UTSA Runner Research Press (Univ. of Texas at San Antonio)
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Spatial–Temporal Characterization of Microplastics in the Surface Water of an Urban Ephemeral River
No full textRivers are recognized as major unilateral pathways of microplastic transport between terrestrial and marine ecosystems, yet our understanding of their dispersal patterns over space and through time as they migrate from source to sink is limited. In this study, surface water samples were collected monthly from 12 sites along an urban ephemeral river (Leon Creek) in San Antonio between June 2021 and May 2022 to characterize and evaluate the spatiotemporal distribution of microplastics. Microplastics were found in all sites throughout the monitoring timeframe. The mean abundance of microplastics varied from 3.21 to 26.8 items/L. Surface waters consistently contained microplastics during months of dysconnectivity, suggesting atmospheric deposition as a considerable contributive variable. Contrary to prior studies of perennial systems, ephemeral pools and reaches showed no correlation between MP concentration and season precipitation. Fibers were the most abundant (~87%) morphology followed by foams (7%). This study is the first to report microplastics in ephemeral streams, suggesting that different environmental variables may be responsible for microplastic dynamics in intermittent river and ephemeral stream systems and headwater tributaries of major rivers. As the global extent of IRES systems is projected to increase with continued climate change, understanding such systems' influence on MP spatial distribution and fluvial transport regimes constitutes valuable information in assessing MP pathways and their fate as a part of the global "Plastisphere" geochemical cycle in the Anthropocene.Integrated Biolog
Archaeological Report, No. 519
Full text linkBetween November 2023 and July 2024, archaeologists from the Center for Archaeological Research (CAR) excavated two test units against the north wall of the Spanish Governor’s Palace (41BX179). The project area spans 0.02 acres. Following this excavation and consultation with the Texas Historical Commission (THC) and the City of San Antonio Office of Historic Preservation (COSA-OHP) regarding the results, archaeologists from CAR monitored the excavation of the flower beds that run along the edge of the northern plaza of 41BX179 for exploratory drainage work. CAR performed the work in response to a request from the City of San Antonio (COSA) in support of above-ground historic resources investigations and proposed installation of an updated French drain system.
The Spanish Governor’s Palace is located in the northeast corner of Military Plaza/Plaza de Armas, in Downtown San Antonio, Texas. The site is a National Historic Landmark and is a contributing resource to the Main and Military Plazas National Register of Historic Places District (THC 2024). The property is publicly owned and historically significant. The Spanish Governor’s Palace falls under COSA’s Unified Development Code (UDC, Articles 6 35-630 to 35-634). The project also required review by the THC under the Antiquities Code of Texas. Prior to beginning fieldwork, CAR obtained Texas Antiquities Permit No. 30907 for the monitoring portion of the project and Antiquities Permit No. 31374 for the testing portion of the project. For both project segments, Leonard Kemp of the CAR served as Principal Investigator and Sarah Wigley served as the Project Archaeologist.
The test units were excavated to allow the design team observation windows to examine the subsurface construction methods and materials at the base of the northern wall of the structure. The two test units were excavated partially within previously excavated Test Unit 2 and adjacent to Test Unit B/B (Fox 1977) to confirm previous findings and minimize unnecessary impacts to the site. CAR’s excavations confirmed that a French drain was previously installed along the building’s foundation, and that the deposits encountered were heavily disturbed. Near the bottom of the test units below the French drain, potentially undisturbed deposits were encountered. After excavations revealed that the drain was already present, an alternate approach that minimized further below-ground impact was developed. CAR staff monitored the minimal impacts associated with the implementation of this approach. No intact deposits were disturbed during this work. Deposits associated with the Spanish Governor’s Palace were previously found to be historically significant, and below-ground impacts to such deposits should be avoided. If impact cannot be avoided, additional testing should be conducted. Artifacts collected and records generated during this project are curated at the CAR under Accession No. 2975.City of San AntonioCenter for Archaeological Researc
Diatom-Based Photobiological Treatment of Reverse Osmosis Concentrate: Optimization of Light and Temperature and Biomass Analysis
No full textAs global water scarcity intensifies, the desalination of brackish groundwater and surface water plays a critical role in augmenting water supplies. However, managing reverse osmosis concentrate (ROC) from brackish water desalination remains challenging due to silica and calcium accumulation and precipitation, which cause membrane scaling and reduce freshwater recovery. This study employed the brackish diatom <i>Gedaniella flavovirens</i> Psetr3 in a photobiological treatment to remove dissolved silica and calcium, offering a natural, sustainable solution to improve freshwater recovery. Optimal treatment conditions were identified, with a light intensity of 200 &micro;mol m<sup>&minus;2</sup> s<sup>&minus;1</sup> and incubation temperatures between 23 &deg;C and 30 &deg;C maximizing silica uptake (up to 46 &plusmn; 3 mg/L/day) while minimizing diatom mortality. This study reports, for the first time, the silica, organic, and calcite content in diatom biomass and their production rates during the photobiological treatment of ROC using <i>G. flavovirens</i> Psetr3. The photobiological treatment of one million gallons (3785 m<sup>3</sup>) per day of ROC would produce 174 kg of silica, 163 kg of organics, and 314 kg of calcite daily. These findings provide valuable insights into the potential for utilizing these bioresources to offset the costs of photobiological treatment and subsequent desalination processes.Earth and Planetary Science
Archaeology along the San Antonio River: The Mission Reach Project, San Antonio, Bexar County, Texas, Volume 4: Specialized Studies and Data Summaries
Full text linkFrom September of 2010 through April of 2014, the Center for Archaeological Research (CAR) at the University of Texas at San Antonio (UTSA) conducted monitoring, survey, test excavation, and data recovery work along the Mission Reach segment of the San Antonio River. The work was conducted under contract with the San Antonio River Authority (SARA) and was associated with construction of this segment of the San Antonio River Improvements Project (SARIP). The SARIP is a multi-year undertaking designed to restore and enhance the San Antonio River. Multiple federal, state, and local agencies were involved in the undertaking, including SARA, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE), the National Parks Service (NPS), the City of San Antonio (COSA), and the Texas Historical Commission (THC). The Area of Potential Effect (APE) for the project covered a roughly 200 m wide swath along the San Antonio River in south-central Bexar County. The APE begins at the Theo Avenue Bridge and ends south of Mission Espada, about 11.5 km. Ancillary projects were added to the APE and include the VFW Boulevard Drainage Improvements Project, the Secondary Impacts Survey, the San Juan Facilities Monitoring, the Espada Portal Monitoring, and the San Juan Trail Expansion. The combined project area is estimated to be roughly 3 km2 in size. CAR conducted the work under THC Antiquities Permit No. 5957, originally issued to Dr. Steve Tomka of CAR. Dr. Raymond Mauldin of CAR completed the permit. Much of the land is currently within the boundaries of the San Antonio Missions National Historic Park.
In the Mission Research section of the project, CAR conducted work at three previously identified archaeological sites (41BX254, 41BX256, and 41BX1628) at which data recovery efforts had been completed. CAR also conducted work at a known but previously untested prehistoric component at site 41BX1785 and performed trenching and testing at four newly defined sites (41BX1888, 41BX1902, 41BX2071, and 41BX2089). Finally, in conjunction with geomorphologic observations, CAR defined four new sites (41BX2113, 41BX2114, 41BX2115, and 41BX2116) along the banks of the San Antonio River in
southern Bexar County. Work at these four sites was confined to radiocarbon dating features observed in the river cut banks. These 12 sites span the temporal sequence in the San Antonio area, with occupations stretching from the historic period back to the Paleoindian period. Ancillary projects included monitoring and survey work at 41BX5, 41BX340, 41BX341, 41BX706, 41BX1917, and along sections of the San Juan and Espada acequias.
Reporting on this work is summarized in four volumes. Volume 1 provides background to the project. Volume 2 focuses on the results of monitoring and survey along the San Antonio River, including the results of the ancillary projects. Volume 3 focuses on site testing, data recovery, and analysis. It includes a geomorphic study, excavation details for 41BX2089, 41BX1628, 41BX1888, 41BX1902, 41BX256, and 41BX1785, a regional synthesis of radiocarbon dates, and a summary of burned clay features, many of which have been argued to reflect structures. Volume 4 consists primarily of appendices that support the analysis in Volume 3 and smaller studies that were otherwise associated with the Mission Reach Project. CAR is serving as the curatorial facility for records and artifacts associated with the project. These items are being held in trust for the State of Texas and the National Parks Service. They have been assigned accession number 1883. Buried clay from the Tomka experimental structure is accessioned as number 2730.San Antonio River AuthorityCenter for Archaeological Researc
Reading for Satire in Nineteenth-Century Black Writing
No full textThe full text of this item is not available at this time because the author has placed this item under an embargo until May 15, 2028.Nineteenth-century Black writers strategically and subversively harness the critical apparatus of satire from a Black perspective to theorize and challenge the (il)logic underpinning destructive, unjust, and racist institutions, systems, and ideologies. This dissertation argues that nineteenth-century Black writers’ engagement with satire powerfully challenged status quo ideas about Black intelligence, creativity, and citizenship merit. This dissertation reconsiders subversive or intermittent use of Black satire rather than taking a circumscribed study of blatant, overt, full-length satires. While scholars have commented on satire deployed by Frances E. Watkins Harper, Harriet Jacobs, Harriet E. Wilson, William J. Wilson (Ethiop), and Charles W. Chesnutt, that scholarship generally misreads or neglects in-depth analysis of Black satire and satirical elements. The methodological approach of this dissertation incorporates and synthesizes scholarship on satire, African American oral traditions and humor, and African American literary and cultural theory including work by Danielle Fuentes Morgan, Darryl Dickson-Carr, Glenda R. Carpio, Henry Louis Gates, Jr., William L. Andrews, Carla L. Peterson, Derrick R. Spires, and others. Reading for the satiric potential in nineteenth-century Black writing registers and recognizes the satirical implications implicit in an author’s text, the mechanisms of satire in a literary methodology, and the innovative satirical adaptations of popular nineteenth-century conventions and genres. The legacy of nineteenth-century Black satirical traditions resonates into the twentieth and twenty-first centuries through satire that attacks anti-Black attitudes and conditions while it advocates for Black empowerment and Black liberation.Englis
Trends and Disparities in "Deaths of Despair" in Texas, 2000 to 2020
No full textThis dissertation examines the rise of “deaths of despair” (DoD)—mortality from drug overdose, suicide, and alcohol-related causes—in Texas from 2000 to 2020. Through a three paper structure, it explores demographic patterns, premature mortality, and structural drivers across diverse counties. The first paper documents a 153% rise in DoD mortality, with drug overdoses driving much of the increase. The burden is highest among non-Hispanic White and
Black males, particularly those aged 25–34 and 55–64. The crisis has expanded beyond rural areas, widening disparities across the state. The second paper analyzes Years of Potential Life Lost (YPLL) in 2020, revealing nearly 372,000 years lost to DoD. Young adults and men bear the greatest burden. These findings highlight DoD’s impact on both life expectancy and economic productivity. The third paper examines how county-level conditions measured in 2000 predict long-term mortality. Income inequality, unemployment, and rurality are significantly associated with higher DoD rates. A nonlinear relationship with educational attainment suggests more complex structural influences. Rather than healthcare access alone, broader patterns of economic insecurity and geographic isolation emerge as key contributors. Together, the papers underscore the urgent need for equity-focused, place-based policies to address the structural roots of rising mortality across Texas communities.Health, Community and Polic
How Sex Education and Sexual Health Awareness Influence Rape Myth Acceptance: The Mediating Role of Sexist Beliefs and Moderating Role of Gender
No full textSex education (“sex ed”) shapes understanding of relationships and gender norms, but its long-term effects on attitudes toward sexual violence remain understudied. While comprehensive sex ed (CSE) teaches consent, abstinence-only programs (AOSE) often reinforce traditional gender roles (Santelli et al., 2017). This study examined how sex ed and broader sexual health awareness relate to rape myth acceptance (RMA) through hostile sexism (HS), benevolent sexism (BS), and social dominance orientation (SDO).
In Study 1, CSE showed no overall association with RMA, but was associated with higher RMA among women, (β = .21, p = .032). Men exhibited greater RMA, (β = -.73, p < .001), and HS mediated the relationship for women, (β = .08, 95% CI [.01, .17]). Study 2 found greater sexual health awareness associated with lower HS, (β = -.26, p = .005), BS, (β = -.19, p = .009), and SDO, (β = -.32, p = .004), mediating its negative association with RMA. Gender was again associated with RMA, (β = -.43, p < .001), but did not moderate effects.
These findings imply that formal sex ed may not sufficiently reduce RMA unless it confronts systemic inequities. Sexual health awareness, extending beyond classrooms, appears more effective in reducing sexist beliefs and RMA. Practical steps include revising CSE to explicitly critique gender hierarchies and power dynamics (Haberland, 2015). Limitations, such as a regional sample, highlight the need for longitudinal research. Ultimately, dismantling rape culture requires education targeting both health behaviors and the ideologies underlying sexual violence.Psycholog
Bayesian Analysis and Parameter Estimation for the Generalized Exponential Distribution
No full textThe full text of this item is not available at this time because the author has placed this item under an embargo until May 15, 2030.The two-parameter Generalized Exponential (GE) distribution is widely applied across various domains, including reliability and survival analysis, environmental studies, and industrial quality control. It is also commonly used as an alternative to the gamma and Weibull distributions. While existing Bayesian analyses of the GE distribution often rely on informative or weakly informative priors, there is a notable gap in the literature regarding the use of objective priors, which are more appropriate when prior knowledge is limited.
In the first project, we address this gap by exploring objective priors, including the independence Jeffreys prior and probability matching priors. We conduct a theoretical examination of the propriety of the posterior distributions under a range of vague priors and validate the conditions necessary for ensuring that the posterior distribution remains proper. To achieve computational efficiency, we propose a generalized ratio-of-uniforms method for generating independent posterior samples. This approach eliminates the need for burn-in periods or starting values, offering a more efficient alternative to traditional Markov chain Monte Carlo (MCMC) methods.
The second project tackles the challenge of parameter estimation for the GE distribution in the presence of interval-censored data. The Expectation-Maximization (EM) algorithm, while conceptually appealing, faces difficulties due to the lack of closed-form expressions for the E-step. To overcome this, we apply the Quantile EM (QEM) algorithm, which avoids direct analytical integration, thereby simplifying the implementation process. Our findings demonstrate that the QEM algorithm exhibits superior convergence properties compared to the Monte Carlo EM (MCEM) method. Simulation results further illustrate that the QEM algorithm yields more accurate and reliable parameter estimates, particularly when faced with complex censoring schemes.
In the third project, we study Bayesian inference of the GE distribution based on the reference priors with partial information (RPPI) and investigate the propriety of the resulting posterior distributions. Based on censored samples, we implement sampling algorithms to generate posterior samples of the unknown parameters under RPPI priors to make inferences. Simulation studies and a real-data application are provided for illustrative purposes.
Overall, our research significantly advances the field of Bayesian analysis and parameter estimation for the GE distribution by introducing non-informative priors, developing efficient computational algorithms, and addressing parameter estimation challenges under various censoring conditions. This work not only fills a critical gap in the literature, but also provides robust methodologies that can be applied to a broad range of real-world problems.Management Science and Statistic
Saving 'Happy' Foundation Histories: The Preservation of Gay History in San Antonio and Contemporary Dilemmas in Queer Archives
No full textIn the United States, the gay liberation movement of the 1970s into the 1980s served as a watershed for the emergence of gay community archives. In 1988, Gene Elder, a local artist and activist, founded the Happy Foundation Archives and dedicated it to San Antonio’s queer history. While LGBTQ history is often overlooked in Southern and Southwestern states like Texas, the Happy Foundation provides vital insights into San Antonio’s history of resistance and empowerment. However, the collection highlights significant gaps, notably the underrepresentation of lesbian and transgender people of color. This absence raises critical questions about the racial and gender-based discrimination within queer history and archives.
This study uses materials from the collection to illustrate the importance and vibrancy of San Antonio’s queer history but also uses theoretical frameworks from archival studies and queer theory to approach the Happy Foundation as the subject of research. This analysis is framed within the “archival turn” in humanities situating the Happy Foundation in the broader context of the queer community archives in the U.S. examining how absences are produced, the shift towards institutionalization, and practical dilemmas in archives. The current socio-political climate, including recent threats to LGBTQ+ history, add to the critical nature of the preservation of queer history and the representation of people of color. The Happy Foundation is an example of how the visibility of queer people of color is obscured from history but also stands as testament that the preservation of local histories is powerful against widespread erasure.Histor
Breastfeeding and Intersectionality in the Deep South: Race, Class, Gender and Community Context in Coastal Mississippi
No full textIntersectionality, especially with a race&ndash;class&ndash;gender focus, has been used to study many facets of women&rsquo;s experiences. However, this framework has been underutilized in the study of breastfeeding prevalence. Our study is the first of its kind to use intersectionality to illuminate breastfeeding network prevalence disparities with empirical data. We use insights from this theory to examine breastfeeding patterns reported by women living on the Mississippi Gulf Coast. Mississippi makes an excellent site for such an examination, given its history of racial discrimination, entrenched poverty, and strikingly low rates of breastfeeding, particularly for African American women. We identify a series of factors that influence racial disparities in lactation network prevalence, that is, breastfeeding among friends and family of the women we surveyed. Our investigation relies on survey data drawn from a random sample of adult women who are representative of the Mississippi Gulf Coast population supplemented by a non-random oversample of African American women in this predominantly rural tri-county area. Results from the first wave of the CDC-funded 2019 Mississippi REACH Social Climate Survey reveal that Black-White differentials in breastfeeding network prevalence are significantly reduced for African American women who report (1) higher income levels and (2) more robust community support for breastfeeding. We conclude that breastfeeding is subject to two key structural factors: economic standing and community context. An appreciation of these intersecting influences on breastfeeding and long-term efforts to alter them could bring about greater breastfeeding parity among African American and White women in Mississippi and perhaps elsewhere. We end by identifying the practical implications of our findings and promising directions for future research.Sociology and Demograph