Project GIVE: using a virtual genetics service platform to reduce health inequities and improve access to genomic care in an underserved region of Texas.

Background: The utilization of genomic information to improve health outcomes is progressively becoming more common in clinical practice. Nonetheless, disparities persist in accessing genetic services among ethnic minorities, individuals with low socioeconomic status, and other vulnerable populations. The Rio Grande Valley (RGV) at the Texas-Mexico border is predominantly Hispanic/Latino with a high poverty rate and very limited access to genetic services.

Hemicelluloses hydrogel: Synthesis, characterization, and application in dye removal.

Novel materials using biowaste as adsorbents in wastewater treatment have been allocated considerable interest. Herein, we present the synthesis of different hydrogels of crosslinked polyacrylamide in presence of hemicelluloses with/ without bentonite, using a soft reaction condition. The structure of new hydrogels was characterized by spectroscopic, thermal and microscopic experiments.

Symmetry of Shoe Size and Calf Girth in Children With Treated Idiopathic Clubfoot: A Longitudinal Study.

Background: Treatments for idiopathic clubfoot focus on obtaining a functional foot, typical gait pattern, and activity participation. Patients and families are also concerned about practical considerations regarding shoe wear and the appearance of the calf. The purpose of this study was to quantify whether children treated for idiopathic clubfoot have symmetry differences in shoe size and calf girth when presenting with unilateral versus bilateral involvement.

Alternative modification by grafting in bamboo cellulose nanofibrils: A potential option to improve compatibility and tunable surface energy in bionanocomposites.

Chemical modification in surface of cellulose nanofibrils CNFs (20 nm) from an endemic and non-significant value-added, Argentine bamboo, was developed. The modification in the CNFs was carried out with three simple routes using a low molecular weight polylactic acid synthesized in our laboratory (PLA1). The first step comprises of protection of the hydroxyl groups of PLA1 through a benzoylation (PLA1Bz).

Leaf Venation and Morphology Help Explain Physiological Variation in and Across Microhabitats in the Mojave Desert, CA.

Different microclimates can have significant impact on the physiology of succulents that inhabit arid environments such as the Mojave Desert (California). We investigated variation in leaf physiology, morphology and anatomy of two dominant Mojave Desert monocots, (Joshua tree) and , growing along a soil water availability gradient. Stomatal conductance ( ) and leaf thickness were recorded in the field at three different sites (north-western slope, south-eastern slope, and alluvial fan) in March of 2019.

Elevated collagen-I augments tumor progressive signals, intravasation and metastasis of prolactin-induced estrogen receptor alpha positive mammary tumor cells.

Background: The development and progression of estrogen receptor alpha positive (ERα+) breast cancer has been linked epidemiologically to prolactin. However, activation of the canonical mediator of prolactin, STAT5, is associated with more differentiated cancers and better prognoses. We have reported that density/stiffness of the extracellular matrix potently modulates the repertoire of prolactin signals in human ERα + breast cancer cells in vitro: stiff matrices shift the balance from the Janus kinase (JAK)2/STAT5 cascade toward pro-tumor progressive extracellular regulated kinase (ERK)1/2 signals, driving invasion.

Diagnosis and Management of Hepatitis C Virus Infection.

The hepatitis C virus (HCV) infects more than 200 million people globally, with increasing incidence, especially in developing countries. HCV infection frequently progresses to chronic liver disease, creating a heavy economic burden on resource-poor countries and lowering patient quality of life. Effective HCV diagnosis, treatment selection, and treatment monitoring are important in stopping disease progression.

Gross motor development in babies with treated idiopathic clubfoot.

Purpose: To investigate the effect of treated clubfoot disorder on gross motor skill level measured by the Alberta Infant Motor Scale (AIMS).

Methods: Fifty-two babies participated: 26 were treated for idiopathic clubfoot (12 with the Ponseti treatment method, 9 with the French physical therapy technique, and 5 with a combination of both methods); 26 were babies who were typically developing and without medical diagnoses. The AIMS was administered at 3-month intervals.

A towards breaking the barriers: the professionalization of the radiologic sciences.

Radiologic science and technology has developed at a tremendous rate over the past century. However, the training of personnel (radiologic technologists/therapists) to operate this complex equipment and to perform the medical procedures is not uniform across the United States, nor is licensure required in all states. Evidence suggests that expanded technological responsibilities also have increasingly pressured technologists/therapists to perform on levels for which they have not been prepared.