Digital Commons Network^™

Spatiotemporal Analysis Of Genetic Perturbations Reveals A Genetic Cascade Driving Tribolium Gap Gene Initialization, Mahla Ahmadi, Heike Rudolf, Christine Mau, Jimena Garcia-Guillen, Ezzat El-Sherif

School of Integrative Biological & Chemical Sciences Faculty Publications

The ‘French flag’ model has long served as the prevailing framework for explaining how morphogen gradients generate spatial domains during embryonic development. However, recent evidence indicates that many tissues establish patterns by translating the sequential activation of genes into spatial domains. While the sequential nature of this process is becoming clear, the mechanisms that mediate these temporal dynamics and translate them into stable spatial boundaries remain debated. Using the gap gene network in the flour beetle Tribolium castaneum [which mediates the regionalization of the anterior-posterior (AP) axis into different axial fates through the regulation of downstream Hox genes] as a …

Spectroscopic Investigations On Polyvinylidene Fluoride Nanofibers, Parinaz Amaniabdolmalaki, Jui Vitthal Kharade, Alexandro Trevino, Lydia Morales, Karen Lozano, Victoria Padilla, Karen S. Martirosyan, Horacio Vasquez, Mircea Chipara

Physics & Astronomy Faculty Publications

The production of polyvinylidene fluoride nanofibers by force-spinning from polymer solutions was confirmed by electron microscopy. The structural and phase characteristics of the resulting nanofiber mats were examined using Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy in Attenuated Total Reflectance mode, Raman spectroscopy, and X-ray Diffraction. Results from all these techniques consistently indicated that both the powder and the mats of polyvinylidene fluoride predominantly contain the α phase, with a small admixture of the β phase. Within experimental errors, no other phases were noticed both in the powder and in the as-obtained mats. The ratios of the areas of the Raman lines at …

Optimal Quantization Of Finite Uniform Data On The Sphere, Mrinal Kanti Roychowdhury

School of Mathematical & Statistical Sciences Faculty Publications

This paper develops a systematic and geometric theory of optimal quantization on the unit sphere 𝕊2, focusing on finite uniform probability distributions supported on the spherical surface—rather than on lower-dimensional geodesic subsets such as circles or arcs. We first establish the existence of optimal sets of n-means and characterize them through centroidal spherical Voronoi tessellations. Three fundamental structural results are obtained. First, a cluster-purity theorem shows that when the support consists of well-separated components, each optimal Voronoi region remains confined to a single component. Second, a ring allocation (discrete water-filling) theorem provides an explicit rule describing how optimal representatives are …

Interactive Effects Of Hyposalinity And Nitrate Loading On Growth, Physiology, And Nitrogen Status Of The Seagrass, Halodule Wrightii, Joseph L. Kowalski, Hudson R. Deyoe, Kirk Cammarata, Kristina P. Vatcheva

School of Earth, Environmental, & Marine Sciences Faculty Publications

The study goal was to examine the interactive physiological effects of two freshwater inflow stressors, nitrate pulses coupled with salinity decrease, on the seagrass Halodule wrightii. A microcosm experiment was designed to approximate an observed freshwater inflow event. Over a 13-day period plants were subjected to three sequential salinity drops (S35→ S23→ S15→ S5) with nitrate-nitrogen added simultaneously at 0, 30 or 60 µM. For comparisons, the Control was no salinity change and no nitrate added denoted by S35/No N. Measurements of H. wrightii shoot production, photosynthesis, respiration, quantum efficiency, %N, C:N ratios and δ¹⁵N …

Using Low-Cost Sensors For Source Attribution And Health Assessment: An Air Quality Study In Brownsville, Texas, Sai Deepak Pinakana, Kabir Bahadur Shah, Daniel Jaffe, Juan L. Gonzalez, Owen Temby, Gabriel Ibarra-Mejia, Amit U. Raysoni

School of Earth, Environmental, & Marine Sciences Faculty Publications

Air quality monitoring remains a challenge in areas lacking or having sparse federal monitoring infrastructure, posing significant barriers to public health research. This study demonstrates the usage of low-cost sensors in addressing gaps in air quality monitoring, source attribution, and health risk assessment in a Brownsville, TX neighborhood impacted by emissions from a barite and celestite mineral processing unit. PM2.5 concentrations were measured using PurpleAir sensors deployed across three residential locations, with the site nearest to the processing unit recording a 24-h averaged PM2.5 concentration of 25.12 μg/m3—approximately 2.79 times higher than the nearest Texas Commission of Environmental Quality (TCEQ) …

Improving Pid Control With Bayesian Optimization For Adversarially Robust Federated Learning, Adrian Pena, Sergei Chuprov, Raman Zatsarenko, Leon Reznik

Computer Science Faculty Publications

Federated Learning (FL) often suffers from unstable convergence and reduced robustness under non-IID data and malicious attacks. In this paper, we present FedPIDAvg_tuned, a control-theoretic aggregation framework for improving stability and adversarial robustness in FL. In particular, our approach combines a server-side Proportional–Integral–Derivative (PID) controller with Bayesian optimization to tune controller gains for different data and attack conditions. The PID controller regulates global model updates through feedback on loss dynamics, providing adaptive scaling that improves stability and convergence. The tuned gains are applied within a trust-weighted trimmed-mean mechanism to remove adversarial or outlier updates. Using the Flower framework, we evaluate …

Reduced Threat-Related Neural Efficiency: A Possible Biomarker For Pediatric Anxiety Disorders, Julia O. Linke, Reut Naim, Simona P. Haller, Parmis Khosravi, Beck Scheinberg, Meghan E. Byrne, Anita Harrewijn, Ellen Leibenluft, Melissa A. Brotman, Anderson M. Winkler, Daniel Samuel Pine

School of Medicine Publications

Objective: 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 …

The Classical Limit In Geometric Quantization By Group Extension, Paul Bracken

School of Mathematical & Statistical Sciences Faculty Publications

Physical systems as a rule are associated with a symmetry group. The group approach to geometric quantization makes use of this to introduce a quantization by means of group extension. This procedure is discussed and applied to a physical system whose group law has its origin with the Galilean group. The main intention is to investigate the classical limit and its relationship under this approach to geometric quantization. The classical quantization conditions are obtained based on a deeper foundation.

Parents’ Perspectives On Trajectories Of Well-Being For Immigrant Youth From Central America., Tatiana Londoño, Lauren E. Gulbas, Luis H. Zayas

School of Social Work Faculty Publications

This study explored the trajectories of well-being among immigrant youth in the United States using an ecodevelopmental and posttraumatic growth perspective. Immigrant youth were from the Northern Triangle of Central America and had recently been released from immigration family detention in the United States. Through time-ordered matrix thematic analysis of interviews with 15 mothers at baseline and follow-up (N = 30 interviews), the research revealed a complex landscape of challenges and adaptations during resettlement. While initial adverse emotional outcomes were common, these tended to improve over time as families gained stability in the United States. Family structure emerged as …

"Art, Esthetics, Ideal": An Ethics For Literary Translators In The Age Of Translating Machines, Gabriel González Núñez

Writing and Language Studies Faculty Publications

The advent of effective machine translation has raised several issues for translators, including the question of how a human translator ought to translate in this age of translating machines. In this context of new ethical questions, the present essay argues that an answer may be found in Pedro Figari’s (1912) philosophical essay on esthetics. Following Figari, the current essay argues that literary translation is art, that as such it can produce an esthetic emotion on readers and that the purpose of such art and esthetics is an ideal in the form of the continuous betterment of the human condition.

Associations Of Blood Pressure Level And Variability With Cortical Thickness: A Cross-Sectional Analysis From The Maracaibo Aging Study, Romeo De Leon, Shana Garza, Silvia Mejia-Arango, Kristina Vatcheva, Sokratis Charisis, Claudia L. Satizabal, Luis J. Mena, Joseph H. Lee, Joseph D. Terwilliger, Eron Manusov

School of Medicine Publications

Background: Although high blood pressure (BP) level and variability are associated with Alzheimer's Disease (AD), their relationship with cortical thickness in brain regions that are associated with AD is unclear. Furthermore, the role of 24-hour BP has not been examined. We investigated the associations of office and ambulatory BP measures with cortical thickness in brain regions implicated in AD.

Methods: We performed a cross sectional analysis of 304 participants without dementia from a population-based study with office and 24-hour BP and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) data. We considered cortical thickness values derived from 10 regions throughout the frontal, parietal, and …

Lorawan-Based Asset Tracking System Development And Performance Analysis Within Stem-Pbl Framework: A Mixed-Method Study, Yousef Alfarraj, Ghada Abdelhady, Abdelrahman Ahmed, Mahmoud Elaasar, Jair J. Aguilar

Teaching and Learning Faculty Publications

This study examines the integration of project-based learning (PBL) within the integrative STEM framework to advance practical problem-solving skills and investigate students' perceptions of the STEM-PBL approach through developing an IoT-enabled asset tracking system using Long-Range Wide Area Network (LoRaWAN) technology to tackle real-world logistical challenges. Adopting a mixed-methods approach, the study combines an experimental approach utilizing quantitative system performance analysis with qualitative insights gathered through participant interviews with ten graduate students. Results reveal that the LoRaWAN system demonstrated high reliability with only 0.437% downtime, validating the technical feasibility of the educational project. Furthermore, participants perceived the STEM-PBL approach positively, …

Advancing Culturally Sustaining Stem Instruction For Latinx Secondary Students: From Research To Practice Through The Monarch Migration, Maryam Saberi, Noushin Nouri

Teaching and Learning Faculty Publications

This chapter presents the development of a research-based STEM curriculum for Latinx students using Monarch butterfly migration phenomenon as context. Based on a systematic review of 196 articles, the study first maps eight STEM research categories for Latinx populations. It then conducts a meta-synthesis of 23 successful interventions to create a Latinx-Affirming STEM (La-STEM) curriculum framework organized around Akker's ten curriculum elements. Finally, it translates these theoretical foundations into practical implementation through a detailed Monarch butterfly migration curriculum. The Monarch phenomenon, chosen for its deep cultural resonance and scientific richness, demonstrates how each curriculum element can integrate STEM concepts with …

Teaching Nature Of Science (Nos) Through Cultural Windows: A Framework For Latinx Preservice Science Teachers, Noushin Nouri, Maryam Saberi

Teaching and Learning Faculty Publications

This chapter presents a comprehensive framework for teaching Nature of Science (NOS) to preservice science teachers through cultural windows, implemented through six targeted activities. The framework, developed through rigorous meta-synthesis of NOS literature and analysis of Latinx preservice teachers' autobiographies, integrates Culturally Sustaining Pedagogy (CSP) and Rightful Presence (RP) theories with NOS curriculum elements. This theoretical foundation informs the design of activities: Dolores Huerta environmental justice, Tangram exploration, historical cases, cultural picture analysis, nixtamalization black box, and family-scientist interactions. Each activity systematically maps to curriculum elements while demonstrating how the framework enables cultural knowledge integration in NOS instruction for meaningful, …

A Preliminary Investigation Of Research Collaboration Through Scientific Paper Co-Authorship In The Gulf Of Mexico, Juliet Vallejo, Evelyn Roozee, Dongkyu Kim, Andrew M. Song, Christopher A. Gabler, Jasper R. De Vries, Antonia Sohns, Gordon M. Hickey, Owen Temby

School of Earth, Environmental, & Marine Sciences Faculty Publications

It is well known that publications with collaborators from external institutions increase citations. This effect scales with spatial distance. There are also many barriers to long-distance collaborations, including linguistic differences, funding constraints, and the incremental costs of remote collaboration. This paper uses the Gulf of Mexico as a case study to examine long-distance research collaboration because it consists of three countries with diverse development levels and two prominent diplomatic languages, within a singular regional ecosystem of tremendous natural and economic value. This paper uses bibliometric network analysis to examine scientific research article co-authorship in the Gulf of Mexico from 2000 …

The Impact Of Regional Fishery Management Organization Structure On Collaborative Performance, Evelyn Roozee, Owen Temby, Gordon M. Hickey

School of Earth, Environmental, & Marine Sciences Faculty Publications

Collaboration is integral to understand, plan, coordinate, and implement management measures for fisheries that cross international borders. Regional Fishery Management Organizations (RFMOs) are the main arenas for countries to collaborate and make decisions for transboundary fisheries, but these organizations have generally failed to prevent the depletion of some of the world's most valuable fish stocks. It is unclear how the structure and functioning of RFMOs can improve collaborative performance to better manage transboundary fish stocks. Using fuzzy-set qualitative comparative analysis, our study analyzes 10 RFMOs to identify the combination of six organizational conditions associated with high and low collaborative performance. …

Histochemical Alteration, Protein Nitration, And Antioxidant Expression In Oysters As Early Warning Indicators For Microplastic Contamination In The Texas Gulf Coast, Rebecca Muñiz, Md Faisal Amin, Md. Saydur Rahman

School of Earth, Environmental, & Marine Sciences Faculty Publications

Microplastics are widely distributed in aquatic environments and have been detected in numerous organisms. Marine bivalves are among the most affected aquatic organisms by microplastics due to their filter-feeding behavior. In this study, 60 oysters were collected from two sites along the Texas Gulf Coast. Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy and Nile red staining were used to detect microplastics in oyster (Crassostrea virginica) tissues. We compared field and laboratory samples collected after a two-week depuration period to identify differences in the shape and size of microplastics in oyster tissues. Results from the field sites showed a large number of microplastics, …

‘The Way We Do Our Translation’: A Case Study Of Translation Policy For Spanish Speakers In The Public Parks Of Sonoma County, California, Gabriel González Núñez, Ángel María Casas Grageab, Christina Guerrero Harmon

Writing and Language Studies Faculty Publications

Signs in public spaces can provide essential information. Especially at times of crises, and in places where there are large populations who speak a minoritized language, translation is often employed to create multilingual signage for the benefit of the community. After all, translated signs appear because some authority considers that a certain message is important enough to be visibly communicated to the public, including those who do not speak the State’s preferred language. The decision as to whether to translate or not certain signs may seem arbitrary, but one would hope that it is the result of a guided policy …

Gauge-Invariant Gravitational Wave Polarization In Metric F(R) Gravity With Cosmological Implications, Ramesh Radhakrishnan, David Mcnutt, Delaram Mirfendereski, Alejandro Pinero, Eric Davis, William Julius, Gerald Cleaver

Physics & Astronomy Faculty Publications

We develop a fully gauge-invariant analysis of gravitational-wave polarizations in metric 𝑓⁡(𝑅) gravity with a particular focus on the modified Starobinsky model 𝑓⁡(𝑅) =𝑅 +𝛼⁢𝑅2 −2⁢Λ, whose constant-curvature solution 𝑅𝑑 =4⁢Λ provides a natural de Sitter background for both early- and late-time cosmology. Linearizing the field equations around this background, we derive the Klein–Gordon equation for the curvature perturbation 𝛿⁢𝑅 and show that the scalar propagating mode acquires a mass 𝑚2𝜓 =1/(6⁢𝛼), highlighting how the same scalar degree of freedom governs inflationary dynamics at high curvature and the propagation of gravitational waves in the current accelerating Universe. Using the scalar–vector–tensor …

Gpu And Pso Accelerated Low-Latency Fully-Coherent All-Sky Search For Compact Binary Coalescences, Soumya D. Mohanty

Physics & Astronomy Faculty Publications

The fully-coherent all-sky (FCAS) search, which combines data from a gravitational wave detector network into a single likelihood function, is the preferred method prescribed by statistical theory for Gaussian noise. However, so far, its exorbitant computational cost has blocked its use for compact binary coalescence searches. We introduce a solution combining Particle Swarm Optimization with Graphics Processing Unit (GPU) acceleration that is ≈ 50-fold faster than real-time analysis. This transforms the prospect of a low-latency FCAS search on all GW data into a practical reality for the first time. With large-scale simulations enabled by this speedup, we examine the issue …

Efficient Search For Detection Candidates Using A Peak Finder Strategy For All-Sky-All-Frequency Gravitational Wave Radiometer, Arindam Sharma, Deepali Agarwal, Sanjit Mitra

Physics & Astronomy Faculty Publications

The first all-sky-all-frequency (ASAF) radiometer search was conducted using data from the first three observing runs of the Advanced LIGO and Advanced Virgo detectors. The significance of this search lies in its fast and unmodeled approach, leveraging a cross-correlation technique to identify common signals across the detector network. As a result, this method serves as an excellent alternative to search for unknown or poorly modeled continuous wave sources and narrow band components of the gravitational wave (GW) background. For continuous wave sources whose waveform can be modeled, this method can serve as the first stage of a hierarchical scheme by …

Pedagogical Moves For Provoking Prospective Teachers’ Intellectual Needs While Connecting Abstract Algebra And Secondary Mathematics, Kaitlyn Stephens Serbin, Estrella Johnson, Sthefanía Espinosa

School of Mathematical & Statistical Sciences Faculty Publications

Researchers have exhibited ways in which prospective secondary mathematics teachers can connect content from abstract algebra with secondary mathematics in ways that reshape their understanding of secondary mathematics and thereby support their teaching of that content. However, there has been very little research done on what mathematics teacher educators can do in the classroom to help prospective teachers make connections between abstract algebra and secondary algebra in ways that support such reshaping. This study focuses on a mathematics teacher educator who guided a class of prospective teachers to connect properties of algebraic structures with equation-solving procedures by directing their focus …

Computational Insights Into Orthotropic Fracture: Crack-Tip Fields In Strain-Limiting Materials Under Non-Uniform Loads, Saugata Ghosh, Dambaru Bhatta, S. M. Mallikarjunaiah

School of Mathematical & Statistical Sciences Faculty Publications

A finite element framework is presented for analyzing crack-tip phenomena in transversely isotropic, strain-limiting elastic materials. Mechanical response is characterized by an algebraically nonlinear constitutive model, relating stress to linearized strain. Non-physical strain singularities at the crack apex are mitigated, ensuring bounded strain magnitudes. This methodology significantly advances boundary value problem (BVP) formulation, especially for first-order approximate theories. For a transversely isotropic elastic solid with a crack, the governing equilibrium equation, derived from linear momentum balance and the nonlinear constitutive model, is reduced to a second-order, vector-valued, quasi-linear elliptic BVP. This BVP is solved using a robust numerical scheme combining …

Strong Q-Analogues For Values Of The Dirichlet Beta Function, Ankush Goswami, Tim Huber

School of Mathematical & Statistical Sciences Faculty Publications

An infinite class of relations between modular forms is constructed that generalizes evaluations of the Dirichlet beta function at odd positive integers. The work is motivated by a base case appearing in Ramanujan’s Notebooks and a parallel construction for the Riemann zeta function. The identities are shown to be strong q-analogues by virtue of their reduction to the classical beta evaluations as 𝑞→1− and explicit evaluations at CM points for |𝑞|< 1. We also determine asymptotic formulas for the Fourier coefficients of the associated modular forms.

A Conceptual Framework For Cognitive Engagement And Human Agency In Ai-Mediated Learning, Sam Rhodes, Zuhal Yilmaz, Terrie Galanti, Younggon Bae, Victoria Delaney, Zareen Gul Aga, Stephen Hutt

School of Mathematical & Statistical Sciences Faculty Publications

The purpose of this chapter is to propose a conceptual framework that unpacks AI use in instructional practice across three interrelated dimensions: human agency, cognitive demand, and AI orchestration. We ground this work in historical perspectives on technology's mediating role in education. We then propose the conceptual framework and three characterizations of the use of AI in school instruction: cognitive load reducer, cognitive capacity builder, and cognitive companion. We then illustrate a worked example of each, including a curricular example and sample student prompts, and conclude with questions that educators might ask themselves as they consider if and how to …

Optimal Quantization On Spherical Surfaces: Continuous And Discrete Models—A Beginner-Friendly Expository Study, Mrinal Kanti Roychowdhury

School of Mathematical & Statistical Sciences Faculty Publications

This expository paper provides a unified and pedagogical introduction to optimal quantization for probability measures supported on spherical curves and discrete subsets ofthe sphere, emphasizing both continuous and discrete settings. We first present a detailedgeometric and analytical foundation for intrinsic quantization on the unit sphere, includingdefinitions of great and small circles, spherical triangles, geodesic distance, Slerp interpolation,the Fréchet mean, spherical Voronoi regions, centroid conditions, and quantizationdimensions. Building upon this framework, we develop explicit continuous and discretequantization models on spherical curves, namely great circles, small circles, and greatcircular arcs—supported by rigorous derivations and pedagogical exposition. For uniformcontinuous distributions, we compute optimal …

Gain-Delay Decoupling In Human Stimulus Frequency Otoacoustic Emissions Reveals Constraints On Cochlear Nonlinear Amplification, Yoshita Sharma, Arturo Moleti, Renata Sisto, Teresa Botti, Hansapani Rodrigo, Sri Mishra

School of Mathematical & Statistical Sciences Faculty Publications

Purpose: The nonlinear cochlear amplifier, driven by outer hair cells, underlies the remarkable sensitivity and frequency selectivity of the mammalian auditory system. Stimulus frequency otoacoustic emissions (SFOAEs) provide a noninvasive window into these active cochlear processes, yet the relationship between emission gain and delay across stimulus levels remains incompletely understood. This study examined the level dependence of SFOAEs in normal-hearing human listeners to characterize cochlear nonlinear response properties. We tested how emission gain and delay vary with stimulus level and estimated the frequency of the apical–basal transition associated with the breakdown of the approximate local scaling symmetry.

Methods: SFOAEs were …

Fully Discrete Finite Element Methods For The Stochastic Kuramoto–Sivashinsky Equation With Multiplicative Noise, Hung D. Nguyen, Liet Vo

School of Mathematical & Statistical Sciences Faculty Publications

We investigate a fully discrete finite element approximation for the stochastic Kuramoto–Sivashinsky equation, combining the standard finite element methods in spatial discretization with the implicit Euler–Maruyama scheme in time. Rigorous error estimates are established for two distinct noise regimes. In the case of bounded multiplicative noise, we prove optimal strong convergence rates in full expectation. The analysis relies crucially on a stochastic Gronwall inequality and an exponential stability estimate for the PDE solution, which together control the interplay between the nonlinear drift and the multiplicative stochastic forcing. For general multiplicative noise, where boundedness no longer holds, we derive sub-optimal convergence …

Una Nueva Herramienta Para Estimar El Volumen Muscular Independientemente De La Edad, El Sexo Y El Nivel De Actividad Física, José J. Rivera-Sánchez, Laura P. Burgos-Morelos, Daniel Castillo-Castillo, Gerardo Méndez-Suárez, Juan C. Lopez-Alvarenga, Damián Carrillo-Ruíz

School of Medicine Publications

Antecedentes: Actualmente, la evaluación del volumen muscular requiere técnicas invasivas o de imagen, lo que aumenta los costos y retrasa la evaluación, y las mediciones antropométricas con frecuencia son inexactas.

Objetivo: Desarrollar una fórmula matemática para estimar el volumen del cuádriceps.

Material y métodos: Se evaluaron 127 sujetos: 40 adultos sedentarios de 20 a 35 años, 47 atletas adultos de 20 a 45 años y 40 adultos sedentarios de 70 a 94 años. Se dividieron en grupos de desarrollo y de validación. Se realizaron mediciones de variables antropométricas y fuerza de agarre, y se desarrolló la fórmula de predicción del …

Circle Actions On Oriented 4-Manifolds, Donghoon Jang, Oleg R. Musin

School of Mathematical & Statistical Sciences Faculty Publications

In this present paper, we consider an action of the circle group on a compact oriented 4-manifold. We derive the Atiyah–Hirzebruch formula for the manifold, and associate a graph in terms of data on the fixed point set. We show in the case of isolated fixed points that if an abstract graph satisfies the Atiyah–Hirzebruch formula, then there exists a corresponding 4-dimensional oriented S1-manifold.