Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

Toxoplasmosis Gondii: An Atypical Presentation Of Optic Neuritis, Nicky R. Holdeman, Steven Burnham, Roberto A. Cruz, Rosa A. Tang

School of Medicine Publications

Toxoplasmosis gondii is a parasite whose natural host is the cat. Ocular toxoplasmosis can be categorized into two forms of infections: congenital, where an infant is infected in utero; and acquired, where an individual is typically infected by ingesting food contaminated with T. Gondii oocytes. Although acquired infections are rare in the United States, they can occur and toxoplasmosis should be in the differential diagnosis of an infectious optic neuritis.

The typical manifestation of toxoplasmosis is a retinochoroiditis, with a “headlight in the fog” appearance, due to dense inflammation of the vitreous; consequently, the diagnosis is often made clinically. This …

The Dna Methylome And Transcriptome Of Different Brain Regions In Schizophrenia And Bipolar Disorder, Yun Xiao, Cynthia Camarillo, Yanyan Ping, Tania Bedard Arana, Hongying Zhao, Peter M. Thompson, Chaohan Xu, Brenda Su, Michael A. Escamilla, Chunxiang Mao, Chun Xu

Health & Biomedical Sciences Faculty Publications

Extensive changes in DNA methylation have been observed in schizophrenia (SC) and bipolar disorder (BP), and may contribute to the pathogenesis of these disorders. Here, we performed genome-scale DNA methylation profiling using methylated DNA immunoprecipitation followed by sequencing (MeDIP-seq) on two brain regions (including frontal cortex and anterior cingulate) in 5 SC, 7 BP and 6 normal subjects. Comparing with normal controls, we identified substantial differentially methylated regions (DMRs) in these two brain regions of SC and BP. To our surprise, different brain regions show completely distinct distributions of DMRs across the genomes. In frontal cortex of both SC and …

A Dna Microarray-Based Assay To Detect Dual Infection With Two Dengue Virus Serotypes, Alvaro Diaz-Badillo, María De Lourdes Muñoz, Gerardo Pérez-Ramírez, Victor Altuzar, Juan Burgueño, Julio G. Mendoza-Alvarez, Jorge P. Martínez-Muñoz, Alejandro Cisneros, Joel Navarrete-Espinosa, Feliciano Sanchez-Sinencio

School of Medicine Publications

Here; we have described and tested a microarray based-method for the screening of dengue virus (DENV) serotypes. This DNA microarray assay is specific and sensitive and can detect dual infections with two dengue virus serotypes and single-serotype infections. Other methodologies may underestimate samples containing more than one serotype. This technology can be used to discriminate between the four DENV serotypes. Single-stranded DNA targets were covalently attached to glass slides and hybridised with specific labelled probes. DENV isolates and dengue samples were used to evaluate microarray performance. Our results demonstrate that the probes hybridized specifically to DENV serotypes; with no detection …

Cortical Volume Alterations In Conduct Disordered Adolescents With And Without Bipolar Disorder, Rene L. Olvera, David C. Glahn, Louise O'Donnell, Carrie E. Bearden, Jair C. Soares, Anderson M. Winkler, Steven R. Pliszka

School of Medicine Publications

Background: There is increasing evidence that bipolar disorder (BD) and conduct disorder (CD) are co-occurring disorders. Magnetic resonance imaging has revealed differences in the structure and function of the frontal cortex in these disorders when studied separately; however, the impact of BD comorbidity on brain structure in adolescents with CD has not yet been examined.

Method: We conducted an optimized voxel based morphometry (VBM) study of juvenile offenders with the following diagnoses: conduct disorder with comorbid bipolar disorder (CD-BD; n = 24), conduct disorder without bipolar disorder (CD; n = 24) and healthy controls (HC, n = 24). Participants were …

Cardiovascular Disease Risk Among The Mexican American Population In The Texas-Mexico Border Region, By Age And Length Of Residence In United States, Jennifer J. Salinas, Bassent Abdelbary, Anne R. Rentfro, Susan P. Fisher-Hoch, Joseph B. Mccormick

Physician Assistant Studies Faculty Publications

Introduction: Although the relationship between health behaviors and outcomes such as smoking and obesity with longer residence in the United States among Mexican American immigrants is established, the relationship between length of residency in the United States and risk for cardiovascular disease (CVD) is not fully understood. The objective of this study was to determine the relationship between immigrant status, length of residence in the United States, age, and CVD markers in a sample of Mexican American adults living in Brownsville, Texas.

Methods: We categorized participants in the Cameron County Hispanic Cohort study as immigrants in the United States for …

Edentulism Associates With Worse Cognitive Performance In Community-Dwelling Elders In Rural Ecuador: Results Of The Atahualpa Project, Oscar H. Del Brutto, Hannah Gardener, Victor J. Del Brutto, Gladys E. Maestre, Mauricio Zambrano, Jipson E. Montenegro, Clinton B. Wright

School of Medicine Publications

Studies in industrialized nations suggest that severe edentulism correlates with cognitive impairment, but there is little information on this association in underserved populations. We conducted a community-based study to assess whether edentulism associates with cognitive impairment in elders living in rural Ecuador. Atahualpa residents aged ≥60 years were identified during a door-to-door census and evaluated using the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA). Persons were classified into two groups according to whether they have severe edentulism (teeth) or not. In addition, a questionnaire allowed self-rating of oral health. A total of 274 persons (mean age 69.6 ± 7.7 years; 59 % women) …

Galvanic Vestibular Stimulator For Fmri Studies, Hellen M. Della-Justina, Tiago Manczak, Anderson M. Winkler, Dráulio Barros De Araújo, Mauren Abreu De Souza, Edson Amaro Junior, Humberto Remigio Gamba

School of Medicine Publications

INTRODUCTION: Areas of the brain that are associated with the vestibular system can be activated using galvanic vestibular stimulation. These areas can be studied through a combination of galvanic vestibular stimulation with functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). In order to provide an appropriate sequence of galvanic stimulation synchronous with the MRI pulse sequence, a specific electronic device that was built and assessed is presented.

METHODS: The electronic project of the GVS is divided in analog and digital circuits. The analog circuits are mounted in an aluminum case, supplied by sealed batteries, and goes inside the MRI room near to the …

Developmental Origins Of Cardiovascular Disease, Edwina H. Yeung, Candace Robledo, Nansi S. Boghossian, Cuilin Zhang, Pauline Mendola

School of Medicine Publications

Although cardiovascular disease has traditionally been viewed as a condition of aging individuals, increasing focus has turned to its developmental origins. Since birthweight has been related to cardiovascular disease risk, research into factors such as gravid conditions that affect fetal growth have grown. Associations between maternal diabetes and childhood obesity from sibling studies suggest a causal role but prospective studies of gestational diabetes remain mixed. Preeclampsia and increased offspring blood pressure has been consistently observed but evidence for other cardiovascular outcomes is lacking. While maternal obesity is associated with childhood obesity, causality remains unclear and paternal obesity should be investigated …

Mindfulness-Oriented Recovery Enhancement For Chronic Pain And Prescription Opioid Misuse: Results From An Early Stage Randomized Controlled Trial, Eric L. Garland, Eron G. Manusov, Brett Froeliger, Amber Kelly, Jaclyn M. Williams, Matthew O. Howard

School of Medicine Publications

Objective: Opioid pharmacotherapy is now the leading treatment for chronic pain, a problem that affects nearly one third of the U.S. population. Given the dramatic rise in prescription opioid misuse and opioid-related mortality, novel behavioral interventions are needed. The purpose of this study was to conduct an early-stage randomized controlled trial of Mindfulness-Oriented Recovery Enhancement (MORE), a multimodal intervention designed to simultaneously target mechanisms underpinning chronic pain and opioid misuse.

Method: Chronic pain patients (N = 115; mean age = 48 ± 14 years; 68% female) were randomized to 8 weeks of MORE or a support group (SG). Outcomes were …

Biological Basis For Cerebral Dysfunction In Schizophrenia In Contrast With Alzheimer’S Disease, Rodrigo O. Kuljis, Luis V. Colom, Leonel E. Rojo

Health & Biomedical Sciences Faculty Publications

Schizophrenia and Alzheimer’s disease are two disorders that, while conceptualized as pathophysiologically and clinically distinct, cause substantial cognitive and behavioral impairment worldwide, and target apparently similar – or nearby – circuitry in regions such as the temporal and frontal lobes.We review the salient differences and similarities from selected historical, nosological, and putative mechanistic viewpoints, as a means to help both clinicians and researchers gain a better insight into these intriguing disorders, for which over a century of research and decades of translational development was needed to begin yielding treatments that are objectively effective, but still very far from entirely satisfactory. …

The Association Of Depression And Anxiety With Glycemic Control Among Mexican Americans With Diabetes Living Near The U.S.-Mexico Border, Darla E. Kendzor, Minxing Chen, Belinda M. Reininger, Michael S. Businelle, Diana W. Stewart, Susan P. Fisher-Hoch, Anne R. Rentfro, David W. Wetter, Joseph B. Mccormick

School of Nursing Faculty Publications

Background

The prevalence of diabetes is alarmingly high among Mexican American adults residing near the U.S.-Mexico border. Depression is also common among Mexican Americans with diabetes, and may have a negative influence on diabetes management. Thus, the purpose of the current study was to evaluate the associations of depression and anxiety with the behavioral management of diabetes and glycemic control among Mexican American adults living near the border.

Methods

The characteristics of Mexican Americans with diabetes living in Brownsville, TX (N = 492) were compared by depression/anxiety status. Linear regression models were conducted to evaluate the associations of depression …

Optimal Control In The Treatment Of Retinitis Pigmentosa, Erika T. Camacho, Luis A. Melara, Cristina Villalobos, Stephen Wirkus

School of Mathematical & Statistical Sciences Faculty Publications

Numerous therapies have been implemented in an effort to minimize the debilitating effects of the degenerative eye disease Retinitis Pigmentosa (RP), yet none have provided satisfactory long-term solution. To date there is no treatment that can halt the degeneration of photoreceptors. The recent discovery of the RdCVF protein has provided researchers with a potential therapy that could slow the secondary wave of cone death. In this work, we build on an existing mathematical model of photoreceptor interactions in the presence of RP and incorporate various treatment regiments via RdCVF. Our results show that an optimal control exists for the administration …

Does Integrated Behavioral Health Care Reduce Mental Health Disparities For Latinos? Initial Findings, Ana J. Bridges, Arthur R. Andrews Iii, Bianca T. Villalobos, Freddie A. Pastrana, Timothy A. Cavell, Debbie Gomez

Psychological Science Faculty Publications

Integrated behavioral health care (IBHC) is a model of mental health care service delivery that seeks to reduce stigma and service utilization barriers by embedding mental health professionals into the primary care team. This study explored whether IBHC service referrals, utilization, and outcomes were comparable for Latinos and non-Latino White primary care patients. Data for the current study were collected from 793 consecutive patients (63.8% Latino; M age = 29.02 years [SD = 17.96]; 35.1% under 18 years; 65.3% women; 54.3% uninsured) seen for behavioral health services in 2 primary care clinics during a 10.5 month period. The most common …

Outcome-Driven Thresholds For Ambulatory Pulse Pressure In 9938 People Recruited From 11 Populations, Yu-Mei Gu, Lutgarde Thijs, Yan Li, Kei Asayama, José Boggia, Tine W. Hansen, Yan-Ping Liu, Takayoshi Ohkubo, Kristina Björklund-Bodegård, Gladys E. Maestre

School of Medicine Publications

Evidence-based thresholds for risk stratification based on pulse pressure (PP) are currently unavailable. To derive outcome-driven thresholds for the 24–h ambulatory PP, we analyzed 9938 people randomly recruited from 11 populations (47.3% women). After age stratification (≥60 years) and using average risk as reference, we computed multivariable-adjusted hazard ratios (HRs) to assess risk by tenths of the PP distribution or risk associated with stepwise increasing (+1 mm Hg) PP levels. All adjustments included mean arterial pressure. Among 6028 younger participants (68,853 person-years), the risk of cardiovascular (HR, 1.58; P=0.011) or cardiac (HR, 1.52; P=0.056) events increased only in the top …

Assessing The Optimal Virulence Of Malaria‐Targeting Mosquito Pathogens: A Mathematical Study Of Engineered Metarhizium Anisopliae, Bernhard Konrad, Michael R. Lindstrom, Anja Gumpinger, Jielin Zhu, Daniel Coombs

School of Mathematical & Statistical Sciences Faculty Publications

Background

Metarhizium anisopliae is a naturally occurring fungal pathogen of mosquitoes. Recently, Metarhizium has been engineered to act against malaria by directly killing the disease agent within mosquito vectors and also effectively blocking onward transmission. It has been proposed that efforts should be made to minimize the virulence of the fungal pathogen, in order to slow the development of resistant mosquitoes following an actual deployment.

Results

Two mathematical models were developed and analysed to examine the efficacy of the fungal pathogen. It was found that, in many plausible scenarios, the best effects are achieved with a reduced or minimal pathogen …

The Anti-Tumor Histone Deacetylase Inhibitor Saha And The Natural Flavonoid Curcumin Exhibit Synergistic Neuroprotection Against Amyloid-Beta Toxicity, Jia Meng, Yan Li, Cynthia Camarillo, Yue Yao, Yina Zhang, Chun Xu, Lihong Jiang

Health & Biomedical Sciences Faculty Publications

With the trend of an increasing aged population worldwide, Alzheimer’s disease (AD), an age-related neurodegenerative disorder, as one of the major causes of dementia in elderly people is of growing concern. Despite the many hard efforts attempted during the past several decades in trying to elucidate the pathological mechanisms underlying AD and putting forward potential therapeutic strategies, there is still a lack of effective treatments for AD. The efficacy of many potential therapeutic drugs for AD is of main concern in clinical practice. For example, large bodies of evidence show that the antitumor histone deacetylase (HDAC) inhibitor, suberoylanilidehydroxamic acid (SAHA), …

Pd_Ngsatlas: A Reference Database Combining Next-Generation Sequencing Epigenomic And Transcriptomic Data For Psychiatric Disorders, Zheng Zhao, Yongsheng Li, Hong Chen, Jianping Lu, Peter M. Thompson, Juan Cheng, Zishan Wang, Juan Xu, Chun Xu, Xia Li

Health & Biomedical Sciences Faculty Publications

Background: Psychiatric disorders such as schizophrenia (SZ) and bipolar disorder (BP) are projected to lead the global disease burden within the next decade. Several lines of evidence suggest that epigenetic- or genetic-mediated dysfunction is frequently present in these disorders. To date, the inheritance patterns have been complicated by the problem of integrating epigenomic and transcriptomic factors that have yet to be elucidated. Therefore, there is a need to build a comprehensive database for storing epigenomic and transcriptomic data relating to psychiatric disorders.

Description: We have developed the PD_NGSAtlas, which focuses on the efficient storage of epigenomic and transcriptomic data based …

Paludismo, Endemia Rural Venezolana Del Pasado Y Del Presente [Malaria: Rural Endemic Venezuelan Past And Present], Ana G. Angulo, Erika De Pablos, Pedro Navarro, Yetzenia Haro, María Antonia De La Parte, Nathalie Chacon

Physician Assistant Studies Faculty Publications

La malaria o paludismo es una enfermedad infecciosa causada por protozoarios del género Plasmodium. La mayoría de los casos los ocasiona el Plasmodium vivax, aunque los de mayor gravedad son a causa de Plasmodium falciparum y Plasmodium knowlesi. Se calcula que durante 2010, en el mundo, se produjeron unos 216 millones de casos de paludismo, de los cuales, aproximadamente 81% (174 millones de casos), se registraron en África. En Venezuela, en el año 2011 se produjeron 45.743 casos. La patogenia está fundamentada en la invasión y rompimiento de manera cíclica de los eritrocitos, lo cual conduce a la generación de …

Hope Model: A Method Of Goal Attainment With Rehabilitation Services Clients, Wendy A. Coduti, Barbara Schoen

School of Rehabilitation Services & Counseling Faculty Publications

The construct of hope has been studied across multiple disciplines and with varying populations. Findings consistently show that high hope individuals are more effective in reaching their goals. This paper will look at the developmental process of Snyder's hope theory, its basic tenets and the impact of barriers or emotions on the process. We will also examine the role hope can play in the field of rehabilitation counseling including the tools necessary to build and facilitate hope in individuals with disabilities.

Mycoplasma Genitalium Promotes Epithelial Crossing And Peripheral Blood Mononuclear Cell Infection By Hiv-1, Kishore Das, Georgina De La Garza, Edward B. Siwak, Virginia L. Scofield, Subramanian Dhandayuthapani

School of Medicine Publications

Background

Mycoplasma genitalium co-infection in HIV-infected individuals has been reported to increase the shedding of HIV in the urogenital region of females. To better understand this relationship, we investigated the influence of M. genitalium on the transmission and replication of HIV using an in vitro model.

Methods

The Transwell co-culture system was employed to assess the crossing of an endocervical cell barrier by HIV-1. Immunocytochemistry and confocal microscopy were used to assess the distribution of the nectin-1 molecule on M. genitalium -infected epithelial cells of the End1/E6E7 endocervical cell line, grown as monolayers in the insert wells. Peripheral blood mononuclear …

Titanium Dioxide Nanoparticles As Guardian Against Environmental Carcinogen Benzo[Alpha]Pyrene, Anupam Dhasmana, Qazi Mohd Sajid Jamal, Snober Shabnam Mir, Madan Lal Brahma Bhatt, Qamar Rahman, Richa Gupta, Mohd. Haris Siddiqui, Mohtashim Lohani

School of Medicine Publications

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH), like Benzo[alpha]Pyrene (BaP) are known to cause a number of toxic manifestations including lung cancer. As Titanium dioxide Nanoparticles (TiO2 NPs) have recently been shown to adsorb a number of PAHs from soil and water, we investigated whether TiO2 NPs could provide protection against the BaP induced toxicity in biological system. A549 cells when co-exposed with BaP (25 µM, 50 µM and 75 µM) along with 0.1 µg/ml,0.5 µg/ml and 1 µg/ml of TiO2 NPs, showed significant reduction in the toxic effects of BaP, as measured by Micronucleus Assay, MTT Assay and ROS Assay. In order …

Age-Specific Differences Between Conventional And Ambulatory Daytime Blood Pressure Values, David Conen, Stefanie Aeschbacher, Lutgarde Thijs, Yan Li, José Boggia, Kei Asayama, Tine W. Hansen, Masahiro Kikuya, Kristina Björklund-Bodegård, Takayoshi Ohkubo, Gladys Maestre

School of Medicine Publications

Mean daytime ambulatory blood pressure (BP) values are considered to be lower than conventional BP values, but data on this relation among younger individuals < 50 years are scarce. Conventional and 24-hour ambulatory BP were measured in 9550 individuals not taking antihypertensive treatment from 13 population-based cohorts. We compared individual differences between daytime ambulatory and conventional BP according to 10-year age categories. Age-specific prevalences of white coat and masked hypertension were calculated. Among individuals aged 18 to 30, 30 to 40, and 40 to 50 years, mean daytime BP was significantly higher than the corresponding conventional BP (6.0, 5.2, and 4.7 mm Hg for systolic; 2.5, 2.7, and 1.7 mm Hg for diastolic BP; all P< 0.0001). In individuals aged 60 to 70 and ≥70 years, conventional BP was significantly higher than daytime ambulatory BP (5.0 and 13.0 mm Hg for systolic; 2.0 and 4.2 mm Hg for diastolic BP; all P< 0.0001).The prevalence of white coat hypertension exponentially increased from 2.2% to 19.5% from those aged 18 to 30 years to those aged ≥70 years, with little variation between men and women (8.0% versus 6.1%; P=0.0003). Masked hypertension was more prevalent among men (21.1% versus 11.4%; P< 0.0001). The age-specific prevalences of masked hypertension were 18.2%, 27.3%, 27.8%, 20.1%, 13.6%, and 10.2% among men and 9.0%, 9.9%, 12.2%, 11.9%, 14.7%, and 12.1% among women. In conclusion, this large collaborative analysis showed that the relation between daytime ambulatory and conventional BP strongly varies by age. These findings may have implications for diagnosing hypertension and its subtypes in clinical practice.

The Effect Of Perceived Parental Style On Hispanic Adults Receiving Outpatient Substance Abuse Treatment In South Texas, Elizabeth C. Palacios

Theses and Dissertations - UTB/UTPA

Hirschi's (1969) Social Control Theory proposes that parental relationships serve as a shielding factor and has positive impact in the decreasing delinquency (i.e. substance use/abuse) in young people. This theory provides a framework for understanding substance use/abuse in young adult populations. Other factors including gender, cultural influences, family composition and birth order were also examined in this study. The Drug Abuse Screening Test - 20 (Skinner, 1982), the Parental Authority Questionnaire (Buri, 1991), and a demographic scale were utilized in a population of 182 adults in outpatient substance abuse treatment centers in South Texas, Texas Gulf Coast and areas in …

Genetic Disruption Of Sod1 Gene Causes Glucose Intolerance And Impairs Β-Cell Function, Giovanna Muscogiuri, Adam B. Salmon, Cristina Aguayo-Mazzucato, Mengyao Li, Bogdan Balas, Rodolfo Guardado-Mendoza, Andrea Giaccari, Robert L. Reddick, Sara M. Reyna, Gordon Weir

School of Medicine Publications

Oxidative stress has been associated with insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes. However, it is not clear whether oxidative damage is a cause or a consequence of the metabolic abnormalities present in diabetic subjects. The goal of this study was to determine whether inducing oxidative damage through genetic ablation of superoxide dismutase 1 (SOD1) leads to abnormalities in glucose homeostasis. We studied SOD1-null mice and wild-type (WT) littermates. Glucose tolerance was evaluated with intraperitoneal glucose tolerance tests. Peripheral and hepatic insulin sensitivity was quantitated with the euglycemic-hyperinsulinemic clamp. β-Cell function was determined with the hyperglycemic clamp and morphometric analysis of …

“Someone’S Got To Do It” – Primary Care Providers (Pcps) Describe Caring For Rural Women With Mental Health Problems, Maria C. Colon-Gonzalez, Jennifer S. Mccall-Hosenfeld, Carol S. Weisman, Marianne M. Hillemeier, Amanda N. Perry, Cynthia H. Chuang

School of Medicine Publications

Objective: Little is known about how primary care providers (PCPs) approach mental health care for low-income rural women. We developed a qualitative research study to explore the attitudes and practices of PCPs regarding the care of mood and anxiety disorders in rural women.

Method: We conducted semi-structured interviews with 19 family physicians, internists, and obstetrician-gynecologists (OBGYNs) in office-based practices in rural central Pennsylvania. Using thematic analysis, investigators developed a coding scheme. Questions focused on 1) screening and diagnosis of mental health conditions, 2) barriers to treatment among rural women, 3) management of mental illnesses in rural women, and 4) ideas …

Genetic Basis Of Neurocognitive Decline And Reduced White-Matter Integrity In Normal Human Brain Aging, David C. Glahn, Jack W. Kent, Vincent P. Diego, Anderson M. Winkler, Joanne E. Curran, Harald Hh Goring, Thomas D. Dyer, Laura Almasy, Ravi Duggirala, John Blangero

School of Medicine Publications

Identification of genes associated with brain aging should markedly improve our understanding of the biological processes that govern normal age-related decline. However, challenges to identifying genes that facilitate successful brain aging are considerable, including a lack of established phenotypes and difficulties in modeling the effects of aging per se, rather than genes that influence the underlying trait. In a large cohort of randomly selected pedigrees (n = 1,129 subjects), we documented profound aging effects from young adulthood to old age (18-83 y) on neurocognitive ability and diffusion-based white-matter measures. Despite significant phenotypic correlation between white-matter integrity and tests of processing …

Reduced White Matter Integrity In Sibling Pairs Discordant For Bipolar Disorder, Emma Sprooten, Margaret S. Brumbaugh, Emma E. Knowles, D Reese Mckay, John Lewis, Jennifer Barrett, Stefanie Landau, Lindsay Cyr, Peter Kochunov, Anderson M. Winkler

School of Medicine Publications

Objective

Several lines of evidence indicate that white matter integrity is compromised in bipolar disorder, but the nature, extent, and biological causes remain elusive. To determine the extent to which white matter deficits in bipolar disorder are familial, the authors investigated white matter integrity in a large sample of bipolar patients, unaffected siblings, and healthy comparison subjects.

Method

The authors collected diffusion imaging data for 64 adult bipolar patients, 60 unaffected siblings (including 54 discordant sibling pairs), and 46 demographically matched comparison subjects. Fractional anisotropy was compared between the groups using voxel-wise tract-based spatial statistics and by extracting mean fractional …

Design And Configuration Of Laser Tweezers Microscopy For Force Measurements On Single Dna Molecules, Carlos Jeziel Gonzalez Banuelos

Theses and Dissertations - UTB/UTPA

In this study, a detailed description of the optical tweezers microscopy technique is presented, as well as the methodologies used to prepare the DNA molecule for mechanical measurements at the nanoscale. The main objective is to initiate and extend the experimental biophysical studies on the DNA-proteins interactions at the University of Texas at Brownsville (UTB). DNA-binding proteins control almost all aspects of cellular function, such as transcription; chromosome maintenance, replication and DNA repair depend on the interaction of proteins with DNA. In view of such an important role played by DNA–protein interactions, various techniques have evolved over the years to …

Mexican-American Children's Perspectives: Neighborhood Characteristics And Physical Activity In Texas-Mexico Border Colonias, Nelda Mier, Chanam Lee, Matthew Lee Smith, Xiaohui Wang, Elias H. Avila-Rodriguez, Laura Trevino, Marcia G. Ory

School of Mathematical & Statistical Sciences Faculty Publications

The qualitative study described in this article investigated perceptions about environmental factors influencing physical activity (PA) among children from underserved neighborhoods known as colonias in the U.S.-Mexico border. Ten focus groups were conducted with 67 Mexican-American colonia children ages 8 to 13 living in one of the poorest border counties in the U.S. Analyses indicated that PA among children was influenced by neighborhood characteristics, including litter, speeding cars, unleashed dogs, and dark streets. The children also underlined intrapersonal and social environmental factors. Findings may inform policy makers and public health professionals about ways to promote PA among underserved children through …

Mexican-American Children’S Perspectives: Neighborhood Characteristics And Physical Activity In Texas-Mexico Border Colonias, Nelda Mier, Chanam Lee, Matthew Lee Smith, Xiaohui Wang, David Irizarry, Elias H. Avila-Rodriguez, Laura Trevino, Marcia G. Ory

School of Mathematical & Statistical Sciences Faculty Publications

The qualitative study described in this article investigated perceptions about environmental factors infl uencing physical activity (PA) among children from underserved neighborhoods known as colonias in the U.S.-Mexico border. Ten focus groups were conducted with 67 Mexican-American colonia children ages 8 to 13 living in one of the poorest border counties in the U.S. Analyses indicated that PA among children was influenced by neighborhood characteristics, including litter, speeding cars, unleashed dogs, and dark streets. The children also underlined intrapersonal and social environmental factors. Findings may inform policy makers and public health professionals about ways to promote PA among underserved children …