Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

Role Of Neurogranin In The Regulation Of Calcium Binding To Calmodulin, Anuja Chandrasekar

Dissertations and Theses (Open Access)

Role of Neurogranin in the regulation of calcium binding to Calmodulin

Anuja Chandrasekar, B.S

Advisor: M. Neal Waxham, Ph.D

The overall goal of my project was to gain a quantitative understanding of how the interaction between two proteins neurogranin (RC3) and calmodulin (CaM) alters a fundamental property of CaM. CaM, has been extensively studied for more than four decades due to its seminal role in almost all biological functions as a calcium signal transducer. Calcium signals in cardiac and neuronal cells are exquisitely precise and enable activation of some processes while down-regulating others. CaM, with its four calcium binding sites, …

The Role Of Type I Insulin-Like Growth Factor Receptor Signaling In Breast Cancer Brain Metastasis, Sandra M. Saldana

Dissertations and Theses (Open Access)

Brain metastasis is a common cause of mortality in cancer patients. Approximately 20-30% of breast cancer patients acquire brain metastasis, yet potential therapeutic targets remain largely unknown. The type I insulin-like growth factor receptor (IGF- IR) is known to play a role in the progression of breast cancer and is currently being investigated in the clinical setting for various types of cancer. The present study demonstrates that the IGF-IR signaling axis is constitutively active in brain-seeking sublines of breast cancer cells, driving an increase in in vitro metastatic properties. We demonstrate that IGF-IR signaling is activated in an autocrine manner …

Connecting Public Libraries With Community Emergency Responders, Michelle Malizia, Karen Vargas, Rebecca Hamilton, Deborah Littrell, Cynthia Olney

Library Staff Publications

No abstract provided.

Gsbs News, Spring 2013, Graduate School Of Biomedical Sciences, University Of Texas Health Science Center At Houston/M.D. Anderson Cancer Center

GSBS News

No abstract provided.

A University System’S Approach To Enhancing The Educational Mission Of Health Science Schools And Institutions: The University Of Texas Academy Of Health Science Education, L. Maximilian Buja, Susan M. Cox, Steven A. Lieberman, Jonathan Macclements, Janet F. Williams, Robert M. Esterl Jr., Kenneth I. Shine

Library Staff Publications

Background: The academy movement developed in the United States as an important approach to enhance the educational mission and facilitate the recognition and work of educators at medical schools and health science institutions. Objectives: Academies initially formed at individual medical schools. Educators and leaders in The University of Texas System (the UT System, UTS) recognized the academy movement as a means both to address special challenges and pursue opportunities for advancing the educational mission of academic health sciences institutions. Methods: The UTS academy process was started by the appointment of a Chancellor’s Health Fellow for Education in 2004. Subsequently, the …

Ms171: Interview With Dorothy Otto, Dorothy Otto M.S.N., Ed.D., Anef, Houston Academy Of Medicine-Texas Medical Center Library

Texas Medical Center - Women's History Project

Interview with Dorothy Otto, Associate Professor at the School of Nursing, University of Texas Houston Health Science Center. See more at Texas Medical Center-Women's History Project and its finding aid.

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

Texas Medical Center - Women's History Project

An oral interview with Dr. Anna Steinberger, who taught and conducted basic research in Reproductive Biology and served as Assistant Dean for Faculty Affairs at UT Medical School-Houston. Her research yielded over 250 scientific articles, books, and book chapters for which she received numerous awards and recognitions in the USA and abroad. See more at Texas Medical Center-Women's History Project and its finding aid.

Ms171: Interview With Dianna Milewicz, Dianna Milewicz M.D., Ph.D., Houston Academy Of Medicine-Texas Medical Center Library

Texas Medical Center - Women's History Project

An oral interview with Dianna Milewicz, M.D., Ph.D., Professor and Vice Chairman of the Department of Internal Medicine at The University of Texas Medical School at Houston and Director of the M.D./Ph.D. Program and co-Director of the Biomedical Engineering Center. Her research interests include the genetic basis of cardiovascular diseases, and understanding the effect of identified mutations on protein function. She has recently established a genetic core laboratory to provide molecular biology and genetic expertise to clinicians who want to initiate genetic studies on their patient populations. See more at Texas Medical Center-Women's History Project and its finding aid.

Ms171: Interview With Lu Ann Aday, Lu Ann Aday Ph.D., Houston Academy Of Medicine-Texas Medical Center Library

Texas Medical Center - Women's History Project

An oral Interview with Dr. Lu Ann Aday, distinguished professor emerita in public health and medicine at the University of Texas School of Medicine and Public Health. She is the inaugural holder of the Lorne D. Bain Distinguished Professorship in Public Health and Medicine at the University of Texas, School of Public Health, and has advised numerous masters' and doctoral candidates and post-doctoral fellows during her more than 30 years in the field. With training in economics and sociology, Dr. Aday has authored a number of books dealing with conceptual or empirical aspects of research on access to health and …

Ms171: Interview With Julie Knobil, Julie Knobil M.A., Ph.D., Houston Academy Of Medicine-Texas Medical Center Library

Texas Medical Center - Women's History Project

An oral interview with Juile (Hotchkiss) Knobil, research professor of physiology and then integrative biology at the Medical School, where she lectured on mammalian physiology and perinatal endocrinology. See more at Texas Medical Center-Women's History Project and its finding aid.

Website Usage And Weight Loss In A Free Commercial Online Weight Loss Program: Retrospective Cohort Study, Kevin O Hwang, Jing Ning, Amber W Trickey, Christopher N Sciamanna

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

BACKGROUND: Online weight loss programs are increasingly popular. However, little is known about outcomes and associations with website usage among members of free online weight loss programs.

OBJECTIVE: This retrospective cohort study examined the association between website usage and weight loss among members of a free commercial online weight loss program (SparkPeople).

METHODS: We conducted a retrospective analysis of a systematic random sample of members who joined the program during February 1 to April 30, 2008, and included follow-up data through May 10, 2010. The main outcome was net weight change based on self-reported weight. Measures of website usage included …

Biomarkers Of Maternal And Fetal Exposure To Organochlorine Pesticides Measured In Pregnant Hispanic Women From Brownsville, Texas, Ken Sexton, Jennifer J Salinas, Thomas J Mcdonald, Rose M Z Gowen, Rebecca P Miller, Joseph B Mccormick, Susan P Fisher-Hoch

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Biomarkers of organochlorine pesticides were measured in both venous and umbilical cord blood from 35 pregnant Hispanic women living in Brownsville, Texas, USA. Gas chromatography with an electron capture detector was used to analyze specimens for 30 individual pesticides or their metabolites. Results indicate that blood concentrations were relatively low for most individual compounds, but that high-end (upper 10th percentile) values for total DDT were comparatively high. Although health effects associated with measured blood concentrations are uncertain, there is concern that fetal exposure to low levels of these OC compounds, either individually or in combination, might contribute to subsequent health …

Willingness To Undergo A Repeat Liver Biopsy Among Hiv/Hepatitis C Virus-Coinfected And Hepatitis C Virus-Monoinfected Patients, Valerianna K Amorosa, Omowunmi Aibana, Norah J Shire, Zachariah Dorey-Stein, Thomas Ferrara, Joanne Gilmore, Jay R Kostman, Vincent Lo Re

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

BACKGROUND: Guidelines for chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) management have recommended that a liver biopsy be repeated at 3-year intervals for HIV/HCV-coinfected patients and 5-year intervals for those with HCV monoinfection to assess fibrosis progression. However, it is unclear if patients are willing to repeat this procedure.

OBJECTIVE: To determine the prevalence and factors, particularly HIV coinfection, associated with willingness to repeat a liver biopsy.

METHODS: A questionnaire was administered to 235 HCV-infected patients (113 with HIV coinfection) between January 2008 and June 2011 who previously underwent liver biopsy. The main outcome was self-reported willingness to repeat the biopsy. The …

Mitochondrial Cardiomyopathy: Pathophysiology, Diagnosis, And Management, Deborah E Meyers, Haseeb Ilias Basha, Mary Kay Koenig

The Texas Heart Institute Journal

Mitochondrial disease is a heterogeneous group of multisystemic diseases that develop consequent to mutations in nuclear or mitochondrial DNA. The prevalence of inherited mitochondrial disease has been estimated to be greater than 1 in 5,000 births; however, the diagnosis and treatment of this disease are not taught in most adult-cardiology curricula. Because mitochondrial diseases often occur as a syndrome with resultant multiorgan dysfunction, they might not immediately appear to be specific to the cardiovascular system. Mitochondrial cardiomyopathy can be described as a myocardial condition characterized by abnormal heart-muscle structure, function, or both, secondary to genetic defects involving the mitochondrial respiratory …

Coronary Artery Diameter Related To Calcium Scores And Coronary Risk Factors As Measured With Multidetector Computed Tomography: A Substudy Of The Accuracy Trial, Yasmin S Hamirani, Khurram Nasir, Emil Avanes, Jigar Kadakia, Matthew J Budoff

The Texas Heart Institute Journal

Arterial remodeling, an early change of atherosclerosis, can cause dilated arterial diameter. We measured coronary artery diameter with use of noncontrast 64-slice multidetector computed tomography (MDCT), and studied its association with coronary artery calcium levels and traditional coronary risk factors.

We included 140 patients from the ACCURACY trial whose noncontrast MDCT images showed measurable coronary arteries. Using 3 measurements of left main coronary artery (LMCA) and right coronary artery (RCA) diameters within 3 mm of the ostium, we associated the results with traditional coronary risk factors and calcium scores.

The prevalence of LMCA and RCA calcium was 22% and 51%, …

Emerging Modifiable Risk Factors For Cardiovascular Disease In Women: Obesity, Physical Activity, And Sedentary Behavior, Ann Smith Barnes

The Texas Heart Institute Journal

No abstract provided.

Can The Bicuspid Aortic Valve Be Spared? The Con Position, With Caveats And Nuances, Joseph E Bavaria, Caroline M Komlo, Tyler Rhode, Prashanth Vallabhajosyula

The Texas Heart Institute Journal

No abstract provided.

Perventricular Device Closure Of Residual Muscular Ventricular Septal Defects After Repair Of Complex Congenital Heart Defects In Pediatric Patients, Da Zhu, Kaiyu Tao, Qi An, Shuhua Luo, Changping Gan, Ke Lin

The Texas Heart Institute Journal

Residual muscular ventricular septal defects are surgical challenges, especially after the repair of complex congenital heart defects. We investigated perventricular device closure as a salvage technique in pediatric patients who had postoperative residual muscular ventricular septal defects.

From February 2009 through June 2011, 14 pediatric patients at our hospital had residual muscular ventricular septal defects after undergoing surgical repair of complex congenital heart defects. Ten patients met our criteria for perventricular device closure of the residual defects: significant left-to-right shunting (Qp/Qs >1.5) or substantial hemodynamic instability (a defect ≥2 mm in size). The patients' mean age was 20.4 ± 13.5 …

Two Cases Of Bezold-Jarisch Reflex Induced By Intra-Arterial Nitroglycerin In Critical Left Main Coronary Artery Stenosis, Sachin P Shah, Sergio Waxman

The Texas Heart Institute Journal

The Bezold-Jarisch reflex, a well-described phenomenon, occurs upon the stimulation of intracardiac mechanoreceptors and is mediated by vagal afferent nerve fibers. Several factors can sensitize the cardiovascular system to develop this reflex, including acute myocardial ischemia, natriuretic peptides, and, rarely, nitroglycerin administration in the setting of acute myocardial infarction. The development of the Bezold-Jarisch reflex in the presence of severe coronary artery stenosis, specifically left main coronary artery stenosis, has not been described. We report 2 cases of patients who underwent elective coronary angiography and were given intra-arterial nitroglycerin during radial sheath insertion to reduce radial artery spasm. In both …

Feasibility Of Temporary Biventricular Pacing After Off-Pump Coronary Artery Bypass Grafting In Patients With Reduced Left Ventricular Function, Daniel Y Wang, Lauren A Kelly, Marc E Richmond, T Alexander Quinn, Bin Cheng, Michelle D Spotnitz, Santos E Cabreriza, Yoshifumi Naka, Allan S Stewart, Craig R Smith, Henry M Spotnitz

The Texas Heart Institute Journal

In selected patients undergoing cardiac surgery, our research group previously showed that optimized temporary biventricular pacing can increase cardiac output one hour after weaning from cardiopulmonary bypass. Whether pacing is effective after beating-heart surgery is unknown. Accordingly, in this study we examined the feasibility of temporary biventricular pacing after off-pump coronary artery bypass grafting.

The effects of optimized pacing on cardiac output were measured with an electromagnetic aortic flow probe at the conclusion of surgery in 5 patients with a preoperative mean left ventricular ejection fraction of 0.26 (range, 0.15–0.35). Atrioventricular (7) and interventricular (9) delay settings were optimized in …

Preoperative Statin Therapy In Cardiac Surgery Is More Effective In Patients Who Display Preoperative Activation Of The Inflammatory System, José Martínez-Comendador, José Rubio Alvarez, Juan Sierra, Elvis Teijeira, Belén Adrio

The Texas Heart Institute Journal

We sought to determine whether preoperative statin treatment is more effective in reducing, after cardiac surgery with cardiopulmonary bypass, systemic inflammatory response and myocardial damage markers in patients who have elevated preoperative interleukin-6 levels than in patients who have normal preoperative interleukin-6 levels.

The study involved a prospective cohort of 164 patients who underwent coronary and valvular surgery with cardiopulmonary bypass. There were 2 study groups: group A (n = 60), patients with elevated preoperative interleukin-6 levels; and group B (n = 104), patients with normal preoperative interleukin-6 levels. Each group was subdivided according to whether patients were (group 1) …

Components Of The Complete Blood Count As Risk Predictors For Coronary Heart Disease: In-Depth Review And Update, Mohammad Madjid, Omid Fatemi

The Texas Heart Institute Journal

Atherosclerosis is an inflammatory disease, and several inflammatory biomarkers, such as C-reactive protein, have been used to predict the risk of coronary heart disease. High white blood cell count is a strong and independent predictor of coronary risk in patients of both sexes, with and without coronary heart disease. A high number of white blood cells and their subtypes (for example, neutrophils, monocytes, lymphocytes, and eosinophils) are associated with the presence of coronary heart disease, peripheral arterial disease, and stroke. The coronary heart disease risk ratios associated with a high white blood cell count are comparable to those of other …

Surgical Pulmonary Embolectomy: The Resurrection Of An Almost Discarded Operation, Samuel Z Goldhaber

The Texas Heart Institute Journal

No abstract provided.

Inverted Takotsubo Cardiomyopathy And The Fundamental Diagnostic Role Of Echocardiography, Arantza Manzanal, Lara Ruiz, Jose Madrazo, Majesh Makan, Julio Perez

The Texas Heart Institute Journal

Takotsubo cardiomyopathy is characterized by the development of transient focal wall-motion abnormalities that involve the apical and midventricular segments, in the absence of obstructive coronary artery disease. A variant, inverted takotsubo cardiomyopathy, was described in 2010. We report 3 cases in which each patient's transthoracic echocardiogram revealed the characteristic basal and midventricular segmental akinesis of this variant. This pattern is not associated with coronary artery distribution, and it therefore can be differentiated from coronary artery disease with the use of echocardiography, by evaluating the distribution and temporal changes of akinetic areas.

Osteosarcoma Tumor Thrombus: A Case Report With A Review Of The Literature, Pournima Navalkele, Sarah M Jones, Jason K Jones, Jorge D Salazar, Patrick C Toy, Rathi V Iyer, Betty Herrington

The Texas Heart Institute Journal

Tumor thrombus arising from osteosarcoma is rare. We report the case of a 20-year-old man with proximal humerus osteosarcoma, accompanied by an extensive intravascular tumor thrombus extending into the heart. Our review of the literature found 14 previous reports on osteosarcoma with tumor thrombus. The combination of positron emission tomography and computed tomography is very useful in differentiating tumor thrombus from vascular thrombus, thereby avoiding unnecessary anticoagulation therapy. This same imaging combination can also be used to evaluate the response to treatment. Surgical resection of the tumor thrombus is highly recommended. The effect of tumor thrombus on survival is still …

Predicting Early Death After Cardiovascular Surgery By Using The Texas Heart Institute Risk Scoring Technique (Thirst), Saurabh Sanon, Vei-Vei Lee, Macarthur A Elayda, Sreedevi Gondi, James J Livesay, George J Reul, James M Wilson

The Texas Heart Institute Journal

Preoperative risk-prediction models are an important tool in contemporary surgical practice. We developed a risk-scoring technique for predicting in-hospital death for cardiovascular surgery patients. From our institutional database, we obtained data on 21,120 patients admitted from 1995 through 2007. The outcome of interest was early death (in-hospital or within 30 days of surgery). To identify mortality predictors, multivariate logistic regression was performed on data from 14,030 patients from 1995 through 2002 and risk scores were computed to stratify patients (low-, medium-, and high-risk). A recalibrated model was then created from the original risk scores and validated on data from 7,090 …

Endovascular Treatment Of Acute Type B Dissection Complicating Aortic Coarctation, Seyed Ebrahim Kassaian, Kyomars Abbasi, Mehdi Mousavi, Mohammad Sahebjam

The Texas Heart Institute Journal

Surgical treatment poses a high risk to patients with concomitant aortic coarctation and dissection, and an interventional approach could be an alternative. We describe the case of a 52-year-old man with a long history of untreated hypertension and aortic coarctation who emergently presented at our institution with an acute Stanford type B dissection. The patient's elevated serum creatinine level, perfusion deficit in the right lower limb, and hypertension did not respond to medical therapy, and he did not consent to surgery. By endovascular means, we used a self-expandable stent-graft to cover the entry point of the dissection; then, we deployed …

Preventing Sudden Cardiac Death In Athletes: In Search Of Evidence-Based, Cost-Effective Screening, Paolo Angelini, Mladen I Vidovich, Christine E Lawless, Macarthur A Elayda, J Alberto Lopez, Dwayne Wolf, James T Willerson

The Texas Heart Institute Journal

Sudden cardiac death in athletes is a recurrent phenomenon at sporting events and during training. Recent studies have associated sudden cardiac death with such cardiovascular conditions as coronary artery anomalies, cardiomyopathies, and electrocardiographic abnormalities, most of which are screenable with modern imaging techniques. We recently inaugurated the Center for Coronary Artery Anomalies at the Texas Heart Institute, which is dedicated to preventing sudden cardiac death in the young and investigating coronary artery anomalies. There, we are conducting 2 cross-sectional studies intended to firmly establish and quantify, in a large group of individuals from a general population, risk factors for sudden …

Preventing Deep Wound Infection After Coronary Artery Bypass Grafting: A Review, Charles S Bryan, William M Yarbrough

The Texas Heart Institute Journal

The consequences of deep wound infections before, during, and after coronary artery bypass grafting have prompted research to clarify risk factors and explore preventive measures to keep infection rates at an irreducible minimum. An analysis of 42 studies in which investigators used multivariate logistic regression analysis revealed that diabetes mellitus and obesity are by far the chief preoperative risk factors. A 4-point preoperative scoring system based on a patient's body mass index and the presence or absence of diabetes is one practical way to determine the risk of mediastinitis, and other risk-estimate methods are being refined. Intraoperative risk factors include …

Some Thoughts About The Historic Events That Led To The First Clinical Implantation Of A Total Artificial Heart, Denton A Cooley

The Texas Heart Institute Journal

No abstract provided.