Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

The In Vivo Effects Of Alcohol In Lung And Liver Are At Least Partially Mediated Through The Alpha 4 Nicotinic Acetylcholine Receptor, J. Ritzenthaler, E. Torres-Gonzalez, G. E. Arteel, J. Roman

Division of Pulmonary, Allergy, and Critical Care Medicine Posters

Rational: Chronic alcohol abuse is a major risk factor for the development of acute lung injury, with 40% of annual cases in the U.S. linked to this disorder. Alcohol is not only associated with increased incidence of acute lung injury in at-risk individuals, but also increased mortality. The exact mechanisms by which alcohol abuse renders the host susceptible to acute lung injury remain poorly defined. We have reported that α4 nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (α4 nAChRs) may serve as potential sensors for alcohol in lung fibroblasts; however, we have not tested their role in vivo.

Methods: To test the role of …

Enhanced Recovery After Elective Craniotomy For Brain Tumours, Ummey Hani, Saqib Kamran Bakhshi, Muhammad Shahzad Shamim

Section of Neurosurgery

Enhanced recovery after surgery (ERAS) is aimed at accelerated rehabilitation after surgery, and involves a multidisciplinary approach. Significant work has been published on this concept with regards to abdominal surgeries, however, the idea is relatively new for those undergoing neurosurgical procedures. We have reviewed literature on ERAS in patients undergoing craniotomy for brain tumours.

Silence In Violence: A Curse Or A Goodwill, Afsheen Hirani, Nasreen Rafiq, Shyrose Sultan, Zainish Hajani, Samreen Siraj

School of Nursing & Midwifery

Healthcare professionals face dilemmas regarding maintaining and breaching confidentiality while dealing with victims of sexual violence. The sensitivity of the cases of violence and the aim to prevent harm generates ambiguity for sound ethical and legal decision making. In Pakistan, maintaining silence is often preferred over breaking the silence. Thus, it is essential to view the risks and benefits of the conflicting positions keeping in mind the diverse perspectives and the bigger picture. Organizations, community and government can plan different strategies to put an end to this obscene game of “silence in violence”.

Implications Of Genetic Variation Of Common Drug Metabolizing Enzymes And Abc Transporters Among The Pakistani Population, Nasir Ali Afsar, Henrike Bruckmueller, Anneke Nina Werk, Muhammad Kashif Nisa, H R. Ahmad, Ingolf Cascorbi

Department of Biological & Biomedical Sciences

Genetic polymorphism of drug metabolizing enzymes and transporters may influence drug response. The frequency varies substantially between ethnicities thus having implications on appropriate selection and dosage of various drugs in different populations. The distribution of genetic polymorphisms in healthy Pakistanis has so far not been described. In this study, 155 healthy adults (98 females) were included from all districts of Karachi. DNA was extracted from saliva and genotyped for relevant SNVs in CYP1A1, CYP2B6, CYP2C9, CYP2C19, CYP2D6, CYP3A4 and CYP3A5 as well as ALDH3A1, GSTA1, ABCB1 and ABCC2. About 64% of the participants were born to parents who were unrelated …

Gastric-Type Enteric Duplication Cyst In The Tail Of A Bifid Pancreas In Association With Complete Intestinal Malrotation, Muhammad Awais, Abdul Rehman, Noor Ul-Ain Baloch

Department of Biological & Biomedical Sciences

Abstract are not provided by the author/publisher

It's Not Easy - Impacts Of Suicide Prevention Research On Study Staff, Jason I. Chen, Ginnifer L. Mastarone, Lauren M. Denneson

Communication Faculty Publications and Presentations

Suicide prevention researchers who work with individuals at high risk of suicide or are exposed to details of suicide attempts and deaths may experience negative impacts on their own well-being. This is not unlike the experiences of mental health providers, where repeated exposure to clients' difficult experiences gas long been identified as an occupational risk (Molnar et al., 2017). however, there have been few studies evaluating how exposure to details of suicide-related behavior impacts researcher well-being. This gap in the literature is worrisome, as researcher' mental health and well-being might be negatively impacted by repeated exposure to graphic details of …

A Mobile Prenatal Care App To Reduce In-Person Visits: Prospective Controlled Trial., Kathryn I Marko, Nihar Ganju, Jill M Krapf, Nancy D Gaba, James A Brown, Joshua J Benham, Julia Oh, Lorna M Richards, Andrew C Meltzer

Faculty Research 2019

BACKGROUND: Risk-appropriate prenatal care has been asserted as a way for the cost-effective delivery of prenatal care. A virtual care model for prenatal care has the potential to provide patient-tailored, risk-appropriate prenatal educational content and may facilitate vital sign and weight monitoring between visits. Previous studies have demonstrated a safe reduction in the frequency of in-person prenatal care visits among low-risk patients but have noted a reduction in patient satisfaction.

OBJECTIVE: The primary objective of this study was to test the effectiveness of a mobile prenatal care app to facilitate a reduced in-person visit schedule for low-risk pregnancies while maintaining …

Significant Strain Variation In The Mutation Spectra Of Inbred Laboratory Mice., Beth L Dumont

Faculty Research 2019

Mutation provides the ultimate source of all new alleles in populations, including variants that cause disease and fuel adaptation. Recent whole genome sequencing studies have uncovered variation in the mutation rate among individuals and differences in the relative frequency of specific nucleotide changes (the mutation spectrum) between populations. Although parental age is a major driver of differences in overall mutation rate among individuals, the causes of variation in the mutation spectrum remain less well understood. Here, I use high-quality whole genome sequences from 29 inbred laboratory mouse strains to explore the root causes of strain variation in the mutation spectrum. …

Advanced Informatics Competencies Of Nurses At Sutter Maternity And Surgery, Jessica Liston

Doctoral Projects

Today, the profession of nursing requires the integration of many sciences and skill sets in order to care for the increasing acute and chronic illness in our patient populations. In order for nurses to safely care for patients in highly technological environments, they must integrate knowledge from Nursing Informatics (NI), to advance the profession, deliver safe high-quality patient care and effective documentation that drives improvement in patient outcomes. When nurses have an understanding of advanced NI skills, they are better equipped to become super users that train and lead teams in optimization of electronic health records (EHRs) to support them …

Need Of Physical And Chemical Restraints: Experiences At Inpatient Psychiatric Ward In A Tertiary Care Hospital In Karachi, Pakistan, Humera Saeed, M. Shameel Khan, Syeda Maheen Batool, Asma Akbar Ladak, Nadia Karim, Rabeeka Aftab

Department of Psychiatry

In psychiatry, agitated / aggressive patients are often treated with de-escalation techniques. If this does not work, physical or chemical restrains are required; but in the event of resistance, seclusion is applied. We report the findings of baseline study of experiences of physical and chemical restraints in a tertiary care hospital in Karachi, where 104 files were evaluated retrospectively. The mean age of patients was 32.5 ±14.3 years with 54.8% men, while the average length of stay was 11.5 ±9.3 days. Agitation, violent behaviour, and aggression were the most common indications for restraints. In total, 94.5% of patients had both …

Assessing Hospitalizations Due To Assaults At Dell Seton Medical Center (2015-2018), Stephani L. Curry

Dissertations and Theses (Open Access)

Physical assaults are a major public health concern in the United States, with rates being on the rise during the last couple of years (WISQARS Nonfatal Injury Reports, n.d.). In Austin at the Dell Seton Medical Center [DSMC], physical assaults are a main reason for hospitalization, making up nearly 10% of their hospitalizations, with around 250 patients per year. No subgroup of the population is risk free from physical assaults; however, national data suggest some sociodemographic groups are at higher risk than others (“Injury and Violence Prevention”, n.d.). Given the diversity of Austin, TX, it was unclear whether local sociodemographic …

Epidemiology Of Tuberculosis In Internationally Displaced Children Resettling In Harris County, Gabriella S. Lamb

Dissertations and Theses (Open Access)

Background More than 300,000 refugees arrived in the United States (U.S.) from 2010-2015, and Texas accepts the 2nd highest number of refugees. Texas also accepts large numbers of asylees, parolees, and special immigrant visa holders. Additionally, a large proportion of trafficked persons in the U.S. live in or pass through Texas. Foreign-born children are disproportionately affected by tuberculosis (TB) and account for two-thirds of U.S. childhood TB cases. Children are at greater risk for progression from TB infection to disease and experience greater morbidity and mortality from TB disease. This makes screening for and treatment of TB infection in children …

The Association Of Cell Phones With Adolescents' Academic Performance, Sleep, Time Spent With Friends, And Cyberbullying Exposure, Johanna E. Peyton

Dissertations and Theses (Open Access)

This study examined the association between owning or having access to a cell phone with/without internet access and adolescent academic performance, whether they met the guidelines for recommended nightly sleep, the amount of time spent with friends outside of school and the presence and frequency of cyberbullying experienced by 8th and 11th grade participants in the 2015-2016 SPAN study in Texas. This study also examined the association between gender of the adolescent and the above-mentioned outcomes.

The study group consisted of 5,421 adolescents from 8th grade and 3,635 from 11th grade. The 8th grade sample contained 51.48% males(48.6% females) and …

Exploring Prenatal Risk Factors Among Hispanic Children With Autism Spectrum Disorders. – A Pilot Study In The Rio Grande Valley, Lauren Tien

Dissertations and Theses (Open Access)

Background: Peer-reviewed studies suggest that a hostile gestational environment is associated with delayed neurological development in infants. Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is estimated to affect 1 in 59 children in the United States; however, few studies have specifically investigated risk factors for autism in Hispanic children. Purpose: The University of Texas RGV Hispanic Autism Research Center (HARC) studied Hispanic children with ASD and their biological mothers to identify potential environmental exposures and prenatal risk factors that could impact the risk for ASD through preliminary research in the Rio Grande Valley. Methods: This pilot study recruited 25 Hispanic mothers and their …

A Unique Model For Palliative Care In A Level Iv Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, Kelstan L. Ellis Do, Megan Tucker, Jennifer Linebarger

Posters

This poster describes a review of the relationship between the Fetal Health Center and the Palliative Care team as the Palliative Care Team follows the patient family from prenatal through neonatal intensive care.

Av Nodal Reentrant Tachycardia In Patients With Twin Av Nodes, Christopher Mathis, Svjetlana Tisma-Dupanovic, Lindsey Malloy-Walton, John Papagiannis

Posters

No abstract provided.

Trends In Advanced Hiv Disease And Long-Term Outcomes Of Hivinfected Children Treated With Antiretroviral Therapy In Eastern And Southern Africa: 2003-2017, Peter James Elyanu

Dissertations and Theses (Open Access)

Despite the over 10-years’ experience providing pediatric antiretroviral therapy(ART) and implementing different WHO guidelines, data on updated trends (after 2010) in advanced disease at ART start, and on long-term survival of children receiving ART are scarce. Without these data, the impact of recent WHO guidelines on early treatment initiation and long-term survival remains unclear. First, we examined trends in advanced disease at ART start, then described 10-year survival and investigated risk factors of early mortality in children treated with ART and lastly examined the association between rapid ART initiation and outcomes (mortality and loss to follow-up) of HIV infected. We …

Cost-Effectiveness Of Collegiate Recovery Programs, Sierra Castedo De Martell

Dissertations and Theses (Open Access)

The prevalence of substance use disorders (SUDs) is greater among full-time college students and young adults regardless of enrollment status than it is among any other age group (1,2). These disorders represent substantial costs to both society and to institutions of higher education, both in terms of life years lost and in lost tuition revenue. The recent proliferation of collegiate recovery programs (CRPs) – supportive communities and resource centers for students seeking to maintain SUD recovery while pursuing a higher education – have the potential to help ameliorate some of these costs. While these CRPs are typically low-cost compared to …

Diagnostic Coding Of Physical Abuse Among Patients Evaluated By A Multidisciplinary Child Protection Team In A Pediatric Level I Trauma Center, Holly Hughes Garza

Dissertations and Theses (Open Access)

Child abuse is a substantial public health problem. Numerous studies have used hospital discharge data coded using the International Classification of Diseases, 9th and 10th Editions, Clinical Modification (ICD-9 and ICD-10) to identify cases of physical abuse seen in hospitals. Published studies on the sensitivity and specificity of ICD coding for physical child abuse are limited using ICD-9, and non-existent with ICD-10. This study examined the accuracy of ICD coding for physical child abuse, among patients less than 18 years of age, who were evaluated due to concern for physical abuse by a Multidisciplinary Child Protection Team (MCPT) during 2012-2013 …

The Prevalence Of Practicing Safety Professionals’ Knowledge, Involvement, And Competency Associated With Workplace Wellness Programs: Gauging The Safety Profession’S Engagement With The Total Worker Health Initiative, Jennifer C. Laine

Dissertations and Theses (Open Access)

The morbidity and mortality burden of occupational injuries and illnesses in the United States became such a public health concern that in 1970 the Occupational Safety and Health Act was signed into law. This law requires employers to provide workplaces “free from recognized hazards” and spurred the development of specific regulations along with the creation of academic and professional training programs to educate individuals about the safety sciences and careers in safety fields. Today there are an estimated 26,000 professionally trained and board certified safety professionals supporting workplace programs across the country, alongside numerous non-certified, but degreed, practicing safety professionals. …

Predictors Of On-Treatment Mortality Of Patients Undergoing Palliative Radiation Therapy: Improving The Quality Of End-Oflife Cancer Care, Matthew Stephen Ning

Dissertations and Theses (Open Access)

PURPOSE: Excessive medical treatment at end-of-life is an indicator of poor quality care. While radiation therapy (RT) is effective for palliation, some patients die shortly after or even during treatment. Any treatment that requires terminal patients to spend significant time in the hospital setting contradicts palliative goals. This study investigates patterns of end-of-life RT to inform quality improvement initiatives.

METHODS: All patients who died within 6 months of starting RT at a single large academic cancer center between 2015 through 2018 were identified through our institutional databases on an Institutional Review Board-approved protocol. Clinical factors including age, treatment service, number …

Measuring Goal Attainment In Chronic Disease Self-Management Within Clinical And Research Contexts: Development And Initial Testing Of The Goal Attainment Outcome Measure For Stroke (Gam-S), Barbara Kimmel

Dissertations and Theses (Open Access)

Background and Aims: Self-management (SM) skills help stroke survivors achieve behavior risk factors control. Goal setting and attainment are fundamental for SM. The most salient elements of SM effectiveness and measurements are just beginning to be understood. Investigation of measurement of goal attainment of SM risk factors has been the major aim of the study. My dissertation explores research questions concerning the goal attainment measure using data collected at the Veterans hospital.

Methods and Results: Introductory Chapters 1 and 2, include the background on stroke prevention through self-management interventions and a preliminary literature review of goal attainment in the context …

Social Capital And Health Services Utilization In Msm, Edward Tsai

Dissertations and Theses (Open Access)

While incidence of HIV has decreased overall and in most population subgroups, men who have sex with men (MSM) continue to remain at disproportional risk for new infection. In particular, MSM of color experience HIV incidence rates that continue to rise and represent the overwhelming majority of new cases each year. Evidence suggests greater risk among MSM may not be attributable primarily to individual behavioral level factors, but instead to structural and social environmental level factors such as access to health services. Access to health services represents a critical link in HIV and STI prevention, as health services provide serological …

Potential Reduction Of Lung Dose Via Vmat With Jaw Tracking In The Treatment Of Single-Isocenter/Two-Lesion Lung Sbrt, Damodar Pokhrel, Lana Sanford, Matthew Halfman, Janelle A. Molloy

Radiation Medicine Faculty Publications

Purpose/objectives: Due to higher radiosensitivity, non‐target normal tissue dose is a major concern in stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT) treatment. The aim of this report was to estimate the dosimetric impact, specifically the reduction of normal lung dose in the treatment of single‐isocenter/two‐lesion lung SBRT via volumetric modulated arc therapy with jaw tracking (JT‐VMAT).

Materials/methods: Twelve patients with two peripherally located early‐stage non‐small‐cell‐lung cancer (NSCLC) lung lesions underwent single‐isocenter highly conformal non‐coplanar JT‐VMAT SBRT treatment in our institution. The mean isocenter to tumors distance was 5.6 ± 1.9 (range 4.3–9.5) cm. The mean combined planning target volume (PTV) was 38.7 …

Tdp-43 Proteinopathy In Aging: Associations With Risk-Associated Gene Variants And With Brain Parenchymal Thyroid Hormone Levels, Peter T. Nelson, Zsombor Gal, Wang-Xia Wang, Dana M. Niedowicz, Sergey C. Artiushin, Samuel Wycoff, Angela Wei, Gregory A. Jicha, David W. Fardo

Pathology and Laboratory Medicine Faculty Publications

TDP-43 proteinopathy is very prevalent among the elderly (affecting at least 25% of individuals over 85 years of age) and is associated with substantial cognitive impairment. Risk factors implicated in age-related TDP-43 proteinopathy include commonly inherited gene variants, comorbid Alzheimer's disease pathology, and thyroid hormone dysfunction. To test parameters that are associated with aging-related TDP-43 pathology, we performed exploratory analyses of pathologic, genetic, and biochemical data derived from research volunteers in the University of Kentucky Alzheimer's Disease Center autopsy cohort (n = 136 subjects). Digital pathologic methods were used to discriminate and quantify both neuritic and intracytoplasmic TDP-43 pathology …

Daratumumab, Bortezomib, Cyclophosphamide And Dexamethasone In Newly Diagnosed And Relapsed Multiple Myeloma: Lyra Study., Habte Yimer, Jason Melear, Edward Faber, William Bensinger, John M Burke, Mohit Narang, Don Stevens, Sriya Gunawardena, Yana Lutska, Keqin Qi, Jon Ukropec, Ming Qi, Thomas S Lin, Robert M Rifkin

Articles, Abstracts, and Reports

This United States community study evaluated the combination of daratumumab, bortezomib, cyclophosphamide and dexamethasone (D-VCd) in newly diagnosed multiple myeloma (NDMM) and relapsed multiple myeloma (RMM). Patients received 4-8 induction cycles of bortezomib 1·5 mg/m2 , cyclophosphamide 300 mg/m2 and dexamethasone 40 mg weekly. Intravenous daratumumab 16 mg/kg was administered as approved except for a split-first dose in Cycle 1. Eligible patients underwent autologous stem cell transplantation. All patients received ≤12 daratumumab maintenance doses monthly. Eighty-six NDMM and 14 RMM patients received ≥1 treatment dose. In NDMM patients, very good partial response or better (≥VGPR) and overall response rates after …

Evaluating The Effectiveness And Implementation Of Evidence-Based Treatment: A Multisite Hybrid Design., Jamile A Ashmore, Kirk W Ditterich, Claire C Conley, Melissa R Wright, Peggy S Howland, Kelly L Huggins, Jena Cooreman, Priscilla S Andrews, Donald R Nicholas, Lind Roberts, Larissa Hewitt, Joan N Scales, Jenny K Delap, Christine A Gray, Lynelle A Tyler, Charlotte Collins, Catherine M Whiting, Brittany M Brothers, Marlena M Ryba, Barbara L Andersen

Articles, Abstracts, and Reports

The gap between treatment development and efficacy testing to scaled up implementations of evidence-based treatment (EBT) is an estimated 20 years, and hybrid research designs aim to reduce the gap. One was used for a multisite study in cancer control, testing coprimary aims: (a) determine the feasibility and utility of a flexible EBT implementation strategy and (b) determine the clinical effectiveness of an EBT as implemented by newly trained providers. Therapists from 15 diverse sites implemented the biobehavioral intervention (BBI) for cancer patients (N = 158) as part of standard care. For implementation, therapists determined treatment format, number of …

Effects Of Transport On Oral Temperature Of Post-Surgical Patients Transported From Pacu To Nursing Units, Kathy Dureault, Msn, Rn, Cpan

Articles, Abstracts, and Reports

Introduction: Maintaining normothermia beyond the walls of the PACU is critical for patient stabilization and meeting a predetermined clinical pathway. At one Southern California Community Hospital there were complaints/reports of patients being hypothermic on arrival to the inpatient unit. This was despite the fact that those patients met the criteria of normothermia prior to discharge from PACU. Identification of the problem: There is a gap in the literature on the effect of intra-hospital transport on patient temperature.

Purpose of the Study: The purpose of this descriptive study was to determine changes in oral temperature resulting from transport between the PACU …

A Screening Tool To Identify Qualified Pharmacy Residency Candidates., Daniel Hu, Danny Veenhouwer, Julie Mccoy, Dominick A Caselnova

Articles, Abstracts, and Reports

No abstract provided.

Hdac Regulates Transcription At The Outset Of Axolotl Tail Regeneration, S. Randal Voss, Larissa V. Ponomareva, Varun B. Dwaraka, Kaitlin E. Pardue, Nour W. Al Haj Baddar, A. Katherine Rodgers, M. Ryan Woodcock, Qingchao Qiu, Anne Crowner, Dana Blichmann, Shivam Khatri, Jon S. Thorson

Neuroscience Faculty Publications

Tissue regeneration is associated with complex changes in gene expression and post-translational modifications of proteins, including transcription factors and histones that comprise chromatin. We tested 172 compounds designed to target epigenetic mechanisms in an axolotl (Ambystoma mexicanum) embryo tail regeneration assay. A relatively large number of compounds (N = 55) inhibited tail regeneration, including 18 histone deacetylase inhibitors (HDACi). In particular, romidepsin, an FDA-approved anticancer drug, potently inhibited tail regeneration when embryos were treated continuously for 7 days. Additional experiments revealed that romidepsin acted within a very narrow, post-injury window. Romidepsin treatment for only 1-minute post amputation inhibited …