Ms171: Interview With Robin Britt, Robin Britt Edd, Rn, Houston Academy Of Medicine-Texas Medical Center Library

Texas Medical Center - Women's History Project

An oral history interview with Robin Britt, EDD, RN of Texas Woman's University College of Nursing. See more at Texas Medical Center-Women's History Project and its finding aid.

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

Texas Medical Center - Women's History Project

An oral history interview with Elizabeth Travis, PhD of MD Anderson Cancer Center. 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.

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 …

Representing The Educational Experiences Of Black Girls In A Juvenile Court School, Monique W. Morris Ed.D.

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

Multiple, intersecting factors contribute to the over-representation of youth of color, including Black girls, in the juvenile justice system, and specifically, in confinement. This study examined the self-identified, educational experiences of Northern California Black girls in confinement. This phenomenological study found that Black girls in trouble with the law experience a history of exclusionary discipline and poor relationships with schools that are exacerbated by the absence of a learning environment in confinement that emphasizes their ability to build positive relationships with teachers and each other. The study also found that the use of exclusionary discipline was heightened in the juvenile …

Caring Minds, University Of Texas Health Science Center At Houston School Of Nursing

Caring Minds

No abstract provided.

Family Strengthening Programs: Where Do We Go From Here?, Anne Jones, Pajarita Charles

Journal of Family Strengths

Family fragility in the US, especially among unmarried, impoverished parents is of increasing concern to policymakers, researchers, and practitioners involved with promoting family stability and positive outcomes for children. Federal initiatives such as the Welfare-to-Work Program and the Health Marriage Initiative have fallen far short of their goals of fostering economic mobility and intact families.

Between 2007 and 2011 the Strong Couples-Strong Children (SC – SC) project enrolled 726 low-income, expecting and new parents into a relationship strengthening program. Participants received a manualized group intervention focusing on communication and problem-solving skills supplemented with family-care wrap-around services. While beneficial treatment effects …

Conceptualizing A Trauma Informed Child Welfare System For Indian Country, James C. Caringi, Hal A. Lawson

Journal of Family Strengths

The creation of trauma-informed systems that use evidence-based, culturally competent interventions for affected children and families is a priority in Indian Country because mounting evidence from adverse childhood experiences research with American Indians documents the incidence and prevalence of trauma. What is more, an emergent line of research documents secondary traumatic stress (STS) in the adult workforce, which reduces their ability to help affected children and families and contributes to workforce turnover. The development of a trauma-informed system entails evidence-based detection, treatment, and prevention mechanisms for children, families, and STS-affected social services professionals. With tribal child welfare systems as a …

Exploring Child Welfare Workers' Attitudes And Practice With Fathers, Tanya M. Coakley, Allyson Kelley, Robin Bartlett

Journal of Family Strengths

This cross-sectional study explored child welfare agency workers' attitudes and practice regarding working with fathers whose children are at-risk for abuse and neglect. Agency workers completed a questionnaire about their attitudes towards working with fathers, their knowledge of barriers to fathers' engagement, and their experiences with their own fathers. They also completed open-ended items about services and supports they felt would be most helpful to fathers. A content analysis of the data revealed critical themes for four areas that workers felt could be enhanced to effectively engage fathers: (a) use diligent efforts that ensure fathers are present to contribute, (b) …

Effects Of Peer Recovery Coaches On Substance Abuse Treatment Engagement Among Child Welfare-Involved Parents, Stephen James, Richard Rivera, Michael S. Shafer

Journal of Family Strengths

There is a limited, but growing body of research on the effectiveness of peer recovery coaches in promoting treatment engagement, retention, and completion among child welfare-involved parents with substance use disorders. A quasi-experimental design was employed using propensity score matching to examine treatment engagement and treatment completion among child welfare-involved substance abusing parents who were exposed to either peer recovery coach engagement services or professional, non-peer engagement services. Using propensity scoring, the comparison sample of parents that did not have peer recovery coaches was statistically matched on the presence of substance exposed newborns, parental use of methamphetamine, and other predictors …

Risk And Protective Factors For The Safety Of Children With Autism: A Qualitative Study Of Caregivers’ Perspectives, Rebecca Pfeffer

Journal of Family Strengths

As of 2014, it is estimated that 1 in 68 children born in the United States will be diagnosed with an autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Previous research finds that children with ASDs are victimized at disproportionately high rates compared to their typically-developing peers. Utilizing survey data from a national sample of parents of children with ASDs (n=262) and in-depth semi-structured follow up interviews with a fraction of these participants (n=40), this study indicates that there are potential risk and protective factors in a range of dimensions that may impact the likelihood of victimization among children with autism. Many factors reflected …

Ms171: Interview With Edith Irby Jones, Edith Irby Jones Md, Houston Academy Of Medicine-Texas Medical Center Library

Texas Medical Center - Women's History Project

An oral history interview with Dr. Edith Irby Jones, MD. See more at Texas Medical Center-Women's History Project and its finding aid.

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

Texas Medical Center - Women's History Project

An oral history interview with Margaret Kripke. See more at Texas Medical Center-Women's History Project and its finding aid.

Ms171: Interview With Patricia Starck, Patricia Starck Ph.D., R.N., F.A.A.N., Houston Academy Of Medicine-Texas Medical Center Library

Texas Medical Center - Women's History Project

An oral history interview with Patricia Starck. See more at Texas Medical Center-Women's History Project and its finding aid.

Named Entity Recognition In Chinese Clinical Text, Jianbo Lei

Dissertations and Theses (Open Access)

Objective: Named entity recognition (NER) is one of the fundamental tasks in natural language processing (NLP). In the medical domain, there have been a number of studies on NER in English clinical notes; however, very limited NER research has been done on clinical notes written in Chinese. The goal of this study is to develop corpora, methods, and systems for NER in Chinese clinical text.

Materials and methods: To study entities in Chinese clinical text, we started with building annotated clinical corpora in Chinese. We developed an NER annotation guideline in Chinese by extending the one used in the 2010 …

In Vivo Dosimetry Using Plastic Scintillation Detectors For External Beam Radiation Therapy, Landon S. Wootton

Dissertations and Theses (Open Access)

In vivo dosimetry, the direct measurement of dose delivered to patients during radiation therapy, has significant potential in ensuring safe and effective treatment in radiation therapy. It can serve as point-of-delivery, patient specific quality assurance and direct verification of treatment. Despite evidence that in vivo dosimetry can detect errors in patient treatment that would otherwise go undetected, it is not commonly practiced. This is due in part to a lack of available detectors ideally suited to perform in vivo dosimetry. Plastic scintillation detectors (PSDs) possess a number of dosimetric characteristics advantageous for in vivo dosimetry including water equivalence, real-time capability, …

Novel Posttranslational Modification In Lkb1 Activation And Function, Szu-Wei Lee

Dissertations and Theses (Open Access)

Cancer cells display dramatic alterations in cellular metabolism to meet their needs of increased growth and proliferation. In the last decade, cancer research has brought these pathways into focus, and one emerging issue that has come to attention is that many oncogenes and tumor-suppressors are intimately linked to metabolic regulation (Jones and Thompson, 2009). One of the key tumor-suppressors involved in metabolism is Liver Kinase B1 (LKB1). LKB1 is the major upstream kinase of the evolutionarily conserved metabolic sensor—AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK). Activation of the LKB1/AMPK pathway provides a survival advantage for cells under energy stress. LKB1 forms a heterotrimeric …

Identification Of Cell Signaling Pathway Regulated By Micrornas In Cancer Cells Using A Systems Biological Approach, Sangbae Kim

Dissertations and Theses (Open Access)

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are single-stranded, non-coding RNA molecules that regulate gene expression via imperfect binding of the miRNA to specific sites in the 3' untranslated region of the mRNAs. Because prediction of miRNA targets is an essential step for understanding the functional roles of miRNAs, many computational approaches have been developed to identify miRNA targets. However, identifying targets remains challenging due to the inherent limitation of current prediction approaches based on imperfect complementarity between miRNA and its target mRNAs. To overcome these current limitations, we developed a novel correlation-based approach that is sequence independence to predict functional targets of miRNAs by …

Lkb1 Deficient Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer Cells Are Vulnerable To Energy Stress Induced By Atp Depletion, Chao Yang

Dissertations and Theses (Open Access)

Lung cancer is the second most frequent cancer in United States, which represents about 13.5% of new cancer cases every year. It accounts for about 27.2% of all cancer related deaths, which is more than the sum of deaths caused by prancretic, breast and colorectal. On average, only about 16% of lung cancer patients survive beyond 5 years. LKB1 is the third most mutated gene in lung cancer. It has been shown that LKB1 is mutated in at least 15% to 30% of NSCLC. Tumor with LKB1 mutation is associated with poor differentiation, high metastasis and worse response to chemotherapy. …

Swarna Ramaswamy_Thesis, Swarna S. Ramaswamy

Dissertations and Theses (Open Access)

STRUCTURAL INVESTIGATIONS OF LIGAND GATED ION CHANNELS

Swarna Ramaswamy, B.S

Advisor: Vasanthi Jayaraman, Ph.D.

Ion channels form an integral part of membrane proteins. In the nervous system including the central and the peripheral nervous system, ligand gated ion channels form a very important part of intercellular communications. They receive chemical signals and convert them to electrical signal, mainly by allowing ion passage across the cell membrane. Ion passage also translates into downstream signaling events. Faithful translation of these signals and transmittance is crucial for several physiological functions, implying that irregular ion channel function could lead to serious consequences.

This thesis …

The Role Of Mir-34a In Inhibition Of Prostate Tumor Growth In The Bone And Induction Of Autophagy, Sanchaika Gaur

Dissertations and Theses (Open Access)

Prostate cancer (PCa) is the second leading cause of cancer-related deaths in men in the United States, with most deaths occurring from bone metastasis. Several new therapies have been FDA approved for bone-metastatic PCa, but patient survival has only marginally improved due to therapy resistance, which often arises from constitutive activation of compensatory signaling pathways. This dissertation work focused on a mechanistic understanding of how cross talk between tyrosine kinase receptors contributes to therapy resistance, and how this may be overcome by downregulating expression of these receptors. In PCa cell lines and xenograft models, I demonstrated that activation of IGF-1R …

Sox2-Dependent Transcriptional Control Of Airway Differentiation In The Mouse Lung, Belinda J. Hernandez

Dissertations and Theses (Open Access)

The lung is a highly branched tree-like tubular system that results from more than 20 generations of the conducting airways and consists of 300 million alveoli for gas exchange. Airway branches form via branching morphogenesis and then mature into conducting airways, in which the number and distribution of different cell types need to be precisely controlled. The conducting airways contain four lung cell types: club cells, ciliated cells, basal cells, and neuroendocrine cells.SOX2 is a well-known conducting airway marker. SOX2 is a transcription factor that is known to be important in embryonic development and induction of pluripotent stem cells. We …

Investigating Checkpoint Kinases 1/2 As Novel Therapeutic Targets In Head And Neck Squamous Cell Carcinoma, Mayur Arvind Gadhikar

Dissertations and Theses (Open Access)

Cisplatin, despite being the cornerstone chemotherapy for the treatment of head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC), provides clinical benefits in just a subset of patients. This together with the lack of biomarkers predicting therapeutic responses, have led to unacceptably high rate of treatment failures in HNSCC. TP53 is the most frequently mutated gene in HNSCC, and the effect of p53 loss or mutation on cisplatin responses in HNSCC is poorly understood. In the current study, we hypothesized that HNSCC cells respond to cisplatin in a p53 dependent manner and unambiguously show that presence of wild-type TP53 (wtp53) confers sensitivity …

P120-Catenin Regulates Rest And Corest, And Modulates Mouse Embryonic Stem Cell Differentiation, Moonsup Lee

Dissertations and Theses (Open Access)

The canonical-Wnt pathway and beta-catenin have been extensively studied to determine their contributions to stem cell biology, but less is known about p120-catenin in the nuclear compartment. P120 is developmentally required as a consequence of its biochemical and functional interactions with cadherins, small-GTPases and transcriptional regulators. We report here that p120-catenin binds to and negatively regulates REST and CoREST, that others have indicated form a repressive complex having diverse key roles in developmental and pathologic gene regulation. We thus provide the first evidence for a direct upstream modulator of REST/CoREST function. Using mouse embryonic stem cells (mESCs), mammalian cell lines, …

Hypoxia Mediated Downregulation Of Mirna Biogenesis Leads To Increased Tumor Progression, Rajesha Rupaimoole

Dissertations and Theses (Open Access)

In recent years, there has been a growing recognition of the importance of tumor associated microenvironment in the initiation and progression of tumors. However, a mechanistic understanding of the complicated biological interplay between the stromal framework and malignant regions of the tumor remains incompletely understood. In this study, we address mechanisms by which hypoxia in the tumor microenvironment leads to attenuation of miRNA biogenesis by downregulation of two key enzymes, Drosha and Dicer in cancer cells. Previous data from our laboratory had shown the clinical relevance of downregulated Dicer and Drosha in ovarian and other cancer types, but a clear …

Role Of Phosphorylation Of Focal Adhesion Kinase At Tyrosine 861 In Prostate Cancer Metastasis, Tanushree Chatterji

Dissertations and Theses (Open Access)

Focal adhesion kinase (FAK) is a non-receptor tyrosine kinase that mediates interactions between the extracellular matrix and intracellular signaling pathways critical in promoting numerous cellular functions including adhesion, proliferation, survival and migration. Most FAK functions result from phosphorylation by Src family kinases, which trigger numerous signaling cascades. Overexpression of FAK is associated with metastasis in many solid tumors, including prostate cancer. Hence, understanding the mechanisms by which FAK is regulated in prostate cancer will better elucidate its role in prostate cancer metastasis. Work in this dissertation tested the hypothesis that altered phosphorylation of FAK is critical for cell migration and …

Sustained Adrenergic Signaling Promotes Cervical Cancer Progression, Nouara C. Sadaoui

Dissertations and Theses (Open Access)

Background: Chronic stress and sustained adrenergic signaling are known to promote tumor progression. The underlying mechanisms behind this process are not well understood. We examined the effects of sustained adrenergic signaling on cervical cancer progression through increased expression of HPV oncogenes, E6 and E7.

Materials and Methods: ADRβ expression levels were examined in patient-derived cervical cancer samples. We used an orthotopic model of cervical cancer to investigate the effects of restraint stress on tumor growth and metastasis. We evaluated the in vivo effects of a β-blocker, propranolol, and HPV E6/E7 siRNA. In vitro, ADRβ positive cervical cancer cells were …

Mdm2-Mediated Degradation Of Sirt6 Phosphorylated By Akt1 Promotes Tumorigenesis And Trastuzumab Resistance In Breast Cancer, Umadevi Thirumurthi

Dissertations and Theses (Open Access)

Sirtuin6 (SIRT6) is one of the members of the Sirtuin family and functions as a longevity assurance gene by promoting genomic stability. It also regulates various cancer-associated pathways and was recently established as a bonafide tumor suppressor in colon cancer. This suggests that SIRT6 is an attractive target for pharmacological activation in cancer treatment, and hence, identification of potential regulators of SIRT6 would be an important and critical contribution towards cancer treatment. Here, we show that AKT1 phosphorylates SIRT6 at Ser³³⁸ and induces MDM2-SIRT6 interaction, priming SIRT6 for degradation via the MDM2-dependent ubiquitin-proteasome pathway. Blocking SIRT6 Ser³³⁸ phosphorylation …

Effects Of Oxytocin On Human Aggression, Joseph L. Alcorn Iii

Dissertations and Theses (Open Access)

EFFECTS OF OXYTOCIN ON HUMAN AGGRESSION

Joseph Louis Alcorn III, B.S.

Advisory Professor: Scott D. Lane, Ph.D.

Human interaction is comprised of common, yet complex, behaviors and the outcomes of these social behaviors can beneficially or detrimentally impact individual and public health. One social behavior that can have profound detrimental outcomes is aggression. Aggression is a class of social behavior that is particularly prevalent in individuals with antisocial personality disorder (ASPD) and comorbid substance use disorder (SUD). Aggression in these individuals can manifest at maladaptive levels that place considerable burdens on public health and communities. Therefore, understanding the neurobehavioral underpinnings …

Quantitative Analysis And Imaging-Based Insights Into The Characteristics And Mechanisms Of Yeast Pattern Formation, Lin Chen

Dissertations and Theses (Open Access)

Biofilm formation is a common lifestyle adapted by bacteria and fungi in response to various environmental stresses. Bacterial and fungal biofilms adhering to medical devices convey resistance to antibiotics or biocides, causing high rates of clinical infections. Microorganisms are protected from harsh environmental conditions by reduced stress penetration through the complex biofilm architecture with distinct patterns. Although the molecular regulations of surface patterning have been well characterized in bacteria, the mechanisms underlying the complex pattern formation in eukaryotic biofilms remain unclear.

This dissertation aims to investigate the salient features of robust colony expansion in yeast biofilms and the processes driving …