Houston Metropolitan Area Research Articles

The characterization of fine particulate matter downwind of Houston: Using integrated factor analysis to identify anthropogenic and natural sources

The interpretation of large air pollution datasets involves a great deal of complexity. To gain a better understanding of the complicated relationships and patterns within datasets, we perform factor analysis. Between December 2015 and December 2017, fine particulate matter (PM2.5) samples were collected at a suburban site northeast of the Houston metropolitan area, TX. A total of 233 filter samples were analyzed for chemical composition. The average of all PM2.5 samples consisted of 38.1% inorganic ions, 28.9% elements, 29.1% organic carbon, and 3.7% elemental carbon and other organic materials. Principal component analysis and positive matrix factorization were utilized to identify eight factors: regional aerosols, biomass burning, gasoline combustion, industry, crustal material, incineration, marine dust, and fireworks. The first three contributed more than 70% of the total PM2.5 mass. The receptor models also captured the impact of fireworks and classified it as a source of PM2.5 over Houston. To identify the origins of air masses transporting PM2.5 to the site, we applied the NOAA hybrid single-particle Lagrangian integrated trajectory model and performed a cluster analysis of back trajectories and determined six cluster source regions: the Gulf of Mexico, the Southeast, two midwestern clusters, the Pacific Northwest, and the Southwest. The results of our analysis show that during the summer months, marine and crustal sources were often associated with an onshore flow from the Gulf of Mexico and that four clusters covering 38% of the West Liberty area were strongly influenced by trajectories originating from biomass burning. The results of this study represented a variety of sources that affect the PM2.5 over the Houston metropolitan area. The quantified contributions of these sources could provide policymakers with useful information for developing more efficient control systems and making more effective decisions to cope with the harmful effects of ambient air pollution.

Cyclosporiasis Epidemiologically Linked to Consumption of Green Onions: Houston Metropolitan Area, August 2017

During July 2017, Texas public health officials noted an increase in the number of reported cyclosporiasis cases. They detected a cluster in the Houston metropolitan area that involved four locations of a Mediterranean restaurant chain, restaurant A. A case-control study was conducted among patrons of restaurant A to identify a common food vehicle among items containing fresh produce. In matched case-control ingredient-level analyses that included both probable and confirmed cases, consumption of green onions, red onions, tomatoes, and cabbage was significantly associated with illness. A substantial percentage of case patients reported consumption of green onions, and only green onions remained statistically significantly associated with illness, whether probable and confirmed cases were included in analyses (matched odds ratio: 11.3; 95% confidence interval: 2.5 to 104.7), or only confirmed cases were included in analyses (matched odds ratio: 17.6; 95% confidence interval: 2.5 to 775.7). These results provide evidence that green onions were the likely vehicle of infection. It was not possible to trace the green onions to their source due to the need to redirect public health resources to Hurricane Harvey response efforts in Texas.

Massive pollutants released to Galveston Bay during Hurricane Harvey: Understanding their retention and pathway using Lagrangian numerical simulations

Increasing frequency of extreme precipitation events under the future warming climate makes the storm-related pollutant release more and more threatening to coastal ecosystems. Hurricane Harvey, a 1000-year extreme precipitation event, caused massive pollutant release from the Houston metropolitan area to the adjacent Galveston Bay. 0.57 × 106 tons of raw sewage and 22,000 barrels of oil, refined fuels and chemicals were reportly released during Harvey, which would likely deteriorate the water quality and damage the coastal ecosystem. Using a Lagrangian particle-tracking method coupled with a validated 3D hydrodynamic model, we examined the retention, pathway, and fate of the released pollutants. A new timescale, local exposure time (LET), is introduced to quantitatively evaluate the spatially varying susceptibility inside the bay and over the shelf, with a larger LET indicating the region is more susceptible to the released pollutants. We found LET inside the bay is at least one order of magnitude larger for post-storm release than storm release due to a quick recovery in the system's flushing. More than 90% of pollutants released during the storm exited the bay within two days, while those released after the storm could stay inside the bay for up to three months. This implies that post-storm release is potentially more damaging to water quality and ecosystem health. Our results suggest that not only the amount of total pollutant load but also the release timing should be considered when assessing a storm's environmental and ecological influence, because there could be large amounts of pollutants steadily and slowly discharged after storm through groundwater, sewage systems, and reservoirs.

Racial Variation in ITP Prevalence and Rate of Chronic Disease Suggests Biological Differences

Background: Immune thrombocytopenia (ITP) is the most common cause of acquired immune platelet destruction in children. Clinical symptoms range from asymptomatic to significant and even life-threatening bleeding, fatigue, and reduced health-related quality of life. About 75% of affected children experience spontaneous remission, with the remainder developing chronic ITP. Our clinical observations suggest a decreased prevalence of ITP among Black children, although no available studies have evaluated racial or ethnic predisposition to ITP or to chronic disease. We hypothesized that biological differences in Black children alter the prevalence of ITP, relative to the general population, and may affect disease course. Methods: A retrospective analysis evaluating race and ethnicity of all children with ITP treated at Texas Children's Hospital (TCH, Houston, TX) from January 2015-July 2019 was performed, and compared to both the Houston metropolitan area and the TCH Cancer Center 2018 race and ethnicity data. Of the 699 unique patients, race and ethnicity data were unavailable for 24, and 2 patients were excluded (1 with leukemia, 1 with bone marrow failure). The remaining patients were categorized as (1) White, non-Hispanic; (2) Black, non-Hispanic; (3) Hispanic; and (4) Other. Hispanic patients included those who self-identified as (1) White, Hispanic; (2) Black, Hispanic; (3) Asian, Hispanic; (4) Multi-race, Hispanic; and (5) Unknown race, Hispanic. Demographic data was then collected in a second ITP population derived from the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP, Philadelphia, PA) and the surrounding metropolitan area. To match the distribution reported in the Houston metro area data, a comparison was conducted focusing on the proportion of Black non-Hispanic patients in each cohort. A chi-squared test with Yates correction was utilized to compare nonparametric categorical data using GraphPad Prism version 8.0.1 for Windows, GraphPad Software, San Diego, California, USA. A p-value of <0.05 was statistically significant. Results: At TCH, there were 673 evaluable ITP patients. Classifying by race only, 42 were Black (6.2%), 564 White (83.8%), and 67 Other (Asian, Mixed Race, Native American, 9.9%). There was a significantly smaller percentage of ITP patients identified as Black, non-Hispanic (n= 40, 5.9%) relative to both the Texas Children's Cancer Center (16% Black, non-Hispanic) and the Houston metropolitan area populations (16% Black, non-Hispanic, p<0.0001). These data are significant given that Texas Children's Hospital sees the majority of children in the Houston metropolitan area, and the demographic data for the Cancer Center accurately reflect the Houston population (see Table). Black, non-Hispanic patients with ITP were more likely to have chronic disease (40% chronic, n=16) than the expected 20-25% in the overall pediatric ITP population. Many of the patients described as Black, non-Hispanic had secondary ITP (20.0%, n=8), most commonly due to systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), a condition more common amongst Black patients. These findings were consistent at CHOP, with 7% of the 311 included patients classified as Black (n=22), 76% White (n=236) and 17% Other (n=54 including Asian, Middle Eastern, Mixed Race and Native American/Pacific Islander). Again, these proportions are in contrast to the general CHOP patient population (22% Black, 55.5% White and 22.5% other) and the Philadelphia metro population (42.5% Black, 41.5% White, 16% Other). The frequency of chronic ITP was also increased in Black patients in the CHOP cohort (39%, n=7). Conclusions: This analysis suggests a significant difference in the prevalence of ITP by race in children at two large tertiary care centers in the US. We found that Black children were less likely to develop ITP but those who did were more likely to develop chronic disease relative to other races. Race and ethnicity data at both institutions more closely matched their surrounding metropolitan areas, suggesting the observed differences are not due to care or access barriers. These findings support the possibility that damaging genetic variants, altered gene expression and/or other biological differences in immune response may lead to increased risk of ITP in White children, or protective factors result in reduced prevalence of ITP in Black children. Further research to explore these differences is ongoing. Figure Disclosures Lambert: CSL Behring: Consultancy; Amgen: Consultancy, Other; Bayer: Other: Ad boards; Novartis: Other: Ad boards, Research Funding; Shionogi: Consultancy; Kedrion: Consultancy; Sysmex: Consultancy; AstraZeneca: Research Funding; PDSA: Research Funding. Despotovic:Dova: Honoraria; Novartis: Research Funding; Amgen: Research Funding.

Hybrid glycophorin and red blood cell antigen genotyping in Asian American type O blood donors with Mia phenotype.

The GP.Mur glycophorin with Mia phenotype is relatively common and clinically significant in the Southeast Asian populations. The aim of this study is to genotype Mia -positive Asian American type O blood donors. Red blood cell (RBC) minor antigens were also determined in the same cohort. Asian American blood donors of the Gulf Coast Regional Blood Center (Houston, TX) were screened using a typing reagent (NOVACLONE Anti-Mia Monoclonal IgG Typing Reagent, Dominion Biologicals Ltd) from March 2016 to July 2018. Aliquots of Mia -positive blood from type O donors were subjected to serologic confirmation using Mia - and/or Mur-specific GAMA210 and 64D6 monoclonal antibodies, and two human antisera. Extracted genomic DNA was amplified by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) using GYP hybrid gene/allele-specific primers followed by bidirectional Sanger sequencing. Zygosity for GYP*Mur and GYP*Bun was determined using TaqMan real-time PCR assay. Phenotypes of 35 RBC antigens and three phenotypic variants were determined with use of an in vitro diagnostic test, PreciseType HEA Molecular BeadChip Test (Immucor). By screening 4600 blood donations in the Houston metropolitan area, 209 samples from 103 unique donors were identified to be Mia -positive. By PCR and sequencing analysis, 97 of the 103 Mia -positive donors carried hybrid genes GYP*Mur (89.7% including two homozygotes), GYP*Bun (6.2%), GYP*Vw (3.1%) and GYP*Hut (1.0%). Concordance between serology and DNA analysis was 98%, 99%, and 100% for the GAMA210, 64D6, and human antisera, respectively. Genotyping of RBC antigens showed that the Mia -positive donors were predominantly associated M+ N- S- s+ (48.5%) and M+ N+ S- s+ (38.1%) phenotypes. The GP.Mur glycophorin is most prevalent in the Mia -positive Asian American type O blood donors.

Development of platoon‐based actuated signal control systems to coordinated intersections: application in corridors in Houston

A signal control method considering platoon-based actuation is presented with a focus on its application to two arterial corridors in the Houston Metropolitan Area, where the signal coordination is required for adjacent intersections. For the purpose of immediate implementation, the system was developed based on existing conventional loop detectors and control technologies used by Texas Department of Transportation. Simply based on volume and occupancy – the only traffic information reported by a conventional loop detector, it is impossible to precisely detect a platoon of vehicle approaching an intersection. As a compromise way, two specific logics were proposed to switch the system between the original coordinated control and the new platoon-based actuated control systems. At one testbed suffering from large left-turn traffic, the results revealed by the detector data before and after the implementation show that the model works well to relieve the delay for both left-turn traffic and through traffic on the major road. On another testbed where the platoon-based control is activated only when the through traffic is not high, some improvements were also observed. This method opens the door of wide application of the platoon-based signal control system (simply based on conventional loop detectors) to arterial corridors.

1293. Bundled HIV/Hep C testing 4 Years of Implementation at 9 Emergency Departments in the Houston Metropolitan Area

BackgroundIndividuals living with HIV infection and/or Hep C infection and unaware of their infected status are at risk of significant morbidity and a risk to public health. It has been recommended that all conscious adults presenting to Emergency Departments (EDs) be tested for HIV and increasingly testing for Hep C. Testing of all arrivals is important because a majority of both infections may not present signature signs or symptoms associated with the reason for the ED visit. For these reasons, the implementation of a bundled HIV/HepC testing protocol is reported here.MethodsData from 4 years of HIV/Hep C screening of patients 18 to 64 years old made in 9 EDs in the Houston Metropolitan Area are reviewed. Screening for HIV was using HIV fourth-generation ADVIA Centaur™ Ag/Ab COMBO (Siemens) and Hep C was tested for using Gilead Hep C Ab testing.ResultsDuring January 2013 until October 2016, 3,976 HIV/Hep C test bundles were performed. There were 40 (1.0%) HIV+ and 407 (10.2%) Hep C positive detected. Nine (0.2%) of these individuals were positive for both HIV and Hep C. A 22.5% of HIV-positive patients were co-infected with Hep C. The population had a median age of 53 years, comprising an equal number of males and females.ConclusionA significant prevalence of Hep C (10%) and HIV (1%) was found in patients presenting for any cause of major EDs in the Houston region. Bundled HIV/Hep C testing of all arrivals to EDs is an effective way to identify individuals that need to be directed to antiviral and linkage to care.Disclosures All authors: No reported disclosures.

Characterization of Three Novel Viruses from the Families Nyamiviridae, Orthomyxoviridae, and Peribunyaviridae, Isolated from Dead Birds Collected during West Nile Virus Surveillance in Harris County, Texas.

This report describes and characterizes three novel RNA viruses isolated from dead birds collected during West Nile virus surveillance in Harris County, TX, USA (the Houston metropolitan area). The novel viruses are identified as members of the families Nyamaviridae, Orthomyxoviridae, and Peribunyaviridae and have been designated as San Jacinto virus, Mason Creek virus, and Buffalo Bayou virus, respectively. Their potential public health and/or veterinary importance are still unknown.

Presence of a Dedicated Advanced Heart Failure Cardiologist in the Community Hospital and Referral Patterns

Introduction It is estimated that there is 1 board certified Advanced Heart failure physician per 6500 heart failure patients in the country. Large academic centers with transplant programs have typically housed such advanced heart failure physicians. We show the benefit of a Hub and spoke model with incorporation of such a physician at the spoke as a potential solution to tackle the public health problem of heart failure. Methods Houston Methodist is a hospital system composed of a Houston Methodist Hospital medical center and six community hospitals serving the Greater Houston metropolitan area. While the hub hospital houses a large transplant and LVAD program with 7 advanced heart failure physicians, in 2017 we hired a practitioner to spend majority time at the Houston Methodist Baytown (HMB) location. We gathered referral patterns for advanced heart failure evaluations prior to and after this structure change. Results From 2015-2017, there were 13 referrals for advanced HF (AdHF) therapy consideration to the hub hospital from HMB cardiologists. Since 2017 to the first quarter of 2019 there have been a total of 60 referrals from practicing cardiologists for management of AdHF locally to the advanced heart failure physician leading to 17 patients being evaluated, 3 receiving LVAD implants, 1 transplant and 2 listed for transplant. A shared care model for advanced therapy has facilitated local care and currently 5 LVADs and 6 transplant patients are being followed at HMB. Conclusions The local presence of advanced heart failure practitioners in community hospitals facilitates care and appropriate referral to specialists. While criteria to recognize advanced heart failure patients is evolving, there seems to be a need for a specialized expertise to manage many of these complex heart failure patients in the community. Availability of such expertise locally might be the way to influence the management for heart failure patients in the broader scope of heart failure care in the community.

Hurricane-Associated Mold Exposures Among Patients at Risk for Invasive Mold Infections After Hurricane Harvey - Houston, Texas, 2017.

In August 2017, Hurricane Harvey caused unprecedented flooding and devastation to the Houston metropolitan area (1). Mold exposure was a serious concern because investigations after Hurricanes Katrina and Rita (2005) had documented extensive mold growth in flood-damaged homes (2,3). Because mold exposure can cause serious illnesses known as invasive mold infections (4,5), and immunosuppressed persons are at high risk for these infections (6,7), several federal agencies recommend that immunosuppressed persons avoid mold-contaminated sites (8,9). To assess the extent of exposure to mold and flood-damaged areas among persons at high risk for invasive mold infections after Hurricane Harvey, CDC and Texas health officials conducted a survey among 103 immunosuppressed residents in Houston. Approximately half of the participants (50) engaged in cleanup of mold and water-damaged areas; these activities included heavy cleanup (23), such as removing furniture or removing drywall, or light cleanup (27), such as wiping down walls or retrieving personal items. Among immunosuppressed persons who performed heavy cleanup, 43% reported wearing a respirator, as did 8% who performed light cleanup. One participant reported wearing all personal protective equipment (PPE) recommended for otherwise healthy persons (i.e., respirator, boots, goggles, and gloves). Immunosuppressed residents who are at high risk for invasive mold infections were exposed to mold and flood-damaged areas after Hurricane Harvey; recommendations from health care providers to avoid exposure to mold and flood-damaged areas could mitigate the risk to immunosuppressed persons.

Natural attenuation of indicator bacteria in coastal streams and estuarine environments

One of the most significant causes of poor water quality is the presence of pathogens. To reduce the cost of human exposure to microbial contamination, monitoring of Fecal Indicator Bacteria (FIB), as a surrogate for the presence of pathogens in natural waters, has become the norm. A total maximum daily load (TMDL) framework is used to establish limits for microbial concentrations in impaired waterbodies. In order to meet microbial loads determined by the TMDLs, reductions in microbial sources varying from 50% to almost complete elimination are required. Such targets are fairly difficult, if not impossible, to achieve. A natural attenuation (NA) framework is proposed that takes into account the connectivity between freshwater streams and their receiving coastal estuaries. The framework accounts for destructive and non-destructive mechanisms and defines three regimes: NA 1 - reaction-dilution mixing at the freshwater-tidal interface, NA 2 - advection-reactions within the tidally influenced coastal stream, and NA 3 - dilution-discharge at the interface with the estuary. The framework was illustrated using the Houston Metropolitan area freshwater streams, their discharge into the Houston Ship Channel (HSC) and into Galveston Bay. FIB concentrations in Galveston Bay were much lower when compared to FIB concentrations in Houston streams. Lower enterococci concentrations in tributary tidal waters were found compared to their counterparts in fresh waters (NA1 regime). Additionally, 70% reduction in FIB loads within the HSC was demonstrated as well as a decreasing trend in enterococci geometric means, from upstream to downstream, on the order of 0.092 day−1 (NA2 regime). Lower enterococci concentrations in Galveston Bay at the confluence with the HSC were also demonstrated (NA3 regime). Statistical testing showed that dilution, tide-associated processes, and salinity are the most important NA mechanisms and indicated the significant effect of ambient temperature and rainfall patterns on FIB concentrations and the NA mechanisms.

Development of a Static Model to Identify Best Management Practices for Trace Metals from Non-Exhaust Traffic Emissions

Risk through exposure to non-exhaust traffic emissions continues to increase as both the number of vehicles and traveling distances continue to increase with global urbanization. To better understand their impacts on the urban environment, a contaminant pathway was developed to describe important release mechanisms, transitory environmental media, and exposure media. Sources of contaminants were identified and characterized using published literature values. Concentrations of non-exhaust sources were used in conjunction with mean emission factors to estimate contaminant loads from individual vehicles (μg/km/veh). Published daily vehicle distances traveled were used to estimate total annual emissions (kg/yr) for the United States and Houston metropolitan area. This equates to approximately 5.1 million kg of Cu, 12.8 million kg of Zn, 4.9 million kg of Pb, and 2400 kg of Cd being released each year in the United States. Tires are responsible for 92% of total Zn emissions, with heavy-duty vehicles responsible for 77% of these emissions. Tires are also responsible for 86% of total Cd emissions. Brake dust contributes to 99.9% of Cu emissions. Wheel weights contribute approximately 94% of total Pb emissions. Identified best management practices include: 1. installation of grass buffer zones (e.g., rain gardens, vegetated swales) immediately adjacent to road surfaces, and 2. permeable pavements and green roofs near major highways. There are several limitations, assumptions and uncertainties associated with the study due to its static nature. However, evidence is substantial for the need to create new policies that address the pollution created by non-exhaust traffic emissions.

Potential impacts of electric vehicles on air quality and health endpoints in the Greater Houston Area in 2040

Significant emissions from transportation contribute to the formation of O3 and fine particulate matter (PM2.5), causing poor air quality and health. In this study, four scenarios were developed to understand how future fleet electrification and turnover of both gasoline and diesel vehicles affect air quality and health in the Houston Metropolitan area. These scenarios considered increased vehicle activity and various configurations of emissions controls. Comparing to a base year of 2013, model predictions for 2040 indicated a ∼50% emissions increase in the Business As Usual (BAU) case, and ∼50%, ∼75%, and ∼95% reductions in the three distinct emissions control cases, the Moderate Electrification (ME), Aggressive Electrification (AE), and Complete Turnover (CT) cases, respectively. Each modeling scenario was conducted using a high-resolution (1 km) WRF-SMOKE-CMAQ-BenMAP air quality and health modeling framework, which helped capture urban features in higher detail. The emissions control cases resulted in 1–4 ppb maximum 8 h O3 increase along highways and reductions both in the regions enclosed by the highways and those downwind. Simulated PM2.5 concentrations decreased between 0.5 and 2 μg m−3. Health impact results suggest that increased O3 and PM2.5 concentrations from the BAU case will lead to 122 additional premature deaths with respect to 2013. However, reduced emissions for the control cases (ME, AE, CT) will prevent 114–246 premature deaths. Additionally, about 7,500 asthma exacerbation and 5,500 school loss days will be prevented in the ME case, benefiting younger individuals. The economic benefits generally followed the same trends as health impacts. The analysis framework developed in this study can be applied to other metropolitan areas. The effects of motor vehicle electrification on power plant emissions were estimated using the Argonne National Laboratory's Autonomie data, and indicated the electrification load to be negligible as opposed to projected electricity generation.

Retrospective Dynamic Inundation Mapping of Hurricane Harvey Flooding in the Houston Metropolitan Area Using High-Resolution Modeling and High-Performance Computing

Hurricane Harvey was one of the most extreme weather events to occur in Texas, USA; there was a huge amount of urban flooding in the city of Houston and the adjoining coastal areas. In this study, we reanalyze the spatiotemporal evolution of inundation during Hurricane Harvey using high-resolution two-dimensional urban flood modeling. This study’s domain includes the bayou basins in and around the Houston metropolitan area. The flood model uses the dynamic wave method and terrain data of 10-m resolution. It is forced by radar-based quantitative precipitation estimates. To evaluate the simulated inundation, on-site photos and water level observations were used. The inundation extent and severity are estimated by combining the retrieved water depths, images collected from the impacted area, and high-resolution terrain data. The simulated maximum inundation extent, which is frequently found outside of the designated flood zones, points out the importance of capturing multi-scale hydrodynamics in the built environment under extreme rainfall for effective flood risk and emergency management.

Experts Share How They Use Written Word to Influence Black Communities

Back to table of contents Previous article Next article Association NewsFull AccessExperts Share How They Use Written Word to Influence Black CommunitiesTerri D’ArrigoTerri D’ArrigoSearch for more papers by this authorPublished Online:14 Feb 2019https://doi.org/10.1176/appi.pn.2019.2b4AbstractBlack authors will describe how the power of the written word and scholarship can improve black communities and make them therapeutic spaces.Black psychiatrists will share their approaches to using published texts to influence their communities in a Presidential Session titled “Black Psychiatrists and Their Community Commitment” at APA’s Annual Meeting.This Presidential Session emphasizes renewed and concerted emphasis on the connection of place and health, says Ezra E.H. Griffith, M.D. David Hathcox“My interest in having received the invitation to set this session up was to give an idea of how black scholar psychiatrists have made contributions of lasting effect on the communities of which we are a part, both the black community and the psychiatric community,” said session moderator Ezra E.H. Griffith, M.D. Griffith is a professor emeritus of psychiatry and African-American studies at Yale School of Medicine in New Haven, Conn.Griffith added that the session’s common theme is that each presenter has used scholarship “to think about things of interest to black psychiatrists, about how to make things different and better both in the practice of psychiatry and for those receiving our care.”Billy E. Jones, M.D., M.S., a clinical professor of psychiatry at NYU School of Medicine, former president of the Black Psychiatrists of America, and former commissioner of the New York City Department of Mental Health, will begin the session by discussing his role as a co-editor of Black Mental Health: Patients, Providers, and Systems from APA Publishing. Jones collaborated with Griffith and APA President Altha Stewart, M.D., in creating a volume that includes first-person accounts of black psychiatrists who rose to the top of their fields, delves into the complexities and opportunities for delivering mental health care to subsets of the African-American population, and examines how black mental health professionals are trained and their representation in psychiatry.Next, Morgan Medlock, M.D., M.Div., M.P.H., director of community outreach and engagement at Howard University Hospital’s Department of Psychiatry in Washington, D.C., will discuss her collaboration with several colleagues to edit Racism and Psychiatry: Contemporary Issues and Interventions. She cowrote a chapter in the book wherein she discusses the role of spirituality and the role of black churches in promoting resilience.Then, Napoleon Higgins, M.D., CEO of Global Health in the Houston metropolitan area, will discuss how individuals and families within the black community who are affected by mental illness contend with disabilities that compound the mundane struggles against the effects of racism. Higgins is co-editor of Mind Matters: A Resource Guide to Psychiatry for Black Communities, a book that aims to help the public understand that mental illnesses are medical disorders of the mind that are treatable.The fourth speaker, Carl C. Bell, M.D., president and CEO of the Community Mental Health Council and Foundation in Chicago and a clinical professor emeritus at the University of Illinois at Chicago, will discuss the connection between place and health and how, for the black community, biomedical scholarship should be linked closely to relevant extant community problems. Bell wrote a science-based text, Fetal Alcohol Exposure in the African American Community, that explores ways of combating the deleterious effects of alcoholism, especially in pregnant black women.Stewart will also speak at the session. Members of the audience will have an opportunity to ask questions at the end of the session. ■“Black Psychiatrists and Their Community Commitment” will be held Monday, May 20, from 10 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. ISSUES NewArchived

From disaster to sustainability: breaking the cycle of floods in Houston

The consequences of growing urbanization can be perceived in multiple levels around the globe: overpopulated living conditions, water and air pollution, loss of open space, costly transportation infrastructure, food shortages, fires and floods. The Houston metropolitan area is an example of fast urban growth, with a population increase of more than sixteen percent in seven years, going from 5.8 million people in 2010 to 6.9 million in 2017. By 2045, the robust growth of the region is projected to lead to the addition of approximately five hundred square miles of developed area, including an estimated six million parking spaces, seven hundred eighty million square feet of non-residential uses, and three and a half billion square feet of residential use. The accelerated development, in addition to physical features, geomorphic processes and human activities in the region are believed to have caused Houston to suffer through over fifty devastating floods since its settlement, despite some successful flood damage reduction projects. The present study focused on the potential outcomes of an increased use of green infrastructure in comparable urban areas, and its effects on flooding volume. Results from the research revealed that not only these measures would likely improve the performance of existing urban drainage systems and attenuate flood incidence in the area, but would also promote connectivity between areas otherwise detached or only accessible by car, improving walkability and incentivizing engagement in outdoor activities.

Dramatic hydrodynamic and sedimentary responses in Galveston Bay and adjacent inner shelf to Hurricane Harvey

Hurricane Harvey, one of the worst hurricanes that hit the United States in recent history, poured record-breaking rainfall across the Houston metropolitan area. Based on a comprehensive set of data from various sources, we examined the dramatic responses in hydrodynamic and sedimentary processes of Galveston Bay to this extreme event. Using a freshwater fraction method that circumvents the uncertainties in surface runoff and groundwater discharge, the freshwater load into the bay during Harvey and the following month was estimated to be 11.1 × 109 m3, about 3 times the bay volume, which had completely refreshed the entire bay. Harvey also delivered 9.86 × 107 metric tons of sediment into the bay, equivalent to 18 years of average annual sediment load. At a site inside the San Jacinto Estuary, acute bed erosion of 48 cm followed by deposition of 22 cm of new sediment was observed from the sediment cores. Slow salinity recovery (~2 month) and a thick flood deposit (~10.5 cm average over the entire bay) had likely impacted the ecosystem in the bay and the adjacent inner shelf. Estuaries with similar bathymetric and geometric characteristics, i.e., shallow bathymetry with narrow outlets, are expected to experience similar dramatic estuarine responses while extreme precipitation events are expected to occur more frequently under the warming climate.

Newcomer Central American Immigrants' Access to Legal Services

Increased Central American child and family migration is impacting local communities across the U.S. Between late 2013 and mid 2018, over 193,000 unaccompanied children (UACs) and 300,000 adults and children traveling as family units from Central America were apprehended at the U.S.-Mexico border. As their cases overburden the immigration courts, federal engagement in the provision of immigration legal services remains virtually non-existent. Local governments and community-based organizations (CBOs) have been forced to improvise how best to provide legal services for this growing newcomer population as they navigate the immigration process. Varying levels of capacity and response across diverse community contexts, however, are contributing to disparities in newcomers’ ability to secure an attorney. Without legal representation, many newcomers face nearly certain deportation regardless of whether they may qualify for immigration relief. To better understand local variations in the provision of legal assistance and barriers faced by Central American migrants in accessing existing services, researchers from the Center for Latin American & Latino Studies (CLALS) at American University and the Graduate College of Social Work at the University of Houston conducted interviews with service providers, local government officials, and other stakeholders across three major immigrant receiving communities: the Washington, DC and Houston metropolitan areas, and North and South Carolina. Drawing on project interviews and publicly available data, this report documents legal service gaps, catalogues the principal challenges confronting community-based legal service providers, and highlights strategies for enhancing service provider capacity and overcoming access barriers. While both public and private partners across a number of U.S communities are engaged in innovative, scaled-up approaches to providing legal services, demand continues to outstrip available resources. The need is particularly acute in localities outside of the major metropolitan areas that are home to large Central American immigrant communities. Significant barriers to access remain and—in the current context of immigration enforcement policy—are accumulating. The forecast of continued strain on an already over-taxed ecology of service providers and on the immigration adjudication system threatens the well-being of tens of thousands of newcomers whose futures hinge on improved capabilities.

Houston16: A stable geodetic reference frame for subsidence and faulting study in the Houston metropolitan area, Texas, U.S.

Houston, Texas, is one of the earliest regions to employ continuous GPS technology for land subsidence monitoring. Currently, there are over 200 permanent GPS stations located in the greater Houston area. The need for a consistent and stable reference frame to precisely interpret local ground deformation has become critically important since the 1990s, because of the significant spreading of subsidence. We have established a stable Houston reference frame, designated Houston16, using publicly available GPS observations (>5 years) from 15 Continuously Operating Reference Stations (CORS) located outside of the greater Houston area. Applications of the reference frame in subsidence and faulting studies are demonstrated in this article. Houston16 is aligned in origin and scale with the International GNSS Reference Frame of 2008 (IGS08). A 7-parameter method was employed to transform the GPS-derived positional time series from IGS08 to Houston16. The primary product of this study is the seven parameters for transforming Earth-Centered-Earth-Fixed XYZ coordinates from IGS08 to Houston16. The frame stability of Houston16 is approximately 1 mm/year. Houston16 will be updated every few years to mitigate degradation of the frame's stability with time and to synchronize with future updates of the IGS reference frame.

Contributions of Operational Satellites in Monitoring the Catastrophic Floodwaters Due to Hurricane Harvey

Hurricane Harvey made landfall as a Category-4 storm in the United States on 25 August 2017 in Texas, causing catastrophic flooding in the Houston metropolitan area and resulting in a total economic loss estimated to be about $125 billion. To monitor flooding in the areas affected by Harvey, we used data from sensors aboard the Suomi National Polar-Orbiting Partnership Satellite (SNPP) and the new Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite (GOES)-16. The GOES-16 Advanced Baseline Imager (ABI) observations are available every 5 min at 1-km spatial resolution across the entire United States, allowing for the possibility of frequent cloud free views of the flooded areas; while the higher resolution 375-m imagery available twice per day from the Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite (VIIRS) aboard the SNPP satellite can observe more details of the flooded regions. Combining the high spatial resolution from VIIRS with the frequent observations from ABI offers an improved capability for flood monitoring. The flood maps derived from the SNPP VIIRS and GOES-16 ABI observations were provided to the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) continuously during Hurricane Harvey. According to FEMA’s estimate on 3 September 2017, approximately 155,000 properties might have been affected by the floodwaters of Hurricane Harvey.