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Proceedings Of The Conference On Managing Tourism Across Continents: Volume 1, Cihan Cobanoglu, Ebru Gunlu Kucukaltan, Muharrem Tuna, Alaattin Basoda, Seden Dogan

University of South Florida (USF) M3 Publishing

This is the first volume of the Conference on Managing Tourism Across Continents Proceedings Series.

ISBN: 978-1-955833-01-1

Essays On Snap Participation, Bmi, And Food Purchasing Decisions, Samaneh Ghadyani

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation estimates the SNAP-eligible individuals’ Body Mass Index (BMI) changes by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA) in Chapter 1. It also examines whether the food packages’ nutrition fact tables’ refinements improve SNAP-recipients’ healthy food purchasing decisions in Chapter 2. Below, the summary of these chapters are provided:

• Chapter 1: The Effects of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 on the Body Mass Index (BMI) of SNAP-Eligible Individuals
• Chapter 2: Do Changes in the Nutrition Facts Labels Affect SNAP-Participants’ Food Purchasing Decisions?

Chapter 1 studies the effects of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act …

Educational Experiences Of Congolese Refugees In West-Central Florida High Schools, Michaela J. Inks

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Since 2016, refugees from the Congo Wars (RFCWs) have been one of the largestpopulations of refugees resettled in the United States. High-school aged RFCW students are, however, dropping out of Florida public high schools are alarmingly high rates. This study uses ethnographic methods such as interviews and participant observation to investigate educational challenges experienced by RFCW youth. This study has three objectives: to learn more about refugees with discontinuous education and the barriers to graduating from public high schools after resettlement; to better understand Tampa bay area programs that serve culturally and linguistically diverse (CLD) students; and to use ethnographic …

Book Review Of Eating Nafta: Trade, Food Policies, And The Destruction Of Mexico By Alyshia Gálvez, Laura Kihlstrom

Journal of Ecological Anthropology

This is a book review of the book 'Eating NAFTA: Trade, Food Policies, and the Destruction of Mexico' by Alyshia Gálvez.

Ethnic Heterogeneity Of Knowledge On Termites And Human Consumption In Southern Cameroon, Sevilor Kekeunou 75278164, Koche Moustapha, Christian Landry Djuideu Tchouamou, Mercy Bih Loh Achu, Barthelemy Ngameni, Constant Anatole Pieme, Joseph Lebel Tamesse

Journal of Ecological Anthropology

Termites are both pests and non-conventional food resources in Sub-Saharan Africa. Many are reluctant to eat them, and the reasons for this rejection are poorly known. This study examined level of knowledge, and acceptance by members of the 10 main ethnic groups of southern Cameroon. Most respondents (86 percent) were aware of termites as food with sixteen vernacular names in the study areas. Acceptance among ethnic groups for consumption varied between 96 percent and 8 percent of people in a group. Barriers included being raised to not eat termites, not having many opportunities to eat termites, and dislike of the …

Participatory Mapping With High-Resolution Satellite Imagery: A Mixed Method Assessment Of Land Degradation And Rehabilitation In Northern Burkina Faso, Colin Thor West, Elisabeth Kago Ilboudo Nébié, Aaron J. Moody

Journal of Ecological Anthropology

Sahelian West Africa is a region that has high population densities and that has frequent severe droughts and enormous pressure on natural resources. Because of these challenges, it is the place where the term desertification was originally coined. Recently, however, experts have identified large zones of greening where the amount of vegetation exceeds what one would expect based on rainfall alone. This pattern is well documented, but its mechanisms remain poorly understood. This research employs participatory mapping linked with high-resolution satellite imagery to better understand the human role behind regional vegetation trends. Through a case study of three communities in …

Making Change In The Nickel City: Food Banking And Food Insecurity In Buffalo, Ny During The Covid-19 Pandemic, Sarah E. Bradley

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

In March 2020, the coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic began to spread across the United States. The pandemic disrupted the food system in an unprecedented fashion, exacerbating existing inequalities and contributing to increased rates of food insecurity and charitable food use. This research project considers the food system of Buffalo, New York and seeks to capture the way in which both food insecure households and the food pantries that serve them adapted to the pandemic. Using data from 75 client surveys, 52 qualitative semi-structured interviews with food pantry staff and clients, and 15 participatory GIS mapping interviews, this mixed-methods project describes …

Understanding The Leaching Mechanism For Lead (Pb) Found In Components Of Locally Manufactured Handpumps In Eastern Madagascar, Nidhi Shah

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This research sought to determine the lead leaching mechanism impacted by an inorganic scale observed from lead valve weights of the pitcher pump systems used in Tamatave, Madagascar. Based on previous research, these valve weights are considered to be a major source for high lead levels in pump water consumed by the residents. As a part of the study, Raman Spectroscopy, X-ray Fluorescence Spectroscopy (XRF) and Energy Dispersive Spectroscopy with Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM-EDS) were performed to address the objectives of this research. The pump component samples for the analysis were selected based on the amount and visual characteristics of …

Young Adolescents’ Opportunity To Develop Concept Images Of Polygons In Middle School Mathematics Textbooks, Megan N. Cannon

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Young adolescents build notions of figures through experiences. When young adolescentsbegin middle school mathematics, they already have prior assumptions and conceptualizations about shapes (Herbst, Fujita, Halverscheid, & Weiss, 2017). Over years of experiences, interactions, and exposures with a particular concept, these students develop concept images consisting of all the visual information, pictures, mental images, or properties associated with the particular mathematical concept (Vinner, 1983). Seminal works in the field of mathematics education research found that without an opportunity to engage with varied representations, young adolescent students may not develop robust concept images (Aspinwall, Shaw & Presmeg, 1997; Hasegawa, 1997; Mesa, …

Delaying Latency To Seizure By Combinations Of Ketone Supplements, Csilla Ari D'Agostino, Dominic Paul D'Agostino, Jay B. Dean

USF Patents

Provided herein are compositions and methods for preventing central nervous system oxygen toxicity in a subject.

Inhibition Of Formation Of Amyloid B-Protein Fibrils Using Cactus Mucilage Extracts, Norma A. Alcantar, David Morgan, Zeinab Veisi, Leonid Breydo, Vladimir N. Uversky, Ryan G. Toomey, Tunan Peng, Eva Stephanie Lobbens

USF Patents

A method of slowing progression of an amyloid disease by administration of cactus mucilage extract from Opuntia ficus-indicia is presented. Both gelling and non-gelling cactus mucilage extracts were found to induce changes in the secondary structures of the amyloid beta peptides thus interfering with formation of Aβ fibrils and aggregation of Aβ fibrils into plaques.

Cultivating Courage: Medical Dramas And Portrayals Of Patient Self-Advocacy, Alyssa H. Harrell

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This study investigated the influence of medical dramas on perceptions of patient self- advocacy. With a purposeful sample of college students, the study explored perceptions of information seeking preferences of a medical drama patient. With a quasi-experimental design using an online questionnaire containing both qualitative and quantitative measures, the study was able to compare four unique variables to perceptions of the information seeking preferences of a medical drama patient. The study analyzed the influence that (1) medical drama exposure, (2) patient advocacy rating, (3) perceived realism of medical dramas, and (4) previous experience healthcare each had on college students’ perceptions …

The Distribution In Native Populations From Mexico And Central America Of The C677t Variant In The Mthfr Gene, Lucio A. Reyes

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Objectives: To explore evolutionary hypotheses for the high frequencies of a substitution in the methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase (MTHFR) gene, in Mexican and Central American Indigenous populations.

Materials and methods: We obtained allele frequencies for the C677T variant in the MTHFR gene and ecological information for 37 indigenous samples from Mexico and Central America. We calculated Hardy–Weinberg equilibrium and computed Fst statistics. We computed correlations between the samples' allele frequencies and ecological and geochemical variables.

Results: Many of the samples have extremely high frequencies of the T allele (q̄ = 0.62, median = 0.66). In this region, the frequency of the T …

Case Studies In Applied Behavior Analysis: Brain Breaks For Elementary Students And Using The Prevent-Teach-Reinforce (Ptr) Model To Increase On-Task Behavior In A Classroom Setting, Peyton L. Stipes

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Disruptive behavior in the classroom can harmfully impact students learning and hinder academic growth (Austin & Agar, 2005; Hartman & Gresham, 2016). The term disruptive behavior encompasses many different behaviors, but when used in the classroom it focuses on off-task behavior, noncompliance, talking out in class, aggression, leaving designated areas, and stereotypy (Celebreti et al., 1997; Folino et al., 2014 & Kern et al., 1982). Both antecedent and consequence-based interventions have been conducted in school settings in attempts to decrease disruptive behaviors and increase appropriate on-task academic behavior. Physical activity and antecedent manipulations have demonstrated empirical evidence that both interventions …

Crow's Nest, March 15, 2021, Crow's Nest Staff

Crow's Nest

The March 15, 2021, issue of the Crow's Nest.

Microbiological Study In A Gneissic Cave From Sri Lanka, With Special Focus On Potential Antimicrobial Activities, Ethige Isuru P. Silva, Pathmakumara Jayasingha, Saman Senanayake, Anura Dandeniya, Dona Helani Munasinghe

International Journal of Speleology

The emergence of antibiotic resistance is a global health crisis, thus the search for novel antimicrobial compounds has become a continuous necessity. Underexplored and extreme environments, such as cave ecosystems, have been identified as a promising potential source for the discovery of novel microorganisms with novel antimicrobial compounds (AMC). This study presents the first cave microbiological investigation in Sri Lanka, with a special preference for bioprospecting of novel AMC. The cave sediment characterization demonstrated the presence of close to strong acidic conditions (pH 3.1 – 3.3) and thus indicates the possibility of isolating acidophilic microorganisms. Eight cave wall/ceiling fungal strains …

Eating And Body Image Disorders In The Time Of Covid19: An Anthropological Inquiry Into The Pandemic’S Effects On The Bodies, Theresa A. Stoddard

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This thesis examines how the COVID-19 pandemic and its associated lifestyle changes are impacting the experiences of self-identifying women and females with body image disorders (BIDs) and/or eating disorders (EDs), focusing on the mental, physical, and emotional health of participants. Using surveys, person-centered semi-structured interviews, and autoethnography, I collected qualitative and quantitative data regarding the challenges, triumphs, hopes, and fears of participants regarding their EDs/BIDs during the pandemic and situated their experiences within their sociocultural context. Drawing on anthropological and psychological theory, I examine the data through the lenses of Scheper-Hughes’s and Lock’s “The Three Bodies” (the body politic, body …

The Relationship Between New Graduate Registered Nurse Knowledge, Experiences, Attitudes, And Age Bias Toward The Older Adult, Michelle Fox

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

There had been a lack of research on the relationship between a new graduate Registered Nurses’ knowledge, experiences, attitudes, and age bias toward older adults. The purpose of this study was to investigate whether there was a relationship between new graduate Registered Nurses’ knowledge, experiences, attitudes, and age bias toward older adults.

The researcher used correlational, non-experimental, quantitative design for this study. The instruments used in this study were the Facts on Aging Quiz, the Kogan Attitude Toward Old People scale, and a demographic questionnaire. Descriptive statistics were used to analyze the demographic data and correlation coefficients were used to …

The Weekly Challenger, March 4, 2021, The Weekly Challenger, Et Al

Weekly Challenger Newspaper Collection

The March 4, 2021, issue of The Weekly Challenger.

The Weekly Challenger, February 4, 2021, The Weekly Challenger, Et Al

Weekly Challenger Newspaper Collection

The February 4, 2021, issue of The Weekly Challenger.

Success And Sustainability Of Sponsored International Development Programs In Education: A Narrative Inquiry, Sara Beth Leikin

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

In a 2008 working paper published by the U.S. Agency for International Development, the authors lamented that, despite billions of dollars in investment in global education initiatives, access to education had been improved in targeted areas, but the return on investment with regards to learning outcomes was “much less impressive” (Gillies & Jester Quijada, 2008). From 2012-2017, USAID engaged in the Egypt STEM Schools Project (ESSP) along with four partner organizations with the goal of building model science and mathematics public schools that would challenge the educational status quo by providing students with hands-on, constructivist learning and providing an alternative …

The Weekly Challenger, January 7, 2021, The Weekly Challenger, Et Al

Weekly Challenger Newspaper Collection

The January 7, 2021, issue of The Weekly Challenger.

The Discovery Of New Deep-Sea Hydrothermal Vent Communities In The Southern Ocean And Implications For Biogeography, Alex D. Rogers, Paul A. Tyler, Douglas P. Connelly, Jon T. Copley, Rachael James, Robert D. Larter, Katrin Linse, Rachel A. Mills, Alfredo Naveira Garabato, Richard D. Pancost, David A. Pearce, Nicholas V. Polunin, Christopher R. German, Timothy Shank, Philipp H. Boersch-Supan, Belinda J. Alker, Alfred Aquilina, Sarah A. Bennett, Andrew Clarke, Robert J. Dinley, Alastair G. C. Graham, Darryl R. Green, Jeffrey A. Hawkes, Laura Hepburn, Ana Hilario, Veerle A. Huvenne, Leigh Marsh, Eva Ramirez-Llodra, William D. Reid, Christopher N. Roterman, Christopher J. Sweeting, Sven Thatje, Katrin Zwirglmaier

Marine Science Faculty Publications

Since the first discovery of deep-sea hydrothermal vents along the Galápagos Rift in 1977, numerous vent sites and endemic faunal assemblages have been found along mid-ocean ridges and back-arc basins at low to mid latitudes. These discoveries have suggested the existence of separate biogeographic provinces in the Atlantic and the North West Pacific, the existence of a province including the South West Pacific and Indian Ocean, and a separation of the North East Pacific, North East Pacific Rise, and South East Pacific Rise. The Southern Ocean is known to be a region of high deep-sea species diversity and centre of …

Bioactive Trace Metals And Their Isotopes As Paleoproductivity Proxies: An Assessment Using Geotraces-Era Data, T. J. Horner, S. H. Little, T. M. Conway, J. R. Farmer, J. E. Hertzberg, D. J. Janssen, A. J. M. Lough, J. L. Mckay, A. Tessin, S. J. G. Galer, S. L. Jaccard, F. Lacan, A. Paytan, K. Wuttig, Geotraces–Pages Biological Productivity Working Group Members

Marine Science Faculty Publications

Phytoplankton productivity and export sequester climatically significant quantities of atmospheric carbon dioxide as particulate organic carbon through a suite of processes termed the biological pump. Constraining how the biological pump operated in the past is important for understanding past atmospheric carbon dioxide concentrations and Earth's climate history. However, reconstructing the history of the biological pump requires proxies. Due to their intimate association with biological processes, several bioactive trace metals and their isotopes are potential proxies for past phytoplankton productivity, including iron, zinc, copper, cadmium, molybdenum, barium, nickel, chromium, and silver. Here, we review the oceanic distributions, driving processes, and depositional …

Nutrition Risk And Validation Of An Hiv Disease-Specific Nutrition Screening Tool In Ghana, Lauri Wright, Maxwell Bisala Konlan, Laurene Boateng, James B. Epps

Mental Health Law & Policy Faculty Publications

Objectives: The objectives of this study were to assess the nutritional status and the most commonly reported nutrition-related factors contributing to nutritional risk in people living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHA) in Ghana and the specificity and sensitivity of the Rapid Nutrition Screening for HIV disease tool (RNS-H) in this population.

Design: A cross-sectional design was utilised. Patients were screened for nutritional status during a one-week period by clinic nurses using the RNS-H. Results were compared with a comprehensive nutritional assessment by a dietitian.

Setting: The research was conducted in a public health clinic at the University of Ghana Hospital, Legon.

Subjects: …

Natural Resources To Control Covid-19: Could Lactoferrin Amend Sars-Cov-2 Infectivity?, Ehab H. Mattar, Fatma Elrashdy, Hussein A. Almehdar, Vladimir N. Uversky, Elrashdy M. Redwan

Molecular Medicine Faculty Publications

The world population is still facing the second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic. Such a challenge requires complicated tools to control, namely vaccines, effective cures, and complementary agents. Here we present one candidate for the role of an effective cure and/or complementary agent: lactoferrin. It is the cross-talking mediator between many organs/cellular systems in the body. It serves as a physiological, immunological, and anti-microbial barrier, and acts as a regulator molecule. Furthermore, lactoferrin has receptors on most tissues cells, and is a rich source for bioactive peptides, particularly in the digestive system. In the past months, in vitro and in …

Simple And Efficient Protocol For Immunoglobulin Y Purification From Chicken Egg Yolk, Elrashdy M. Redwan, Abdullah A. Aljadawi, Vladimir N. Uversky

Molecular Medicine Faculty Publications

Besides being a common food component broadly consumed worldwide, egg yolk immunoglobulin Y (IgY) has essential therapeutic potentials. In fact, in a time of ever-increasing risk of antibiotic resistance, it is crucial to find new ways to battle infection, and oral administration of preformed specific antibodies represents one of the most attractive approaches against infection. Infectious diseases of bacterial and viral origin in humans and animals can be controlled and passively cured by orally applied IgYs isolated from chicken egg yolks. Despite multiple obvious advantages of oral administration of IgY, harvesting IgY from egg yolk in a pure form is …

Structural Modeling Of The Treponema Pallidum Outer Membrane Protein Repertoire: A Road Map For Deconvolution Of Syphilis Pathogenesis And Development Of A Syphilis Vaccine, Kelly L. Hawley, Jairo M. Montezuma-Rusca, Kristina N. Delgado, Navreeta Singh, Vladimir N. Uversky, Melissa J. Caimano, Justin D. Radolf, Amit Luthra

Molecular Medicine Faculty Publications

Treponema pallidum, an obligate human pathogen, has an outer membrane (OM) whose physical properties, ultrastructure, and composition differ markedly from those of phylogenetically distant Gram-negative bacteria. We developed structural models for the outer membrane protein (OMP) repertoire (OMPeome) of T. pallidum Nichols using solved Gram-negative structures, computational tools, and small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS) of selected recombinant periplasmic domains. The T. pallidum “OMPeome” harbors two “stand-alone” proteins (BamA and LptD) involved in OM biogenesis and four paralogous families involved in the influx/efflux of small molecules: 8-stranded β-barrels, long-chain-fatty-acid transporters (FadLs), OM factors (OMFs) for efflux pumps, and T. pallidum repeat proteins …

Analytic Hierarchy Process: An Innovative Technique For Culturally Tailoring Evidence-Based Interventions To Reduce Health Disparities, Jaime A. Corvin, Isabella Chan, Claudia X. Aguado, Ian Dollman, Junius Gonzales

Global Health Faculty Publications

Latinos in the United States represent a disproportionate burden of illness and disease and face barriers to accessing health care and related resources. Culturally tailored, evidence-based interventions hold promise in addressing many of these challenges. Yet, ensuring patient voice is vital in the successful development and implementation of such interventions. Thus, this paper examines the application of analytic hierarchy process (AHP) to inform the augmentation and implementation of an evidence-based chronic disease self-management programme for underserved Latinos living with both minor depression and chronic illness. The process of AHP allows for direct input from the individuals that would utilize such …

Adequately Reflecting The Severity Of Tropical Cyclones Using The New Tropical Cyclone Severity Scale, Nadia Bloemendaal, Hans De Moel, Jantsje M. Mol, Priscilla R.M. Bosma, Amy Polen, Jennifer M. Collins

School of Geosciences Faculty and Staff Publications

For decades, meteorologists and governments have been warning communities in coastal areas for an imminent tropical cyclone (TC) using the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale (SSHWS). The SSHWS categorizes a TC based on its maximum wind speed, and is used in defining evacuation strategies and humanitarian response. However, the SSHWS considers only the wind hazard of a TC, whereas a TC can also cause severe conditions through its high storm surges and extreme rainfall, triggering coastal and inland flooding. Consequently, the SSHWS fails to mirror the TC's total severity. This becomes evident when looking at past events such as Hurricane Harvey …