City Of Galveston Research Articles

4309 Ascertaining the Medical Needs of Galveston County

4309 Ascertaining the Medical Needs of Galveston County

XBEACH SIMULATION OF HYBRID COASTAL PROTECTION: A GALVESTON SEAWALL TEST CASE

The City of Galveston is protected from extreme storm impact by a 17-km concrete seawall facing the Gulf of Mexico. Recent studies have shown that the seawall may not be sufficient to protect against a 100-year design storm. Since raising the seawall disconnects the city from the beach and may be very costly, a hybrid approach is explored in which the existing hard structure is fronted and covered by a layer of sand. By means of numerical simulations，the hydro- and morphodynamic effects of adding a sand cover to the Galveston Seawall under extreme storm conditions are further investigated. It was found that by adding a sand cover over the seawall, maximum dissipation is spread over a larger cross-shore extent. This led to the reduction of the wave height at the face of the hybrid structure, as well as the generation of more wave-induced setup. Different hybrid design configurations were simulated, which varied in sand cover dimensions. Differences in wave attenuation, wave-induced setup and required sand cover volumes are discussed. It was found that a hybrid measure shows potential in reducing wave impact during extreme storm events, thereby reducing the required elevation of the Galveston Seawall.

Polyline averaging using distance surfaces: A spatial hurricane climatology

The US Gulf states are frequently hit by hurricanes, causing widespread damage resulting in economic loss and occasional human fatalities. Current hurricane climatologies and predictive models frequently omit information on the spatial characteristics of hurricane movement—their linear tracks. We investigate the construction of a spatial hurricane climatology that condenses linear tracks to one-dimensional polylines. With the aid of distance surfaces, an average hurricane track is calculated by summing polylines as part of a grid-based algorithm. We demonstrate the procedure on a particularly vulnerable coastline around the city of Galveston in Texas, where the tracks of the closest storms to Galveston are also weighted by an inverse distance function. Track averaging is also applied as a means of interpolating possible paths of historical storms where records are sporadic observations, and sometimes anecdotal. We offer the average track as a convenient regional summary of expected hurricane movement. The average track, together with other hurricane attributes, also provides a means to assess the expected local vulnerability of property and environmental damage.

Mercury exposure through diet in pregnant women and women of childbearing age

The study examined the stage of clean-up of the Port Lavaca bay sites in Texas, which were polluted during the early 1990's by effluent containing mercury (Hg) from a chloralkali plant. In addition to Hg intoxication through environmental contaminations, human exposure through dietary fish and other seafoods occurred. Bacteria converts inorganic Hg to alkyl organic compounds and subsequently the metal crosses the blood brain barrier thus exerting adverse effects on the fetal developing nervous system. In order to conduct a survey of dietary Hg exposure, blood was collected from pregnant women and those of childbearing age at routine clinic visits at each of three centers in South Texas cities (Galveston, Texas City, Port Lavaca/Victoria, TX). A questionnaire sought dietary and lifestyle information including consumption, sources of fish and other seafoods. A significant number of subjects (119 out of 175, 68%) ate fish caught locally. The blood Hg concentrations (µg L−1) range varied with the location of the study centers: City of Galveston 2.6–62; Texas City 2.8–111.8; and the Port Lavaca areas 3.02–126.7. The concentrations of blood Hg was directly proportional to the number of fish meals consumed for each species considered. Mean blood Hg concentrations for no fish meals per week were: Port Lavaca 4.5 (N = 3), Galveston 4.3 (N = 3), Texas City 3.5 (N = 10). For >3 fish meals per week, the mean blood Hg concentrations were: Port Lavaca, 48.0 (N = 53), Galveston 29.1 (N = 35), Texas City, 36.1 (N = 31). Data show that residues of Hg were still present in 1994 despite the clean-up efforts.

Five-Year Outbreak of Community- and Hospital-Acquired Mycobacterium porcinum Infections Related to Public Water Supplies

Mycobacterium porcinum is a rarely encountered rapidly growing Mycobacterium (RGM). We identified M. porcinum from 24 patients at a Galveston university hospital (University of Texas Medical Branch) over a 5-year period. M. porcinum was considered a pathogen in 11 (46%) of 24 infected patients, including 4 patients with community-acquired disease. Retrospective patient data were collected, and water samples were cultured. Molecular analysis of water isolates, clustered clinical isolates, and 15 unrelated control strains of M. porcinum was performed. Among samples of hospital ice and tap water, 63% were positive for RGM, 50% of which were M. porcinum. Among samples of water from the city of Galveston, four of five households (80%) were positive for M. porcinum. By pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE), 8 of 10 environmental M. porcinum were determined to belong to two closely related clones. A total of 26 of 29 clinical isolates subjected to PFGE (including isolates from all positive patients) were clonal with the water patterns, including patients with community-acquired disease. Fifteen control strains of M. porcinum had unique profiles. Sequencing of hsp65, recA, and rpoB revealed the PFGE outbreak clones to have identical sequences, while unrelated strains exhibited multiple sequence variants. M. porcinum from 22 (92%) of 24 patients were clonal, matched hospital- and household water-acquired isolates, and differed from epidemiologically unrelated strains. M. porcinum can be a drinking water contaminant, serve as a long-term reservoir (years) for patient contamination (especially sputum), and be a source of clinical disease. This study expands concern about public health issues regarding nontuberculous mycobacteria. Multilocus gene sequencing helped define clonal populations.

The Chemistry of Offatts Bayou, Texas: A Seasonally Highly Sulfidic Basin

Offatts Bayou basin was created by use of this are as a borrow pit for landfill by the city of Galveston, Texas, in the first half of this century. Restricted exchange of water with the adjacent West Bay results in this basin changing, on a seasonal time scale, between oxic winter and highly sulfidic summer (greater than 500 μM ΣH2S) bottom water conditions. It is, therefore, a “natural laboratory” for the investigation of the behavior of toxic metals in an estuarine environment where redox conditions undergo major variations. Here we report the first study of the chemistry of Offatts Bayou’s waters and sediment-associated trace metals. The high concentrations of dissolved sulfide in bottom water during summer cause a loss of macrofauna from most of the water deeper than about 4 m and the bottom of the basin. The potential exists for major mortality of organisms living in the oxic surface waters if rapid mixing of waters were to occur during the summer. Reactions of toxic metals with sulfides are probably the dominant influence on their potential bioavailability in this type of environment, as evidenced by large seasonal changes in concentrations of sedimentary sulfide minerals and associated trace metals. The trace metals As, Cu, and Hg are dominantly found in the pyrite phase (greater than 75% pyritization), Ag and Mn are moderately pyritized (40% to 60%), and Zn is not strongly associated with pyrite (less than 20% pyritization).

Epidemiology of otitis media: a community study.

A community study of the incidence of clinically diagnosed otitis media and middle ear effusions was undertaken in the City of Galveston, Texas, based on a random sample of records of patients aged 0-8 years receiving medical care from four major sources during 1975. No overall sex or ethnic differences were observed in association with otitis media. Thirty-five per cent of the sample had at least one episode of otitis media during 1975 and, of these, one-third had two or more episodes, yielding a conservative annual incidence rate of 55.1 per cent for this age group. The overall age-specific incidence pattern indicated the highest rates for the 0-2 year age group (71 to 114 episodes per 100 children) with a steady decline in risk with increasing age. Infants who received an initial diagnosis within the first 12 months of life experienced significantly more episodes of otitis during a two-year period than did children who received an initial diagnosis after one year of age. Seasonal patterns of otitis media were comparable with those reported in other studies. Analysis by birth month of children who experienced repeated episodes of otitis indicated an increased number of children born in the late summer and fall.

The acceptance of a family planning clinic by recently delivered teen-agers.

Perhaps it is the teen-ager who needs a family planning service the most since an early unplanned pregnancy can affect her whole life. The question is will teen-agers use it if it is available them them? To answer this a survey was started of 250 recently delivered teen-agers at the John Sealy Hospital in Galveston Texas. Most were poor black living in the city of Galveston 17 or 18 years old and Protestant. Half were married and half came from homes in which only one parent was living. Before the girls left the hospital they were advised of the availability of family planning clinics and contraceptive methods. It they seemed interested a postpartum appointment at the clinic nearest their home was set up. 77% made appointments. Those who refused did so on grounds of religion a determination not to engage in sexual relations or a dislike of contraceptives. Of the 250 original pregnancies only 34 were planned. There were 26 known repeat pregnancies during the 18-month follow-up period of which only 5 were planned. No more than 4 (3.4%) of the girls who used the Family Planning Service had unplanned repeat pregnancies and not less that 17 (12.8%) of the girls who were inactive or had never been active had unplanned repeat pregnancies. 71% of those who attended the clinic once remained active in the program. However a 47% continuation rate among recently delivered teen-age mothers cannot be considered good. The study revealed the following trends. If a young girl (13-15) accepts family planning she may have difficulty maintaining her motivation. If a young girl drops out or never joins in the belief she will not engage in sexual relations she may abide by her decision for a while but may very well return to sexual activity when she gets older. If an older girl accepts family planning she should have little difficulty. However an older girl who never joins or drops out is likely to have repeat pregnancies within a short period of time.

HISTORY OF THE GALVESTON SEA WALL

Galveston Island, one of the long, narrow barrier beaches that fringe the Gulf Coast of Texas, is a low, sandy formation about 28 miles long and from -g to 3 miles wide. In its natural state the Gulf shore was bordered by an area of sand dunes rising to heights of 12 to 15 feet above the natural surface of the island. The availability of deep water along the bay side of the island led to the early development of the city of Galveston on the east end of the island. In its early days the city was protected from hurricane tides by the sand dunes along the Gulf front. The rapid development of the city in the latter part of the 19th century, especially its increasing importance as a summer resort, lead to the removal of the sand dunes along the beach front for fill and to permit easy access to the beach. Without the dunes the city was unprotected from the fury of the hurricanes. The danger to the city was realized by a number of persons, and several plans for storm protection had been developed; however, because of financing difficulties and general public apathy none of these plans was carried out. Figure one shows a map of Galveston Island with development as it was in 1900.

ART. XXII. An Account if the Yellow Fever which appeared in the city of Galveston, Republic of Texas, in the autumn of 1839, with Cases and Dissections

ART. XXII. An Account if the Yellow Fever which appeared in the city of Galveston, Republic of Texas, in the autumn of 1839, with Cases and Dissections