Digital Commons Network^™

Sisalv2: A Comprehensive Speleothem Isotope Database With Multiple Age–Depth Models, Laia Comas-Bru, Kira Rehfeld, Carla Roesch, Sahar Amirnezhad-Mozhdehi, Sandy P. Harrison, Kamolphat Atsawawaranunt, Syed Masood Ahmad, Yassine Ait Brahim, Andy Baker, Matthew Bosomworth, Sebastian F. M. Breitenbach, Yuval Burstyn, Andrea Columbu, Michael Deininger, Attila Demény, Bronwyn Dixon, Jens Fohlmeister, István Gábor Hatvani, Jun Hu, Nikita Kaushal, Zoltán Kern, Inga Labuhn, Franziska A. Lechleitner, Andrew Lorrey, Belen Martrat, Valdir Felipe Novello, Jessica Oster, Carlos Pérez-Mejías, Denis Scholz, Nick Scroxton, Nitesh Sinha

KIP Articles

Abstract. Characterizing the temporal uncertainty in palaeoclimate records is crucial for analysing past climate change, correlating climate events between records, assessing climate periodicities, identifying potential triggers and evaluating climate model simulations. The first global compilation of speleothem isotope records by the SISAL (Speleothem Isotope Synthesis and Analysis) working group showed that age model uncertainties are not systematically reported in the published literature, and these are only available for a limited number of records (ca. 15 %, n=107/691). To improve the usefulness of the SISAL database, we have (i) improved the database's spatio-temporal coverage and (ii) created new chronologies using seven …

A Sustainability Machine: The Incineration-Based Waste Regime In Tampa, Fl, Usa, Kevin P. Martyn

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Recent history has seen some significant changes in terms of how society thinks about and deals with its wastes. Increasingly troubling indications of the immediacy of ecological concerns, now often described by the Anthropocene concept, have been provocative of a reinvigorated fervor for a sustainability transition. As a result, sustainability has become well-established as both an urgent pursuit and an eminently pliable buzzword. This research describes and explains one key aspect of society’s pursuit of some version of sustainability: our relationship with waste.

The site of this research is Tampa, Florida, a sunbelt city with a unique waste management system. …

Using Geospatial Data To Predict The Locations Of Groundwater Discharge To Salmon-Bearing Streams, Alaska, Mary Gerlach

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Identification and protection of groundwater resources are considerations of increasing interest as climate shifts but can be challenging to accomplish in remote areas. To that end, a series of GIS techniques and weight of evidence approach were applied to determine the feasibility of remotely identifying likely areas of ground discharge. Through the confluence of topographic analyses and a novel geologic dataset, these techniques were found to consistently identify areas characterized by either shallow subsurface or aquifer-fed groundwater discharge or evidence of ephemeral surficial water features. Two distinct GIS techniques to build spatial proxies of the effects of topography and geology …

Optimal Strategies For Grassland Restoration To Increase Spatial Carrying Capacity Of Florida Sandhill Cranes In Pasco County, Florida, Ibrahim Kaya

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The Florida sandhill crane (Antigone canadensis pratensis) is a non-migratory bird species occurring throughout the Florida peninsula and the Okefenokee Swamp in southeastern Georgia. Human land-altering activities have led to a substantial decline in the amount and condition of suitable habitat, including grasslands, for the species in Florida, thereby decreasing the population size significantly. Grasslands located in close proximity to nesting locations are one of the habitat types on which the population viability of the species depends, as they provide foraging and brooding habitat which is crucial for successful reproduction. The purpose of this study is to propose the most …

Current And Projected Sustainability Of The Water-Energy-Food Nexus In Caribbean Small Island Developing States, Zachary S. Winters

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Within Latin American and the Caribbean (LAC), small island developing states (SIDS) of the latter are wholly reliant on their natural environments for their tourism-dependent economies yet are experiencing declining environmental health. These effects are exacerbated by Caribbean susceptibility to climate change and growing populations. With limited size, elevation, GDP, and water resources compared to Latin America, the subregion requires management and solutions tailored to the needs of each country. This study examined current and future sustainability of the Caribbean SIDS by assessing the nexus of water-energy-food (WEF) resources at the national level. In addition, the potential for nature-based solutions …

Middle Woodland Mounds Of The Lower Chattahoochee, Lower Flint, And Apalachicola River Basin, Michael H. Lockman

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

A thorough literature review was completed in order to construct a database of all the known Middle Woodland-period (A.D. 300-700) mounds in the Apalachicola – lower Flint and lower Chattahoochee River drainages of northwest Florida, southwest Georgia, and southeast Alabama. The database presented in this document provides both quantitative and tabular data which may be used to evaluate, describe, and compare sites within this research region as they relate to one another as well as other sites in the Southeast. Through the lens of cultural materialism, descriptive statistics were used to summarize the accumulated data and ultimately refine our understanding …

On The Importance Of Context: Examining The Applicability Of Infertility Insurance Mandates In The United States Using A Mixed-Methods Study Design, Nathanael B. Stanley

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Accessibility of infertility services is disproportionately experienced in the United States. Although there exist state-based health insurance mandates for infertility services, these mandates contain language that disqualify people from using them. In order to better understand why these mandates are not able to reduce the financial burden and bridge the income disparity for using infertility services, the purpose of this study is to add context to the applicability of these insurance mandates through qualitative and quantitative inquiry. Using the Glass and McAtee model of risk regulators as an operational paradigm, this research explores the role of environmental context, or “place”, …

Swimming Of Pelagic Snails: Kinematics And Fluid Dynamics, Ferhat Karakas

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Pteropods (also known as sea butterflies or sea angels), are holoplanktonic marine snails which swim by flapping a pair of extremely flexible wings. The wings are modified from the molluscan foot and the wing motions are supported by the fluid pressure without any rigid support. Sea angels (gymnosome pteropods) are completely naked; in contrast, sea butterflies (thecosome pteropods) have negatively buoyant aragonite shells which vary in geometry and size among different species. Pteropods are seasonally abundant in the ocean, and an important food source for the other zooplanktons, fishes, and whales. Though studies have been conducted regarding their biology, ecology, …

Crow's Nest, October 12, 2020, Crow's Nest Staff

Crow's Nest

The October 12, 2020, issue of the Crow's Nest.

Cutr Connections [October 2020], Cutr

CUTR Newsletters

No abstract provided.

Variation In Risk Of Covid-19 Infection And Predictors Of Social Determinants Of Health In Miami-Dade County, Florida, Imelda K. Moise

All publications

Miami-Dade County zip code-level (N = 91 zip codes) coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) cases (N = 89,556 as of July 21, 2020) reported from the Florida Department of Health were used to estimate rates of COVID-19 per 1,000 population at the census block group level (N = 1,594 study block groups). To identify associations between rates of COVID-19 infections and multidimensional indexes of social determinants of health (SDOH) across Miami-Dade County, Florida, I applied a global model (ordinary least squares) and a local regression model (geographically weighted regression). Findings indicated that a social disadvantage index positively affected COVID-19 infection rates, …

A Preliminary Exploration Of The Cooling Effect Of Tree Shade In Urban Landscapes, Qiuyan Yu, Wenjie Ji, Ruiliang Pu, Shawn Landry, Michael Acheampong, Jarlath O'Neil-Dunne, Zhibin Ren, Shakhawat H. Tanim

School of Geosciences Faculty and Staff Publications

Mitigating urban heat island (UHI) effects, especially under climate change, is necessary for the promotion of urban sustainability. Shade is one of the most important functions provided by urban trees for mitigating UHI. However, the cooling effect of tree shade has not been adequately investigated. In this study, we used a simple and straightforward method to quantify the spatial and temporal variation of tree shade and examined its effect on land surface temperature (LST). We used the hillshade function in a geographic information system to quantify the spatiotemporal patterns of tree shade by integrating sun location and tree height. Relationships …

Plenary: Critical Leadership In Critical Times, Martin Tadlock, Perry Rettig

Critical & Creative Thinking Conference

Critical Thinking and Critical Theory are deeply interwoven concepts drawn from the same precepts and considerations for action. This presentation will begin by describing the foundation of Critical Theory, and them move into examples of how Critical Theory may be applied within a traditional university structure and classroom setting. Time for discussion related to how Critical Thinking relates both to the classroom and to organizational structures, processes, and leadership models will be woven throughout the presentation.

Crow's Nest, September 7, 2020, Crow's Nest Staff

Crow's Nest

The September 7, 2020, issue of the Crow's Nest.

Applying The Values Of Geoethics For Sustainable Speleotourism Development, Aleksandar Antić, Silvia Peppoloni, Giuseppe Di Capua

KIP Articles

Establishing sustainable and responsible speleotourism development is a major challenge and involves complex activities. Adequate theoretical starting point is the application of geoethical values related to the conservation and protection of the caves to be used for touristic purposes. Positive and negative cases of human behaviors towards speleological geoheritage are discussed, in order to highlight what should be done in cave management to avoid malpractices and on what elements could be founded adequate strategies aimed at promoting sustainable speleotourism. This is important to tourism management organizations involved in the promotion of caves and in creating economic opportunities for local populations, …

Cutr Connections [September 2020], Cutr

CUTR Newsletters

No abstract provided.

Consuming History In A Political Context: Motivations Of Turkish Visitors Of The Gallipoli Battlefields, Ulvi Cenap Topcu

Journal of Global Business Insights

Certain unconventional tourism activities such as visiting battlefields, old prisons, or crash sites encompass dark tourism and have become the focus of scholarly pursuit. The term was established in relation to the Gallipoli Battlefields; which has been examined mostly in the context of its importance to Australian and New Zealander national identities. As represented by numerous memorials and well-established historical narration, the Battle in Gallipoli is credited as one of the most important representations of Turkish nationality. This research aims to investigate the motivations of Turkish visitors to Gallipoli in terms of consumption experiences and to clarify empirically motivations of …

Usft Services Assessment Rpt Geoscience Impact Environmental Scan 2017.2020, Usf Libraries

All Assessment Data

No abstract provided.

Usft Services Assessment Promoting Faculty Open Access 2020, Usf Libraries

All Assessment Data

No abstract provided.

Soil Characteristics Associated With Horse Cases Of Eastern Equine Encephalitis Virus In Florida, Fulya Guzelkucuk

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Eastern Equine Encephalitis virus (EEEV) is a mosquito-borne virus found in Florida that affects humans and horses. Also, EEEV is an agricultural land management issue in Florida, as it causes mortality in large numbers of horses each year and sometimes humans. This study investigates the characteristics of soils associated with horse cases of EEEV in the State of Florida, focusing on differences in soil characteristics between summer and winter cases. This study analyzed a total of 676 EEEV cases during 2005-2018, including 611 summer cases and 65 winter cases. Soil characteristics that were examined include: soil texture, drainage class, hydrology …

Cutr Connections [August 2020], Cutr

CUTR Newsletters

No abstract provided.

Black Lives Matter In Engineering, Too! An Environmental Justice Approach Towards Equitable Decision-Making For Stormwater Management In African American Communities, Maya Elizabeth Carrasquillo

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The United States and the world have recently been challenged with the disparate effects of COVID-19 and the continual killings of unarmed Black men and women across the nation. A history of anti-black racism has led to systemic structures of inequity that thread throughout institutions and communities across the nation. This environmental engineering research comes at a time when understanding how to effectively engage in, and with Black communities is at the forefront of discourse in academia, utilities and private sector.

In 2018 the Brookings Institute published a report on workforce in the water sector demonstrating the lack of diversity …

Strategic Plan, Nelson Poynter Memorial Library Final Report, 2017-2020, Catherine Cardwell, Kaya Van Beynen

Library Strategic Planning and Background Materials

The final report of the strategic plan for 2017-2020 for the University of South Florida St. Petersburg's Nelson Poynter Memorial Library.

Glamour In Contemporary American Cinema, Shauna A. Maragh

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

American cinematic glamour shapes hegemonic notions of femininity, beauty, performativity, sensuality, and sexuality for both female actresses and viewers. In addition, glamour has an economic component in encouraging women to buy products, such as clothing and makeup, to help them emulate their idols from cinema. Glamour is more than beauty and notoriety: it is achieved through careful stylization of tangible aspects—hair, clothes, makeup—and intangible, cinematic elements—performance, dialog, lighting, and camera techniques. In Classical Hollywood, traditionally white standards of beauty were often exalted as glamorous, and many leading roles were played by racialized white actresses; however, actresses of color were frequently …

The Perceived Usefulness Of A Weather Radar Display By Tampa Bay Residents, Michelle E. Saunders

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

A weather radar display is a tool that provides spatially oriented, timely information about an impending weather event. While radar is frequently used by meteorologists, emergency managers, and pilots, this tool is now readily available for individuals to use on a variety of platforms including television, computer/laptop, smartphones and tablets. Most importantly, there are hundreds of mobile weather applications available as well as online sources that provide a weather radar display. However, little is known about how individuals use a weather radar display. Therefore, the purpose of this dissertation is to understand why radar is sought out as a tool …

Cutr Connections [July 2020], Cutr

CUTR Newsletters

No abstract provided.

Evaluating Public Posting, Goal Setting, And Rewards To Increase Physical Activity In Children, Bryon G. Miller

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

In Experiments 1 and 2 we evaluated a pedometer-based intervention consisting of public posting between two teams of students, with additional self-monitoring, goal setting, and reinforcement components, to increase physical activity during school recess. In the absence of self-monitoring, performance feedback alone did not increase physical activity levels above those observed during baseline. Additionally, higher levels of physical activity were observed when goal-setting was introduced, with the highest levels of activity observed when raffle tickets could be earned for exceeding a specified step-total goal. In Experiment 3 we removed the team component and evaluated similar intervention components across an entire …

Pystprism: Tools For Voxel-Based Space–Time Prisms, Rebecca Loraamm, Joni A. Downs, James Anderson, David S. Lamb

School of Geosciences Faculty and Staff Publications

The observed movements of humans and animals are realizations of complex spatiotemporal processes. Recent advances in location-aware technologies have rendered trajectory data ubiquitous. Examining the sequenced, instantaneous locations found in movement trajectory data for information reconstructing the location or state of the mover between observed points comprises a primary focus in Time Geography and related disciplines. The PySTPrism toolbox introduced in this paper provides a straightforward and open-source implementation of the Probabilistic Space Time Prism, in addition to related tools from Time Geography. PySTPrism is implemented in Python using the ArcPy module in ArcGIS Pro Desktop.

Para-States As An Instrument For Strengthening Russia's Position - The Case Of Transnistria, Agnieszka Aleksandra Miarka

Journal of Strategic Security

The aim of the article is to analyze and characterize the use of cooperation with the unrecognized Pridnestrovian Moldavian Republic by the Russian Federation to strengthen its position in the competition for power with the states of the euoratlantic space. During the initiated research, research methods and techniques characteristic of qualitative research were used, e.g. analysis of documents and statements of leading political decision-makers from Russia and Transnistria. The results of the research unequivocally show that strengthening the statehood of the parastatal state is one of the instruments of the Russian Federation, thanks to which it pursues its strategic goal …

Imperial Nostalgia And Bitter Reality: The United Kingdom, The United States And Brexit, Implications For Regional Integration, Abelardo Rodriguez Dr.

Journal of Strategic Security

Brexit and America First are undeniable examples of a return to state-based politics. This article examines the dichotomy of identity and the state, which has given rise to imperial nostalgia. Nevertheless, the decisions of the elites and the dominant majorities may lead to the fragmentation of the United Kingdom. London has shown itself to be weak in the face of China, Russia, and India and it is not clear if, over the long term, it will be influential in the global political struggles in which the latter countries are challenging the power of the United States. There are even doubts …