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Strengthening Connections: The Impact of Semantic Association Strength on Treatment Response During CILT
No full textVarious interventions can improve verbal output in people with aphasia. One such method is Constraint-Induced Language Therapy (CILT), a structured model restraining nonverbal communication and promoting strictly verbal modalities during social communicative context activities. This study focuses on the effects of noun-verb association strength (cosine similarity) on sentence production before and after CILT. The aims of the study were to investigate (1) the extent to which cosine similarity influences noun-verb retrieval accuracies and (2) the influence of CILT treatment on retrieval measured by cosine similarity, suggesting the possible mitigating effects of training. The study included 27 individuals (Mean age = 60 years) with post-stroke aphasia who participated in 10 CILT sessions involving the production of subject-verb-object sentences. Cosine similarity for noun-verb pairings was obtained from the University of Colorado Boulder word embedding analysis tool. Noun accuracy, verb accuracy, and overall sentence accuracy were recorded for each item. GLMER analysis demonstrated a significant interaction between cosine similarity and timepoint for verb accuracy only. Cosine similarity was a strong predictor of successful word retrieval for nouns at all timepoints but a stronger predictor of successful word retrieval before CILT than after CILT for verbs. Together, this indicates that cosine similarity is a critical facilitator of word retrieval with mitigating effects of CILT on verb retrieval. Since the strength of semantic association may be exploited in relevant treatments, clinicians can incorporate cosine similarity as a factor influencing treatment.Communication Sciences and Disorders, Department ofHonors Colleg
Modifications Based on Cognitive Interviews to the Spanish-Language Four Domain Food Insecurity Scale (4D-FIS)
No full textHigh rates of food insecurity among Hispanic immigrant parents, where 63% have low English proficiency. Spanish-speaking immigrants have been excluded from food insecurity survey development. We conducted cognitive interviews and focus group interviews to gain perspective on how food insecurity experiences were conceptualized using the translated 4D-FIS (S-4D-FIS). Data collection occurred at a community center that provides resources to low-income households. Eligibility requirements: parent born in a Spanish-speaking country, primary food provider, adequate Spanish literacy, low English literacy, and economic hardship. Participants revealed their decision-making process and identified issues with survey items such as understanding, wording, clarity, formatting, and cultural appropriateness. Focus groups were used to gain insight on food insecurity experiences to inform the development of survey questions. Nine cognitive interviews and 15 focus group interviews were conducted. Participants averaged 40 years old, 79% unemployed, and 50% from Mexico. After the cognitive interviews, at least one word was changed on 12 of the 16 S-4D-FIS items. Two additional items added for clarity, resulting in the survey increasing from 16 to 18 items. After the focus groups, at least one word was changed in 3 of the 18 items, an additional item was added for clarity, 2 items were deleted, and 5 new survey items were created. This resulted in a revised scale of 22 items. Revisions to the existing S-4D-FIS were needed to enhance relevancy for Spanish-speaking immigrant parents. [This project was completed with contributions from Anairany Zapata from Cizik School of Nursing at UTHealth Houston and Rickelle Richards from Brigham Young University.]Health and Human Performance, Department ofHonors Colleg
Various Measures of Housing Instability as Predictors of Food Insecurity
No full textFunding: Research reported in this presentation was supported by the National Institute of Nursing Research of the National Institutes of Health under Award Number R01NR021156. Research assistants on this project were supported by the Research and Extension Experiential Learning for Undergraduate (REEU) Program of the National Institute of Food and Agriculture, USDA, Grant #2022-68018-36607. Background: The aim of this study is to identify tenants at risk for food insecurity based on various measures of housing instability and housing related problems and supports. Methods: Tenants from Travis and Harris Counties completed an online survey (March-July 2024). Housing Instability. Homelessness. Participants affirmatively responded to ever experiencing homelessness. Evicted. Eviction records were used to categorize tenants as having experienced formal eviction. Mobility. # of housing moves. Lease Violations. Affirmative responses to 3 mutually exclusive items: not paying the full amount of rent, missed any rent payments, and violated any part of lease not related to payment. Housing hardship. Affirmative responses to 4 mutually exclusive items: inability to pay utilities, utilities turned off, stayed overnight car/abandoned building, moved in with other people. Housing Related Problems and Supports. Poor Living Conditions. 8 mutually exclusive items describing housing problems (e.g., mold) were summed. Safety. Affirmative response to living in an unsafe housing environment. Housing Assistance. Affirmative response to receiving rental assistance. Food Insecurity. 2-item Hunger Vital Sign. A covariate-adjusted logistic regression examined the associations between the various housing instability measures and food insecurity. Results: Tenants (n=1642) were on average 41 years old, primarily female (76%) and Black (56%). Tenants who previously experienced homelessness (AOR=2.34, 95%CI 1.59-3.43), those who were only able to pay a portion of their rent (AOR=1.53, 95%CI 1.37-1.70), missed rent payments (AOR=1.36, 95%CI 1.27-1.49), unable to pay their utilities (AOR=2.62, 95%CI 2.39-2.88), experienced a greater number of poor living conditions (AOR=1.10, 95%CI 1.04-1.16), lived in an unsafe housing environment (AOR=1.95, 95%CI 1.64-2.31), and used rental assistance (AOR=1.39, 95%CI 1.15-1.68) were at greater risk for experiencing food insecurity. Conclusion: Designing programs that reduce housing instability may also reduce food insecurity. Findings can inform interventions seeking to create wholistic programs to reduce both housing instability and food insecurity. [This project was completed with contributions from Anairany Zapata and Annalynn Galvin from the Cizik School of Nursing at UTHealth Houston; Rhea Vikas, Wenyaw Chan, and Jack Tsai from UTHealth Houston School of Public Health; Timothy Thomas from University of California-Berkeley; and Heather Way and Elizabeth Mueller from University of Texas at Austin.]Health and Human Performance, Department ofHonors Colleg
The Naturally Bioactive Vicine Extracted from Faba Beans Is Responsible for the Transformation of Grass Carp (Ctenopharyngodon idella) into Crisp Grass Carp
No full textWhile faba bean feeding improves grass carp muscle texture via reactive oxygen species (ROS), the main bioactive compound was unclear. In this study, vicine&mdash;a pro-oxidant glycoside&mdash;was isolated from faba beans using cation-exchange column chromatography and supplemented into the feed of grass carp at 0.6%. To assess the impact of vicine on muscle texture, the grass carp were fed for 150 days with three treatments: control group, faba bean group, and vicine group. The results showed that vicine improved muscle texture similarly to faba beans but caused fewer adverse effects on muscle, liver, and intestinal health. Vicine improved grass carp muscle texture in the following ways: (1) induced ROS overproduction, activating the Caspase apoptosis pathway and downregulating <i>Pax-7</i> to promote satellite cell-mediated myofiber regeneration; (2) vicine-mediated intestinal microbiota alterations increased lipopolysaccharide (LPS) levels, indirectly elevating muscle ROS via the gut&ndash;muscle axis to further affect muscle structure. This study demonstrated that vicine improved muscle texture by activating ROS-dependent myofiber regeneration but also induced oxidative stress and gut microbiota perturbation. While vicine mitigated the severe toxicity of faba beans, its application requires careful evaluation of its toxicological properties to balance benefits and risks. This study offers new insights for enhancing the quality of aquatic animals
Impact of Social Jetlag Versus Recovery Sleep on Adolescents’ Positive Emotion in Social and Nonsocial Contexts
No full textSleep serves as an essential foundation for optimal socio-emotional development and inadequate sleep is a well-documented public health concern among U.S. adolescents. Up to 88% of teens have sleep patterns characterized by short sleep on weekdays followed by extended/recovery sleep on weekends (i.e., social jet lag). The National Sleep Foundation recommends adolescents receive 8-10 hours of nightly sleep and warns that less sleep may lead to a host of negative outcomes, including depression and suicidality. Emerging data also link poor sleep with more peer problems, fewer friendships, and social skills deficits, which further increase risk for affective disorders. Results from prior experimental studies suggest that these problems may emerge via decrements in positive emotions resulting from inadequate sleep. Thus, it is vital to better understand the impact of social jet lag on positive emotions during this critical developmental period. In particular, we were interested in understanding whether, after four nights of weekday short sleep, one night of weekend recovery sleep produces detectable increases in positive emotions and socio-emotional functioning among adolescents in both social and non-social contexts. A sample of N=45 healthy adolescents (M = 15.09, SD = 1.43; range 13 to 17 years) with social jet lag participated. Adolescents completed a comprehensive baseline assessment, including diagnostic interviews, followed by 5 nights of actigraphy and sleep diary monitoring (Monday–Friday). On Friday evening, youth were randomly selected to continue sleeping their typical weekday amount (Typical Sleep group; TS) or to extend their sleep up to 10 hours (Recovery Sleep group; RS). The next day, adolescents completed several experimental tasks in the lab, including watching humorous movie clips and interacting with two unfamiliar people. During one manipulated interaction, they were asked to try to cheer up the other person. Positive affect, objective facial expressions, and self and observer ratings of emotional valence and arousal were assessed. No statistically significant group differences were found, though small effect sizes generally revealed minor improvements in positive affect, affective language use, and emotional arousal levels across tasks among adolescents in the RS group compared to the TS group. These novel experimental findings suggest that one night of adequate sleep after a week of sleep deprivation produces only minimal (i.e., non-meaningful) improvements in adolescents’ positive affect or socio-emotional functioning. Results highlight the potential short-term risks of social jetlag for adolescents’ emotional and social health
Separate, Mark, Investigate, Look, and Evaluate: A Strategic Approach for Ensuring Increased Student Comprehension
No full textBackground: The United States has seen a nationwide decline in the number of students who are reading on grade level. It is estimated that as many as two-thirds of the middle school students in this country currently will not demonstrate proficiency in reading-based knowledge and comprehension skills by the time they enter high school. Some children naturally develop strategies that increase their ability to comprehend difficult text; for students who do not comprehend naturally, it is important to have strategies that support the acquisition of reading development. If teachers are not given the necessary tools to assist their struggling readers, this trend will perpetuate an increasingly wider gap between proficient readers and struggling readers. Purpose: Research has provided evidence to indicate supporting instruction using literacy strategies has shown a positive effect on students’ capacity to become effective readers. The goal of this basic qualitative research study was to determine the effects of the Separate, Mark, Investigate, Look, and Evaluate (S.M.I.L.E.) Method© on the reading skills assessments of middle-level students, specifically those identified as a struggling/striving reader. Method: This basic qualitative research study framed with self-study and narratives analyzed the strengths and weaknesses of the S.M.I.L.E. Method© using data from the researcher’s field journal, self-reflective questioning, and testimonials from teachers who have previously implemented the S.M.I.L.E. Method© in their classroom instruction. The field journal served as a tool to collect data on the daily operations in the researcher’s English Language Arts classroom, and the self-reflective questions, designed for the researcher by a literacy expert, served as a tool to evaluate the researcher’s practices and weekly designed lessons. Through email contact, the researcher collected narratives from six teachers who have used the S.M.I.L.E. Method© in their classroom. The narratives gave accounts of the positives and negatives the teachers experienced while instructing using this method and any insights observed as their students implemented this strategy. Once all data sets were collected, the researcher coded key words and phrases using the following system: positive words and phrases highlighted in green, neutral words and phrases highlighted in yellow, and negative words and phrases highlighted in pink. The datasets were then sorted and entered on a spreadsheet indicating the source and the three areas (positive, neutral, and negative). The researcher then used the triangulation method to compare the data from the field journal, self-reflection, and narratives. Results: Through this study, the findings yielded negative, neutral, and positive results to implementing the S.M.I.L.E. Method©. The participants had a limited number of negative comments and initial frustration was noted as the most frequent word used. After students learned to analyze a passage using the S.M.I.L.E. Method, this frustration was not expressed regarding the implementation process. Observation of students' work and participation also indicated that although there was initial frustration, their scores on assignments and participation in class discussions began to show growth. The most frequent word/phrase that occurred in the neutral column pertained to the time required to instruct students in a new way of approaching their reading. These centered around the need for additional practice and examples needed to assist students during the learning process. Even though the data collection showed the presence of negative and neutral comments, based on the data collection the positive results outweighed any frustration or time concerns that were identified. Participants provided their accounts of student success on assignments, an increase in assessment scores, and deeper discussions from using the S.M.I.L.E. Method. When viewed holistically, the six participants and the researcher noted success pertaining to an increase in students' comprehension scores, class discussion participation and higher proficiency in reading-based knowledge and on daily assignments and assessments. Conclusion: The purpose of this study was to explore the use of the Separate, Mark, Investigate, Look, and Evaluate (S.M.I.L.E.) Method© as a comprehension strategy. Through this study, it was determined that the S.M.I.L.E Method© positively affected the reading skills assessment scores of middle school students including those identified as a struggling reader
Visible-Light Catalytic Transformation of Unactivated Alkyl Halides Enabled by Strongly Reducing Photosensitizers
No full textHydrogenation of carbonyl compounds traditionally requires strong or toxic reducing hydride reagents, high-pressure hydrogen gas, or UV light, while using visible light typically drives the diol or diamine product. However, the Teets group has found that by utilizing the strong hydrogen-donor ability of 1,3-dimethyl-2,3-dihydro-2- phenylbenzimidazole (BIH) coupled with the potent excited-state reducing power of a ß-diketiminate-supported bis-cyclometalated iridium photosensitizer (Ir1) the carbonyl substrates form the hydrogenation product under visible light instead. This difference is key as it promotes the hydrogenation of substrates under simpler reaction conditions without wasteful additives and enables more synthetically useful Carbon-Carbon bond-forming reactions by trapping the radical intermediate before it dimerizes. In this work, we use these insights and expand the scope of substrates in C-C bond-forming reactions to other substrate classes that are challenging to reduce, primarily focusing on certain unactivated alkyl halides. This study demonstrates the effectiveness of the iridium photosensitizer in generating radicals to be captured by alkenes to yield the desired coupling products under optimized mild conditions.Chemistry, Department ofHonors Colleg
Room Turnaround Time Reduction
No full textRoom Turnaround Time (RTAT) is defined as the time from "wheels out" of the first patient to the "wheels in" of the next patient and is a critical metric for hospitals to measure. HCA Clear Lake's RTAT exceeds the facility goal of 30 minutes or less. Prolonged RTAT contributes to delayed surgeries, high patient wait times, hospital congestion, reduced revenue, and increased staff strain. The purpose of this project is to propose a standardized process and departmental strategies/investments to reduce the RTAT by at least 10%, improve coordination across key departments, and present a reproducible approach to reduce RTAT across all operating rooms. This study analyzes the RTAT process through interviews, process observations, and data analytics to identify bottlenecks and issues that lead to delays in RTAT. Findings indicate that understaffing, task allocation, and inefficiencies in the sterile processing department contribute most to the prolonged RTAT. Proposed improvements include reassigning circulating nurse tasks, optimizing staff scheduling, and implementing a bidirectional scanning system for better item tracking. These strategies aim to enhance coordination, reduce unnecessary movement, and standardize processes to decrease the RTAT by at least 10%. The next steps involve developing standard operating procedures, conducting cost-benefit analyses, and implementing improvements across hospital departments upon executive approvalIndustrial and Systems Engineering, Department ofHonors Colleg
Development of a Python-based Data Assimilation Framework (PyDAF). Case Study: Refining Ammonia Emissions Through Observation Data
No full textData assimilation combines models with observations to improve predictions, reduce uncertainties, and support better decisions. To meet the need for a comprehensive framework that supports multiple approaches and models, we are developing the Python-based Data Assimilation Framework (PyDAF). In the first study, we introduced PyDAF version 1, supporting CMAQ and WRF-Chem models with iFDMB, 3D-VAR, 4D-VAR, and adjoint methods, using IASI, CrIS, satellite, and Nexrad radar data. For the validation, the Complex Variable Method and pseudo observations are employed. Applying PyDAF, we analyzed an ozone (O3) exceedance in Seoul on June 3, 2019, estimating contributions up to four days ahead. Korean emissions contributed 31.1 ppb, while emissions from Shandong, the Yangtze River Delta, Central China, and Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei contributed 11.42, 4.28, 1.24, and 0.9 ppb, respectively, with 19.3 ppb from background O3 beyond eastern China. In the second study, we used PyDAF:iFDMB to update NH3 emissions over East Asia with CrIS data for July, August, and September 2019. Revised emissions increased in China, especially the North China Plain, and decreased in South Korea in September. Higher NH3 emissions raised NH3 concentrations by 5 ppb. In July and September, ammonium (NH4) and nitrate (NO3) increased by 5 µg m−3, while in August they decreased. Sulfate (SO4) concentrations fell across most of China and Taiwan in August–September due to ammonium sulfate formation, but rose over South Korea, Japan, and southern Chengdu with higher humidity. In July, SO4 increased across much of China. In the third study, we refined 2019 NH3 emissions over the south-central U.S. with PyDAF:iFDMB and CrIS data, evaluating impacts on inorganic PM2.5. We also compared emissions constrained by IASI, CrIS, and both combined. Notably, we showed satellite-based refinement over open water in the northwestern Gulf of Mexico (NWGOM). Annual NH3 emissions rose 2.5-fold (1.43 Gg N a−1), increasing NH3 (3.4-fold), NH4 (1.26-fold), SO4 (1.01-fold), and NO3 (2-fold), especially in Texas, New Mexico, and Oklahoma. Combined IASI/CrIS estimates best matched surface observations. Over NWGOM, NH3 rose 1.4 ppb, mainly due to biological nitrogen fixation
Machine-Learning-Based Non-Destructive Evaluation of Refractory Anchor Welds via Analysis of Percussion-Induced Acoustic Signals
No full textWelding is a critical process in modern infrastructure, particularly for securing refractory anchors in high-temperature vessels used across refineries, power plants, and chemical facilities. Ensuring the quality of these welds is essential, but traditional inspection methods are often destructive, time-consuming, or limited in accuracy. This thesis investigates a novel non-destructive evaluation (NDE) technique that leverages machine learning (ML) and percussion-induced audio analysis to assess weld quality. A custom weld plate was fabricated containing both properly welded and intentionally flawed refractory anchors. Controlled mechanical impacts—using tools such as a hammer and chisel—were applied to the exposed ends of these anchors. The resulting audio signals were recorded and transformed into Mel-Frequency Cepstral Coefficients (MFCCs). These MFCCs served as input features for multiple machine learning models including supervised and unsupervised models. The supervised models used were support vector machines (SVM), logistic regression, recurrent neural networks (RNN). The unsupervised models used were k-means clustering. All models were evaluated using three progressively independent tests: a dependent 70:30 train-test split, a semi-independent test using newly recorded data from the same weld plate, and a fully independent test involving unseen anchors. Despite increased variability across tests, the supervised models achieved 100% classification accuracy, while the unsupervised clustering method reached 99.42%. These results demonstrate that audio-based machine learning offers a fast, cost-effective, and objective alternative for weld inspection, with strong potential for improving industrial quality control practices