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Leveraging team familiarity to improve provider retention and OR efficiency
Get PDFThis poster was presented at the 2025 Postdoctoral Appreciation Week event.Operating rooms (ORs) are among the most resource-intensive hospital units, costing an estimated 40,000–$80,000 per provider and vacancies often taking more than six months to fill. Addressing both efficiency and retention requires strategies that improve working conditions while optimizing resource use. One promising approach is team familiarity—ensuring that providers consistently work with trusted colleagues. Familiarity has been shown to enhance collaboration, reduce errors, and improve job satisfaction, yet it is rarely embedded into scheduling or predictive analytics. To evaluate its impact, we analyzed historical shift data from a Level I trauma center and case data from a large pediatric academic medical center. A hybrid recommender model (LightFM) was developed to capture anesthesiology providers’ scheduling preferences, achieving strong predictive accuracy (AUC = 0.84). These insights form the basis of an optimization framework that balances individual preferences with concurrency and coverage requirements, enabling fair and engagement-driven shift assignments. In parallel, we assessed the effect of familiarity on surgical duration prediction. Using machine learning methods—including LASSO, Random Forest, and LightGBM—we found that LightGBM achieved the best performance, reducing median prediction error from –12.00 to –0.69 minutes. Notably, team familiarity emerged as one of the top predictors of case duration, underscoring its role in shaping operating room performance. By integrating preference modeling, predictive analytics, and optimization, this work demonstrates how team familiarity can serve as a unifying principle to improve both provider retention and operating room efficiency. Because the models draw on existing scheduling and electronic health record data, implementation feasibility is high, requiring minimal additional data collection. These findings suggest that data-driven scheduling systems grounded in team familiarity offer a path toward more sustainable workforce practices and more efficient pediatric surgical care.Operations and Analytic
Nitrate Monitoring in Semi-Urban Groundwater of Northeastern Saudi Arabia
Get PDFMonitoring nitrate levels in water is critical to protect public health and ensure compliance with regulatory standards. This study provides a comprehensive evaluation of four analytical techniques—test strips, ion-selective electrodes (ISE), colorimetric methods, and titration—to assess nitrate levels in a variety of water sources, including standard solutions, rainwater, bottled water, and groundwater from both shallow and deep wells located in semi-urban regions of Saudi Arabia. Each method was assessed for sensitivity, accuracy, detection limits, reproducibility, and operational practicality. Test strips offer rapid, low-cost screening but consistently underestimate nitrate concentrations, particularly at low levels. The ISE demonstrated broad applicability and reliable performance across a wide concentration range when properly calibrated, making it suitable for both field and laboratory applications. Colorimetric methods provide excellent sensitivity for trace-level detection, whereas titration delivers the highest accuracy for high-nitrate samples despite its time-intensive nature. By calibrating and validating the methods against certified standards, we quantitatively demonstrated their reliability through statistical measures such as precision and accuracy rates. Moreover, the application of Geographic Information System (GIS) techniques in spatial analysis has revealed significant differences in the distribution of nitrates. Notably, shallow wells located in the northern regions surpass the 50 mg/L limit set by the World Health Organization (WHO), thereby indicating the presence of localized contamination hotspots. This study is among the first to systematically compare nitrate detection methods across a wide range of water types in a semi-urban area of Saudi Arabia. Building on a detailed analysis of each method, we underline the crucial need for the strategic selection of nitrate analysis techniques. This selection should be tailored to specific operational contexts, accuracy requirements, and concentration ranges to guide stakeholders towards more informed decision-making. These findings provide actionable guidance for public health officials and water managers to prioritize monitoring, safeguard drinking-water sources, and mitigate nitrate-related health risks in semi-urban communities
CX3CR1-Fractalkine Dysregulation Affects Retinal GFAP Expression, Inflammatory Gene Induction, and LPS Response in a Mouse Model of Hypoxic Retinopathy
Get PDFDiabetic retinopathy (DR) causes vision loss due to sustained inflammation and vascular damage. The vascular damage is evident by fibrinogen leakage, angiogenesis, and hypoxia. Neuronal regulation of microglia via the CX3CL1 (Fractalkine or FKN)-CX3CR1 pathway plays a significant role in retinal pathology. Defects in FKN or CX3CR1 exacerbate inflammation, vascular damage, and vision impairment. However, the contribution of hypoxic astrocytes to the pathological process of DR is unclear. A hypoxic model (7 days of systemic 7.5% O<sub>2</sub>) was utilized to induce retinal damage in adult mice in the absence of systemic inflammatory signals. This model induced vascular and microglial responses similar to 10 weeks of STZ-induced hyperglycemia. The goal of this study is to characterize retinal damage in WT and mice with defects in the FKN-CX3CR1 signaling axis and hence assess the impact of the microglial inflammatory responses to hypoxic retinopathy. Tissues were analyzed by immunostaining, RNA sequencing, and cytokine quantification. We found that CX3CR1 deficiency in hypoxic animals induced reactive astrogliosis and that M&uuml;ller glial responses to hypoxia and systemic inflammation were dependent on FKN signaling. Exacerbated microglial reactivity to hypoxic conditions significantly altered the expression of HIF transcripts. Microglial dysregulation was found to reduce the anti-inflammatory response to hypoxic conditions, downregulate hypoxia-responsive gene expression, and restrained LPS-induced inflammatory responses. We found that microglia dysregulation alters the hypoxic response by inhibiting the upregulation of HIF2&alpha;/3&alpha;, increasing CD31 immunoreactivity, and altering the expression of ECM-associated transcripts such as type I, III, and XVIII collagens to hypoxic conditions.Molecular Microbiology and ImmunologySouth Texas Center for Emerging Infectious Disease
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
Get PDFBetween 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
Get PDFFrom 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
Existential Purgatory: Colonial Ideology & a Response Through Indigenous Philosophy Pathways
Get PDFThis thesis aims to uncover the governing ideology within the United States which dictates our societal existence and praxis, thereby analyzing how false consciousness has permeated recent American history. Ideology is conceptualized here as a historical idealism concretized into society through a process of totalization, arguing that specific conceptual structures were deployed to benefit particular demographics. By examining how ideology is ingrained in societal praxis, we can uncover the underlying function of pervasive behaviors and beliefs. To further understand these functions and false consciousness, this work engages with the writings of Frantz Fanon and Jean-Paul Sartre. The analysis of Fanon and Sartre begins by highlighting a philosophical tension, leading to a reconciliation that defines the thesis’s central concept: Existential Purgatory. This concept names the state of being that follows separation from dominant ideology and false consciousness—a profound self-exile.
While this self-exile and "loss of everything" can be frightening, I argue that Indigenous philosophies, particularly the works of Jessica Hernandez and Brian Burkart, offer a path forward: the creation of a new, reciprocal relationship with the world. This relationship necessitates moving beyond an anthropocentric worldview to fully recognize and embrace the sacredness of all life.Philosoph
Polyelectrolyte Properties of Actin and Microtubule and Their Roles in Electrical Activities in Neurons
Get PDFThe electrical activity of neurons underlies nearly all functions of the nervous system. Neurons transmit information as electrical impulses, which are crucial for coordinating behavior, thoughts, sensation, and movement. One of the most significant breakthroughs in neuroscience is the Hodgkin-Huxley cable theory, which explains the generation of the action potential. Introduced over 70 years ago, this theory presented a conductance-based transmission-line model to explain how voltage-dependent ion channels generate and propagate electrical impulses, a discovery recognized with the 1963 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine. However, it remains unclear how electrical signals transmit information between the cell membrane and the nucleus, which are interconnected via an intracellular network of actin filaments and microtubules. Recent experiments suggest that these cytoskeletal filaments can conduct ionic currents, amplify signals, and generate electrical oscillations. This dissertation investigates their ability to transmit electrical signals at the nanoscale through localized ionic wave packets and examines their potential role in intracellular signaling and information processing. Although experimental evidence for ionic conduction and oscillation in cytoskeletal filaments continues to accumulate, the underlying electrodynamic mechanisms remain poorly understood. Existing theoretical models often overlook critical features, and many computational approaches are either analytically restrictive or computationally expensive. To address these challenges, we developed a quantitative and efficient framework for cytoskeletal filaments that links molecular conductance to electrical signaling in excitable cells. The framework is based on advanced ionic-conductance transmission-line models that incorporate atomistic details and biological environments to describe the electrodynamic behavior of actin filaments and microtubules under both physiological and pathological conditions. For F-actins, we formulated and implemented a single-transmission-line model to analyze ionic wave propagation under varying temperatures, pH levels, and structural configurations, as well as to examine the electrostatic effects of disease-linked mutations. For microtubules, we developed a two-coupled-transmission-line model in which the outer and luminal ionic layers along the filament are dynamically interconnected via transistor-like, voltage-dependent nanopores rather than ion channels. The model reveals that the alternating transfer of electrical energy through consecutive nanopores results in oscillations as outer and inner ionic wave packets periodically overtake one another, enabling long-distance electrical signal transmission with minimal power loss. It predicts an oscillation frequency of approximately 39 Hz, consistent with experimental findings on microtubules and notably within the gamma-band range of brain activity. In parallel, we analyzed dynamic light scattering measurements of microtubule fluctuations using an optimized scattering theory to reconstruct decay-rate and contour-length distributions from autocorrelation data. This approach establishes a quantitative connection between filament structure and its electromechanical properties. We encoded our computational approaches and theories for signal propagation along F-actins and microtubules into user-friendly, open-source applications to support experts and non-experts. Collectively, this research establishes that the cytoskeleton can be conceptualized as a nanoscale analog of neuronal electrical networks, providing new insights into intracellular communication, biocomputation, and the biophysical foundations of neurophysiology and disease.Physics and Astronom
Satisfied Enough to Take Action? The Role of Neighborhood Perceptions on Disaster Preparedness Behaviors in the United States
Get PDFThis study examines how neighborhood perceptions, measured through satisfaction and observable conditions, relate to risk perception and shape residents’ disaster preparedness behaviors. It employs regression models using the 2017 American Housing Survey data. Findings indicate that households satisfied with their neighborhoods are more likely to engage in disaster preparedness behaviors. Moreover, the presence of abandoned structures or the lack of good schools discourages such actions. In communities with low awareness of disaster risks, improving neighborhood conditions can encourage disaster preparedness behaviors and increase community protection against disaster risks.Architecture and Plannin