Digital Commons Network^™

Relationship Between Motivation, Requesting Accommodations, Rapport, And Adequate Progress In College Students With Disabilities During The Covid-19 Pandemic, Harold Holmes

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

College students with disabilities often face challenges including difficulty accessing accommodations and developing satisfactory rapport with instructors when navigating their college experience. These challenges can negatively impact their academic progress and their ability to complete their programs of study. The first purpose of this study was to describe the levels of self-efficacy, perceived control, willingness to request accommodations, instructor- student rapport, and adequate progress towards a degree among college students with disabilities. The second purpose was to determine any relationships between these variables. Undergraduate students with disabilities at a public university in the southeast region of the United States completed …

Context And Interpretability In Affective Computing Applications, Saandeep Aathreya Sidhapur Lakshminarayan

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Affective Computing (AC) is a subdomain of AI that primarily deals with recognizing and interpreting human emotions. This field inherently intersects with psychological studies, as the comprehension of human emotions and behaviors necessitates an understanding of their underlying cognitive processes. One such concepts that lends itself from psychology is context. Roughly speaking, context in AC is defined as any meta information (e.g., environment) that can be utilized to describe the interaction between a user and a model to solve a particular application (e.g., emotion recognition). This doctoral dissertation comprises of two distinct yet interconnected components (Part I and II), the …

Comprehensive Sensing Analysis Of Ofdm Waveform For Future Jrc And Radar Systems, Mehmet Yazgan

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

In today’s interconnected world, sensing is one of the indispensable parts of wireless systems.The need to optimize and diversify the use of the radio frequency spectrum has reached unprecedented importance. Cutting-edge applications, including autonomous technologies, intelligent urban systems, and advanced monitoring, require solutions that can effectively merge communication and sensing functions within limited bandwidth. Orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) has emerged as a leading contender in this field due to its superior ability to maximize spectral usage, resilience to multipath interference, and versatile signal configuration options. Reconsidering the use of the OFDM waveform for sensing purposes is undeniably essential due …

Fractional Calculus Approach For Learning Unknown Dynamic System, Haowei(Alice) Chen

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The rapidly growing interest in data-driven modeling and fractional-order systems highlights a keychallenge in modern science and engineering: capturing long-memory effects and nonlinear behaviors in real-world dynamical processes. Conventional integer-order methods, while powerful, often overlook the history-dependent nature of many phenomena—ranging from viscoelastic materials to anomalous diffusion and hereditary feedback systems. This dissertation addresses that gap by blending fractional calculus with cutting-edge machine learning to create robust, memory-aware modeling and control frameworks.

Beginning with an extension of Dynamic Mode Decomposition (DMD) to fractional-order systems, we introduce Fractional Dynamic Mode Decomposition (F-DMD) as a data-driven tool that leverages Mittag- Leffler functions …

Modeling The Pollution From Latrines In A Low- And Middle-Income Country Setting, Christopher Nenninger

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Latrines are an important sanitation infrastructure that are critical to the United Nations’ effort to end open defecation and achieve the target regarding safely managed sanitation outlined in Sustainable Development Goal #6. This global effort has led to 40,000,000 new users being introduced to improved latrines each year, and this number is expected to increase as the world’s population grows. One of the drawbacks related to these new latrine additions is the potential increase in pollution from hydraulically connected latrine pits to shallow groundwater. This is especially problematic in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), where communities are more likely to …

Springscape: The Nature Coast And The Making Of Modern Florida, 1820s-Present, Douglas E. Ponticos

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

According to an oft-repeated tale, the Florida we know today emerged as a dreamscape of tourism, retirement, and suburbanization during the second half of the twentieth century. Growth victimized nature. This dissertation deeply unsettles that story. The history of the Nature Coast exposes not just nature’s agency but its primacy in the development of modern Florida.

Using surveys, maps, census data, personal correspondence, government documents, business records, timber reports, advertising materials, and hydrological research, this dissertation follows time and water across landscapes, into the Upper Floridan Aquifer, and back out again. Each chapter explores a single landscape within the Nature …

Applications Of Linear Discriminant Analysis In The Biomechanics Of Anterior Cruciate Ligament Injury, Taofeek Braimoh

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury is a prevalent and significant concern in sports medicine, often resulting in long-term consequences that affect quality of life. Despite advancements in medical technology, current methods for addressing the problem of ACL injuries remain inefficient, subjective, and limited in their predictive power. This study explores the potential of Linear Discriminant Analysis (LDA), a supervised machine learning (ML) technique, to improve the diagnosis and risk profiling of ACL injuries. This research aims to create an objective, effective, and precise technique for determining the risk of ACL injuries by examining key biomechanical, physical, and demographical features. The …

Anhedonic Features In Effort-Related Reward Processing, Harold Alexander Rocha

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Emerging evidence suggests that distinct stages of reward processing uniquely contribute to psychological traits linked to anhedonia, a core mood-disorder symptom characterized by diminished enjoyment of pleasure. However, the relationship between reward-processing stages and dispositional traits related to mood and anhedonia remains unclear. The present study investigated interindividual reward processing differences in a healthy college sample (n = 83) using self-report measures and event-related brain potentials (ERPs) indexing anticipatory and consummatory subprocesses across high- and low-effort conditions using a recently developed effort-doors task. The goal of the study was first to replicate the original ERP experimental effects of the task …

Development And Initial Validation Of The Increasing Mathematical Processes Opportunities For Vital Engagement Instrument, Joseph A. Ours

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Many undergraduate students struggle to learn college level mathematics. This may be because they have not developed their mathematical processes. Mathematical processes are the habits of mind of successful mathematicians and are how one learns and subsequently applies mathematics content. Five categories of mathematical processes are problem solving, reasoning and proof, communication, connections, and representation.

Students need opportunities to develop their mathematical processes. This is the foundation of high quality mathematics instruction. Many instructors, however, lack practical knowledge on how to enact a pedagogy that provides students with opportunities to engage in mathematical processes.

The purpose of this study was …

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 …

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 …

“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. …

Using A Descriptive Analysis And Functional Analysis To Determine The Topography Of Attention For Attention-Maintained Problem Behaviors, Sarah M. Loupe

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This study examined the benefits of using descriptive analysis (DA)-informed functional analysis(FA) conditions to determine the functional relationship between problem behaviors and the topography of attention maintaining them. Three male participants completed the study, ranging in age from 7-12 years. Following indirect assessments with care providers, a DA was conducted during four 15-min observations. The results of the DA were used to calculate the probability of a specific topography of attention following a problem behavior P(SR/B) and the unconditional probability of a specific topography of attention in the absence of problem behavior divided by all occurrences of that topography UP(SR-B/SR). …

Distributed Repeaters For Extending The Range Of Harmonic Rf Tags, Trevor Saunders

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Passive harmonic Radio Frequency (RF) tags are highly advantageous compared to theiractive counterparts due to their ability to operate effectively in environments that are cluttered or where access to the tag for battery maintenance is challenging, dangerous and/or time consuming. They are also resistant to the local oscillator (LO) phase noise in radar applications where the doppler frequency from slow moving targets is buried beneath the noise. One of the major constraints of passive harmonic RF tags, however, lies in their operating range and the significant amount of power required to overcome the conversion loss and activate the nonlinear device …

Web Mapping Basics With Arcgis Online, 2025, Benjamin Mittler

GIS Resources

Slides for a web mapping workshop given virtually by Benjamin Mittler, GIS Manager at the University of South Florida Libraries.

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 …

Accretion And Accumulation Of Mangrove Soils In Clam Bay, Naples, Fl: The Impact Of Hydrological Alterations And Sea-Level Rise, Matthew C. Fairchild

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The ability of mangrove soils to accrete at a rate that keeps up with the rate of sea-level rise (SLR) is widely debated, especially for soils impacted by variations in influxes of nutrients and alterations in natural flows of water from surrounding urban areas. This study aimed to evaluate the influence of SLR on mangrove soils in Clam Bay (Naples, Florida, USA), which has an extensive system of mangroves that have faced increasing human pressure in recent decades as well as SLR. Cores were collected from two different sites within Clam Bay to identify differences in soil accretion, mass accumulation, …

Efforts To Improve General Chemistry Student Success: Describing Stoichiometry Solution Patterns And Investigating Challenge Perceptions, Dianna Kim

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

There is a need for capable STEM graduates to fill needed STEM career gaps, particularly for people who have been historically under-represented in the STEM field (e.g., women, people of color, people of lower economic status, etc.). A course that have great impact would be General Chemistry which typically acts as a pre-requisite for manty STEM majors and careers. The efforts to be described in this thesis was conducted at a large, public doctoral granting university in the southeastern United States of America. The first effort described in this thesis explores how students solve different types of stoichiometry-based problems along …

Genetic Counseling Student Anxiety, Self-Efficacy, And Study Strategy Use For The Genetic Counseling Board Certification Exam., Teagan E. Nunnery

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

With a 76% pass rate for the 2024 American Board of Genetic Counseling (ABGC) certification exam, it's crucial to evaluate the study strategies used by candidates and their alignment with evidence-based practices. This study surveyed 84 genetic counseling students and graduates from 35 U.S. and Canadian training programs, focusing on demographic data, study strategy usage, anxiety, and self-efficacy. Study strategies were categorized into one of three groups: 1) active strategies, which promote recall and understanding, 2) passive strategies, and 3) hybrid, for strategies that involve both active and passive engagement as well as three metacognitive strategies: regulating learning, monitoring learning, …

Breaking Binaries: Gender Non-Conforming Lesbians And The Undercurrent Of Biopower On Dating Apps, Lily M. Connolly

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This study examines how gender nonconforming lesbians experience and navigate algorithmic constraints, commodification, and self-expression on dating apps. Drawing on Michel Foucault’s concept of biopower, this study analyzes focus group discussions to argue that dating apps encode and enforce traditional gender norms. However, rather than acting solely as sites of constraint, dating apps also provide spaces where gender nonconforming lesbians creatively resist these limitations and subvert platform design to assert their politicized queer identities. This research highlights how biopower operates within digital dating platforms while also illuminating the subversive strategies users employ to reclaim agency. By situating gender nonconforming lesbian …

Characterizing Lava Flow Morphology And Lava Flow Dynamics: A High-Resolution Lidar And Structure From Motion Study Of The Hell’S Half Acre Lava Flow, Idaho, Rachel T. Bakowski

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Basaltic lava flow eruptions can impact vast areas, profoundly altering the landscape. Although many past eruptions have gone unobserved by scientists, they often leave behind substantial deposits that preserve key elements of the eruption’s history. By studying lava textures and the overall structure of lava flows, we can reconstruct the specific conditions that occurred during the eruption and contributed to the final morphology of the lava flows. Hell’s Half Acre is a large, well-preserved basaltic lava flow in the Eastern Snake River Plain, containing a variety of significant geological features resulting from its distinctive eruption history. This thesis examines a …

Llms In Network Intrusion Detection – A Comprehensive Analysis, Sudharshan Balaji

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Network Intrusion Detection Systems (NIDS) play a critical role in identifying and mitigating malicious activities within computer networks. With the rapid evolution of natural language processing (NLP), Large Language Models (LLMs) have emerged as transformative tools across various domains. LLMs, such as OpenAI’s GPT series and Meta’s LLaMA models,have demonstrated remarkable performance in tasks like language generation, reasoning, and classification. Their ability to understand and process vast amounts of data has enabled groundbreaking advancements in areas like healthcare, finance, and cybersecurity. Recent trends highlight their potential to handle unstructured data, perform complex reasoning, and adapt to a wide range of …

The Knowledge, Ability And Willingness Of Instructors To Accommodate Students With Disabilities In Higher Education, Hawa Allarakhia

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation presents the findings of a study investigating the knowledge, ability, and willingness of faculty at a large university to accommodate students with disabilities (SWD). It reveals that while many instructors demonstrate a solid understanding of disability legislation, variations in knowledge and confidence exist based on demographic factors, particularly years of experience. Accommodations like extended time and distraction-free testing environments are more likely to be received positively by instructors and granted easily, while there needs to be more inclination to offer resource-intensive options like note-takers. The study also recommends future research and practical strategies for higher education institutions to …

A Bibliometric Analysis Of The Pygmalion Effect In Organization Studies, Perihan Senel Tekin, Fevziye Bekar, Duysal Askun Celik

Journal of Global Business Insights

This research aims to examine the literature on the Pygmalion effect, which is expressed as a self-fulfilling prophecy in the context of management organization from a bibliometric perspective. In this context, all relevant publications in the Web of Science database were scanned between 01-06.06.2024. In the first and second searches with the words Pygmalion, Pygmalion effect, Pygmalionism, management, and organization, a total of 27 research articles were subjected to content analysis within the scope of a systematic review. As a result of the content analysis, it was seen that although the Pygmalion effect has been found in …

Systems And Methods For Determining Cell Number Count In Automated Stereology Z-Stack Images, Palak Pankajbhai Dave, Dmitry Goldgof, Lawrence O. Hall, Peter R. Mouton

USF Patents

Systems and methods for automated stereology using deep learning are disclosed. The systems include an update in the form of a semi-automatic approach for ground truth preparation in 3D stacks of microscopy images (disector stacks) for generating more training data. The systems also present an exemplary disector-based MIMO framework where all the planes of a 3D disector stack are analyzed as opposed to a single focus-stacked image (EDF image) per stack. The MIMO approach avoids the costly computations of 3D deep learning-based methods by using the 3D context of cells in disector stacks; and prevents stereological bias in the previous …

Algebraic Proof-Of-Work Algorithm For Blockchains, Muslum Ozgur Ozmen, Rouzbeh Behnia, Attila Altay Yavuz

USF Patents

An algebraic proof-of-work algorithm is provided that can be used as part of the consensus algorithm used by cryptocurrencies such as Bitcoin. Instead of solving blocks using a hash puzzle, the present algorithm uses an algebraic puzzle such as a lattice-based puzzle based on the shortest vector problem and/or the knapsack problem. A cryptocurrency using the proposed proof-of-work algorithm has only a small quantum advantage when compared with existing proof-of-work algorithms.

The Integrated Monitoring Of Karst Systems (Miks) Model, Applied In Karst Studies In Bulgaria, Petar Stefanov, Dilyana Stefanova, Peter Nojarov

International Journal of Speleology

Karst is a widespread natural phenomenon that is highly sensitive and very vulnerable to both natural and various anthropogenic impacts. This is due to the complex structure of karst territories, which comprise both surface forms and complex systems of underground cavities. Therefore, the study of karst requires a geosystem approach and integrated monitoring, which gives a real idea of the state of karst geosystems and the impacts of global changes on karstogenesis. The article presents a model of this approach, which is applied in karst studies in Bulgaria. The methodological basis is the original ProKARSTerra paradigm, based on the geosystem …

The Affordable Diy Mandeye Lidar System For Surveying Caves, And How To Convert 3d Clouds Into Traditional Cave Ground Plans And Extended Profiles, Loris Redovniković, Antun Jakopec, Janusz Będkowski, Jurica Jagetić

International Journal of Speleology

The paper examines the potential use of low-cost LiDAR for cave surveying. Mobile mapping using LiDAR complements traditional speleological surveying using a polygonal traverse. These methods assist each other, with one serving as an independent control measurement for the other, ultimately resulting in a more accurate 3D model. The testing results show that achieving high accuracy and detailed cave representation is possible using open hardware and open-source software. Both spacious and well-indented cave sections and narrow passages barely passable by humans were successfully mapped. The surveying process is significantly faster than traditional cave mapping, as drawing cave sketches by hand …

Recent Literature In Field Ornithology, Continental Birdlife

Continental Birdlife

No abstract provided.

Recent Literature, Continental Birdlife

Continental Birdlife

No abstract provided.