Digital Commons Network^™

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 …

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 …

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 …

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 …

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 …

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. …

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 …

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.

Commentary On "Human Trafficking And Domestic Violence: Etiology, Intervention, And Overlap With Child Maltreatment", Rachel Lloyd

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

Lloyd discusses in detail the importance of addressing the root cause of commercial sexual exploitation of children.

“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.

Pathways Involved In Interleukin-1Β-Mediated Murine Cardiomyocyte Apoptosis, Yi Shen, Jie Qin, Peili Bu

The Texas Heart Institute Journal

Accumulating evidence suggests that interleukin-1 (IL-1) signaling plays an essential role in the pathogenesis of heart failure by inducing cardiomyocyte apoptosis, but the mechanisms of this process are poorly defined. We further explored these molecular pathways.

We isolated cardiomyocytes from neonatal mice and then cultured and stimulated them with murine IL-1β in vitro. Cell apoptotic ratios were measured by means of flow cytometry. Expression of effector molecules was analyzed by means of enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, Western blotting, and real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction. The results showed that IL-1β induced murine cardiomyocyte apoptosis through a release of cytochrome c into cytoplasm …

Ms171: Interview With Asha Kapadia, Asha Kapadia Ph.D., Houston Academy Of Medicine-Texas Medical Center Library

Texas Medical Center - Women's History Project

An oral history interview with Asha Kapadia, PhD of University of Texas School of Public Health. See more at Texas Medical Center-Women's History Project and its finding aid.

Ms171: Interview With Janet Butel, Janet Butel Ph.D., Houston Academy Of Medicine-Texas Medical Center Library

Texas Medical Center - Women's History Project

An Oral history interview with Janet Butel, PhD of Baylor College of Medicine. See more at Texas Medical Center-Women's History Project and its finding aid.

More Than A Drop In The Bucket: The Social And Economic Costs Of Dropouts And Grade Retentions Associated With Exclusionary Discipline, Miner P. Marchbanks Iii, Jamilia J. Blake, Danielle Smith, Allison L. Seibert, Dottie Carmichael, Eric A. Booth, Tony Fabelo

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

Each year many students are subject to exclusionary discipline, in fact, 60% of students in Texas are disciplined at-least once between grades 7 through 12. The purpose of this study is to examine the impact of school discipline contact on students’ risk for grade retention and school dropout using a statewide sample of nearly one million 7th grade students tracked through their 12th grade year. Results indicate that school discipline relates to a 24% increase in high school dropout. These additional dropouts are associated with an economic effect of between $750 million and $1.35 billion per year.

Results also indicate …

Avoid Simple Solutions And Quick Fixes: Lessons Learned From A Comprehensive Districtwide Approach To Improving Student Behavior And School Safety, David Osher, Jeffrey Poirier, Roger Jarjoura, Russell Brown, Kimberly Kendziora

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

We examine the effects of the Cleveland Metropolitan School District’s (CMSD) districtwide efforts to improve school safety, order, and conditions for learning. These approaches include implementing (1) a social and emotional learning program for elementary students (PATHS); (2) a planning model for students exhibiting academic or nonacademic needs (student support teams); and (3) a learner-centered approach to discipline (planning centers). We found that improved conditions for learning as well as student support interventions can foster safer, more productive schools. Suspension and expulsion rates decreased, but racial/ethnic disparities remained. Implementation quality also mediated outcomes. Transforming conditions contributing to exclusionary discipline often …

Disturbing Inequities: Exploring The Relationship Between Racial Disparities In Special Education Identification And Discipline, Daniel Losen, Cheri Hodson, Jongyeon Ee, Tia Martinez

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

This study used negative binomial regression to investigate whether exposure to novice teachers and risk for identification for special education predicted suspension rates. Data from the 2009-2010 Civil Rights Data Collection (CRDC) was used. The sample was comprised of 72,168 schools from nearly 7,000 school districts from nearly every state. Identification as having emotional disturbance and specific learning disabilities were found to predict an increase in suspension rates for some subgroups across some school levels. Conversely, identification as being autistic was found to predict a decrease in suspension rates for some subgroups across some school levels. Policy implications are discussed.

Reconsidering The Alternatives: The Relationship Between Suspension, Disciplinary Alternative School Placement, Subsequent Juvenile Detention, And The Salience Of Race, Judi Vanderhaar, Marco Munoz, Joseph Petrosko

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

Background: Alternative school settings for students who are identified as “disruptive or dangerous” are playing an increasingly prominent role in the world of public education, yet significant gaps in our understanding of their efficacy remain.

Objective: This longitudinal investigation within a large school district serving 100,000 students examines multiple factors to determine how the risk of placement in the disciplinary alternative schools is systematically related to predictors and the risk of juvenile subsequent juvenile detention between 3rd and 12th grade.

Methods: Four groups of discrete-time hazard models were run separately to determine the most significant predictors in each variable category …

Sent Home And Put Off-Track: The Antecedents, Disproportionalities, And Consequences Of Being Suspended In The Ninth Grade, Robert Balfanz, Vaughan Byrnes, Joanna Fox

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

This study is based upon a longitudinal analysis of data for a cohort of 181,897 Florida state students who were first time 9^th graders in the 2000-01 school year and follows them trough to high school and post-secondary outcomes. Analysis of 9^th grade suspension data finds that black students, students who are economically disadvantaged, and special education students are three demographics subgroups that are disproportionately suspended, both in the frequency of suspensions and the duration in number of school days lost. While poverty and ethnicity are themselves highly correlated, poverty alone does not explain the disproportionate suspension rates …

Eliminating The Racial Disparity In Classroom Exclusionary Discipline, Anne Gregory, Joseph P. Allen, Amori Yee Mikami, Christopher A. Hafen, Robert Pianta

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

Advocates call for schools with high suspension rates to receive technical assistance in adopting “proven-effective” systematic supports. Such supports include teacher professional development. This call is justified given evidence that good teaching matters. But what types of professional development should be funded? Increasingly, research points to the promise of programs that are sustained, rigorous, and focused on teachers’ interactions with students. The current study tests whether a professional development program with these three characteristics helped change teachers’ use of exclusionary discipline practices—especially with their African American students. Exclusionary discipline is when a classroom teacher sends a student to the administrators’ …

Misbehavior, Suspensions, And Security Measures In High School: Racial/Ethnic And Gender Differences, Jeremy D. Finn, Timothy J. Servoss

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

This study used merged data from three national surveys to address questions about security measures in American high schools, suspension rates, and student misbehavior. First, the study identified the characteristics of schools that implemented the most extreme security measures and those with the highest levels of discipline. Second, the study used data on individual students to examine misbehavior and race and gender disparities in suspensions not attributable to misbehavior. The main findings were: (1) In-school suspensions serve a ‘gateway’ function with regard to out-of-school suspensions. They may provide a time and place to address behavior problems before they escalate or …

Dads On The Dotted Line: A Look At The In-Hospital Paternity Establishment Process, Cynthia Osborne, Daniel Dillon

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

In the U.S., two out of five children are born to unmarried parents. These children do not have a legal father until paternity is established, a process completed by most families in the hospital at the time of the birth. Over the last 30 years, the percentage of unmarried parents voluntarily establishing paternity in the hospital has climbed considerably, driven in large part by a series of policy changes aimed at easing and incentivizing the process. Despite the apparent success of these policies, few have examined the mechanics of the paternity establishment process itself to understand whether it is functioning …