Open Source GIS: From QGIS to Python

This workshop will guide attendees through open source GIS workflows using QGIS's approachable user interface and demonstrate how to replicate those processes programmatically in Python for enhanced reproducibility and efficiency. GIS beginners can expect a well rounded introduction to geospatial data and software, while seasoned users will benefit from techniques for automating their workflows with Python.UT Librarie

No-reference image and video quality assessment for user-generated media

User-generated content (UGC) constitutes a significant portion of global internet traffic, with billions of videos and images shared daily on social media and streaming platforms. Despite its ubiquity, UGC often suffers from diverse and complex perceptual quality issues due to distortions introduced during capture, processing, and sharing. Addressing these challenges is critical for improving user experience, enabling better content optimization, and providing tools for inclusive content creation. This dissertation focuses on three critical problems in no-reference (NR) perceptual quality assessment for UGC: video quality prediction, image quality enhancement for visually impaired users, and the quality assessment of text embedded in multimedia content. First, we tackle the challenging and unsolved problem of NR video quality assessment (VQA) for UGC. Traditional VQA models struggle to generalize to the diverse and “in-the-wild” nature of UGC. To address this gap, we developed the largest subjective video quality dataset to date, containing 38,811 real-world distorted videos, 116,433 space-time localized video patches, and 5.5 million human perceptual quality annotations. Using this dataset, we proposed two novel NR-VQA models: (a) Pathc-VQ (PVQ), a region-based architecture that captures local-to-global quality relationships, achieving state-of-the-art performance on three benchmark UGC datasets, and (b) PVQ Mapper, the first space-time video quality mapping tool that visualizes and localizes perceptual distortions. These models advance the state of the art in VQA, offering robust predictions and actionable insights into the quality of real-world UGC videos. Second, we address the unique challenges faced by visually impaired users in capturing high-quality images. This demographic often produces content exhibiting severe distortions, including blur, noise, and poor exposure, which pose significant barriers to quality assessment and actionable feedback. To address these issues, we created the LIVE-Meta VI-UGC Database, the largest dataset of its kind, comprising 40,000 distorted images, 40,000 patches, and 2.7 million human perceptual quality and distortion labels. Leveraging this dataset, we developed a blind image quality predictor that models local-to-global spatial relationships, achieving state-of-the-art prediction accuracy on VI-UGC data. Furthermore, we designed a prototype feedback system based on a multi-task learning framework, empowering visually impaired users with actionable insights to improve their photography and confidently share higher-quality content on social media. Third, we investigate the underexplored problem of assessing the quality and legibility of text embedded in UGC, particularly in short-form videos. The quality of embedded text significantly affects user comprehension and the overall perception of multimedia content, as well as applications like visual search and recognition. To advance this domain, we created two novel datasets: the LIVE-COCO Text Legibility Database, featuring 74,440 text patches with subjective legibility annotations, and the LIVE-YouTube Text-in-Video Quality Database, containing approximately 19,000 subjective quality ratings on 405 videos and 641 text patches. Using these datasets, we developed models capable of predicting both text quality and legibility. We further introduced a multi-task model that simultaneously predicts overall video quality and local text quality, addressing the interplay between text legibility and multimedia quality in UGC. Overall, this dissertation presents a comprehensive approach to improving the perceptual quality of UGC through the development of advanced datasets, innovative quality prediction models, and user-centric tools. By addressing the diverse challenges of video, image, and text quality in UGC, this work provides solutions that enhance user experience, optimize content, and support accessibility. The outcomes of this dissertation are expected to benefit applications such as quality monitoring, content creation tools, accessibility enhancements, and user guidance, ultimately improving the global experience of social media and streaming platforms.Electrical and Computer Engineerin

Controls on carbonate precipitation in subsurface environments using microfluidics

Research on carbonate resevior is critical for advancing both enhanced oil recovery (EOR) and geologic gas storage, offering significant benefits in energy security and environmental sustainability. Carbonate formations, such as limestone and dolomite, make up over half of the world's petroleum reserves. These formations, hoIver, present challenges due to their complex and heterogeneous structures, which include variations in porosity and permeability. Advances in EOR techniques, such as CO₂ injection and low-salinity water flooding, help to overcome these challenges through enhancing the mobility of oil within these rock structures. Moreover, carbonate reservoirs hold enormous capacity for CO₂ storage, but are encumbered by their reactivity with CO₂ which raises questions on the long-term security of injected CO₂. Research in this field allows for the development of optimized EOR strategies that improve oil extraction in challenging carbonate settings and enables safe, long-term CO₂ storage, contributing to a balanced pathway toward a low-carbon future. First, I use a micromodel with pore geometry and geochemistry representative of geologic media to promote deep microbially-induced carbonate precipitation (MICP) penetration into subsurface formations as a natural approach to secure the geologic storage of gases (e.g., CO₂, H₂, CH₄). Cracks in embrittled Illbore cement, for example, provide a pathway for atmospheric gas leakage, while permeability heterogeneities in the storage reservoir leads to fingering effects that diminish the storage capacity. The design of MICP processes, hoIver, remains a challenge due to limited understanding of the coupled nonlinear reaction kinetics and multiphase transport involved. Specifically, previous attempts at MICP through porous media have been encumbered by carbonate precipitation localized to the first 1-3 cm of the bulk injection surface. I use a micromodel to image direct pore- and pore-ensemble-level mineral, fluid, and microbial distributions. An approach to adsorb microbes uniformly across the micromodel, rather than local accumulation near the inlet, is developed that enables deep MICP penetration into the porous medium. A sensitivity analysis was performed to investigate the impact of injection conditions (e.g., rates, concentrations) required to maximize CaCO₃ precipitation away from the injection site. With multiple cycles of MICP, a 78% reduction in permeability was achieved with ~ 8% carbonate pore volume occupation. Second, I present a novel improved oil recovery approach whereby MICP reduces the local permeability of water-saturated preferential flow paths to improve the overall sIep of the reservoir. Mobility contrasts betIen oil and water, along with permeability heterogeneity, lead to fingering instabilities that impede the recovery of hydrocarbons from the subsurface. With MICP, local pore geometry in preferential pathways are altered to divert successive injection fluids to oil-saturated pores. I demonstrate the feasibility of the approach using a silicon microfluidic device with etched geometries representative of real rock pores, where a ~ 5 % reduction in the porosity of preferential flow paths increased overall oil recovery by ~ 28 % original oil in place (OOIP). I performed a sensitivity analysis on the injection conditions required to maximize oil recovery and bacterial growth. Overall, I show that calcium carbonate grains grown using MICP can provide a secure and stable method to control fluid flow in situ and recover additional hydrocarbons to provide an avenue for cost-effective and environmentally-benign hydrocarbon extraction. Third, I functionalized a micromodel with dolomite to study the confinement integrity of formation during carbon dioxide storage and sequestration. Calcite was selectively precipitated along the edges of silicon grains, and dolomitized hydrothermally using a magnesium-rich fluid. Mineral dissolution and re-precipitation Ire observed through the microfluidic platform, and mineral composition evolution was characterized by using X-ray crystallography (XRD) and energy-dispersive spectroscopy (EDS). After dolomitization, the carbonate volume decreased by 14.5%, sligh higher than the 11%-14% reduction reported in previous studies. Insights into the dissolution and precipitation of the dolomite rind enhance our understanding of the diagenetic history of carbonate reservoirs, influencing interpretations of hydrocarbon potential and informing reservoir management strategies.Petroleum and Geosystems Engineerin

Examination of CO₂ reactivity and orexin activity as predictors of extinction memory for fear, food, and alcohol cues in rats

Trauma, anxiety, and substance use disorders are highly prevalent but only half of individuals achieve remission with the best available behavioral treatment, exposure therapy. The ability to identify likely responders to exposure therapy and provide an alternative treatment to likely non-responders would allow a greater number of individuals to achieve remission. To address this, I turned to the laboratory rat to model the associative learning processes that underlie these disorders and exposure therapy to examine behavioral and neural predictors of treatment response. Rats underwent Pavlovian conditioning, extinction training, and long-term memory testing of cues associated with fear (Chapters 3 & 4), food (Chapters 2 & 4), and alcohol (Chapter 5) as well as a CO₂ challenge prior to euthanasia to examine orexin activity in the lateral hypothalamus. Behavioral CO₂ reactivity predicted extinction memory for fear, food, and alcohol cues. CO₂ reactivity also predicted fear and alcohol memories after a different treatment, retrieval-extinction, although to a lesser degree. Orexin activity did not predict extinction memory for fear, food, nor alcohol cues. My studies show that CO₂ reactivity, but not CO₂-induced orexin activity, can be used to predict extinction memory for fear and reward cues. My work provides support for CO₂ reactivity to be examined as a predictor of exposure therapy response in individuals with trauma, anxiety, and substance use disorders.Neuroscienc

De Spraak achter Pott un Ploog : gender and identity in the maintenance and loss of Low German in East Frisia

Language use is one method with which speakers can express their own identities and attitudes towards their language varieties and the varieties of others, whether explicitly or implicitly. For speakers of a dialectal variety or minority/regional language such as East Frisian Low German, social factors such as age and gender influence attitudes of the speakers themselves, as well as the language ideologies expressed by their communities of practice. The attitudes in turn impact their use of minority languages (Boas & Fingerhuth, 2017). Parallels to the current German dialectal situation can be seen in Irish (Gaelic) speakers in Ireland, where bureaucratic assistance and inclusion of the languages in the education system have still not led to a dramatic increase in the number of Irish speakers in Ireland (Wiggers, 2006: 289-290). Research on the question of speaker gender and the maintenance of minority languages in immigrant and minority communities exists in literature focusing on bilingualism and multilingualism (Winter & Pauwels, 2005; Pavlenko, 2001), but there is a lack among studies of dialectology, in which Low German is often included. In order to help answer the question of why a dialect or minority language is either being maintained or lost, this dissertation seeks to answer the question of whether speaker gender and the subsequent gender roles in the community are influential in this process. Speakers of Low German themselves view the ability to speak it as part of their regional identity (Wiggers, 2006), and there exists a long history of literature produced in Low German, 6 as well as other forms of media such as radio and theater (Kremer, 1997). However, despite various federal and local level efforts to encourage the maintenance of Low German, it remains endangered, and a language primarily used in the private domain with friends and family (Biehl, 1999; Reershemius, 2009: Stellmacher, 2017). This dissertation seeks to address if, and how, the role of speaker gender identity within a regional language community like that of the Low German speakers in East Frisia influences maintenance of an endangered minority language. Expanding upon questions raised by Jones (2023) about the role of speaker gender identity in the transmission and maintenance of dialectal varieties, the intention is to add to existing literature concerning speaker gender and minority/regional language maintenance, loss, and eventual death. Analyzing survey data from 172 respondents via speaker gender and age, with supporting evidence from 34 open-ended sociolinguistic interviews with Low German speakers, this dissertation argues that reported language attitudes towards East Frisian Low German itself, as well as towards language promotion, are directly influenced by the social identities held by speakers in this region. In this community, age is a factor in continued transmission, as with many heritage languages. However, the importance of the perceived value of the language by specifically female speakers became evident during interviews. While female speakers are not the ideal speaker, they remain influential in the process of language transmission and revitalization in the region. This study also gives evidence as to why support at multiple levels has not translated into an increase in speakers and renewed interest by the speakers themselves to continue maintenance of an endangered language. While speakers are generally enthusiastic about the prospect of continued transmission, demotivating responses from fluent speakers towards learners and non-speakers is negatively affecting the viability of language revitalization.Germanic Studie

Subjectivity, simulation, and signal bleeding : playing with reality in the remedy connected universe

This dissertation is a rhetorical and phenomenological interrogation of subjective experience in digital simulations, including but not limited to digital games. It is an attempt to articulate how the digital makes possible the feeling of presence or passage between real and virtual worlds and account for the blurring of the perceptual boundary that separates them. The term signal bleeding is introduced as a conceptual metaphor to describe how real and virtual “signals” bleed into one output or representation of reality. To account for the subject, the self is first conceptualized as an amalgamation of information organized by narrative, a linguistic product that allows the body to attend to itself and coordinate action. The “I” is a virtual operator or ghost in the machine, data organized into a story for the purposes of identification. Humans as informational organisms are mutually constituted by their representational models, figurations based on data profiles, preferences, and histories online. A symbiotic interdependent relationship with computers has developed through everyday interaction with information and communication technologies (ICTs). Digital subjectivity is interrogated at the point of interaction between human-computer and human-data as well as gamic conceptions of player through an ontology of play and avatar embodiment. Simulation is first introduced with Baudrillard’s conception of hyperreality or signs that no longer have referents, by which he argues that what we conceive of as reality is simulation. Later in the work, digital simulation is addressed as code, procedure, and narrative. Future narratives and storyplaying are also discussed as the means by which movement through digital simulations is possible. The rhetorical gameworld model (RGM) is created for the purpose of analyzing world construction and experience in digital simulations. The model is then applied to the Remedy Connected Universe, a narrative web that connects four digital games developed by Remedy Entertainment: Alan Wake, Alan Wake’s American Nightmare, Control, and Alan Wake 2. The RGM serves as the framework for analysis of subjectivity, simulation, and signal bleeding across the games. Points of overlap between the real and the virtual are identified and discussed before finally sketching broader applications of the model.Communication Studie

Exploring the relationships between local fish consumption, diet quality, fishing practices, and food security

In 2022, the food insecurity rate of the Coastal Bend in Texas was 19.4%, higher than the food insecurity rate in Texas (16.4%) and the U.S. (12.8%). The Coastal Bend is a community where fish consumption is common due to its proximity to the ocean. While food insecurity is associated with poor diet quality, fish consumption could be associated with improved diet quality. Therefore, the study aimed to 1) assess correlations between food security, fishing practices, local fish consumption, and diet quality and 2) identify the relationships between local fish consumption and diet quality. An online survey and the Dietary History Questionnaire III (DHQ3) were distributed in the Coastal Bend region. The survey measured food security, fishing practices, and local fish consumption. The DHQ3 was used to calculate Healthy Eating Index (HEI) scores to measure diet quality. Descriptive statistics were used to describe the population characteristics. Pairwise correlations were used to assess correlations between key variables. Linear regression was used to examine the association between diet quality and local fish consumption. Overall, 20.9% of the sample were considered to be experiencing low food insecurity, and 37.31% were experiencing very low food security. Diet quality was low with a mean HEI score of 58.695. Significant correlations were found between food security and HEI scores (r = -0.28, p < 0.01), food security and fishing practices (r = 0.20, p < 0.05), and local fish consumption and fishing practice (r = 0.59, p < 0.01). Significant association was found between very low food security and diet quality (r = -7.00, p < 0.05). Linear regression analysis found no direct relationships between local fish consumption and diet quality were identified, yet together, results suggest there may be an underlying relationship between food security and fishing practices. Furthermore, due to the Coastal Bend’s high food insecurity prevalence, local fish should be considered a high-quality source of food that is accessible and affordable to this community. Research should continue to explore the relationship between food security and local fish consumption given its potential to improve the diet quality of food insecure communities.Nutritional Science

Transparency Under Takeover: Financial Ramifications of the TEA Takeover of Houston ISD

This paper examines the financial transparency and accountability practices before and after the 2023 state takeover of the Houston Independent School District (HISD). Superintendent Mike Miles and his Board of Managers reallocated critical district resources towards troubling new “priorities,” while the district was facing a sizable deficit. Parents and community members raised concerns about the district’s transparency and accountability practices, which sparked backlash throughout the first year and a half of the takeover. Using a historical case study methodology (Widdersheim, 2018) and qualitative document analysis (Bowen, 2009), we examined school board meeting content, online news articles, and state policy to analyze the financial changes that HISD underwent as they transitioned to a state appointed superintendent and school board during the first two years of the state takeover. Findings suggest patterns of concerning fiscal practices under the post-takeover administration. We make recommendations for local and state educational agencies that may improve financial transparency and solvency during state takeovers.Educatio

Urban planning, Roman influence, and discourses of built space in the castros of Northwest Iberia : a digital archaeology of architecture in oppidum-type hillforts using settlement-scale spatial analysis in GIS

This dissertation seeks to develop new theoretical and methodological approaches to the interpretation of archaeological settlement layouts based on digital representation of site topography and architectural remains at the scale of the settlement. This objective is developed within the context of the archaeology of the castros, hillforts in Northwest Iberia associated mainly with the latter half of the Iron Age and the first few centuries of the Roman Period in this region (ca. 500 BCE – 200 CE). A novel GIS-based methodology is proposed incorporating concepts and methods from Space Syntax and spatial statistics. This methodology is applied in a case study to provide new descriptions of the spatial layouts of three hillfort settlements in northwestern Portugal, each with architectural remains dating to around the period of incorporation of this region into the Roman Empire. Two main research questions are addressed in executing the case study, both of which are aimed at clarifying problems in the archaeological literature concerning the relationship between urban planning and Roman influence in the oppidum-type castros. The proposed methods are shown to be viable in providing basic quantitative descriptions of relationships of proximity and orientation between architectural features, and further research to develop more robust modes of analysis is recommended. Attention is drawn to the need to provide clear epistemic justification for intuitive spatial descriptions of archaeological settlement layouts.Anthropolog

Restoring the Land: Pro-Blackness as a Healing Force Against Anti-Black Classroom Management

This paper critically examines the systemic harm inflicted on Black students through anti-Black classroom management and disciplinary practices, positioning Pro-Blackness as a transformative framework for healing and justice. Grounded in healing justice and African Diaspora Literacy, the discussion highlights the pervasive impact of the “white gaze” in perpetuating inequities and the urgent need for educators to reject Eurocentric standards. The authors argue for a shift from punitive to Pro-Black classroom management practices that affirm Black cultural dimensions and foster holistic growth. Integrating strategies for self-reflection, relational accountability, and the inclusion of Black-centered pedagogy provides a roadmap for educators committed to creating equitable, affirming spaces for Black students. The paper ultimately challenges educators to engage in collective action to “heal the land” by honoring the humanity and potential of Black children.Educatio