Digital Commons Network^™

Abdominal Fat Suspension Device For Maintaining Normal Cardiorespiratory Function In Patients Undergoing Conscious Sedation During Surgery: A Feasibility Study, Norman F Truong, Joanna C Nathan, Daeun Yoon, Gabriel Ochoa, Marisa Prevost, Sehyun Yun, Z Maria Oden, Mehdi Razavi

The Texas Heart Institute Journal

Obese patients undergoing conscious-sedation surgery have increased perioperative morbidity because their excess abdominal tissue limits diaphragmatic excursion. We describe a simple device that might help attenuate this risk. We created a noninvasive suction device for abdominal suspension. By lifting the burden of excess weight, this device should decrease respiratory effort. To test the feasibility of excess weight removal in relieving cardiac stress, we tested 22 supine, healthy, normal-weight subjects by measuring their heart rates with and without a 13-kg tissue model on their abdomen to simulate excess weight. There was no significant difference in blood oxygen saturation before and after …

Global Burden Of Disease Study 2010: Interpretation And Implications For The Neglected Tropical Diseases, Peter J. Hotez, Miriam Alvarado, Maria Gloria Basanez, Ian Bolliger, Et Al.

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

No abstract provided.

Integrating Domain Knowledge To Improve Signal Detection From Electronic Health Records For Pharmacovigilance, Ning Shang

Dissertations and Theses (Open Access)

The intent of this dissertation is to make a contribution to the field of pharmacovigilance. Pharmacovigilance, also known as post-marketing drug surveillance, is the process of continued monitoring for adverse drug reactions (ADRs) after drugs are released into the market. An ADR is a harmful or unpleasant reaction related to the use of a medical product. ADRs were reported to be between the fourth and sixth leading cause of death in the United States in 1994, accounting for 3-7% of medical hospital admissions. On account of the practice of pharmacovigilance, Vioxx (Rofecoxib) and Avandia (Rosiglitazone) are examples of high profile …

Ic 003 Gude To Houston Academy Of Medicine Records, 1936-1988, Houston Academy Of Medicine

Institutional Finding Aids

Houston Academy of Medicine records consists of about 18 boxes and contains reports, financial and legal documents, correspondence, and printed material that document the history of the Houston Academy of Medicine. See more at IC 003.

Pattern Of Mutation Rates In The Germline Of Drosophila Melanogaster Males From A Large-Scale Mutation Screening Experiment, Jian-Jun Gao, Xue-Rong Pan, Jing Hu, Li Ma, Jian-Min Wu, Ye-Lin Shao, Shi-Meng Ai, Shu-Qun Liu, Sara A Barton, Ronny C Woodruff, Ya-Ping Zhang, Yun-Xin Fu

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

The sperm or eggs of sexual organisms go through a series of cell divisions from the fertilized egg; mutations can occur at each division. Mutations in the lineage of cells leading to the sperm or eggs are of particular importance because many such mutations may be shared by somatic tissues and also may be inherited, thus having a lasting consequence. For decades, little has been known about the pattern of the mutation rates along the germline development. Recently it was shown from a small portion of data that resulted from a large-scale mutation screening experiment that the rates of recessive …

Exertional Dyspnea As A Symptom Of Infrarenal Aortic Occlusive Disease, Stacey L Schott, Fernanda Porto Carreiro, James R Harkness, Mahmoud B Malas, Stephen M Sozio, Sammy Zakaria

The Texas Heart Institute Journal

Advanced atherosclerosis of the aorta can cause severe ischemia in the kidneys, refractory hypertension, and claudication. However, no previous reports have clearly associated infrarenal aortic stenosis with shortness of breath. A 77-year-old woman with hypertension and hyperlipidemia presented with exertional dyspnea. Despite extensive testing and observation, no apparent cause for this patient's dyspnea was found. Images revealed severe infrarenal aortic stenosis. After the patient underwent stenting of the aortic occlusion, she had immediate symptomatic improvement and complete resolution of her dyspnea within one month. Twelve months after vascular intervention, the patient remained asymptomatic. In view of the distinct and lasting …

Outpatient Management Of Heart Failure In The United States, 2006-2008, Kailash Mosalpuria, Sunil K Agarwal, Sirin Yaemsiri, Bredy Pierre-Louis, Samir Saba, Rene Alvarez, Stuart D Russell

The Texas Heart Institute Journal

Better outpatient management of heart failure might improve outcomes and reduce the number of rehospitalizations. This study describes recent outpatient heart-failure management in the United States.

We analyzed data from the National Ambulatory Medical Care Survey of 2006–2008, a multistage random sampling of non-Federal physician offices and hospital outpatient departments.

Annually, 1.7% of all outpatient visits were for heart failure (51% females and 77% non-Hispanic whites; mean age, 73 ± 0.5 yr). Typical comorbidities were hypertension (62%), hyperlipidemia (36%), diabetes mellitus (35%), and ischemic heart disease (29%). Body weight and blood pressure were recorded in about 80% of visits, and …

Natural Progression Of Low-Gradient Severe Aortic Stenosis With Preserved Ejection Fraction, Antony Leslie Innasimuthu, Sanjay Kumar, Jason Lazar, William E Katz

The Texas Heart Institute Journal

Because the natural progression of low-gradient aortic stenosis (LGAS) has not been well defined, we performed a retrospective study of 116 consecutive patients with aortic stenosis who had undergone follow-up echocardiography at a median interval of 698 days (range, 371–1,020 d). All patients had preserved left ventricular ejection fraction (>0.50) during and after follow-up.

At baseline, patients were classified by aortic valve area (AVA) as having mild stenosis (≥1.5 cm2), moderate stenosis (≥1 to <1.5 cm2), or severe stenosis (<1 cm2). Severe aortic stenosis was further classified by mean gradient (LGAS, mean <40 mmHg; high-gradient aortic stenosis [HGAS], mean ≥40 mmHg). We compared baseline and follow-up values among 4 groups: patients with mild stenosis, moderate stenosis, LGAS, and HGAS.

At baseline, 30 patients had mild stenosis, 54 had moderate stenosis, 24 had LGAS, and 8 had HGAS. Compared with the moderate group, the LGAS …

Spontaneous Coronary Artery Dissection (Scad): New Insights Into This Not-So-Rare Condition, Sharonne N Hayes

The Texas Heart Institute Journal

No abstract provided.

Sex-Specific Biatrial Volumetric Measurements Obtained With Use Of Multidetector Computed Tomography In Subjects With And Without Coronary Artery Disease, Matthew J Budoff, Sandeep R Pagali, Yasmin S Hamirani, Andy Chen, Gordon Cheu, Yanlin Gao, Dong Li, Songshou Mao

The Texas Heart Institute Journal

Atrial volumetric measurement has proven clinical implications. Advances in cardiac imaging, notably the precision enabled by multidetector computed tomography (MDCT), herald the need for new criteria of what constitutes normal volumetric measurements. With use of 64-slice MDCT, we compared the atrial volumes in healthy individuals with those in individuals with coronary artery disease.

By means of manual segmentation, we measured biatrial volume in 686 participants who underwent retrospective electrocardiographic-gated MDCT angiographic evaluation. The study population included a control group of 203 persons with no cardiac abnormalities, and a study group of 483 patients with obstructive coronary artery disease. All variables …

Who Participates In An Internet-Based Research Program For Mothers Of Infants? A Secondary Prevention Research Study Among Low-Income Families, Edward G. Feil, Kathleen Baggett, Betsy Davis, Craig Leve, Susan H. Landry, Lisa B. Sheeber

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

Objective: The objective of this study was to evaluate the participation rates and factors associated with nonparticipation among mothers living in low-income households who were invited to join a parent-education and -support research program delivered via the Internet with professional support.

Methods: Four hundred and seventy-seven mothers of infants were contacted via a variety of recruitment methods, including presentations at clinics/classes, direct mailings, print advertisement, and Internet posts. Research staff attempted to contact these mothers by phone, to assess their eligibility, and interest in participation. For those who were eligible but declined participation, we assessed reasons for declining and collected …

Related Resources, Children At Risk

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

Related Resources for Family Well-Being and Social Environments.

Operation Purple® Camps: Relevant Now And Then, Theresa Buchanan

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

The unexpected many years of global conflict since 9/11 have taken their toll on more than just the service members – their families, most especially their children, have paid a significant price by living with the anxiety and stress associated with multiple deployments, safety concerns for the absent parent or caregiver, media coverage overload, and often additional family responsibilities or relocation. National Guard and Reserve forces were activated to join with Active Duty on the battlefield leaving many children in a strange new world – being in a military family and not knowing other military kids in similar circumstances, whether …

Reintegration Work: Parental Support In Foster Care, Whitney Davidson

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

The world of child welfare is a challenging one. In order to ensure long-term stability, a worker must be committed, caring, and flexible. It is important to look at each case individually, to remember that they are not just cases but children and families who have been separated. Workers must ensure they are providing all available resources to facilitate successful reintegration, but that they are also teaching independence and lifelong skills. Children and families need ways to cope with their past and present trauma along with methods to healthily deal with future traumas. The ultimate goal is to send a …

Destination Imagination: Creativity In A World Of Complacency, Joshua Calkin, Megan Karlsen

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

Destination Imagination is a creative problem solving competition for school-aged children that encourages creative growth and long-term problem solving skills. These skills are important for young children as they can be directly related to future success in school, home, and the workplace. This extracurricular activity has impacted 1.5 million people across the globe, and has helped encourage the development of skills that the modern school system leaves untapped.

Supporting Parents As Teachers: Foundations Of Family Education At The Children’S Museum Of Houston, Shannon Bishop, Cheryl Mccallum

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

This article presents an overview of family learning at the Children’s Museum of Houston. Based on educational theory, and designed to support learning literacy and success in school, Museum programs provide parents with tools to help them nurture children’s intellectual development. The goal of this work is for parents to become better prepared to confidently engage their children in fun and meaningful learning experiences. The long-term benefits include strengthening family relationships and preparing children for success in secondary school and in the workplace.

Evidence-Based Home Visitation Programs Work To Put Children First, Cheryl L. Weise

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

When low-income women become parents for the first time, they often need support, education and encouragement to be the best parent they can be. They truly want to succeed. Desire, unfortunately, is not enough. These women are usually most open to health care assistance, parenting tools, and a therapeutic relationship with a community health worker who provides in-home services. The best partnership for a therapeutic relationship is between a new mother and a nurse. Efficient home visitation programs can save lives and taxpayer dollars. Nurse-Family Partnership pairs an experienced BSN RN with a first-time low-income mother from pregnancy until her …

Impacting Maternal And Prenatal Care Together: A Collaborative Effort To Improve Birth Outcomes, Jamie Freeny, Angela Cummings, Margo Hillard Alford, June Hanke, Linda Lloyd, Deborah Boswell

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

Objectives

To describe the development of a collaborative partnership to improve birth outcomes in Harris County, Texas.

Methods

State and city-level maternal and infant health data were re-analyzed and presented to stakeholders at the zip-code level to generate a renewed response to health issues in these populations, particularly infant mortality. Public and private sector stakeholders convened to form the Impacting Maternal and Prenatal Care Together (IMPACT) Collaborative, identifying four priority areas that required collaborative action.

Results

Priority area action groups are currently working on strategies to improve maternal and infant health outcomes. Collaborative strategies include: raising patient and provider awareness, …

A National Survey Of Parent Support Legislation And Regulations, Nancy P. Correa, Bethanie Van Horne, Bracewell & Giuliani Llp, Christopher Greeley, Angelo P. Giardino

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

Introduction: Parent education has a positive impact on children, parents, families, and the community. CHILDREN AT RISK and Bracewell & Giuliani LLP conducted a policy scan of state statutes regarding parent education.

Methodology: To identify state statutes that address parent education, we conducted a search of statutes in all 50 states using keywords and the online legal research systems. After all state-level policies were ascertained, we selected the most relevant statutes to parent education and identified major themes.

Results: The policy scan identified statutes regarding non-mandated parent education in 40 out of the 50 states. Common themes include: home visitation …

Is It Time To Do More Homework On The Impact Of Childhood Obesity On Academic Achievement?, Shreela V. Sharma

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

Purpose: To provide commentary on the research article “Impact of Pediatric Obesity on Grades in Elementary School,” by Craig A. Johnston, Jennette P. Moreno, Sandra A. Stansberry, and Deborah Woehler .

Findings: In this cross-sectional study the authors examine the association between weight status and math, science and reading grades among 798 2^nd grade children in Texas. The authors show that academic performance, specifically math grades are lower in obese students compared to normal weight students. Finally, the authors propose several physiological and psychological mechanisms including the potential for teacher bias and lower expectations from children who are obese. …

Informing Parent Targeted Interventions To Promote Increased Physical Activity Among Youth, Teresia O'Connor

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

Invited Commentary on "Examining the Disconnect Between Parents' Perceptions and Reality Regarding the Physical Activity Levels of Their Children."

A Commentary On "Parents’ Knowledge, Attitudes, And Beliefs Of Childhood Fever Management In Jordan": The Role Of Healthcare Professionals In Caregiver Fever Phobia, Clay T. Jones

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

Fever phobia appears to be a universal finding. This is supported by the findings of Athamneh and colleagues in their study, “Parents’ Knowledge, Attitudes, and Beliefs of Childhood Fever Management in Jordan: A Cross-Sectional Study”. The origins of fever phobia likely can be found in the common association of fever and life-threatening illness prior to modern medical advances, but healthcare professionals who care for children must accept partial blame. Overly aggressive management of fever and inaccurate medical information feed into a vicious cycle where patients of more anxious caregivers tend to receive unnecessary interventions. Fever phobia, regardless of where a …

Commentary On "Early Lessons Learned From Building Local Early Childhood Comprehensive Systems In Texas", Lashonda Brown

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

To provide commentary on the original research article, “Early Lessons Learned from Building Local Early Childhood Comprehensive Systems in Texas” by Cynthia Osborne (University of Texas at Austin), Kaeley C. Bobbitt (University of Texas at Austin), Jill M. Boelter (University of Texas at Austin), Tracy K. Ayrhart(Women's Health & Family Planning Association of Texas). Research emphasizes the importance of early childhood comprehensive systems (ECCS) that are tailored to respond to and meet the needs of the families living in low income communities and its impact on preparing children for success. Children who have positive early childhood experiences are set on …

The Path To Effective Child Maltreatment Prevention Strategies, Philip V. Scribano

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

The burden of child maltreatment in the U.S. remains a substantial problem with life-course implications, yet systematic efforts to prevent its occurrence and the associated impairments have been limited. The review of universal and targeted child maltreatment prevention interventions to address child physical abuse by Nelson and Caplan provide a thoughtful critique of the child maltreatment prevention efforts and a recognition of the importance of developing a public health framework to address this problem. An overriding prevention strategy should be derived from a systems level approach, which embraces the socio-ecological, and public health frameworks (with integration of policy and practice). …

Impact Of Pediatric Obesity On Grades In Elementary School, Craig A. Johnston, Jennette P. Moreno, Tzu-An Chen, Sandra A. Stansberry, Deborah Woehler

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

Objective: The current study examines the relationship between obesity and academic performance among second grade students. We hypothesized that students who were overweight or obese would have poorer grades than students who were normal weight.

Design: Cross-sectional.

Setting: Seven elementary schools from a southeast Texas Independent School District.

Participants: The sample was composed of 798 ethnically and racially diverse elementary school children. Students were classified as normal weight, overweight, and obese.

Main Outcome Measures: Differences in cumulative grades (math, science, and reading) across weight classifications were examined using sex, race/ethnicity, and school socioeconomic level as covariates. Additionally, all subject areas …

Contact In Foster Care: Bridge Or Collision Between Two Worlds?, João M. S. Carvalho, Paulo Delgado

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

This study aims not only to analyze the contact in foster care in Portugal compared to results collected from other studies but also to define the implications of its practice so as to propose improvements to the child protection system. It involves 289 foster children from the District of Porto whose results were obtained from official records. Subsequently, this study discusses the insights and practical consequences, the importance of maintaining up-to-date information on the changes of the biological family, the need to improve specific skills in social workers, and how to overlook the negative results of visits regarding the advantages …

Examining The Potential Disconnect Between Parents’ Perceptions And Reality Regarding The Physical Activity Levels Of Their Children, Guy Faulkner, Vaeda Solomon, Tanya Berry, Sameer Deshpande, Amy E. Latimer-Cheung, Ryan Rhodes, John Spence, Mark S. Tremblay

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

Background: Parental support plays an important role in facilitating the participation of children in physical activity. However, there is evidence that parents overestimate their child’s level of physical activity – this may lead to inaction in promotion attempts by parents. This potential disconnect between parental perceptions and reality was recently the focus of the ‘Think Again’ social marketing campaign developed by PartipACTION.

Purpose: To qualitatively explore parents’ perceptions of the Think Again advertisements, and the possible disconnect between perceptions and reality regarding their children’s physical activity levels.

Method: Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 12 mothers and 12 fathers of children …

Parents' Knowledge, Attitudes And Beliefs Of Childhood Fever Management In Jordan: A Cross-Sectional Study, Liqa Athamneh, Marwa El-Mughrabi, Mohmmad Athamneh, E James Essien, Susan Abughosh

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

Background: Studies have demonstrated that some parents have limited knowledge and several false beliefs regarding fever, its management and role in illness.

Objective: The aims of this study were to investigate parents' knowledge, attitudes and beliefs regarding childhood fever management in Jordan in comparison to current National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) and Italian fever management guidelines.

Methods: An observational, survey-based cross-sectional study design was carried out with a convenience sample of 419 Jordanian adult parents in Irbid governorate area, Jordan. The survey consisted of four major categories with 32 ‘yes/no’ and multiple-choice questions. Descriptive statistics were presented …

Early Lessons Learned From Building Local Early Childhood Comprehensive Systems In Texas, Cynthia Osborne, Kaeley C. Bobbitt, Jill M. Boelter, Tracy K. Ayrhart

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

In 2010, the Maternal, Infant, and Early Childhood Home Visiting Program (MIECHV), provided states with the opportunity to apply for funding to build and expand evidence-based home visiting programs in their states and to incorporate community collaboration components, referred to as early childhood comprehensive systems (ECCS). For Texas, this was the first opportunity to build a statewide program of home visiting services that would be incorporated within local comprehensive early childhood systems to support the early development of Texas children and their families. This paper highlights the lessons learned from the first year of implementing a comprehensive system of early …

Project Passport: An Integrated Group-Centered Approach Targeting Pregnant Teens And Their Partners, Ruth S. Buzi, Peggy B. Smith, Constance M. Wiemann, Melissa F. Peskin, Mariam R. Chacko, Claudia Kozinetz A.

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

Objective: To describes the development of Project Passport, a perinatal intervention designed to reduce negative outcomes among pregnant teens. Methods: A logic model guided the planning, development and evaluation plan for the intervention. It included the selection of health goals, behaviors to be targeted, determinants of the selected behaviors, and activities to impact each selected determinant. Results: The process resulted in the formulation of an intervention that incorporates CenteringPregnancy, a group model of prenatal care, Positive Youth Development components, and male involvement. The evaluation examines the effectiveness of the intervention in enhancing health, educational and psychosocial outcomes among …