Digital Commons Network^™

Navigating The Aftermath: An Analysis Of Tigray's Fractured Landscape In The Wake Of Genocide, Muauz Gidey Alemu, Assefa Leake

Journal of African Conflicts and Peace Studies

Peace agreements crafted to guide societies from conflict to stability necessitate thorough peace implementation and peace building endeavors. The efficacy of this transition hinges on the quality of the agreement, subsequent political discourse, and collaborative commitment to progress beyond the burdens of conflict toward democracy, stability, and societal unity. The Cessation of Hostilities Agreement (COHA) was established between the federal government and the Tigray People's Liberation Front (TPLF) with the objective of terminating hostilities and laying the groundwork for enduring peace. Nevertheless, a qualitative assessment of the COHA and post-Pretoria developments in Tigray, based on surveys and desktop research, reveals …

Resolving Nigeria’S Security Conundrum: A Comprehensive Regional Analysis, Lukman Ahmed Lawal, Beacon Mbiba, Salamatu Kassah

Journal of African Conflicts and Peace Studies

Abstract

This article analyses the regional variabilities of insecurity in Nigeria to propose a suitable approach to understanding their peculiarities. It argues that the dominant military interventions and one-size-fits-all approaches are inappropriate for resolving the country’s myriad security challenges. The Regional Security Complex Theory offers a theoretical basis to contextualise the complex security challenge in Nigeria. There is a need to unbundle the dynamics for each of the regions. Syntheses from the six geopolitical zones indicate that although the security challenges manifest in precarious living conditions, the drivers differ. The article recommends that interventions analyse and identify underlying factors for …

Gnsi Decision Brief: Cracks In Our Foundation: How Neglected Bridges Threaten National Security, Heather Ward, Kathleen Curp

GNSI Decision Briefs

The poor condition of U.S. infrastructure merits wider discussion, as its implications go beyond public safety and economic operations. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) identified four critical infrastructure areas—energy and water, facilities, information and communication technology, and transportation—as lifeline systems essential for ensuring public safety, economic security, and national security.

The U.S. interstate highway system, created by the 1956 National Interstate and Defense Highways Act under President Dwight D. Eisenhower, has been vital for national security.ii It facilitates troop movements and aids in the evacuation of large cities during emergencies. Additionally, Military Power Projection Platforms (PPP) rely on roads …

Charlotte: A Modern Tool For Cave Surveying, Luca Tringali Mr., Giacomo Canciani Dr., Alexander Debenjak, Tecla Tripari

International Journal of Speleology

The future of cave surveying is a full 3D scan, as automatic as possible, capturing all morphologically relevant details. However, the vast majority of cavers are still using tools designed more than 15 years ago. The advancements in tools for architects, CAD designers, programmers of VR and robotics could be helpful also for the caving community. That’s why Charlotte, a cheap DIY 2.5D scanner designed for cave surveying, was developed and built. To demonstrate its capabilities, a new survey of Grotta Regina del Carso cave (cad. nr. 2328/4760VG), the biggest cave in the Gorizia Karst, has been realized and published. …

Bio-Enriched Soil Technologies (Best), Norma Arcelia Alcantar

USF Patents

A bio-enriched soil and method of production is presented. If water supply is scant, bio-enriched soil technologies (BEST) are able to attract, store, and transport water and nutrient molecules to a plant in a controlled way. If the water or nutrient resources are excessive, BEST can release the excess and supply only what is needed. Hence, bio-enriched soil can function in climates in which crops normally are under stress by increasing the bioavailability of nutrients and water.

Electrochemical Cells For Harvesting And Storing Energy And Devices Including The Same, Arash Takshi, Belqasem Aljafari, Manoj Ram

USF Patents

Electrochemical cells that include composite gel positioned between the first electrode and second electrode, where the composite gel comprises an electrolyte, a polyaryl amine, and an oxidant. The utilized composite gels are easy to produce at a low-cost, which makes them suitable in a number of different applications electrochromic devices, supercapacitors, solar cells, and hybrid photoactive supercapacitors.

Hypogene Speleogenesis In Carbonates By Cooling Hydrothermal Flow: The Case Of Mt. Berenike Caves, Israel, Roi Roded, Boaz Langford, Einat Aharonov, Piotr Szymczak, Micka Ullman, Shemesh Yaaran, Boaz Lazar, Amos Frumkin

International Journal of Speleology

The Berenike hypogenic cave system near Lake Kinneret, Israel, provides a valuable case study for investigating the recently proposed Confined-Cooling-Flow (CCF) speleogenesis model. Field and speleological surveys, along with existing research, are used to provide a thorough analysis. The CCF model relies on a simple thermo-hydro-chemical scenario, involving the rise of CO2-rich hydrothermal fluids discharging into a confined layer. The cooling of these CO2-rich fluids turns them into aggressive solutions due to the inverse relation between temperature and solubility of carbonates (retrograde solubility). Previous geochemical and numerical analyses of the CCF model predict localized and persistent dissolution and speleogenesis on …

Influencing Travel Behavior Via An Open-Source Platform Phase 2, Didier M. Valdés-Díaz, Alberto M. Figueroa-Medina, Ivette Cruzado, Carlos Del Valle, Juan Martinez, Lleslie Marrero-Rodriguez, Joshua Santiago-Ibarra

Research Reports

This project uses the open-source platform OneBusAway (OBA) developed at USF to explore strategies that can influence travel behavior to increase transit ridership. OneBusAway currently provides real-time transit information to users on a full range of devices and communication platforms, such as mobile apps, and serves more than 400,000 individuals across ten cities in the United States. The UPRM NICR team, with the support of USF developers of OBA, coordinated Phase One activities to implement OneBusAway on the Mayagüez Integrated Transportation System (TIM, for its acronym in Spanish). In Phase Two, georeference data corresponding to the transit systems’ influence area …

Financial Incentives To Reduce Vehicle Miles Traveled, Carlos A. Del Valle-González, Alberto M. Figueroa-Medina, Didier M. Valdés-Díaz, Daniel Rodríguez-Román, Juan Martínez

Research Reports

The willingness-to-accept monetary incentives to promote the use of transit and micromobility options was estimated for Puerto Rico. The analysis of a community survey showed that the decision to use an e-scooter as an alternative to an automobile for a commute trip depends on weather conditions, safety risks, and service cost, whereas for transit the decision highly depends on transit travel time, parking conditions, and service fare. The minimum incentives accepted went from $17.10 for the Tren Urbano heavy rail service to $18.90 for e-scooters as alternative modes to automobiles. The results show that the incentive value decreases as the …

From Taxis To Ridehailing: Examining Gender Issues For Female Drivers And Passengers, Susan Shaheen, Adam Cohen, Brooke Wolfe, Jacob Champlin

Research Reports

This report analyzes gender issues for female drivers and passengers of transportation network companies (TNCs) and taxis. Between August 2023 and May 2024, the researchers conducted driver and rider focus groups (n=8 drivers and n=8 passengers); a driver survey (n=170); a TNC user/non-user survey (n=440, including n=217/440 taxi non-users, n=7/440 TNC non-users, and a subset of n=5/440 non- users of TNCs and taxis); and expert interviews (n=13). This research finds that both female drivers and passengers experience an array of safety concerns and challenges traveling with young children in TNCs (e.g., traveling with a car seat, driver accommodation of car …

Do Social Support, Supervisory Feedback, And Job Stress Matter To An Employee’S Sense Of Ownership? Context In The Lodging Sector, Aladin M. Ibrahim, Zyra R. Cabrera, Rodin S. Pescuela

Journal of Global Hospitality and Tourism

In the face of intensified competition within the hospitality sector, exacerbated by the challenges of post-pandemic recovery, organizations are increasingly focused on re-engaging employees impacted by workforce reductions and retaining those who demonstrate a strong sense of attachment, care, and commitment to their workplace. These ownership behaviors are pivotal in fostering organizational stewardship and driving performance. However, the question arises: how can organizations cultivate and enhance these positive employee behaviors? This study investigates the influence of leader- and work-related factors, including social support, supervisory feedback, and job stress, on employees’ sense of ownership towards their organization. Employing a survey methodology, …

Wide-Area Quantitative Phase Microscopy Using Spatial Phase Scanning Digital Holography, Myung K. Kim

USF Patents

Disclosed are various embodiments for wide-area quantitative phase microscopy using spatial phase scanning digital holography. A motorized micrometer is scanned across a field-of-view, and a camera captures a frame of the field-of-view. The frame of the field-of-view is phase shifted by a predetermined number of pixels. The phase-shifted frame is included in a plurality of phase-shifted frames, and a complex optical field is generated based at least in part on the plurality of phase-shifted frames. A segment of the complex optical field is extracted and appended to a plurality of segments of the complex optical field. A holographic image is …

Multimodal Cell Complex Neural Networks For Prediction Of Multiple Drug Side Effects Severity And Frequency, Mustafa Hajij, Ghada Alzamzmi, Nina Miolane

USF Patents

A method for predicting side effects of a combination of drugs administered concurrently includes training a multi-modal cell complex neural network (MCXN) on a dataset. The MCXN includes nodes representing the drugs and proteins, pair-wise relationships between nodes representing interactions between pairs of drugs and/or proteins, and k-wise relationships between the nodes representing interactions between k drugs and/or proteins, where k¿2. The training dataset includes a list of drugs, a list of proteins, and pharmacological information about the drugs in the list of drugs and proteins in the list of proteins. A specification of the combination of at least three …

Small Diameter Polymer Optical Waveguide, Venkat Rama Bhethanabotla, Thomas M. Weller, Roger Brandon Tipton, John Townsend Bentley, Eduardo Antonio Rojas

USF Patents

A novel polymer optical waveguide and method of manufacturing is presented herein. A digitally manufactured process is described which utilizes a micro-dispensed UV optical adhesive as the contour guiding cladding, a fused deposition modeling technology for creating a core, and a subtractive laser process to finish the two ends of the optical interconnect. The optical waveguide can be printed directly on a circuit board in some embodiments. Alternatively, using a slightly modified process including a step to bond the optical fiber to the substrate, the optical interconnect can be manufactured on a flexible substrate.

Quantitative Reasoning: What’S Math Got To Do With It?, Pamela Burdman

Numeracy

This keynote address explores the history and role of college math requirements with a focus on ensuring math courses serve to expand students’ horizons, rather than serve as gatekeepers. It discusses the advent of general education math courses, which brought more students into math departments, which ultimately contributed to broadening the scope of the courses to align with more students’ interests and majors, since their purpose was to advance quantitative reasoning, not mathematics skill per se. It also examines several practices to address calculus’ gatekeeping role: revising placement practices and prerequisites, redesigning courses, and updating instruction and assessment practices. Lastly, …

Ay 2024/2025 Sec Meeting Minutes, 2024-07-24, Faculty Senate

Faculty Senate Archives

No abstract provided.

Populations Of The Stygobiotic Amphipod Palearcticarellus Pusillus (Martynov, 1930) Maintain Genetic Connectivity Between The Mountain Springs And The Deep Bottom Habitats Of Lake Teletskoye (Altai Mountains, Russia), Ivan Marin, Liubov Yanygina, Svetlana Ostroukhova, Dmitry Palatov

International Journal of Speleology

The diversity of underground fauna is often associated with the presence of karst areas, which have extensive underground cavities and connecting channels. Non-karst areas, however, make up a larger portion of the planet’ surface, and our understanding of the distribution and dispersal abilities of underground fauna in these areas currently remains limited. During a recent study of the diversity of stygobiotic crustaceans in the mountain streams of the Kurai Mountain Range (Altai, Russia), a small-sized species of crangonyctid amphipod, Palearcticarellus pusillus (Crustacea, Amphipoda, Crangonyctidae) was found in high-altitude springs. This species has been previously known only from deep-water habitats in …

Gene Expression Analysis Reveals Dysregulation In Traumatic Brain Injury Leading To Tauopathy, Kristina M. Tosi

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) causes a cascade of detrimental events within neurons, contributing to a host of neurological diseases relating to dementia. In this study we have performed a meta-analysis comparing differentially expressed genes (DEG) in specific cell types such as neurons and microglia revealing inflammation as a common driver of neurological deficiencies post TBI. Inflammation and hypoxia are well characterized features of TBI; however, the molecular mechanisms causing tau hyperphosphorylation by tauopathy associated genes (TAG) post-TBI are currently poorly understood. Furthermore, there are limited in-vitro neuroinflammatory models that mimic primary and secondary TBI. We hypothesize that inducing hypoxia and …

The Newgeneratortm Decentralized Wastewater Treatment System For Non-Sewered Sanitation: Technology Advancement Through Field Evaluation And Modeling, Hsiang-Yang Shyu

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Non-sewered sanitation systems (NSSS) offer innovative solutions to sanitation challenges in areas lacking basic facilities, utilizing advanced treatment technologies for on-site water reuse. The NEWgenerator (NG), an advanced NSSS developed at the University of South Florida under the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation’s Reinventing the Toilet Challenge, integrates an anaerobic membrane bioreactor (AnMBR), an ion exchange-based nutrient capture system (NCS), and an electrochlorinator for final disinfection. This study builds on previous field trials of the NG system, focusing on developing, evaluating, and optimizing its water reuse capabilities through field trials, system dynamics modeling, and advanced monitoring techniques.

In the first …

Assessing Users’ Attention Classification Accuracy From Eeg Data, Gil Olenscki Neto

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Determining whether a person is attentive while performing a task is a key factor for understanding why they are achieving specific results. In addition, tracking these results is an important aspect to improving them. Quantified self is a field that consists of self-monitoring to gain a better understanding of your habits, health, and overall well-being. Examples of this method include tracking sleep patterns, daily steps, mood swings, and food intake.

This thesis aims to explore the potential of using an innovative self-quantification method that utilizes a mobile application that leverages alpha, beta, and theta waves to assess college students' attention …

System And Method For Perishable Product Monitoring Along A Supply Chain, Ismail Uysal, Frederick Louis Wu

USF Patents

A system and method for assessing a supply chain for a perishable product. In various embodiments, the present invention provides a quality code for a perishable product which encodes a cut-to-cool time, transportation quality and accumulated shelf-life loss into a compact, modular, and simple to read format. The system and method also provide feedback to address any differences between the quality code and one or more observed qualities of the perishable product at a destination.

Atrocity Prevention In The Digital Era: Adapting Norms, Laws, And Code To Changes In The Ways Atrocities Are Committed, David J. Simon, Samhitha Josyula, Joshua Lam, Julian D. Melendi

Genocide Studies and Prevention: An International Journal

Emerging digital technologies have changed some of the ways that genocides are planned and executed. This paper examines those differences, calling attention to how changes in the execution of genocide should prompt a shift in the approaches to atrocity prevention. It develops a conceptual framework addressing how atrocity prevention efforts might adapt to new technology within three realms of potential prevention efforts: the ethical (norms), the legal (laws), and the digital (code).

Biased Adrenergic Agonists, Stephen Bryant Liggett, Donghwa Kim, Marcello Giulianotti

USF Patents

Disclosed herein are compounds, compositions, and methods for selecting targeting β2AR receptors. The compounds, compositions, and methods may be used in the treatment of obstructive lung diseases.

Design Of A Satellite Tracking Mobile App Using Flutter And Android Studio Ide, Audrey Tahwa

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

A pop-up free mobile application was developed utilizing one-minute intervals for positiontracking. Predictions are conducted off-line after the user has connected at least once. In In order to enhance data accuracy, the application includes a feature to download satellite data and update raw data to be used in prediction calculations. Additionally, users receive a notification when the application is ready for offline use.

Digital Transformation Perceptions In Tourism Businesses: The Case Of Batman Province, Ferhat Kurt

Journal of Mediterranean Tourism Research

This study explores the perceptions of digital transformation within tourism businesses in Batman Province, with a specific focus on accommodation, food and beverage and tourism agencies. Perceptions of digital transformation are considered to have of growing influence on the tourism business, and the research of these perceptions is a critical study not only for academic research but also for practical applications. Experiences, strategies, and challenges of the businesses in digitalization are studied with qualitative research methods, specifically semi structured interviews with five businesses running in Batman, Turkey. The findings highlight the varying degrees of digital transformation awareness and the different …

Successful Feedback Literacy For Library And Information Science Professionals: A Literature Review, Jessica N. Szempruch, Leetta M. Schmidt

USF Libraries Faculty and Staff Publications

Providing and receiving feedback are crucial elements of any learning exchange and are an intrinsic part of cultivating disciplinary dialogic culture. While there is considerable scholarly conversation on the topic of cultivating constructive feedback in student work, there is less literature dedicated to addressing what successful feedback literacy and processes look like in relation to scholarly research writing by professionals. This literature review examines the development of feedback literacy concepts across disciplines to determine if and how these concepts manifest within academic librarianship literature. The goal of this paper is to gain insights to improve future feedback exchange within the …

Online Teaching And Learning At Chinese Universities During Covid-19: Insiders’ Perspectives, Youliang Zhang, Yidan Zhu, Tongjie Chen, Tongfei Ma

Journal of Global Education and Research

During attempts to prevent and control the COVID-19 pandemic in China, higher education programs shifted their traditional educational models to online models. This paper aimed to explore how Chinese universities organized online teaching and learning during the pandemic. It investigated the factors affecting the implementation of online teaching and provided policy recommendations for improving the quality of education in the post-pandemic period. The primary data for this study came from in-depth interviews with nine students and five teaching and administrative staff at eight major universities in mainland China. Literature was obtained in both English and Chinese from January 2020 to …

Teachers' And School Directors' Perceptions Of The Benefits Of Arts-Integrated Instruction K-2: Before, During, And After Covid-19, Alison H. Mehler

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study is to explore the experiences and perceptions of teachers who use arts-integrated instruction and their directors of K-2 students before, during, and after the unique period of online instruction during the COVID-19 pandemic, which began in March of 2020. Arts integration is a method of teaching in which students are taught comprehension of subject areas (i.e. – math, science, reading, social studies) through art forms. These art forms include music, theatre, dance, art, and writing. I collected he qualitative data for this research through virtual interviews with five female participants. I transcribed these interviews and …

“In My Blood”: External Factors For International Stem Postdoctoral Scholars’ Career Decisions, Kathryn J. Watson, Sylvia L. Mendez

Journal of Global Education and Research

This instrumental case study (Stake, 1995) explores the external factors that influence international science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) postdoctoral scholars in the United States to pursue a career in STEM. Interviews with 20 international STEM postdoctoral scholars were analyzed deductively to shed light on their unique backgrounds and experiences. Three themes emerged: (a) parents were highly encouraging, (b) a love of science was nurtured in school, and (c) they were eager to engage in and promote scientific innovation. These findings illustrate the ways in which family, schools, and community influence the STEM career trajectories of international postdoctoral scholars.

Us Military Foreign Disaster Relief: Challenges And Proposed Mitigations, James M. Ward

Journal of Strategic Security

Climate Change will increase the frequency and intensity of disasters necessitating United States Department of Defense (DoD) intervention. The US Congress and DoD have produced reports and demanded action for climate change-related security concerns, but have largely left foreign disaster relief capacity unaddressed. The DoD does not have dedicated force structure for humanitarian assistance and disaster relief (HA/DR), potentially compromising mission readiness and operational effectiveness as well as jeopardizing U.S. foreign interests. Proposed mitigations for the status quo include bolstering international organizations, expanding the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) capacity to respond to disasters, and creating dedicated DoD …