Digital Commons Network^™

Status Of The White-Winged Parakeet (Brotogeris Versicolurus) In Southeast Florida, Avery Chan

Florida Field Naturalist

No abstract provided.

Cover, Florida Field Naturalist

Florida Field Naturalist

No abstract provided.

Fos Special Publications, Florida Field Naturalist

Florida Field Naturalist

No abstract provided.

Thirty-First Report Of The Florida Ornithological Society Records Committee: 2022-2023, Andrew Kratter

Florida Field Naturalist

No abstract provided.

In Memoriam: Theodore Below, Rindy Anderson

Florida Field Naturalist

No abstract provided.

Cover, Florida Field Naturalist

Florida Field Naturalist

No abstract provided.

Just A Spark Of Imagination: Examining Professional Development For Gifted Educators, Jennifer J. Tucker

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This qualitative study explored how teachers of gifted education in a large southeastern school district perceive the high points of professional development to reimagine learning courses to encourage professional learning. In today’s changing field of education, there is an urgent need to foster teachers’ professional growth to create an environment where they feel supported to retain their expertise in the educational field. Many studies focus on students' needs, but the voice of the teacher's needs is missing from the study. Gathering narratives from teachers of gifted students empowers the teachers’ perspectives to be included in discovering how to reimagine professional …

Evaluating A Web-Based Training To Teach Behavioral Analysis Students To Implement Behavioral Skills Training, Kate N. Gray

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Researchers have found that behavioral skills training (BST) is often an effective strategy when teaching safety skills to children and adults with and without developmental disabilities. Despite BST being an effective intervention to teach safety skills, it requires substantial time from trained behavior analysts to implement with fidelity. Trainee-implemented BST may allow many children to access high-quality safety skills training while not requiring the presence of a behavior analyst. A web-based module may be a cost-effective and easily accessible option for parents, teachers, or Registered Behavior Technicians to teach children these safety skills. The researcher used a nonconcurrent multiple baseline …

New Attack Surfaces Against Emerging Cloud And Web Based Infrastructures And Defenses, Junjie Xiong

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Emerging network security threats, ranging from cloud-based infrastructure attacks to web-based content subversion, pose significant challenges to modern computing environments. In this dissertation, we explore two novel attack vectors that disrupt both cloud-based infrastructures and web-based content systems.

In this dissertation, we first introduce the Warmonger attack, a novel attack vector that can cause denial-of-service between a serverless computing platform and an external content server. The Warmonger attack exploits the fact that a serverless computing platform shares the same set of egress IPs among all serverless functions, which belong to different users, to access an external content server. As a …

Methods Of Measuring C19mc Mirna In A Post-Natal Tissue And Uses Thereof, Hana Totary-Jain, Ezinne Frances Mong

USF Patents

Provided herein are methods of measuring C19MC miRNA amount and/or expression in a post-natal cell and/or tissue. Provided herein are methods of measuring CpG methylation of the upstream C19MC miRNA promoter region in a post-natal cell and/or tissue. Also provided herein are methods of treating a cell, population thereof, and/or a subject in need thereof by administering a C19MC miRNA inhibitor or CRISPR to suppress the expression of specific miRNA within the C19MC or the entire C19MC cluster, population thereof, and/or the subject in need thereof.

A Community-Based Study To Investigate Persistent Ambient Odors In Childs Park, Fl, Gennaro Saliceto

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

For many years, residents in Childs Park, Saint Petersburg, Florida, have reported unpleasant odors. Although there have been prior efforts to address the issue, the odors continue to be a concern for the community, who worry about possible health implications. This research aimed to equip residents with information to address the issue by identifying the presence of airborne pollutants that generate odors, quantifying the concentrations of toxic organic pollutants, and exploring the sources and environmental conditions that contribute to odors and their perception.

To accomplish these aims, the study utilized different methods. First, two walking measurement campaigns were conducted to …

Supporting Achievement Motivation In Black And Latine Middle School Students: Development And Evaluation Of The Feasibility And Acceptability Of A Motivational Interviewing Intervention, Austin Roy Cole

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Participation in accelerated high school curricula can provide substantive post-secondary benefits for students. However, participation continues to reflect disparate enrollment for Black and Latine students. Though organizations and legislatures have sought to improve Black and Latine student enrollment, the enrollment gap has not closed and there is little evidence of improving academic achievement for Black and Latine students beyond increased enrollment. Research shows that when students have their psychological needs of autonomy, competence, and relatedness met, as described by Self-Determination Theory, they demonstrate better academic outcomes and social-emotional development. Barriers reported by students of color reflect these psychological needs. Thus, …

Increasing Behavior-Specific Praise Use And Variability With Secondary Education Teachers Using Behavioral Skills Training, Tactile Prompts, And Multiple Exemplars, Cecilia Pannone

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Teachers often receive minimal training in classroom management strategies, leading to punitive-based teacher-student interactions. Negative interactions (e.g., reprimands) may decrease behaviors momentarily but do not yield lasting behavior change. Behavior-specific praise (BSP) is a low-response effort classroom management strategy that positively impacts students’ behaviors and academic performance. However, training does not guarantee that BSP will be used throughout the academic years or across student cohorts, leading teachers to revert to negative interactions to manage classroom behaviors. Limited research has investigated the components of praise that increase effectiveness and saliency. This study aimed to increase teachers’ use of BSP using tactile …

Wireless In-Situ Slurry Testing Device, Andrew Ward

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Deep foundations are a critical piece of infrastructure used in bridge and high-rise constructions. A type of deep foundation called a drilled shaft is commonly used for these types of large structures due to their ability to resist large axial and lateral loads. Excavations in many soils require hole stabilization methods often involving drilling fluids like polymer or bentonite slurries. When used properly, these slurries prevent groundwater intrusion and side wall sloughing into the excavation. Slurry specifications are set by local or state jurisdictions, research findings, or product manufacturers. Over the years, the Florida standard specifications on slurry integrity testing …

A Combined Cognitive Behavioral Therapy And Social Skill Intervention For Autistic Youth With Symptoms Of Anxiety, Ashley Dreiss

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Anxiety is one of the most prevalent co-occurring diagnoses in autistic youth, often exacerbating challenges in social functioning and quality of friendships. While social skills interventions and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) have demonstrated efficacy in addressing these difficulties separately, limited research has examined the integration of these approaches within an individualized format, while including measures of self-report and generalization of skills. This study investigates the development, implementation, and efficacy of a combined CBT/social skill intervention for autistic youth with symptoms of anxiety. Utilizing a single-case multiple baseline design, the study evaluates outcomes across levels of anxiety symptoms and social competence …

Gnsi Decision Brief: The Golden Dome For America, Todd Schmidt, Heather Ward, Tad Schnaufer Ii

GNSI Decision Briefs

The Iron Dome for America, now referred to as the Golden Dome, is a proposed concept for a $175 billion, multi-layered shield intended to protect the U.S. from advanced missile threats, including ballistic, hypersonic, and cruise missiles. Announced by President Donald Trump in early 2025, the system is envisioned as a technological leap forward, drawing on space-based sensors, interceptors, and artificial intelligence to create a continental-scale missile defense system.

Exploring The Connection Between Mental Health Stigma, Social-Emotional Risk, And Help-Seeking Behaviors Among High School Students, Dorie Ross

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Throughout the United States, the rate of adolescents experiencing mental health-related challenges continues to rise, impacting their social-emotional well-being. Despite increasing concerns, the majority of adolescents do not seek treatment for mental health problems. One barrier contributing to a lack of help-seeking behaviors is mental health stigma. Furthermore, for students who have sought help for such concerns, there is a lack of consensus on whom high school students turn to for support when seeking help. The current study utilized quantitative methodology in the form of Structural Equation Modeling to examine the complex relationship between social-emotional risk, perceptions of mental health …

Optimal Well Being Of Those Recovering From Alcohol Use Disorder: An Exploration Of Individual Difference Factors And Treatment Outcomes, Jared Davis

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Harmful alcohol use has continued to be one of the largest negative impact factors of daily living worldwide. Despite the pervasive use of alcohol and negative impacts that it has on the individual and society there is large disagreement on how to know when someone has “recovered” from AUD (El-Guebaly, 2012), with much of the literature focused narrowly on negative indicators (e.g., return to heavy drinking, re-occurrence of AUD symptoms). Such views have not only restricted definitions of recovery but has also created public perception that those with AUD will continue to struggle even when cessation of drinking has occurred. …

Race To The Bottom: Is Seabed Mining Worth The Cost?, Linda Nhon

GNSI Publications

There is a recent resurgence in seabed mining, particularly in the potential excavation of polymetallic nodules (PMN) for cobalt, nickel, and copper in response to the tight competition for critical minerals between the United States and China. From the 1970s to the 1980s, increased government funding in the seabed mining industry sparked a surge of academic research and international collaboration in deep-ocean exploration. Although not the sole driver of this ballooning interest, Project Azorian—the CIA’s audacious mission aboard the Glomar Explorer to recover the sunken Soviet nuclear submarine K-129—was undeniably catalytic in generating enthusiasm. Purportedly constructed by the aviation mogul …

Cultural Continuity And Identity Preservation In Diaspora: The Role Of African Pentecostal Churches In Maintaining Traditions Within African Communities In The United States, Olamide T. Awoyemi

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This study explores the role of African Pentecostal churches in preserving cultural traditions andshaping identities among African diaspora communities in the United States, focusing specifically on Christ Apostolic Church (CAC) and Pentecost International Worship Centre (PIWC) in Tampa, Florida. Through detailed participant observation and in-depth qualitative interviews, this thesis examines how rituals, religious practices, and community engagement within these churches facilitate cultural continuity and identity negotiation among Nigerian and Ghanaian immigrants. Findings reveal that these religious institutions serve as critical sites for resisting cultural erasure, navigating the complex tensions between maintaining African heritage and adapting to American society, and providing …

Electrochemical Three-Dimensional Printing And Soldering, Arash Takshi, Sabrina Marie Rosa-Ortiz

USF Patents

A hydrogen evolution assisted electroplating nozzle includes a nozzle tip configured to interface with a portion of a substructure. The nozzle also includes an inner coaxial tube connected to a reservoir containing an electrolyte and an anode, the inner coaxial tube configured to dispense the electrolyte through the nozzle tip onto the portion of the substructure. The nozzle also includes an outer coaxial tube encompassing the inner coaxial tube, the outer coaxial tube configured to extract the electrolyte from the portion of the substructure. The nozzle also includes at least one contact pin configured to make electrical contact with a …

Systems, Methods, And Media For Monitoring The Production Process Of A Product, Chris Peter Tsokos, Lohuwa Mamudu

USF Patents

In accordance with some embodiments, systems, methods, and media for monitoring a production process of a product are provided. In some embodiments, a system comprises a remote server, a communications connection between the remote server and a facility database, at least one processor coupled to the communication system, and a memory device having stored thereon a set of computer readable instructions. The set of computer readable instructions cause the at least one processor to: receive a first set of data related to the production process, calculate a first monitoring index indicator for the production process based on the first set …

System And Method For The Activation Of Active Ion Transporters Without The Consumption Of Adenosine Triphosphate (Atp) Molecules, Wei Chen

USF Patents

A system and method for controlling active ion transporters, such as sodium-potassium (Na/K) pumps to actively transports 3 Na+ and 2 K+ ions by consuming one ATP. The system and method provide an oscillating electric field that is effective in running the active ion-transport at their physiological running mode by consuming one ATP molecule to actively transport ion and to synthesize one ATP for each pumping cycle. The ATP molecule that is synthesized compensates for the ATP molecule that is consumed in actively transporting ions, resulting in a net-consumption of ATP that is significantly reduced, theoretically to zero.

Systems And Methods For Providing Active Contraction Properties Of The Myocardium Using Limited Clinical Metrics, Igor Nobrega, Wenbin Mao

USF Patents

A deep learning model can be used for the identification of active contraction properties of the myocardium using limited clinical methods. A method for identifying the active contraction properties can include inputting a plurality of clinical metrics into a deep learning model. The method can further include inputting a representation of a cardiac cycle through a pressure volume-loop into the deep learning model. The deep learning model can include a first process layer with a first intermediate output and a second process layer that receives the first intermediate output as a first intermediate input. The method can further include outputting …

Siliciclastic Cave Or Diamond Mine? Multiapproach Investigation In Igatu Village, Chapada Diamantina, Northeastern Brazil, Raphael Parra, Ricardo G. F. De A. Pereira, Leonardo F. Vieira, Rubson P. Maia

International Journal of Speleology

The territory around Igatu, as that of many villages in southeastern Chapada Diamantina (Bahia, Brazil), was deeply modified by diamond mine activity. Caves were special targets for miners, since they can act as diamond-bearing sediment traps, and the Canal da Fumaça Cave was one of the most important and rich of them. The question that arises is whether the formation is a natural cave or an artificial diamond mine. In order to answer this question, we developed speleological and geological studies with detailed cave surveys, remote sensing and field measurements for structural analysis, optical and electronic microscope for petrographic characterization, …

Genealib Archive 2025-06, Genealib

GENEALIB Archive

No abstract provided.

Evaluating Student Driver Knowledge And Behaviors Through A University Driver Education Safety Refresher Program, Jason Jackman, Audrey Everett, Kayleigh Murray, Leomar White

CUTR Internal Grant Research Program

This pilot program utilized an online survey to identify driver behaviors among students, faculty, and staff on the University of South Florida (USF) Tampa campus. Adopting a social marketing approach, the program focused on identifying and addressing driver safety issues and behaviors. The research aimed to develop recommendations for creating a safer driving environment at USF by updating driver safety information for students and raising awareness about safety across all campus transportation modes.

As part of this initiative, the USF Student Government (SG) partnered with the Center for Urban Transportation Research (CUTR) to pilot a new student transportation officer position …

Compositions And Methods For Weight Loss Maintenance, Dominic Paul D'Agostino, Angela Marie Poff, Andrew Paul Koutnik

USF Patents

Compositions and methods for inducing weight loss, fat loss, maintaining weight or fat loss, suppressing appetite, reducing calorie intake, reducing weight gain, decreasing feed efficiency, increasing metabolic inefficiency, increasing energy expenditure, increasing thermogenesis and/or resetting metabolic set are disclosed. The compositions have a therapeutically effective amount of a ketogenic supplement, e.g., a ketone diesters, such as R,S 1,3-butanediol diacetoacetate. Compositions of one or more beta-hydroxy butyrate, beta-hydroxybutyrate salt, and medium chain triglycerides are also disclosed.

“We Built Our Plane As We Flew It”: Communicative Resilience In Nonprofit Organizing During The Pandemic, Evgeniya Pyatovskaya

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation investigates how nonprofit organizations cultivate resilience through communication and practice during periods of disruption, focusing on the COVID-19 pandemic. Using a case study of Apex for Youth—a New York City-based nonprofit serving low-income Asian and immigrant youth—this research explores how organizational members co-constructed resilience in response to both the pandemic and rising anti-Asian hate. Guided by the Communicative Theory of Resilience (CTR) and practice theory, resilience is examined as a dynamic, relational process enacted through daily organizational life.

Data were collected through semi-structured interviews, Formative Influences Timelines (FIT), ethnographic observation, and organizational documents. Reflexive thematic analysis revealed four …

System And Method For Controlling Electromagnetic Radiation In A Geographical Area, Kwang-Cheng Chen, Mehmet Mert Sahin, Huseyin Arslan, Gokhan Mumcu

USF Patents

System and method for controlling electromagnetic spatial radiation over a region by coordination the utilization of multiple ambient backscatter (ABC) nodes and repositionable dynamic reconfigurable intelligent surfaces (RISs). Multiple coordinated ABCs are used to protect the region of primary use against the radiation due to the secondary users. Repositionable dynamic RISs provide more robustness to shadowing and power fluctuations in short time frame.