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A Coordinated And Systematic Model For Adopting, Implementing And Maintaining Effective Sexual Health Education Programs In Schools, Stephen W. Banspach

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

Getting evidence-based sexual health education activities into schools can be a complicated process. Working models that assist our educational system in the selection, implementation, and maintenance of effective school-based adolescent health programs are needed. Replicating sexual health programs in school-based settings: A model for schools provides a comprehensive and applied approach that engages all of the important stakeholders within a school district. The results from this study hold much potential to inform Texas and the nation about how a coordinated and practical model can assist school districts to increase the use of evidence-based programs addressing teen pregnancy prevention and sexual …

The Challenge Of Preventing Teen Pregnancy In Texas, Forrest L. Alton

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

A reduction in teen pregnancy and subsequent reduction in teen births correlates to myriad improvements in personal (e.g., high school completion, experience of abuse and neglect, etc); social (e.g., number of children in single parent families, life-long poverty, incarceration rates, etc); and economic (e.g., Medicaid costs, decreased tax revenue, etc) outcomes. In 2005, over 73,000 teen girls in Texas age 15-19 became pregnant, a number significantly higher than any other state. Given the severity of the issue the formation of a statewide organization in Texas devoted to addressing the prevention of teen pregnancy is long overdue. The challenge of reducing …

Rediscovering The Evidence: Parental Support For Sex Education In Schools, Michael D. Resnick Phd

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

Invited commentary on Dispelling the Myth: What Parents Really Think about Sex Education in Schools

Commentary On "A Tale Of Two States", Ronna Popkin, John Santelli, Douglas Kirby

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

While both California and Texas have experienced declines in teen birth rates over the past three decades, declines in California have been larger, particularly among Hispanic teens. Differences in state policies may have shaped this disparity, as suggested by Tortolero and her colleagues in their article “A Tale of Two States: What We Learn from California and Texas”. Fundamental differences exist between Texas and California in their approaches to sex education, access to family planning services for teens, and public-private partnerships. However, methodological challenges are present when drawing state comparisons, including the limitations of available public health data and the …

Adolescents’ Sexual Health Matters: Texas Should Get On Board, Jane D. Brown

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

Texas has an appalling record on adolescent sexual health. The Markham, et al. analysis of three data sets comparing Texas with the United States suggests what can be done to remedy the state's negative trends: (1) acknowledge that teens are having sex; (2) provide earlier, medically-accurate sex education; and, (3) provide reproductive health services in school-based health centers.

Sexual Health Education From The Perspective Of School Staff: Implications For Adoption And Implementation Of Effective Programs In Middle School, Melissa F. Peskin, Belinda F. Hernandez, Christine Markham, Kimberly Johnson, Shellie Tyrrell, Robert C. Addy, Ross Shegog, Paula M. Cuccaro, Paul E. Deroulet, Susan R. Tortolero

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

Introduction: US teens are having sex early; however, the vast majority of schools do not implement evidence-based sexual health education (SHE) programs that could delay sexual behavior and/or reduce risky behavior. This study examines middle school staff’s knowledge, attitudes, barriers, self-efficacy, and perceived support (psychosocial factors known to influence SHE program adoption and implementation). Methods: Professional school staff from 33 southeast Texas middle schools completed an internet or paper-based survey. Prevalence estimates for psychosocial variables were computed for the total sample. Chi-square and t-test analyses examined variation by demographic factors. Results: Almost 70% of participants were female, 37% white, …

Does Immediate Access To Birth Control Help Prevent Pregnancy? A Comparison Of Onsite Provision Versus Off Campus Referral For Contraception At Two School-Based Clinics, Peggy Smith, Gabrielle Novello, Mariam R. Chacko

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

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to assess the impact of different policies on access to hormonal contraception and pregnancy rates at two high school-based clinics.

METHODS: Two clinics in high schools (Schools A and B), located in a large urban district in the southwest US, provide primary medical care to enrolled students with parental consent; the majority of whom have no health insurance coverage. The hormonal contraceptive dispensing policy of at School clinic A involves providing barrier, hormonal and emergency contraceptive services on site. School clinic B uses a referral policy that directs students to obtain contraception at …

Choosing And Maintaining Programs For Sex Education In Schools: The Champss Model, Belinda F. Hernandez, Melissa Peskin, Ross Shegog, Christine Markham, Kimberly Johnson, Eric A. Ratliff, Dennis H. Li, I. Sonali Weerasinghe, Paula M. Cuccaro, Susan R. Tortolero

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

Background: Despite effective solutions to reduce teen birth rates, Texas teen birth rates are among the highest in the nation. School districts can impact youth sexual behavior through implementation of evidence-based programs (EBPs); however, teen pregnancy prevention is a complex and controversial issue for school districts. Subsequently, very few districts in Texas implement EBPs for pregnancy prevention. Additionally, school districts receive little guidance on the process for finding, adopting, and implementing EBPs. Purpose: The purpose of this report is to present the CHoosing And Maintaining Programs for Sex education in Schools (CHAMPSS) Model, a practical and realistic framework to help …

A Tale Of Two States: What We Learn From California And Texas, Susan R. Tortolero, Paula M. Cuccaro, Nancy M. Tucker, I. Sonali Weerasinghe, Dennis H. Li, Melissa F. Peskin, Ross Shegog, Christine Markham

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

Teen birth rates and teen pregnancy prevention strategies vary widely across individual states in the US, which has the highest overall teen birth rate among developed nations. California and Texas, the two most populous states currently accounting for a quarter of all teen births, have taken very different approaches to addressing adolescent reproductive health. This case study examines the racial/ethnic composition and socioeconomic factors of these two states from 1981 to 2008. State programs and policies implemented between 1991 and 2008 as well as changes in access to contraception and public–private partnerships are discussed. Based on the lessons learned from …

Dispelling The Myth: What Parents Really Think About Sex Education In Schools, Susan R. Tortolero, Kimberly Johnson, Melissa Peskin, Paula M. Cuccaro, Christine Markham, Belinda F. Hernandez, Robert C. Addy, Ross Shegog, Dennis H. Li

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

Background: School-based sex education is effective in reducing risky sexual behavior among adolescents that may lead to unintended pregnancies and sexually transmitted infections. However, most sex education policies in the US do not support evidence-based programs. Understanding parental attitudes around sex education is crucial to overcoming perceived barriers to implementing school-based sex education. Little research has been published on the opinions of parents in Texas, which accounts for 12% of the nation’s teen births. Purpose: The purpose of this study was to examine whether Texas parents favor teaching sex education in schools, in what grades they think sex education should …

School Based Health Centers Should Provide Contraception To Teens, Laura Davis, Emily Bridges

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

Many students are sexually active, and hundreds of thousands experience pregnancy every year. Smith, Novello, and Chacko’s research found that students at a school where contraception is available on site were more likely to access contraception and less likely to experience pregnancy – illustrating the power of school based health centers (SBHCs) to help students take responsibility and protect their own futures. Yet the majority of SBHCs are prohibited from dispensing contraception. To remove barriers in access to contraception and help reduce teen pregnany, policymakers, school administrators, and health providers should ensure that SBHCs follow youth-friendly protocols and provide confidential …

Adolescent Sexual Health: Time To Engage, William Smith

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

Issue editor introduction to Volume 2, Issue 2 of the Journal of Applied Research on Children.

Teen Pregnancy: Ending The Cycle, Angelo P. Giardino, Robert D. Sanborn

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

The implications of the new research presented in Volume 2, Issue 2 (Teen Pregnancy) of the Journal of Applied Research on Children are explored, calling attention to proactive policy solutions to combat teen pregnancy.

Adolescent Sexual Behavior: Examining Data From Texas And The Us, Christine Markham, Melissa Peskin, Belinda F. Hernandez, Kimberly Johnson, Robert C. Addy, Paula Cuccaro, Ross Shegog, Susan Tortolero

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

Background: The US has higher rates of teen births and sexually transmitted infections (STI) than other developed countries. Texas youth are disproportionately impacted. Purpose: To review local, state, and national data on teens’ engagement in sexual risk behaviors to inform policy and practice related to teen sexual health. Methods: 2009 middle school and high school Youth Risk Behavior Survey (YRBS) data, and data from All About Youth, a middle school study conducted in a large urban school district in Texas, were analyzed to assess the prevalence of sexual initiation, including the initiation of non-coital sex, and the prevalence of sexual …

Halloween Open House At The Library; Featured Free Resource "Allen Brain Atlas," Vol 9 (10), Texas Medical Center Library

Insider Express (2003-2013)

No abstract provided.

Highly Variable Recessive Lthal Or Nearly Lethal Mutation Rates During Germ-Line Development Of Male Drosophila Melanogaster, Jian-Jun Gao, Xue-Rong Pan, Jing Hu, Li Ma, Jian-Min Wu, Ye-Lin Shao, Sara A Barton, Ronny C Woodruff, Ya-Ping Zhang, Yun-Xin Fu

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Each cell of higher organism adults is derived from a fertilized egg through a series of divisions, during which mutations can occur. Both the rate and timing of mutations can have profound impacts on both the individual and the population, because mutations that occur at early cell divisions will affect more tissues and are more likely to be transferred to the next generation. Using large-scale multigeneration screening experiments for recessive lethal or nearly lethal mutations of Drosophila melanogaster and recently developed statistical analysis, we show for male D. melanogaster that (i) mutation rates (for recessive lethal or nearly lethal) are …

Obstetrical Forceps: History, Mystery, And Morality, Ronald L. Young

Houston History of Medicine Lectures (2006-2012)

The history of obstetrical forceps has almost always been one cloaked in controversy after a long history of being shrouded in mystery. Forceps have a long history and have evolved from facilitating the delivery of dead fetuses to aiding in the delivery and survival of live babies. In the middle of all of this arises the story of the Chamberlain family whose contribution was enormous but whose behaviors pushed at the envelope of (at least) our present-day concepts of medical ethics. This lecture traces an interesting story that spans a millennium.

Health Care Reform - Free Panel Discussion, Vol 9 (9), Texas Medical Center Library

Insider Express (2003-2013)

No abstract provided.

Autoimmune Responses To Atherosclerotic Lipids: A Study In Murine Models Of Atherosclerosis And Obesity, Hanjing Wu

Dissertations and Theses (Open Access)

Atherosclerosis is a chronic, complex arterial disease characterized by intimal lipid accumulation and inflammation. A unique lipid-binding molecule, namely cluster of differentiation 1d (CD1d), may impact atherosclerosis. Structurally, CD1d acts as a nonpolymorphic cell-surface receptor, resembling the major histocompatibility complex-I (MHC-I). While MHC-I restricts peptide antigen presentation to T cells, CD1d presents lipid antigens to T cells named CD1d-restrictedd T cells. Although increased expression of CD1d has been found in human plaques, the exact nature of CD1d-recognized lipids in atherosclerosis remains to be determined. Three groups of lipids may undergo oxidation in atherosclerosis producing atherogenic lipids: phospholipids, fatty acids, and …

New Library Website; Save The Date: Health Care Reform, Vol 9 (8), Texas Medical Center Library

Insider Express (2003-2013)

No abstract provided.

Determining The Roles Of Dendritic Cells And Icam-1 In The Transpresentation Of Il-15 To Cd8 T Cells, Spencer W. Stonier

Dissertations and Theses (Open Access)

The maintenance and generation of memory CD8 T cells is dependent on the cytokine IL-15. IL-15 is delivered by a novel mechanism termed transpresentation: IL-15 is presented by a cell expressing IL-15Ralpha to the CD8 T cell which responds via IL-2Rbeta/gamma_c. The identity of what cells transpresent IL-15 to support the survival and homeostatic proliferation of memory CD8 T cells is unknown. Using a transgenic mouse model that limits IL-15 transpresentation to DCs, I have demonstrated that DCs transpresent IL-15 to CD8 T cells. DCs transpresent IL-15 to CD8 T cells during the contraction of an immune response …

Developmental Deregulation And Tumorigenesis Inhibition In 14-3-3zeta Knockout Mouse, Jun Yang

Dissertations and Theses (Open Access)

Cancer is second leading cause of death in the United States. Improving cancer care through patient care, research, education and prevention not only saves lives, but reduces health care cost as well. Breast cancer is the most leading cause of cancer incidence and cancer related death in women of the United States. 14-3-3s are a family of conserved proteins ubiquitously expressed in all eukaryotic organisms. They form complexes with hundreds of proteins by binding to specific phospho-serine/threonine containing motifs. In this way they regulate a variety of cellular processes and are involved in many human diseases especially cancer to our …

Brain Activation And Connectivity In Non-Disabled Multiple Sclerosis Patients, Rene A. Colorado

Dissertations and Theses (Open Access)

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is the most common demyelinating disease affecting the central nervous system. There is no cure for MS and current therapies have limited efficacy. While the majority of individuals with MS develop significant clinical disability, a subset experiences a disease course with minimal impairment even in the presence of significant apparent tissue damage on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). The current studies combined functional MRI and diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) to elucidate brain mechanisms associated with lack of clinical disability in patients with MS. Recent evidence has implicated cortical reorganization as a mechanism to limit the clinical manifestation of …

Targeted Multistage Delivery Of Nanoparticles To The Bone Marrow, Aman Mann

Dissertations and Theses (Open Access)

Bone marrow is a target organ site involved in multiple diseases including myeloproliferative disorders and hematologic malignancies and metastases from breast and prostate. Most of these diseases are characterized with poor quality of life, and the treatment options are only palliative due to lack of delivery mechanisms for systemically injected drugs which results in dose limitation to protect the healthy hematopoietic cells. Therefore, there is a critical need to develop effective therapeutic strategies that allow for selective delivery of therapeutic payload to the bone marrow. Nanotechnology-based drug delivery systems provide the opportunity to deliver drugs to the target tissue while …

Significance Of Increased Tissue Transglutaminase In Hormone Refractory Prostate Cancer, Amy L. Han

Dissertations and Theses (Open Access)

The progression of hormone responsive to hormone refractory prostate cancer poses a major clinical challenge in the successful treatment of prostate cancer. The hormone refractory prostate cancer cells exhibit resistance not only to castrate levels of testosterone, but also to other therapeutic modalities and hence become lethal. Currently, there is no effective treatment available for managing this cancer. These observations underscore the urgency to investigate mechanism(s) that contribute to the progression of hormone-responsive to hormone-refractory prostate cancer and to target them for improved clinical outcomes.

Tissue transglutaminase (TG2) is a multifunctional pro-inflammatory protein involved in diverse physiological processes such as …

In-Vivo Ct Dosimetry During Virtual Colonoscopy, Jonathon W. Mueller

Dissertations and Theses (Open Access)

Virtual colonoscopy (VC) is a minimally invasive means for identifying colorectal polyps and colorectal lesions by insufflating a patient’s bowel, applying contrast agent via rectal catheter, and performing multi-detector computed tomography (MDCT) scans. The technique is recommended for colonic health screening by the American Cancer Society but not funded by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) partially because of potential risks from radiation exposure. To date, no in‐vivo organ dose measurements have been performed for MDCT scans; thus, the accuracy of any current dose estimates is currently unknown.

In this study, two TLDs were affixed to the inner …

Uptake And Metabolism Of 5’-Amp In The Erythrocyte Play Key Roles In The 5’-Amp Induced Model Of Deep Hypometabolism, Isadora Daniels

Dissertations and Theses (Open Access)

UPTAKE AND METABOLISM OF 5’-AMP IN THE ERYTHROCYTE PLAY KEY ROLES IN THE 5’-AMP INDUCED MODEL OF DEEP HYPOMETABOLISM

Publication No. ________

Isadora Susan Daniels, B.A.

Supervisory Professor: Cheng Chi Lee, Ph.D.

Mechanisms that initiate and control the natural hypometabolic states of mammals are poorly understood. The laboratory developed a model of deep hypometabolism (DH) initiated by uptake of 5’-adenosine monophosphate (5’-AMP) into erythrocytes. Mice enter DH when given a high dose of 5’-AMP and the body cools readily. Influx of 5’-AMP appears to inhibit thermoregulatory control. In a 15°C environment, mice injected with 5’-AMP (0.5 mg/gw) enter a Phase …

Determining The Roles Of Dendritic Cells And Icam-1 In The Transpresentation Of Il-15 To Cd8 T Cells, Spencer W. Stonier

Dissertations and Theses (Open Access)

The maintenance and generation of memory CD8 T cells is dependent on the cytokine IL-15. IL-15 is delivered by a novel mechanism termed transpresentation: IL-15 is presented by a cell expressing IL-15Ralpha to the CD8 T cell which responds via IL-2Rbeta/gamma_c. The identity of what cells transpresent IL-15 to support the survival and homeostatic proliferation of memory CD8 T cells is unknown. Using a transgenic mouse model that limits IL-15 transpresentation to DCs, I have demonstrated that DCs transpresent IL-15 to CD8 T cells. DCs transpresent IL-15 to CD8 T cells during the contraction of an immune response …

The Role Of The Androgen Receptor Cofactor P44/Wdr77 In Astrocyte Activation, Bryce H. Vincent

Dissertations and Theses (Open Access)

Astrogliosis is induced by neuronal damage and is also a pathological feature of the major aging-related neurodegenerative disorders. The mechanisms that control the cascade of astrogliosis have not been well established. In a previous study, we identified a novel androgen receptor (AR)-interacting protein (p44/WDR77) and found that it plays a critical role in the control of proliferation and differentiation of prostate epithelial cells. In the present study, we found that deletion of the p44 gene in the mouse brain caused accelerated aging with dramatic astrogliosis. The p44/WDR77 is expressed in astrocytes and loss of p44/WDR77 expression in astrocytes leads to …

The Role Of Cancer-Associated Fibroblasts In Lung Tumorigenesis, Jonathon D. Roybal

Dissertations and Theses (Open Access)

The extracellular milieu is rich in growth factors that drive tumor progression,but the mechanisms that govern tumor cell sensitivity to those ligands have notbeen fully defined. In this study, we address this question in mice that developmetastatic lung adenocarcinomas through the suppression of the microRNA-200 (miR-200) family. Cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAF) enhance tumorgrowth and invasion by secreting VEGF-A that binds to VEGFR1, a processrequired for tumor growth and metastasis in mice and correlated with a poorprognosis in lung adenocarcinoma patients. In this study, we discovered thatmiR-200 blocked CAF-induced tumor cell invasion by directly targetingVEGFR1 in tumor cells. In the context of …