Digital Commons Network^™

Co-Teaching In The Classroom: Perceptions Of The Student Teacher, Classroom Teacher, And Students, Allison Nicole Dale

Journal of Practitioner Research

Co-teaching, where the clinical teacher and classroom teacher teach using different models, has become widely used in clinical teaching placements. This action research study, conducted in a second-grade classroom, had two purposes: to learn teachers’ and students’ perceptions towards co-teaching, and how different co-teaching models were used in different content areas. Through collecting surveys, interviewing students and the classroom teacher, and composing journal entries, qualitative data was analyzed to find common themes that emerged, while quantitative data from the surveys was calculated to find the mean and mode. The study found that co-teaching enriched the learning experience and provided more …

System And Method For Reducing A Threat Footprint Of An Area-Of-Interest, Ankit Shah, Soumyadeep Hore, Dinesh Sharma

USF Patents

A method for reducing a threat footprint for an area-of-interest by, determining a base risk score for an area-of-interest, deriving a graphical representation of the area-of-interest and one or more defense strategies for the area-of-interest, training an adversarial reinforcement learning agent to identify one or more successful attack paths on the graphical representation of the area-of-interest that are effective in bypassing the one or more defense strategies for the area-of-interest, determining an active risk score based upon the one or more successful attack paths identified by the adversarial reinforcement learning agent and determining one or more mitigation actions that will …

Time-Transgressive Microbial Diversity In A Tropical Bat Guano Accumulation, Deer Cave, Mulu, Borneo, Joyce Lundberg, Donald A. Mcfarlane

International Journal of Speleology

Bat guano accumulations in caves can constitute large deposits of organic material, particularly chitin and its degradation products, that host a diverse microbiome. Previous microbiological studies have not addressed the stratified nature of these deposits in the context of the timeframe of the decomposition process. We present such data (temperature, pH, DNA sampling of eight carbon-dated strata) for a 75 cm-deep tropical guano accumulation that undergoes complete decomposition over a timescale of ~120 years. The aerobic, surface layer of freshly-fallen guano has the greatest diversity of taxa, with Bacteroidota co-dominant with Pseudomonadota, and includes many taxa unique to this …

Hypogenic Caves Of Syracuse Area, Sicily (Italy): Geomorphological Evidence Of Co2 Degassing, Fresh-Salt Water Mixing, And Late Condensation Corrosion, Philippe Audra, Jean-Yves Bigot, Didier Cailhol, Pierre Camps, Ilenia M. D'Angeli, Hai Cheng, R. Lawrence Edwards, Fernando Gàzquez-Sanchez, Gabriella Koltai, Giuliana Madonia, Jean-Claude Nobécourt, Marjan Temovski, Marco Vattano, Jo De Waele

International Journal of Speleology

Many caves in Sicily have been shown to have a sulfuric acid or other hypogenic origin. We studied three caves (Palombara, Scrivilleri, Monello) near Syracuse (eastern Sicily), in an area that was strongly uplifted and faulted, creating multiple Pleistocene marine terraces. Mineralogy, stable isotopes and dating methods (paleomagnetism, U/Th) were used to characterize cave sediments, some of which were related to the initial hypogenic phase (Fe and Mn oxides, calcite spar), others were introduced by surface runoff later. Many other sediments are the result of in situ weathering, such as lime sands produced by condensation-corrosion processes on the calcarenite walls. …

Fluency Map Optimization In Intensity-Modulated Radiation Therapy, Hadi Charkhgard, Payman Ghasemi Saghand

USF Patents

A method for controlled tumoricidal radiation dose delivery is disclosed. The method includes obtaining an image of a body organ; diving the image into a plurality of voxels; determining a set of feasible actions for the body organ by identifying an upper bound and a lower bound for the body organ; determining a utility function for the body organ; determining a disagreement point by identifying an ideal fluency map and a worst fluency map; determining a negotiation power weight based on a type of the body organ; and optimizing the plurality of radiation dose levels to the plurality of voxels …

Charlotte: A Modern Tool For Cave Surveying, Luca Tringali Mr., Giacomo Canciani Dr., Alexander Debenjak, Tecla Tripari

International Journal of Speleology

The future of cave surveying is a full 3D scan, as automatic as possible, capturing all morphologically relevant details. However, the vast majority of cavers are still using tools designed more than 15 years ago. The advancements in tools for architects, CAD designers, programmers of VR and robotics could be helpful also for the caving community. That’s why Charlotte, a cheap DIY 2.5D scanner designed for cave surveying, was developed and built. To demonstrate its capabilities, a new survey of Grotta Regina del Carso cave (cad. nr. 2328/4760VG), the biggest cave in the Gorizia Karst, has been realized and published. …

Bio-Enriched Soil Technologies (Best), Norma Arcelia Alcantar

USF Patents

A bio-enriched soil and method of production is presented. If water supply is scant, bio-enriched soil technologies (BEST) are able to attract, store, and transport water and nutrient molecules to a plant in a controlled way. If the water or nutrient resources are excessive, BEST can release the excess and supply only what is needed. Hence, bio-enriched soil can function in climates in which crops normally are under stress by increasing the bioavailability of nutrients and water.

Hypogene Speleogenesis In Carbonates By Cooling Hydrothermal Flow: The Case Of Mt. Berenike Caves, Israel, Roi Roded, Boaz Langford, Einat Aharonov, Piotr Szymczak, Micka Ullman, Shemesh Yaaran, Boaz Lazar, Amos Frumkin

International Journal of Speleology

The Berenike hypogenic cave system near Lake Kinneret, Israel, provides a valuable case study for investigating the recently proposed Confined-Cooling-Flow (CCF) speleogenesis model. Field and speleological surveys, along with existing research, are used to provide a thorough analysis. The CCF model relies on a simple thermo-hydro-chemical scenario, involving the rise of CO2-rich hydrothermal fluids discharging into a confined layer. The cooling of these CO2-rich fluids turns them into aggressive solutions due to the inverse relation between temperature and solubility of carbonates (retrograde solubility). Previous geochemical and numerical analyses of the CCF model predict localized and persistent dissolution and speleogenesis on …

Multimodal Cell Complex Neural Networks For Prediction Of Multiple Drug Side Effects Severity And Frequency, Mustafa Hajij, Ghada Alzamzmi, Nina Miolane

USF Patents

A method for predicting side effects of a combination of drugs administered concurrently includes training a multi-modal cell complex neural network (MCXN) on a dataset. The MCXN includes nodes representing the drugs and proteins, pair-wise relationships between nodes representing interactions between pairs of drugs and/or proteins, and k-wise relationships between the nodes representing interactions between k drugs and/or proteins, where k¿2. The training dataset includes a list of drugs, a list of proteins, and pharmacological information about the drugs in the list of drugs and proteins in the list of proteins. A specification of the combination of at least three …

Quantitative Reasoning: What’S Math Got To Do With It?, Pamela Burdman

Numeracy

This keynote address explores the history and role of college math requirements with a focus on ensuring math courses serve to expand students’ horizons, rather than serve as gatekeepers. It discusses the advent of general education math courses, which brought more students into math departments, which ultimately contributed to broadening the scope of the courses to align with more students’ interests and majors, since their purpose was to advance quantitative reasoning, not mathematics skill per se. It also examines several practices to address calculus’ gatekeeping role: revising placement practices and prerequisites, redesigning courses, and updating instruction and assessment practices. Lastly, …

Constraining The Evolutionary Stages Of A Hypogene Karst System By Combining Morphological, Geochemical And Geochronological Data - The Example Of Carbonate Breccia-Hosted Melnička Peštera, Marjan Temovski, Zsófia Ruszkiczay-Rüdiger, Kata Molnár, László Rinyu, Alexander Wieser, Oscar Marchhart, László Palcsu

International Journal of Speleology

A combination of morphological observations, geochemical data from calcite minerals and geochronology by burial age dating and U-series is used to constrain the geological and geomorphological setting and the evolutionary stages of a hypogene karst system. This methodological suit is applied to Melnička Peštera, a horizontal cave developed in carbonate breccia overlying dolomite marble in Melnica locality (N. Macedonia), where hydrothermal karst development occurred in both dolomite and calcite marble. The passage morphology of the cave, having a reverse triangle, Laughöhle cross-sections, suggests development near the water table by slowly moving waters. Calcite crusts are found throughout the cave, and …

Co2 Hypogene Speleogenesis In An Endogenic Travertine System, Mesa Del Oro, New Mexico, Usa, Victor J. Polyak, Jeffrey R. Forbes, Michael N. Spilde, Paula P. Provencio, John R. Cochran, Yemane Asmerom

International Journal of Speleology

The Mesa del Oro travertine, deposited by upwelling CO₂-rich spring waters, is a large and thick mantle of calcite overlying soft Triassic Chinle Formation mudstones in western central New Mexico, USA. The travertine contains a system of small caves known as the Pronoun Cave Complex. Whut Cave is the largest known cave in the complex. While the travertine hydrologic system is no longer active, there is ample evidence that Whut Cave was formed by hypogene speleogenesis. The Whut Cave entrance is a small roughly circular shaft that descends ~four meters and intersects a linear fissure-controlled passage. Mn-oxide was …

Revealing The Ongoing Speleogenetic Processes In An Underwater Cave Through The Application Of Natural Radionuclides And Stable Isotopes: Case Study From The Hypogene Buda Thermal Karst, Anita Erőss, Katalin Hegedűs-Csondo, Petra Kovács-Bodor, Dénes Szieberth, Ákos Horváth, György Czuppon, Andrea Mindszenty Dr, Szabolcs Leél-Őssy, Judit Mádl-Szőnyi

International Journal of Speleology

The underwater Molnár János Cave in the hypogene Buda Thermal Karst system (Budapest, Hungary) provides a unique site to study the effects of flowing groundwater and the interplay of fluids of different origin. The aim of the present study is to characterize the groundwater in different parts of the cave with temporal resolution, hence describe the recent speleogenetic processes within the cave. This study uses natural radioisotopes (uranium, radium, and radon) besides stable isotope ratios of oxygen and hydrogen to identify the different fluid components. The results show that the majority of the cave is situated in the flow path …

Populations Of The Stygobiotic Amphipod Palearcticarellus Pusillus (Martynov, 1930) Maintain Genetic Connectivity Between The Mountain Springs And The Deep Bottom Habitats Of Lake Teletskoye (Altai Mountains, Russia), Ivan Marin, Liubov Yanygina, Svetlana Ostroukhova, Dmitry Palatov

International Journal of Speleology

The diversity of underground fauna is often associated with the presence of karst areas, which have extensive underground cavities and connecting channels. Non-karst areas, however, make up a larger portion of the planet’ surface, and our understanding of the distribution and dispersal abilities of underground fauna in these areas currently remains limited. During a recent study of the diversity of stygobiotic crustaceans in the mountain streams of the Kurai Mountain Range (Altai, Russia), a small-sized species of crangonyctid amphipod, Palearcticarellus pusillus (Crustacea, Amphipoda, Crangonyctidae) was found in high-altitude springs. This species has been previously known only from deep-water habitats in …

Presence Of Pharmaceuticals And Personal Care Products In Sinkhole Lakes In West-Central Florida, Elzbieta Bialkowska-Jelinska

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Pharmaceuticals and personal care products (PPCPs) are essential for human health, improving quality of life, and extending life expectancy. However, many of these chemicals have become significant environmental pollutants, particularly in lentic (lake) environments. One unintended source of PPCPs in natural environments is onsite wastewater treatment systems (OWTS), commonly known as septic tanks.

This study examines whether the seasonal variability of rainfall and soil saturation affects the assemblages and concentrations of PPCPs in a residential lake. The general premise of the dissertation was that with the onset of the wet season, PPCPs that had collected in the drainfields of the …

Development Of Peptidomimetics Based On Γ-Aapeptide Molecular Scaffolds To Modulate Amyloid Peptide Aggregation, Heng Liu

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Many proteins contain fragments that become structured upon binding to specific targets or through self-association. Notable examples of such disorder-to-order transitions include amyloidogenic proteins like amyloid-β peptide (Aβ) and tau peptide in Alzheimer's disease, α-Synuclein in Parkinson's disease, and hIAPP in type 2 diabetes, and so on. These regions can aggregate into amyloid fibrils through β -sheet stacking, contributing to amyloidosis and related diseases. Although direct link between amyloid formation and neurodegenerative disease development is not fully understood, developing effective inhibitors of these amyloid peptides remains promising both for fundamental research and therapeutical advance.

We have developed a new class …

Assessing Users’ Attention Classification Accuracy From Eeg Data, Gil Olenscki Neto

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Determining whether a person is attentive while performing a task is a key factor for understanding why they are achieving specific results. In addition, tracking these results is an important aspect to improving them. Quantified self is a field that consists of self-monitoring to gain a better understanding of your habits, health, and overall well-being. Examples of this method include tracking sleep patterns, daily steps, mood swings, and food intake.

This thesis aims to explore the potential of using an innovative self-quantification method that utilizes a mobile application that leverages alpha, beta, and theta waves to assess college students' attention …

Improvements In Computational Techniques For Determining Ideal Class Groups And Class Numbers, Muhammed Rashad Erukulangara

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The ideal class group is a fundamental concept in algebraic number theory, providing insights into the structure and factorization properties of the ring of integers of a number field. It measures the extent to which unique factorization fails in the ring of integers. Efficiently computing the ideal class group is crucial for exploring unproved heuristics in number theory and solving Diophantine equations. Additionally, the computation of the ideal class group has several cryptographic applications, such as schemes based on the Discrete Logarithm Problem (DLP), the computation of isogenies, and groups of unknown order. Despite its importance, much about the ideal …

Breaking The Sound Barrier: Strategies For Reducing The Educational Debt In Underserved School Bands, Alfonzo V. Kimbrough

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this multiple explanatory case study was to investigate the preparation of underserved school band programs for a Music Performance Assessment (MPA). Specifically, I examined racial, economic, and social inequalities, which are well documented in the research literature, and the related achievement gaps of underserved public school bands. Using Ladson-Billings’ four pillars of educational debt, a replication approach highlighted four cases as a small sample of the success rate of Title I school bands scoring a Superior at an MPA contest. I compared how contextual issues impacted the four band directors at these schools in preparations for their …

Regioselective Hydroamination Of Unactivated Olefins With Diazirine And Total Synthesis Of Nostodione A And Scytonemin, Qingyu Xing

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

As an atom-economic way of carbon-nitrogen bond formation, hydroaminations are great tool for make amines, hydrazines, and other nitrogen-containing heterocycles. Specifically, radical hydroamination is a useful approach for functionalization of unactivated olefins, especially in sterically hindered environments. Diversification remains a challenge for radical hydroaminated products, since the nitrogen sources are carefully designed. In the first chapter of this dissertation, we report a highly diversifiable radical hydroamination reaction with diazirine as a nitrogen source and its potential applications in synthesis of several pharmaceutical interested compounds. Cobalt catalyzed regioselective hydroamination with diazirine shows wide function group tolerance, like phenyl thioether, ketones, esters, …

The Newgeneratortm Decentralized Wastewater Treatment System For Non-Sewered Sanitation: Technology Advancement Through Field Evaluation And Modeling, Hsiang-Yang Shyu

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Non-sewered sanitation systems (NSSS) offer innovative solutions to sanitation challenges in areas lacking basic facilities, utilizing advanced treatment technologies for on-site water reuse. The NEWgenerator (NG), an advanced NSSS developed at the University of South Florida under the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation’s Reinventing the Toilet Challenge, integrates an anaerobic membrane bioreactor (AnMBR), an ion exchange-based nutrient capture system (NCS), and an electrochlorinator for final disinfection. This study builds on previous field trials of the NG system, focusing on developing, evaluating, and optimizing its water reuse capabilities through field trials, system dynamics modeling, and advanced monitoring techniques.

In the first …

Migrant Advocates' Perceptions Of School-Based Collaboration, Michael Young

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Migrant farmworker students are a marginalized group with unique needs. Federal law provides funding for Migrant Farmworker Advocates who support the educational and material needs of migrant farmworker students and their families in public schools. This exploratory study examines the question, how do migrant advocates collaborate with other professionals to support their students with graduation and transitioning to post-secondary opportunities? The study analyzes this unexplored professional relationship between migrant advocates and high school personnel and how they work together to serve migrant students. Data were collected through semi-structured single subject interviews from seven current or former Title I funded Migrant …

Artificial Intelligence Modeling Of Alzheimer's Disease And Environmental Science, Mohamed Abu Sheha

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

A data-driven statistical model operates as a mathematical illustration of a tangible issuefaced in reality, enabling the creation of predictions or decisions based on data. The process of utilizing probability and statistical principles in statistical models is essential for deriving meaningful conclusions from the data. The research conducted in this dissertation utilizes artificial intelligence (AI) models to integrate findings across health and environmental sci- ence.

The first research study in this dissertation, Alzheimer’s disease is a mental health issue and a brain aging dilemma that makes it difficult for older people to complete daily tasks without assistance. The physician uses …

Atrocity Prevention In The Digital Era: Adapting Norms, Laws, And Code To Changes In The Ways Atrocities Are Committed, David J. Simon, Samhitha Josyula, Joshua Lam, Julian D. Melendi

Genocide Studies and Prevention: An International Journal

Emerging digital technologies have changed some of the ways that genocides are planned and executed. This paper examines those differences, calling attention to how changes in the execution of genocide should prompt a shift in the approaches to atrocity prevention. It develops a conceptual framework addressing how atrocity prevention efforts might adapt to new technology within three realms of potential prevention efforts: the ethical (norms), the legal (laws), and the digital (code).

Identification And Characterization Of Intrinsically Disordered Protein Regions, Guy Wayne Dayhoff Ii

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation investigates protein intrinsic disorder and intrinsically disordered protein regions (IDPRs) through the development and application of advanced computational and experimental techniques. Chapter 1 provides an introduction to protein intrinsic disorder, outlining the historical context and fundamental concepts that highlight the importance of intrinsically disordered proteins (IDPs) and IDPRs in various biological processes. Chapter 2 focuses on the rapid prediction and analysis of protein intrinsic disorder. We introduce RIDAO (Rapid Intrinsic Disorder Analysis Online), a high-efficiency web-based tool that integrates multiple disorder predictors. RIDAO significantly outperforms existing predictors in computational efficiency, making it suitable for large-scale proteomic studies. We …

Mid- To Late-Miocene Hypogene Speleogenesis Tied To The Tectonic History Of The Central Basin And Range Province, Usa, Louise D. Hose, Victor Polyak, Harvey R. Duchene, J. Douglas Powell, Leslie A. Melim, Gretchen M. Baker, Donald G. Davis, Yemane Asmerom

International Journal of Speleology

Twenty-five caves displaying evidence of hypogene speleogenesis in White Pine County, Nevada, were studied between May 2022 and October 2023. Results demonstrate that the central Basin and Range Province is a major hypogenic cave region with speleogenesis dating back to the Middle Miocene. The U-Pb radiometric dates of cave mammillaries obtained so far cover a wide span of time, ranging between 14 Ma to 2 Ma. Tectonic shearing along the Snake Range Décollement up to about 22 Ma probably brackets the maximum age of speleogenesis. Thus, speleogenesis began between 22-14 Ma, which predates most of the Basin and Range extensional …

Biased Adrenergic Agonists, Stephen Bryant Liggett, Donghwa Kim, Marcello Giulianotti

USF Patents

Disclosed herein are compounds, compositions, and methods for selecting targeting β2AR receptors. The compounds, compositions, and methods may be used in the treatment of obstructive lung diseases.

Design Of A Satellite Tracking Mobile App Using Flutter And Android Studio Ide, Audrey Tahwa

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

A pop-up free mobile application was developed utilizing one-minute intervals for positiontracking. Predictions are conducted off-line after the user has connected at least once. In In order to enhance data accuracy, the application includes a feature to download satellite data and update raw data to be used in prediction calculations. Additionally, users receive a notification when the application is ready for offline use.

Online Teaching And Learning At Chinese Universities During Covid-19: Insiders’ Perspectives, Youliang Zhang, Yidan Zhu, Tongjie Chen, Tongfei Ma

Journal of Global Education and Research

During attempts to prevent and control the COVID-19 pandemic in China, higher education programs shifted their traditional educational models to online models. This paper aimed to explore how Chinese universities organized online teaching and learning during the pandemic. It investigated the factors affecting the implementation of online teaching and provided policy recommendations for improving the quality of education in the post-pandemic period. The primary data for this study came from in-depth interviews with nine students and five teaching and administrative staff at eight major universities in mainland China. Literature was obtained in both English and Chinese from January 2020 to …

An Exploratory Analysis Of The Association Between Coronavirus Anxiety And Teacher Burnout, Lester A. C. Archer

Journal of Global Education and Research

This study was an exploration of COVID-19 anxiety and its relationship with teacher burnout. The study was a cross-sectional survey research design with a convenience sample drawn from a population of K-12 public school teachers. A non-parametric statistical test, Kruskal-Wallis, showed a statistically significant difference in teacher burnout across the three grade levels: χ² (2, N = 61) = 6.20, p = .045. Teacher burnout was lowest amongst elementary school teachers (M = 47.00) when compared to middle school (M = 74.00) and high school teachers (M = 71.00). Implications include a need for increased administrative …