Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

School Teachers' Perceptions Of Adolescent Human Papillomavirus (Hpv) Vaccination: A Systematic Review, Jihye Choi, Efrat K Gabay, Paula M Cuccaro

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

School nurses are uniquely positioned to educate students about immunizations, including human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination, but schools are often without a nurse for different reasons. In lieu of nurses, teachers who closely interact with students and are traditionally well-trusted by parents may be able to communicate about HPV vaccination, alleviating parental vaccine hesitancy. This systematic review explores school teachers' perspectives on adolescent HPV vaccination and factors influencing their willingness to make vaccine recommendations. We searched three databases with appropriate medical subject headings and keywords to identify relevant studies. We reviewed fifteen studies and provided an extensive summary and a comparison …

Case Weighted Power Priors For Hybrid Control Analyses With Time-To-Event Data, Evan Kwiatkowski, Jiawen Zhu, Xiao Li, Herbert Pang, Grazyna Lieberman, Matthew A Psioda

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

We develop a method for hybrid analyses that uses external controls to augment internal control arms in randomized controlled trials (RCTs) where the degree of borrowing is determined based on similarity between RCT and external control patients to account for systematic differences (e.g., unmeasured confounders). The method represents a novel extension of the power prior where discounting weights are computed separately for each external control based on compatibility with the randomized control data. The discounting weights are determined using the predictive distribution for the external controls derived via the posterior distribution for time-to-event parameters estimated from the RCT. This method …

An Analysis Of Conventional And Modern Packaging Approaches For Cut Flowers: A Review Article, Nahed M Rashed, Saba Ambreen Memon, Saleh M Al Turki, Tarek A Shalaby, Mohamed M El-Mogy

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Fresh-cut flowers are considered to be one of the most delicate and challenging commercial crops. It is important to take into consideration how to minimize loss during storage and transportation when preserving cut flowers. Many impinging (bad effect) forces can interact to shorten the flowers' vase life. In the flower industry, effective methods need to be developed to extend freshly cut flowers' life. Fresh-cut flowers' vase life can be shortened by a variety of interlocking causes. The flower industry must develop new techniques to extend the flowers' vase lifespan. This review provides comprehensive, up-to-date information on classical, modified atmosphere packaging …

Reinforced Tissue Matrix To Strengthen The Abdominal Wall Following Reversal Of Temporary Ostomies Or To Treat Incisional Hernias, Spencer P Lake, Corey R Deeken, Amit K Agarwal

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

BACKGROUND: Abdominal wall deficiencies or weakness are a common complication of temporary ostomies, and incisional hernias frequently develop after colostomy or ileostomy takedown. The use of synthetic meshes to reinforce the abdominal wall has reduced hernia occurrence. Biologic meshes have also been used to enhance healing, particularly in contaminated conditions. Reinforced tissue matrices (RTMs), which include a biologic scaffold of native extracellular matrix and a synthetic component for added strength/durability, are designed to take advantage of aspects of both synthetic and biologic materials. To date, RTMs have not been reported to reinforce the abdominal wall following stoma reversal.

AIM: To …

Exploring The Prospects Of Transcranial Electrical Stimulation (Tes) As A Therapeutic Intervention For Post-Stroke Motor Recovery: A Narrative Review, Hao Meng, Michael Houston, Yingchun Zhang, Sheng Li

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Introduction: Stroke survivors often have motor impairments and related functional deficits. Transcranial Electrical Stimulation (tES) is a rapidly evolving field that offers a wide range of capabilities for modulating brain function, and it is safe and inexpensive. It has the potential for widespread use for post-stroke motor recovery. Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation (tDCS), Transcranial Alternating Current Stimulation (tACS), and Transcranial Random Noise Stimulation (tRNS) are three recognized tES techniques that have gained substantial attention in recent years but have different mechanisms of action. tDCS has been widely used in stroke motor rehabilitation, while applications of tACS and tRNS are very …

Construction Of An Array Of Antibody–Gold Nanoparticle Conjugates For Their Comparative Assessment On Multiplex Lateral Flow Test To Detect Mycotoxins, Bilal Javed Nanolab Research Centre, Vinayak Sharma School Of Food Science And Environmental Health, Furong Tian Nanolab Research Centre

Articles

Bio-functionalized gold nanoparticles with anti-toxin antibody conjugates have unique physical, biochemical, and optical properties that can greatly improve the performance of biochemical assays because they can enhance the signal intensity of analyte, improve signal transduction, have higher sensitivity of analyte detection, and provide simple colorimetric signal readouts. The surface properties of gold nanoparticles, along with various antibody conjugates, play a significant role in terms of functionalizing gold nanoparticles, and the strategy for surface modification is of great significance to the application of gold nanoparticle-mediated biochemical assays. Spherical gold nanoparticles are among the most used reporter molecules in lateral flow assays. …

High-Density Glass Scintillators For Proton Radiography-Relative Luminosity, Proton Response, And Spatial Resolution, Ethan Stolen, Ryan Fullarton, Rain Hein, Robin L Conner, Luiz G Jacobsohn, Charles-Antoine Collins-Fekete, Sam Beddar, Ugur Akgun, Daniel Robertson

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Proton radiography is a promising development in proton therapy, and researchers are currently exploring optimal detector materials to construct proton radiography detector arrays. High-density glass scintillators may improve integrating-mode proton radiography detectors by increasing spatial resolution and decreasing detector thickness. We evaluated several new scintillators, activated with europium or terbium, with proton response measurements and Monte Carlo simulations, characterizing relative luminosity, ionization quenching, and proton radiograph spatial resolution. We applied a correction based on Birks's analytical model for ionization quenching. The data demonstrate increased relative luminosity with increased activation element concentration, and higher relative luminosity for samples activated with europium. …

Fair Header Reference Genome: A Trustworthy Standard, Adam Wright, Mark D Wilkinson, Christopher Mungall, Scott Cain, Stephen Richards, Paul Sternberg, Ellen Provin, Jonathan L Jacobs, Scott Geib, Daniela Raciti, Karen Yook, Lincoln Stein, David C Molik

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

The lack of interoperable data standards among reference genome data-sharing platforms inhibits cross-platform analysis while increasing the risk of data provenance loss. Here, we describe the FAIR bioHeaders Reference genome (FHR), a metadata standard guided by the principles of Findability, Accessibility, Interoperability and Reuse (FAIR) in addition to the principles of Transparency, Responsibility, User focus, Sustainability and Technology. The objective of FHR is to provide an extensive set of data serialisation methods and minimum data field requirements while still maintaining extensibility, flexibility and expressivity in an increasingly decentralised genomic data ecosystem. The effort needed to implement FHR is low; FHR's …

Effectiveness Of The Minder Mobile Mental Health And Substance Use Intervention For University Students: Randomized Controlled Trial, Melissa Vereschagin, Angel Y Wang, Chris G Richardson, Hui Xie, Richard J Munthali, Kristen L Hudec, Calista Leung, Katharine D Wojcik, Lonna Munro, Priyanka Halli, Ronald C Kessler, Daniel V Vigo

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Background: University attendance represents a transition period for students that often coincides with the emergence of mental health and substance use challenges. Digital interventions have been identified as a promising means of supporting students due to their scalability, adaptability, and acceptability. Minder is a mental health and substance use mobile app that was codeveloped with university students.

Objective: This study aims to examine the effectiveness of the Minder mobile app in improving mental health and substance use outcomes in a general population of university students.

Methods: A 2-arm, parallel-assignment, single-blinded, 30-day randomized controlled trial was used to evaluate Minder using …

Affinity-Tagged Smad1 And Smad5 Mouse Lines Reveal Transcriptional Reprogramming Mechanisms During Early Pregnancy, Zian Liao, Suni Tang, Kaori Nozawa, Keisuke Shimada, Masahito Ikawa, Diana Monsivais, Martin Matzuk

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Endometrial decidualization, a prerequisite for successful pregnancies, relies on transcriptional reprogramming driven by progesterone receptor (PR) and bone morphogenetic protein (BMP)-SMAD1/SMAD5 signaling pathways. Despite their critical roles in early pregnancy, how these pathways intersect in reprogramming the endometrium into a receptive state remains unclear. To define how SMAD1 and/or SMAD5 integrate BMP signaling in the uterus during early pregnancy, we generated two novel transgenic mouse lines with affinity tags inserted into the endogenous SMAD1 and SMAD5 loci (Smad1^HA/HA and Smad5^PA/PA). By profiling the genome-wide distribution of SMAD1, SMAD5, and PR in the mouse uterus, we demonstrated …

Trends In Cardiovascular Mortality In The United States From 1968 To 2019: Analysis Of The Cdc Wonder Database, Abdul Mannan Khan Minhas, Kartik Gupta, Vardhmaan Jain, Tanya Singh Kakar, Anwar T Merchant, Michael D Shapiro, Layla A Abushamat, Vijay Nambi, Salim S Virani

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

No abstract provided.

Advancing Access To Genome Sequencing For Rare Genetic Disorders: Recent Progress And Call To Action, Vaidehi Jobanputra, Brock Schroeder, Heidi L Rehm, Wei Shen, Elizabeth Spiteri, Ghunwa Nakouzi, Stacie Taylor, Christian R Marshall, Linyan Meng, Stephen F Kingsmore, Katarzyna Ellsworth, Euan Ashley, Ryan J Taft, Medical Genome Initiative

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

No abstract provided.

The Effects Of Genetic And Modifiable Risk Factors On Brain Regions Vulnerable To Ageing And Disease, Jordi Manuello, Joosung Min, Paul Mccarthy, Fidel Alfaro-Almagro, Soojin Lee, Stephen Smith, Lloyd T. Elliott, Anderson M. Winkler, Gwenaëlle Douaud

School of Medicine Publications

We have previously identified a network of higher-order brain regions particularly vulnerable to the ageing process, schizophrenia and Alzheimer’s disease. However, it remains unknown what the genetic influences on this fragile brain network are, and whether it can be altered by the most common modifiable risk factors for dementia. Here, in ~40,000 UK Biobank participants, we first show significant genome-wide associations between this brain network and seven genetic clusters implicated in cardiovascular deaths, schizophrenia, Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease, and with the two antigens of the XG blood group located in the pseudoautosomal region of the sex chromosomes. We further reveal …

Sex-Based Differences In Melanoma Survival Improvement From 2004 To 2018, Vikram R Shaw, Angela Hudock, Baoyi Zhang, Christopher Amos, Chao Cheng

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Simple Summary

Melanoma is the deadliest form of skin cancer and its incidence and mortality may vary by demographic factors, such as sex, age, race, and socioeconomic status. Few studies, however, have characterized disparities in survival improvement across these demographic groups in melanoma. In the present study, the authors highlight disparities in melanoma survival improvement, both in diagnosed melanoma and carcinoma in situ. While melanoma survival has improved overall, some patient subgroups have experienced a lower improvement in survival from 2004 to 2018.

Abstract

Background: Melanoma is the deadliest form of skin cancer and its incidence and mortality vary by …

Identification Of An Early Survival Prognostic Gene Signature For Localized Osteosarcoma Patients, Tajhal D Patel, Sandra L Grimm, Rupa S Kanchi, Tanmay Gandhi, Amrit Koirala, Jason T Yustein, Cristian Coarfa

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Osteosarcoma is the most prevalent bone tumor in pediatric patients. Neoadjuvant chemotherapy has improved osteosarcoma patient survival, however the 5-year survival rate for localized osteosarcoma is 75% with a 30-50% recurrence rate. We, therefore, sought to identify a prognostic gene signature which could predict poor prognosis in localized osteosarcoma patients. Using the TARGET osteosarcoma transcriptomic dataset, we identified a 13-hub gene signature associated with overall survival and time to death of localized osteosarcoma patients, with the high-risk group showing a 22% and the low-risk group showing 100% overall survival. Furthermore, network analysis identified five modules of co-expressed genes that significantly …

Study Protocol: Identifying Transcriptional Regulatory Alterations Of Chronic Effects Of Blast And Disturbed Sleep In United States Veterans, Molly J. Sullan, Kelly A. Stearns-Yoder, Zhaoyu Wang, Andrew J. Hoisington, Adam D. Brenoweth, Walter Carr, Yongchao Ge, Hanga Galfalvy, Fatemah Haghighi, Lisa A. Brenner

Faculty Publications

Injury related to blast exposure dramatically rose during post-911 era military conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan. Mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI) is among the most common injuries following blast, an exposure that may not result in a definitive physiologic marker (e.g., loss of consciousness). Recent research suggests that exposure to low level blasts and, more specifically repetitive blast exposure (RBE), which may be subconcussive in nature, may also impact long term physiologic and psychological outcomes, though findings have been mixed. For military personnel, blast-related injuries often occur in chaotic settings (e.g., combat), which create challenges in the immediate assessment of …

Fibrinolytic-Deficiencies Predispose Hosts To Septicemia From A Catheter-Associated Uti, Jonathan J Molina, Wei Xu, Karla Bergeron, Aleksandra Klim, Michael G Caparon, Scott J Hultgren, Alana Desai, Et Al.

2020-Current year OA Pubs

Catheter-associated urinary tract infections (CAUTIs) are amongst the most common nosocomial infections worldwide and are difficult to treat partly due to development of multidrug-resistance from CAUTI-related pathogens. Importantly, CAUTI often leads to secondary bloodstream infections and death. A major challenge is to predict when patients will develop CAUTIs and which populations are at-risk for bloodstream infections. Catheter-induced inflammation promotes fibrinogen (Fg) and fibrin accumulation in the bladder which are exploited as a biofilm formation platform by CAUTI pathogens. Using our established mouse model of CAUTI, here we identified that host populations exhibiting either genetic or acquired fibrinolytic-deficiencies, inducing fibrin deposition …

Translational Impact Of Ubtf In Developing New Therapeutic Strategy For Pancreatic Cancer Treatment, Mudassier Ahmad, Sahir Sultan Alvi, Haider Ahsan, Muhammad Bangash, Genaro Antonio Ramirez-Correa, Dae Joon Kim, Subhash Chauhan, Bilal Hafeez

Research Symposium

Pancreatic cancer (PanCa) is the third leading cause of cancer-related deaths in the United States. It shows only a marginal survival benefits of 6 months with the available therapeutics. Thus, to understand the biology of PanCa and discovery of new molecular targets will help in designing the new therapeutic strategies for the management of advanced PanCa. Aberrant ribosome biogenesis is the hallmark of many cancers and has been associated with poor prognosis. Cancer cells show significantly high demand of protein synthesis and to meet this demand modify ribosomal machinery at genetic and epigenetic level. The UBTF (upstream binding transcription factor, …

The Fortify Resilience Initiative, Maria Hernandez, Yvette Cantu

Research Symposium

The Fortify Resilience Initiative focuses on building and sustaining a culture of wellbeing for Residents and Fellows (R/Fs) at The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley (UTRGV) School of Medicine’s (SOM) Graduate Medical Education (GME) residency and fellowship programs. In order to address the multitude of threats to physician wellness and to mitigate the silent, but pernicious effects of burnout on these physician learners serving in the RGV, this Initiative from the Office of GME will strengthen existing wellbeing pathways while expanding additional solutions that will work to sustain wellbeing. Utilizing a combination of prevention, promotion, and intervention strategies targeted …

The Carcinogenic Effect Of Heavy Metals And Its Association With Epigenetic Changes In Urothelial Bladder Cancer Patients, Ganesh Kumar Verma, A. Sen, S. Saha, A. Mirza, A. Atif

Research Symposium

Background: According to Global Cancer Observatory (GLOBOCON) 2020, urothelial bladder cancer (UBC) is the 17th most common malignancy in India, and bladder cancer represents a significant health problem due to the potential morbidity and mortality. UBC is commonly associated with industrialized regions and the most accountable risk factors have been tobacco smoke along with occupational chemical exposures including heavy metals. A massive increase in human exposure to heavy metals has been noticed due to industrial activities since last century and an emerging understanding of the carcinogenic effects of certain heavy metals is now being considered as causative agents for UBC. …

Smoking And Drinking Activate Nf-Κb /Il-6 Axis To Promote Inflammation During Cervical Carcinogenesis, Vivek Kumar Kashyap

Research Symposium

Background: High-risk strains of HPV are known to cause cervical cancer. Multiple clinical studies have emphasized that smoking and drinking are critical risk factors for cervical cancer and its high-grade precursors. In this study, we investigated the molecular mechanisms involved in the interplay of smoking and/or drinking with HPV infectivity and defined a systematic therapeutic approach for their attenuation in cervical cancer.

Methods: The impact of benzo[a]pyrene (B[a]P) and/or ethanol (EtOH) exposure on cervical cancer cells was assessed by measuring changes in their biophysical, cell migration, and invasion characteristics. Expression of HPV16 E6/E7, NF-κB, cytokines, and inflammation mediators was …

Primary Care Behavioral Health Partnerships Advancing & Transforming Health Sciences (Pcbh Paths), Mayrin Perez, Maria Hernandez

Research Symposium

Primary Care Behavioral Health Partnerships Advancing & Transforming Health Sciences (PCBH PATHS) is a workforce development pipeline project aimed at permanently augmenting UTRGV’s institutional capacity to address shortage of an Integrated Behavioral Health (IBH) competent workforce locally, regionally and nationally. Our initiative, aligned with UTRGV strategic priorities and key initiatives, will integrate basic(model specific strategy and operational elements), mid-level (role identity and profession specific behavioral competencies specific to each health profession), and advanced (behavioral medicine clinical skills) applications of the evidence based PCBH model of delivery. A PCBH focused delivery system (clinical and educational), in which primary care providers (PCPs) …

P22 Viral Capsid Nanocomposites For Enzyme Prodrug Therapy Of Breast Cancer, Astrid Rebeca Luna Rios

Research Symposium

Background: Current treatment strategies against breast cancer have limitations due to lack in selectivity. Most drugs, such as tamoxifen, require metabolic activation by cytochrome P450 (CYP) enzymes to perform greater anticancer effects. However, the concentration of CYP varies and is low in tumor cells, resulting in side-effects. In enzyme prodrug therapy (EPT), enzymes are targeted to the tumor cells for prodrug transformation, involving the sequential delivery of the enzyme followed by prodrug. However, differences in pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics are a major hindrance. Thus, co-delivery of prodrug and enzyme is essential to ensure their favorable interaction at target site.

Results: This …

Novel Nanoformulation Of Sabizabulin (Veru-111) For Pancreatic Cancer Therapy, Vivek Kumar Kashyap

Research Symposium

Background: Pancreatic cancer (PanCa) is one of the leading causes of cancer-related mortality in the United States due to very limited therapeutic options. Thus, developing novel therapeutic strategies will help for the management of this disease. We recently identified VERU-111, a novel synthetic molecule which showed potent anti-cancer effect against PanCa via targeting clinically important βIII and βIV tubulin isoforms. In this study, we synthesized and characterized its novel nanoformulation (MNP-VERU) and evaluated its therapeutic effects in vitro and xenograft mouse model.

Methods: MNPs were prepared by chemical precipitation method and loaded with VERU-111 using diffusion method. This formulation was …

Muc13- A Novel Cancer Biomarker For Early Pancreatic Cancer Diagnosis And Imaging, Sheema Khan, Anupam Dhasmana

Research Symposium

Pancreatic adenocarcinoma (PDAC) has a very poor survival rate due to late diagnosis. Therefore, identification approaches that aid in early diagnosis are highly desirable. MUC13 is a recently identified high molecular weight glycoprotein that is aberrantly expressed in PDAC and allows its progression via alterations of multiple tumor signaling pathways. Overexpression of MUC13 in PDAC cells leads to enhanced tumorigenic and metastatic phenotypes. These characteristics of PDAC cells are mediated by physical interactions between MUC13 and HER2/Neu. This study elucidates significance of MUC13, as a diagnostic and imaging marker of PDAC. Additionally, a collaborative effort has commenced to investigate the …

Interdisciplinary Integrated Primary And Behavioral Healthcare (I2pbh) Initiative, John Ronnau, Deepu George, Maria Hernandez, Salvador Arellano Iii, Myrna Ruiz

Research Symposium

Purpose: The Interdisciplinary Integrated Primary and Behavioral Healthcare (I2PBH) Initiative will train University of Texas Rio Grande Valley (UTRGV) mental health graduates to deliver high quality, evidence-based Integrated Behavioral Health (IBH) services in the Rio Grande Valley (RGV) – a high-need, high-demand, medically underserved Hispanic region along the US-Mexico border. Specifically, the I2PBH initiative will train 24 UTRGV mental health graduates annually to deliver high-quality IBH clinical services through the evidence based Primary Care Behavioral Health (PCBH) model. With a training emphasis on basic/advanced theory and clinical skills in the PCBH model, students will serve as Behavioral Health Consultants (BHC) …

Integrative Transcriptomics Data Analysis Of Trpv1 In Hepatocellular Carcinoma, Vivek Kumar Kashyap, Bhuvnesh Sharma, Himanshu Narayan Singh, Deepak Verma, Deepak Parashar, Murali M. Yallapu, Subhash C. Chauhan

Research Symposium

Background: Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the most common type of liver cancer. Transient receptor potential vanilloid 1 (TRPV1) is a nonselective Ca2+ channel protein that is widely expressed and plays a significant role in cancer initiation and progression. However, the biological significance of TRPV1 in HCC has not been systematically and comprehensively investigated. Using deep data mining and transcriptomics analyses, in this study, we described the significance of TRPV1 expression and its association with HCC prognosis.

Methods: TRPV1 mRNA expression in HCC was examined using the Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA), the Genotype Tissue Expression Atlas (GTEx), the Tumor Immune Estimation …

Icg-Loaded Mesoporous Nanohybrid (Nd-Doped Hydroxyapatite/Fe3o4) For Photonic/Magnetic Hyperthermia And Photodynamic Therapy, Prakhar Sengar, K. Chauhan, A. G. Rodríguez-Hernández, G. A. Hirata

Research Symposium

Background: Multimodality nanoplatforms play a crucial role in advancing medical interventions by integrating multiple functionalities into a single system. However, issues like intricate production processes and biocompatibility persist. Herein, a facile synthesis of a biomaterial-based mesoporous nanocarrier, HAp:Nd+SPIONs@mSiO2, loaded with the near-infrared (NIR) emitting dye indocyanine green (ICG) is reported.

Methods: HAp:Nd nanoparticles were synthesized via combustion methods. Thereafter, commercial SPIONs and HAp:Nd were integrated within a mesoporous silica via a modified Stöber approach. HAp:Nd+SPIONs@mSiO2 nanoplatform was characterized for particle size, porosity, and luminescence using TEM, BET, and luminescence spectroscopy. The synthesized nanoplatform was further loaded with ICG dye and …

Integrated Cancer Research Core (Icrc) At The University Of Texas Rio Grande Valley, Iris Enriquez

Research Symposium

Background: The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley-School of Medicine (UTRGV-SOM) has founded the South Texas Centre of Excellence in Cancer Research to address disproportionate cancer related health issues in the Valley. UTRGV-SOM intends to establish an Integrated Cancer Research Core (ICRC) Facility at the UTRGV campus to provide cutting-edge technologies to support cancer research investigators of the Rio Grande Valley.

Methods: The ICRC will house most recent technologies (Flow Cytometry, Image Stream Flow, Droplet Digital PCR, molecular imaging, microPET/CT imaging, etc) to support flow cytometric analyses in cell suspension and tissues, cell sorting, analysis of tumor immune components, microbiome …

Graphene Nanoparticles For Microrna Delivery, Eswara Naga Hanuma Kumar Ghali

Research Symposium

Background: Graphene (G) has been established as an exciting prospect for a broad range of applications owing to its remarkable properties. As the molecular structure of G itself is achiral thus introducing chirality in G by simple attachment of a functional group (a chiral ligand) on the G nanosheet may result in more diverse applications. The recent innovations of G chiral nanosystems have been extended to drug delivery. Herein, we have developed a novel and facile synthesis method for producing chiral G for its application in chirality-dependent microRNA delivery.

Methods: L-graphene and D-graphene were produced in a single step by …