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Discrepancies Between Parent- and Child-Reported Anxiety Symptoms in Autistic and Non-Autistic Youth
No full textAnxiety is one of the most common co-occurring conditions in youth on the autism spectrum (ASD) and can manifest differently compared to non-ASD youth, making it difficult to identify anxiety in ASD youth. The Screen for Child Anxiety-Related Emotional Disorders (SCARED; Birhmaher et al., 1997) is a gold-standard measurement tool that aims to provide a dual-informed perspective of anxiety symptoms (Behrens et al., 2020). However, discrepancies between parent and child reports have been observed, suggesting a need for further analysis of whether discrepancies vary by diagnostic group (ASD or non-ASD). This study aimed to determine if discrepancies existed between parent- and self-reported anxiety symptoms and if there was a difference between diagnostic groups. Data were obtained from a larger study examining anxiety and heart rate variability in youth. Results of a correlation test showed that parent and child-reported anxiety symptoms scores were not statistically significantly correlated (r = 0.33, p = .07). An independent samples t-test indicated that there was a significant difference between parent-reported and child-reported anxiety symptoms (t = - 3.00, p = .01), such that parent anxiety symptom ratings were 7.4 points lower than child anxiety symptoms (95% CI [-13.33, -2.5]). There was a significant mean difference between the discrepancies for the ASD and non-ASD groups (t = -3.41, p = .001) with a higher rate of discrepancy in the non-ASD group (95% CI [-15.44, 0.07]). These results indicate that parents of non-ASD youth are more likely to underreport their child’s anxiety symptoms, while parents of ASD youth are more likely to align with their child’s report.Research reported in this publication was supported by the National Institute of Mental Health of the National Institutes of Health under Award number K08MH133879 to Dr. Yarger. The content is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of the NIH
Introduction to Data Rescue
No full textSince Donald Trump's second inauguration, he has signed dozens of Executive Orders and issued numerous statements that have directed government agencies to delete thousands of government web pages, removing important government data from public access. Among the pages taken down are more than 3,000 pages from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, more than 3,000 pages from the Census Bureau, more than 1,000 pages from the Office of Justice Programs, and more. The removed pages contained data, information about policies and programs, training materials, guidelines, and press statements. Information related to public health, LGBTQ+ rights, climate change, and other topics that the Trump administration has targeted in anti-DEI orders and memos. We will discuss the impact of data removal on research and teaching, and will share the outline and results from a pilot Data Rescue Event in UMD Libraries
Woven in Time: Defining the Historical Significance of the Knitting Mills for National Register Consideration
No full textThis project examines the eligibility of the Knitting Mills campus in Reading, Pennsylvania, for inclusion on the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP). An early contributor to the American textile industry through the Wyomissing Industries, the Knitting Mills campus contributed to local economic development and shaped the social fabric of Reading throughout the 20th century. Despite its historical significance, the site has yet to be formally evaluated for consideration on the National Register of Historic Places. This study will analyze the site in the context of the NRHP criteria to assess whether the site meets the standards of designation based on historical significance, architectural design, and community impact
Sensorimotor collaboration: Dynamics, Control, and Phenomenology
No full textThis dissertation investigates the interplay between task constraints, partner dynamics, and the phenomenal experience of control in human sensorimotor collaboration. Specifically, it examines how the sense of agency (SoA), control strategies, and motor outcomes evolve in bimanual and interpersonal joint actions—including interactions with artificial agents—across tasks with varying mechanical structures. To enable high-resolution study of these phenomena, I developed CollabSim, a novel, finger-driven simulation platform that allows dyads to apply forces to shared virtual objects governed by Newtonian dynamics via pulley-cable systems. The environment supports task configurations with varying degrees of redundancy and co-dependence, facilitating multi-level analysis of coordination across agentic, inter-limb, and inter-finger dimensions.
Study 1 addressed the phenomenological dimension of joint action by modeling subjective control under different task constraints and collaboration contexts (bimanual vs. novice–expert). Participants performed redundant (Guided-Elevator) and co-dependent (Free-Elevator) force-control tasks and reported trial-level sense of control, perceived role, and coordination breakdowns. Bayesian ordinal and categorical models indicated that the phenomenal experience of control was not necessarily diminished in joint actions; in some cases, it appeared to increase in novice–expert pairings, particularly within co-dependent task contexts. The models revealed a graded association between SoA and perceived roles—highest for leadership, followed by dynamically switching roles, we-agency, and lowest for follower roles. These findings suggest that SoA in joint action is shaped by social and contextual factors beyond task success or physical input.
Studies 2 and 3 examined behavioral correlates of these phenomenological observations using force signal analysis. Study 2 quantified lateralized control strategies in bimanual solo tasks and found consistent asymmetries, with the non-dominant hand contributing greater force magnitude and variability, while the dominant hand performed more precise, lower-amplitude control. These asymmetries were task-dependent and attenuated in co-dependent conditions. This supports the motor abundance framework, confirming that lateralization is not fixed but dynamically shaped in response to task constraints.
Study 3 extended this analysis to novice–expert dyads. Expert involvement yielded smoother and more stable system-level force trajectories, especially in redundant tasks. Importantly, novices exhibited heightened engagement and behavioral stabilization when collaborating with an expert. This supports a model of synergy-based control in which expert behavior reorganizes the dyad’s uncontrolled manifold, enabling distributed stabilization of performance via adaptive redundancy exploitation.
Study 4 examined the influence of cognitive framing on joint action with artificial agents. Participants interacted with an identical open-loop agent across conditions framed as “human,” “computer,” or “model.” Despite invariant agent behavior, subjective reports of control and role attribution varied significantly by framing condition. These results suggest that social cognition and expectations modulate phenomenological experience in joint action, particularly in the context of human–AI collaboration.
Together, these studies offer a multi-level account of joint sensorimotor behavior, connecting phenomenological, behavioral, and theoretical analyses. The findings advance models of distributed agency, synergy, and socially situated motor control
Neighborhood Normative Contexts and Offending Across Race, Ethnicity, and Immigrant Generation
No full textPrior literature finds differences in offending across immigrant generation and race/ethnicity, pointing to differential exposure and/or susceptibility to criminogenic risk, such as neighborhood disadvantage, across groups. I examine whether neighborhood normative contexts vary meaningfully by structural characteristics such as immigrant prevalence, and whether these “cognitive landscapes” (ecologically-structured contexts with variations in frames for behavior) differentially predict individual-level offending across the intersections of immigrant generation and race/ethnicity. I examine whether adolescents’ exposure to 1) higher tolerance of deviance in their neighborhoods and 2) greater neighborhood heterogeneity in tolerance of deviance are each correlated with their immigrant generational status and/or racial-ethnic minority status, and whether these normative contexts predict differences in the prevalence of their offending. I identify whether the relationships between normative contexts and behavior vary across the generation-race subgroups. Results suggest some variation in the influence of cultural context on behavior across demographics, informing theoretical understanding of how neighborhood contexts shape behavior for youth of diverse backgrounds and identities
CHALLENGING TENETS OF SEX CHROMOSOME RESEARCH: OPTIONS ARE NOT LIMITED
No full textSex chromosomes and what determines sex in an organism have been a topic of interest for decades. As such, the field has developed many tenets surrounding how they arise and evolve. In fish, transitions between sex determining systems occur at a much higher frequency than in other organisms. Here, I build on what is known about sex chromosomes in cichlid fishes and challenge some of these long-held tenets. Previously unknown sex chromosomes are discovered in the Lake Tanganyika tribes Cyprichromini and Tropheini, in the basal haplochromines, and in Chromidotilapia guntheri, a distant outgroup to the East African radiation. In the Cyprichromini, I show an unexpected transition from a ZW to an XY system on the same linkage group (LG). In the Tropheini, I present evidence for a high frequency of sex chromosome turnover and estimate a minimum of 14 turnovers in this tribe. The origin of the most common sex determining system in this tribe (XY-LG5/19) near the base of one of two major sub-clades of this tribe is dated to about 3.4 MY ago. Additionally, I observe variation in the size of one sex-determining region that suggests independent evolution of evolutionary strata in species with a shared sex-determination system. In the basal haplochromines, focusing on the genus Pseudocrenilabrus, I identify six new independent sex chromosome systems, including the first report of a cichlid sex determining system on LG12. I then quantify the rates and patterns of sex chromosome turnover in this clade and test whether some autosomes become sex chromosomes in East African cichlids more often than expected by chance. Finally, I identify an XY sex chromosome system on LG19 in the West African cichlid fish Chromidotilapia guntheri, in which the region of differentiation extends over less than 400 kb. I develop high-quality male and female genome assemblies for this species, which confirm the absence of structural variants, and which facilitate the annotation of genes in the region. The peak of differentiation lies within rin3, which has experienced several debilitating mutations on the Y chromosome. I suggest two hypotheses about how these mutations might disrupt endocytosis, leading to Mendelian effects on sexual development. This dissertation contributes >10 new cichlid sex chromosomes, suggests that chromosomes are not limited in their ability to become sex determining, and presents evidence of instances where previous theories have not held
Semi-Autonomous 2.5D Control of Untethered Magnetic Suture Needle
No full textUntethered miniature surgical tools could significantly reduce invasiveness and enhance patient outcomes in robot-assisted laparoscopic surgical procedures. This paper demonstrates the feasibility of performing semi-autonomous suturing tasks using an untethered magnetic needle controlled by an external electromagnetic manipulator. The electromagnetic manipulator can generate magnetic torques and gradient-based pulling forces to actuate the magnetic needle. Here, we develop and implement a semi-autonomous 2.5D control method for controlling the in-plane position and both in-plane and out-of-plane orientations of a magnetic needle for suturing on tissue-mimicking agar gel phantoms. The method includes recognizing needles and incisions, planning trajectory, and performing suturing with visual feedback control. We conduct two mock suturing tasks using both continuous and interrupted techniques on 1% agar gel phantoms with 2 cm and 3 cm incision sizes. The results demonstrate precise needle control, with an average root-mean-square position error of 1.01 mm and 1.12 mm across tasks. The system also achieved submillimeter-level suture spacing accuracy, comparable to surgeons using state-of-the-art surgical robots. These findings highlight the feasibility of using untethered magnetic suture needles for minimally invasive suturing procedures
Housing Instability and Housing-Based Discrimination Against Trans People in Maryland
No full textThe Maryland Trans Survey is a community-based research project conducted by Trans Maryland and the Queer/Trans Collective for Research on Equity and Wellness examining experiences of trans people in the State of Maryland in areas such as health and healthcare, employment and economic well-being, and legal and policy experiences. To date, this is the largest survey of trans people in the State, with 750 trans people representing all 23 counties in Maryland and Baltimore City.
Data were collected from June to December 2023 through in-person and online community outreach. The project was approved by Towson University’s Institutional Review Board (Protocol #1897) and used Transgender Research Informed Consent (TRICON) Disclosures to provide trans community members with additional transparency on the project, recognizing long histories of harmful practices in trans research from scientific institutions.
Housing stability encompasses both the accessibility and security (i.e., free of threats) of shelter and exists along a spectrum ranging from “no access to housing of reasonable quality (complete instability)” to “access to housing of reasonable quality in the absence of threats (complete stability).” Trans and nonbinary people are significantly more likely to experience housing instability, including homelessness, than cisgender people.
There is no standard definition or measure for housing instability. However, housing instability generally includes various issues that individuals face when securing or maintaining shelter, such as “trouble paying rent, moving frequently, staying with relatives or friends, or spending most of one's income on housing.” It may also include other housing-related stress or challenges, including mistreatment from landlords (i.e., unreasonably high rent, refusing or delaying maintenance repairs, erroneous charges and late fees, etc.) and poor building or living conditions.
Trans people are more likely to experience housing instability because of housing and employment discrimination, limited legal protections, systematic barriers (i.e., obtaining identity documents, gender requirements in shelters/group homes, etc.), and social rejection or isolation from family and friends, among other factors. Additional identities and personal factors intersect and place certain trans individuals at even higher risk for housing insecurity, including, people of color, disabled people, veterans, younger (i.e., < 25) and older (i.e., 55+) people, people with lower income, and people without a college degree. Housing instability is a significant public health problem for trans people; it is associated with various poor physical and mental health outcomes and contributes to health disparities, including premature mortality.
This brief contains information from the survey related to experiences of trans people with housing instability and discrimination to help advocates, policymakers, and community-serving entities better understand and support the current needs of trans people in Maryland.University System of Maryland - Wilson H. Elkins Professorship (2021-2023); Washington University in St. Louis - Audre Lorde Distinguished Professorship (2023-present)https://transmaryland.org
Application of Ultrafast IR Lasers to Remote Detection, Beam Steering and Terahertz Generation
No full textMid-infrared (mid-IR or MIR) and long-wave-infrared (LWIR) laser pulses constitute an interesting area of study for high intensity laser physics, as for many applications longer wavelengths provide advantages over shorter wavelengths for laser-plasma interaction. In this dissertation, we present and discuss results for three primary experiments using MIR and LWIR laser systems. We start by presenting experiments conducted at the University of Maryland (UMd) and Brookhaven National Laboratory (BNL) on the remote detection of radioactive sources with MIR (3.9 µm) and long-wave IR (LWIR, 9.2 µm) laser systems. In these experiments we drive and monitor avalanche breakdowns seeded by the weak air ionization generated by the radioactive source, at standoff distances exceeding the attenuation range of the radiation source by orders of magnitude. We also explore the possibility of scaling the avalanche method to greater range, and discuss the possible use of more compact laser systems. The second topic explores the use of avalanche ionization to form efficient plasma-based diffraction gratings for MIR light. The gratings are generated using long-pulse near-infrared 1 µm laser to drive avalanche plasma grating structures for diffraction of 3.9 µm light. We discuss the advantages and drawbacks of this method as well as scalability to standard laser wavelengths such as 800 nm. Finally, we discuss the generation of THz radiation by two-color MIR laser pulses, enabling the generation of high efficiency coherent radiation in this band