Digital Commons Network^™

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."

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 …

The Prevention Of Child Physical Abuse And Neglect: An Update, Geoffrey Nelson, Rachel Caplan

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

We reviewed research that has evaluated prevention programs for child abuse and neglect. A few universal educational and parenting programs (e.g., abusive head trauma educational programs, enhanced pediatric care interventions) have been found to be effective. Moreover, a few selective home visitation programs (e.g., the Nurse-Family Partnership program), have shown evidence that they can prevent child abuse and neglect. As well, there is some evidence that multi-component programs are successful. Finally, the research on the importance of program length and intensity as a moderator of program effectiveness is mixed. While the evidence base of effective prevention programs for child abuse …

Family Well-Being: A Complex Challenge Worth Pursuing, Susan H. Landry

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

Issue Editor, Susan Landry's point of view and summary of the articles in Family Well-Being and Social Environments.

Family Well-Being And Social Environments: Correlations Within Childhood, 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 for Volume 5, Issue 1: Family Well-Being and Social Environments.

Evaluation Of Artifacts In Experimental Cine 4d Ct Acquisition Methods, Sarah Joy

Dissertations and Theses (Open Access)

Four-dimensional computed tomography (4D CT) has increased the accuracy of radiation treatment planning for patients in whom the extent of target motion is large. 4D CT has become a standard of care for radiation treatment simulation, allowing decreased motion artifacts and increased spatiotemporal localization of anatomical structures that move. However, motion artifacts may still remain. These artifacts, or artificial anatomic spatial distributions, add a systematic uncertainty to the treatment process and limit the accuracy of lung function images derived from CT. We proposed to reduce the motion artifacts in cine 4D CT by using three novel investigational 4D CT acquisition …

Factors Associated With Physical Activity In Kindergarten Children, Carol Hammonds

Dissertations and Theses (Open Access)

Background: Reversing obesity is an urgent public health need for children: worldwide, in 2011 more than 40 million children under the age of five were either overweight or obese. Increasing intensity and duration of physical activity is a strategy to aid in preventing and reducing obesity. A minimum of 60 minutes per day of moderate to vigorous physical activity is recommended for children. School settings, such as full-day kindergarten, where 74% of children in the United States are enrolled, provide opportunities for population-based interventions to increase physical activity, yet little objective data exist on current levels of physical activity in …

How Do Black Nulliparous Women Cognitively Construct Birth?, Marianne F. Moore

Dissertations and Theses (Open Access)

A focused ethnography was conducted to determine the cognitive constructions about birth described by nulliparous Black women in an urban area of the Southwestern US; also, during postpartum, how do these women reconcile expectations with the actual birth? Semi-structured interviews were conducted before birth and after birth.

Women, 16 or older, 17 - 33 weeks carrying a singleton fetus and without anomalies or problems like pre-gestational diabetes, NYHA Cardiac Class III/IV, cancer, renal failure, or sickle cell anemia that eliminated vaginal birth were sequentially recruited and sampled in an affiliated ultrasound clinic. Women scheduled for an anatomy scan were approached. …

Modulated Functions Of The Fanconi Anemia Core Complex, Yaling Huang

Dissertations and Theses (Open Access)

Cells derived from Fanconi anemia (FA) patients are characterized by hypersensitivity to DNA interstrand crosslinks (ICLs), suggesting that FA genes play a role in ICL repair. Fanconi anemia core complex (including A, B, C, E, F, G, L, FAAP20, and FAAP100) activates the Fanconi pathway by providing the essential E3 ligase activity for FANCD2 mono-ubiquitination. Previous studies suggested the existence of three protein-protein interaction groups. However, the functions of most FA core complex protein are still limited to their presence in the complex. How the spatially-defined FANCD2 ubiquitination is accomplished by the core complex remains unknown.

To elucidate the roles …

Mechanisms Underlying Distinct Egfr Versus Fgfr-3 And -1 Dependency In Human Bladder Cancer Cells, Tiewei Cheng

Dissertations and Theses (Open Access)

The epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) and fibroblast growth factor receptor (FGFR) are activated by gene amplification, mutation and overexpression in bladder cancer, which drives tumor development and progression. Both EGFR and FGFR inhibitors are currently being tested in clinical trials. However, bladder cancer (BC) cells show remarkably heterogeneous sensitivities to both inhibitors, and the molecular determinants of this heterogeneity are presently unclear. Therefore, in this study, using selective EGFR and FGFR inhibitors in BC cells, we demonstrated that FGFR3 and FGFR1 play largely non-overlapping roles in mediating proliferation and invasion in the distinct “epithelial” and “mesenchymal” subsets of human …

Gain-Of-Function Mouse Models To Investigate Biological Roles Of Prmt6, Alessandra Di Lorenzo

Dissertations and Theses (Open Access)

Gain-of-function Mouse Models to Investigate Biological Roles of PRMT6

Alessandra Di Lorenzo, Ph.D. Candidate

Mentor: Dr. Mark T. Bedford

Protein Arginine Methyltransferase 6 (PRMT6) is the histone tail writer that methylates the H3R2 (arginine 2 of histone H3) residue, which counteracts the activating H3K4me3 mark. PRMT6 has been shown to behave both as transcriptional co-repressor (i.e. trhrombospondin-1, p21, p53), and co-activator (nuclear receptors). The co-repressor function of PRMT6 is likely the result of H3K4me3 antagonism, while the mechanism by which PRMT6 exerts its co-activator function has yet to be elucidated. PRMT6 is over-expressed in several types of tumors including small …

The Association Between The Il-1 Pathway, Isaac C. Wun

Dissertations and Theses (Open Access)

Cutaneous malignant melanoma (CMM) is a potentially lethal malignancy that warrants attention and further research, as it is known to that there is an increasing rate of incidence in theUnited States, and it is also known that exposure to UV light is its most crucial risk factor, and family history of melanoma is also an important risk factor. Melanoma is an aggressive and lethal cancer in humans. There are an estimated new 132,000 melanoma cases annually worldwide, and the trend has doubled in the past 20 years. However, attempts to treat melanoma have encountered considerable resistance and remained ineffective. The …

Systematic Methodology For The Identification Of A Novel Autosomal Dominant Retinitis Pigmentosa Disease-Causing Gene, Jennifer D. Churchill

Dissertations and Theses (Open Access)

Retinitis pigmentosa (RP) is an inherited retinal disease that leads to degeneration of the retina through loss of rod and cone photoreceptor cells and subsequent loss of vision. RP affects approximately 1.5 million people world-wide. Mutations causing autosomal dominant retinitis pigmentosa (adRP) have been identified in 23 different genes. However, these mutations only account for approximately 70% of known adRP cases in Caucasians of Western-European origin and for an even smaller percentage of cases in other ethnicities. My research aims to increase the number of known genes associated with adRP by using an array of advanced genetic techniques to search …

Imbalance Between Neutrophil Elastase And Elafin Promotes Breast Cancer Growth And Progression, Joseph Anthony Caruso

Dissertations and Theses (Open Access)

Elafin, an endogenous serine protease inhibitor, is a critical component of the epithelial barrier against neutrophil elastase (NE) activity. The central hypothesis examined in this dissertation was that elafin has tumor suppressive properties in breast cancer. In support of this hypothesis, immunohistochemical (IHC) analysis revealed that elafin was downregulated in the majority of invasive breast tumors and a subset of pre-invasive ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) compared to elafin expression in the normal mammary epithelium. To understand the role of elafin in the mammary epithelium and the impetus for its downregulation during breast tumorigenesis, primary and immortalized human mammary epithelial …

Image-Guided Proton Therapy For Online Dose-Evaluation And Adaptive Planning, Joey P. Cheung

Dissertations and Theses (Open Access)

The main advantage for using protons in radiotherapy is their finite range in patients, allowing for potential improved sparing of normal tissues. However, this comes at a cost of increased sensitivity to range uncertainties. Density changes along the beam path will affect the proton range and the resultant dose distribution, making it difficult to estimate the impact of visible anatomic changes to the patient dose distribution. In order to better understand the effect of anatomy change on proton dose, some form of treatment-time verification is required and methods to correct for observed changes would be beneficial. Therefore, this project aims …

Activating The 4-1bb Pathway For The Expansion Of Tumor-Infiltrating Lymphocytes For Adoptive T-Cell Therapy For Metastatic Melanoma Patients, Jessica Ann Chacon

Dissertations and Theses (Open Access)

This dissertation project focused on improving the quality of the tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TIL) used in Adoptive T-cell therapy by understanding the role of 4-1BB/CD137 co-stimulation during the expansion of the tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TIL). Adoptive T-cell therapy using TIL is a promising therapy for late stage melanoma patients, resulting in a 50% response rate and durable long-term survival in over 20% of patients. Current research is aiming at improving the quality of the expanded cells and their persistence in vivo after adoptive transfer to further boost response rates. The specific focus of this dissertation project is the testing of agonistic anti-4-1BB …

Bioactivity And Cell-Mediated Targeting Of Multistage Nanoporous Silicon Particles, Jonathan O. Martinez

Dissertations and Theses (Open Access)

Progress in drug delivery approaches have not adequately translated into clinical advances in the diagnosis or treatment of inflammatory disorders (e.g., cancer). This disconnect is rooted in the inefficient delivery of imaging and therapeutic agents to the inflamed site upon systemic delivery. A multitude of biological barriers pose insurmountable obstacles limiting the ability of the agent to effectively reach and accumulate at the target site. Nanoparticles (NP) surfaced as potential vectors to encapsulate and deliver biological agents. However, even after surface decoration, NP have failed to evade biological barriers (i.e., MPS) and to accumulate at the tumor site at therapeutic …

Eye-Tracking Measures Of Attentional Bias In Cocaine Dependent Subjects, Nadeeka Dias

Dissertations and Theses (Open Access)

Cocaine-dependent (CD) subjects show evidence of attentional bias toward cocaine-related cues, and this measure of cue-reactivity is predictive of craving and relapse. In previous work, cue-reactivity and attentional bias have been assessed by models that present drug-relevant stimuli (e.g., cocaine-specific Stroop task) and measure physiological and behavioral reactivity (e.g., heart rate, reaction times). Studies have indicated competition between the higher-order cortical processes (frontal eye-fields, DLPFC) in voluntary eye control (i.e., anti-saccades) and more reflexive saccades driven by involuntary midbrain (superior colliculus) perceptual input (i.e., pro-saccades). In addition, neuroimaging studies in patients with cocaine dependence have shown activation in frontal regions …

Role Of Talin1 Phosphorylation In Beta1 Integrin Activation And Prostate Cancer Metastasis, Jung-Kang Jin

Dissertations and Theses (Open Access)

Talins are adaptor proteins that regulate focal adhesion signaling by conjugating integrins to the cytoskeleton. Talins directly bind and activate integrins but the mechanism by which this occurs is unknown. As integrin activation and overexpression of talins promote prostate cancer metastasis, understanding the mechanism by which talins activate integrins will better elucidate their roles in Prostate cancer metastasis. Phosphorylation of talins on serine 425 has been associated with β1 integrin functions. Work in this dissertation tested the hypothesis that increased talin1 S425 phosphorylation was required for β1 integrin activation and promotion of prostate cancer metastasis.

I first used shRNA to …

Metadherin Functions As A Laminin Receptor That Is Essential For Metastasis And Is Associated With Poor Survival In Osteosarcoma, Limin Zhu

Dissertations and Theses (Open Access)

Osteosarcoma is a highly invasive bone malignancy in which metastasis accounts for the vast majority of death and morbidity in patients. Understanding the mechanisms controlling metastasis is essential for improving patient survival in this disease. In order to improve the clinical outcomes for patients with poor prognosis, it is urgent to find new therapeutic targets to block metastasis in this disease. Recent studies have shown that Metadherin (MTDH) plays an essential role in mediating tumorigenesis and metastasis in a variety of human cancers. Our study assessed the role of MTDH in osteosarcoma metastasis and elucidated the mechanisms underlying its metastasis-promoting …

Anti-Insulin Resistance Treatments Suppress Her2+ Breast Cancer Growth Via Altering Metabolism, Ping-Chieh Chou

Dissertations and Theses (Open Access)

Epidemiological studies have identified that type 2 diabetes mellitus (DM2) is a significant risk factor for carcinogenesis and cancer death, including breast cancer. Our previous finding in patients showed that anti-insulin resistance treatments are associated with improved HER2⁺ breast cancer survival of diabetic women. However, there were no transgenic mouse models to study the correlation and explain the detailed mechanism. We generated a mouse model of HER2⁺ breast cancer with DM2 by crossing leptin receptor point mutation (Lepr ^db/+) and MMTV-ErbB2 (neu) mice. The MMTV-ErbB2/Lepr ^db/db mice had a poor survival rate compared …

Performance Evaluation Of Material Decomposition Using Rapid Kvp-Switching Dual-Energy Ct For Assessing Bone Mineral Density, John M. Wait

Dissertations and Theses (Open Access)

Osteoporosis is diagnosed by assessing the bone mineral density (BMD) of the trabecular bone, and has previously been characterized with dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry (DXA) or single-energy computed tomography (SECT). Dual-energy computed tomography (DECT) is able to create two three-dimensional sets of images representing the densities of two materials in a given basis pair. DECT is theoretically capable of providing a true density measurement of trabecular bone material with the proper material basis pair.

Using the rapid kVp-switching GE HD750 scanner, the concentrations of various solutes were assessed in two-material syringe-phantoms in different experimental conditions with DECT material density images, SECT …

Phage Display Library Screening For Psa-/Lo Prostate Cancer Cell-Binding Peptides, John R. Moore

Dissertations and Theses (Open Access)

Prostate cancer (PCa) is one of the leading malignancies affecting men worldwide. Our lab focuses on understanding the molecular mechanisms underlying prostate carcinogenesis and developing therapeutics that target the cells responsible for driving PCa and mediating therapy resistance. My master thesis research employs a phage display library screening technology aiming to identify peptides that preferentially home in to undifferentiated PCa cells, which our lab has previously demonstrated to be intrinsically resistant to castration.

There is now evidence that a population of cells in PCa possesses characteristics associated with stem cells; these cells are referred to as cancer stem cells (CSCs). …