Digital Commons Network^™

Sporozoite Cryopreservation Compositions And Methods, John H. Adams, Alison Elizabeth Roth

USF Patents

Described herein are compositions and methods to cryopreserve sporozoites. In some aspects, the method can include the step of placing harvested salivary glands containing sporozoites into an insect-based medium.

Automated Stereology For Determining Tissue Characteristics, Peter Randolph Mouton, Hady Ahmady Phoulady, Dmitry Goldgof, Lawrence O. Hall

USF Patents

Systems and methods for automated stereology are provided. A method can include providing an imager for capturing a Z-stack of images of a three-dimensional (3D) object; constructing extended depth of field (EDF) images from the Z-stack of images; performing a segmentation method on the EDF images including estimating a Gaussian Mixture Model (GMM), performing morphological operations, performing watershed segmentation, constructing Voronoi diagrams and performing boundary smoothing; and determining one or more stereology parameters such as number of cells in a region.

Reading Rent: Interracial Relationships And Racial Hierarchies, Susanna A. Perez-Field

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

In examining the musical Rent by Jonathan Larson (1995) and its film adaptation by Chris Columbus (2005), most scholarly work and analyses have focused on the work’s identity as a queer text. I assert that elements of this musical have been overlooked for its depth of racial and class hierarchies. Utilizing sociological theory and interracial relationships, I will examine characters and musical numbers to explore diversity and class positioning.

I will explore Rent for themes of racial, gender, and sexual identities and how they are presented through the friendships and romantic relationships of the eight principal characters (alphabetically): Angel, Benny, …

An Experimental Analysis Of The Effect Of Crisis Response Message Strategies On Consumer Emotions, Perceptual Beliefs And Intended Behavior, Valentina Ahumada

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This study investigates the different dynamics of consumer responses to crisis communication strategies employed by businesses during challenging situations. Focusing on emotions, attitudes, and behavioral intentions, the research explores the impact of denial, diminish, and apology crisis messages on consumers. Drawing on a comprehensive analysis of a crisis scenario, the study illuminates the intricate relationship between these strategies and consumer emotions such as anger, disgust, sadness, and happiness. The findings reveal nuanced patterns, demonstrating that while denial messages evoke strong negative emotions and unfavorable attitudes, diminish messages, when perceived as deflecting blame, can lead to mixed emotional responses and ambiguous …

Water Chemistry Variability In Peacock Springs Cave System And Spring Basin: Impacts On Continuous Monitoring Of Karst Aquifers, Mahnoor Kamal

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The Upper Floridan Aquifer (UFA) is a highly transmissive and heterogeneous karst aquifer that makes it acutely susceptible to pollution. Rapid and extensive water quality changes in nutrients at springs draining the UFA have prompted intensive monitoring at several priority springs, including continuous and discrete water quality sampling. Springs, however, are a discrete discharge point of an often-expansive phreatic cave network that can intersect different land uses and thus drain distinct geographic areas of a springshed. The extensive network contains convergent passages from deep and shallow aquifer regions and may contribute to varying water chemistry across passages resulting in water …

Neuroendocrine Regulation Of Chemokine Receptor-Mediated Leukocyte Migration Via Heteromeric G Protein-Coupled Receptor Complexes, Garrett Enten

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Neuroendocrine regulation of the innate immune system is a well-documentedphenomenon. The underlying mechanisms, however, are not well understood. Here we show that at least 20 members of the human chemokine receptor (CR) family heteromerize with one or more members of the α1-adrenergic receptor (AR) family and that all CRs, apart from CXCR1, heteromerize with arginine vasopressin receptor 1A (AVPR1A) in recombinant systems. These heteromeric complexes are detectable in human monocytes and the monocytic leukemia cell line THP-1. Though currently technical limitations prevent the direct visualization of endogenously expressed higher-order hetero-oligomeric receptor complexes, we provide evidence through functional analysis and proximity-based …

Wastewater Treatment Using Encapsulated Chabazite In Polyvinyl Alcohol-Sodium Alginate Hydrogel Biofilm Carriers, Susieanna Nevada Persaud

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Nitrogen discharge from wastewater is a global issue and with increased urbanization as well as industrialization, it has become even more essential to develop more efficient wastewater treatment systems. The dominant form of nitrogen in wastewater is ammonium. Biological oxidation of ammonium to nitrite and nitrate is the first step in biological nitrogen removal processes. If left untreated, nitrogen can cause toxicity to aquatic life, unsafe changes in water quality, and eutrophication.

Biofilm carriers can help to improve the efficiency of traditional activated sludge wastewater treatment systems by reducing operating costs and reducing hydraulic retention time. Biofilm carriers also promote …

Liminal Legality, Social Exclusion, And The Island Community: The Uncertain Futures Of Brazilian Immigrant Youth In Martha’S Vineyard., Bárbara F. De Paula

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This project explores the realities of Brazilian undocumented immigrant youth who entered the United States before the age of 18 and have settled in the island community of Martha’s Vineyard located in Massachusetts. This project analyzes the barriers that Brazilian undocumented youth encounter in pursuing their dream futures, in the light of their legal status and the island context. The theoretical frameworks used in the study drew from notions of segmented assimilation and modes of incorporation (Bean, 2011; Patler, 2018a), immigrant social networks (Assis, 2003; Padilla, 2006), liminal legality, (Cebulko, 2014; Menjíver, 2006; Patler, 2018a) citizenship frames, (Friorito, 2019; Patler, …

Online News Portrayal During The Covid-19 Health Crisis And Journalism's Role In Misinformation In The U.S., Michou Ducilon

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The COVID-19 pandemic has brought a wealth of new information regarding the virus's origin and treatment. Regrettably, the vast amount of online information has resulted in the proliferation of misinformation, as the World Health Organization reported. To investigate whether journalists may have contributed to this problem, a qualitative analysis was conducted on 15 news articles from top-tier media outlets. Using NVivo software, the articles were analyzed to identify linguistic words and visuals that fell into coding categories based on Behrendt's (2008) contextual analysis for evaluating text. Each article was then coded again to identify common themes. During this process, new …

Regulated Intramembrane Proteolysis By M82 Peptidases: The Role Of Prss In The Staphylococcus Aureus Stress Response, Baylie M. Schott

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Staphylococcus aureus is a major threat to human health, which is only exacerbated by its resistance to methicillin and other frontline antibiotics. Consequently, annual hospitalizations resulting from methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) have been recorded in the hundreds of thousands for decades. However, the global impact of this opportunistic pathogen cannot solely be attributed to its antibiotic resistance, as S. aureus is also an expert at adapting to host conditions and responding to external stress. Here we attempt to gain a better understanding of a S. aureus factor that aids in circumventing such external insult - PrsS - a membrane protease …

The Sun Shines On Us, Too: Bobby Smith And Tampa's Early Lgbtq Community, Connor G. Lasseter

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Bobby Smith (1923-2008) was a Tampa Bay butch lesbian, photographer, and earlyLGBTQ Florida figure, together with his partner of nearly fifty years, Katherine “Kay” Thompson (1923-2009). Coming of age as the Second World War provided women and girls with a certain level of independence, Smith easily found comfort presenting in a masculine, butch fashion outside of certain spheres such as school, and quickly dropped any remaining femininity once he left it. Throughout his life, in the workplace, at social gatherings, and at home, he maintained a masculine presentation for his entire life. As a photographer, Smith documented numerous photographs of …

Evaluating Video Feedback To Improve Esports Performance In Street Fighter V, Romel C. White

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

eSports is a newly rising field with rapidly increasing cultural validity. Despite the wide array of similarities between eSports and traditional sports, behavioral skill acquisition interventions have yet to be applied to video game skills. Feedback-based behavioral interventions in particular have been commonly used and implemented for effective skill acquisition for traditional sports. Although video feedback has been established as effective in conjunction with video modeling for traditional sports, further research is needed to validate its efficacy as a standalone intervention. In this study, the effects of video feedback were analyzed with three participants in a nonconcurrent multiple baseline across …

Chemical Analysis Of Metabolites From Mangrove Endophytic Fungus, Sefat E Munjerin

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Natural products hold a significant place in drug discovery for their abundant and unique secondary metabolites. These secondary metabolites which encompass a range of organic compounds such as alkaloids, phenols, peptides, flavonoids, polyketides, and terpenoids, can easily be exploited for drug development. Endophytic fungi, residing harmoniously with its host, have emerged as generous producers of bioactive secondary metabolites, displaying efficacy against a wide array of human pathogens, including the challenging ESKAPE pathogens.

The research explores endophytic fungi and their prospective for drug discovery and development through the synthesis of distinctive secondary metabolites. Endophytic fungus, HM13-26C-2B, collected from Honeymoon Island, Florida …

Use Of Silica Dust And Lunar Simulants For Assessing Lunar Regolith Exposure, Layzamarie Irizarry-Colon

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The utilization of the lunar regolith holds immense potential for future space exploration, but the potential health risks associated with lunar regolith are a significant concern. This literature review seeks to critically assess the use of silica and lunar simulants standards and permissible exposure limits (PELs) to evaluate the adverse health effects of lunar regolith. The literature review covers an extensive analysis of existing research, health risks, toxicological properties, and physical and chemical composition associated with silica, lunar simulants, and lunar regolith by using three main sources: regulations, scholarly articles, and Kennedy Space Center (KSC) discussion. This comprehensive analysis forms …

Damned & Damned: Examining Vexatious Litigation And The Vexatious Litigant Statute In Florida Courts, Sarah L. Harper

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation examines self-represented litigants subjected to limitations under the Vexatious Litigant statute (F.S. 68.093) and related case law. It draws data from official records, surveys, interviews with judges, and a thematic analysis of court orders. The present research consists of two studies: Study I focuses on the application of Florida's Vexatious Litigant statute and similar sanctions, and Study II explores judges' decision-making in cases involving challenging self-represented litigants. Restrictions on litigants' court access raise concerns about due process rights, and an assessment of the use of these sanctions and litigants' practices is vital for understanding their application. The findings …

An Examination Of Reward-Based Crowdfunding Performance And Success, Matthew Alan Grace

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Reward-based crowdfunding (RBCF), where fundraisers raise funds from a crowd of investors in return for a reward, has carved a niche as a proven option for not just entrepreneurs seeking early-stage funding, but also for established firms looking to presell or market a new product or service. Establishing crowdfunding performance and success factors is important for researchers and practitioners alike. Fortunately, a large portion of the RBCF academic literature is immediately applicable to entrepreneurs, with very little additional interpretation required. However, important questions about RBCF remain. The first paper in this three-part dissertation, a systematic literature review, examines some of …

Ay 2023/2024 Fs Meeting Minutes, 2023-10-18, Faculty Senate

Faculty Senate Archives

No abstract provided.

Ay 2023/2024 Fs Agenda, 2023-10-18, Faculty Senate

Faculty Senate Archives

No abstract provided.

Lung Microbiome Isolation And Cultivation, Andreas Seyfang, Nirmal S. Sharma

USF Patents

Disclosed herein is a method to isolate and cultivate the lung microbiome obtained from bronchoalveolar lavage. The disclosed method involves lung microbiome culturomics based on three different media for both aerobic and fastidious anaerobic bacteria. The disclosed method allows for amplification of the lung microbiome, which can be used, for example, for subsequent testing of antibiotic sensitivity, drug resistance, or for lung microbiome transplantation.

The Effect Of Psychopathy Trait Descriptions On Mock Juror Decision-Making, Bailey A. Hall

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Layperson misconceptions and stigma surrounding mental illness can have devastating consequences in criminal trials, especially capital (death penalty) cases. Psychopathy is a particularly stigmatizing disorder often used as an aggravating factor in capital cases. The present experimental study examined how case vignettes that included descriptions of psychopathic traits (i.e., criterion effects) differentially influenced juror decision-making. Specifically, undergraduate participants read case facts about a convicted defendant and were randomly assigned to read one of five expert witness testimony conditions describing the defendant using: interpersonal-affective psychopathy traits (e.g., superficially charming, manipulative), antisocial-lifestyle traits (e.g., reckless, aggressive), combined interpersonal-affective and antisocial-lifestyle traits, or …

Cervical Cancer Screening Modalities: A Study Of Decision-Making Processes, Heather N. Owens

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation includes three studies, and the purpose was to explore cervical cancer screening adherence and factors related to screening behaviors among women.

The purpose of the first study was to examine cervical cancer screening recommendation adherence trends in a nationally representative sample using Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System 1995-2018 data. Adherence rates declined for every definition of adherence evaluated over time. Social determinants of health predictors and their impacts varied based on the years of data included in and the data source.

The second study examined the hypothesized factor structure underlying multiple scales (i.e., Health Belief Model constructs and …

Antithrombotic Nanoparticles And Methods For Treating Necrotizing Enterocolitis, Akhil Maheshwari, Samuel Wickline, Kopperuncholan Namachivayam, Hua Pan

USF Patents

The present disclosure is directed to antithrombotic nanoparticles and methods of treating necrotizing enterocolitis.

Exploration Of Corona Charge As A Novel In Vitro Human T Cell Dna Transfection Method, Molly A. Skinner

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

With gene-based immunotherapies on the rise to treat a multitude of diseases, the ability to genetically modify cells in a rapid and efficient fashion is necessary to keep up with demand. Gene electrotransfer (gene transfer by electroporation) is an appealing transfection method due to its low cost, high efficiency compared to other physical forms of gene delivery, and low toxicity compared to liposomal or viral vectors.

Traditional gene delivery via electroporation is done within a cuvette where the cell suspension is placed between two plate electrodes. This method requires cells to be moved from the treatment cuvette to a growth …

Crow's Nest, October 9, 2023, Crow's Nest Staff

Crow's Nest

The October 9, 2023, issue of the Crow's Nest.

#1 On The U.S. Most Wanted List: Why The Push Is On To Ban The World’S Most Successful Startup From Academic, Government And Military Devices In The United States, Tom Waters

GNSI Publications

TikTok is a social media application that has amassed over 100 million users in the United States. Yet the Biden White House, like the Trump Administration before it, seeks to ban TikTok, or at least force it’s divestment from the parent company, Bytedance. For many the question is how can an app for sharing silly dance videos among teenagers be a national security threat? Unfortunately, the problem is considerably more complex than this simple question. TikTok’s unprecedented success comes from its powerful artificial intelligence-based algorithm.

That activity produces a comprehensive psychological profile of each user and tailors the queue of …

Ay 2023/2024 Sec Meeting Minutes, 2023-10-04, Faculty Senate

Faculty Senate Archives

No abstract provided.

Ay 2023/2024 Sec Agenda, 2023-10-04, Faculty Senate

Faculty Senate Archives

No abstract provided.

Practitioner Inquiry For Turbulent Times: Learning To Take An Inquiry Stance Toward Teaching Difficult Topics Through A Teacher Inquiry Community, Logan Rutten, Danielle Butville, Wendy Lane Smith, Boaz Dvir

Journal of Practitioner Research

Amid turbulent times and politically polarized communities, many teachers require support if they are to teach or engage with difficult topics in their curricula or professional practices, yet few teachers actually receive any formalized support for addressing such topics. This article responds by describing the work of an inquiry community of inservice educators that was designed to assist teachers in learning to address difficult topics by integrating practitioner inquiry and student inquiry with asset-based and trauma-informed lenses. The article outlines the community’s conceptual foundations then describes how a team of university-based teacher educators facilitated the community’s work. A participating teacher’s …

Nature-Based Solutions Workshop Report: Placencia, Belize (Report No. 3), Maya Trotz, Alex Webb, Amanda Brinton, Rebecca Zarger, Lisa Carne, Nadia Bood, Kris-An Hinds, Rory Mckenna, Sandy Fogg, Juliet Neal, Anne Guerry, C. G. Lasserre, David Gutierrez, Jess Silver, Tiara Moore, Mike Beck

Strong Coasts Collection

No abstract provided.

Virtual Urban Siege: Modern Urban Siege And Swarming In Culiacán 2019 & 2023, Daniel Weisz Argomedo, Nathan P. Jones, Ph.D., John P. Sullivan, Ph.D.

Journal of Strategic Security

Modern urban siege is a metaphor for evolved urban campaigns. The template for such attacks draws from the tactics seen in the 26/11 Mumbai attack in 2008, and continued with the 2013 Westgate Mall attack in Kenya, the January 2015 Charlie Hebdo and Hyper Cacher attacks in Paris and the November 2015 attacks against the Stade de France and Bataclan. These virtual sieges employ swarming tactics, techniques, and procedures (TTPs) to provide a template for urban strife and insecurity. This article provides an overview of terrorist swarming tactics, expanding the aperture to review the use of similar TTPs by criminal …