University of Houston

Comparison of Wavefront-optimised Refraction Determined Pre- and Post-cycloplegia in Individuals with Down Syndrome

Abstract Purpose To compare metric-optimised refractions determined from wavefront aberration measures with the COAS-HD wavefront aberrometer pre- and post-dilation and the resultant visual acuity through each refraction in participants with Down syndrome (DS). Methods Twenty-one...

Luminescent Three-Coordinate Copper(I) Complexes Supported by an 8-Aryl-1-Naphthyl-Substituted “Sandwich” NacNac Ligand

Abstract Sterically encumbered β-diketiminate (NacNac) ligands are widely used in several contexts, and our group recently showed they are effective at preventing excited-state distortion in copper(I) chromophores and increasing their lifetime. This work introduces compounds base...

Shallow Landslides Align With Atmospheric Rivers in Coastal Steeplands

Abstract Rapid, shallow landslides in coastal mountains are triggered by extreme precipitation, shaping topography and impacting human settlements. Using an inventory of >700 landslides mapped from satellite imagery (2009–2024) and an atmospheric river database (1981–2019), this...

Understanding STEM Coursetaking Among English Learner Subgroups: Longitudinal Evidence From Four State Policy Contexts

Abstract Although a substantial body of research documents the problem of course tracking for students classified as English learners (ELs), very little work has addressed the notably different challenges that subgroups of ELs face across different state policy contexts. This des...

The Lived Experiences of Parent-Child Separation and Mental Health Needs Among Young Adults Experiencing Homelessness

Parent-child separation is common among young adult parents experiencing homelessness and has been described as traumatic, yet little is known about the parenting and separation experiences or related mental health needs among young adult parents experiencing homelessness. Using...

Structural Motif Selection in Fluorinated Metal–Organic Chalcogenides Driven by Ligand Electrostatics

Abstract Hybrid organic–inorganic materials enable systematic structural tuning through chemical modification of organic ligands. Predictive control, however, requires a mechanistic understanding of how ligand chemistry and inorganic frameworks jointly determine structural motif...

Affective divisions and climate policy polarization

Climate policy attitudes are increasingly polarized across Western Europe. We examine how affective polarization shapes these attitudes, arguing that affective distance between opposing identity camps contributes to voters adopting climate positions that align with their own side...

It doesn’t always have to be this way: promoting girls’ interest in STEM through growth mindsets and structural explanations of gender differences

Gender gaps in motivation for STEM fields emerge at an early age and generally persist as children become older. Viewing these gender differences in motivation as malleable rather than fixed or inherent may reduce stereotyping and promote girls’ motivation in STEM. The current pa...

More Than Hurt Feelings: Associations Between Perceived Racial Discrimination and Mental Health, Substance Use, and Victimization Among Racial and Ethnic Minority Adolescents

Abstract Background Although prior research has linked perceived racial discrimination (PRD) to adverse outcomes among adolescents, fewer studies have comprehensively examined its associations with mental health, substance use, and victimization outcomes within a single nationall...

Comparative adjuvant therapy to reduce vancomycin-associated nephrotoxicity in an animal model

Vancomycin is a mainstay antibiotic for serious gram-positive infections, but nephrotoxicity remains a major barrier to its optimal use. In this study, we compared the effectiveness of montelukast and zileuton as adjuvant strategies to reduce vancomycin-associated nephrotoxicity....

Development and Validation of the Stress Burden of Electronic Cigarette Smoking Scale (SBECSS) Among Adult Dual Users

BACKGROUND: The present study aimed to develop and evaluate the preliminary validity of the Stress Burden of Electronic Cigarette Smoking Scale (SBECSS), a new measure designed to assess the level of stress burden associated with the co-occurring perceptions of electronic cigaret...

Bayesian inference of gene regulatory networks at stochastic steady state

Gene Regulatory Networks (GRNs) form the regulatory backbone that coordinates gene expression. The architecture of GRNs shapes their function and constraints the biochemical pathways through which information flows. Inferring the structure of regulatory interactions is thus essen...

Monoclonal antibodies inhibiting MMP-9 activity alleviate peripheral neuropathy in diabetic mice

Diabetic peripheral neuropathy (DPN) is a debilitating medical condition that affects millions of individuals, causing neuropathic pain and chronic wounds. Despite its substantial impact, there are currently no effective disease-modifying treatments available to prevent or revers...

Clinical and Radiologic Features Correlated with Eye-Sparing Surgery vs. Orbital Exenteration for Lacrimal Gland Adenoid Cystic Carcinoma

Background: To determine if certain clinical and radiologic features of lacrimal gland adenoid cystic carcinoma (LGACC) on pre-operative MRI were associated with the treatment decision to perform orbital exenteration versus eye-sparing surgery. Methods: All consecutive patients w...

Developmental eye movement test performance and oculomotor dysfunction in adults with chronic mild traumatic brain injury

PURPOSE: Oculomotor dysfunction is common after mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI) and contributes to persistent visual symptoms. Comprehensive binocular vision and ocular motor assessments remain the diagnostic standard but may not be readily available. This study examined the a...

Quantitative In-Cell Localization Microscopy: From Single-Molecule Localizations to Mechanistic Inference

Abstract Quantitative in-cell localization microscopy can reveal nanoscale molecular organization, but the biological strength of a localization-derived claim depends on more than localization precision. Blinking, incomplete labeling, molecular motion, background heterogeneity, a...

Reentry and COVID-19: an examination of the vaccine beliefs and behaviors of Black adults in an urban community

Abstract Background Black individuals who are currently or formerly incarcerated have experienced disproportionate risk of COVID-19 infection and mortality. Yet, COVID-19 vaccine uptake within this population remains shaped by complex multilevel factors. Guided by the Health Beli...

Ensemble probability meta-classifier for attack detection leveraging user behavior and big data analytics

The rapid rise in cyber threats requires effective detection methodologies to accurately identify malicious behavior. Conventional detection techniques often struggle with the volume and complexity of data generated in today’s computing environments. This study focuses on detecti...

Psilocybin prevents chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy through mitochondrial trafficking preservation

Chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy (CIPN) is a disabling, often irreversible toxicity that affects millions of patients, limits life-saving cancer therapy, and lacks proven treatment. In this work, we show that as little as two doses of psilocybin before chemotherapy dura...

Cobalt-Catalyzed, Aminoquinoline-Directed Functionalization of Nonactivated C(sp3)-H Bonds under Mild Conditions

Abstract Second- and third-row transition metal catalysis in C(sp3)-H bond functionalization is well-established and is currently used in the synthesis of complex natural products, which can be considered the ultimate test of new synthetic methodologies. However, readily availabl...