Digital Commons Network^™

Exploring Culturally Responsive Leadership Practices Among Female Leaders In Title I Schools: Strategies For Enhancing Student Success, Tara K. Indar

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The academic achievement gap between White students and diverse student populations remains a persistent and prominent disparity in schools across the United States. While this issue affects schools nationwide, it is particularly significant in Title I schools, where many students from diverse, lower-socioeconomic-status backgrounds are served. Although a substantial body of literature examines this gap and highlights the positive impact of culturally responsive leadership, there remains a limited understanding of which specific practices are most effective in improving students’ academic outcomes. This study explores the perceptions of female school leaders in Title I schools regarding the strategies they believe contribute …

Testing The Impact Of Sexual Minority Stress On Endorsement Of Prospective Behaviors Related To Borderline Personality Disorder Among Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, And Queer Adults, E. Elisa Carsten

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Sexual minority individuals face increased risk for numerous forms of psychopathology compared to heterosexual individuals, including borderline personality disorder (BPD). Previous investigation into the causes of these mental health disparities highlights several sexual minority-specific factors that may render sexual minority individuals uniquely vulnerable to meeting criteria for a BPD diagnosis, including chronic exposure to minority stressors, such as sexual orientation-based discrimination and stigmatizing beliefs. Some scholars have argued that the relevance of these minority-specific stressful experiences hampers the utility of a BPD diagnosis among members of this historically marginalized population. The present study experimentally tested the influence of minority stressors …

Morphodynamic Evolution Of Midnight Pass, West-Central Florida, Sydney C. Scott

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This study takes advantage of a rare opportunity provided by the reopening of Midnight Pass due to two consecutive hurricanes in 2024, to examine the morphologic evolution of a newly reopened inlet and subsequent beach-inlet interactions. Historical aerial photos since the 1940s were collected and analyzed to understand the last closure of Midnight Pass, and to gain knowledge on the future of the newly reopened inlet. Time-series topography and bathymetry survey of the beach-inlet system were conducted bimonthly to quarterly for the first year and a half after the reopening, with the goals of quantifying the morphologic changes and understanding …

Quantitative Determination Of Nano Delivered Kras Sirna, Axel S. Deraspe

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This study focuses on the development and validation of analytical methods for the detection of therapeutic KRAS-targeting siRNA in biological systems. Physicochemical characterization showed that p5RHH-formulated siRNA nanoparticles exhibit a controlled nanoscale size distribution, moderate polydispersity, and a negative zeta potential, suggesting colloidal stability and potential suitability for cellular uptake. Scanning electron microscopy confirmed a predominantly spherical morphology with a relatively uniform size distribution, consistent with dynamic light scattering measurements.

To enable accurate siRNA quantification, stem–loop reverse transcription (SL-RT) coupled with SYBR Green–based quantitative Polymerase Chain Reaction (qPCR) was optimized. Key parameters, including a primer concentration of 100 nM and …

Western Bird Banding Association Call For Grant Applications, Adam Hannuksela

North American Bird Bander

No abstract provided.

Gnsi Decision Brief: Ours To Keep? Diego Garcia, Mauritius, The Uk, The Us And Security In The Indian Ocean, Guido Rossi

GNSI Decision Briefs

Defining Diego Garcia

Since the Pentagon does not disclose information about every US military installation, it is difficult to quantify exactly how many bases the United States has abroad. Among the currently estimated 750 “base sites” in over 80 countries, the Naval Support Facility Diego Garcia occupies a strategic location. This installation stands on the largest island of the Chagos archipelago, after which it is named. Located in the middle of the Indian Ocean, Diego Garcia is not just the only US base in the region but is positioned to support US operations in the Indo-Pacific theater, the Middle East, …

The Architecture Of Chemical Understanding: How Representation Selection, Ordering, And Feature Salience Shape Students' Conceptions In Chemistry, Isaiah Nelsen

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Chemical representations play a central role in how students learn and reason aboutchemistry. While representations are routinely used in chemistry classrooms, students often struggle to extract relevant information, connect representations to underlying chemical principles, and apply this information to problem-solving. This dissertation investigates the role of representations in supporting students’ conceptual understanding and reasoning across general and organic chemistry through three qualitative studies.

The first study in this work explores how variation in chemical representation influences how students understand foundational chemistry principles. This study sought to characterize how second semester general chemistry students approach dipole–dipole interaction tasks with four distinct …

Defining The Dynamic Role Of Belongingness In Alcohol Use Disorder Treatment, Brendan E. Walsh

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Drinking is intertwined with social processes, including social support and group belongingness. Although drinking can transiently enhance social functioning, escalating to heavy use can be detrimental to it. It is well-known that excessive drinking and social dysfunction exacerbate each other over time, and it follows that social support and belonging are key mechanisms of addiction recovery. Yet, less is known about how changes in belongingness throughout treatment dynamically affect drinking outcomes, and even less is known about how drinking outcomes and other social processes (e.g., therapeutic alliance, interpersonal drinking consequences) dynamically influence belongingness. The current project (N = 210) studied …

Human-Ai Teaming Under Fire: Lessons From Ukraine’S Human-In-The-Loop Combat Ai Systems, Rahul Kumar Tiwari, Ram Babu

Journal of Strategic Security

This article examines human-artificial intelligence (AI) teaming in Ukrainian combat operations from 2022 to 2025, exploring the integration of AI systems with human decision-making in military contexts and how crisis-driven innovation can lead to human-AI teaming. The research addresses three questions: the effectiveness of human-AI teams compared with human-only or fully autonomous systems; the effect of organizational structures on the sustainability of AI integration; and strategic implications for the development of the doctrine and international security governance in the case of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO). The methodology uses mixed-method comparative case study analysis of three different Ukrainian systems: …

Spying The Lie: Insider Threat Prevention In National Security, Jazma M. Parker

Journal of Strategic Security

Insider threats pose significant risks to critical assets within the United States. The US intelligence community has already experienced the consequences of insider compromise, such as the unauthorized release of classified material to WikiLeaks and foreign adversaries. Traditional mitigation strategies have struggled to keep pace with the evolving threat landscape. This article recommends updated interventions to detect and prevent insider threats within the Department of Defense and the Intelligence Community. A review of current research and best practices reveals three targeted strategies. First, organizations must prioritize the detection and reporting of anomalous behaviors that often precede insider incidents. Achieving this …

Escalation By Algorithm, Restraint By Architecture: Pakistan’S Military Ai Divergence, Sajjad Ahmed, Ahmad Nizar Yaakub, Asma Javed

Journal of Strategic Security

Debates on military artificial intelligence (AI) remain skewed toward great power dynamics, oscillating between techno-optimist celebrations of speed and techno-pessimist warnings of collapse. This binary overlooks how middle powers, operating under nuclearized rivalry and asymmetric sanction risk, embed restraint into organizational and technical practice. This article develops Systems Restrained Realism (SRR), a framework that extends defensive realism into the machine age by theorizing restraint as a deliberate doctrinal posture rather than a symptom of incapacity. Using Pakistan as a critical case, the study draws on expert interviews, procurement manuals, and UN submissions to demonstrate how restraint is operationalized through latency …

Classified Information Management In Kosovo: Lessons From Nato, The European Union, And The Western Balkans, Bahri Gashi, Ngadhnjim Brovina, Arian Kadriu

Journal of Strategic Security

This study examines the legal framework for the protection of classified information in Kosovo, focusing on the role of the Agency for the Protection of Classified Information (APCI). The selection of APCI as the focal institution stems from its central role in implementing Kosovo’s legal and institutional framework for classified information, following the country’s efforts to align with Euro-Atlantic standards. In a newly established state like Kosovo, protecting sensitive information is crucial for national security. The study compares Kosovo’s model with those of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), the European Union (EU), and Western Balkan countries, highlighting its alignment …

The Role Of Special Services In Providing National Information Security, Volodymyr Artemov, Alexander Rusnak, Viktor Trepak, Grygorii Ostafiichuk, Alexandr Kalinin

Journal of Strategic Security

The growing dependence of states on digital infrastructures has elevated national information security to a matter of strategic importance. This study examines the role of special services (intelligence agencies) in protecting against cyber threats, focusing on their legal, operational, and technological functions. Using a combination of comparative legal analysis, case law review, expert surveys, and statistical modelling across 20 countries, the research highlights both strengths and limitations of current approaches. The findings demonstrate that states with clear and specific legislation on intelligence and cybersecurity achieve a 26% higher rate of preventive success than those with ambiguous frameworks. Strong judicial oversight …

Analysis Of Security Concerns In India-Central Asia Relations, Anmol Mukhia, Anurag Tripathi, Sanjeev Kumar Tiwari

Journal of Strategic Security

India-Central Asia relations have gained strategic significance driven by its historical ties, growing economic interests, and, most importantly, evolving security dynamics. This article deals with multifaceted security concerns such as drug trafficking, terrorism, radicalization, and the implications of instability in Afghanistan. The findings show that security concerns in the region, particularly in Afghanistan and Pakistan, constitute a significant obstacle, alongside geographical challenges, to India’s connectivity with the Central Asian Republics (CARS). India’s rising aspiration to increase connectivity and build closer ties with the region in energy, trade, and commerce heavily relies on a peaceful, prosperous, and stable Central and South …

Shadow Logistics: Military Vulnerability Through Civilian Dependence, Gilles A. Paché

Journal of Strategic Security

The rapid evolution of civilian-origin technologies repurposed for defense is reshaping the foundations of logistical advantage and altering the conditions under which armed forces operate. Modern missions rely on an extensive ecosystem of infrastructures—port terminals, cloud services, data platforms, and civilian contractors—whose reliability frequently lies beyond the authority of public institutions. This environment gives rise to shadow logistics, a network of civilian systems largely absent from conventional doctrine yet capable of producing significant operational disruptions when failures occur. Case studies show that some dark assets, whether physical or informational, can act as multipliers of effectiveness while simultaneously creating systemic vulnerabilities …

The Russian Fsb – A Concise History Of The Federal Security Service. By Kevin Riehle. Georgetown University Press, 2024., Michael W. Parrott

Journal of Strategic Security

No abstract provided.

Drainage Proximity And Sinkhole Occurrence In Sivrihisar (Central Turkey): A Comparative Analysis Of Linear, Poisson, And Negative Binomial Regression Models, Bilge Bingül, Emrah Pekkan, Resul Çömert

International Journal of Speleology

This study investigates the relationship between sinkhole occurrence and distance to drainage in the Sivrihisar region (Central Turkey) and evaluates the suitability of different regression approaches for modeling clustered count data in karst terrains. A comprehensive inventory of 104 sinkholes developed within the Neogene lacustrine limestones of the Akpınar Formation was compiled using official records, remote sensing analyses, and detailed field surveys. Sinkhole occurrences were analyzed relative to a drainage network derived from a high-resolution Digital Surface Model and grouped by proximity to drainage lines. Linear Regression (LM), Poisson Regression (PR), and Negative Binomial Regression (NBR) models were comparatively applied …

Development And Feasibility Testing Of A Video-Based Virtual Reality Bullying Safety Skills Intervention For School-Aged Children With Disabilities, Trevor C. Maxfield

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Virtual reality (VR) technology has emerged as a promising instructional tool for children with disabilities; however, research on using VR to improve safety skills in this population remains limited. The present study employed a 2-phase approach to develop and evaluate a video-based VR bullying safety skills intervention for children with disabilities. In Phase 1, bullying and applied behavior analysis experts reviewed and validated the intervention content, including the response to bullying steps, school-based scenario storyboards, and embedded behavioral procedures, rating the content as valid and technically adequate. Expert feedback informed refinements to the intervention content and the decision to transition …

Unveiling The Intersection Of Institutional Racial Identity And Student Loan Debt: An Analysis Of The State University System Of Florida’S Higher Education Institutions, Valerie Marie Moore

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Federal student loan patterns in Florida’s State University System (SUS) from 2013/14 to 2022/23 reflect differences in institutional revenue capacity rather than individual borrowing behavior. Using data from all 12 SUS institutions, this study examined how institutional wealth and revenue composition shape student loan outcomes through both race neutral and race considerate analyses informed by Ray’s (2019) theory of racialized organizations. Overall, the SUS operates as a racialized organizational field in which inequities in funding flows, access to capital, and institutional logics sustain long term disparities in wealth and debt. Results show that borrowing levels closely track how institutions assemble …

The House Wren, Dwight Chasar

Cleveland Bird Calendar

No abstract provided.

The Weather, Dwight Chasar, Larry Rosche, Ray Hannikman

Cleveland Bird Calendar

No abstract provided.

Noteworthy Records, Larry Rosche

Cleveland Bird Calendar

No abstract provided.

The Weather, Dwight A. Chasar

Cleveland Bird Calendar

No abstract provided.

The Weather, Dwight A. Chasar

Cleveland Bird Calendar

No abstract provided.

The Weather, Dwight A. Chasar

Cleveland Bird Calendar

No abstract provided.

Noteworthy Records, Larry Rosche

Cleveland Bird Calendar

No abstract provided.

Field Notes, Norman J. Kotesovec Jr., Sean Zadar, John Pogacnik, Dwight W. Chasar, Kevin Metcalf, Mary Anne Romito

Cleveland Bird Calendar

No abstract provided.

The Weather, Dwight A. Chasar

Cleveland Bird Calendar

No abstract provided.

The Weather, William A. Klamm, Dwight Chasar

Cleveland Bird Calendar

No abstract provided.

Comment On The Season, Larry Rosche

Cleveland Bird Calendar

No abstract provided.