Faculty Research & Creative Scholarship 2019: C-D

Description: In this volume, distinguished therapists and clinicians offer a broad range of effective attachment-based interventions for children with a history of attachment difficulties and complex trauma.
Author: Casey Call, Assistant Director, Assistant Professor of Professional Practice, Psychology

Journal Title: Représentations Dans le Monde Anglophone

Opening Paragraph: The emigration of Anglo-Americans into Mexican Texas in the 1820s and 1830s set in motion one of the most significant episodes in the history of the southwestern borderlands. As a result of that emigration, Texas won its independence from Mexico in 1836. Within a decade Texas would be annexed by the United States, which in turn brought about the US-Mexican War and the reshaping of the continent with the Treaty of Guadalupe-Hidalgo. Leading the Americanization of Texas was Stephen Fuller Austin, a young Missourian. In 1821 Austin became the first and by far the most successful Texas empresario, or colonization agent, and by the time he took command of the Texas revolutionary army in the fall of 1835, more than 30,000 Americans had followed him to Texas. After his death in 1836 at age forty-three, Austin became a legendary figure in the history and mythology of the Lone Star State, lionized as the “Father of Texas” by subsequent generations of Texans.
Author: Gregg Cantrell, Professor, History

Description: Now publishing with CQ Press, the Third Edition of IR: International, Economic, and Human Security in a Changing World explores the most current issues affecting the global community by analyzing how global actors seek international, economic, and human security. Award-winning scholars and authors James M. Scott, Ralph G. Carter, and A. Cooper Drury combine thought-provoking examples with practical learning tools to give you context and help you develop an understanding of not just what happens, but why and how it happens. Assuming no prior knowledge about international relations, the text provides you with a framework to understand what conditions behavior in the international arena―the challenges of anarchy, diversity, and complexity permeate the multitude of events that comprise of our world today. You will be able to make sense of the complicated events and interactions of world politics and come away with a broader view of the world’s geographical and political landscapes.
Author: Ralph G. Carter, Piper Professor, Political Science

Journal Title: Issues in Mental Health Nursing

Abstract: The treatment of mental illness is often done on a trial-and-error basis and achieving therapeutic benefits from a medication is not always guaranteed. Pharmacogenomics explores the role of gene–gene interactions and interindividual responses to a drug and may be promising in the guidance of pharmacotherapeutic options. In the present study, the impact of pharmacogenomic testing in management of mental health medication was investigated. Participants were identified at a local outpatient mental health facility through convenience sampling. Retrospective chart review included medication history, adverse drug reactions, pharmacogenomic history, and demographic data including insurance coverage. Chart review focused on six months pre- and post-pharmacogenomic for a comparison with the patient serving as their own control. Results indicate a high incidence of alterations in two specific cytochrome enzymes, CYP2D6 and CYP2C19. In total, 82% of the sample had variations with CYP2D6, while 64% of individuals had variations with CYP2C19. In total, 91% of patients tested received Medicaid or Medicare. Post-pharmacogenomic testing, all patient drug regimens were modified, and all reported less adverse side effects. Moreover, advanced practice nurse providers educated patients about the availability of genetic testing, initiated testing and provided care based on findings. These results demonstrate the utility of genetic testing in the realm of mental health. Future directions involve further exploring the benefits of pharmacogenomic testing in this vulnerable population.
Author: Dennis J. Cheek, Abell-Hanger Professor of Gerontological Nursing, Nurse Anesthesia

Journal Title: AACN Advanced Critical Care

Abstract: Since the successful completion of the Human Genome Project in 2003, extensive genomic research has continued to alter pathophysiology at the molecular level. This research includes investigation of the specific receptors and metabolizing enzymes in drug pharmacodynamics and pharmacokinetics, specifically the cytochrome P450 system located primarily in the liver. In this article, pharmacogenomics and the role of the cytochrome P450 system in metabolism of various drugs are discussed. Specifically, drugs that are used in the critical care setting and are of clinical significance to the bedside critical care nurse are examined.
Author: Dennis J. Cheek, Abell-Hanger Professor of Gerontological Nursing, Nurse Anesthesia

Journal Title: Environmental Pollution

Abstract: Mercury (Hg) is a persistent and widespread heavy metal with neurotoxic effects in wildlife. While bioaccumulation of Hg has historically been studied in aquatic food webs, terrestrial consumers can become contaminated with Hg when they feed on aquatic organisms (e.g., emergent aquatic insects, fish, and amphibians). However, the extent to which dietary connectivity to aquatic ecosystems can explain patterns of Hg bioaccumulation in terrestrial consumers has not been well studied. Bats (Order: Chiroptera) can serve as a model system for illuminating the trophic transfer of Hg given their high dietary diversity and foraging links to both aquatic and terrestrial food webs. Here we quantitatively characterize the dietary correlates of long-term exposure to Hg across a diverse local assemblage of bats in Belize and more globally across bat species from around the world with a comparative analysis of hair samples. Our data demonstrate considerable interspecific variation in hair total Hg concentrations in bats that span three orders of magnitude across species, ranging from 0.04 mg/kg in frugivorous bats (Artibeus spp.) to 145.27 mg/kg in the piscivorous Noctilio leporinus. Hg concentrations showed strong phylogenetic signal and were best explained by dietary connectivity of bat species to aquatic food webs. Our results highlight that phylogeny can be predictive of Hg concentrations through similarity in diet and how interspecific variation in feeding strategies influences chronic exposure to Hg and enables movement of contaminants from aquatic to terrestrial ecosystems.
Author: Matthew M. Chumchal, Associate Professor and Director of the Pre-Health Professions Institute

Journal Title: Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry

Abstract: Methylmercury (MeHg) is an aquatic contaminant that can be transferred to terrestrial predators by emergent aquatic insects. We assessed the effects of month and pond permanence on dipteran‐mediated MeHg flux (calculated as emergent dipteran biomass × dipteran MeHg concentration) in 10 experimental ponds. Emergent dipterans were collected weekly from permanent ponds with bluegill (Lepomis macrochirus; n = 5) and semipermanent ponds without fish (n = 5) over a 7‐mo period (February–August, 2015). We detected a significant effect of month on MeHg flux from 6 dipteran taxa and aggregate MeHg flux, with the highest MeHg flux from herbivorous/detritivorous chironomid midges and predatory midges in March; biting midges, phantom midges and herbivorous/detritivorous orthoclad midges in April; and mosquitoes in August. Aggregate dipteran‐mediated MeHg flux peaked in April and then declined throughout the remainder of the summer. We did not detect a significant main effect of pond permanence or a significant month × pond permanence interaction effect on MeHg flux for any of the taxa examined in the present study or for aggregate MeHg flux. Given their ubiquity in aquatic systems and their importance in food webs at the land–water interface, dipterans are important taxa that should not be overlooked as a part of the Hg cycle. Environ Toxicol Chem 2018;37:1846–1851. © 2018 SETAC
Author: Matthew M. Chumchal, Associate Professor and Director of the Pre-Health Professions Institute

Journal Title: Nano Research

Abstract: In this work, we utilize a bottom-up approach to synthesize nitrogen self-doped graphene quantum dots (NGQDs) from a single glucosamine precursor via an eco-friendly microwave-assisted hydrothermal method. Structural and optical properties of as-produced NGQDs are further modified using controlled ozone treatment. Ozone-treated NGQDs (Oz-NGQDs) are reduced in size to 5.5 nm with clear changes in the lattice structure and ID/IG Raman ratios due to the introduction/alteration of oxygen-containing functional groups detected by FTIR and further verified by EDX showing increased atomic/weight percentage of oxygen atoms. Along with structural modifications, GQDs experience decrease in UV-visible absorption coupled with progressive enhancement of visible (up to 16 min treatment) and NIR (up to 45 min treatment) fluorescence. This allows fine-tuning optical properties of NGQDs for solar cell applications yielding controlled emission increase, while controlled emission quenching was achieved by either blue laser or thermal treatment. Optimized Oz-NGQDs were further used to form a photoactive layer of solar cells with a maximum efficiency of 2.64% providing a 6-fold enhancement over untreated NGQD devices and a 3-fold increase in fill factor/current density. This study suggests simple routes to alter and optimize optical properties of scalably produced NGQDs to boost the photovoltaic performance of solar cells.
Author: Jeffery L. Coffer, Professor, Inorganic and Materials Chemistry

Journal Title: The Journal of Physical Chemistry

Abstract: Mixed halide perovskite nanostructures of composition CH3NH3PbI3–xBrx (x = 0, 0.25, 0.50, 0.75, and 3) and inner diameter (ID = 30, 70, and 200 nm) using silicon nanotube (SiNT) templates are described. For a given composition, the photoluminescence (PL) of these mixed halide perovskites is compared to that of bulk perovskite microwires/microcubes. Interestingly, for CH3NH3PbI2.25Br0.75 formed within these NTs, precise control of the cubic phase of this perovskite is maintained over time, as monitored by X-ray diffraction up to 21 days; this behavior is in stark contrast to the microwire, nontemplated structure of the same composition, which reverts to the tetragonal phase during this period. For the 70 and 200 nm ID templates, these NTs also provide some stabilization and effective packaging of the perovskite with regard to crystallinity and PL intensity over this time period.
Author: Jeffery L. Coffer, Professor, Inorganic and Materials Chemistry

Journal Title: Biomedical Microdevices

Abstract: This work focuses on an valuation of novel composites of porous silicon (pSi) with the biocompatible polymer ε-polycaprolactone (PCL) for drug delivery and tissue engineering applications. The degradation behavior of the composites in terms of their morphology along with the effect of pSi on polymer degradation was monitored. PSi particles loaded with the drug camptothecin (CPT) were physically embedded into PCL films formed from electrospun PCL fiber sheets. PSi/PCL composites revealed a release profile of CPT (monitored via fluorescence spectroscopy) in accordance with the Higuchi release model, with significantly lower burst release percentage compared to pSi microparticles alone. Degradation studies of the composites, using gravimetric analysis, differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), and field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM), carried out in phosphate-buffered saline (PBS) under simulated physiological conditions, indicated a modest mass loss (15%) over 5 weeks due to pSi dissolution and minor polymer hydrolysis. DSC results showed that, relative to PCL-only controls, pSi suppressed crystallization of the polymer film during PBS exposure. This suppression affects the evolution of surface morphology during this exposure that, in turn, influences the degradation behavior of the polymer. The implications of the above properties of these composites as a possible therapeutic device are discussed.
Author: Jeffery L. Coffer, Professor, Inorganic and Materials Chemistry

Journal Title: Intervention in School and Clinic

Abstract: Meaningful inclusion of quantitative reasoning into mathematics instruction requires meaningful ways to evaluate it. Few formative assessments exist to evaluate the strategies students use when reasoning mathematically. The Framework for Evaluating Quantitative Reasoning Strategies presented in this article provides teachers with categories for evaluating types of quantitative reasoning strategies students use for problems in the mathematical domain of number and operations. Numerous examples of the types of strategies students use for comparing fractions and how to evaluate the complexity of these strategies are provided. Included are research-based instructional recommendations for moving students toward a deeper conceptual understanding of fractions as numbers.
Author: Lindy Crawford, Professor, Ann Jones Endowed Chair in Special Education

Journal Title: Papers in Applied Geography

Abstract: Illicit massage businesses (IMBs) play a considerable role in sex trafficking in the United States. Sometimes referred to as erotic massage parlors or Asian massage parlors, IMBs act as nodes within human and sex trafficking networks across the United States, where exploitation, involuntary servitude, and contemporary slavery are common occurrences. IMBs represent the largest component of the sex industry trend toward “indoor” sex work, in which meeting locations for sex workers and customers are prearranged, so there is no requirement that sex workers be publicly visible for customers to identify them. The lower visibility of contemporary sex work makes it difficult to identify locations where such activity occurs. As a result, research examining spatial, temporal, and economic prevalence of IMBs draws almost entirely on anecdotal evidence, and the accuracy of the analyses is somewhat questionable. This study begins to address this problem in an examination of the IMB industry in Houston, Texas. The research draws on user-generated data from online IMB review sites to identify IMB locations. This research further examines the geographic distribution of IMBs in the city to understand the spatial and situational characteristics most correlated with active IMBs.
Author: Sean M. Crotty, Assistant Professor, Geography

Encyclopedia's Introduction: The Encyclopedia of Petroleum Geoscience, published in the Springer’s celebrated Earth Science Encyclopedia Series, offers a comprehensive platform for topical articles on petroleum geology, geochemistry, geophysics, exploration and development, basin modeling, reservoir simulation, and unconventional hydrocarbon resources. With nearly 250 entry articles written by leading researchers and professionals, the Encyclopedia of Petroleum Geoscience provides a useful educational and reference tool and gives up-to-date overviews of petroleum geoscience. Given the significance of oil and gas resources in world economy and everyday life, and global standing of the petroleum industry in employment, university education, and research funding in geoscience disciplines, this volume will be of wider interest across academic as well as industrial readers. Published both in print and digitally, The Encyclopedia of Petroleum Geoscience can easily be used as a reference book and an overview of technical topics in a non-technical language understandable to educators and professionals. Each entry article in the volume also lists main books and papers in the field for further reading.
Contributor: Richard Denne, Professor of Professional Practice, Hunter Enis Chair in Petroleum Geology, Geological Sciences

Description: This groundbreaking book offers the first scholarly analysis of the entire Codex Mexicanus, an enigmatic sixteenth-century pictorial manuscript, and shows how it helped the Aztec adapt to life in colonial Mexico.
Author: Lori Boornazian Diel, Professor of Art History &Art

Journal Title: Virology

Abstract: Experimental results in vitro and in animal models are used to guide researchers in testing vaccines or treatment in humans. However, viral kinetics are different in vitro, in animals, and in humans, so it is sometimes difficult to translate results from one system to another. In this study, we use a mathematical model to fit experimental data from multiple cycle respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) infections in vitro, in african green monkey (AGM), and in humans in order to quantitatively compare viral kinetics in the different systems. We find that there are differences in viral clearance rate, productively infectious cell lifespan, and eclipse phase duration between in vitro and in vivo systems and among different in vivo systems. We show that these differences in viral kinetics lead to different estimates of drug effectiveness of fusion inhibitors in vitro and in AGM than in humans.
Author: Hana M. Dobrovolny, Associate Professor of Biophysics

Journal Title: Frontiers in Pharmacology

Abstract: Combination therapy for influenza can have several benefits, from reducing the emergence of drug resistant virus strains to decreasing the cost of antivirals. However, there are currently only two classes of antivirals approved for use against influenza, limiting the possible combinations that can be considered for treatment. However, new antivirals are being developed that target different parts of the viral replication cycle, and their potential for use in combination therapy should be considered. The role of antiviral mechanism of action in the effectiveness of combination therapy has not yet been systematically investigated to determine whether certain antiviral mechanisms of action pair well in combination. Here, we use a mathematical model of influenza to model combination treatment with antivirals having different mechanisms of action to measure peak viral load, infection duration, and synergy of different drug combinations. We find that antivirals that lower the infection rate and antivirals that increase the duration of the eclipse phase perform poorly in combination with other antivirals.
Author: Hana M. Dobrovolny, Associate Professor of Biophysics

Description: The chapters in this volume represent the latest thinking on the development and exploration of unconventional energy resources in the U.S., Canada, Australia, Europe, Russia, Asia Pacific, Middle East, Latin America, and Africa and shed light on its potential and future prospects in these respective regions. The diversity of thinking about the “shale revolution” is also evident in our case studies. Throughout many countries in Europe for example, there is a strong preference for investment in renewable sources of energy over the fossil fuels. In addition to environmental concerns, the falling price of renewables, have also made them more attractive financially. Consequently, global investment in renewables is outpacing that of fossil fuel two to one. Watching this trend, in 2017, the Chinese government has pledged to invest $360 billion on renewable energy. This would make China the largest investor in development of renewables in the world. Other obstacles to development of shale oil and gas in other parts of the world include, lack of adequate shale resources (Africa), the abundance of conventional energy resources (Middle East and North Africa), high cost of production (Russia, China, Japan) and political opposition to hydraulic fracturing (France and Poland). Despite these sentiments the economic imperatives (providing employment) also play a significant role in determining the future prospects for unconventional energy resources globally
Editor: Manochehr Dorraj, Professor, Political Science

Journal Title: Chinese Political Science Review

Abstract: This paper would first define the concepts of populism and corporatism often used to study political systems in Latin America and Europe, (specially Southern Europe). The utility and the relevance of the concepts for the study of politics in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) regions are delineated. Since our study of populism intends to not only shed light on populism as an ideology and movement, but also analyze its role as an instrument of incorporation of the newly energized masses in the political system and the consolidation of power of populist regimes, we believe the two concepts are organically linked and complementary and as such are integral to understanding populism not only as an opposition movement, but also in shedding light on the policies of populist states once in power. By making brief allusions to populist movements in other parts of the world, especially, Latin America, the commonalities and the differences are dissected. References are made to case studies of the Egyptian, Algerian, Libyan and Iranian revolutions as popular revolutions guided by a populist ideology and how these populist regimes once in power utilized a corporatist strategy to govern. These case studies would illuminate the particular political and cultural manifestations of Middle Eastern populism and corporatism, thus further contributing to our theoretical understanding of comparative populism and their application to the MENA political scene. Such broadly comparative approach allows us to engage in theoretical observations that put the MENA in a larger global context. It also challenges the theory of Islamic exceptionalism. In this paper, we first briefly define the concepts of populism and corporatism in a comparative perspective. Then the relevance and the application of the concepts in understanding the broad dynamics of the regional politics will be discussed.
Author: Manochehr Dorraj, Professor, Political Science

Journal Title: Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry

Abstract: Methylmercury (MeHg) is an aquatic contaminant that can be transferred to terrestrial predators by emergent aquatic insects. We assessed the effects of month and pond permanence on dipteran‐mediated MeHg flux (calculated as emergent dipteran biomass × dipteran MeHg concentration) in 10 experimental ponds. Emergent dipterans were collected weekly from permanent ponds with bluegill (Lepomis macrochirus; n = 5) and semipermanent ponds without fish (n = 5) over a 7‐mo period (February–August, 2015). We detected a significant effect of month on MeHg flux from 6 dipteran taxa and aggregate MeHg flux, with the highest MeHg flux from herbivorous/detritivorous chironomid midges and predatory midges in March; biting midges, phantom midges and herbivorous/detritivorous orthoclad midges in April; and mosquitoes in August. Aggregate dipteran‐mediated MeHg flux peaked in April and then declined throughout the remainder of the summer. We did not detect a significant main effect of pond permanence or a significant month × pond permanence interaction effect on MeHg flux for any of the taxa examined in the present study or for aggregate MeHg flux. Given their ubiquity in aquatic systems and their importance in food webs at the land–water interface, dipterans are important taxa that should not be overlooked as a part of the Hg cycle. Environ Toxicol Chem 2018;37:1846–1851. © 2018 SETAC
Author: Ray W. Drenner, Professor, Biology