Digital Commons Network^™

Security-Enhanced Serial Communications, John White, Alexander Beall, Joseph Maurio, Dane Fichter, Dr. Matthew Davis, Dr. Zachary Birnbaum

Military Cyber Affairs

Industrial Control Systems (ICS) are widely used by critical infrastructure and are ubiquitous in numerous industries including telecommunications, petrochemical, and manufacturing. ICS are at a high risk of cyber attack given their internet accessibility, inherent lack of security, deployment timelines, and criticality. A unique challenge in ICS security is the prevalence of serial communication buses and other non-TCP/IP communications protocols. The communication protocols used within serial buses often lack authentication and integrity protections, leaving them vulnerable to spoofing and replay attacks. The bandwidth constraints and prevalence of legacy hardware in these systems prevent the use of modern message authentication and …

An Experimental Study Of Negative Performance Feedback: Consideration Of A Cognitive Pathway And Individual Difference Factors, Ansley M. Bender

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Negative performance feedback is relatively common and may be related to negative mental health outcomes, but there is a lack of sufficient experimental research. Further, little is known about the pathway by which effects emerge, or factors that may enhance or attenuate resilience to the effects of negative performance feedback. There is preliminary support for a cognitive pathway through appraisals of falling short of standards, but this specific model remains untested. Likewise, research suggests that perfectionism and positive future thinking may affect resilience in the context of negative performance feedback. The present study was among the first to experimentally test …

Teaching Social-Emotional Learning (Sel) In A Pandemic, Charley Todd, Tori L. Colson, Moriah Smothers

Journal of Practitioner Research

Teaching Social and Emotional Learning (SEL) has become increasingly more common in the American school system, and many districts have adopted curricula or strategies to promote its usage. Research has continued to show that students receive various short- and long-term benefits when SEL is taught in the classroom. However, the COVID-19 pandemic changed how SEL instruction was given, and the implications are far-reaching. The purpose of this study is to describe the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on how SEL was taught. In addition, the study identifies challenges and possible solutions to ensure that SEL is taught during incredibly challenging …

Investing In Connection: Exploring The Online Graduate Student Experience, Michelle Vaughan

Journal of Practitioner Research

Within the context of online learning, there are challenges presented by the virtual medium that may lead to diminished experiences in learning. Without a physical connection or the ability to feel the support from your teacher, online students can be left isolated, and the pedagogy can easily slip into an execution of tasks as opposed to a pedagogy of care. My inquiry into the online graduate student experience began with a survey to understand how online graduate students describe their experiences as an online learner and their relationships with their instructors. A thematic analysis of their responses revealed themes regarding …

Rethinking In-School Suspension Through Restorative Practices, Lacey Bass, Rachel E. Gaines

Journal of Practitioner Research

This self-study focuses on the implementation of restorative practices (RP) with high school students assigned in-school suspension (ISS) for violating school rules. The investigation focuses on the use of two restorative practices (community circles and digital modules) as modes of restoration and behavioral change. Analysis of school disciplinary records and teacher reflections indicate that, overall, students were less likely to be referred to ISS again after completing the RP program and remained invested in meeting their behavioral goals. The success of the program appeared to be rooted in the ways the teacher built trusting, collaborative relationships through community circles and …

Empowering Success: Evaluating The Impact Of The Umatter Inclusive Postsecondary Education Program For Students With Intellectual Disabilities, Fabrizio Petrozzi

USF St. Petersburg campus Honors Program Theses (Undergraduate)

This thesis evaluates the impact of the Eileen Hoffman Hafer UMatter Program, an inclusive postsecondary education (IPSE) initiative at the University of South Florida, on the self-determination and potential employment outcomes of students with intellectual disabilities. Drawing on existing research demonstrating the benefits of inclusive postsecondary education, the study examines the first cohort of six UMatter students using The Arc’s Self-Determination Scale (SDS) to measure changes in autonomy, self-regulation, psychological empowerment, and self-realization over a two-year period. Statistical analyses of pre- and post-program assessments revealed significant increases in self-determination across all measured domains, with highly significant improvements observed in raw …

Gnsi Decision Brief: Hunger As A Weapon, Tad Schnaufer, David Himmelgreen

GNSI Decision Briefs

Overview

Maslow’s hierarchy of needs places physiological needs as the foundation of all others.i The needs of food, water, and shelter are referred to as objects indispensable to survival (OIS). A person will think of little else until these basic needs are met, hence the power OIS have over populations. The concept of hunger as a weapon dates to the beginning of written history with Homer’s Iliad describing the siege of Troy. In war, military leaders often consider foodstuffs as it relates to their war effort while analyzing ways to use this basic need against their foe. As the quote …

Negationist Denialism In The "Comfort Women" Issue In Japan, Tetsushi Ogata

Genocide Studies and Prevention: An International Journal

This article deals with the pervasive and entrenched nature of Japanese denialism on wartime memories, mainly focusing on the “comfort women” issue. It argues that a lens of “negationism” is more beneficial to address entrenched denialism. The net effect of denialism has been to perpetuate binary identity constructs, the deniers and the denied, one side re-engineering social relations to dominate and continue dominating the other. Conventional approaches to counter such denialism have relied heavily on truth-seeking and justice-dispensing mechanisms, but they are inept at addressing negationist denialism. The article explores a post-atrocity model of narrative and identity to go beyond …

Enhancing The Battleverse: The People’S Liberation Army’S Digital Twin Strategy, Joshua Baughman

Military Cyber Affairs

No abstract provided.

Operationalizing Deterrence By Denial In The Cyber Domain, Gentry Lane

Military Cyber Affairs

No abstract provided.

Anime Popularity In The Market Place: Why Choose Anime Over Cartoons, Nicholas Morrow

USF St. Petersburg campus Honors Program Theses (Undergraduate)

This thesis explores the growing popularity of anime in the global entertainment marketplace and examines why consumers increasingly choose anime over traditional Western cartoons and television programming. Through a review of historical, cultural, and scholarly literature, as well as an analysis of fan opinions gathered from online sources, the study investigates the factors that make anime an appealing form of entertainment. Findings indicate that anime’s popularity is driven primarily by its distinctive visual artistry, compelling storytelling, and well-developed characters. The research argues that anime benefits from Japan’s high-context cultural approach to communication, which emphasizes symbolism, atmosphere, visual detail, and nuanced …

Efficacy Of Tetris In Reducing Fear Response To Horror Films, Alivia Kelley

USF St. Petersburg campus Honors Program Theses (Undergraduate)

Experiencing horror on screen is a cathartic experience that employs the essential human emotion of fear. Many people are too afraid to watch horror movies. Viewing a horror movie is intended to invoke an acute fear response, but this response can extend for more than 90 minutes. Horror movies invoke a fear response that makes the sight on the screen indistinguishable from a real threat. This fear response can invoke PTSD-like trauma symptoms, such as flashbacks. Tetris has been used to alleviate these intrusive memories by overriding the traumatic visual stimulus with a visuospatial distraction increasing the cognitive load. Horror …

“You Don’T Seek Help, You Are Just Thankful For The Things The Country Provides For You.” The Emotional Burden Of Growing Up Undocumented In The United States, Melanie Anne Escue

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

For over a decade, the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program has provided more than 800,000 undocumented young adults with the ability to lawfully reside in the United States. Despite the program’s benefits, DACA falls short of offering long-term security and full societal integration. Over the past few years, political and legal attacks on the DACA program (e.g., actions of the former Trump administration, 2017 DACA recission, ongoing court proceedings) have made visible the precarious nature of the program and threatened the futures of young adults protected under the program. While prior studies have found that the growing anti-immigrant …

The Weekly Challenger, April 20, 2023, The Weekly Challenger, Et Al

Weekly Challenger Newspaper Collection

The April 20, 2023, issue of The Weekly Challenger.

System And Method For Multimodal Spatiotemporal Pain Assessment, Peter Randolph Mouton, Sammie Lee Elkins, Md Sirajus Salekin, Dmitry Goldgof, Yu Sun, Thao Ho, Ghadh Alzamzmi

USF Patents

A computer-based system and method for generating a current pain assessment of a neonate using facial expressions along with crying sounds, body movement, and vital signs changes and for using the current pain objective assessment to predict future pain objective assessment and assign a future pain probability score by incorporation spatiotemporal data into the multimodal assessment.

Crow's Nest, April 17, 2023, Crow's Nest Staff

Crow's Nest

The April 17, 2023, issue of the Crow's Nest.

Article, Draining Paradise: A Tour Of Salt Creek In St. Petersburg, Florida, April 12, 2023, Thomas Hallock

Creekshed: City Wilds

An article by Thomas Hallock about Salt Creek in St. Petersburg, Florida.

“They’Re Still Trying To Wrap Their Head Around Forever”: An Anatomy Of Hope For Spinal Cord Injury Patients, William A. Lucas

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation draws on ethnographic data to investigate the nature of spinal cord injury (SCI) rehabilitation in Central Florida, using participant observation and interview data to understand how people with SCI (pwSCI) conceptualize their own disabilities after experiencing such radical alterations in their subjectivities. Using case studies and ethnographic vignettes, it argues that the extreme double binds in which pwSCI find themselves (where they are personally ordinarily disabled and socially extraordinarily novel; and where they are enabled resources to pursue “hopeful” therapy modalities while being designated as hopelessly disabled) is further polarized by the various legislative regimes of truth in …

Exploring Epilepsy Care: A Literature Review, Heba Daas

Honors Thesis and Capstone Projects

Epilepsy is a rare and a chronic, non-transmissible condition that can affect all ages. Particularly, myoclonic seizures is an uncommon medical condition where a few of the population are affected (Michelucci, 2016). Hence, understanding clinicians' decisions in assessing the chronic problem is critical. The context of this thesis is intended for an audience who are interested in exploring medical research and for exploring written medical literature based on a topic on a rare medical condition. This thesis also provides an exploration on how specific instrumentation may be used as a diagnostic criterion. Specifically, used for providing context for how myoclonic …

Transition To Higher Education In A College Assistance Migrant Program: Students’ Perception Of Purpose, Mark R. Lane-Holbert

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The 21st century world is increasingly globalized and interconnected, and migration is a reality that substantially impacts the US educational system, and often requires specialized services for migrant students to successfully transition to higher education. While higher education has many benefits, it also presents inherent risks and challenges for students from migrant families, whose academic and life experiences may be vastly different from traditional college students. Federal collegiate transition programs like the College Assistance Migrant Program (CAMP) recognize this and aim to support students holistically throughout their transition to higher education. Such programs are in continual search of effective ways …

The Weekly Challenger, April 6, 2023, The Weekly Challenger, Et Al

Weekly Challenger Newspaper Collection

The April 6, 2023, issue of The Weekly Challenger.

Modern Cognitive Operations And Hybrid Warfare, Yuriy Danyk, Chad M. Briggs

Journal of Strategic Security

Concepts of cognitive warfare and operations are explored in the context of hybrid warfare, including how cyber technologies promote greater asymmetric opportunities for influence, control, and undermining of one’s adversary. Research areas are analyzed in the interconnection with hybrid cognitive operations. The purpose of the article is to study the features and theoretical and applied substantiation of cognitive actions in cyberspace and through cyberspace and their possible consequences within the framework of hybrid conflicts.

Forum, Volume 47, No. 1, Spring 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 -- Oral History -- Sense of Place -- Treasure -- Opa! -- The Bounty Hunter -- Hard Times -- Liquid Gold -- Eat. Drink. Remember. -- Classics of Cuisine -- By Design -- Taste of Florida -- The Quiz

Pillage As The Political Economy Of The Kurdish Anfal Genocide, Kaziwa Salih

Genocide Studies and Prevention: An International Journal

Scholars are critical of how economists overlook “the questions of genocide,” and of how legislatures have not paid adequate attention to the subject of looting, except in the case of the Armenian genocide. This article, informed by interdisciplinary perspectives, uses government documents, data, and semi-structured interviews to discuss the overlooked triangle of looting, economics, and the Anfal genocide of the Kurds in Iraq. The study refuses to limit itself only to the eight stages of the Anfal genocide that started in 1988, and instead offers data on its preliminary phases which occurred earlier in the 1980s. It then discusses the …

China's Strategic Devaluing Of American Social Capital, Garrett Martin

Journal of Strategic Security

The information technology era has opened a myriad of new battlespaces through which nations engage each other. China has advanced their “three warfares” doctrine – political warfare, public opinion warfare, and legal warfare – behind a robust and aggressive economic agenda. Direct financial investment and tightly controlled access to both their large consumer market and cheap labor force has given them considerable leverage in key sectors of American industry, particularly those in the communication sphere. The narrative crafting capabilities increasingly acquired by China are beginning to appear as genuine cultural hegemony. This indicates an ability to shape the American collective …

Teaching Behavioral Contingencies To Young Children With Asd Using Contingency Mapping, Marqueline Cenatus

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) often exhibit problem behavior in schools, which negatively impacts their educational outcomes. Unfortunately, teachers continue to have difficulty addressing problem behavior in the classroom. Contingency mapping is a visual representation of the contingencies for engaging in a desired and undesired behaviors, which has been found to improve student behavior in the classroom setting. The current study examined the use of the contingency mapping intervention for young children with ASD. Specifically, the study examined the extent to which the contingency mapping intervention result in a decrease of off-task behavior during natural classroom activities. Three young …

Exploring Time-Varying Extraneous Variables Effects In Single-Case Studies, Ke Cheng

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The effect of time-varying extraneous variables has been studied in other statistical analyses such as using Kaplan–Meier or Cox regression analysis in survival analyses. Nonetheless, the effect of modeling versus not modeling individual specific time varying extraneous variables has not been explored in multiple-baseline single case designs through Monte Carlo simulation studies. Therefore, in my dissertation, I used simulation methods to explore for a variety of conditions (varying in the number of participants, number of observations per participant, type of extraneous variable effect, size of the true intervention effect) the impact of extraneous variables on bias and standard error of …

Standing Her Ground: Legal Constraints On Women Who Have Been Victims Of Violence, Janae E. Thomas

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Women who have been the victim of violence have always been at a disadvantage under the laws in the United States because these laws stem from a patriarchal, sexist, heteronormative, and racist ideology under which this country was founded. Self- defense laws have shown to be no different and serve as a constraint to women who attempt to protect themselves at the hands of an abuser. This dissertation focuses on women who have been the victim of violence at the hands of an abuser to show that the law is not doing an adequate job of protecting them. It accomplishes …

Factors To Consider For Effective Implementation Of Aac With Students With Autism: Saudi Special Education Teachers’ Perspectives, Mazen Abdurhman Almethen

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This qualitative study aimed to explore the perceptions of Saudi special education teachers regarding teaching minimally verbal students with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and factors facilitating the use of Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) system in their classroom. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with five Saudi special education teachers. Teachers were from three schools at the General Directorate of Education in Unaizah, Saudi Arabia. The findings were analyzed by using thematic analysis. Findings revealed that Saudi special education teachers faced many challenges when teaching students with ASD who have minimal verbal abilities which includes expression difficulties, challenging behavior, and teacher-related challenges. …

Please Don’T Label Me: An Examination Of Black-Owned Labels And How A Positive Consumer Activism Movement May Have A Negative Outcome, Khalia C. Jenkins

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The Covid-19 crisis that began in 2020 brought to light many societal issues as people had time to sit and reflect. One of these issues is the systemic injustices against African Americans, which were highlighted after the death of George Floyd. This event re-ignited the Black Lives Matter movement amongst U.S. citizens of all races and within corporations. While some companies pledged to donate to various Black causes, others opted to empower Black businesses economically by supporting the Buy-Black Movement. One of the ways they are accomplishing this goal is by adding a Black-owned label to products and businesses. While …