Digital Commons Network^™

The Cost Of Inter-Ethnic Conflicts In Ghana’S Northern Region: The Case Of The Nawuri-Gonja Conflicts, Emmanuel Debrah, Seidu Alidu, Isaac Owusu-Mensah

Journal of African Conflicts and Peace Studies

The article assesses the socio-economic and human repercussions of one of the fiercest ethnic conflicts in Ghana’s Northern Region on people and society. While Ghana remains a stable democracy, sporadic ethnic and chieftaincy conflicts have been a recurrent feature of the political process. Analyzing data from survey opinions and interviews from wide spectrum of respondents, the study noted that the Nawuri-Gonja conflicts have destroyed the fabric of the society leaving behind squalor, breakdown of healthcare, education and psychological trauma. Women and children have suffered rape assaults and unprecedented high rate of mortality due to malnourishments respectively. The plights of these …

The Weekly Challenger, September 1, 2016, The Weekly Challenger, Et Al

Weekly Challenger Newspaper Collection

The September 1, 2016, issue of The Weekly Challenger.

Emotional Self-Regulation: Voices And Perspectives Of Teachers Within Diverse Socio-Cultural Contexts, Anna Paula Peixoto Da Silva

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Given the importance of emotional self-regulation to a child’s ability to develop social competence and prosocial behavior, and the significant role early childhood teachers play in supporting young children’s emotional self-regulation, it is important to explore the concept from the perspective of teachers, or from the socio-cultural context through which they (i.e., teachers) make sense of the world.

This study used an exploratory case study methodology to explore the understandings of emotional self-regulation among three Head Start teachers working with varying socio-cultural contexts and to identify the socio-cultural perspectives that influenced their ability to effectively apply their understandings.

Findings indicate …

Moderation Analysis Of Bowel Function Among Nutrients And Physical Function Or Depression, As Well As Whether Bowel Function Is Related To Cognition In Older Adults, Jessie Alwerdt

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

As we age, the risk for gut issues, such as smooth muscle tone, may be an underlying indirect or direct cause or risk factor for many age-related issues, such as frailty. Consequences of decreased motility and depleted epithelial barrier may result in nutrient deficiencies that may increase the risk for malnutrition (Brownie, 2006). Further, there is increasing evidence that there is a gut-brain-axis relationship that may influence cognition and mental health issues, such as depression and anxiety. While there are relationships established, the interconnections of these factors have yet to be fully understood.

This dissertation examined several relationships specific to …

Full Issue 20(1/4)

International Journal of Speleology

No abstract provided.

Full Issue 10(1)

International Journal of Speleology

No abstract provided.

Antimalarial Exoerythrocytic Stage Drug Discovery And Resistance Studies, Lynn Dong Blake

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Malaria is a devastating global health issue that affects approximately 200 million people yearly and over half a million deaths are caused by this parasitic protozoan disease. Most commercially available drugs only target the blood stage form of the parasite, but the only way to ensure proper elimination is to treat the exoerythrocytic stages of the parasite development cycle. There is a demand for the discovery of new liver stage antimalarial compounds as there are only two current FDA approved drugs for the treatment of liver stage parasites, one of which fails to eliminate dormant forms and the other inducing …

Full Issue 5(1)

International Journal of Speleology

No abstract provided.

Full Issue 4(2)

International Journal of Speleology

No abstract provided.

Essays In Health And Development Economics, John Bosco Oryema

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation examines three health and development issues in Sub-Saharan Africa. It analyzes the impact of policy changes and interventions on child mortality, household food consumption and cesarean section births. The study is motivated by the Millennium Development Goals and policies which could affect their achievement. In the first essay, I investigate the impact of debt relief on under-five mortality rate. A dynamic panel data estimator is employed in the analysis. The result shows that debt relief is associated with a statistically significant reduction in under-five mortality rate. I conclude that conditionality of debt relief or development aid can yield …

Drivers Of Immune Cost And Implications For Host Protection From Parasites, Amber Jasmine Brace

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Among species, populations, and individuals, there exists a tremendous amount of variation in how hosts respond to, and are thus protected from parasites. Such variation inevitably affects host-parasite dynamics and ultimately how parasites will move through and evolve in communities. A likely factor in the diversity of immune responses seen in nature are the costs associated with activation of the immune system upon exposure to parasites. Costs can manifest in many ways, including changes in resource usage or metabolism, self-damage from inflammatory reactions, lost opportunities (e.g., foraging reproduction), and often as tradeoffs with other physiological processes. However, we do not …

Monitoring And Mitigation Of Elevated Co2 Impacts Using Microalgae, Terry-Rene Wiesner Brown

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Climate change is arguably the greatest environmental and economic challenge of our time. There are considerable documented and projected impacts to both human and natural systems as a result of climate change. These impacts include changes in temperature, sea level, precipitation patterns, and biogeography of ecologically and economically relevant species, including pathogens. One of the main drivers of climate change is elevated levels of atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO₂), a greenhouse gas. Since pre-industrial times, atmospheric CO₂ levels have increased from approximately 280 ppm to over 400 ppm, as a result of fossil fuel combustion, cement production and …

Quantitative Literacy At Michigan State University, 3: Designing General Education Mathematics Courses, Samuel L. Tunstall, Vincent Melfi, Jeffrey Craig, Richard Edwards, Andrew Krause, Bronlyn Wassink, Victor Piercey

Numeracy

In this paper, we describe the process at Michigan State University whereby we have created two courses, Math 101 and 102, designed to foster numeracy and alleviate mathematics anxiety. The courses--which are not sequential--provide a means of satisfying the University's general education requirement without taking college algebra or calculus, among other options. They are context-driven and broken into modules such as "The World and Its People" and "Health and Risk." They have been highly successful thus far, with students providing positive feedback on their interest in the material and the utility they see of it in their daily lives. We …

Words Matter: Discourse And Numeracy, Samuel L. Tunstall

Numeracy

Here I discuss elements of critical discourse analysis (CDA) and their importance in relation to quantitative literacy (QL). Through an overview of theory, synthesis of research, and examples, I argue that the discursive nature of textbooks has a nontrivial impact on students' mathematical dispositions - an important component of QL. In particular, texts are a means of disseminating the culture of mathematics, one which has a tendency to paint mathematics as esoteric and male-dominated. Such a characterization has profound implications for the numeracy community, one of which is that we cannot assume that changes in curriculum are sufficient for effecting …

Exploring The Relationship Of Healthy Lifestyle Characteristics With Food Behaviors Of Low-Income, Food Insecure Women In The United States (Us), Kimberly Ann Wollard

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Using data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) self-reported surveys from 2007-2012, this research explored the relationship between four healthy lifestyle characteristics - healthy weight, adequate daily fruit and vegetable intake, regular moderate to vigorous physical activity and not smoking - with food behaviors of low-income, food insecure women. The study examined three specific food behaviors (the use of SNAP, consumption of fast foods, and the utilization of community emergency food programs) to determine if these behaviors had a significant impact on low-income, food insecure women to follow healthy lifestyle characteristics. A secondary data analysis was conducted …

Assessment Of Prolonged Occupational Exposure To Heat Stress, Ximena Garzon-Villalba Garzon-Villalba

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Heat stress is a recognized occupational hazard present in many work environments. Its effects increase with increasing environmental heat loads. There is good evidence that exertional heat illness is associated with ambient thermal conditions in outdoor environments. Further, there is reason to believe that risk of acute injury may also increase with the ambient environment. For these reasons, the assessment of heat stress, which can be done through the characterization of the wet bulb globe temperature (WBGT), is designed to limit exposures to those that could be sustained for an 8-h day. The ACGIH Threshold Limit Value (TLV) for heat …

Sialylation And Cardiomyocyte Complex N -Glycosylation Protect Against Dilated Cardiomyopathy And Heart Failure, Wei Deng

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) is the third most common cause of heart failure, often associated with arrhythmias and sudden cardiac death if not controlled. Metabolic and/or environmental factors, such as alcohol abuse, obesity, diabetes and Chagas disease, alter glycoprotein glycosylation, can lead to DCM. Inherited genetic disease, such as the human congenital disorders of glycosylation (CDG), causes multi-system manifestations including DCM. Non-congenital changes in glycosylation are also occurred in humans with and in animal models of DCM and heart failure. However, mechanisms responsible for glyco-dependent DCM are not understood. Here we sought to investigate the impact of sialylation and N-glycosylation …

Social Dynamics And Ceramic Mobility Of Final Bronze Age Ceramics In Corsica (France): Elemental Analysis Using A Portable X-Ray Fluorescence Spectrometer, Aurelien Tafani

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The Corsican Bronze Age is characterized by the erection of massive stone towers, the torre, and of stone enclosures, the casteddi. While the role of these structures is still debated, they have generally been interpreted as the sign of a hierarchical society, pervaded by martial values and fragmented into competing antagonistic groups. After several centuries of stability, a sharp demographic decline occurred at the end of the Middle Bronze Age. ca. 1350 and 1200 BC. In contrast, the Final Bronze Age, between 1200 and 950 BC, is a period of continuous expansion, characterized by the appearance of new …

Diversity And Distribution Of Diatom Endosymbionts In Amphistegina Spp. (Foraminifera) Based On Molecular And Morphological Techniques, Kwasi H. Barnes

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Diatoms associated with foraminifers of the genus Amphistegina were assessed using a combination of morphological and molecular techniques. These included: 1) microscopic identification of diatoms cultured from the host, 2) sequencing of portions of the small subunit of the ribosomal RNA gene (18S) and the large subunit of the ribulose-1,5-bisphosphate carboxylase/oxygenase [i.e., RubisCO] gene (rbcL) from DNA extracted directly from the Amphistegina hosts and also from diatoms cultured from these hosts, and 3) denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE) profiles of rbcL and internal transcribed spacer 1 (ITS1) PCR amplicons from DNA extracted directly from …

Optimizing Methods For Extraction Of Organic Compounds From Molluscan Shells, Kaydee Jo West

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Mollusk shells contain proteins within and between the crystals of calcium carbonate. These organic molecules play an important role in biomineralization and shell function, and their stable isotope ratios of carbon and nitrogen are also thought to record important ecological information about the animal's diet and nutrient sources. These proteins can be preserved for millions of years, offering potential insight into pre-anthropogenic ecological conditions. However, shell organics in older shells are typically recovered in reduced abundances due to leaching and remaining organics are often converted from insoluble proteins to soluble, free amino acids, making them difficult to detect and recover. …

The Environmental Heritage And Wellness Assessment: Applying Quantitative Techniques To Traditional Ecological Knowledge And Wellness Relationships, Kristina Baines

Journal of Ecological Anthropology

This paper quantifies relationships between health and traditional ecological knowledge/practices in a Mopan Maya community in southern Belize, illuminating how changes in daily practices might be related to changes in wellness. Findings from statistical analyses of data related to household practices are presented. These data were collected using a Likert survey designed based on previously collected ethnographic and pile sort data related to health and heritage, and then administered to households in the community (n=64). The paper concludes that the data, while exploratory, show links between higher scores on both the health and heritage indices and warrant further engagement with …

The Weekly Challenger, June 16, 2016, The Weekly Challenger, Et Al

Weekly Challenger Newspaper Collection

The June 16, 2016, issue of The Weekly Challenger.

Ketone Esters For Treatment Of Angelman Syndrome, Edwin J. Weeber, Stephanie L. Ciarlone, Dominic P. D'Agostino

USF Patents

The invention concerns a method of treating Angelman Syndrome (AS) in a subject, comprising inducing ketosis in the subject by administering a therapeutically effective amount of a ketone ester, such as an R,S-1,3-butanediol acetoacetate ester, wherein administration of the ketone ester elevates the blood ketone level in the subject. Other aspects of the invention include a method of increasing cognitive function and/or motor function in a subject with AS; and a method of decreasing seizures and increasing the latency to seize in a subject with AS.

Cardiovascular Disease Risk Scores And Novel Risk Factors In Relation To Race And Gender, Johanna Wilson

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The use of cardiovascular risk scores remains the foundation for risk stratification to guide clinical management. Clinicians have access to several cardiovascular risk scores in practice settings. While having several risk scores with different risk factors may provide more information, it does not imply accuracy of the cardiovascular risk score used to calculate individual patient cardiovascular risk. The objective of this study was to compare the Framingham Risk score, Reynolds Risk scores, and the Pooled Cohort Risk Equation (3 commonly used equations) scores with respect to ability to predict cardiovascular events in a diverse ethnic population. Additionally, the potential predictive …

Home-Field Advantage? Evidence Of Local Adaptation Among Plants, Soil, And Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungi Through Meta-Analysis, Megan A. Rúa, Anita Antoninka, Pedro M. Antunes, V Bala Chaudhary, Catherine Gehring, Louis J. Lamit, Bridget J. Piculell, James D. Bever, Cathy Zabinski, James F. Meadow, Marc J. Lajeunesse, Brook G. Milligan, Justine Karst, Jason D. Hoeksema

Integrative Biology Faculty and Staff Publications

BACKGROUND: Local adaptation, the differential success of genotypes in their native versus foreign environment, arises from various evolutionary processes, but the importance of concurrent abiotic and biotic factors as drivers of local adaptation has only recently been investigated. Local adaptation to biotic interactions may be particularly important for plants, as they associate with microbial symbionts that can significantly affect their fitness and may enable rapid evolution. The arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) symbiosis is ideal for investigations of local adaptation because it is globally widespread among most plant taxa and can significantly affect plant growth and fitness. Using meta-analysis on 1170 studies …

Statistical Analysis And Modeling Health Data: A Longitudinal Study, Bhikhari Prasad Tharu

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Lung cancer has been considered one of the leading causes of deaths while cancer re- mains the second most common cause of deaths in the USA. Understanding the behavior of a disease over time could yield important information to make decisions about the disease. Statistical models could provide crucial clues and help to make a decision about the dis- ease, budget allocation, evaluation, and implement prevention. Longitudinal trend analysis of the diseases helps to understand long term effects and nature. Cholesterol level is one of the most contributing risk factors for Coronary Heart Disease. Studying cholesterol statistically helps to know …

Determining The Effectiveness Of Soil Treatment On Plant Stress Using Smart-Phone Cameras, Anurag Panwar

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Plants are vital to the health of our biosphere, and effectively sustaining their growth is fundamental to the existence of life on this planet. A critical aspect, which decides the sustainability of plant growth is the quality of soil. All other things being fixed, the quality of soil greatly impacts the plant stress, which in turn impacts overall health. Although plant stress manifests in many ways, one of the clearest indicators are colors of the leaves. In this thesis, we conducted an experimental study in a greenhouse for detecting plant stress caused by nutrient deficienceies in soil using smartphone cameras, …

Statistical Modeling Of Carbon Dioxide And Cluster Analysis Of Time Dependent Information: Lag Target Time Series Clustering, Multi-Factor Time Series Clustering, And Multi-Level Time Series Clustering, Doo Young Kim

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The current study consists of three major parts. Statistical modeling, the connection between statistical modeling and cluster analysis, and proposing new methods to cluster time dependent information.

First, we perform a statistical modeling of the Carbon Dioxide (CO₂) emission in South Korea in order to identify the attributable variables including interaction effects. One of the hot issues in the earth in 21st century is Global warming which is caused by the marriage between atmospheric temperature and CO₂ in the atmosphere. When we confront this global problem, we first need to verify what causes the problem then we …

A Comparative Analysis Of Demographics And Reported Preferential Learning Modes Of Florida And Non-Florida Osher Lifelong Learning Institutes Members, Jung Min Lee

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This research examined demographic factors and reported preferential learning mode among a sample of Florida Osher Lifelong Learning Institute (OLLI) members compared to a national sample profile of OLLI members. This study was prompted by an earlier study of OLLI members conducted by the National Resource Center (NRC) for OLLIs, which produced a national profile describing OLLI members. Although there was a national profile for OLLI members, there were no existing profiles of Florida OLLI members that could be used by OLLI administrators and instructors.

This study employed an online survey to compare data between the national OLLI member profile …

Impact Of An Active Educational Video Game On Children's Motivation, Science Knowledge, And Physical Activity, Haichun Sun, Yong Gao

Teaching and Learning Faculty Publications

Background: Active educational video games (AVGs) appear to have a positive effect on elementary school students' motivation leading to enhanced learning outcomes. The purpose of this study was to identify the effectiveness of an AVG on elementary school students' science knowledge learning, physical activity (PA) level, and interest-based motivation.

Methods: In this randomized controlled study, 53 elementary school students were assigned to an experimental condition or a comparison condition. The experimental condition provided an AVG learning environment, whereas the comparison condition was based on sedentary educational video games.

Results: The results of repeated measures analysis of variance (ANOVA) on the …