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Photograph of Interstate Citrus Fruit Warehouse - 02
No full textBackside of color photograph.https://scholarworks.utrgv.edu/kikadelagarzaphotographs/1133/thumbnail.jp
Photograph of Kika de la Garza and Jose R. Hinojosa
No full textColor photograph. Kika de la Garza with Dr. Jose R. Hinojosa in a classroom.https://scholarworks.utrgv.edu/kikadelagarzaphotographs/1134/thumbnail.jp
Photograph of Kika de la Garza with Micheal L. Walsh
No full textColor photograph. Kika de la Garza with U.S. Naval Academy appointee Michael L. Walsh in McAllen, Texas.https://scholarworks.utrgv.edu/kikadelagarzaphotographs/1137/thumbnail.jp
Photograph of NASA Hispanic Astronauts - 01
No full textColor photograph. Hispanic NASA astronauts Franklin R. Chang-Diaz, Ellen Ochoa, and Sidney M. Guitierrez. Autographed by Ellen Ochoa.https://scholarworks.utrgv.edu/kikadelagarzaphotographs/1150/thumbnail.jp
The Impact of Digital Reverse Mentoring on Older Adults\u27 Digital Literacy: Mediating Roles of Self-perceptions of Aging and Self-Efficacy
No full textBackground and Objectives: Digital literacy is critical for older adults to maintain social connections, access information, and support overall mental well-being. However, many older adults struggle with using digital devices. Guided by the self-fulfilling prophecy theory, this study investigates how digital reverse mentoring (DRM), referring to younger individuals assisting older adults in learning and using digital technology, is associated with digital literacy, with self-perceptions of aging and self-efficacy as mediators.
Research Design and Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted with 402 community-dwelling older adults aged 60+ in Macao, China. Control variables include gender, age, education, income, self-rated health, and home internet access. Structural equation modeling was employed to test hypothesized relationships and mediation effects.
Results: DRM significantly improved digital literacy (B = .31, 95%CI: .19, .43). Positive perceptions of aging were positively associated with digital literacy (B = .05, p \u3c .001), whereas negative perceptions showed a negative association (B = .09, p \u3c .001). Contrary to expectations, self-efficacy did not show a significant association with digital literacy. Indirect effects revealed that DRM was positively associated with all mediators (B = .12, 95%CI: .04, .20), suggesting that improving perceptions of aging through DRM may enhance digital literacy.
Discussion and Implication: This study highlights the importance of DRM educational interventions in boosting digital literacy among older adults by positively shaping their perceptions of aging. Addressing these perceptions can break down barriers and promote more inclusive digital participation. Future research should investigate the longitudinal effects and effective intervention strategies to enhance digital literacy
Valentine\u27s Day 2026 - U.S. Government resources
No full textA collection of U.S. Government–produced materials celebrating Valentine’s Day. The poster features fun facts from the U.S. Census Bureau and includes links to Valentine’s Day cards created by various federal agencies, such as the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, NOAA, the Department of Energy, and the National Park Service.https://scholarworks.utrgv.edu/librarydisplayposters/1088/thumbnail.jp
Reduced Threat-Related Neural Efficiency: A Possible Biomarker for Pediatric Anxiety Disorders
No full textObjective: Pediatric anxiety disorders are common and predict adult psychopathology, yet current treatments, such as cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT), produce lasting remission in less than 50% of affected youths. To support the search for improved, mechanistically grounded interventions, this study evaluated neural efficiency, defined as similarity in functional connectivity between a threat task and rest, as a potential biomarker. The study evaluated neural efficiency in relation to anxiety diagnosis and treatment response.
Methods: The authors compared 103 youths with an anxiety disorder diagnosis (mean age, 12.5 years [SD=2.91], 62% female) to 103 youths with no psychiatric diagnosis (mean age, 13.4 years [SD=2.58], 53% female). Participants completed functional MRI while resting and during a dot-probe task with threatening faces. Neural efficiency was calculated as partial correlations between intrinsic and task-related functional connectivity patterns across the whole brain. Four-month test-retest reliability as well as relationships with anxiety and response to exposure-based CBT were examined.
Results: Neural efficiency demonstrated satisfactory test-retest reliability (intraclass correlation coefficient=0.65) in healthy youths over a period of 11 to 18 weeks. Neural efficiency was significantly negatively related to anxiety as both a diagnostic category (t=2.62, d=0.29) and a symptom dimension (r=-0.18). Although it did not change after CBT, lower neural efficiency at baseline was significantly associated with poorer treatment response in a subset of 80 anxious youths who underwent CBT (β=-11.88, χ2=9.20).
Conclusions: Neural efficiency, measured as network reconfiguration between rest and task, holds promise as a biomarker in pediatric anxiety. Its association with CBT response suggests that it might aid in patient stratification and offer a target for interventions aimed at enhancing CBT efficacy
Photograph of Kika de la Garza on the Floor of the House of Representatives - 01
No full textColor photograph. Kika de la Garza on the Floor on the House of Representatives, along with other representatives.https://scholarworks.utrgv.edu/kikadelagarzaphotographs/1138/thumbnail.jp
From Disconnection to Well-Being: A Longitudinal Study on Digital Access as a Social Determinant of Health for Older Adults in China
No full textObjectives: This study innovatively includes digital access as a social determinant of health (SDoH) to examine the longitudinal relationship between digital inclusion and subjective well-being among older adults in China, one of the largest aging populations worldwide.
Methods: We used data from the Chinese Longitudinal Aging Social Survey (CLASS, 2016 and 2020 waves). We applied the SDoH framework to analyze the interaction between digital inclusion and social structures at the micro, meso, and macro levels. Digital accessibility was captured in waves in 2016 and 2020. Four digital accessibility trajectories were identified: continuous access, gained access, lost access, and never accessed. Subjective well-being is a latent variable constructed from life satisfaction, self-rated health, and social adaptation from CLASS 2020 wave. All other independent variables, including micro-, meso-, and macro-level variables, were measured in the CLASS 2016 wave. Multinomial logistic regression and ordinary least squares analyses were conducted to determine the factors associated with digital inclusion and subjective well-being.
Results: Our findings reveal that urban residence, higher education, pre-retirement occupation, and intergenerational co-residence are significantly associated with increased digital inclusion. Conversely, advanced age and lower socioeconomic status are linked to digital exclusion. Continuous digital access, education, activities of daily living (ADL), and social support have been found to positively correlate with enhanced subjective well-being.
Discussion: This study recognizes digital inclusion as a key SDoH, emphasizes the structural barriers to digital access, and advocates interventions for enhancing digital literacy, infrastructure, and family/community digital engagement for older adults
Roles of transcription factors in mediating abiotic stress responses in cereals
No full textCereals are staple crops for the majority of the global population, making their sustained productivity essential for food security. However, abiotic stresses significantly threaten their growth and overall yield by disrupting essential physiological, cellular, and biochemical processes. Enhancing stress resilience in cereals is therefore a critical objective for agricultural improvement under changing climatic conditions. A fundamental step toward this goal involves understanding the roles of transcription factors (TFs), which are primary regulators of changes in gene expression in response to stresses. TFs regulate complex signaling networks that enable plants to adjust their biochemical and physiological functions under abiotic stress conditions. These include enhancing antioxidant defense systems by modulating the biosynthesis of ROS-scavenging enzymes, induction of osmoprotectants, maintenance of ion homeostasis, maintenance of cellular integrity through membrane stabilization, modulating stomatal function, photosynthesis, biosynthesis of secondary metabolites, and others. TFs are also an indispensable part of phytohormone-mediated abiotic stress response pathways. Some of the major TF families involved in abiotic stress response pathways include bZIP, MYB, WRKY, NAC, DREB/CBF, AP2/ERF, and Heat Shock Factor (HSF). This review covers the current understanding of major TFs implicated in regulating plants’ responses to key abiotic stresses, including drought, salinity, heat, cold, hypoxia, and combined stress, with a specific focus on major cereal crops. By merging insights into TF-mediated regulatory mechanisms across different abiotic stress contexts, this review offers a conceptual framework to inform future research aimed at enhancing resilience to abiotic stress in cereal crops