UTSA Runner Research Press (Univ. of Texas at San Antonio)
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Photoinduced electron transfer from the naphthalene diimide anion radical doublet excited state†
No full textThe dynamics of bimolecular photoinduced electron transfer from the doublet excited state of the anion radical of N,N′-dioctylnaphthalene diimide (NDI) have been investigated using picosecond transient absorption and fluorescence lifetime decay analysis. Stern–Volmer quenching studies afford the bimolecular quenching rate constants (kq) for 18 acceptors.Chemistr
The Associations of Political Affiliation on Rape Myth Acceptance as Moderated By Gender
No full textBackground: A common predictor of sexual assault perpetration is rape myth acceptance (RMA) – acceptance of prejudicial or false beliefs about rape, victims, and rapists (Burt, 1980). Political orientations (PO; conservative, liberal, moderate) vary in their approaches to maintaining gendered power structures (Ortiz & Smith, 2022), which may have implications for justifications of sexual assault (Lambert & Raichle, 2000). Conservative orientations tend to reflect greater acceptance of inequality (Jost et al., 2003) and traditional gender roles (Makwana et al., 2018), while liberal orientations emphasize sexual and gender individuality and nonjudgement (Wright & Tokunaga, 2018). Research suggests conservative individuals are more likely to blame female rape victims for the assault and dismiss the seriousness of rape (Craig & Cossette, 2020). However, this blame and dismissal have not been assessed in terms of RMA. Additionally, compared to women, men tend to report higher support for gender inequities (Pratto et al., 2006) and greater RMA endorsement (O’Byrne et al., 2008). Despite the differences in approach to gender equality and power, research has yet to assess how PO may be associated with RMA or if gender may moderate this. The current study sought to address these gaps by assessing how conservative, liberal, and moderate POs are associated with RMA as moderated by gender. Method: We recruited 238 participants (50% Hispanic; 61.8% cisgender woman; 88.2% between 18-20 years old; 44.5% Liberal) through a large university undergraduate pool in the Southwest who completed an online Qualtrics survey. Measures included the Rape Myth Scale (RMS) and the Political Beliefs Scale (PBS), with three subscales representing Conservative beliefs, Moderate beliefs, and Liberal beliefs. Regression analyses were used to analyze relationships between POs, gender, and RMA. Results: Higher conservative beliefs (B = .44, p < .001) and lower moderate beliefs (B = -.33, p < .001) were significantly associated with greater RMA, while liberal beliefs demonstrated no significant associations. Men also endorsed RMA higher than women (B = -.19, p = .006). The association between moderate beliefs and RMA was moderated by gender (B = -.40, p = .021). Simple slopes revealed that among men, more moderate beliefs were significantly associated with less RMA (B = -.40, p = .003), while the association was non-significant for women (p = .649). Implications: This study provides the first empirical evidence that POs are significantly associated with RMA. The positive association between conservative PO and RMA may support the “legitimization hypothesis†proposed by Lambert & Raichle (2000), wherein conservative POs seek to maintain power and gender role conformity. The negative relationship between moderate PO and RMA may reflect how moderate beliefs tend to be less polarizing and binary, which may translate to less rigid conceptualizations of gendered power structures. Our significant interaction suggests that a nuanced moderate political belief system may be more important among men who endorse RMA at higher rates. Results can inform education initiatives of political ideology implications and interventions to reduce gendered power structures.Psycholog
Protein-derived cofactors: chemical innovations expanding enzyme catalysis
No full textProtein-derived cofactors, formed through posttranslational modification of a single amino acid or covalent crosslinking of amino acid side chains, represent a rapidly expanding class of catalytic moieties that redefine enzyme functionality. Once considered rare, these cofactors are recognized across all domains of life, with their repertoire growing from 17 to 38 types in two decades in our survey. Their biosynthesis proceeds via diverse pathways, including oxidation, metal-assisted rearrangements, and enzymatic modifications, yielding intricate motifs that underpin distinctive catalytic strategies. These cofactors span paramagnetic and non-radical states, including both mono-radical and crosslinked radical forms, sometimes accompanied by additional modifications. While their discovery has accelerated, mechanistic understanding lags, as conventional mutagenesis disrupts cofactor assembly. Emerging approaches, such as site-specific incorporation of non-canonical amino acids, now enable precise interrogation of cofactor biogenesis and function, offering a viable and increasingly rigorous means to gain mechanistic insights. Beyond redox chemistry and electron transfer, these cofactors confer enzymes with expanded functionalities. Recent studies have unveiled new paradigms, such as long-range remote catalysis and redox-regulated crosslinks as molecular switches. Advances in structural biology, mass spectrometry, and biophysical spectroscopy continue to elucidate their mechanisms. Moreover, synthetic biology and biomimetic chemistry are increasingly leveraging these natural designs to engineer enzyme-inspired catalysts. This review integrates recent advances in cofactor biogenesis, reactivity, metabolic regulation, and synthetic applications, highlighting the expanding chemical landscape and growing diversity of protein-derived cofactors and their far-reaching implications for enzymology, biocatalysis, and biotechnology.Chemistr
WALKING THROUGH LIFE: EXPLORING THE THERAPEUTIC EXPERIENCE OF HIKING AND WALKING WITH SAN ANTONIO RESIDENTS
No full textThis thesis “takes a hike” in how walking practices in urban and natural green spaces within San Antonio create meaningful connections, enhance well-being, and shape individual identities through sensory engagement, cultural practices, and emotional connection. Through walking interviews with four San Antonio residents who regularly engage in walking or hiking, this research explores the phenomenological experience of walking as a therapeutic practice. Drawing from theories from anthropology, phenomenology, and geography, including works of: Lefebvre, Bachelard, Foucault, White, Conradson, Tuan, Ingold, and Basso. This study explores how individuals actively transform spaces into meaningful places through their own various walking practices. The findings reveal that walking is a practice that creates agency through which individuals create therapeutic experiences rather than simply walking through what’s claimed to be therapeutic landscapes. Overall, walking holds various meanings all at the same time (spiritual, sensory, health, social) that cannot be reduced to one category, while also blurring boundaries between leisure/work, nature/urban, and individual/social in ways that go against traditional theories. This research contributes to the literature by shifting focus from dedicated therapeutic landscapes to everyday practices of place-making. However, the emphasis is centered on how individuals actively create rather than passively encounter therapeutic experiences through walking in both urban and natural environments.Anthropolog
The Truth Is Deeper than Beauty: The Modern Alchemy of Olga de Amaral
No full textOver the course of her career, Olga de Amaral (b. 1932, Colombia) has experimented with multidisciplinary work, pursuing her own unique path in constructing and manipulating the woven textile surface. Over time she has systematically reduced the woven form to greater and greater degrees while adding layers of gesso, paint and gold leaf in such a way as to create ever more deconstructed yet dimensional work. As Amaral experiments with visual planes, forms and textile surfaces, the knotted thread emerges in her work as both material foundation (the basic element of construction) and the basis for conceptual critique (deconstruction). I examine this paradox by concentrating on three individual works, Alquimia III, 1983, Lienzo Ceremonial 6, 1989 and Nudo 22, 2014. I consider concepts of self-referentiality and medium specificity by providing close readings of her painted and gilded surfaces and fibrous sculptural forms. Engaging with Modernist vocabularies and concerns, I explore how Amaral interrogates the methods and materials of textile-based art throughout this thesis. Through my analysis, I uncover a systematic progression of deconstruction that Amaral engages as she reduces the art of weaving/textile to its essence, the knotted thread.Art and Art Histor
Substrate-surface-structure tuned electrical and magnetic properties of PrCoO3/CaCoO2.5 superlattices†
No full textInterface engineering using substrate surface structures, especially the surface steps, terraces, and facets, is an effective way of tuning the physical properties of epitaxial films and superstructures. The superlattices comprising perovskite PrCoO3 and brownmillerite CaCoO2.5 were grown on three different surface structures, namely, the (001) SrTiO3 substrate with clear surface-step-terraces, the (001) (LaAlO3)0.3(Sr2AlTaO6)0.7 (LSAT) substrate with poorly defined surface-step-terraces, and the (001) LaAlO3 substrate with zig-zag surface facets. The superlattices on LaAlO3 substrates not only exhibit superior ferromagnetic properties but also greater electrical conductivity, with their room-temperature resistivities at the most four orders of magnitude smaller than those on SrTiO3 and LSAT substrates. The antiphase domain boundaries that extend all the way from the interface to the surface can be formed at the edges of the surface-step-terraces, which impede the pathways for charge carrier hopping and magnetic exchange interactions, thereby leading to the well-disciplined ferromagnetic insulating properties of the superlattices on SrTiO3 and LSAT substrates. These results provide new insights into the understanding of the correlation between substrate surface structures and physical properties of the superlattice system
Math and Architecture in Texas Culture
No full textBuilding Analysis, Based on Texas Essential Knowledge & Skills, Grades Four through EightBuildings are artifacts that contain clues to their histories. The student who learns to uncover the clues held by one building also learns the skills of primary source research which is applicable to other buildings, other artifacts and topics of study. These easy to incorporate STEAM activities are designed to inspire inquiry-based learning and to help teach students how to analyze and interpret historic buildings. The contents of this guide are based on TEKS for grades foru through eight, but can easily be modified for lower or upper grades depending on your individual classroom needs
Employee Well-Being at Academic Institutions
No full textEmployee well-being has become a rising priority in the workplace but despite the extensive research conducted in corporate and healthcare settings, few studies explore employee well-being in academic settings. The purpose of this thesis was to assess employee well-being at a research-intensive, minority-serving academic institution and explore factors associated with employee well-being. An online survey of 189 employees at the University of Texas at San Antonio was conducted in spring 2025. Results showed that about 31% of employees (n=58) experienced feelings of depression on at least several days over the past two weeks and 51% of employees (n=96) experienced anxiety on at least several days over the past two weeks. Higher likelihood of feelings of depression was associated with lower job satisfaction (OR=.241, p<.01, 95% CI: .102, .569) and feeling they did not have enough time to get everything done at their job (OR=1.58, p<.05, 95% CI: 1.077, 2.317). Higher likelihood of feelings of anxiety was associated with lower job satisfaction (OR= .240, p<.01, 95% CI: .101, .569), feeling they did not have enough time to get everything done at their job (OR=1.56, p<.05, 95% CI: 1.107, 2.216), and not being 61 years or older (OR=.243, p<.05, 95% CI: .062, .957). Programs aimed at improving employee well-being can benefit from professional development opportunities for employees and supervisors focused on time management and appropriate workloads.Health, Community and Polic
Parity and Perseverance: The Story of Chien-Shiung Wu
No full textDr. Chien-Shiung Wu, coined the “First Lady of Physics,” was a trailblazing scientist whose groundbreaking work reshaped nuclear physics. As a woman in a male-dominated field and a Chinese immigrant in America, Wu navigated the dual challenges of gender and racial bias with unwavering brilliance. Her historic 1956 experiment disproving the law of parity conservation was instrumental in earning her male colleagues the Nobel Prize, though she was overlooked—an omission symbolic of the struggles women scientists faced. Despite this, Dr. Wu became a powerful advocate for women in science, urging institutions to recognize their contributions and push for equality.
Beyond her scientific legacy, Wu’s career also reflected the evolving relationships between China and the United States. Born in China, she emigrated to the U.S. during World War II and contributed to the Manhattan Project. Yet, as political tensions between China and the U.S. escalated during the Cold War, Wu found herself navigating a delicate balance of identity and loyalty.
Wu’s story is one of brilliance, resilience, and diplomacy- both in science and international relations. She shattered barriers for women in physics while also embodying the complex experience of Chinese-American scientists during the 20th century. Her legacy continues to inspire, continuing to prove the indispensable contributions of women and immigrants to science and society.Histor
Rainfall-Induced Slope Instability in Tropical Regions Under Climate Change Scenarios
No full textThe reduction in the stability of rock slopes due to rainfall is a significant issue in tropical regions. Unsaturated soil, commonly found on hill slopes, provides higher shear strength compared to saturated soil due to matric suction. Soil moisture plays a crucial role in determining slope stability during rainfall events, yet it is often overlooked in geotechnical engineering projects. This study integrates both steady-state and transient analyses to examine how rainfall intensity affects the stability of a rock slope near a tunnel portal. Transient seepage analysis was conducted using SEEP/W to simulate changes in pore water pressure (PWP) resulting from rainfall infiltration under historical and future precipitation conditions. The analysis considers medium (SSP245) and worst-case (SSP585) climate change scenarios as per Coupled Model Intercomparison Project Phase 6 (CMIP6). The findings underscore the significant impact of rainfall-induced infiltration on slope stability and highlight the importance of incorporating soil moisture dynamics in slope stability assessments. The safety factor, initially 1.54 before accounting for rainfall effects, decreases to 1.34 when the effects of rainfall are included.Civil and Environmental Engineering, and Construction Managemen