Digital Commons Network^™

Racial And Ethnic Inequalities In Actual Vs Nearest Delivery Hospitals, Nansi S. Boghossian, Lucy T. Greenberg, Jeffrey S. Buzas, Joshua Radack, Molly Passarella, Jeannette Rogowski, George R. Saade, Ciaran S. Phibbs, Scott A. Lorch

Faculty Publications

IMPORTANCE Minoritized racial and ethnic groups, such as American Indian and Black individuals, often receive lower quality health care compared with White individuals. There is limited understanding of how these disparities extend to obstetric care, particularly when comparing the quality of care at the actual delivery hospital vs the nearest obstetric hospital based on the birthing individual’s residence. OBJECTIVE To examine inequality in care based on the actual delivery hospital and the closest delivery hospital to the birthing individual’s residential zip code centroid. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS This population-based retrospective cohort study used data from 5 states (2008 to 2020 …

A Case Study Of Gray-Box Fuzzing With Byte- And Tree-Level Mutation Strategies In Xml-Based Applications For Exposing Security Vulnerabilities, Şerafetti̇n Şentürk, Vahi̇d Garousi, Nejat Yumuşak

Turkish Journal of Electrical Engineering and Computer Sciences

Fuzzing is an automated process for detecting crashes and vulnerabilities in software system and it is classified as grammar- or mutation-based in terms of input generation. While the grammar-based fuzzing generates inputs from a specification and takes highly-structured inputs, mutation-based fuzzing generates inputs by modifying input files and abstract syntax trees randomly. There are not many case studies comparing the crash detection capabilities in the scope of mutation-based fuzzing. To add to the body of empirical evidence in this area, this case study compares fuzzing with different mutation strategies to evaluate their effectiveness in three aspects: fault detection effectiveness, fault …

Multikernel Embedded Fusion Unet (Mkef-Unet): A Robust Deep Learning Approach For Accurate Segmentation Of Chagas Parasites, Preet Kumar, Carlos Brito-Loeza, Lavdie Rada

Turkish Journal of Electrical Engineering and Computer Sciences

This paper introduces a novel approach for segmenting Chagas parasites on stained blood smear samples from mice during the acute phase of infection with Trypanosoma cruzi utilizing a U-Net-based deep learning model named multikernel embedded fusion UNet (MKEF-UNet). Our proposed model incorporates DenseNet-121 for feature extraction, a classifier module for predicting parasite information, and a segmentation decoder with multiscale feature fusion to generate precise segmentation results. Notably, the integration of the embedded vector module, multikernel convolutions with dilations, and advanced data augmentation techniques significantly enhance the model’s robustness and generalization capabilities. In extensive experiments on the Chagas dataset, MKEF-UNet achieves …

An Alternative To Biliverdin, Mesobiliverdin Ixα And Mesobiliverdin-Enriched Microalgae: A Review On The Production And Applications Of Mesobiliverdin-Related Products, Naveena Poudyal, Jon Y. Takemoto, Yuan-Yu Lin, Cheng-Wei T. Chang

Chemistry and Biochemistry Student Research

Despite attracting interest for decades due to its anti-inflammatory and antioxidant capabilities, the use of biliverdin IXα (BV) in medicine and agriculture is hampered by uncertain purity and limited availability. A significant amount of effort has been devoted to the production and application of BV, but with limited success. Mesobiliverdin IXα (MBV), a natural BV analog derived from microalgae, offers a path to overcome the limitations of BV. MBV production is scalable, and it can be obtained at high purity. MBV and BV share important structural features (e.g., bridging propionate groups) and both are substrates of biliverdin reductase A (BVRA), …

Abiotic Variables Drive Different Aspects Of Fish Community Trait Variation And Species Richness Across The Continental United States, Alicia Mcgrew, Crysta Gantz, Brigid Wills, Benjamin Baiser, Sydne Record, Phoebe L. Zarnetske, Angela L. Strecker

Environmental Science and Management Faculty Publications and Presentations

Intraspecific trait variation (ITV) is an increasingly important aspect of biodiversity and can provide a more complete perspective on how abiotic and biotic processes affect individuals, species' niches and ultimately community-level structure than traditional uses of trait means. Body size serves as a proxy for a suite of traits that govern species' niches. Distributions of co-occurring species body sizes can inform niche overlap, relate to species richness and uncover mechanistic drivers of diversity. We leveraged individual-level body size (length) in freshwater fishes and environmental data from the National Ecological Observatory Network (NEON) for 17 lakes and streams in the contiguous …

Special Delivery Of Proteinaceous Matter To Deep-Sea Microbes, Yuan Shen, Ronald Benner, Taylor A.B. Broek, Brett D. Walker, Matthew D. Mccarthy

Faculty Publications

Earth’s deep ocean holds a vast reservoir of dissolved organic carbon, traditionally considered old and resistant to microbial degradation. Radiocarbon analyses indicate the hidden occurrence of younger dissolved organic carbon components, assumed to be accessible to deep-sea microorganisms but not yet demonstrated. Using compound-class radiocarbon analysis, molecular characterization, and bioassay experiments, we provide direct evidence for rapid microbial utilization of young, labile, high–molecular weight proteinaceous material in bathypelagic waters. The abundance of labile proteinaceous material diminishes from epipelagic to mesopelagic waters but notably increases in bathypelagic waters, where it exhibits a short turnover time (days) and resembles surface plankton in …

Dynamic Mean-Field Theory For Continuous Random Networks, Wilson A. Zuniga-Galindo

School of Mathematical & Statistical Sciences Faculty Publications

This article studies the dynamics of the mean-field approximation of continuous random networks. These networks are stochastic integrodifferential equations driven by Gaussian noise. The kernels in the integral operators are realizations of generalized Gaussian random variables. The equation controls the time evolution of a macroscopic state interpreted as neural activity, which depends on position and time. Such a network corresponds to a statistical field theory (SFT) given by a momenta-generating functional. Discrete versions of the mentioned networks appeared in spin glasses and as models of artificial neural networks. Each of these discrete networks corresponds to a lattice SFT, where the …

Designing A Cave Air Monitoring System: Guide And Feedback From 15 Years Of Monitoring The Cussac Cave (France), Nicolas Peyraube, Jessica D. Villanueva, Fabien Naessens, Roland Lastennet, Sylvain Mateo, Alain Denis

International Journal of Speleology

Understanding the cave’s ventilation system is important for determining how the cavity interacts with external airflow. This requires a well-designed monitoring system. This article addresses these key aspects: how to build a monitoring system for cave air parameters and how to assess the ventilation of a cave. We proposed a flowchart to help address the issues in: 1) the modularity of a monitoring system, 2) the use of “homemade device” or “ready to use device”, 3) the frequency of measure and its effect on the electrical consumption, 4) the duration of the survey, and 5) the accessibility of the recorded …

Linking Water Quality And Climate Change To Long-Term Trends In Species Abundance In Norwalk Harbor, Viktoria Savatorova, Aidan Kieft, Nicole C. Spiller, Kasey Burns

Spora: A Journal of Biomathematics

This study examines the effects of environmental changes on fish populations in Norwalk Harbor, focusing on winter flounder (Pseudopleuronectes americanus), cunner (Tautogolabrus adspersus), northern pipefish (Syngnathus fuscus), and naked goby (Gobiosoma bosci) as examples of species responding to climate-related shifts. We analyze how water temperature, salinity, and dissolved oxygen correlate with fish abundance. To assess statistically significant differences in catch per unit effort (CPUE) across harbor regions, we applied the Kruskal-Wallis test followed by Dunn's post-hoc test. Seasonal variations in CPUE were examined by comparing monthly catch data for each species. K-means …

Phase Separation Clustering Of Poly Ubiquitin Cargos On Ternary Mixture Lipid Membranes By Synthetically Cross-Linked Ubiquitin Binder Peptides, Soojung Kim, Kamsy K. Okafor, Rina Tabuchi, Cedric Briones, Il Hyung Lee

Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry Faculty Scholarship and Creative Works

Ubiquitylation is involved in various physiological processes, such as signaling and vesicle trafficking, whereas ubiquitin (UB) is considered an important clinical target. The polymeric addition of UB enables cargo molecules to be recognized specifically by multivalent binding interactions with UB-binding proteins, which results in various downstream processes. Recently, protein condensate formation by ubiquitylated proteins has been reported in many independent UB processes, suggesting its potential role in governing the spatial organization of ubiquitylated cargo proteins. We created modular polymeric UB binding motifs and polymeric UB cargos by synthetic bioconjugation and protein purification. Giant unilamellar vesicles with lipid raft composition were …

How Does Honey Make Gold Nanoparticles? Optical Analysis Of The Effects Of Temperature And Composition, Lydia Alvarnaz, Davon Ferrara Phd

SPARK Symposium Presentations

In recent years, with an increasing interest in green chemistry, there has been an effort to find and understand synthesis methods using biologically-produced reducing and capping agents to produce stable gold nanoparticles (GNPs). Previous research using honey has shown this substance is a viable reducing agent in the formation of nanoparticles but have not looked at the stability of the colloidal gold nanoparticles. In this work, gold nanoparticles were reduced from an aqueous solution of gold chloroauric acid and a solution of varying concentrations of honey and water. The formation of NPs was analyzed using UV-Visible transmission spectroscopy to confirm …

A Deep Sparse Capsule Network For Non-Invasive Blood Glucose Level Estimation Using A Ppg Sensor, Narmatha Chellamani, Saleh Ali Albelwi, Manimurugan Shanmuganathan, Palanisamy Amirthalingam, Emad Muteb Alharbi, Hibah Qasem Salman Alatawi, Kousalya Prabahar, Jawhara Bader Aljabri, Anand Paul

School of Public Health Faculty Publications

Diabetes, a chronic medical condition, affects millions of people worldwide and requires consistent monitoring of blood glucose levels (BGLs). Traditional invasive methods for BGL monitoring can be challenging and painful for patients. This study introduces a non-invasive, deep learning (DL)-based approach to estimate BGL using photoplethysmography (PPG) signals. Specifically, a Deep Sparse Capsule Network (DSCNet) model is proposed to provide accurate and robust BGL monitoring. The proposed model’s workflow includes data collection, preprocessing, feature extraction, and predictions. A hardware module was designed using a PPG sensor and Raspberry Pi to collect patient data. In preprocessing, a Savitzky–Golay filter and moving …

Raising Awareness About Hydrographic Careers Through Sea-Going Opportunities, Juliet Kinney, Rochelle Wigley, Sara Cardigos, Fahima Bellabad, Larissa Marques Freguette

Center for Coastal and Ocean Mapping

There is a worldwide shortage of hydrographic personnel (van Wegen, 2021, Hydro International 2008).  Calls for action to address this issue include the IHO’s Hydrography at Sea opportunities, while intiatiative such as Seabed 2030 are bringing broader attention to the field and helping to catalyze new discussions and partnerships in hydrography (IHO, 2024).  The global sea floor mapping community needs to develop a broader workforce pipeline.  We would like to highlight the importance of providing time at sea and leadership opportunities in developing a robust workforce.  We start with an overview of a selection of current exchange and training programs …

Development Of S(Vi) And S(Iv) Chemistry: From Asymmetric Synthesis To Covalent Reactive Groups, Chuan Shan

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation mainly covers the development of synthetic methodologies related to several heteroatom functional groups, including phosphonates P(V), sulfoximines S(VI), sulfonimidamides S(VI), sulfonimidoyl fluorides S(VI), and sulfinamides S(IV). The interests in these functionalities are not only out of chemistry curiosity but also due to their pharmaceutical importance indicated by the existing drug molecules that contain these functional groups. The first chapter introduced the importance of phosphonates in biochemistry and organic synthesis, also provided some essential background of our synthetic efforts. The second chapter described the phosphonate synthesis from commercially available starting materials, with the purpose to obtain heterocyclic phosphonates in …

Forb Diversity Globally Is Harmed By Nutrient Enrichment But Can Be Rescued By Large Mammalian Herbivory, Rebecca A. Nelson, Lauren L. Sullivan, Erika I. Hersch-Green, Eric W. Seabloom, Elizabeth T. Borer, Pedro M. Tognetti, Peter B. Adler, Lori Biederman, Miguel N. Bugalho, Maria C. Caldeira, Juan P. Cancela, Luísa G. Carvalheiro, Jane A. Catford, Chris R. Dickman, Aleksandra J. Dolezal, Ian Donohue, Anne Ebeling, Nico Eisenhauer, Kenneth J. Elgersma, Anu Eskelinen, Catalina Estrada, Magda Garbowski, Pamela Graff, Daniel S. Gruner, Nicole Hagenah, Sylvia Haider, W. Stanley Harpole, Yann Hautier, Anke Jentsch, Nicolina Johanson, Sally E. Koerner, Lucíola S. Lannes, Andrew S. Macdougall, Holly Martinson, John W. Morgan, Harry Olde Venterink, Devyn Orr, Brooke B. Osborne, Pablo L. Peri, Sally A. Power, Xavier Raynaud, Anita C. Risch, Mani Shrestha, Nicholas G. Smith, Carly J. Stevens, G. F. Ciska Veen, Risto Virtanen, Glenda M. Wardle, Amelia A. Wolf, Alyssa L. Young, Susan P. Harrison

Wildland Resources Faculty Publications

Forbs (“wildflowers”) are important contributors to grassland biodiversity but are vulnerable to environmental changes. In a factorial experiment at 94 sites on 6 continents, we test the global generality of several broad predictions: (1) Forb cover and richness decline under nutrient enrichment, particularly nitrogen enrichment. (2) Forb cover and richness increase under herbivory by large mammals. (3) Forb richness and cover are less affected by nutrient enrichment and herbivory in more arid climates, because water limitation reduces the impacts of competition with grasses. (4) Forb families will respond differently to nutrient enrichment and mammalian herbivory due to differences in nutrient …

The Few-Nexus: Using Soil To Grow Meaning And Relevance In Undergraduate General Education Earth Science Courses, Katherine Mccarville

National Collaborative for Research on Food, Energy, and Water Education (NC-FEW)

Soils are central to human survival, through their critical roles in regulating water supplies and providing the medium for most agricultural productivity. Even as fewer and fewer students know where their water and food come from, and where their wastes go, soils tend to be under-emphasized in Earth science general education courses. Combining a place-based focus on soils with the FEW-Nexus model provides an integrating context for concepts and information that students sometimes perceive as disconnected and irrelevant to them. This approach can transform the experiences and learning of undergraduate students in the Earth science general education curriculum.

Refugium Amidst Ruins: Unearthing The Lost Flora That Escaped The End-Permian Mass Extinction, Huiping Peng, Wan Yang, Mingli Wan, Jun Liu, Feng Liu

Geosciences and Geological and Petroleum Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

Searching for land refugia becomes imperative for human survival during the hypothetical sixth mass extinction. Studying past comparable crises can offer insights, but there is no fossil evidence of diverse megafloral ecosystems surviving the largest Phanerozoic biodiversity crisis. Here, we investigated palynomorphs, plant, and tetrapod fossils from the Permian-Triassic South Taodonggou Section in Xinjiang, China. Our fossil records, calibrated by a high-resolution age model, reveal the presence of vibrant regional gymnospermous forests and fern fields, while marine organisms experienced mass extinction. This refugial vegetation was crucial for nourishing the substantial influx of surviving animals, thereby establishing a diverse terrestrial ecosystem …

“Smart Trap”: A Portable Device For Real-Time Mosquito Capturing And Classification Using Image-Based Analysis, Fahim Rahman

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Capturing mosquitoes in real-time and taking high-quality images for classification with state-of-the-art methods is not only time-consuming but also expensive. Sometimes even carefully controlled environments and experimental setups fail to capture living mosquitoes. Catching live mosquitoes is necessary to be able to study aspects of their physiology and behavior that cannot be investigated by collections of resting mosquitoes and dead specimens, and to help estimate the local population numbers. My thesis introduces a “Smart Trap”, a small portable device that can attract mosquitoes in real-time, capture them, take high-quality images with dual cameras, and store those images in the cloud. …

The Sustainability Stones: Culturally Embedded Conservation Strategies And Their Vulnerability In Maupiti, French Polynesia, Russell Fielding, Fiona Gimenez

Honors College Faculty Publications

This paper explores culturally embedded conservation strategies through the lens of the traditional agroforestry and fisheries cycles in Maupiti, French Polynesia. By pairing certain breadfruit cultivars with specific fish species, the island’s community created a culinary system that regulates the seasonal consumption of marine resources, making the sustainable use of those resources more likely. While modern pressures such as reduced breadfruit diversity, competition with imported foods, and climate change have weakened these traditional practices, they remain an example of local ecological knowledge guiding conservation. The study highlights the threat of losing sustainable resource-use practices and biodiversity as both biodiversity and …

Precision Phenotyping For Curating Research Cohorts Of Patients With Unexplained Post-Acute Sequelae Of Covid-19, Alaleh Azhir, Jonas Hügel, Jiazi Tian, Jingya Cheng, Ingrid V Bassett, Douglas S Bell, Elmer V Bernstam, Maha R Farhat, Darren W Henderson, Emily S Lau, Michele Morris, Yevgeniy R Semenov, Virginia A Triant, Shyam Visweswaran, Zachary H Strasser, Jeffrey G Klann, Shawn N Murphy, Hossein Estiri

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

BACKGROUND: Scalable identification of patients with post-acute sequelae of COVID-19 (PASC) is challenging due to a lack of reproducible precision phenotyping algorithms, which has led to suboptimal accuracy, demographic biases, and underestimation of the PASC.

METHODS: In a retrospective case-control study, we developed a precision phenotyping algorithm for identifying cohorts of patients with PASC. We used longitudinal electronic health records data from over 295,000 patients from 14 hospitals and 20 community health centers in Massachusetts. The algorithm employs an attention mechanism to simultaneously exclude sequelae that prior conditions can explain and include infection-associated chronic conditions. We performed independent chart reviews …

Feature Manifold Transformer For Detection Of Differential Item Functioning: Visual Detection Of Categorical Feature Nonconformity Through Attention-Based Analysis, Derrick A. Cox, Tanvi Banerjee, William L. Romine

Computer Science and Engineering Faculty Publications

Methods for interpreting complex feature interactions in educational assessment data remain a critical challenge, with traditional statistical approaches often creating barriers to accessibility and interpretability. We introduce the Feature Manifold Transformer (FMT), a novel machine learning approach that leverages dimensionality reduction, representation learning, and transformer architectures to visualize and interpret feature relationships in categorical data. Using the Concept Inventory of Natural Selection (CINS) and Concept Assessment of Natural Selection (CANS) datasets as testbeds, we demonstrate the FMT’s ability to capture subtle relationships between student demographics and response patterns. Our methodology enables both global and local pattern analysis, providing interpretable visualizations …

Predicting Freshwater Spring Distribution Using Maxent Modeling: A Case Study In Groundwater Management Area 9 (Gma-9), Texas, Zayed Mallick

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Freshwater springs are one of the most vital groundwater sources and they have been a reliable water source for mining, irrigation, drinking, and farming, particularly in hot and arid regions like Groundwater Management Area-9 (GMA-9), Texas. However, excessive groundwater extraction, climate change, and environmental degradation have created tremendous stress on the sustainability of freshwater springs and as a result, they might not be able to meet the future water demand. This study uses the Maximum Entropy (MaxEnt) model to predict the distribution of springs in GMA-9 and to identify the key topographic and climatic factors influencing their occurrence. This study …

Closing Ceremony Speech, S. Ray Smith

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

No abstract provided.

Soil Compaction And Novel Traffic Systems In Ryegrass Grown For Silage: Effects On Herbage Yield, Quality And Nitrogen Uptake, J T. Douglas, C E. Crawford

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

Grassland soils, on which the crop is managed for conser­vation as silage, receive large amounts of vehicle and machinery traffic : rolling and multiple slurry and fertilizers applications, plus multiple harvests, are all activities which are potentially damaging to soil and sward. A number of short-term studies in the UK (Frame, 1987 and Frost, 1988) and elsewhere (Luten and Roozeboom, 1976, and Rasmussen and M¢ller, 1981) have indicated that dry matter yield can be reduced as a consequence of stress imparted to soil by agricultural tyres. Nevertheless, there is a general lack of information on the influence of soil compaction …

Contribution Of Red Clover To Maize Grain Yields, K D. Johnson, D K. Greene, J H. Cherney

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

Renewed emphasis has been placed on crop rotation systems that include a perennial legume. Reasons for this interest include protection of soil from erosion, protection of ground water from nitrate contamination, reduction of soil compac­tion, and potential for fewer inputs which could reduce costs of grain production. Barnes et al. (1985) reported that a nondormant alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) selected for increased Nin the root and crown had similar summer herbage yield as adapted dormant cultivars, but provided 62 % more symbiotically fixed N for a following crop than dormant cultivars. If most benefit is to be derived from cultivars …

Analysis Of The Effect On N Nutrition On Dry Matter Yield Of A Sward By Reference To Potential Yield And Optimum N Content, G Lemaire, F Gastal, J Salette

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

Previous work has shown that the N content of a sward could be related to the dry matter accumulation during the course of the regrowth by the following equation : N % = a(Wtb, where W is the weight of aboveground biomass and N % the N concentration of dry matter (Salette & Lemaire, 1981). The coefficient a represents the N % for an aerial biomass of I t/ha, and b characterizes the degree of dilution of N during the regrowth. When b = 0, N % remains constant during the regrowth. If b = I, there is an increase …

Nitrogen Fixation In Mixed Pastures Under Two Grazing Intensities, R O. Refi, C A. Navarro, C J. Escuder

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

In the Humid Pampa, 10 millions of ha present intrazonal hydromorphic alkaline soils with low P assimilable content and cyclic floods and droughts. Gramineous native ranges utilized for extensive cattle raising with low productivity levels occupy 70 % of the area. The lack of adapted legume and grass genotypes and little information about grazing management makes it difficult to increase production through implanted pastures due to their low persistence (Darwich and Gonzalez, 1982). To modify this situation an interdisciplinary study of four forage mixtures integrated by promising germplasm for that conditions was carried out. This paper is part of that …

Strategies Of Fertilizer Nitrogen Applications To Grassland For Beef: Effects On Production And Soil Mineral Nitrogen, N M. Titchen, R J. Wilkins, L Philipps, D Scholefield

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

Experiments in Britain have shown beef production increases with fertilizer-N application to grazed grassland up to at least 300 kg N/ha (Wilkins et al., 1987; Baker and Mayne, 1988). However in view of the small offtake of N in the animal products (c.30 kg/ha) there is increased concern on the fate of the applied N, particularly in relation to loss of nitrate by leaching (Garwood and Ryden, 1986). This paper reports a 3-year experiment which examined the impact on production and on N movements of different strategies of fertilizer-N appli­cation and of the effects of removing grazing livestock at the …

Biomass Production And Nitrogen Transfer In Mixed Cropping With Glycine Max (L) Merr. And Sorghum Biocolor Moench, S Ogata, K Kuwata, H Saneoka, K Fujita

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

It is well known that the mixed-cropping of legumes and grasses benefits the productivity and management of pastures (Ogata et al., 1986; Kawamoto et al., 1983). However, the effect of mixed-croppings on forage biomass production, and how to transfer N fixed to the associated gramineous plants in fields of low N fertility, is less well known (Simpson, 1965). The N accumulation and the transference ofN fixed in mix­tures of forage type soybean and sorghum were studied as a model system.

Changes In Vegetation Of Various Meadows Under Differential Mineral Fertilization, S Benedycki, S Grzegorczyk, M Mlynarczyk, K Grabowski

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

Permanent meadows and pastures occurring in the Mazurian Lake District (North-eastern part of Poland) constitute 32 % of arable lands. Most meadows are situated on peat soils (Olkowski, 1972). Continuous and successive changes take place in such populations. The moment some species decline, the number of others increases which are better adjusted to site conditions or human activity such as fertilization and the way of land use. These changes occur with different intensity depen­ding on fertilizer doses, land use and site conditions which have not been well recognized with regard to permanent meadows (Olkowski and Olesinski, 1976, Eilart, 1986). Determination …