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Implementing Legal Strategies For Creating Safe And Supportive School Environments, Susan Cole

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

As many as 50% of all children, according to the Adverse Childhood Experiences Study, come to school each day having experienced serious traumatic events, including abuse, neglect, witnessing violence, and various forms of household dysfunction. For many students, these experiences and others, such as homelessness and bullying, may cause a trauma reaction that can have significant effects on their ability to learn. Students need a safe and supportive school-wide environment to help them form positive relationships, calm their emotions and behaviors, and focus, so that they can learn and be successful at school.

Current laws often put barriers in the …

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

GSBS News

No abstract provided.

Time From Infection To Disease And Infectiousness For Ebola Virus Disease, A Systematic Review, Gustavo E Velásquez, Omowunmi Aibana, Emilia J Ling, Ibrahim Diakite, Eric Q Mooring, Megan B Murray

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

We systematically reviewed the literature to estimate the incubation and latent periods of Ebola virus disease. We found limited epidemiological data from individuals with discrete 1-day exposures. Available data suggest that the incubation and latent periods may differ, and mathematical models may be improved by distinguishing between the two periods.

Underserved Adoptive Families: Disparities In Postadoption Access To Information, Resources, And Services, Robin M. Hartinger-Saunders Ph.D., Alex R. Trouteaud Ph.D.

Journal of Family Strengths

Parents who adopt children from the U.S. foster care system typically do so with assurances from the state that postadoption services will be accessible by the family, if needed, after the adoption is finalized. From the state’s perspective, the foremost purpose of these services is to ensure that the family remains intact, thereby avoiding adoption dissolution—a traumatic and costly outcome whereby the child is returned to state custody. This study looks specifically at underserved adoptive families—those who report needing specific services after adoption finalization, yet who are then unable to access these needed services through the state because of various …

Persistence, Motivation, And Resilience: Older Youth Aging Out Of Foster Care Attending Historically Black Colleges And Universities (Hbcus), Belinda Davis Smith Ph.D., Lcsw, Dana Burdnell Wilson Msw, Ph.D., Lcsw, Tiffany Y. Lane Ph.D., Msw, Sonja V. Harry Ph.D., Msw, Isiah Marshall Jr., Ph.D., Msw

Journal of Family Strengths

Persistence, Motivation and Resilience: Older Youth Aging Out of Foster Care

Attending Historically Black Colleges and Universities

ABSTRACT

Many young adults involved with the child welfare system have a unique set of circumstances and needs. As they come of age, separated from their families of origin, additional services and supports are warranted to achieve their goals in life. This qualitative study explores the experiences of youth who have been impacted by the foster care system and are enrolled at a Historically Black College and University (HBCU) in the Mid-Atlantic region. Using a phenomenological approach, participants were interviewed regarding their motivation …

"Then You Fall Off": Youth Experiences And Responses To Transitioning To Homelessness, Diane M. Santa Maria, Sarah C. Narendorf, Noel Bezette-Flores, Yoonsook Ha

Journal of Family Strengths

Introduction: This study aims to broaden our understanding of the experience of homelessness and unstable housing in youth. While quantitative research highlights risk factors associated with experiencing homelessness as a youth, little qualitative research has been conducted to explore the lived experience of this transition to homelessness or unstable housing and how youth respond to becoming homeless. This study utilizes data from youth descriptions of their experiences to understand the context of the transition to homelessness and how youth manage this transition.

Methods: A qualitative study with a quantitative component was conducted with a nonprobability sample of homeless youth aged …

On Serving The Ignored: Latinos, Crime And The Criminal Justice System, Ramiro Martinez, Jr.

Journal of Family Strengths

There are nuanced distinctions among Latinos, such as the differences between those native to the United States and those who are recent immigrants.There are also certain cultural factors that differentiate Latinos from other populations in the United States. Therefore, policies targeting factors in Latino communities, such as crime prevention, educational interventions, and community development, can (and should) take these unique cultural qualities into account. The range of the Latino experience is expansive, and the diversity within the population requires more embracement. It is essential to acknowledge and examine that variation, as it is to remember that many of the stereotypes …

Underserved Populations In The United States: Research, Response And Resilience, Robert Sanborn, Angelo P. Giardino, William V. Flores, E. Christopher Lloyd

Journal of Family Strengths

Angelo P. Giardino, Robert Sanborn, William V. Flores and E. Christopher Lloyd discuss the latest issue of the Journal of Family Strengths.

Success In Drug Court: The Offenders' Perspective, Clete Snell Dr.

Journal of Family Strengths

Drug Courts have demonstrated a reduction in recidivism in comparison to traditional probation programs. Prior studies have not addressed why drug courts are effective from the participants' perspective. This study used focus groups to attempt to understand why the drug court model worked for these offenders when other approaches failed.The results suggest that avoiding jail or prison are the initial impetus to join, but individualized treatment, structure, accountability, and rewards are the factors cited as being most important for success in drug court. Many successful participants had long criminal and addiction histories. This study used eight years of drug court …

Hidden But Not Forgotten: The Importance Of Including Understudied Populations In Research, Rebecca Pfeffer

Journal of Family Strengths

This volume focuses on the importance of including understudied or underserved populations in empirical research.For many reasons, there are groups of people whose experiences are systematically excluded from contemporary research in many fields; including education, criminal justice, public health, medicine, and the social sciences, to name but a few. Explanations abound as to why these groups are not represented in empirical research and range from individual to institutional barriers.

Perspective From The Field On Underserved Populations, Peggy B. Smith

Journal of Family Strengths

Over the last three decades a variety of approaches have been proposed to identify, evaluate and intervene in factors or conditions which affect the well-being of underserved populations, especially youth. Longitudinal assessments, individual-based theoretical models and health related features of the environment provide insight and suggestions on how to remedy conditions associated with health disparity in the US. These evidence-based evaluations can identify specific health indicators that are amenable to improvement if the appropriate interventions are initiated. This article broadly reviews several approaches that address health indicators for youth. In addition, using geocoding technology, several local neighborhoods are identified as …

A Literature Review Of Paternal Involvement In Prenatal Care, Mary Elizabeth Meier, Lorena Avillaneda

Journal of Family Strengths

Pregnancy and the transition to parenthood are critical periods for parents to be provided with relevant care, information, and assistance. Unfortunately, fathers do not receive the same guidance and support by the health care system, policymakers, or programs as their partners do. This paper reviews twelve studies that address father transition to parenthood and involvement in prenatal care, the positive outcomes of father involvement on child well-being, and the current state of prenatal father involvement. Recommendations for increased paternal involvement in prenatal care include creating a more father friendly environment in the health care setting, providing prevention-oriented care for men …

Ms 189 Guide To The Patricia Starck, Dsn, Rn, Faan Papers (1984-2015), Patricia Starck

Manuscript Finding Aids

The Patricia Starck, DSN, RN, FAAN papers covers the career of Dean Patricia Starck as the head of the UTHealth Science Center Houston’s School of Nursing (SON). The papers include administrative records, SON history, annual reports, strategic plans, nursing profession organizations, publications and awards. See more at MS 189.

Stem Cell Banking: An Update On Current Scenario, Harshal Deshpande, Sreelatha Akkala, Suman Rasquinha, Smita Karpate

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

The emerging medical science coupled with biotechnological innovations is paving way for an exciting science - stem cell research. The researchers in the area of stem cell banking are exploiting the factual impending market worldwide. The possible clinical application of stem cells has generated great curiosity amongst medical professionals and general public. No only this, but stem cell research can be used for the treatment of widespread diseases like diabetes, Parkinson's disease, severe aplastic anemia, leukeamias, etc. The present article highlights the historical perspective about the stem cell banking along with an overview of global scenario of stem cell banking …

Designing For Practice Development In A Social Learning System: Communicating Norms And Vicarious Experience, Claire Loe

Dissertations and Theses (Open Access)

Over the past quarter century, the United States has experienced an increase in demand for health services. Expanded use of community health workers (CHWs) has been identified as a strategic response for more effective distribution of healthcare resources by alleviating pressures on clinical personnel and infusing prevention education into the community-to-clinical care continuum. Expansion of the CHW workforce poses many challenges. For CHWs to effectively reduce costs and pressures on the healthcare system, ‘expansion’ implies not only increasing their numbers, but also assuring a workforce that has the capacity to perform in diverse settings. I propose a theoretical framework for …

Investigating The Role Of Cholesterol Metabolism And Synthesis In Metastasis And Radiation Response In Aggressive Subtypes Of Breast Cancer, Adam Wolfe

Dissertations and Theses (Open Access)

Aggressive breast cancers, triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) and inflammatory breast cancer (IBC), metastasize at a high rate and are notoriously resistant to standard treatments. Research has shown diets high in cholesterol increase the incidence of aggressive breast cancers and pre-clinical research has shown cholesterol can fuel the growth of breast cancer in vivo. Studies at MD Anderson have shown that IBC patients taking cholesterol lowering drugs, statins, have improved survival outcomes, and also statins can improve the response to radiation in vitro. Furthermore, statins have been shown to target the cells with stem like-properties called cancer stem cells (CSCs) which …

Enhancement Of Hiv Persistence By Adipose Tissue, Jacob Couturier

Dissertations and Theses (Open Access)

A major challenge for HIV eradication is the persistence of cellular and anatomic viral reservoirs. The primary cellular reservoirs for HIV, memory CD4 T cells and macrophages, traffic into various tissues where most viral replication occurs, or in the case of virally-suppressed antiretroviral-treated patients, the virus becomes dormant and protected from drugs and immune responses. The major tissue reservoirs for HIV include lymphoid tissues such as lymph nodes, bone marrow, and gastrointestinal lymphoid tissues, but adipose tissues could potentially harbor HIV as well. Adipose tissues are ubiquitous connective tissues and major sites of infiltration and immune activity by T cells …

Structure And Composition Of Postsynaptic Densities, Madeline Farley

Dissertations and Theses (Open Access)

Communication between neurons within the brain occurs at chemical synapses and is fundamental for all brain functions. Modulation of the strength of communication is controlled by both presynaptic and postsynaptic mechanisms and is termed synaptic plasticity. One postsynaptic structure postulated to regulate synaptic strength is the postsynaptic density (PSD), a large electron dense protein complex located just below the synaptic membrane. The PSD, which is composed of signaling, scaffold and cytoskeletal proteins, supports and organizes neurotransmitter receptors within the synaptic membrane in addition to bridging signaling with the actin cytoskeletal network. The protein composition and structure of PSDs is known …

Ex Vivo Expanded Cord Blood Natural Killer Cells As A Novel Therapeutic For Multiple Myeloma, Nina Shah

Dissertations and Theses (Open Access)

Multiple myeloma (MM) is the second most common hematologic malignancy in adults and, to date, is incurable. Allogeneic natural killer (NK) cells are active in various hematologic malignancies and may have a role against MM. Umbilical cord blood is a potential source for allogeneic NK cells and ex vivo expanded umbilical cord blood-derived NK (CB-NK) cells demonstrate activity comparable to that of peripheral blood-derived NK cells. However, large-scale expansion of these cells is required for clinical translation. Here we studied a potential method for ex vivo expansion of NK cells from fresh and cryopreserved CB. Using artificial antigen presenting cells …

Investigating The Interaction Of Aurka And Ube2c In Colorectal Cancer Cells, Apurva M. Hegde

Dissertations and Theses (Open Access)

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is the third leading cause of cancer-related deaths in the US. Among the many genomic aberrations previously implicated in colorectal cancer, recurrent amplification of chromosome 20q is frequently associated with liver metastasis. Previous research in our lab identified a gene signature on chromosome 20q associated with colorectal cancer progression. In this study, one of the genes in the signature, the ubiquitin conjugating enzyme UBE2C, was identified through preliminary bioinformatics analysis as a candidate for further examination of its role in CRC progression. Co-expression analysis of UBE2C in tumor-normal datasets from the public database Oncomine revealed all the …

Metabolic Profiling Of Prions In The Gastro-Intestinal Tract, Uffaf Khan

Dissertations and Theses (Open Access)

Metabolic profiling of prions in the gastro-intestinal tract

Uffaf Khan, B.S.

Thesis Advisor: Claudio Soto, Ph.D.

Abstract

Prion diseases, also known as transmissible spongiform encephalopathies (TSEs), are a group of debilitating neurodegenerative disorders that affect both humans and animals. They can be spread by horizontal transmission as seen in chronic wasting disease in deer and elk population. In addition, transmission to humans has also been documented which includes bovine spongiform encephalopathy in cattle to variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease in humans due to consumption of contaminated meat. The most probable natural route of transmission is by oral consumption of infectious material. Even …

Ankyrin-B And Mtor Complex 1 In The Regulation Of Electrical Activities In The Heart, Henry C. Wu, Henry C. Wu

Dissertations and Theses (Open Access)

The mammalian target of rapamycin complex 1 (mTORC1) activity is paramount in the regulation of electrical activities in the brain and the heart. In the brain, the tumor suppressor gene TSC2 encodes the protein product tuberin that interacts with hamartin to form a heterodimer Tuberous Sclerosis Complex (TSC) that regulates mTORC1. When TSC2 is disrupted, mTORC1 activity becomes dysregulated resulting in abnormal electrical activities in the brain manifesting in the form of epileptic seizures. In the heart, mTORC1 activity is triggered by a sustained increase in hemodynamic pressure causing the heart to electrically remodel. A likely candidate serving as the …

Detection Of Genes Influencing Chronic And Mendelian Disease Via Loss-Of-Function Variation, Alexander H. Li

Dissertations and Theses (Open Access)

A typical human exome harbors dozens of loss-of-function (LOF) variants predicted to severely disrupt or abolish gene function. These variants are enriched at the extremely rare end of the allele frequency spectrum (< 0.1%), suggesting purifying selection against these sites. However, most previous population-based sequencing studies have not included analysis of genotype-phenotype relationships with LOF variants. Thus, the contribution of LOF variation to health and disease within the general population remains largely uncharacterized.

Using whole exome sequence from 8,554 participants in the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities (ARIC) study, we explored the impact of LOF variation on a broad spectrum of human phenotypes. First, we selected 20 common chronic disease risk factor phenotypes and performed gene-based association tests. Analysis of this sample verified two relationships in well-studied genes (PCSK9 and APOC3) and identified eight new loci. Novel relationships included …

Computational Modeling Of Rna-Small Molecule And Rna-Protein Interactions, Lu Chen

Dissertations and Theses (Open Access)

The past decade has witnessed an era of RNA biology; despite the considerable discoveries nowadays, challenges still remain when one aims to screen RNA-interacting small molecule or RNA-interacting protein. These challenges imply an immediate need for cost-efficient while predictive computational tools capable of generating insightful hypotheses to discover novel RNA-interacting small molecule or RNA-interacting protein. Thus, we implemented novel computational models in this dissertation to predict RNA-ligand interactions (Chapter 1) and RNA-protein interactions (Chapter 2).

Targeting RNA has not garnered comparable interest as protein, and is restricted by lack of computational tools for structure-based drug design. To test the potential …

Yap1 Expression Predicts Sensitivity To Dual Akt/P70s6k Inhibition In Ovarian And Uterine Malignancies, Rebecca A. Previs

Dissertations and Theses (Open Access)

Purpose: The PI3K/AKT/P70S6K pathway is an attractive therapeutic target in ovarian and uterine malignancies due to its high rate of dysregulation and key roles in tumor growth. Here, we examined the biological effects of MSC2363318A, which is a novel inhibitor of AKT1, AKT3, and P70S6K.

Experimental Design: Orthotopic murine models of ovarian and uterine cancer were utilized to study the effect of MSC2363318A on survival and regression. Moreover, in vitro experiments (MTT, Western blot analysis, plasmid transfection, and reverse phase protein array [RPPA]) were carried out to characterize underlying mechanisms and potential biomarkers of response.

Results: MSC2363318A decreased tumor growth …

Assessment Of Uncertainty In Planning And Dose Delivery Of Proton Therapy In An Iroc- Houston Qa Phantom Due To Variable Ct Technique And Proton Energy, Mattie M. Mcinnis

Dissertations and Theses (Open Access)

As proton therapy increases in popularity, so does the need for effective quality assurance. Proton therapy institutions participating in NCI funded clinical trials rely heavily on the credentialing and auditing services of IROC-H and therefore the process must be well understood. The purpose of this project is to understand the uncertainties in proton therapy treatment planning for the IROC-H proton phantom QA program due to variations in CT technique and proton energy. It was hypothesized that variations in CT technique and proton energy will alter the delivered dose distributions of typical proton treatments by reducing the percent of passing pixels …

Families, Family Strengths And The Changing World, Robert Sanborn, Angelo P. Giardino, William V. Flores, E. Christopher Lloyd

Journal of Family Strengths

Angelo P. Giardino, Robert Sanborn, William V. Flores and E. Christopher Lloyd discuss the latest issue of the Journal of Family Strengths.

Deconstructing The Lgbt-Victimization Association: The Case Of Sexual Assault And Alcohol-Related Problems, Shanna Felix, Justin Hoyle, Chad Posick, Bryan Lee Miller, John Stogner

Journal of Family Strengths

Research on lesbian, gay, bisexual and/or transgender (LGBT) students has been gaining traction in the fields of criminology, victimology, and education, but available data lag behind the demand for studies on this underserved population. While LGBT students are often perceived to face greater risk of victimization and subsequent health problems than their counterparts, little research has investigated the mechanisms behind problematic outcomes for LGBT students. This research uses data from a Southeastern University to examine sexual assault among LGBT students and their experiences with alcohol-related problems. The results show that LGBT youth are at an increased risk for sexual victimization …

Parent Perceptions Of Patient Safety Culture In The Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, Madelene J. Ottosen

Dissertations and Theses (Open Access)

Background: Understanding and promoting a positive culture of patient safety within neonatal intensive care units (NICU) has been to shown to decrease threats to patient safety. Parents are an integral part of the NICU culture, yet little is known about how they perceive patient safety and what role they would find meaningful and appropriate for engaging in safety promotion activities in the NICU. Therefore the purpose of this study was to determine how neonatal parents conceptualize patient safety and their role within the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU).

Methods: Using an ethnographic qualitative approach, semi-structured interviews and field observations of …

Work-Related Musculoskeletal Disorders: Psychological Factors In Licensed Nurses, Cynthia Pipkins

Dissertations and Theses (Open Access)

Background: Physical risk factors for work-related musculoskeletal disorders (WMSD) among licensed nurses have been well established. Rehabilitation following WMSD traditionally focuses on physical dimensions, but both physical and psychological factors may be useful during rehabilitation, as suggested by the Fear Avoidance Model of Chronic Pain (FAMCP) and the Pain Experience Psychological View model (PE).

Purpose: The purpose was to describe demographic characteristics of nurses with and without WMSD and relationships among related psychological factors of pain (intensity, severity, and interference), personality traits (extraversion and neuroticism), and coping strategies (catastrophizing, diversion, reinterpreting, cognitive coping, fear avoidance, and depression) as postulated in …