1,720,964 research outputs found
Improving Healthcare Access via Community Ties in Houston’s Third Ward
No full textMany inner-city residents in large U.S. metropolitan areas are socioeconomically disadvantaged, which leads to higher rates of chronic illness and lower rates of healthcare access. This demographic may struggle to benefit from telehealth services due to lack of access to technology, private transportation, and/or health and digital literacy. Our goal is to leverage Houston’s Third Ward’s strong sense of community to determine if a targeted community telehealth program will improve healthcare access in the Third Ward during periods of isolation, either due to a pandemic lockdown or a general lack of access to healthcare. Our proposed efforts include partnering with a local electronics donation nonprofit organization to allow community health workers (CHWs) to facilitate the televisit process for fellow Third Ward residents with gently used tablets. This study will quantify the number of primary health provider visits in the twelve months before and after our program is implemented. A successful telehealth program should motivate Third Ward residents to schedule virtual visits more frequently. Increased participation will facilitate an open line of communication between patients and their primary healthcare providers, thereby providing an effective alternative to in-person care. This project is one component of improving the equity of the U.S. healthcare system, especially for underserved inner-city populations like Houston’s Third Ward.Honors Colleg
Is Volunteer Water Quality Data of Galveston Bay Comparable to Professional Data?
No full textCitizen science or volunteer data collection has been vital to monitoring the water quality of Galveston Bay. It allows volunteers to compile large datasets more often and in a more cost-effective way than professionally acquired data. It also results in a more accessible data pool across a wider geographic area. However, due to concerns with accuracy, citizen science has been severely underused within the scientific community. Specifically, scientists have been concerned with how volunteers are trained and how controlled the sampling process is. As such, the objective of this study is to determine whether volunteer-based data is comparable to professional data. This was accomplished by comparing data from a similar sampling site used by the Galveston Bay Foundation and Texas Commission on Environmental Quality to represent volunteer and professional data respectfully. Although some data points varied greatly due to date, time of day, and weather, there was overall no significant difference between the two data sets. As such, citizen science data for the water quality of Galveston Bay is comparable to professional data and can thus expand the data set used in research and policy making decisions.Biology and Biochemistry, Department ofHonors Colleg
Microgravity Impacts on IL-2 Cytokine Production
No full textThe exploration of space presents unique challenges to human health, particularly concerning the immune system's functionality under microgravity conditions. This study investigates the effects of microgravity on the production of Interleukin-2 (IL-2), a pivotal cytokine in immune response regulation. IL-2 is critical for the proliferation and differentiation of T cells, making its proper production essential for maintaining immune competence. Mice would be utilized as a model organism on the International Space Station under microgravity conditions along with parallel control experiments of mice under standard Earth gravity conditions. Blood samples would be collected bi-monthly over a six-month period to analyze the IL-2 levels. The methodology will include testing each step of the IL-2 NFAT production pathway to identify specific points of disruption under microgravity. By comparing the presence and activity of pathway products in both groups of mice, we aim to pinpoint the exact stage(s) at which microgravity exerts its effects. The potential results of this study could enhance our understanding of how microgravity impacts immune function, with implications for long-term human spaceflight and potential applications on Earth to improve treatments for immunocompromised individuals who exhibit similar immune system challenges. By identifying specific changes in IL-2 production under microgravity, we hope to contribute to the development of targeted therapeutic strategies to mitigate immune system dysfunction in these particular populations.Honors Colleg
The Effects of Hurricane Harvey on Oyster Restoration
No full textThe eastern oyster (Crassostrea virginica) provides many ecological and economical services in the Galveston Bay and other estuarine ecosystems along the Gulf of Mexico and the Atlantic coast. They build reefs that many species utilize as habitats, filter water, and are an important fishery. However, overfishing, pollution and storms, such as Hurricane Harvey, have contributed to the loss of many functional oyster reefs. With this decline, substantial efforts, like the construction of bagged reefs in intertidal environments, have been made to restore oyster populations. The objective of this project was to determine how oyster abundance and size changed on restored intertidal reefs in Sweetwater Lake, Galveston Bay over four years (2016-2019) and coincidentally, determining how these oyster population characteristics changed before and after Hurricane Harvey. Across all years, oyster size and abundance were measured from five reefs, each with replicate bags (n=5). Larval recruitment for oyster size and abundance were collected using caged trays and were monitored during peak recruitment periods. Oyster abundance varied interannually by reef likely due to local hydrodynamics. Mean oyster size decreased, post-Harvey, likely due to the constraining of oyster growth and adult oyster mortality. Hurricane Harvey caused an estimated freshwater discharge that was three times the Bay’s normal volume. Spat abundance and size were impacted by this freshwater influx as larval oysters faced decreased transport success and slow growth in a low salinity environment. For intertidal oyster reef restoration in hurricane prone areas, tidal dynamics should be considered for oyster size and abundance characteristics.Biology and Biochemistry, Department ofHonors Colleg
The Socioeconomic Impacts of COVID-19
No full textHouston, the 4th largest city in the U.S., is a frontrunner in health-related inequities in this country. When observing the better health outcomes in the outer zip codes of the city compared to the worse health outcomes in inner-city zip codes, the difference can be attributed to the socioeconomic factors of the individuals in these zip codes. During the COVID-19 pandemic, the effects of these disparities were put on center stage. As of 2/27/2022, there are a total of 869,964 cases, which is about double the amount in 8/31/2021 when there were a total 447,115 cases. In fact, this increase in the number of cases makes this topic more prevalent. We plan to take into account the following socioeconomic factors: race, income, and zip code to show the impact on the COVID-19 cases in Harris County from August 2021 to February 2022. The COVID-19 pandemic has made these inequities far more evident. Socioeconomic factors, that is, an individual’s social and economic standing, have a profound effect on their health. The highest COVID-19 infection rates were found to be those of low income, African Americans and Hispanics, and those who live in inner-city zip codes. Using this information, we will be able to come up with a map that would illustrate the most at-risk zip codes for infection based on socioeconomic factors, which would help us not only for COVID-19 but also for understanding future outbreaks.Biology and Biochemistry, Department ofHonors Colleg
A Proposal to Reducing Foodborne Illnesses from Grocery Store Produce
No full textFoodborne illnesses continue to rise amidst preventative measures and are attributed to increased consumption of fresh produce as maintained by grocery stores. In grocery stores, misting sprinklers are used as a marketing strategy to entice customers with their “fresh and clean” appearance. However, misting has been attributed to increased microorganisms and is linked to foodborne illnesses. To reduce the number of microbial colonies on fresh produce in grocery stores, this study aims to test the effectiveness of Acidified Sodium Citrate (ASC) in grocery store misting systems. Specifically, the effectiveness of ASC on microbial colonies in leafy greens obtained from a grocery store chain. Samples are divided into a misting system maintained by water (control) or disinfectant. Microbial swabs of the lettuce samples are taken from the top, middle, and bottom sections of the display shelf. The samples and misting nozzles are swabbed prior to the experiment and every day for 7 days. RNA Extraction and RT-PCR are used to identify the specific types of microorganisms, while CFU counting is utilized to quantify their abundance. An ANOVA test analysis will be used to compare the experimental (ASC) and control (water-misted) values. In the event that the experiment works, grocery stores should implement ASC in their misting systems to mitigate potential hazards associated with foodborne risks, along with standardized methods of food safety practices regardless of socio-economic status. However, if the null hypothesis is accepted and no significant differences are found, grocery stores should consider discontinuing misting systems to save resources.Honors CollegeBiology and Biochemistry, Department ofPsychology, Department o
Understanding Mutation Rates Under Microgravity Conditions
No full textMutations are random changes to a DNA sequence that occur continually and can alter phenotypes. Environmental conditions select against less advantageous phenotypes, allowing the more fit individuals of a population to survive and reproduce. This concept, known as the theory of natural selection, has not yet been extensively studied at the population level under space microgravity conditions. This proposed experiment aims to determine if microgravity increases mutation rates in the Drosophila melanogaster genome. 100 generations of this model organism will be tested within a Random Positioning Machine (RPM) to simulate microgravity conditions and ensure sufficient time for stable mutation rate patterns. Genome sequencing at a singular and well-researched locus, specifically the myosin heavy chain gene, and subsequent mutation rate calculations will then be conducted to compare the microgravity population with an Earth gravity population. This comparison may reveal whether microgravity conditions increase mutation rates and compromise genetic stability. Future studies could investigate how fruit flies mutated and adapted to microgravity exhibit different physiologies and behaviors compared to their Earth-adapted counterparts. Discovering increased mutation rates due to microgravity could inform the development of improved methods and equipment for protecting human DNA during space travel. These findings could have significant implications for future exploration and long-term colonization in outer space.Honors CollegeBiology and Biochemistry, Department o
Tracking Estuarine Sedimentation through Novel Concrete Oyster Units
No full textThe goal of this research was to create a prototype unit that would act as a buffer in estuarine systems while collecting sediment. These units did in fact work as a way to dissipate sediment along the marsh of Sweetwater Preserve in Galveston, Texas. These units also provided a habitat for marine organisms such as hermit crabs, blue crabs, and naked gobe.Biology and Biochemistry, Department ofHonors Colleg
Going Beyond Counting First Authors in Author Co-citation Analysis
Get PDFThe present study examines one of the fundamental aspects of author co-citation analysis (ACA) - the way co-citation
counts are defined. Co-citation counting provides the data on which all subsequent statistical analyses and mappings
are based, and we compare ACA results based on two different types of co-citation counting - the traditional type that
only counts the first one among a cited work's authors on the one hand and a non-traditional type that takes into
account the first 5 authors of a cited work on the other hand. Results indicate that the picture produced through this non-traditional author co-citation counting contains more coherent author groups and is therefore considerably clearer. However, this picture represents fewer specialties in the research field being studied than that produced through the traditional first-author co-citation counting when the same number of top-ranked authors is selected and analyzed. Reasons for these effects are discussed
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