Digital Commons Network^™

The Impact Of Covid-19 On Service Access For Children And Adolescents With Intellectual And Developmental Disabilities Across Florida, Alyssa N. Hanley

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

In early 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic struck. Businesses worldwide closed to lessen the spread of the virus. Due to an increased need for specialized services compared to the general population, individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities (I/DD) may have been disproportionately affected by COVID-19 shutdowns. Without access to schools and centers where services are provided, therapeutic progress was halted. Services, such as special education, occupational therapy, and physical therapy, were paused, impacting access and maintenance for individuals with I/DD. In addition, services that continued did so using modified delivery methods such as telehealth. To investigate the impact of the COVID-19 …

Environmental Chemical Analysis Method Optimization And Application To Northwest Cuban Marine Sediment, Thea R. Bartlett

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

A method for gas chromatography tandem mass spectrometry (GC-MS/MS) in selected reaction monitoring (SRM) mode has been optimized to quantify 250 compounds of a variety of compound classes such as polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), oxidized PAHs, organochlorinated pesticides, polychlorinated biphenyls, biomarkers (hopanes, steranes, tri-aromatic steroids, and fecal sterols), aliphatic hydrocarbons, and plastic additives. This method was validated based on available QA/QC standards using several environmental samples, both sediment and biota, and standard reference materials. This contaminant-focused method can be used as a forensic geochemistry tool to evaluate oil contamination and other contaminant histories in future research studies. When applied to …

Examination Of Microplastics And Organic Contaminants In Tampa Bay’S Eastern Oyster (Crassostrea Virginica) Through Visual And Chemical Analysis, Andrea Murray

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Microplastic pollution is an increasingly alarming concern with widespread global distribution in aquatic environments. Filter feeding organisms such as bivalves, have a heightened risk of microplastic ingestion through free floating particulates in the water. This can lead to bioaccumulation moving up through trophic levels to apex predators and humans. Spatial and temporal differences in microplastic abundance were evaluated in the Eastern Oyster, Crassostrea virginica, at six sites within Tampa Bay. Oyster tissue was digested using 30% hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) and microplastics were quantified using Nile Red dye and fluorescent particle excitement. A total of 3025 microplastics were found throughout six …

“I’M Still Suffering”: Mental Health Care Among Central African Refugee Populations In The Tampa Bay Area, C. Danee Ruszczyk

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

An estimated 500 Central African refugee families have been resettled in the Tampa Bay Area since 2002 (RPC, 2022). The cycles of trauma that they have endured place them in vulnerable positions regarding their mental health. Struggling to exist within underfunded social programs that are rigid in their expectations and with the current system of reactive care vs preventative care, the refugees in Tampa are put in a difficult situation of navigating their own health and wellbeing in lieu of having the full support of the United States government and their community. I will discuss how these refugees experience and …

Assessment Of Iso Heart Rate Method To Estimate Metabolic Rate, Karl Williams

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Thermal equilibrium is primarily maintained by the body’s ability to dissipate internal heat generated during muscle contraction. A number of methods have been used to quantify this thermal burden such as charts and observation of workplace activities and behavior, however these have varying levels of validity. ISO 8996 defines a more accurate method of metabolic rate estimation that uses heart rate and maximal work capacity (MWC); however this requires the use of laboratory settings and equipment that are rarely available in the field. Equations such as the ACSM metabolic equation for the total energy expenditure of walking, hereafter referred to …

Efficacy Of Online Social Movements For Sparking Change: The Case Of The Missing Murdered And Indigenous Women Movement (#Mmiw), Kacy A. Bleeker

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The current study examined the context of the Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women Movement (#MMIW) in the context of activist engagement, media representations, and public awareness and beliefs related to the movement. The present study framed the movement within the context of social movement theory, intersectionality, and feminism, to determine the applicability of these frameworks in explaining an Indigenous social movement. While the use of social media to facilitate and mobilize social movements is not a new phenomenon, limited research has examined the functionality of online social movements, particularly in the context of movements concerned with intersectional identities. Research highlights, …

Evaluation Of Two Methods To Estimate Wet Bulb Globe Temperature From Heat Index, Stephi Pofanl

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The Wet bulb globe temperature (WBGT) is a common method to evaluate environmental factors that contribute to occupational heat stress. The Heat Index (HI) is readily available as an alternative to exposure methods. They both assess the most important contributors that are air temperature and humidity. WBGT also includes radiant heat and air motion. To account for radiant heat and/or air motion, some investigators have suggested adjustments to HI. The purpose of this study is to explore two methods to estimate the usefulness of WBGT from HI.

WBGT data were collected in a variety of locations that included direct sun …

Socio-Emotional Effects Of Rejection: An Experience-Sampling Examination, Gabriella Silva

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Rejection is a detrimental experience that directly threatens people’s fundamental need for social acceptance and connection. Rejection is particularly distressing for people with elevated social anxiety, as it is their core fear. Yet, very few studies have examined the impact of daily rejection in the context of social anxiety. The present research examined the socioemotional effects of daily feelings of rejection in the context of social anxiety across two experience-sampling studies. Study 1 was a 2-week daily diary study with community adults and Study 2 was a 4-week ecological momentary assessment (EMA) study with a clinical sample of adults with …

A Study Of Relationship Between Exertional Heat Illness And Heat Stress Levels, Rolando J. Fargas-Martinez

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Introduction: Heat stress is clearly associated exertional heat illnesses (EHI) in workers in a number of studies. With expected increase in extreme thermal changes, an increase understanding the effects of heat stress conditions is necessary. The purpose of this study was to compare heat stress levels in a manufacturing plant to determine whether a relationship exists between heat stress level relative to the occupational exposure limit and exertional heat illness incidents.Methods: OSHA recordable heat illness cases (n=35) were collected over a three year period. Over the same period, hourly ambient Heat Index data was collected. For this manufacturing plant, heat …

Effect Of Dual Inhibition Of Atypical Pkc Signaling And Pi3k/Akt Signaling On Cell Viability And Apoptosis In Clear Cell Renal Cell Carcinoma (Ccrcc)., Khandker M. Khalid

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Renal Cell Carcinoma (RCC) is the most common type of kidney cancer (85%); 75% of the cases involve conventional clear cell RCC (ccRCC). The choice of treatments recommended for clear cell carcinoma and non-clear cell carcinoma include partial nephrectomy (Stage I), radical nephrectomy (Stages II and III), and chemotherapy (stage IV). Phosphatidylinositol-3-kinase (PI3K) inhibitors can be a viable candidate in the chemotherapy of ccRCC because the PI3K/Akt pathway is frequently activated in RCC. Hence, PI3K inhibitors like Alpelisib (BYL719) can be chosen as a treatment. In addition, aPKCs (PKC-ί and PKC ζ) are overexpressed in most cancer cells, and they …

Improving The Subjective Well-Being Of Autistic Youth Utilizing A Positive Psychology Intervention, Nicolette Bauermeister

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This study utilized a single-case multiple-baseline design to analyze the effects of a ten-week multi-component positive psychology intervention, the Well-Being Promotion Program, on the subjective well-being of Autistic youth. This thesis addressed a gap in the literature regarding the effectiveness of positive psychology interventions when administered to Autistic middle schoolers. Three Autistic middle schoolers participated in this single-case design study. Dynamic decision-making was used to stagger intervention implementation across the three participants. Life satisfaction and positive/negative affect data were collected via a Qualtrics survey that was administered twice per week. Through visual analysis and Baseline Corrected Tau calculations, it was …

Metachronal Locomotion: Swimming, Scaling, And Schooling, Kuvvat Garayev

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation deals with one type of underwater locomotion called metachronal swimming in which the organism sequentially beats its multiple appendages allowing phase lag between adjacent neighbors. Metachronally swimming species are widespread and include copepods, shrimp, ctenophores, and tomopterid worms to name few. First, using the high-speed recording and planar particle image velocimetry (PIV) measurement, I report on kinematics of fast metachronal swimmer and constructive vortex interactions among its appendages and discuss its implications for improved performance regarding the swimming. Second, I show how hydrodynamic performance of all metachronal swimmers (paramecia, copepods, tomopterid worms, krill etc.) can be scaled by …

Threats To School Safety: Examining Levels Of Community Violence And Its Relation To School-Related Threats, Dorie Ross

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Despite significant media attention provided to school-based acts of violence, these tragic incidents are relatively rare across school environments, leading to increasing challenges in identifying students who may pose a threat. Previous approaches to school discipline, including policies such as zero tolerance, resulted in significant racial disparities among students who received disciplinary consequences inconsistent with the severity of their behaviors or threats. Alternatively, a relatively recent approach that emerged following a series of school shootings in the 1990s was school threat assessment, which focuses on prevention rather than prediction. While it is important to determine students who may pose a …

Development Of A Ddpcr Multiplex To Measure The Immune Response To Borrelia Burgdorferi., Kailey Marie Mccain

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Zoonotic diseases account for a significant proportion of emerging infectious diseases (EIDs), with their dynamics being heavily influenced by the environment. While the effects of the environment on population-level disease dynamics have been extensively studied, there is limited research investigating the impact of the environment on individual-level disease susceptibility and transmission. This study aims to fill this gap by creating a tool to examine the variation in immune response to Borrelia burgdorferi, the causative agent of Lyme Disease, in two competent host species, Peromyscus leucopus and Peromyscus maniculatus. Two triplex droplet digital polymerase chain reaction (ddPCR) assays were developed to …

Academic Procrastination Among Chinese International Undergraduate Students In The United States, Yunlu Xiang

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This research aimed to explore academic procrastination among Chinese internationalstudents, using NVivo 12 to analyze data gathered through interviews with six participants. The study identified both internal and external factors contributing to academic procrastination, with social networking and software being the most significant external factors and disinterest and avoidance being the most significant internal factors. The participants did not identify the COVID-19 pandemic as a significant factor in academic procrastination. The study analyzed gender differences in academic procrastination among Chinese students. The pandemic had different effects on men and women, with men downplaying the concept of time and women experiencing …

Preliminary Characterization And Functional Validation Of Pre-Erythrocytic Vaccine Candidates For The Malaria Parasite Plasmodium Vivax, Justin Lee Nicholas Iii

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

RTS,S/AS01, vaccine targeting malaria caused by Plasmodium falciparum, used in moderate to high malaria transmission, provides hope for pre-erythrocytic (PE) subunit malaria vaccine development. Despite this vaccine advance, efforts to develop an efficacious vaccine against the neglected parasite Plasmodium vivax have lagged. In addition, there exists a gap in our understanding of PE antigens that can induce broadly-neutralizing antibodies. In this dissertation, we provide the preliminary characterization of vaccine candidates targeting the PE of P. vivax. Through transcriptomic profiling data and a target product profile, we identified critical P. vivax antigens (SSP3, SPECT-1, and M2-MAEBL) that can potentially be targets …

The Economic Analysis Of Conflicts And Peace In Autocratic And Democratic Regimes In Africa, Oluwole Owoye

Journal of African Conflicts and Peace Studies

This paper uses conceptual economics to explain how conflicts and peacebuilding are linked to economic growth/development in Africa. Both conflicts and peace have contagion effects in many countries worldwide, and in some cases, conflicts have morphed into regional and international problems. Conceptually, the monotonicity of conflicts and peace functions are invariant with respect to autocratic and democratic forms of governance in Africa. One of the main assertions of this study is that whether or not we have stable autocratic and/or democratic forms of governance, protracted conflicts have negative impact on sustainable economic growth in Africa. In addition, we found that …

A Review Of Farmers/Herders Clashes In Nigerian Environment: Consequences And The Way Forward, Timothy O. Ogunbode, Iyanu-Oluwa A. Ayodele, Victor O. Oyebamiji, Oluwatobi O. Faboro

Journal of African Conflicts and Peace Studies

A peaceful environment is a necessity for meaningful growth and development in human society. This review was thus, carried out to examine both immediate and remote causes of Fulani herdsmen/local farmers’ crises in Nigeria, its consequences and the probable way forward. The review which involved searching for both online and offline information on the theoretical basis for the crises and, also the interview of the stakeholders for hands-on information. The crises which was noted to have dated back to 1960s has resulted into loss of lives and property. Apart from this, many homes have been displaced and means of livelihood …

Voices Of Youth Born Of Genocidal Rape In Rwanda: Their Social Exclusion After 26 Years Of Genocide, Elly Musafiri, George Gona, Kenneth Ombongi, Aggee Mugabe Shyaka

Journal of African Conflicts and Peace Studies

This article explains social exclusion issues of youth born of rape during the 1994 Genocide after 26 years of genocide. Their social exclusion is exclusively related to the circumstances under which they were conceived and born and living with a neglected identity that is associated with Hutu killers. Thus, the research problem centered on their identity issue which leads to their social exclusion. The research approach was qualitative in nature where data was collected through individual interviews with 81 respondents and a review of existing literature. The study used social exclusion theory to contextualize the life experiences of the youth …

Assessment Of The Role Of Humanitarian Association In Addressing Social Security Issues In Ethiopia: The Case Of Mekidonina Humanitarian Association, Belay Gemeda Legesse Mr.

Journal of African Conflicts and Peace Studies

Abstract: One of the possible interventions to tackle the suffering of the elderly, mentally and physically disabled persons is an institutional caring system through local humanitarian associations. This study tries to assess the role of Mekidonian Humanitarian Association /MHA/ in addressing the social security problem of People in needs. The researcher followed exploratory research approach and employ qualitative method. Shelter, food, clothes and health problem are the major consequences of the social security problem. Policy formulation pertinent to basic social security towards elderly and physically disabled people, encouraging and supporting local humanitarian associations, awareness creation and closely working with regional …

Identity Boundaries Construction And Its Effects On Vulnerability In The Case Of A Historically Marginalized People (Hmp) In Rwanda: An Examination Of Their Access To Human Rights., Jean Baptiste Ndikubwimana, Kathleen A. Anangwe, Oriare Oriare Nyarwath, Mwimali Jack, Charles Mulinda Kabwete

Journal of African Conflicts and Peace Studies

This paper contextualises the vulnerability of a Historically Marginalized people (HMP) referred to as the Batwa to explain how their moral inferiority resulting from the constructed microaggressions and attitudinal prejudices, jeopardize their full enjoyment and appreciation of human rights. The dilemmas experienced by the Batwa in Rwanda have until recently received little theoretical and empirical attention thereby disregarding ontological and epistemological distinction. This paper contributes to this lacuna by reviewing colonial discourse of histories and hegemonies and investigating ethnic socio-cultural practices and other mythical tales. The foregoing indicates a genuine need for the application of human rights approach to recognize …

An Analysis Of State Sex Education Policies To Explore The Inclusiveness Of School Based Sex Education, Amarah Scott

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to analyze state policies related to sex education proposed between 2018 and 2022 to determine the extent to which sex education needs of LGBTQ youth were being addressed. Previous research has shown that, on average, both abstinence-only and comprehensive sex education curricula do not include information that is relevant to LGBTQ youth. Much of the information included in sex education curricula such as pregnancy prevention and the benefits and disadvantages of condoms are most relevant to youth who identify as heterosexual. Not receiving relevant and accurate sex education puts LGBTQ youth at risk for …

Review Of Carrying All Before Her, By Chelsea Phillips, Jennifer Buckley

ABO: Interactive Journal for Women in the Arts, 1640–1830

A review of Chelsea Phillips’s Carrying All Before Her: Celebrity Pregnancy and the London Stage, 1689-1800, by Jennifer Buckley

Mary Prince’S Undisciplining Lessons: Counter-Narrative And Testimonio In The History, Kerry Sinanan

ABO: Interactive Journal for Women in the Arts, 1640–1830

This essay discusses teaching The History of Mary Prince at a Hispanic Serving Institution via Ethnic Studies praxis. It develops Nicole Aljoe’s definition of Prince’s narrative as counter-story and testimonio and explores the undisciplining effects of reading Prince’s history as relevant to the lives of Borderlands students. To understand the multiple meanings of “undisciplining’ this essay draws on the theory of Sylvia Wynter and shows how Prince’s testimonio offers an alternative to Western epistemologies via communal resistance and resurgence. Several pedagogic tools are explored for teaching Prince in this way.

Black Lives, White Witnesses: An Argument For A Presentist Approach To Teaching Aphra Behn's Oroonoko, Sharon Smith

ABO: Interactive Journal for Women in the Arts, 1640–1830

This essay outlines a presentist approach to teaching Aphra Behn’s Oroonoko (1688), in which a white woman witnesses a Black man’s brutal execution at the hands of enslavers. This approach explores the capacity of Behn’s novel—a colonialist narrative scholars frequently identify as troubling or frustrating—to generate discussions about “white witnessing,” particularly white people’s consumption of images of Black people in peril. This includes recent videos of Black people killed by police or white citizen vigilantes. Many Black individuals identify these videos as traumatizing, frequently noting how they have failed to spur structural reform. Of central concern in the classroom discussion …

Insect Classification And Explainability From Image Data Via Deep Learning Techniques, Tanvir Hossain Bhuiyan

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Since the dawn of the Industrial Revolution, humanity has always tried to make labor more efficient and automated, and this trend is only continuing in the modern digital age. With the advent of artificial intelligence (AI) techniques in the latter part of the 20th century, the speed and scale with which AI has been leveraged to automate tasks defy human imagination. Many people deeply entrenched in the technology field are genuinely intrigued and concerned about how AI may change many of the ways in which humans have been living for millennia. Only time will provide the answers. This dissertation is …

Variability Of Air Sampling Results Using Air-O-Cell Cassettes, Christina M. Haworth

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

No current federal or state standards for mold exposure exist, partly due to the lack of accurate methods for assessing fungal exposure. Exposure to airborne fungal spores can result in several symptoms such as allergic rhinitis, coughing, and fatigue. Non-industrial occupational settings are common and fungal exposures may occur in these environments. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the meaningfulness of fungal spore trap results from samples collected in both a corporate office and a university classroom. Air-O-Cell cassettes with a Zefon Bio-Pump were used to collect one outdoor and three indoor samples at each location on three …

Supramolecular Architectures Generated By Self-Assembly Of Guanosine And Isoguanosine Derivatives, Mengjia Liu

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation is primarily divided into three parts: 1) Anion, solvent-mediated, tunable self-assemblies of isoguanosine (isoG). 2) Post-assembly modification of the non-covalent isoG-pentaplex for Cesium extraction. 3) Supramolecular asymmetric amine catalysis.

The structural conformational design of the isoG decamer was employed for systematic investigations involving various substituted groups at the C8 position of purine and ribose. A series of isoG analogs with C8-phenyl substitutions were synthesized and utilized for Cesium coordination. The proximity between purine and ribose structures limited pentaplex formation for C8-phenyl substituted isoG derivatives. Based on this observation, a deoxy isoG derivative with a modified ribose was employed …

Reading Suffering Between The Lines: Trauma And Witnessing In Old And Middle English Literature, Anca Olguta Giorgiana Garcia

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Both literary trauma theorists and medieval literature scholars generally avoid analyzing Old and Middle English literature through the lens of trauma studies. There are multiple reasons for this reluctance, and perhaps the most elementary one is the misconception that medieval society was numb to pain because they experienced it more often than people today do. Another reason is the fact that trauma in general is seen as a product of the Industrial Revolution and of the interactions between humans and machines. Its terminology and diagnostic methods have only developed in the last two centuries, so applying modern concepts on medieval …

Initial Understanding Of Public Stigma Against Childhood Cancer Survivors, Nele Loecher

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

As childhood cancer survival rates climb to new records, it is increasingly important to focus on improving the psychological wellbeing of survivors living years beyond their diagnosis. One potential contributor to psychological distress for childhood cancer survivors (CCSs) is stigma. The fear of stigma can lead to CCSs concealing their identity as a CCS, which in turn can strain workplace and intimate relationships, creating a strain on CCSs’ social and work life. Additionally, the internalization of negative stereotypes or rejection of falsely positive stereotypes around cancer can exacerbate psychological distress. To establish what stereotypes and stigma CCS might be contending …