containing proteins, plays a pivotal role in the shortening of poly (A) tails. This study is to examine the role of phosphorylation of PAM2 motif–containing proteins in regulating their interactions with PABP and mRNA deadenylation function.

The PAM2 motif, a region required for …

Characterization Of Vesicular Monoamine Transporter 2 And Its Role In Parkinson's Disease Pathogenesis Using Drosophila, Antonio Joel Tito Jr., Sheng Zhang

Dissertations and Theses (Open Access)

Parkinson’s disease (PD) is a progressive neurodegenerative disorder caused by the selective loss of the dopaminergic neurons in the Substantia nigra pars compacta region of the brain. PD is also the most common neurodegenerative disorder and the second most common movement disorder. PD patients exhibit the cardinal symptoms, including tremor of the extremities, rigidity, slowness of movement, and postural instability, after 70-80% of DA neurons degenerate. It is, therefore, imperative to elucidate the underlying mechanisms involved in the selective degeneration of DA neurons. Although increasing numbers of PD genes have been identified, why these largely widely expressed genes induce …

Her4 Promotes A Stem-Like Phenotype In Osteosarcoma, Rocio K. Rivera-Valentin

Dissertations and Theses (Open Access)

Metastatic disease to the lungs is the primary cause of death for patients with pediatric osteosarcoma (OS). OS has a high degree of heterogeneity and genomic instability, making understanding the pathogenesis and drivers of metastasis of this disease challenging. In an effort to explain tumoral heterogeneity, the tumor initiating cell model (TIC) states that tumors are composed of cells that form the majority of the tumor and are terminally differentiated. This model however, attributes tumorigenesis, metastasis and chemoresistance to a distinct cell population with a stem-like phenotype that can be identified using selective markers. OS appears to follow this model …