Digital Commons Network^™

Spiritual Exploration In The Prenatal Genetic Counseling Session, Katelynn G. Sagaser

Dissertations and Theses (Open Access)

Religion and spirituality are important components of many individuals’ lives, and spiritual needs may present among persons receiving medical care. Spirituality has been demonstrated to be significant in the coping of women experiencing pregnancy complications (Breen et al. 2006; Price et al. 2007). To characterize the manner in which prenatal genetic counselors might address spiritual issues with their patients, we surveyed 283 patients receiving prenatal genetic counseling using the Brief RCope and a series of questions that examined interest in spiritual exploration. Counselors were concurrently surveyed to identify the spiritual language used within the session and the counselor’s perceived importance …

Selection Methods For Genetically-Modified T Cells: In Support Of Translational Therapy, David Rushworth

Dissertations and Theses (Open Access)

T cells are blood cells which organize the immune system of the host. These cells are necessary for the host to respond appropriately to threats from foreign organisms and cancerous growth. However, in the case of certain infections and cancer, T cells are unable to respond appropriately to a threat and establish immunity. This leads to disease when the infection or cancer is not sufficiently eliminated. On the other hand, T cells can lack tolerance for healthy tissue and perceive healthy tissue as infected. The ensuing over-reactive immune response also leads to disease. A delicate balance must exist between immunity …

Evaluation Of Current Knowledge Of Genetics Among Dental Students, Residents And Dental Hygiene Students, Carla Mcgruder

Dissertations and Theses (Open Access)

Genetic testing is increasingly available in clinical settings. To provide personalized patient care, dental health professionals must have a greater understanding of genetics. The Commission on Dental Accreditation (CODA) credentials all dental schools in the United States and currently does not mandate genetics training for official approval of programs. There is little information about dental genetics education and no known studies that have evaluated dental students, residents and dental hygiene students’ knowledge of human genetics. It is crucial to assess genetics knowledge of this population to ascertain if dental schools are preparing students for the future of personalized dentistry. This …

Social-Demographics, Health Behaviors, Telomere Length In Mexican-American Cohort And Circulating Dna Methylation In Bladder Cancer, Lixia Han

Dissertations and Theses (Open Access)

I. SOCIAL-DEMOGRAPHICS, HEALTH BEHAVIORS, AND TELOMERE LENGTH IN MEXICAN AMERICANS: A COHORT STUDY

Recent studies using a prospective cohort design have suggested that telomere length in peripheral blood leukocytes is not only a potential indicator of cellular aging that has been linked to stressful life experience and health behaviors, but also a prognostic marker for major chronic diseases; however, such study has never been done among adult Mexican Americans. In this current study, we examined cross-sectional associations among social-demographics, lifestyle behaviors, and relative telomere length (RTL) in peripheral blood leukocytes, as well as longitudinal relationships among major chronic diseases, weight …

The Effect Of Room Environment On Patient Experience In A Prenatal Genetic Counseling Session, Elizabeth C. Baack

Dissertations and Theses (Open Access)

An important facet of aesthetic design, a topic of increasing interest in healthcare, is the concept of using positive distractions to promote wellness (Ulrich, 1991). To date, this concept has largely been explored in long-term, in-patient care settings and findings suggest these positive distractions decrease patient anxiety. This study sought to understand the effects of a supportive healthcare design characterized by positive distractions on patients receiving short term, out-patient care, specifically prenatal genetic counseling. Participants were patients at a Houston high-risk pregnancy clinic randomly assigned to one of two room environments: an experimental room which incorporated positive distractions, …

Rest Regulatory Circuit Controls Distinct Oncogenic Properties Of Glioblastoma Stem Cells Through Specific Micrornas, Anantha L Marisetty

Dissertations and Theses (Open Access)

Glioblastoma Multiforme (GBM) is the most common and aggressive primary malignant brain tumor in adults. With an average survival of only 12-16 months the prognosis for GBM patients remains dismal, with less than 5% of patients surviving 5 years. New mechanism-based approaches are necessary for the management of patients with GBM. Many GBM tumors are believed to be caused by self-renewing, glioblastoma-derived stem-like cells (GSCs). These GSCs are resistant to chemo- and radiation therapies, and are believed to be responsible for tumor recurrence. In a recent paper from our lab we have shown that REST, RE1-silencing transcription factor, regulates oncogenic …

Actions Of Pi3k-Delta Inhibitor, Idelalisib, And Its Combination With Bendamustine In Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia, Prexy Modi

Dissertations and Theses (Open Access)

Class I phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase isoforms (α, β, δ, and γ) play a major role in cancer cell growth and survival. PI3K α and β are most studied. PI3K pathway is highly dysregulated in many cancers and aberrant PI3K signaling is associated with oncogene mutations and disease progression in solid tumors and in hematologic malignancies.

Chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) is driven by B-cell receptor (BCR) signaling that promotes B-cell proliferation and survival. PI3K is a critical node in BCR pathway and PI3Kδ has a pivotal role in B-cell development and maintenance and this isoform is over-expressed in many B-cell malignancies, including …

Functional In Vivo Screen Identifies Pygo2 As A Putative Gene To Promote Prostate Cancer, Xiaolu Pan

Dissertations and Theses (Open Access)

Poor prognosis of prostate cancer is correlated with rampant chromosomal copy number alterations, highlighting the potential function of genes with copy number gains and losses in driving prostate cancer progression. To identify putative genes promoting prostate cancer, an in vivo tumorigenesis screen was performed for 286 genes that are recurrently amplified and overexpressed in human prostate cancer. The transcription co-activator protein PYGO2 was identified as a major hit for further in vivo functional and clinical validation. Overexpression of PYGO2 could enhance primary tumor growth as well as local invasion to lymph nodes using AR-positive prostate cancer cell line LNCaP. PYGO2 …

Investigating The Roles Of P63 And P73 Isoforms To Therapeutically Treat P53-Altered Cancers, Avinashnarayan Venkatanarayan

Dissertations and Theses (Open Access)

Investigating the roles of p63 & p73 isoforms to therapeutically treat

p53-altered cancers

Avinashnarayan Venkatanarayan, M.S.

Supervisory Professor: Elsa R. Flores, Ph.D.

The TP53 tumor suppressor is mutated in approximately 50% of human cancers rendering cancer therapies ineffective. p53 reactivation suppresses tumor formation in mice. However, this strategy has proven difficult to implement therapeutically. An alternate approach to overcome p53 loss is to manipulate the p53-family members, p63 and p73, which interact and share structural similarities to p53. p63 and p73, unlike p53 are less frequently mutated and have two major isoforms with distinct functions …

Evaluating The Nccn Clinical Criteria For Hereditary Breast And Ovarian Cancer Syndrome Genetic Testing, Caiqian Wu

Dissertations and Theses (Open Access)

Hereditary Breast and Ovarian Cancer (HBOC) syndrome predisposes females with a BRCA1 or BRCA2 mutation to an up to 85% lifetime risk for breast cancer and an up to 40% lifetime risk for ovarian cancer. It is crucial for individuals with HBOC to be identified to allow for proper screening, management, and identification of at-risk family members in order to reduce mortality. The National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN) has established clinical guidelines for when to recommend BRCA1/2 testing. A retrospective chart review of 1123 M.D. Anderson Cancer Center breast cancer patients was performed in order to evaluate the positive predictive …

Gene Set Analysis Of Post-Lactational Mammary Gland Involution Gene Signatures In Inflammatory And Triple Negative Breast Cancer, Arvind Bambhroliya

Dissertations and Theses (Open Access)

With each cycle of pregnancy and lactation, the mammary gland undergoes dramatic changes. Clarkson et al. (2004) and Stein et al. (2004) conducted a detailed analysis of these changes in the mouse mammary gland. Their results showed that tissue remodeling during post-lactational involution period mimics wound healing and tumorigenesis like pathological conditions. This indicates that post-lactational involution may create the microenvironment that initiates the development of precancerous mammary cells and promotes the progression of precancerous cells into cancer cells. Moreover, epidemiological studies have found that triple-negative (TN) breast cancer (BC) is associated with lower frequency and duration of breastfeeding compared …

Thermal Ablation Alters The Tumor Microenvironment Activating A Robust Immune Response., Matthew T. Campbell M.D.

Dissertations and Theses (Open Access)

THERMAL ABLATION ALTERS THE TUMOR MICROENVIRONMENT ACTIVATING A ROBUST IMMUNE RESPONSE.

Matthew T Campbell, M.D.

Advisor Professor: Padmanee Sharma, M.D Ph.D

Ablation techniques including radiofrequency ablation (RFA) and cryoablation have been shown to influence the immune system in animal models. Rare abscopal events, a distant metastatic response to a local procedure, have been observed in humans following both RFA and cryoablation. These rare observations have led to interest in further defining the impact of ablation procedures on the immune signature in the tumor microenvironment and in the systemic circulation.

Retrospectively 9 patients with nephrectomy alone (control) were compared to 16 …

Post-Translational Regulation Of Zeb1 Contributes To Tgfβ-Mediated Emt, Roxsan Manshouri

Dissertations and Theses (Open Access)

Non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is the leading cause of cancer-related death in the United States due in part to the affinity of tumors to metastasize. Understanding the process which contributes to metastasis provides promise for the discovery of novel therapeutic targets. Epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT) is a proposed model for the initiation of metastasis. During EMT epithelial cells lose their cell adhesion properties and acquire a mesenchymal-like phenotype, allowing tumor cells to migrate from their epithelial cell community and invade remote locations. EMT is mediated by several signaling pathways, with transforming growth factor-beta (TGF-β) receiving attention for its up-regulation in …

Correlation Matrix Analysis Identifies Gene Signatures Of Immune Cell Subsets And Their Interactions In Follicular Lymphoma, Jason R. Westin

Dissertations and Theses (Open Access)

There are important but ill-defined interactions between benign immune cell subsets and neoplastic B cells within follicular lymphoma (FL). Using the novel technique of correlation matrix analysis (CMA) of publicly available FL whole-tumor gene expression profiling (GEP) data, we have identified signatures of immune cell subsets. Overall survival correlated most highly with a model using signatures of macrophages, T cells, and stroma, which was able to add significantly to existing clinical prognostic tools. From our own data of a cohort of 43 FL tumors sorted into B-cell and non-B cell (NB) fractions for GEP, CMA of the tumor infiltrating NB …

Isoform Selective Regulation Of Adenylyl Cyclase By Small Molecule Inhibitors And Gbetagamma Protein, Cameron S. Brand

Dissertations and Theses (Open Access)

The nine membrane-bound isoforms of adenylyl cyclase (AC), via synthesis of the signaling molecule cyclic AMP (cAMP), are involved in many isoform specific physiological functions. All nine isoforms share a similar structural organization; thus, AC isoform differences in physiological function are due to different regulatory profiles. A physiological example is Gβγ, which can conditionally enhance stimulation of ACs 2, 4, 5, 6, and 7, but inhibit ACs 1, 3, and 8. There is also pharmacological control of AC isoforms through small molecule inhibitors.

Isoform specific AC functions could be explained by regulatory differences as subtle as single amino acid changes. …

Impact Of Differentiation Status Of Kidney Progenitors In Wilms Tumor Development, Le Huang

Dissertations and Theses (Open Access)

Wilms tumor is one of the most common solid tumors in children. It is an embryonic cancer of the kidney and is thought to arise from undifferentiated renal mesenchyme. However, the differentiation status of cells in the mesenchyme that can give rise to Wilms tumors is unknown. Gene expression analysis of a large panel of Wilms tumor patients has identified different subsets of Wilms tumors that are distinct in their clinical outcomes and gene expression signatures. These subsets express specific genes that correspond to different stages of differentiation during renal development, suggesting that Wilms tumors may arise from transformed cells …

Measuring Single Cell Responses To Lapatinib In A Heterogeneous Population, Preety Priya

Dissertations and Theses (Open Access)

Cancer is notonedisease butasaga of diseases and is the outcome of disturbed homeostasis in the normal cells due to the deregulation of its genetic makeup. With advent of technologies thatallowdetailed molecular characterizationoftumors, targeted therapies have emerged as a more promising and specific mode of treatment. However, a major challenge with targeted therapy is the acquired resistance in the cancer cells to these therapies, quite often very rapidly in the course of a few months. One of the major targets in cancer has been the EGFR/ErbB2 network in breast and other cancer types. Prior work from our lab and others have …

Regulation Of Cell Adhesion By The Ferm Proteins, Ptpn14 And Merlin, Patty Dimarco Hewitt

Dissertations and Theses (Open Access)

Cell-cell adhesion is critical for the control of tissue organization and homeostasis. A family of proteins that regulate cell-cell adhesions is the FERM (4.1 protein, Ezrin, Radixin, Moesin) domain-containing proteins.One FERM domain protein, the non-receptor tyrosine phosphatase PTPN14, is mutated or deleted in several human cancers suggesting that it may be involved in tumor development and/or progression. Additionally, the loss of the FERM domain protein Merlin is associated with tumor development and metastasis.Both PTPN14 and Merlin have been shown to localize and possibly regulate adherens junction (AJ) functions. This work sought to determine if …

Human Trafficking And Domestic Violence: Etiology, Intervention, And Overlap With Child Maltreatment, Robert D. Sanborn, Angelo P. Giardino

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

Robert Sanborn and Angelo P. Giardino's introduction to The Allstate Foundation-sponsored Volume 6, Issue 1: Human Trafficking and Domestic Violence: Etiology, Intervention, and Overlap with Child Maltreatment.

“I'Ll Do Whatever As Long As You Keep Telling Me That I’M Important”: A Case Study Illustrating The Link Between Adolescent Dating Violence And Sex Trafficking Victimization, Emily F. Rothman Scd, Angela R. Bazzi, Megan Bair-Merritt

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

Background: Approximately 10% of U.S. high school-attending youth are physically abused by a dating partner each year. Many sequelae of dating violence have been documented, but the dating violence literature is lacking information about commercial sexual exploitation as a possible outcome of an abusive dating relationship. Conversely, scholarship on sex trafficking victimization has documented that some girls are enticed into sex work by exploitative partners who initially pretend to be dating partners, but the research lacks specificity about why and how the girls become vulnerable to these destructive relationships. This case series chronicles the experiences of four women who were …

Implementing A Coordinated Care Model For Sex Trafficked Minors In Smaller Cities, Mary Burke, Heather L. Mccauley, Anne Rackow, Bradley Orsini, Bridget Simunovic, Elizabeth Miller

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

Background

Addressing the social and clinical service needs of minors who have been sexually exploited remains a challenge across the United States. While larger metropolitan centers have established shelters and service provision specific for trafficked persons, in smaller cities and more rural settings, survivors of trafficking (especially minors) are usually served by multiple, disparate social service and health providers working across different systems. Sexually exploited minors present an even greater challenge due to intersections with child welfare and juvenile justice systems, histories of abuse by family that limit placement options, and limited services that address the complex medical, mental health, …

Using A Clinic-Based Screening Tool For Primary Care Providers To Identify Commercially Sexually Exploited Children, Kimberly S. G. Chang, Kevin Lee, Terrence Park, Elizabeth Sy, Thu Quach

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

Introduction: Commercial Sexual Exploitation of Children (CSEC), which encompasses acts of domestic minor sex trafficking, is a hidden problem in the U.S. that affects an estimated 300,000 children. Significant health impacts to victims include violence, substance abuse, mental illness, sexually transmitted diseases, and unintended pregnancy. However, due to the covert nature of sexual exploitation, the lack of understanding among service providers and law enforcement, and complex psychological factors experienced by victims, identifying CSEC is a tremendous challenge. Primary care providers can play a critical role in identifying CSEC victims within clinical settings to help address this silent epidemic.

Objective: The …

Understanding Victim Resistance: An Exploratory Study Of The Experiences Of Service Providers Working With Victims Of Child Trafficking, Amanda West, Phd, Lcsw, Diane N. Loeffler

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

Objective: The objective of this study was to explore the experiences of service providers working with victims of child trafficking.

Methods: A grounded theory, qualitative methodology was employed for the study in which fifteen providers working with the child trafficking population were interviewed at length. Interviews were then transcribed, coded for themes using Atlas, t.i. data management software, and interpreted.

Results: As a result of the interviews conducted with providers, a specific theme related the resistance of victims to participate in services was consistently observed throughout the data. Five specific areas of victim resistance were discussed including; “good” and “bad” …

The Commercial Sexual Exploitation And Sex Trafficking Of Minors In The Boston Metropolitan Area: Experiences And Challenges Faced By Front-Line Providers And Other Stakeholders, Wendy L. Macias-Konstantopoulos, Deanne Munroe, Genevieve Purcell, Kristina Tester, Thomas F. Burke, Roy Ahn

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

Objectives: The commercial sexual exploitation of children (CSEC), including sex trafficking of minors, is considered a severe form of abuse and violence against minors. We use a public health lens to examine perceptions regarding the context and process of CSEC and sex trafficking of minors in the Boston area, the response of the health care sector, and opportunities to improve the health and well-being of exploited/trafficked minors.

Methods: Using case study methodology, we conducted 22 semi-structured qualitative interviews of 25 key anti-trafficking stakeholders active in the Boston area.

Results: Key informants identified CSEC involving boys, girls, and transgender youth as …

Vulnerability Factors And Pathways Leading To Underage Entry Into Sex Work In Two Mexican-Us Border Cities, Argentina E. Servin, Kimberly C. Brouwer, Leah Gordon, Teresita Rocha-Jimenez, Hugo Staines, Ricardo B. Vera-Monroy, Steffanie A. Strathdee, Jay G. Silverman

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

The current wave of interest in human trafficking and the commercial sexual exploitation of children has exposed a lack of knowledge about the vulnerabilities leading to underage entry into sex work. This knowledge is necessary for the development of effective prevention programs to identify girls who are most at-risk, especially in Latin America, a region that is believed to be a large source of persons moved across international borders for the purposes of sexual and labor exploitation. The objective of this study was to explore and increase understanding of the vulnerability factors and pathways leading to underage entry into sex …

Letting Kids Be Kids: Employing A Developmental Model In The Study Of Domestic Minor Sex Trafficking, Hadar S. Schwartz

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

As American society has become increasingly aware of the plight of sex trafficked American children, attention has shifted from delinquency to victimhood (Mitchell, Finkelhor, & Wolak, 2010) with a corresponding awareness of the trauma that victims endure. This reconceptualization is incomplete without a larger understanding of the developmental vulnerabilities that leave children uniquely susceptible to recruitment and exploitation. Since the average age of entry into the commercial sex trade within the United States is 12-14 (Estes & Weiner, 2001), an exploration of the particular vulnerabilities of young teenagers--separation from parents; the process of identity formation; yearning for love and attention; …

Trafficking And Domestic Violence: Where Are We And Where Are We Going, Megan Bair-Merritt, Michele R. Decker, Emily F. Rothman Scd

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

Editors explain their view on the intersection of commercial sexual exploitation of children (CSEC) and domestic violence.

Gsbs News, Spring 2015, Graduate School Of Biomedical Sciences, University Of Texas Health Science Center At Houston/M.D. Anderson Cancer Center

GSBS News

No abstract provided.

When The Chief Complaint Tells It All, Herbert L Fred

The Texas Heart Institute Journal

No abstract provided.

Regression Of Left Ventricular Mass After Implantation Of The Sutureless 3f Enable Aortic Bioprosthesis, Giovanni Concistrè, Antonio Miceli, Federica Marchi, Francesca Chiaramonti, Mattia Glauber, Marco Solinas

The Texas Heart Institute Journal

Left ventricular hypertrophy in aortic stenosis is considered a compensatory response for the maintenance of systolic function but a risk factor for cardiac morbidity and death. We investigated the degree of left ventricular mass regression after implantation of the sutureless Medtronic 3f Enable® Aortic Bioprosthesis.

We studied 19 patients who, from May 2010 through July 2011, underwent isolated aortic valve replacement with the 3f Enable bioprosthetic valve, with clinical and echocardiographic follow-up at 6 months. The mean age was 77.1 ± 5.1 years (range, 68–86 yr); 14 patients were women (73.7%); and the mean logistic EuroSCORE was 15.4% ± 11.8%. …