Undergraduate Research Day Projects
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Organized by the University of Houston Office of Undergraduate Research and Major Awards, Undergraduate Research Day is an annual event showcasing exceptional scholarship undertaken by the UH undergraduate community.
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Item Undergraduate Research Day, October 2, 2008(2008-10-02) Weber, KarenWe are so pleased to welcome you to our fourth annual Undergraduate Research Day. This is an important and exciting event for the University of Houston for a variety of reasons. Undergraduate Research Day is an opportunity for undergraduates from all colleges and disciplines to display and present their research to the campus community, hence learning and growing from each other. It is a venue for sharing ideas and information with all members of the UH community, including students, faculty, staff and friends of UH. It is also an arena for conveying the University's commitment to promoting undergraduate research activities on campus. Through the support of the Office of Undergraduate Research's programs and the Quality Enhancement Plan, it is evident that UH has made undergraduate research a priority for its students' academic development. Today you are viewing 42 posters from our Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship (SURF) participants. These students' projects range from researching Houston's civil rights movement, determining the power of presidential policy proclamations, and studying Julius Caesar to examining magnetic resonance imaging for early detection of breast cancer, working with receptors to better understand the neurological pathways underlying schizophrenia, and developing an artificial skin simulant for the testing of a novel type of catheter. Today we also have other undergraduates' posters on display, as well as students that conducted oral presentations that took place earlier in the day. These students, like our SURF students, have conducted substantive research projects within the last year. Since its development in 2004, the Office of Undergraduate Research has supported and assisted over 500 students through the Provost's Undergraduate Research Scholarship program, the Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship program, and the Senior Honors Thesis program. We are thankful to be able to offer these programs to students, and look forward to supporting even more undergraduates throughout the coming years. Funding these research endeavors, however, would not have been possible without the support from many of our advocates on campus. The Provost's office, the Division of Research, the College of Natural Sciences and Mathematics, the Cullen College of Engineering, the Honors College and the College of Technology have all contributed to our office's programs, hence ensuring that many more undergraduates are able to engage in meaningful mentored research experiences during their collegiate careers. We also want to extend our appreciation to our first-rate selection committee and advisory board. The members of this committee donate their time and expertise throughout the year to select the student recipients of these highly desirable scholarships and fellowships. This truly is a demanding, thankless job, and therefore we are tremendously grateful to these individuals. Thank you again for attending Undergraduate Research Day, and supporting undergraduate research endeavors at the University of Houston. If the Office of Undergraduate Research can be of any assistance to you in securing research opportunities or seeking undergraduates to assist you in your ongoing research, do not hesitate to contact us.Item Undergraduate Research Day, October 1, 2009(2009-10-01) Weber, KarenUndergraduate Research Day is celebrating its fifth anniversary this year, and this truly is a celebration- a celebration of students, a celebration of faculty mentors, and a celebration of the University of Houston. Today we honor the 44 students that participated in the 2009 Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship program, as well as the achievements of all undergraduates that conducted substantive research projects within the past year. For the students presenting at Undergraduate Research Day today, we applaud your achievements. We recognize that research can be challenging, tedious, and at times frustrating, Conducting research as an undergraduate, however, is invaluable in many ways. It offers you the opportunity to think independently, creatively and critically-encouraging and cultivating freedom of thought. Research also allows you to make a contribution to your field, and to discover new knowledge. It is perhaps one of the best ways to get to know faculty in your field and to develop lifelong mentorships with them. These experiences also acquaint you with graduate and undergraduate students in your field; colleagues and friends we hope you will stay in contact with for the years to come. We also applaud the faculty mentors of the students presenting today. By devoting your time and energies in supporting these undergraduates, you are guiding and nurturing our future leaders. Through your involvement, you have enlightened our undergraduates and given them confidence in their abilities and in what they are capable of achieving in the future. We also are thankful for the faculty who served as speakers in our SURF Brown Bag Lecture Series (visit page 29 for details). Through these lecturers' contributions, the SURF program provides students with insights that will help them be successful as both undergraduate researchers and as future graduate students or members of the professional workforce. This series is truly integral to the success of our summer research program. Our selection committee is also instrumental to the success of the Office of Undergraduate Research. In addition to the challenging role of reviewing the many applications we receive for our scholarship and fellowship programs, the committee also provides us with guidance on improving and modifying our office's policies and procedures. We are so grateful to them for their contributions. Last but certainly not least, we would like to extend our gratitude to the divisions and colleges that sup-port our office each year. Through the funding from the Provost's office, the Office of the Vice President for Research, The Honors College, the Cullen College of Engineering, the College of Natural Sciences and Mathematics, the College of Technology and the College of Pharmacy we are able to directly enrich the academic lives of over 150 undergraduates each year through mentored research programs. Thanks to all of you for celebrating this exciting day with us, and for supporting our undergraduate researchers.Item Undergraduate Research Day, October 14, 2010(2010-10-14) Weber, KarenWelcome to our sixth annual Undergraduate Research Day. Today we invite you to consider how far we have comeand where we are headed. We are here to honor the 43 students who participated in the 2010 Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship program, as well as the many other undergraduate researchers who completed mentored research projects during the past year. Thanks to the efforts of our undergraduate researchers and their faculty mentors, the University of Houston is now home to a thriving undergraduate research culture - a culture that produces some impressive results. Just this past year, undergraduate researchers Matthew Reichl, Erica Fletcher, and Mariana Guerrero were awarded nationally competitive scholarships. These award winners got involved in research early on in their academic careers, and their research proved to be an integral component in enabling them to achieve their goals. One of the most exciting aspects of conducting research is finally seeing the results of your work and sharing those results with others. For instance, some of these results you surely noticed at today's event were products that resulted from the combination of our University's strengths in both technology and design. These ideas - including a smarter diaper and variable-tinted auto glass - are the results of the collaboration of undergraduate research groups led by Farrokh Attarzadeh in the College of Technology and EunSook Kwon in the Gerald D. Hines College of Architecture. You might also have smelled another research project by Toshia Miracle and Samantha Porter, who were mentored by Jay Neal in the Conrad N. Hilton College of Hotel and Restaurant Management. Their research into the culinary tastes of the varied ethnic groups at the University has yielded two dishes, and aims to please the palates of many Cougars. Stop by and give it a try! To the students presenting their research today: many congratulations. You have persevered through the setbacks, frustrations, and tedium of research; and we trust that today, you can see that those trials are a part of the production of new, exciting, shareable knowledge. Through your research experience, you have not only furthered the development of your discipline, you have come to know your faculty mentor and have witnessed firsthand your professor's excitement for teaching and learning. We also thank these students' faculty mentors. Through the time and energy that you give to these students, you are helping to produce the next generation of leaders. By guiding their work, you are providing an environment in which they can flourish and grow more confident of future successes. Thanks as well should go to the faculty who served as the speakers in our SURF Brown Bag Lecture Series. By sharing your own experiences and advice, you helped model the life of a researcher and the deep commitment to one's work, both of which our students will take with them, whether into graduate school or a professional career. The selection committee is another important element in the success of the Office of Undergraduate Research. This committee has the difficult task of selecting recipients for the PURS and SURF programs from an extremely competitive pool, and also provides us with feedback and advice on improving the Office's activities. Thanks to all for celebrating this exciting day with us, and for your support of our undergraduate researchers.Item Undergraduate Research Day, October 13, 2011(2011-10-13) Weber, KarenWelcome to our seventh annual Undergraduate Research Day. This is an exciting event which celebrates the achievements of the 54 students who participated in the 2011 Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship program, as well as the many other undergraduates who completed mentored research projects during the past year. Although all of you are pursuing a wide range of projects in a variety of fields, you actually have a lot in common. You all have worked extremely hard and are completely dedicated to your research projects. You all have encountered obstacles and frustrations along the way, but found ways to overcome them, building a resiliency that will serve you well in the rest of your educational efforts and really for the rest of your life. You also all seem to genuinely relish your work. As demonstrated here today, many of you get really excited when talking about your research and take pride in what you have accomplished. For the students presenting at Undergraduate Research Day today, we applaud your achievements. We recognize that research can be challenging, tedious, and at times frustrating, Conducting research as an undergraduate, however, is invaluable in many ways. It offers you the opportunity to think independently, creatively and critically - encouraging and cultivating flexibility in thought. Research also allows you to make a contribution to your field, and to discover new knowledge. It is perhaps one of the best ways to get to know faculty in your field and to develop lifelong mentorships with them. These experiences also acquaint you with graduate and undergraduate students in your field; colleagues and friends we hope you will stay in contact with for the years to come. We also thank our researchers' faculty mentors. Through the time and energy that you give to these students, you are helping to produce the next genera-tion of leaders. By guiding their work, you are pro-viding an environment in which they can flourish and grow more confident of future successes. We also are thankful for the faculty who served as speakers in our SURF Brown Bag Lecture Series (visit page 35 for details). Through these lecturers' contributions, the SURF program provides students with insights that will help them be successful as both undergraduate researchers and as future graduate students or members of the professional workforce. This series is truly integral to the success of our summer research program. Our selection committee is also instrumental to the success of the Office of Undergraduate Research. In addition to the challenging role of reviewing the many applications we receive for our scholarship and fellowship programs, the committee also provides us with guidance on improving and modifying our office's policies and procedures. We are so grateful to them for their contributions. Last but certainly not least, we would like to extend our gratitude to the units that support our office each year. Through the funding from the Provost's office, the Office of the Vice President for Research, and The Honors College we are able to directly enrich the academic lives of nearly 200 undergraduates each year through mentored research programs. Thanks to all for celebrating this special day with us, and for your support of our undergraduate researchers at the University of Houston.Item Undergraduate Research Day, October 11, 2012(2012-10-11) Weber, KarenOn our eighth annual Undergraduate Research Day we applaud the accomplishments of the 56 students who participated in the 2012 Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship program, and the over 70 additional undergraduate researchers who completed mentored research projects during the past year. Each year this event continues to grow in size and stature. The increasing number and variety of the projects presented today is a testament to the thriving undergraduate research culture here at the University of Houston. Our students continue to impress us with their talent, intelligence, hard work, and dedication. It's exciting to see what they have achieved in the past 12 months, and to witness their delight in sharing those endeavors with others. To the students presenting at Undergraduate Research Day: We congratulate you! You've gotten a taste of the effort and perseverance required to break ground in your chosen career paths. Conducting research, as you have learned, is not without its frustrations: set-backs are to be expected in the pursuit of new, shareable knowledge. We recognize how well you have overcome those obstacles, and have already started contributing to your field. In addition, you are developing long-lasting mentorships with faculty. The graduates and undergraduates you have met may have already become colleagues and friends. We hope you will stay in contact with them as you go forward into your profession. Take pride in all you have accomplished this year - you have already started building the foundation for your future success. Special thanks must also be extended to the faculty mentors who provide our students with the rare opportunity to participate in real world projects that give students a window into the realities of their profession. Under your guidance, they cultivate the skills and confidence that will serve them well throughout their professional lives. Thank you, faculty mentors, for helping to shape the next generation's leaders. We were fortunate to have a dynamic range of speakers in our 2012 SURF Brown Bag Lecture Series (visit page 41 for details). SURF lecturers share experi-ences and provide advice, helping our students begin to model the life of a researcher, deeply committed to his or her work. This series, a highlight of the summer research program, benefits our undergraduates by better preparing them for graduate or professional school or the work force. The selection committee continues to do an outstanding job with the challenging task of reviewing the many applications we receive for scholarships and fellowships each year. They also provide the necessary guidance and feedback to assist us in modifying our office's policies and procedures. Their contributions are vital to the success of the Office of Under-graduate Research. Last but not least, we thank the Provost's Office, the Division of Research, and The Honors College for their support. The funding we receive from these units allows us to bolster and expand the mentored research programs that enhance the academic experiences of hundreds of undergraduates last year. It has been a truly rewarding year for our undergraduate researchers at the University of Houston, and a privilege for us to support their endeavors. We hope you enjoy this exciting day.Item Undergraduate Research Day, October 10, 2013(2013-10-10) Brown, JuliaToday is the ninth annual Undergraduate Research Day at the University of Houston. At this exciting celebration, we are highlighting the achievements of our 63 Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship (SURF) students and the 67 other students who are presenting on their research experiences at our event. Undergraduate Research Day is an opportunity for our campus community to support mentored research activities, knowing that building relationships with professors is pivotal to students' academic and professional path. By way of example, of the first-time college students who entered UH from 2002-2007, and participated in a program offered through the Office of Undergraduate Research, approximately 92% graduated within six years. To put this statistic into perspective, the average 6-year graduation rate in Texas is approximately 49%. It is our privilege and pleasure to encourage the efforts of our researchers, applaud the work they have accomplished in the past year, and learn more about their projects and findings. The students you are meeting today have spent months working closely with their mentors and research teams, and this event is the culmination of their hard work and collaboration with professionals and scholars in their field. Our researchers are bright, talented, dedicated students who represent our future leaders. We congratulate them on their achievements. The SURF students presenting today also participated in our Brown Bag Lecture Series this past summer (see page 38). These seminars are a further extension of our efforts to prepare our students for the challenges they will face in graduate school and within the workforce. Our SURF participants also toured distinguished research centers on campus, learning more about what it means to be a member of a Tier One Research University. We extend our appreciation to the Provost's Office, the Division of Research, and the Honors College for their continued support of our Office's programs. Our ability to expand and broaden the services we offer students through mentored research activities is directly dependent upon the funding we receive from these units. Also, we thank our selection committee for the time and effort they spend reviewing the applications we receive for our scholarship and award programs. Their input and feedback enable us to refine and revise our policies and procedures, and adhere to the ever-changing needs of the UH community. It is a pleasure to have you with us at our event today, and we are delighted that you have taken the time to offer your support to our University of Houston student researchers.Item Undergraduate Research Day, October 09, 2014(2014-10-09) Brown, JuliaThank you for joining us today for the ten-year anniversary of the University of Houston's Undergraduate Research Day. Over 1000 students have presented at our event over the years, and we are delighted that the event continues to grow in size and stature. At today's celebration, we are highlighting the achievements of our 61 Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship (SURF) students, and 80 other students who are presenting on their research projects through poster and oral presentations. It is has been an exciting year for the Office of Undergraduate Research. We have enjoyed growth and expansion within our programs thanks to the generous contribution of our campus community partners. We extend our sincere gratitude to the Provost's Office, Division of Research, and The Honors College for their continued support of our Office's programs. We also are appreciative of the support of our campus community partners: Biology of Behavior Institute (BoBI), Cullen College of Engineering, College of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences, Gerald D. Hines College of Architecture, Hobby Center for Public Policy, Medicine and Society Program, Texas Obesity Research Center, and the following UH Departments: Biology & Biochemistry, Chemical & Biomolecular Engineering, Civil & Environmental Engineering, Computer Science, Construction Management, Electrical Technology, Health and Human Performance, Mathematics, and Mechanical Engineering. By their contributions to the Provost's Undergraduate Research Scholarship (PURS) and the SURF programs, we were able to sponsor over 120 students in the 2013-2014 academic year. We also thank our faculty selection and advisory committee for the time and effort they spend reviewing the applications we receive for our scholarship and award programs. Their input and feedback enable us to refine and revise our policies and procedures, and adhere to the ever changing needs of the UH community. Undergraduate Research Day is an opportunity for our campus community to support mentored research activities, recognizing that building mentor relationships with professors is pivotal to students' academic and professional path. One of the most impressive aspects of this event is the wide range of projects represented by our student researchers. This year's cohort includes projects on imaging and analyzing blood vessels within the brain for Alzheimer's disease, mapping neurons to better understand neurogenerative diseases, and creating mathematical models that simulate various biochemical and metabolic pathways, to analyzing leadership traits of university-age LGBT youth, studying the role of gender for primary elections, and determining the effect of peer mentorship programs for cancer survivors. Our UH researchers are bright, motivated, engaged students who represent our future leaders. We congratulate them on their achievements and wish them the best in their future endeavors. Thank you again for joining us today at Undergraduate Research Day.Item Undergraduate Research Day, October 22, 2015(2015-10-22) Brown, JuliaGood afternoon. At this event, you will have the opportunity to engage with and learn from the many undergraduate students who have conducted research throughout the past year. You will see research projects displayed from a wide range of academic fields. The interdisciplinary nature of Undergraduate Research Day highlights the diverse research currently being conducted by the University's talented faculty and students. During the 2014-2015 academic year, the Office of Undergraduate Research sponsored over 200 students in mentored research programs, and hundreds more through informational sessions, scholarship applications, and online resources. These programs include our fulltime Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship (SURF) program, and the part-time Fall or Spring semester Provost's Undergraduate Research Scholarship (PURS) program. We also supported over 60 students this year in applying for external scholarship and internship opportunities- a record number of UH students participating in national competitions. All of the scholarships and services offered to UH undergraduates would not be possible without the support of the Office of the Provost, Division of Research, and the Honors College. In addition to their generous support of our students’ success, other funders and units on campus contributed financially to the Office's programs this year. To begin with, we would like to extend a special thank you both to Jeff Beauchamp and Heidi Alderman of the BASF Corporation for supporting the SURF and PURS programs this year. We also thank the Biology and Behavior Institute (BoBI) and the Texas Obesity Research Center (TORC) for their financial contributions of student scholarships. UH departments and colleges also contributed to funding our stellar students. These departments include Biology & Biochemistry, Biomedical Engineering, Chemical & Biomolecular Engineering, Civil & Environmental Engineering, Electrical & Computer Engineering, and Mechanical Engineering, as well as the College of Technology. As always, we are grateful to our faculty selection and advisory committee for their continued assistance in choosing the student and faculty recipients of our awards each year. [...]Item Undergraduate Research Day, October 13, 2016(2016-10-13) Brown, JuliaWe are delighted you are here to participate in the largest Undergraduate Research Day event to date. We have more than 200 undergraduates presenting, and their work reflects the depth, breadth, and diversity of research being conducted by the University's talented faculty and students. We encourage you to engage, ask questions, and to share in the accomplishments and new insights this past year of research has generated for these remarkable students. During the 2015-2016 academic year, the Office of Undergraduate Research sponsored over 200 students from across the University in faculty mentored research programs, and provided support to hundreds more through informational sessions and online resources. These mentored research programs include: the full-time Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship (SURF); the part-time fall and spring semester Provost's Undergraduate Research Scholarship (PURS); the 2-week summer intensive Houston Early Research Experience (HERE); and the Senior Honors Thesis program. We also supported approximately 60 students this year in applying for nationally competitive scholarships and internship opportunities, and had 12 recipients and 3 honorable mentions - a record number of UH students participating in, and winning, national competitions. All of the scholarships and services offered to students would not be possible without the University's strong commitment to providing undergraduates with hands-on learning experiences integral to lifelong success. In particular, the support of the Office of the Provost, Division of Research, and the Honors College has been fundamental in building a strong foundation for undergraduate research activities at the University. In addition, other funders and units across campus continue to contribute to the Office's programs every year. This year, we would like to extend a special thank you to Jeff Beauchamp for supporting the PURS program. We also thank the Biology and Behavior Institute (BoBI) and the Texas Obesity Research Center (TORC) for their financial contributions of student scholarships. In addition to their generous support of our students' success, other UH departments and colleges contributed financially to the Office's programs this year. These units include Biology & Biochemistry; Biomedical Engineering; Chemical & Biomolecular Engineering; Civil & Environmental Engineering; Computer Science; Electrical & Computer Engineering; Mechanical Engineering; Physics; and Psychology. As always, we are grateful to our faculty selection and advisory committee for their continued assistance in choosing the student and faculty recipients of our awards each year. As a result of the increased interest among undergraduate students in pursuing research, the Office of Undergraduate Research launched the new HERE program with an inaugural cohort of 25 students. The research topic for this two-week faculty-led seminar series was an exploration of Houston. In addition to faculty-led discussions and close readings of literature, each day faculty and community partners made presentations on a topic relating to our city. The students concluded the program by presenting group research proposals for exploring and addressing challenges facing the city. The projects ranged from flood crisis management in the refineries and chemical storage plants around the Ship Channel to containing the spread of the Zika virus. Our motivated undergraduate students are eager and ready to share and discuss their research findings with you as you explore Undergraduate Research Day at the University of Houston.Item Assessing the Vasculature Changes in Murine Fetal Brain Upon Alcohol Exposure(2017-10-12) Nguyen, Jennifer; Raghunathan, Raksha; Wu, Chen; Singh, Manmohan; Liu, Chih-HaoFetal Alcohol spectrum disorder (FASD) refers to a broad spectrum of abnormalities that arise due to prenatal alcohol exposure (PAE). The severity of the abnormality depends on the amount of alcohol consumed and period of consumption during gestation. A large number of women continue to consume alcohol even during the second trimester of pregnancy, a critical period for fetal neurogenesis and angiogenesis. OCT is an optical analog of ultrasound. 3D non-invasive imaging technique with high spatial resolution. OCT has shown to be extremely useful in embryonic imaging. Speckle variance OCT (SVOCT), is a functional extension of OCT that has been used to study vasculature development in embryos. We use SVOCT, to detect vasculature changes in the embryonic brain in utero, minutes after maternal alcohol consumption. The results show that there is a decrease in fetal vessel diameter within the first 10 minutes and it persisted for 45 minutes after maternal alcohol consumption, indicating that ethanol is a possible vasoconstrictor on the fetal brain. This project was completed with contributions from Rajesh C. Miranda from the Neuroscience and Experimental Therapeutics, Texas A&M Health Science Center.Item The Impact of Discrimination in Relation to Suicide Ideation among 1st and 2nd Generation Asian American Individuals: The Moderating Role of Religiosity(2017-10-12) Essa, Saman; Talavera, David; Hong, JudyAvailable literature suggests that Asian Americans are more likely to develop suicidal thoughts compared to White/European Americans (Kisch, Leino, Silverman, 2005). Additionally, existing research indicates that suicide ideation manifests differentially based on self-reported measure of religiosity (Koenig, McCullough, Larson, 2001). Studies demonstrate a clear link between discrimination and suicide ideation across racial/ethnic minorities (Gomez, Miranda, Polanco, 2011). This study examined how the association between discrimination and suicide ideation differed as a function of religiosity for multi-generational Asian Americans. The data showed that as discrimination increased, those with lower levels of religiosity experienced higher levels of suicidal ideation. These findings are in line with previous research showing discrimination being directly and indirectly associated with suicide ideation (Walker, Salami, Carter, & Flowers, 2014) among ethno-racial minority populations.Item Anxiety Sensitivity and Sleep Problems among Homeless Adults(2017-10-12) Bhavsar, Shaili; Okamoto, Hiroe; Kendzor, Darla E.; Zvolensky, Michael J.Anxiety sensitivity (AS) is a transdiagnostic individual difference factor, reflecting amplified fear about the negative consequences of anxiety-related autonomic arousal. AS has been linked to sleep problems and serious mental/physical health conditions in the domiciled population. No previous research has examined how AS affects sleep among homeless adults who are vulnerable to health disparities and living in harsh environments that may, by their nature, compromise sleep integrity. The purpose of this study was to investigate the association between AS and sleep-related problems among homeless adults. AS was significantly associated with more days of inadequate sleep (p < 0.001), fewer hours of sleep per day (p < 0.01), unintentionally falling asleep (p ≤ 0.01) in this convenience sample of predominately male homeless adults. See Tables 1 and 2. Results suggest that AS may be a risk factor conferring additional vulnerability to sleep- related problems among homeless adults. This project was completed with contributions from Michael S. Businelle from the Oklahoma Tobacco Research Center, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center.Item Real-time Monitoring in Drilling: Current Practice and Data Analysis(2017-10-12) Zhao, ZhizhongItem Viking Royal Power in Tenth Century Denmark(2017-10-12) Evans, BrianThe 10th century Danish constructs are clearly implementations of royal power and so, if carefully examined, can give us insight into the development of royal power in Viking Denmark. Key findings: The five ring fortresses reveal a focus on controlling and protecting trade and transportation routes. As well as possibly the intent to collect tolls and taxes. The erection of the Jelling Stone in 965 is a declaration of the ideals of the Danish royalty. It suggests a desire to elevate dynastic rule, to gain tributes from others and most importantly it shows an embracing of sacral kingship. The improvements to the Danevirke and Hedeby cast the town as highly valuable to both Germans and Danes and supports the theory that Denmark in the 10th century relied on long range trade through the Viking trade network in the East. It suggests controlling trade was a high priority for Viking royal power in Denmark.Item Oyster Restoration in Galveston Bay: Can citizen scientists help monitor spat recruitment?(2017-10-12) Miller, Erin A.Oysters (Crassostrea virginica) provide many services for Galveston Bay, Texas (Fig 1.) but have been in decline; there are currently efforts being made to restore historic sites of oyster reefs. Citizen science projects use individual volunteers in the public, working with professional scientists, to collect large amounts of data and has a lower associated cost. This study is one of the first to examine the feasibility of a citizen scientist project that could quantify long term larval recruitment for oysters within Galveston Bay and the importance of recruitment for reef structure. Discussion. The highest density was observed on one of the oldest reefs however, the highest recruitment was observed on one of the newer reefs. Spat observed on trays on reef one were also the largest which could correlate to survivorship; more research is needed. Similar sizes of spat were recorded between trays and racks for the same time period indicating successful recording of spat recruitment of similar growth rates. More research is necessary to draw appropriate conclusions.Item What's In Your Soil: Investigation of Pathogenic CDI in Soil(2017-10-12) Al Ameri, May; McPherson, Jacob; Lancaster, Chris; Alam, JahangairClostridium deficile (CD) is anaerobic bacteria that consider as a normal intestinal micro flora. It is the primary cause of nosocomial diarrhea in industrialized countries. We herein hypothesized that fecal contamination in the soil results in a higher percentage of toxigenic strains of CD in topsoil and in areas with a large amount of animal fecal matter. Based on prior studies on survival rates of other microorganisms, we hypothesize that around 50% of the topsoil samples and only 20% of the subsoil samples will contain toxigenic strains of CDI.Item Auto Isolation: The Reshaping of Infrastructure, Society, and Space with Autonomous Cars(2017-10-12) Thomson, MeganThe car was a vital part of American society and identity. Traditionally, driving one signified one’s right of passage and allowed the user freedom and status. Cities have evolved around automobiles with freeways and parking lots dictating the spaces of human participation. According to theorist Jane Jacobs, this independence produced a detrimental result: social isolation. The development of autonomous vehicles presents a potential remedy to this problem via the decrease in spatial needs of cars. Autonomous vehicles liberate space to find new purpose devoted to people and public life. By examining various examples of human and car occupied urban space in Houston on multiple levels, along with the time and productivity lost in commutes, the impact of autonomous vehicles on the future development of cities may be seen. The autonomous vehicle disrupts the current norm of city growth, allowing people to rethink the future development of space in American cities. When the need for location based use as well as ownership is no longer required, car storage and maintenance can become centralized, freeing up valuable space for the occupation of humans. The application of this research proposes a design solution that addresses the liberated space in the city of Houston.Item Integral Transforms, Anomalous Diffusion, and the Central Limit Theorem(2017-10-12) Pandya, Nikhil N.; Williams, Cameron L.; Bodmann, Bernhard G.; Yao, JieWe present new connections among anomalous diffusion (AD), normal diffusion (ND) and the Central Limit Theorem (CLT). This is done by defining new canonical Cartesian-like position and Cartesian-like momentum variables and canonically quantizing these according to Dirac to define generalized negative semi-definite and selfadjoint Laplacian operators. These lead to new generalized Fourier transformations (GFT) and associated generalized probability distributions, which are form invariant under the corresponding transform. The new Laplacians also lead us to postulate generalized diffusion equations (GDE), which imply a connection to the CLT. We show that the derived diffusion equations have the O’Shaughnessy-Procaccia equations (OPE) as a special case. We also show that AD in the original, physical position is actually ND when viewed in terms of displacements in an appropriately transformed position variable. These tools allow us to prove the CLT for this class of diffusion equations.Item Gas Analysis using Auroral Spectroscopy(2017-10-12) Medellin, Michel; Thomas, GeorgeThe Undergraduate Student Instrumentation Project (USIP) at the University of Houston is sending an Auroral Spectroscopy team to Alaska in March 2017. The team has designed a balloon-borne payload that contains a spectroscope connected to a Newtonian telescope to analyze the light gathered from the aurora. The light gathered will be lead through a set of 1 inch lenses towards a 1200 grooves/mm grating. The grating will separate the light into its visible components at a specific angle towards the Sony Alpha A6000. Once the pictures are retrieved from the camera, they will be analyzed through MATLAB. Using the Boltzmann factor and the Saha equation, the team will analyze the gathered spectral line data to determine the temperature of excited gasses.Item Two-Phase Instabilities in a Microchannel Heat Sink(2017-10-12) Sun, TiehaoFlowing boiling in microchannels has attacked significant attention as a potential technology for high heat flux dissipation. Its main advantage is the possibility of achieving high heat transfer coefficients using low coolant flow rates. However, the main disadvantage are two-phase flow instabilities and back flow reversals. These instabilities with characteristic pressure drop and flow rate oscillation are undesirable, which is the main idea of our research. Predictions of the boiling heat transfer coefficient in the selected from correlation models are followed by both subcooled and saturated boiling regimes. In particular, the results from the proposed model are elaborated, and the validity of the model for predicting the saturated boiling heat transfer coefficient is assessed by comparison against the experimental data.