Digital Commons Network^™

Avoiding Over-Diagnosis: Exploring The Role Of Gender In Changes Over Time In Statistics Anxiety And Attitudes, Kelly Rhea Macarthur

Numeracy

The importance of quantitative literacy for creating and maintaining a democratic and just society is unequivocal, but undergraduate students often do not acquire these important skills. One barrier to teaching quantitative literacy skills is students’ anxiety. The empirical evidence of the extent of the problem, however, does not seem to match anecdotal accounts of instructors who may be “diagnosing” statistics anxiety as universal among students and across different sources of anxiety. The purpose of this study is to identify the specific aspects of statistics anxiety that present barriers to student success by employing the Statistics Anxiety Rating Scale (STARS) to …

Effects Of Quantitative Literacy On Healthcare Decision-Making: An Aural Context, Robert G. Root, Sonia Bhala

Numeracy

We propose a relationship between sensory modality, numerical formatting, and performance on a survey simulating healthcare decision-making. We examine the current literature on aural health literacy, and specifically aural literacy coupled with health numeracy. We then create a survey instrument called the Bhala test for this purpose and demonstrate that it is moderately internally consistent and provides results that correlate with the NUMi assessment, a widely accepted measure of health numeracy. The quantitative information provided in the Bhala test has two treatments, percentage and natural frequency formats, in an effort to determine which format is easier for subjects to use …

The Past, Present And Future Of Q-Step – A Programme Creating A Step-Change In Quantitative Social Science Skills, Steve Grundy

Numeracy

This article provides an outline of the conception and implementation to date of Q-Step, a national programme to make high-level quantitative skills an essential element of teaching and learning in social sciences across the UK. Q-Step has supported the development and delivery of specialist undergraduate programmes (including new courses, work placements, and pathways to postgraduate study) in order to increase the number of quantitatively trained social scientists in the UK. There are 17 UK universities currently participating in the programme which has been funded by the Nuffield Foundation, the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC), and the former Higher Education …

The Weekly Challenger, January 16, 2020, The Weekly Challenger, Et Al

Weekly Challenger Newspaper Collection

The January 16, 2020, issue of The Weekly Challenger.

Perfectionism, Negative Life Events, And Cognitive Appraisal: A Contextual Model Of Perfectionism’S Maladaptive Nature, Ansley M. Bender

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Perfectionism is highly (Grzegorek, Slaney, Franze, & Rice, 2004; Rice, Ashby, & Gilman, 2011) and increasingly (Curran & Hill, 2017) prevalent. Alarmingly, perfectionism is associated with various concerning correlates and outcomes, including suicide ideation and attempts (e.g. Smith, Sherry, et al., 2018). Whereas it is clear that perfectionism presents as a vulnerability for suicide, very little is known about when its maladaptive features may be particularly activated or by what pathway such a relationship exists. A preliminary, but underdeveloped, area of research suggests a role for negative life events in potentiating the effects of perfectionism, operating under the assumption that …

Modeling And Control Of Renewable Energy In Grids And Microgrids, Yin Li

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

To save the non-renewable resources and reduce pollution emissions, the integration of renewable energy sources (RES) into the main grid is increasing very fast. However, power systems experience more stability issues that are caused by the higher penetration of RES. The main objectives of this dissertation are to 1-investigate these stability issues using linear analysis, EMT simulation results, and experiment results; 2-provide the suitable solutions with the evaluations. The research results will be presented into two parts based on two modeling approaches. In the first part, RES units are normally modeled as an aggregated power source for the investigation

because …

Crow's Nest, January 13, 2020, Crow's Nest Staff

Crow's Nest

The January 13, 2020, issue of the Crow's Nest.

The Weekly Challenger, January 9, 2020, The Weekly Challenger, Et Al

Weekly Challenger Newspaper Collection

The January 9, 2020, issue of The Weekly Challenger.

Gradient Boosting For Survival Analysis With Applications In Oncology, Nam Phuong Nguyen

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Cancer is one of the most deadly diseases that the world has been fighting against over decades. An enormous number of research has been conducted, via a wide scale of approaches, raging from genetic analysis to mathematical modeling. Survival analysis is a well-performed methodology frequently used to estimate the survival probability of a patient. Although there has been a large number of methods for survival analysis, efficient exploration of a high-dimensional feature space has been challenging due to its computational cost and complexity. This thesis adapts the component-wise gradient boosting algorithms for cancer survival analysis, and also proposes a new …

The Weekly Challenger, January 2, 2020, The Weekly Challenger, Et Al

Weekly Challenger Newspaper Collection

The January 2, 2020, issue of The Weekly Challenger.

2019-2020 Cutr Annual Report, Cutr

CUTR Annual Reports

No abstract provided.

2020-21 Women's Basketball Media Guide, University Of South Florida. Athletic Communications Office, Michael Hogan, Tom Zebold

Women's Basketball Media Guides

The 2020-2021 women's basketball season media guide for the University of South Florida's (USF) Lady Bulls. Included are sections on the 2020-2021 season outlook, coaches and staff, player biographies, a review of the previous season, program records and history, and USF Athletics media information. The Lady Bulls finished the season with a 19-4 record.

Prokaryotic And Viral Community Composition Of Freshwater Springs In Florida, Usa, Kema Malki, Natalie A. Sawaya, Anna J. Székely, Michael J. Tisza, Mya Breitbart

Marine Science Faculty Publications

Aquifers, which are essential underground freshwater reservoirs worldwide, are understudied ecosystems that harbor diverse forms of microbial life. This study investigated the abundance and composition of prokaryotic and viral communities in the outflow of five springs across northern Florida, USA, as a proxy of microbial communities found in one of the most productive aquifers in the world, the Floridan aquifer. The average abundances of virus-like particles and prokaryotic cells were slightly lower than those reported from other groundwater systems, ranging from 9.6 × 10³ ml⁻¹ to 1.1 × 10⁵ ml⁻¹ and 2.2 × 10³ ml …

Dynamic Satellite Seascapes As A Biogeographic Framework For Understanding Phytoplankton Assemblages In The Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary, United States, Enrique Montes, Anni Djurhuus, Frank E. Muller-Karger, Daniel Otis, Christopher R. Kelble, Maria T. Kavanaugh

Marine Science Faculty Publications

Physical, chemical, geological, and biological factors interact in marine environments to shape complex but recurrent patterns of organization of life on multiple spatial and temporal scales. These factors define biogeographic regions in surface waters that we refer to as seascapes. We characterize seascapes for the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary (FKNMS) and southwest Florida shelf nearshore environment using multivariate satellite and in situ measurements of Essential Ocean Variables (EOVs) and Essential Biodiversity Variables (EBVs). The study focuses on three periods that cover separate oceanographic expeditions (March 11–18, May 9–13, and September 12–19, 2016). We collected observations on bio-optical parameters (particulate …

Stakeholder Participation In Ipbes: Connecting Local Environmental Work With Global Decision Making, Cornelia B. Krug, Eleanor Sterling, Timothy Cadman, Jonas Geschke, Paula F. Drummond De Castro, Rainer Schliep, Isimemen Osemwegie, Frank E. Muller-Karger, Tek Maraseni

Marine Science Faculty Publications

The Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services(IPBES) strengthens the science-policy interface by producing scientific assessments on biodiversity and ecosystem services to inform policy. IPBES fosters knowledge exchange across disciplines, between researchers and other knowledge holders, practitioners, societal actors and decision makers working at different geographic scales. A number of avenues for participation of stakeholders across the four functions if IPBES exist. Stakeholders come from diverse backgrounds, including Indigenous Peoples and local communities, businesses, and non-governmental organization. They represent multiple sources of information, data, knowledge, and perspectives on biodiversity. Stakeholder engagement in IPBES seeks to 1. communicate, disseminate, and …

Supporting The Essential - Recommendations For The Development Of Accessible And Interoperable Marine Biological Data Products, D. Lear, P. Herman, G. Van Hoey, L. Schepers, N. Tonné, M. Lipizer, F. E. Muller-Karger, W. Appeltans, W. D. Kissling, N. Holdsworth, M. Edwards, E. Pecceu, H. Nygård, G. Canonico, S. Birchenough, G. Graham, K. Deneudt, S. Claus, P. Oset

Marine Science Faculty Publications

In this paper we outline the stakeholder-led approaches in the development of biological data products to support effective conservation, management and policy development. The requirements of a broad range of stakeholders and iterative, structured processes framed the development of tools, models and maps that support the FAIR (Findable, Accessible, Interoperable, Reusable) data principles. By structuring the resultant data products around the emerging biological Essential Ocean Variables, and through the engagement with a broad range of end-users, the EMODnet (European Marine Observation and Data Network) Biology project has delivered a suite of demonstration data products. These products are presented in the …

Altered Tropical Seascapes Influence Patterns Of Fish Assemblage And Ecological Functions In The Western Indian Ocean, D. H. Chacin, C. D. Stallings, M. Eggertsen, C. Åkerlund, C. Halling, C. Berkström

Marine Science Faculty Publications

The arrangement and composition of habitats within landscapes and fine-scale habitat characteristics influence community structure and ecological processes. These aspects can be altered by anthropogenic activities, thus influencing associated assemblages. Farming of macroalgae is a common practice in tropical settings and alters the natural composition of seascapes by introducing monoculture patches. The farmed macroalgae may also differ in palatability compared to naturally-occurring macroalgae, influencing herbivory. This study assessed how these farms may differ from natural macroalgal beds in terms of habitat heterogeneity, fish assemblages, and herbivory. We surveyed fish assemblages and deployed macroalgal assays within macroalgal beds, farms and at …

Paleoceanography: Lessons For A Changing World, Amelia Shevenell, Peggy Delaney, Katrin Meissner, Laurie Menviel, Alan C. Mix

Marine Science Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Investigating Factors Affecting Road Freight Overloading Through The Integrated Use Of Blr And Cart: A Case Study In China, Yikai Chen, Kai Wang, Yu Zhang, Renjia Luo, Shujun Yu, Qin Shi, Wenting Hu

Civil and Environmental Engineering Faculty Publications

Overloading of road freight vehicles accelerates road damage, creates unfair competition in the transport market, and increases safety risk. There is a dearth of research on the mining of data of highway Freight Weight (FW), and this paper therefore aims to discover factors affecting road freight overloading based on highway FW data, with a view of developing strategies to mitigate such occurrences. A comprehensive sampling survey of road freight transportation was conducted in Anhui Province (China). Vehicle Characteristics (VC), Operation Mode (OM), and transportation information from a total of 3248 trucks were collected. In order to take advantage of the …

Caregiver Well-Being And Burden: Variations By Race/Ethnicity And Care Recipient Nativity Status, Heehyul E. Moon, William E. Haley, Sunshine M. Rote, Jeanelle S. Sears

Aging Studies Faculty Publications

Background and Objectives

Despite growing diversity among the aging population and extensive previous research on racial/ethnic minority caregivers, little research has been conducted on the potentially unique experiences and outcomes of informal caregivers of foreign-born care recipients. Using nationally representative data and the Stress Process Model, the current study examined the differences in caregiver outcomes (care burden, psychological well-being, and self-rated health) by care recipient nativity status (U.S.-born vs. foreign-born) and the extent to which caregiver outcomes vary by care recipient nativity status and caregiver race/ethnicity (non-Hispanic white, non-Hispanic black, Hispanic, and Others). Research Design and Methods

The current study …

Annual Report, Research & Instruction Department, 2019 - 2020, Gary Austin, Theresa G. Burress, Camielle Crampsie

Library Department and Committee Reports

Annual report for the Reference and Instruction Department for the period July 1, 2019 to June 30, 2020, for the University of South Florida St. Petersburg's Nelson Poynter Memorial Library.

First-Time Characterization Of Viable But Non-Culturable Proteus Mirabilis: Induction And Resuscitation, Reham Wasfi, G. R. Abdellatif, H. M. Elshishtawy, Hossam M. Ashour

USF St. Petersburg Campus Faculty Publications

Pathogenic bacteria can enter into a viable but non-culturable (VBNC) state under unfavourable conditions. Proteus mirabilis is responsible for dire clinical consequences including septicaemia, urinary tract infections and pneumonia, but is not a species previously known to enter VBNC state. We suggested that stress-induced P. mirabilis can enter a VBNC state in which it retains virulence. P. mirabilis isolates were incubated in extreme osmotic pressure, starvation, low temperature and low pH to induce a VBNC state. Resuscitation was induced by temperature upshift and inoculation in tryptone soy broth with Tween 20 and brain heart infusion broth. Cellular ultrastructure and gene …

Temporal Variability Of Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons In Deep-Sea Cephalopods Of The Northern Gulf Of Mexico, Isabel C. Romero, Heather L. Judkins, Michael Vecchione

USF St. Petersburg Campus Faculty Publications

As part of the effort to understand the effects of the Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill (DWHOS), we analyzed tissue from five species of midwater oceanic cephalopods in the northern Gulf of Mexico (GoM) during three time periods, including one period sampled fortuitously just before the spill (2010), and two periods sampled after the spill (2011 and 2015–2016). The species, Japetella diaphana, Abralia redfieldi, Histioteuthis corona, Leachia atlantica, and Onychoteuthis banksii were collected in three geographic areas in the GoM (east, south and southeast of the Macondo wellhead). Results indicate a shift in the composition of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in …

Senior Healthcare Fraud Under Investigation, Nicole Forbes Stowell, Martina K. Schmidt, Carl J. Pacini, Nathan Wadlinger

USF St. Petersburg Campus Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Bioaccumulation And Biomagnification Of Potential Toxic Elements (Ptes): An Avicennia Germinans–Uca Rapax Trophic Transfer Story From Jobos Bay, Puerto Rico, Michael Martinez-Colon, Henry Alegria, Hatice Kubra-Gul, Ashley Huber, Perihan Kurt-Karakus

USF St. Petersburg Campus Faculty Publications

In southern Puerto Rico along the coastline bordering the Jobos Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve, environmental encroachment has exposed mangrove forest to different sources of pollution. Potentially toxic element concentrations from the F1Tess (exchangeable), F4Tess (oxidizable), mangrove leaf litter (MLL), and fiddler crab whole body soft tissue were analyzed to assess the fate and transport of pollutants from the environment and its transition into flora-fauna via trophic transfer. Geo-accumulation factor values suggest the bay has experienced limited to no pollution when combining the concentrations of potentially toxic elements extracted from the F1Tess and F4Tess sediment fractions. These geochemical sedimentary compartments …

A Qualitative Exploration Of Racial And Ethnic Differences In Cost Of Care Conversations Among Older Adults, Kyaien Oquinn Conner, Jaqueline Wiltshire, Edlin Colato Garcia, Barbara Langland-Orban, Erica Anderson, Iraida Carrion, Amber Goodman, Ashley Goodman

Social Work Faculty Publications

Background: The rapidly growing racially diverse, aging population in the United States is presenting unique challenges for our social, economic, and healthcare systems. Rising health care costs, increased patient cost-sharing, and limited financial resources make this generation of older Americans susceptible to large medical bills or debt which disproportionally impacts older racial/ethnic minorities. Cost-of-care (CoC) conversations between patients and doctors is one recommended approach to containing health care costs and alleviating patients’ financial burden of care.

Methods: The current study used focus group methodology to qualitatively explore the contextual factors that influence CoC conversations in a diverse sample of older …

Faith In Trump, Moral Foundations, And Social Distancing Defiance During The Coronavirus Pandemic, Amanda Graham, Justin T. Pickett, Cheryl Lero Jonson, Murat Haner, Melissa M. Sloan

Criminology Faculty Publications

Purpose: Over the past several months, the coronavirus has infected more than six million Americans and killed nearly 200,000. Governors have issued stay-at-home orders, and prosecutors have filed criminal charges against individuals for defying those orders. And yet many Americans have still refused to keep their distance from their fellow citizens, even if they had symptoms of infection. The authors explore the underlying causes for those who intend to defy these norms.

Methods: Using national-level data from a March 2020 survey of 989 Americans, the authors explore intentions to defy social distancing norms by testing an interactionist theory of foundation-based …

Evidence-Based Health Solutions For Challenges Women Face During Pandemics Like Covid-19: A Systematic Review Protocol, Zhaohui Su, Shelly Wagers, Emme Lopez, Lori Ann Terjesen, Jaffar Abbas, Feng Shi, Caifeng Wang, Yuyang Cai

Criminology Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

First Genome Sequence Of The Gunnison’S Prairie Dog (Cynomys Gunnisoni), A Keystone Species And Player In The Transmission Of Sylvatic Plague, Mirian T. N. Tsuchiya, Rebecca B. Dikow, Loren Cassin-Sackett

Integrative Biology Faculty and Staff Publications

Prairie dogs (genus Cynomys) are a charismatic symbol of the American West. Their large social aggregations and complex vocalizations have been the subject of scientific and popular interest for decades. A large body of literature has documented their role as keystone species of western North America’s grasslands: They generate habitat for other vertebrates, increase nutrient availability for plants, and act as a food source for mammalian, squamate, and avian predators. An additional keystone role lies in their extreme susceptibility to sylvatic plague (caused by Yersinia pestis), which results in periodic population extinctions, thereby generating spatiotemporal heterogeneity in both …

Fostering Preservice And In-Service Ela Teachers’ Digital Practices For Addressing Climate Change, Richard Beach, George Boggs, Jill Castek, James Damico, Alexandra Panos, Renee Spellman, Nance Wilson

Teaching and Learning Faculty Publications

This report presents research on preservice (PST) and in-service teachers acquiring digital practices for addressing climate change related to knowing how to employ digital practices for studying visual representations of climate change and engaging students in critiquing online information about climate change. Study 1 examined PSTs understanding of climate change through participation in visiting a laboratory involving scientific study of ecological systems to interact with scientists, collect digital artifacts, and create a virtual field trip using these artifacts for instructional purposes. Study 2 involved PSTs and in-service teachers responding critically to the NASA Climate Change website, identifying digital literacies their …