Author: stellachung

Blog post 3

December 20, 2018 / stellachung / 0 Comments

During this semester, I learned many things. Among them, what sticks out most to me is the ethics lesson, the experiments, the science forward videos, the 3D printing lessons, and the poster revisions. I knew some basics of ethics before Jake taught the lesson, however, we got much more in depth. It was interesting to learn that such difficult ethical questions are faced by real people in real professions. Even our own everyday interactions and decisions are driven by personal moral and ethical ideals and perspectives that are studied philosophies. It actually made me reevaluate my opinion on the subject of philosophy, sparking a newfound interest.

As for the experiments, it was definitely a “culture” shock to my usual mundane days of business and English classes. I haven’t taken a science course since high school, and I found that I actually really missed it. I use to despise my science classes, but now I found that I actually miss it. It provides a different kind of creative and imaginative thinking that widens your perspective on whats possible. We created aspirin and soap through different chemicals, heating and cooling. It was amazing. At the same time, the science forward videos put the process of learning science into a new light by dividing it into categories, such as number sense and data sense. I never thought about it in that way. It made learning the experiments easier, understanding them as different aspects of science.

The 3D printing lessons were a refreshing learning time outside of the classroom. You forget that science is beyond being in the lab. It was invigorating to be given the chance to invent something new and innovative. Learning how to use Tinkercad was a new experience for me. It was honestly difficult at first, not something I was used to. It was also sometimes frustrating, because you had to be very patient when bringing your imagination into actual fruition. I had lots of ideas, but since I was only a beginner, it took time to use and learn how to manipulate all the shapes and functions. Despite being hard sometimes, it was still really fun to learn something new. Now, I feel confident in being able to learn a similar program, which could be very useful towards my major. Moreover, the science behind 3D printing was fascinating. The Makerhub was able to explain how the machine works and how the industry is accelerating.

The poster revision process was tedious, but by the end, extremely rewarding. At times, I felt discouraged that no matter how much we fixed the poster, there were still changes to be made. It felt like a never ending process with no end. Sometimes, the “mistakes” didn’t even seem so significant, but after printing the final poster, I was able to see all the little changes come together and really make a big difference. I learned that small details go a long way, and it’s important to be detail-oriented. However, it was also important to see the whole picture. Everything needed to be uniform, and there had to be a clear theme. The experience was so rewarding, being able to talk about our work which we worked so hard on, at the STEAM festival.

aspirin lab reflection

November 12, 2018 / stellachung / 0 Comments

After reading the lab before the actual experiment, I was a bit overwhelmed and nervous about it. Having not taken a science class in a little over 3 years, I felt ill-prepared and unfit for making actual aspirin. It was intimidating. However, I was surprised to find the experiment was not only very manageable, but enjoyable as well. It was a nice change from very research-heavy and writing-based classes to something hands-on. I found that measuring things in the correct beakers was actually more meticulous and difficult than it sounds. Even the slightest cross-contamination or wrong measurement could throw off the entire experiment. For example, my partner and I forgot to let our beaker cool to room temperature. Instead, we went straight to the ice bath. Also, we reused our measuring instruments, rinsing with tap water and shaking them until semi-dry. I think this could explain why our aspirin was not pure when we tested it at the end. It was disappointing to learn that our aspirin was not pure, after all the work we had put into it. It seemed like we followed all the steps and even our final product looked like aspirin, but the little mistakes alluded us. It just goes to show that it’s important that during the actual experiment, you follow the experimental design very carefully, which is something we discussed in class, but never did in practice until now.

annotated bioblitz bibliography- stella, rob, kiara

October 28, 2018 / stellachung / 0 Comments

Fitzgerald, Judith M., and Robert E. Loeb. 2008 “Historical Ecology of Inwood Hill Park, Manhattan, New York.” The Journal of the Torrey Botanical Society 135, no. 2 (2008): 281-93. doi:10.3159/07-ra-046.1.

This article was published in The Journal of the Torrey Botanical Society and it details the history of the ecology of Inwood Hill Park. This will be beneficial in understanding how Inwood Hill Park got to be the way that it is. It provides a detailed history of the plant life and different species found in the park. This could help gives us a background of what the park was like and we can compare the BioBlitz results to its previous history. We will be able to get a better understanding of the ecology of the park and hopefully allow us to identify recent changes in the environment.

Dittman, Jason A., and Charles T. Driscoll. 2009 “Factors Influencing Changes in Mercury Concentrations in Lake Water and Yellow Perch (Perca Flavescens) in Adirondack Lakes.” Biogeochemistry 93, no. 3 (2009): 179-96. doi:10.1007/s10533-009-9289-9.

Although our focus is on Inwood Hill Park, I wanted to compare the data we found to other areas in New York. This article detailed the relationship between the biodiversity of the fish and mercury levels in lakes surrounding the Adirondack Mountains. It also mentions pH levels in the water and the fish body condition. We hope that this data will contribute to our understanding of our findings at Inwood Hill Park.

Saha, Priti, and Biswajit Paul. 2018 “Suitability Assessment of Surface Water Quality with Reference to Drinking, Irrigation and Fish Culture: A Human Health Risk Perspective.” Bulletin of Environmental Contamination and Toxicology 101, no. 2 (2018): 262-71. doi:10.1007/s00128-018-2389-2.

This article was published in the Bulletin of Environmental Contamination Toxicology earlier this year and it examined some of the same factors as we were in an industrial city in India. The researchers conducted a multi-purpose Water Quality Index (WQI) in order to “assess the sustainability of surface water for drinking, fish culture, as well as irrigation.” From these studies it was determined that some potent toxic pollutants such as Co, F, Mn, and NO3. These were identified to cause health hazards and also potentially cause damage to the ecosystem. According to the study, “the pollutants were attributed to rock-weathering, industries, agriculture and municipal sources.” Although Inwood Hill Park isn’t considered to be part of an industrial city, it is interesting to compare the results and see how certain factors connect. Our group may be able to use some of this information as reference when analyzing the water quality found at Inwood.

Kisku, Sujit, Deep Sankar Chini, Manojit Bhattacharya, Avijit Kar, Srikanta Parua, Basanta

Kumar Das, and Bidhan Chandra Patra. “A Cross-sectional Study on Water Quality in

Relation to Fish Diversity of Paschim Medinipur, West Bengal, India through

Geoinformatics Approaches.” The Egyptian Journal of Aquatic Research43, no. 4 (2017):

283-89. doi:10.1016/j.ejar.2017.12.001

This article was published in the Egyption Journal of Aquatic Research. The authors of the article examined a very similar question to the one we plan on asking about Inwood Hill Park. Their study was on the relationship between water quality and fish diversity in a certain area of India. They used water quality parameters like pH, Temperature, Dissolved Oxygen and salinity to compare to the natural fish diversity in the areas they were examining. We will be examining the water quality parameters of Inwood Hill Park and compare that to the fish diversity. We will be using the Bioblitz data to gather our information we need for our experiment.

Wabnitz, Colette C. C., Vicky W. Y. Lam, Gabriel Reygondeau, Lydia C. L. Teh, Dalal

Al-Abdulrazzak, Myriam Khalfallah, Daniel Pauly, Maria L. Deng Palomares, Dirk

Zeller, and William W. L. Cheung. “Climate Change Impacts on Marine Biodiversity,

Fisheries and Society in the Arabian Gulf.” Plos One13, no. 5 (2018).

doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0194537.

This article was published in the Public Library of Science by a group of researchers working in the field of marine biodiversity. This article is about the effects of climate change on marine Biodiversity, specifically the Arabian Gulf. The article explains how climate change has created significant changes in the environment including sea level rising, changes in temperature, salinity and dissolved oxygen. Their study provides an evaluation of all of these environmental changes on the biodiversity of marine biology in the Arabian Gulf. Our group can use their study to help design our experiment and possibly compare result we have to the results of this article. Our research will be similar in the type of date but much smaller in scale.

Parker, Jerrod, Yong Cao, Greg G. Sass, and John Epifanio. “Large River Fish Functional

Diversity Responses to Improved Water Quality over a 28 year Period.” Ecological

Indicators88 (2018): 322-31. doi:10.1016/j.ecolind.2018.01.035.

This article is about a long term study that relates to the topic of our Bioblitz research experiment. This study was done after the passing of environment protection regulation from the early 1980’s that included the improvement of wastewater treatment. They used this as an opportunity to study the impact of the improvement of water quality on functional diversity of fish. Functional diversity, or FD, is a multi factor way of determining species’ adaptations to certain environmental factors. Their study was done at different locations along the illinois river during its recovery period from 1983 to 2010. The article describes the various methods used to determine the species’ diversity in a given system. We will most likely use this source to help us design our experiment.

Gordon, T. A. C. et al. 2018. “Fishes in a Changing World: Learning From the Past to Promote Sustainability of Fish Populations.” Journal of Fish Biology, 92 (3), pp. 804-827. doi: 10.1111/jfb.13546.

This paper explores the threats that fish populations face today and how humans contribute to these issues both locally and globally. It explains different ways people can promote fish sustainability and build a better future for the aquatic ecosystem. We can use this information for our conclusion and applications for our study. It provides critical evidence to support our reason for choosing this issue and how our research can be applied in real life to promote sustainability in an urban ecology.

Hiddink, J. G. et al. 2008. “Importance of fish biodiversity for the management of fisheries and ecosystems.” Fisheries Research, 90 (1-3), pp. 6-8. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.fishres.2007.11.025.

This article outlines the importance of fish biodiversity. It provides information on how fish diversity affects the environment and humans. In addition, it suggests methods to better manage fish diversity through effective government and civilian work. This information can be used in our project to establish a connection between fish populations and the human population. It will answer the question of how humans and fish are affected by each other, and why it’s important we study and maintain fish biodiversity, one of these ways being water quality testing.

Healthcare Innovation Proposal

October 17, 2018 / stellachung / 0 Comments

Group members: Kiara, Robert, Stella

The healthcare problem that our group is focused on is Carpal Tunnel Syndrome and Tendonitis that stems from improper writing techniques. Carpal Tunnel syndrome is when the median nerve in the hand is compressed or squeezed in the wrist. The median nerve is compressed when the muscle tissue surrounding the tendons swell up. The pressure on the median nerve can cause lasting pain, numbness, tingling or weakness of the hand. The condition is more common in women and older people but children and young people can develop carpal tunnel syndrome from writing with a curved wrist or intensive writing for long periods of time. Any repetitive hand tasks can eventually cause carpal tunnel. Tendonitis causes similar problems when it comes to writing. Tendonitis is the inflammation of the tendons. Tendonitis in the wrist will cause a similar pain to Carpal tunnel and can affect writing. The specific problem we want to address is the pain in the wrist from tendonitis or carpal tunnel that can have a negative impact on writing.

In researching the need for our particular healthcare innovation, we found a lot of information regarding writing difficulties for people suffering from Carpal Tunnel Syndrome, Tendonitis, and Arthritis. Most of the information that we found mentioned that strain or pressure was being placed on the median nerve and this caused lasting pain and numbness, making it difficult to write clearly and efficiently. Stella found various studies showing the need for a hand brace that would significantly improve quality of life for those with Carpal Tunnel Syndrome specifically. The article, “An Innovative Hand Brace for Carpal Tunnel Syndrome: A Randomized Controlled Trial,” in the Muscle & Nerve Journal evaluated the efficacy and tolerability of a new brace and found that it showed success in improving functionality. An article from The New York Times also highlighted the struggles faced by those with Carpal Tunnel, and so we were able to see the prevalence of this condition as it is something that affects a significant portion of the population and interferes with their daily productivity. Overall, it has been found that using #D technology to fashion a sort of wrist splint or brace would be an important development since this would allow it to be more easily mass produced, and it would help to keep costs down.

Since our particular concentration is to see how we can improve handwriting, Robert found several sources that acknowledge the way a person’s grip on a writing utensil affects their handwriting. Many of these studies found a correlation between weak or strained grip and poor handwriting, especially amongst children. This work further supports the need for our healthcare innovation. In a Brazilian Journal for Pediatrics, it was published that research was done concerning how a certain grip on a pen or pencil could improve grip posture and therefore making writing more comfortable for children with hemiplegic cerebral palsy. This is relevant, because although we aren’t focusing specifically on cerebral palsy, this research can still help us identify key factors that contribute to improve handwriting. A study from the American Journal of Occupational Therapy also noted that students who used a type of pencil grip had better performance rates than those who did not use one. Therefore, this research could further help us to understand the ergodynamics of writing and translate the findings about the pencil grip into an overall wrist brace that will help with writing as well as other daily functions.

The research and data that I found focused more on using ergodynamics to alleviate the symptoms of carpal tunnel and arthritis through specially designed writing grips. Another study that I found in the American Journal of Occupational Therapy suggested that a specifically designed writing grip may help writers to be more efficient and proficient, and thus relieve strain on the wrist and hopefully be applied to those suffering from carpal tunnel. A study from the International Journal of Clinical Rheumatology detailed the most common treatments of carpal tunnel syndrome which included bracing, but also detailed its limitations. These limitations included the fact that they were often stiff and non conforming and uncomfortable to wear. We hope to use all of this information to be able to design a brace that is more effective than current products available.

The problem we have identified is very specific, but highly pervasive throughout the country. Current braces on the market still prove to have less long-term benefits than surgery. This becomes an economic issue, since many people in the U.S. do not have health insurance to cover such surgeries. In addition, current models, whether custom-made or mass produced, don’t seem to have a significant difference. So what’s the point of paying extra for a custom-made brace? Scientists are still working to pinpoint the exact part of the median nerve and how the surrounding structure causes pain. Because it is so intricate, hand braces have varied in design, some having a neutral stance, while others are angled. Which is more effective? Our solution is to produce an affordable, durable brace that can relieve stress on the median nerve and improve writing efficiency. The brace should be flexible, while still maintaining the right amount of support in order to relieve the stress of the median nerve, which gets strained after a significant time of writing. Based on current research and patents on different brace designs, we hope to cross reference and come up with the most effective brace that solves all issues with current models.

Through our research, we have been able to come to the conclusion that this healthcare innovation is something that people need. It would significantly improve quality of life for thousands of people across the country and even more internationally. Carpal Tunnel Syndrome, Tendonitis, and Arthritis are ailments that a multitude of people suffer from, and it oftentimes interferes with their everyday lives. Sometimes surgery is not an option for these people, and so we hope that our wrist brace will help them to be able to continue with their routines comfortably and with the support they need. Our idea has much potential for success, especially with the 3D printing technology. This would allow our brace to be mass produced and sold in pharmacies and drugstores or even through doctors and pharmaceutical reps. With the right material and design, our idea could revolutionize the treatment of these conditions and open the door to further improvements as well.

bioblitz research question

October 9, 2018 / stellachung / 0 Comments

group members: kiara and robert

What is the final version of the question you are interested in asking? How does the water quality in Inwood Hill Park affect the biodiversity of the fish in the area?
List some keywords to use when searching for related scientific literature. Be specific! When searching for related scientific literature we will use key terms such as water quality, fish species, and ph levels and see where and how they all overlap.
Where will your data come from? Do you need to collect new data? Please describe. Some of our data will come from existing research documented online in the databases. This will be mostly background information that will allow us to see what has generally been found in regards to this topic. We will however need to collect new data and test the water samples in different areas ourselves since there is not much data available that is specific to our question.
What will you be measuring or comparing? What are the dependent and independent variables? We will be measuring the water quality at the locations of Inwood Hill Park and the biodiversity of the fish. The independent variable in the research will be the water quality and the dependent variable is the number of fish in the area.
Please make a list of your methods. If you are using existing BioBlitz data, you do not need to describe those data collection methods on this worksheet, but you do need to describe how you are extracting the relevant data from the entire BioBlitz data set. For our scientific research project, we are going to use the BioBlitz data collected from Inwood Hill Park. In particular, we will be extracting information from the sections on fish observations and water quality testings. Using excel, we are going to narrow down which species were found, where they were found, and in what quantities. Similarly, we will use the same excel functions to look at the different water properties tested, like dissolved oxygen percentages and pH levels. We will attempt to draw meaningful correlations and note any patterns between the two sets of data.
Why is this question interesting to you? Why should others care about this topic? Being a city campus, we’d never expect to find such great biodiversity. Of course, we see pigeons and squirrels almost everywhere, but what we don’t see everyday is the marine life. We thought it’d be interesting to explore this realm of urban ecology and get a better understanding of what is living in our waters. People may think, how does water quality in parks affect humans? Why should we study fish diversity? Like we’ve been learning, humans are very much a part of the ecosystem, and everything is connected. Testing water quality can give insight into how we as humans are affecting life for fish. Litter and pollution are major problems in NYC, and it can show in the water of our parks. The ecosystem is fragile, and in order to maintain a homeostasis, we need to understand every aspect, including the fish. How are we affecting them, and how are they affecting us?

healthcare innovation sources

October 9, 2018 / stellachung / 0 Comments

Group members: Kiara and Robert

Project: Hand grip for people with carpal tunnel syndrome

Paterson, A. et al. 2014. “Computer-aided design to support fabrication of wrist splints using 3D printing: a feasibility study,” Hand Therapy 19, no. 4, pp. 102 – 113. https://doi.org/10.1177/1758998314544802.

In this peer-reviewed journal article by Abby M. Paterson and multiple other scientists, the use of 3D printing to make wrist splints is examined and explored for its feasibility and effectiveness. Paterson specializes in computer aided design (CAD) in which she received her PhD for from Loughborough University. She teaches CAD and its applications in many settings at the University of Manchester. In this study, she is particularly looking at the application of 3D printing for wrist splints which would help people with carpal tunnel syndrome. This article provides logistical and technical information on the actual feasibility of 3D printing wrist splints. This will be used in our project to explain the actual possibility of mass producing this product and the barriers in technology in doing this.

Manente, G. et al. 2001. “An Innovative Hand Brace for Carpal Tunnel Syndrome: A Randomized Controlled Trial,” Muscle & Nerve 24, no. 8, 1020-1025. https://doi-org.remote.baruch.cuny.edu/10.1002/mus.1105.

Gabriele Manente works in the Center for Neuromuscular Disease at the University “G. d’Annunzio” in Chieti, Italy. He holds the patent for a new design of a more effective hand brace to help those with carpal tunnel syndrome. In the article, it evaluates the efficacy and tolerability of this new brace. They go through the design of the brace, the study design, method, and results. They conclude that the new brace does show high success in proving functional. We would use this to support the need and promise in making a 3D printed hand grip for those with carpal tunnel syndrome.

Nagourney, Eric. 1999. “Common but Confusing: Workers’ Wrist Ailments,” New York Times online, https://nyti.ms/2A11mDQ.

Eric Nagourney is a writer at the New York Times. In this article, he discusses the prevalence of carpal tunnel syndrome and how it is difficult to diagnose. He references a study done in Sweden that sent out questionnaires to 3,000 people asking about symptoms of carpal tunnel syndrome. Surprisingly, many replied that they did experience these symptoms. We would use this article to back up the need for this innovation as it affects many people.

Hand holder for left-handed writers

October 3, 2018 / stellachung / 0 Comments

My idea is to create a sort of cast that holds up the left-hand so when writing, it doesn’t smudge across the paper. Ironically, I am not left-handed. However, I was inspired by an anecdote by a close friend who complained about how there’s only one left-handed desk in her whole classroom. Her and one other left-handed person always have to battle for that one seat. In light of this, I think it’d be helpful to create a tool to help left-handed people write.

Blog post 1

September 27, 2018 / stellachung / 0 Comments

In scientific journalism, I think it’s important to be as objective as possible when relaying facts. It’s okay for authors to include their own opinions at times, but it should be clearly separate from what is scientifically proven and factual. To my surprise, I felt many popular media authors skewed information to convey a certain feeling or opinion. Whether it was overly positive/hopeful language, exaggeration of statements, or leaving details out altogether, it was clear when comparing the journal and the popular media reports that the author was conveying their own version of the facts. Even if the changes were subtle, the impact on the article as a whole was significant. Therefore, I think scientific journalists can improve on being more objective. In addition to being objective, I think a good reproduction of scientific research should also include more angles and alternative views. It shows the author has done thorough research on the topic and also helps cancel out some possibility of bias. In order to keep readers interested, I think it’s helpful to include relatable analogies and reference to modern day applications. Rather than spinning the facts to engage the reader, authors can retain their credibility, while also appealing to the audience by keeping content relevant. Whether that’s making reference to a popular movie or mentioning a famous celebrity, this could help lighten the load of all the scientific talk. One point I found interesting in the presentations was the fact that certain scientists had financial stake in the company they were reporting on. Personally, I did not know this while reading, but it definitely changes my perception of the report now. It brings some controversy to the credibility of the writers who perhaps may be biased.

paraphrase exercise

September 9, 2018 / stellachung / 0 Comments

School nurses in the U.S. are faced with the challenge of following strict rules, while also acting quickly and efficiently to treat children experiencing allergic reactions. Different school districts have certain rules in place that complicate the role of school nurses when administering epinephrine to school children. In addition, the American Academy of Asthma, Allergy and Immunology also have a set of guidelines that further blur the line of responsibility and authority school nurses have. Studies have shown that delaying the administration of epinephrine increases the risk of severe, life-threatening allergic reactions, also known as anaphylaxis. Therefore, it is critical for school policy, healthcare laws, and parental consent to all be consistent and clear in the extent to which school nurses can act upon cases of allergic reactions (Wahl et. al 2015, 97).

Engineering Microbes to Cure Disease

September 7, 2018 / stellachung / 0 Comments

Author: stellachung

Blog post 3

aspirin lab reflection

annotated bioblitz bibliography- stella, rob, kiara

Healthcare Innovation Proposal

bioblitz research question

healthcare innovation sources

Hand holder for left-handed writers

Blog post 1

paraphrase exercise

Engineering Microbes to Cure Disease

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