Digital Commons Network^™

Synthesis Of Tools For The Investigation And Treatment Of Infectious Diseases, Grant Lawrence

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Modern medicine’s ability to treat a wide array of diseases is due mainly to the development of small-molecule drug discovery. Thousands of years of traditional medicines have been dwarfed in less than a hundred years. In addition, drug discovery has becoming a more consistent process with the introduction of the clinical trials process as well.Plasmodium is a genus of tropical parasites that have the potential to wreak havoc on billions of people globally. Current methods of drug discovery aimed at defeating these parasites require expensive assays that use radioactive material. By using an alkyne-labeled agent instead of a tritium-labeled agent, …

Exposure Characteristics Of Environmental Chemicals By Life Stages, Nisha Vijayakumar

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Environmental chemicals are ubiquitous and can contribute to human exposure. These exposures can result in long-term health consequences if they occur in early life. However, exposures to environmental chemicals are not evenly distributed throughout childhood. As a result, there exists variation in the levels of chemical exposure depending on the developmental stages, pathways of exposure, and broader systemic factors. However, in early life, limited research exists on exposures to environmental chemicals, particularly phthalates, pesticides, and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). In addition, environmental exposures to phthalates, pesticides, and PAHs, considering life stages, have not been fully explored. Hence it is imperative …

From Counter-Strike To Counterterrorism: How The Cheater Reconfigures Our Understanding Of Asymmetric Warfare, Enya C. Silva

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Around the turn of the century, as the United States increased its military presence in the Middle East in what was widely known as the War on Terror, computer games were also rising in popularity. Military inspired narratives and settings are very common in video games, especially in the genre known as the first person shooter – characterized by a single player, first person point of view. Alexander Galloway provides a vocabulary for understanding the video game, and the first person shooter in particular, derived from the framework of game studies. Scholarship around video games usually either seeks to affirm …

Ay 2023/2024 Sec Agenda, 2023-07-12, Faculty Senate

Faculty Senate Archives

No abstract provided.

Ay 2023/2024 Sec Meeting Minutes, 2023-07-12, Faculty Senate

Faculty Senate Archives

No abstract provided.

Machine Learning Approach For Static Ransomware Analysis, Aldin Vehabovic

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Ransomware is a form of malware which uses encryption methods to make data inaccessible to legitimate users. This cyberthreat has emerged as one of the most serious security challenges today, and a wide range of ransomware families have been developed and deployed, causing immense damage to governments, corporations, and private users. As this malware type continues to expand, governments across the world are taking serious steps to limit its reach. In addition, researchers have proposed a range of ransomware detection and attribution schemes, most of which use advanced machine learning (ML) techniques to process and analyze real-world empirical data from …

Aotearoa New Zealand, The Forcible Transfer Of Tamariki And Rangatahi Māori, And The Royal Commission On Abuse In Care, David B. Macdonald

Genocide Studies and Prevention: An International Journal

This article investigates to what extent the forcible transfer of tamariki and rangatahi Māori (Indigenous children and youth) in Aotearoa New Zealand can be considered genocide. First, I begin by exploring contemporary genocide theory as it relates to dolus eventualis in settler colonial contexts, before engaging with precedents for recognizing Indigenous genocides established by truth commissions in Canada (2015; 2019) and Australia (1997). I then explore the history around Indigenous child removal in Aotearoa from the onset of colonization to the present day, attentive to ways in which the UN Convention can apply to the forced removal of Māori children. …

Why China Cares About Canada’S Indigenous Residential Schools: From Whataboutism To Internal Denial, Xiyuan (Marvin) Xia

Genocide Studies and Prevention: An International Journal

This article examines how the Chinese government and its propaganda departments use genocide-related discourses to fulfil different political purposes at home and abroad. By criticizing Western colonialist regimes’ assimilation policies, especially Canada’s Indigenous residential schools, the Chinese diplomats apply the rhetoric of whataboutism to dodge the international community’s questions about China’s systematic persecution of Uyghur Muslims. Domestically, China’s state media intensively cover Canada’s residential school system and the colonial genocide against Indigenous people, trying to distract the audience from the state atrocities in Xinjiang and mislead the public to distrust Canada and other countries’ motives for accusing China of committing …

Optimizing The Membrane-Assisted Recovery Of Solids (Mars) Technology For Nutrient Removal And Recovery From Concentrated Waste Streams, Ben Yamin Hoque

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The effective management of nutrients, such as nitrogen and phosphorus, in decentralizedwastewater treatment environments is a pressing challenge. These nutrients pose significant risks to the environment and public health when discharged into water bodies, while their recovery and reuse can help alleviate nutrient shortages in various industries, including agriculture. Conventional biological treatment methods used in centralized facilities are not suitable for decentralized systems due to operational complexities and space limitations. Chemical treatment mechanisms, such as adsorption, ion exchange, precipitation, and air-stripping, offer potential solutions but are accompanied by challenges like high costs and logistical issues. Therefore, finding a sustainable and …

Defining A Factor-Induced Signaling Signature For Endothelial Tubulogenesis, Sprouting, And Pericyte Recruitment, Prisca Kuanting Lin

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Endothelial cells (ECs) form the inner lining of blood capillary walls. Our laboratory has developed a serum-free, defined Factor system that allows for human ECs to sprout, form lumens and tube networks, recruit pericytes, and induce capillary basement membrane deposition in 3D extracellular matrices. We have shown that the Factor system drives morphogenesis through the activation of multiple signaling pathways; however, we do not know if all factors in the Factor system are needed to induce maximal EC morphogenesis. If so, we have yet to identify why the Factors are critical to the model other than that they induce activation …

Forum, Volume 47, No. 2, Summer 2023, Florida Humanities, Pam Daniel

FORUM: The Magazine of Florida Humanities

Contents: Letter from the Executive Director -- From the Secretary of State -- From the Editor -- Humanities Live -- Voices -- Treasure -- Oral History -- Sense of Place -- One for the Books -- The Way of the Trailer -- Saving Sanibel -- Freedom Spring -- Taste of Florida -- The Quiz

Exploring Bhutanese Primary School Teachers’ Technological Knowledge, Sonam Dhendup, Kezang Sherab

Journal of Global Education and Research

The COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted the normal functions of schools globally. Online learning is a new concept in Bhutan. Nonetheless, classes have begun using various online learning platforms to continue their operations during the pandemic. This study examined primary school teachers’ perceived information technology knowledge and proficiency. The participants of this study consisted of 124 primary teachers from two western districts of Bhutan. Data were collected using an online survey. The study’s findings suggested that although the majority of participants (98.2%) had access to personal digital devices, slow internet connection and high internet data subscription charges (60.7%) were cited as …

Improving Global Competence In Classroom-Based Experiential Learning Activities, Juyoung Lee, Caroline Kobia, Jihyeong Son

Journal of Global Education and Research

The purpose of this research was to develop learning activities to improve global competence for a classroom-based course in the field of clothing and textiles and explore how those activities affected the global competence of college students. To achieve this goal, the researchers proposed the following objectives: (a) develop learning activities on global competence and (b) explore the influences of newly proposed learning activities on the global competence of college students. The authors analyzed students’ reflective essays to identify themes through constant comparative analysis. The authors found participants learned about the Japanese culture through diverse aspects of global competence—affective, cognitive, …

A Taxonomy Of Radiofrequency Jamming And Spoofing Strategies And Criminal Motives, Tegg Westbrook

Journal of Strategic Security

This article provides a taxonomy of radiofrequency (RF) jamming and spoofing tactics and strategies associated with specific criminal objectives. This is based on the fact that the motivations and strategies of cyber-attackers – predominantly financial – is well-known, but the motivations behind specific electromagnetic interferences is lacking in the current literature. Previous research has also overlooked the motivations of other actors using jamming and spoofing devices.

The objective is to identify the most desirable spoofing and jamming strategies, likely targets, and likely motivations. The article finds that (a) previous literature on the subject overlooks a number of non-state actor motives, …

How Post-Immunization Covid-19 Context Affected Residents’ Evacuation Behavior During Hurricane Ida, Amy Polen, Jennifer Collins, Elizabeth Dunn, Stephen Murphy, Isabelle Jernigan, Killian Mcsweeney, Yi Jie Zhu

School of Geosciences Faculty and Staff Publications

Since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, decision-making during disasters fundamentally changed to accommodate the combined risks of hurricanes and infectious diseases. Prior research conducted in 2020 by Collins et al. examined how individuals changed their intended evacuation decision-making during the pandemic or their actual evacuation decisions during Hurricanes Laura and Sally. Hurricane Ida provided further data on evacuation decision-making when vaccinations and masks were widely available. A digital survey was disseminated to individuals affected by Hurricane Ida in 2021. Respondents provided information about their actual evacuation choices and perceptions of public shelters and COVID-19 risks. In comparison with the …

Disrupting Deterrence Signaling: Examining The Fifth Wave Of Technology’S Impact, Brendan Balestrieri

Journal of Strategic Security

A critical component of deterrence is signaling, or how states communicate desired images of themselves and their intentions.[i] While scholars advocate for a re-examination of classical deterrence theories in light of the emergence of artificial intelligence (AI) and autonomous systems, some view the impact of AI and autonomy as a force that will diminish human agency as a component of deterrence and interactions between nations. This article argues the contrary and posits that the emergence of AI and autonomous systems will magnify the importance of human agency by enabling decision-makers to more accurately gauge credibility, will-to-fight factors, and the …

Counterterrorism Law And Policy In The United Kingdom, Canada, And Australia: A Comparative Perspective, Nadav Morag

Journal of Strategic Security

This article looks at the similarities and differences in British, Canadian, and Australian counterterrorism laws and policies. Canada and Australia are contrasted with the United Kingdom because their respective approaches to counterterrorism are based on the British approach, and yet have evolved to take into account differences in the nature and scope of the threat and the differing styles of governance in place in Canada and Australia. The article looks at each country in the context of: counterterrorism laws; detention and disruption practices; investigatory approaches; intelligence and law enforcement institutions; and the treatment of foreign fighters. The article then draws …

Desperate And Opportunistic: Cbrn Terrorists And Civilian Radiological Material, Oliver Mihell-Hale

Journal of Strategic Security

Chemical, Biological, Radiological, and Nuclear (CBRN) terrorism has long been a threat that has concerned policy makers. This paper highlights the factors which determine when a group is likely to use CBRN weapons given the numerous constraints on their use. A group which is desperate, small, and innovative is most likely to resort to their use as the taboos which constrain groups under normal circumstances become an incentive. These characteristics also determine what type of CBRN weapon will be used, a basic radiological weapon. A radiological weapon is relatively easy to develop compared to other options, and the material for …

The Brave New World Of Third Party Location Data, Shelby Brennan, Stephen Coulthart, Brian Nussbaum

Journal of Strategic Security

The use of third-party location data (3PLD)—geospatial data captured by smart devices and sold by ‘data brokers’—for intelligence and investigations is increasing each year. This data source provides opportunities for analysts and decision makers to better understand as well as counter a host of security threats from common criminals to terrorists. However, and like other emerging and potent sources of intelligence like social media intelligence (SOCMINT), 3PLD must also be wielded legitimately by the government. We argue that the in the US context the legal framework surrounding these data is unclear. Due to the legal ambiguity as well as technological …

How Putin's Cyberwar Failed In Ukraine, Austen D. Givens, Max Gorbachevsky, Anita C. Biernat

Journal of Strategic Security

As Russian military forces surged across the Ukrainian border in February 2022, cybersecurity analysts shared predictions about the ways in which the Russian government would use cyberattacks to thwart Ukrainian defenses. Some government agencies and private sector organizations forecast that the Russians would launch a blitz of devastating electronic attacks against Ukrainian critical infrastructure targets, such as electrical power plants and air traffic control networks, crippling the country. While Russian cyberattacks have played a role in the conflict, their effects to date have been significantly less than what some analysts anticipated. But why? This article examines how analysts’ most extreme …

Fixing American Cybersecurity Ed. Larry Clinton, Georgetown University Press, 2023., Mark T. Peters Ii

Journal of Strategic Security

No abstract provided.

Trafficking Data: How China Is Winning The Battle For Digital Sovereignty. By Aynne Kokas. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2022., Chris Bronk, Ph.D.

Journal of Strategic Security

No abstract provided.

Understanding How Cancer Adapts To Stress And Therapy Using Evolutionary Game Theory, Mariyah Pressley

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Adaptive responses in cancer promote disease initiation, progression, and resistance to treatment. Understanding the underlying evolutionary dynamics behind these adaptive responses is crucial for developing effective therapeutic strategies. Evolutionary game theory (EGT) has proven a useful tool in analyzing how different cellular behaviors and evolutionary forces shape the dynamics of tumor growth, response to therapy, and the emergence of resistance. In this dissertation, we utilize EGT to understand the adaptive responses of cancer through the lens of ecology and evolution. By employing fitness-generating models and exploring various ecological contexts, we aimed to unveil critical factors influencing aggressive cell phenotypes, treatment …

The Relationship Between First-Year Expectations And Persistence For Students Who Self-Identify As Having Not Declared A Major, Shane Combs

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This research aligned with protocols established by the Florida Board of Governors in 2016 to form a new funding model tied to the institution's performance. The literature review highlighted a disparity between students' expectations and the reality of college which could negatively impact persistence, and therefore funding to the institution. This quantitative study utilized the Beginning of College Survey of Student Engagement (BCSSE) to explore the correlation between incoming, undeclared FTIC students' expectations of co-curricular involvement, faculty interaction, and learning support services utilization and their persistence to the end of the second fall semester. The sample consisted of 1,042 respondents …

Visualizing Empire: Advancing Roman Archaeology In Sicily And Malta Through 3d Digitization And Spatial Technologies, Stephan N. Hassam

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation addresses the negative effects of data fragmentation and heterogeneity on the Roman archaeology of Malta and Sicily. Roman period villas in Sicily and Roman period ceramics in Malta have both been marginalized within scholarship on Roman archaeology due to historical processes, bureaucratic organizations, and different academic trajectories and cultures. Digital technologies, especially 3D digitization and spatial information are well poised to address the fragmentation of these two contexts from wider discussions on the Roman Mediterranean. The dissertation introduces two long term projects, the E-unification of the De Piro Collection (EDPC) and the Digital Atlas of Roman Sicily – …

Zinc-Mediated Reductive Acylation And Silylation Of Various P-Quinone Derivatives, Katrinah I. Tirado

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Quinones are compounds containing cyclohexadiene diones and can be found in a variety of biological systems. Quinones participate in redox cycling to initiate the formation of free radicals which contributed to their overall biological activity. When quinones are reduced by either biological or chemical reductants, they can become unstable and undergo autoxidation back to their quinoidal form. One way to avoid autoxidation is the use of protected hydroquinones. Many protected hydroquinones in literature have been shown to be efficient in drug delivery as probes or molecular containers or they can act like prodrugs to be released into active forms to …

Climate Of A Cave Laboratory Representative For Rock Art Caves In The Vézère Area (South-West France), Delphine Lacanette, Léna Bassel, Fabien Salmon, Jean-Christophe Portais, Bruno Bousquet, Rémy Chapoulie, Faten Ammari, Philippe Malaurent, Catherine Ferrier

International Journal of Speleology

Leye Cave (Dordogne, France) is a laboratory cave in the Vézère area, a region that contains some of the most famous rock art caves in the world such as Lascaux, Font-de-Gaume and Combarelles, and is listed as Human World Heritage by UNESCO. Leye Cave was selected because it is representative of painted caves, with respect to parameters such as its geological stage, the presence of water and carbon dioxide, the geological state of its walls, and the size of the cave. These wall states are studied to better understand the conditions of conservation of rock art caves without damaging them. …

Stakeholder-Based Problems In The Local Benefit Chain Of Tourism: A Study In Adıyaman, Elif Arica

Journal of Mediterranean Tourism Research

The geographical movement of large human societies is the phenomenal phenomenon of our time. This mobility is also a social event, and the cause-effect relationship has an impact area extending from the individual to the general. Similarly, tourism as a system is complex. Each element constituting this system operates on the axis of different purposes and processes and affects the tourism system. Based on this starting point, this study aims to examine tourism development problems in Adıyaman. In the research, data were collected from eight (8) tourism stakeholders between 05.01.2022 and 15.02.2022 by semi-structured interview method. The data were analyzed …

Bibliometric Analysis Of Academic Publications On Tourism And Humor, Omur N. Timurcanday Ozmen, Songul Gokhan

Journal of Mediterranean Tourism Research

The aim of this study is to examine academic publications related to tourism and humor by using bibliometric analysis method. Research data were collected using the Elsevier Scopus bibliometric database. In this context, 90 data, including articles, papers and book chapters at international level, were found in the search carried out on Scopus. Maxqda 2022 package program was used to analyze and visualize the obtained data. As a result, it was observed that publications on tourism and humor were relatively few between 1989 and 2007, and an increase in the number of publications between 2019-2022. The majority of publications are …

Withaferin A And Immune Checkpoint Blocker Therapy For The Treatment Of Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer, Roukiah Khalil

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Lung cancer is the first cause of cancer-related deaths in both men and women with an overall five-year survival rate of 28%. Although immune checkpoint blockers (ICBs) are currently FDA-approved for the treatment of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), only 17-20% of patients achieve durable responses by the induction of immunologic memory. The lack of response in most patients can be attributed to the tumor-intrinsic or tumor-extrinsic immune resistance mechanisms. A biomarker of importance is the Programmed Death Ligand-1 (PD-L1), as higher PD-L1 expression is usually associated with a better response to ICBs. Although studies have attempted to combine ICBs …