UTSA Runner Research Press (Univ. of Texas at San Antonio)
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Freshwater Challenges at the Texas-Mexico Border—Implications of Unmonitored Private Wells for Human Health
Get PDFFreshwater resources within transboundary aquifers are critical for the development of bordering nations. Effective management of these shared resources necessitates unified governance informed by robust scientific data. This study contributes a comprehensive geochemical database on groundwater quality in private wells along the US-Mexico border. We investigated three distinct aquifer types spanning four Texas counties. A multifaceted analytical approach measured major ion concentrations, trace elements, Rare Earth Elements (REEs), and the spectroscopic characteristics of Dissolved Organic Matter (DOM). This approach aimed to elucidate water-rock interactions, biogeochemical processes, potential anthropogenic influences, and the aquifers' vulnerability to future contamination. Groundwater samples (n=22) were collected from private wells across Maverick, Kinney, Dimmit, and Webb Counties. Major ion composition revealed three distinct aquifer types: A carbonate aquifer in Kinney County (Edwards-Trinity), an alluvial aquifer exhibiting reducing conditions in Dimmit and Webb Counties (Carrizo-Wilcox), and an evaporite-rich aquifer in Maverick County. Trace element concentrations generally adhered to Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Maximum Contaminant Levels (MCLs) across all aquifers. However, the evaporite-rich aquifer displayed elevated Strontium (Sr) and Nitrate Nitrogen (NO3<sup>-</sup>-N) exceeding MCLs. This suggests potential contributions from mineral dissolution and/or anthropogenic contamination, raising concerns for future water quality in Maverick County. This study underlines the importance of unified governance based on scientific data to ensure the sustainable management of these vital cross-border resources.Earth and Planetary Science
Rare Earth Carbide (Nd-C and Ce-C) Synthesis and Characterization to Inform Phase Equilibrium in Advanced Nuclear Fuels
No full textAs advances are being made regarding the performance of nuclear fuels, uranium carbides, and composites, such as (U,Zr)C and <inline-formula><math xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" display="inline"><semantics><msub><mi>UO</mi><mn>2</mn></msub></semantics></math></inline-formula> + <inline-formula><math xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" display="inline"><semantics><msub><mi>UC</mi><mi>x</mi></msub></semantics></math></inline-formula>, have recently gained significant interest for deployment in nuclear space propulsion and high temperature gas-cooled reactors, respectively. However, the phase equilibria of several fission products in carbide systems remain unknown and may impact the overall fuel performance, specifically for particle nuclear fuels that are designed for commercial nuclear energy. Furthermore, comprehensive thermodynamic data on Rare Earth (RE) carbides, such as the Nd-C and Ce-C binary systems, remain limited. Presented in this study are the synthesis methods and characterizations of several Nd-C and Ce-C compositions. The findings from this research provide insights on the stability of RE-C binaries that form in irradiated nuclear fuels and address a critical knowledge gap in the current state of thermodynamics for two key RE-C systems.Physics and Astronom
Shields of Deception: The Confederate Struggle Against the Oligarchical New York Press and Government Information Control
Get PDFThis thesis argues that The New York Times, The New York Herald, and The New York Tribune played a crucial role in countering Confederate military strategy, which attempted to induce war weariness and disunity throughout the Union. By promoting narratives that bolstered the Union war effort and inadvertently spreading misinformation through inaccurate reporting, these newspapers unknowingly undermined the Confederate Strategy. While the dissemination of misinformation was not deliberate, it nonetheless had a positive impact on Union morale, thus hindering the effects of Confederate strategy. This thesis explores the development of the popular press in 19th-century America and the centralization of influence among these major New York newspapers. The paper then examines the war's transformation into a "people's contest," where the relationship between the government, military forces, and civilian populations interacted during the conflict. It highlights the Confederate shift in strategic thinking from a strategy of territorial defense to an approach that aimed to exploit political divisions in the Union through military campaigns outside of Confederate-controlled territory. The thesis demonstrates how the major New York papers and the Lincoln administration's media control intersected to preserve public support for the Union cause. This thesis finds that Lincoln's war powers combined with the power of privately owned media enterprises to maintain political stability and neutralize the Confederate Military Strategy, ultimately determining the war's outcome and ensuring the preservation of the Union.Histor
Navigating the Maze: Facilitators and Barriers to Substance Use Treatment for Pregnant and Parenting Women in Mississippi
Get PDFThere are significant hurdles to placing pregnant and parenting women (PPW) with a substance use disorder into treatment programs. This study uses qualitative analysis of case notes collected by a linkage to care expert (patient navigator) from over 50 Mississippi PPW client cases. The analysis identified facilitators and barriers in the referral to treatment process. We group the observed patterns into three general categories: (1) individual factors such as motivation to change and management of emotions; (2) interpersonal relationships such as romantic partner support or obstruction; and (3) institutional contexts that include child welfare, judicial, and mental health systems. These factors intersect with one another in complex ways. This study adds to prior research on gender-based health disparities that are often magnified for pregnant and parenting women.Sociolog
Demographic variation in truancy in adolescence and its effects on educational attainment and income in early adulthood
No full textAlthough prior research has linked adolescent truancy with lower educational attainment and income in young adulthood, less is known about how these relationships are conditioned by demographics, such as gender, race, ethnicity, and receiving public assistance. Using data from two waves of the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent to Adult Health, we find that adolescent truancy predicts lower educational attainment in young adulthood, and the effect is significantly stronger for males relative to females and significantly weaker for recipients of public assistance relative to their peers. Truancy's effect on educational attainment was largely invariant across race and ethnicity. We found little evidence that truancy in adolescence is significantly related to income in young adulthood, net of controls. This study highlights the importance of examining the nuanced relationship between truancy and later life outcomes.Criminology and Criminal Justic
Galleria mellonella Model of Coccidioidomycosis for Drug Susceptibility Tests and Virulence Factor Identification
No full textCoccidioidomycosis (CM) can manifest as respiratory and disseminated diseases that are caused by dimorphic fungal pathogens, such as <i>Coccidioides</i> species. The inhaled arthroconidia generated during the saprobic growth phase convert into multinucleated spherules in the lungs to complete the parasitic lifecycle. Research on coccidioidal virulence and pathogenesis primarily employs murine models typically associated with low lethal doses (LD<sub>100</sub> &lt; 100 spores). However, the <i>Galleria</i> model has recently garnered attention due to its immune system bearing both structural and functional similarities to the innate system of mammals. Our findings indicate that <i>Coccidioides posadasii</i> can convert and complete the parasitic cycle within the hemocoel of the <i>Galleria</i> larva. In <i>Galleria</i>, the LD<sub>100</sub> is between 0.5 and 1.0 &times; 10<sup>6</sup> viable spores for the clinical isolate <i>Coccidioides posadasii</i> C735. Furthermore, we demonstrated the suitability of this model for in vivo antifungal susceptibility tests to validate the bioreactivity of newly discovered antifungals against <i>Coccidioides</i>. Additionally, we utilized this larva model to screen a <i>Coccidioides posadasii</i> mutant library showing attenuated virulence. Similarly, the identified attenuated coccidioidal mutants displayed a loss of virulence in a commonly used murine model of coccidioidomycosis. In this study, we demonstrated that <i>Galleria</i> larvae can be applied as a model for studying <i>Coccidioides</i> infection.Molecular Microbiology and ImmunologySouth Texas Center for Emerging Infectious Disease
Fast-Responding Pressure-Sensitive Paint Measurements of the IC3X at Mach 7.2
No full textGlobal surface pressure measurements of a 5.7% scale AFRL Initial Concept 3.X vehicle (IC3X) were obtained using a fast-responding ruthenium-based pressure-sensitive paint (PSP) at the UTSA Mach 7 Ludwieg Tube Wind Tunnel at two different angles of attack, 0&deg; and 2.5&deg;. Static calibration of the paint was performed over a range of 0.386 kPa to 82.7 kPa to relate luminescent intensity to pressure. Details on the facility, paint preparation, application, calibration, and image processing techniques are provided in the manuscript. The results from statistical, spectral, and proper orthogonal decomposition (POD) analyses are presented to characterize the pressure field observed on the model. The experimental results qualitatively follow the expected trends and correspond to the occurrence of shock waves and expansion fans, which were visualized via Schlieren imaging. The theoretical pressure range obtained from conical shock analysis for 0&deg; agrees with the experimentally derived pressure range for the model, and the outliers are attributed to errors in image registration. This study presents preliminary pressure measurements that pave the way for obtaining time-resolved global PSP measurements to train and validate aerothermodynamic machine learning models.Mechanical Engineerin
Social Media Fever: An Examination of Mediating and Moderating Links Between Social Media Use and Demoralization
Get PDFHumans are social by nature, with psychological needs that involve control, belonging, and self-esteem. Now those social interactions are as likely to occur online as offline. Social media allows users to communicate with other users on an interpersonal level, but is ever changing, making it important to make regular updates to social media research. With a majority of college students using social media the current study focused on demoralization levels as they relate to social media use and as they are mediated by positive or negative mood, conflict, and online social support. 273 college students answered questions regarding their social media use every 2 weeks for a 6-week period, resulting in 3 sets of data per participant. Structural equation modeling was used to determine effects at both within-person and between-person levels. Within-person effects were not obtained as expected. At the between-persons level, social media use was positively related to demoralization when controlling for other mediating processes. Social media use was related to greater perceived online social support which led to greater positive mood and lessened negative mood, which resulted in lower levels of demoralization. The two processes, when taken together, point to a suppression effect that may help explain previous mixed results. On the other hand, there was no evidence obtained for moderating processes involving different types of social media users. Implications are discussed and ideas for future research are advanced.Psycholog
Motivation and Identity
Get PDFBackground:
• Physical inactivity is a major public health concern for adolescents in the US, even more so for Hispanic youth
• Evidence indicates self-determined motivation and physical activity (PA) identity are robust predictors of adolescent PA behavior, but no studies have examined links between these variables and their interactive influence on PA
Aim: Examine relationships between self-determined motivation and PA identity, and how these constructs interact to influence PA behavior in Hispanic adolescentsPsycholog
The Future Is Not What It Used to Be: Time, Power, and Revolution in Contemporary American Speculative Fiction
No full textThis dissertation explores contemporary American speculative fiction as a vehicle for ideological critique. Drawing upon the structuralist theory of Louis Althusser and his post-structuralist descendants, it investigates how speculative narratives defamiliarize present crises while also underscoring the relevance of the past to urgent questions about the future. A series of case studies analyzes the literary themes of time, power, and revolution in fictional works by Omar El Akkad, Jocelyn Nicole Johnson, and George Saunders, each paired with critical works by Marc Aug‚, Franco "Bifo" Berardi, Paolo Virno, and Nicolas Bourriaud. Collectively, these cases represent a poetic mourning for the future, depicting dark visions of America pushed to hyperbolic extremes. However, despite these bleak predictions, the literary works themselves refrain from dismissing human nature as completely irredeemable. Like Althusser?s expansive theory of ideology, they instead reveal the reproduction of social relations and empower individuals to recognize the invisible forces shaping their formation as subjects under neoliberal capitalism, thereby at least cognitively liberating them from the ideological constraints underlying the purported end of history. Speculative fiction, thus, emerges as a particularly subversive and even emancipatory tool for resuscitating the political imagination in the wake of capitalist absolutism and the paralysis of leftwing melancholia.Englis