Digital Commons Network^™

Social Supports, Stress And Birth Outcomes Among Latina Mothers In Pinellas County, Florida, Maridelys Detres

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Social supports are linked in public health research to improved birth outcomes. This study explored the relationship of social supports, stress and birth outcomes among pregnant Latinas in Pinellas County, Florida. A sample of 411 Healthy Start women at risk of poor birth outcomes participated in this study (99 Latinas, 142 Black, and 158 White). Study methods included ANOVA, Principal Component Analysis, multivariable regression, logistic regression, and structural equation modeling to identify significant associations between social support scores, stress scores, demographics and health risk factors with infant birth weight, preterm and small for gestational age by ethnic group. Study findings …

Subterranean Systems Provide A Suitable Overwintering Habitat For Salamandra Salamandra, Monika Balogová, Dušan Jelić, Michaela Kyselová, Marcel Uhrin

International Journal of Speleology

The fire salamander (Salamandra salamandra) has been repeatedly noted to occur in natural and artificial subterranean systems. Despite the obvious connection of this species with underground shelters, their level of dependence and importance to the species is still not fully understood. In this study, we carried out long-term monitoring based on the capture-mark-recapture method in two wintering populations aggregated in extensive underground habitats. Using the POPAN model we found the population size in a natural shelter to be more than twice that of an artificial underground shelter. Survival and recapture probabilities calculated using the Cormack-Jolly-Seber model were very …

Neighborhood Deprivation, Food Insecurity And Gestational Weight Gain, Sabrina Luke

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Gestational weight gain outside the recommended ranges puts women at risk for pregnancy complications and adverse birth outcomes. Food insecurity and environmental factors including neighborhood deprivation may influence gestational weight gain. This research 1) examines the impact of neighborhood deprivation on gestational weight gain, 2) identifies if the association varies by selected maternal characteristics, 3) examines the relationship between food insecurity and gestational weight gain, 4) determines if stress mediates the relationship between food insecurity and gestational weight gain, and 5) examines whether selected maternal characteristics mediate this relationship. The research was conducted through the analysis of the Pregnancy Risk …

Krillbase: A Circumpolar Database Of Antarctic Krill And Salp Numerical Densities, 1926–2016, Angus Atkinson, Siemon L. Hill, Evgeny A. Pakhomov, Volker Siegel, Ricardo Anadon, Sanae Chiba, Kendra L. Daly, Rod Downie, Sophie Fielding

Marine Science Faculty Publications

Antarctic krill (Euphausia superba) and salps are major macroplankton contributors to Southern Ocean food webs and krill are also fished commercially. Managing this fishery sustainably, against a backdrop of rapid regional climate change, requires information on distribution and time trends. Many data on the abundance of both taxa have been obtained from net sampling surveys since 1926, but much of this is stored in national archives, sometimes only in notebooks. In order to make these important data accessible we have collated available abundance data (numerical density, no. m⁻² ) of postlarval E. superba and salp individual (multiple …

Aposematism: An Alternative Hypothesis On How We Discover Medicinal Organisms, Nemer E. Narchi

Journal of Ecological Anthropology

The most widely accepted theories as to how primates select medicinal organisms are based on smelling-tasting bitter, and most of the times toxic, plants (Etkin & Ross, 1982; Johns, 1990). In primates, however, the senses of smell and taste are not as dominant as vision, an evolutionary trait which has been proven to be one of the most favored. I present a perspective claiming that aposematism, the conspicuous coloration displayed by toxic organisms, may play an important role in human recognition of medicinal organisms. This paper represents an open invitation for ecological anthropologists and ethnobiologists to generate empirical data that …

Quantitative Literacy For The Future Flourishing Of Our Students: A Guiding Aim For Mathematics Education, Samuel L. Tunstall

Numeracy

In this essay, I examine the extent to which mathematics education and education for quantitative literacy support students’ present and future flourishing, a concept that entails realizing objective goods in a life lived from the inside. This perspective requires disentangling philosophical assumptions about the aims of mathematics education, which—in the context of flourishing—I take to be a hybrid of those that have informed curricular discussions over the past two centuries. In the process, I problematize ("make strange") many of the common reasons given for students learning mathematics, including: learning it for one’s career, for one’s logical reasoning skills, or …

Fostering Scientific And Numerate Practices In Journalism To Support Rapid Public Learning, Louise Yarnall, Michael Andrew Ranney

Numeracy

Journalism has the potential––and arguably the mandate––to expand public understanding of societally important phenomena. However, some methods for more effectively educating the public have been persistently underutilized: in particular, embedding informative numerical rates and efficient scientific explanations in news reports. In the current era of disrupting and downsizing the news business, the challenges to using such methods have only increased. To address this problem, this article seeks to (a) raise awareness about the psychological reasons that help explain why it is crucial to use such elements in news reports, and (b) exhibit some methods for doing so that require modest …

2017 Football Media Guide, University Of South Florida. Athletic Communications Office, Brian Siegrist, Tom Zebold

Football Media Guides

The media guide for the University of South Florida's (USF) 2017 football season. Included are sections on the 2017 season outlook, player biographies, coaches and staff, a 2016 season review, program records, program history, and information on USF Athletics. The Bulls finished the season with a 10-2 record.

2017 Football Team Guide, University Of South Florida. Athletic Communications Office, Brian Siegrist, Tom Zebold

Football Media Guides

The team guide for the University of South Florida's (USF) 2017 football season. Included are sections with the schedule, coaches, players, Raymond James Stadium, and others. The Bulls finished the season with a 10-2 record.

Permafrost Organic Carbon Mobilization From The Watershed To The Colville River Delta: Evidence From 14C Ramped Pyrolysis And Lignin Biomarkers, Xiaowen Zhang, Thomas S. Bianchi, Xingqian Cui, Brad E. Rosenheim, Chien-Lu Ping, Andrea J. M. Hanna, Mikhail Kanevskiy, Kathryn M. Schreiner, Mead A. Allison

Marine Science Faculty Publications

The deposition of terrestrial-derived permafrost particulate organic carbon (POC) has been recorded in major Arctic river deltas. However, associated transport pathways of permafrost POC from the watershed to the coast have not been well constrained. Here we utilized a combination of ramped pyrolysis-oxidation radiocarbon analysis (RPO ¹⁴C) along with lignin biomarkers, to track the linkages between soils and river and delta sediments. Surface and deep soils showed distinct RPO thermographs which may be related to degradation and organo-mineral interaction. Soil material in the bed load of the river channel was mostly derived from deep old permafrost. Both surface and …

Hormone Factors Play A Favorable Role In Female Head And Neck Cancer Risk, Dana Hashim, Samantha Sartori, Carlo La Vecchia, Diego Serraino, Luigino Dal Maso, Eva Negri, Elaine Smith, Fabio Levi, Stefania Boccia, Gabriella Cadoni, Hung N. Luu, Yuan-Chin Amy Lee, Mia Hashibe, Paolo Boffetta

Epidemiology and Biostatistics Faculty Publications

Due to lower female incidence, estimates of exogenous and endogenous hormonal factors in head and neck cancers (HNCs, comprising cancers of the oral cavity, oropharynx, hypopharynx, and larynx) among women have been inconsistent and unable to account for key HNC risk factors. We pooled data from 11 studies from Europe, North America, and Japan. Analysis included 1572 HNC female cases and 4343 controls. Pooled odds ratios (ORs) estimates and their 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were calculated using multivariate logistic regression models adjusting for tobacco smoking and alcohol drinking. Lower risk was observed in women who used hormone replacement therapy (HRT) …

Parasite Microbiome Project: Systematic Investigation Of Microbiome Dynamics Within And Across Parasite-Host Interactions, Nolwenn M. Dheilly, Daniel Bolnick, Seth Bordenstein, Paul J. Brindley, Cédric Figuères, Edward C. Holmes, Joaquín Martínez Martínez, Anna J. Phillips, Robert Poulin, Karyna Rosario

Marine Science Faculty Publications

Understanding how microbiomes affect host resistance, parasite virulence, and parasite-associated diseases requires a collaborative effort between parasitologists, microbial ecologists, virologists, and immunologists. We hereby propose the Parasite Microbiome Project to bring together researchers with complementary expertise and to study the role of microbes in host-parasite interactions. Data from the Parasite Microbiome Project will help identify the mechanisms driving microbiome variation in parasites and infected hosts and how that variation is associated with the ecology and evolution of parasites and their disease outcomes. This is a call to arms to prevent fragmented research endeavors, encourage best practices in experimental approaches, and …

Quantifying The Effect Of Pathways On The Distribution Of Cynipid Galls In Florida Pine Flatwood, Christine R. Leonard

USF St. Petersburg campus Honors Program Theses (Undergraduate)

This study will attempt to add to our collective knowledge of the Cynipid species of southwest Florida, as well as provide evidence to either support or refute the generally held notion that sampling should be done away from any trails or roads. Subsequent studies within similar areas will therefore be better informed as the most accurate sampling methods.

Dna Methylation As A Mechanism For Caste System Determination In Solenopsis Invicta: Do The Genes Determine The Queen?, Kristen E. Walker

USF St. Petersburg campus Honors Program Theses (Undergraduate)

The emerging field of epigenetics seeks to study the interactions of the environment and other factors on gene expression in organisms. Epigenetic mechanisms involve modification to the DNA and/or surrounding structures, resulting in the activation or repression of gene expression. One epigenetic mechanism, DNA methylation, involves the addition of a methyl group to carbon 5 of cytosines in CpG dinucleotide regions in vertebrates and possibly other phyla. Vertebrate genomes tend to be globally methylated, whereas genes tend to be the target of methylation in insects. Genomic analyses of the order Hymenoptera revealed the evolutionary persistence of DNA methylation in social …

Cognitive Training Enhances Auditory Attention Efficiency In Older Adults., Jennifer L. O'Brien, Jennifer J. Lister, Bernadette A. Fausto, Gregory K. Clifton, Jerri D. Edwards

USF St. Petersburg Campus Faculty Publications

Auditory cognitive training (ACT) improves attention in older adults; however, the underlying neurophysiological mechanisms are still unknown. The present study examined the effects of ACT on the P₃b event-related potential reflecting attention allocation (amplitude) and speed of processing (latency) during stimulus categorization and the P1-N1-P2 complex reflecting perceptual processing (amplitude and latency). Participants completed an auditory oddball task before and after 10 weeks of ACT (n = 9) or a no contact control period (n = 15). Parietal P₃b amplitudes to oddball stimuli decreased at post-test in the trained group as compared to those …

A Sustainability Index For Small Island Developing States., Philip Van Beynen, Fenda A. Akiwumi, Kaya Van Beynen

USF St. Petersburg Campus Faculty Publications

This paper proposes a novel approach to measuring the progress of Small Island Developing States (SIDS) towards sustainable development (SD) as set by the UN Sustainable Development Goals 2030. Currently, these goals do not provide adequate guidance on how countries might measure their progress towards sustainability. We use these goals and a subset of their targets to develop an index with concrete targets, through the use of pertinent sustainability indicators, that SIDS should aim to achieve a sustainable society. In addition to the three categorical pillars of sustainable development (social, economic, and environmental), we included the category Climate Change and …

Exergame Grading Scheme: Concept Development And Preliminary Psychometric Evaluations In Cancer Survivors, Hsiao-Lan Wang, Chiung-Ju Liu, Marcus Kilpatrick, Heather Jim, Susan Mcmillan, Nisha Vijayakumar, Sally Mcdonald, Tapan Padhya, Jeffery Russell, Karen Vondruska, Constance Visovsky

Nursing Faculty Publications

The challenge of using exergames to promote physical activity among cancer survivors lies in the selection of the exergames that match their fitness level. There is a need for a standardized grading scheme by which to judge an exergame’s capacity to address specific physical fitness attributes with different levels of physical engagement. The study aimed to develop an Exergame Grading Scheme and preliminarily evaluate its psychometric properties. Fourteen (14) items were created from the human movement and exergame literature. The content validity index (CVI) was rated by content experts with two consecutive rounds ( and independently). The interrater reliability (IRR) …

Improvised Courtship Feeding By An Osprey (Pandion Haliaetus) Pair, James R. Thomas

Florida Field Naturalist

No abstract provided.

Emerging Endotypes Of Chronic Rhinosinusitis And Its Application To Precision Medicine, Dae Woo Kim, Seong H. Cho

Internal Medicine Faculty Publications

Chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS) is a heterogeneous inflammatory disease with various underlying pathophysiologic mechanisms which translate to endotypes, in contrast to clinical phenotypes or histological subtypes. Defining endotypes can help clinicians predict disease prognosis, select subjects suitable for a specific therapy, and assess risks for comorbid conditions, including asthma. Therefore, with recent advancement of biologicals in CRS clinical trials, endotyping can be a breakthrough in treating recalcitrant CRS. CRS is caused by dysregulated immunologic responses to external stimuli, which induce various inflammatory mediators from inflammatory cells, including innate lymphoid cells (ILCs) and T lymphocytes as well as epithelial cells. Thymic stromal …

The Acceleration Of Dissolved Cobalt's Ecological Stoichiometry Due To Biological Uptake, Remineralization, And Scavenging In The Atlantic Ocean, Mak A. Saito, Abagail E. Noble, Nicholas Hawco, Benjamin S. Twining, Daniel C. Ohnemus, Seth G. John, Phoebe Lam, Tim M. Conway, Rod Johnson, Dawn Moran, Matthew Mcilvin

School of Geosciences Faculty and Staff Publications

The stoichiometry of biological components and their influence on dissolved distributions have long been of interest in the study of the oceans. Cobalt has the smallest oceanic inventory of inorganic micronutrients and hence is particularly vulnerable to influence by internal oceanic processes including euphotic zone uptake, remineralization, and scavenging. Here we observe not only large variations in dCo:P stoichiometry but also the acceleration of those dCo:P ratios in the upper water column in response to several environmental processes. The ecological stoichiometry of total dissolved cobalt (dCo) was examined using data from a US North Atlantic GEOTRACES transect and from a …

Front Matter, Ontario Birds

Ontario Birds

No abstract provided.

Hippocampal Cholinergic Neurostimulating Peptide As A Possible Modulating Factor Against Glutamatergic Neuronal Disability By Amyloid Oligomers, Toyohiro Sato, Yoshiaki Ohi, Daisuke Kato, Masayuki Mizuno, Hiroshi Takase, Tetsuko Kanamori, Cesar V. Borlongan, Akira Haji, Noriyuki Matsukawa

Neurosurgery and Brain Repair Faculty Publications

Despite having pathological changes in the brain associated with Alzheimer's disease (AD), some patients have preserved cognitive function. A recent epidemiological study has shown that diet, exercise, cognitive training, and vascular risk monitoring interventions may reduce cognitive decline in at-risk elderly people in the general population. However, the details of molecular mechanisms underlying this cognitive function preservation are still unknown. Previous reports have demonstrated that enriched environments prevent the impairment of hippocampal long-term potentiation (LTP) through β2-adrenergic signals, when LTP is incompletely suppressed by synthetic amyloid-β (Aβ) oligomers. The cholinergic network from the medial septal nucleus (MSN) is also a …

2017 Softball Media Guide, University Of South Florida. Athletic Communications Office, Lindsey Morrison

Softball Media Guides

The media guide for the 2017 University of South Florida softball season. Included are sections with a season outlook, coaches and staff, player biographies, previous season review, program records and history, and USF Athletics.

Positive Association Between Toxoplasma Gondii Igg Serointensity And Current Dysphoria/Hopelessness Scores In The Old Order Amish: A Preliminary Study, Abhishek Wadhawan, Aline Dagdag, Allyson Duffy, Maureen Groer, Melanie L. Daue, Braxton D. Mitchell, Kathy A. Ryan, Toni I. Pollin, Lisa A. Brenner, John W. Stiller, Xuemei Huang, Christopher A. Lowry

Nursing Faculty Publications

Toxoplasma gondii (T. gondii) IgG seropositivity and serointensity have been previously associated with suicidal self-directed violence (SSDV). Although associations with unipolar depression have also been investigated, the results have been inconsistent, possibly as a consequence of high heterogeneity. We have now studied this association in a more homogeneous population, [that is (i.e.) Old Order Amish (OOA)] with previously reported high T. gondii seroprevalence. In 306 OOA with a mean age of 46.1±16.7 years, including 191 (62.4%) women in the Amish Wellness Study, we obtained both T. gondii IgG titers (by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay [ELISA]), and depression screening questionnaires …

Carbon Dioxide Versus Room Air Insufflation During Balloon-Assisted Enteroscopy: A Systematic Review With Meta-Analysis, Ashok Shiani, Seth Lipka, Andrew Lai, Andrea C. Rodriguez, Christian M. Andrade, Ambuj Kumar, Patrick Brady

Internal Medicine Faculty Publications

Background and study aims: Carbon dioxide (CO2) insufflation has been suggested to be an ideal alternative to room air insufflation to reduce trapped air within the bowel lumen after balloon assisted enteroscopy (BAE). We performed a systematic review and meta-analysis to assess the safety and efficacy of utilizing CO2 insufflation as compared to room air during BAE.

Patients and methods: The primary outcome is mean change in visual analog scale (VAS; 10 cm) at 1, 3, and 6 hours to assess pain. Secondary outcomes include insertion depth (anterograde or retrograde), adverse events, total enteroscopy rate, diagnostic yield, mean anesthetic dosage, …

Annual Security And Fire Safety Report, 2017-2018, University Of South Florida St. Petersburg. University Police Services.

Crime Reports, Alerts, and Information

The annual security and fire safety report for the University of South Florida St. Petersburg's campus for 2017-2018. This report satisfied requirements under the Clery Act.

Abortion Facility Closings And Abortion Rates In Texas, Troy Quast, Fidel Gonzalez, Robert Ziemba

Community and Family Health Faculty Publications

From 2004 to 2014, the overall abortion rate in Texas fell by almost a third from 10.7 to 7.2 abortions per 1000 women aged 10 to 49 years. During this same period, the number of abortion clinics operating at least 6 months in the year fell from 40 to 27. We examined the relationship between the abortion rate and the proximity of abortion facilities. We matched annual, county-level data on abortion rates in Texas from 2004 through 2014 with the distance from the county centroids to the nearest abortion facility in operation. Linear regressions were used to estimate the association …

Modified Qigong Breathing Exercise For Reducing The Sense Of Hunger On An Empty Stomach, Alexander P. Voroshilov, Alex A. Volinsky, Zhixin Wang, Elena V. Marchenko

Mechanical Engineering Faculty Publications

Background: The aims of this study were to determine whether a modified Qigong breathing exercise can reduce the sense of hunger and identify possible mechanisms.

Methods: The results from the test group, which performed the exercise, are compared with the control group, which performed deep breathing. Intestinal pressure measurements, stomach pH monitoring, and participant surveys were used for assessment.

Results: Stomach pH was increased by 3 (0.2) and intestinal pressure was reduced by 12 (0.5) mm Hg in the experimental group and did not change significantly in the control group. The study provides strong evidence that the exercise can significantly …

Reorienting Health Services To People With Chronic Health Conditions: Diabetes And Stroke Services In Malaysia, Sri Lanka And Thailand, Vasoontara Yiengprugsawan, Judith Healy, Hal Kendig, Malinee Neelamegam, Palitha Karunapema, Vijj Kasemsup

Epidemiology and Biostatistics Faculty Publications

This paper explores whether middle-income Asian countries are reorienting their health services in response to non-communicable diseases (NCDs). Malaysia, Sri Lanka, and Thailand were selected as case studies of Asian societies experiencing rapid increases both in NCDs and an aging population. While NCD programs, especially those related to diabetes and stroke, are well-established in Thailand, health services struggle to respond to increasing numbers of people with chronic health problems. Health services at all levels must plan ahead for more patients with chronic and often multiple conditions who require better integrated health care.

Reassessment Of Different Criteria For Diagnosing Post-Hepatectomy Liver Failure: A Single-Center Study Of 1683 Hepatectomy, Yongchang Zheng, Huayu Yang, Li He, Yilei Mao, Yilei Mao, Hanze Zhang, Haitao Zhao, Shunda Du, Yiyao Xu, Tianyi Chi, Haifeng Xu, Xin Lu, Xinting Sang, Shouxian Zhong

Epidemiology and Biostatistics Faculty Publications

Assessing the incidence and severity of post-hepatectomy liver failure (PHLF) can be based on different criteria, and we wished to compare the diagnostic efficiency and specificity of different PHLF criteria. Data from patients (n=1683) who received hepatectomies in the liver surgery department of Peking Union Medical College Hospital from April 2008 to August 2014 were retrospectively analyzed. Possible PHLF patients were screened according to the criteria of the International Study Group of Liver Surgery (ISGLS). Subsequently, other PHLF evaluation methods, including Child-Pugh score, “50-50” criteria, Model for End-Stage Liver Disease (MELD) score, and Clavien-Dindo classification were used to assess the …