Digital Commons Network^™

Adaptive Multi-Agent Intelligence: A Dynamic Data Management System For Enhanced Data Quality And Reconciliation, Anthony Taeyang Vigil

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Organizations struggle with data quality problems that cost them millions of dollars annually. Manual data cleanup and standardizing, also known as reconciliation, can take skilled analysts days to complete and can still contain human errors. This dissertation addresses this challenge by developing and validating the Origin Data Management System, which automates processes that traditionally require days of manual work. The system achieved up to 100% accuracy in standardizing vendor names and identifying CEO information across real-world test datasets from Jefferson County Public Schools, Forbes, and Fortune Magazines. Processing time dropped from days to minutes—a 96-fold improvement over manual methods. These …

Pitfalls Of Multiplied 3d Landforms Projection: Mapping Deep Multilevel Cave Systems In The Alps (Gamssteig Cave System, Göll Massif), Mateusz Golicz, Jacek Szczygieł

International Journal of Speleology

Cave mapping represents one of the most complex challenges in geomorphological cartography, as it must convey the true three-dimensional geometry of subterranean spaces such as overlapping passages, irregular cross-sections, and variable ceiling and floor morphologies, within a two-dimensional framework. This study examines the methodological and interpretive challenges of cave mapping, utilizing the Gamssteighöhle cave in the Austrian Alps as a case study. During the 11 years of exploration, over 10 km of passages were surveyed using the DistoX vector survey method. Yet, the complex morphological forms necessitated deviations from the standard symbology recommended by the International Union of Speleology. Several …

Correlation Analysis Of Factors Associated With Students’ Numeracy Skills Using Decision Tree Algorithms, Yenita Roza, Arisman Adnan, Zul Indra, Tuti Alawiyah

Numeracy

Numeracy is a critical competency for academic and everyday functioning. This study investigates the key factors associated with students’ numeracy skills by employing decision tree algorithms as a data mining technique. The dataset used in this study is educational assessment data from Indonesia. Utilizing a dataset comprising 6,953 entries and 60 variables from Education Report, the research adopts an exploratory approach involving data preprocessing, exploratory data analysis, and decision tree model construction. The findings reveal that students’ literacy skills serve as the most dominant predictor of numeracy proficiency, emerging as the root node in the decision tree structure. Additional associated …

Considering Context In Latent Models Of Externalizing: Measurement Invariance By Environmental And Systemic Disadvantage In System-Involved Youth, Kendall D. Smith

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Externalizing forms of psychopathology are said to result from a general liability towards impulsive and disruptive behaviors, including substance use, conduct problems, aggression, and antisocial behavior (Krueger et al., 2021). While the field often focuses on dispositional explanations of externalizing behaviors, there is a notable lack of attention to the contextual factors that contribute to these behaviors, beyond immediate environmental influences. This study uses Ecological Systems Theory (Bronfenbrenner, 2005) as a framework to address such gaps in the context of behavioral indicators of the latent externalizing (EXT) construct, an analysis with implications for understanding racial/ethnic and socioeconomic disparities. The present …

Evaluating Retreat Of The West Antarctic Ice Sheet In Marine Isotope Stage 11 (~400,000 Years Ago) Through Quantification Of Ice Rafted Debris, Natalia Freedman, Madelyn Krischer, Trevor Williams

Making Waves REU

Quantification of ice-rafted debris (IRD) is a method for characterizing past ice-sheet behavior using the sedimentary record (McKay et al., 2022). IRD is a direct property of the sediment allowing for close examination of the ice sheet in relation to glacial and interglacial stages in Earth’s history, which are designated by Oxygen-18 excursions known as Marine Isotope Stages (MIS). Interglacial MIS-11 (~400,000 years ago) is studied as a partial analog to the current warming climate (Tzedakis et al., 2022), and we can use IRD in Antarctic deep sea sediment cores from this time to gain insight into what ice retreat …

Tidal Flooding Compounded With Extreme Temperatures In Tampa Bay, Jonicia Cardin, Ogugua Onochie, Sidharth Sudheer, Alejandra R. Enriquez

Making Waves REU

Coastal communities, like Tampa Bay, face growing compound hazards as tidal flooding and extreme temperatures increasingly co-occur. Tidal flooding is shallow, recurring inundation during routine king tides and intensifies in frequency and extent with sea level rise. In some instances, its cumulative impact on infrastructure and daily life can amount to that of a major hurricane over time (Moftakhari et al., 2018).

In Florida, this risk is heightened as king tides, peak temperatures, and hurricane season overlap in late summer and early fall. Zhou et al. (2024) identified flood-heat convergence as a global threat, but their focus on extreme sea …

Identifying Idealized Firn Core Sample Rates Of Annual Snow Accumulation On Larsen-C Ice Shelf, Saneru A. Williams, Orion L. Schomber, Brad E. Rosenheim

Making Waves REU

• Larsen-C ice shelf (LCIS) (Figure 1) à largest ice shelf on the Antarctic Peninsula (AP)
• Eastern AP unstable (Table 1)
• Current stability uncertain

• Stable oxygen (δ18O) and hydrogen (δ2H) isotopes in firn and ice provide climactic information
• Seasonality, annual accumulation, large-scale climactic modes
• Underutilized in firn

• Idealized sampling rates in firn have not been investigated across the LCIS
• Clear identification of sampling rates could provide insight for future firn core investigations

Assessing The Impact Of Visitors On Airborne Particle Deposition In The Giant Gypsum Geode Of Pulpí (Se Spain), Ana Camila Mendoza, Ángel Fernández-Cortés, Fernando Gázquez, Jesús Morilla, Milagros Carretero, Jose Maria Calaforra, David Benavente

International Journal of Speleology

The Giant Geode of Pulpí is a unique mineralogical phenomenon worldwide, remarkable for its large selenite gypsum crystals. Its recent development as a tourist site and inclusion on UNESCO’s Tentative World Heritage List, highlight the need to assess the impact of visits on its conservation. This study investigates airborne particle dynamics inside the Geode, focusing on tourist activity and natural ventilation. We measured deposition rates and composition of airborne particles using passive traps and a continuous laser-optical particle counter. Microenvironmental variables linked to ventilation, such as temperature and radon gas concentration (²²²Rn), were simultaneously monitored. Results show a predominance of …

Long-Term Trends In Harmful Algal Blooms And Key Environmental Variables Off Southwest-Central Florida, Zayna Sampson, Digna Rueda Roa, Lilly Verrill, F. Muller-Karger

Making Waves REU

• We analyzed long-term trends in satellite Sea Surface Temperature (SST), Chlorophyll-a (Chl-a), and Algal Bloom Index (ABI). We compared them with in-situ Harmful Algal Blooms (HAB) counts in Southwest-Central Florida.
• Our statistics were based on anomalies to remove the seasonal signal, making it easier to observe inter-annual changes.
• The region experienced significant long-term increases in SST, with offshore areas warming faster than nearshore (offshore: >0.06 °C/year, close to shore: <0.05 °C/year).
• Both Chl-a and ABI showed weak but significant long-term decreases offshore.
• There were no significant correlations between HAB and satellite anomalies of SST, Chl-a, or ABI (p>0.1).

The Distribution Of Cadmium And Its Isotopes In The Subarctic Pacific, J. M. Malloy, H. R. Hunt, M. Sieber, S. Takano, H. Obata, T. M. Conway

Making Waves REU

• Cadmium (Cd) is a bioactive trace element that can act as a micronutrient, driving large scale chemical processes like photosynthesis and cellular respiration [1,2].
• The uptake of major nutrients is limited by dissolved iron (Fe) availability in high nutrient low chlorophyll (HNLC) surface regions like the subarctic Pacific [2,4].
• Upwelling of Cd-rich deepwater is a Cd source, in addition to riverine, atmospheric, and anthropogenic inputs [1].
• Dissolved cadmium isotopic compositions (δ114Cd) provide insight into the biogeochemical processes controlling Cd distributions throughout the water column, including biological uptake in surface waters, regeneration, and water mass mixing at depth.
• Here we present …

Teaching Numeracy For Social Justice: Educational Equity, Esther Isabelle Wilder, Crystal C. Rodriguez, Caterina Shost, Eduardo Vianna, Frank Wang

Numeracy

The special collection, “Teaching Numeracy for Social Justice: Educational Equity,” focuses on how quantitative reasoning (QR) can function as a vehicle for equity, empowerment, and democratic participation. Building on a longstanding tradition that treats numeracy as inseparable from social justice, these contributions highlight how progressive pedagogies (e.g., active learning, authentic research, and equity-oriented assessment) have the potential to broaden access for students historically excluded from quantitative fields. The studies span a variety of conceptual frameworks, introductory and advanced quantitative instruction, and interdisciplinary applications, showcasing how inclusive QR practices can build confidence, agency, and real-world understanding. These articles demonstrate that when …

The Roles Of Mathematics In Teaching For Social Justice: A Framework For The College Classroom, Vivian Lim, Daniel Libertz

Numeracy

In this paper, we present a framework for understanding the multiple roles that mathematics can serve in the classroom towards social justice goals, developed through an analysis of 36 social justice mathematics curricular modules in college settings. The framework is grounded in Patricia Hill Collins's matrix of domination and consists of seven themes that represent the different roles mathematics can play: measuring inequality, illuminating conditions resulting in inequality, understanding the mechanisms of phenomena, challenging stereotypes and misconceptions, generating and evaluating solutions, communication and action, and criticizing quantification. Our framework supports the perspective that mathematics can serve important and distinct roles …

Environmental Factors Associated With Heatwaves Affecting The Growth Of Harmful Algal Bloom Species Pyrodinium Bahamense, Ketzia Garcia, Camiyah Blanchard, Lydia Ruggles, Lauren D' Amore, Margaret Mars Brisbin

Making Waves REU

• Pyrodiniumbahamenseis a harmful algal bloomdinoflagellate that forms blooms in subtropical and tropical estuarine waters, includingalong Florida's coasts
• The species formsintense harmful algal blooms in theOld Tampa Bayand Indian River Lagoon regions, producing toxins that cause paralytic shellfishpoisoning (PSP)
• Marine heatwaves (MHW), periods of time where ocean temperatures rise 1–3°C or more above the normal, have intensified over the years
• Marine heatwaves may influence microbial interactions and harmful algal blooms (HABS)

Florida's Maritime Edge: Built Through Leadership, Ready For What's Next, Tad Schnaufer Ii

GNSI Conference Reports

This report analyzes evolving threats, funding challenges, and strategic priorities for protecting Florida's critical maritime infrastructure in an era of nation-state adversaries, adversarial Al, and complex hybrid threats.

Bridging Functions And Values: Advancing Wetland Ecosystem Service Assessment Through Use Of A Service Capacity Index, William J. Kleindl, Sarah P. Church, Kai C. Rains, Mark C. Rains, Eric D. Stein, Morgan K. Suddreth

School of Geosciences Faculty and Staff Publications

Wetland service or values are often assumed to occur at a comparable level to wetland function (i.e., higher functioning wetlands provide more services). However, services are seldom directly evaluated because of the lack of structured assessment approaches. For wetland ecosystem service to be effectively incorporated in regulatory and monitoring programs, there needs to be parsimonious assessment tools that can be applied systematically, repeatably, and rapidly. This approach begins by disentangling existing terminology and clearly defining all the terms necessary to support the assessment of ecosystem services (ES). We provide context to illustrate how these terms have been variously employed in …

Full Proceedings, Nckri

Sinkhole Conference 2026

No abstract provided.

Implications Of Quantum Computing For Enterprise Cybersecurity And Data Integrity, Manikantha Varaprasad Inakollu

Computer Science and Engineering Faculty Publications

Quantum computing represents a paradigm shift in computational capabilities that poses both unprecedented threats and opportunities for enterprise cybersecurity. This research examines the implications of quantum computing advancement on current cryptographic systems, data protection mechanisms, and organizational security frameworks. Through analysis of quantum computing developments from 2019-2024 and surveys of 280 cybersecurity professionals across various industries, this study identifies critical vulnerabilities in existing encryption standards and explores emerging quantum-resistant solutions. The findings reveal that approximately 78% of enterprises remain unprepared for quantum threats, with current RSA and ECC encryption systems facing potential compromise within the next 10-15 years. The research …

No Groundwater, No Fish: The Critical Role Of Groundwater In Supporting Non-Glacial, Salmon-Bearing Rivers In South-Central Alaska, Tyelyn Brigino, Kai Rains, Edgar Guerron-Orejuela, Jacob Argueta, Syverine Bentz, Coowe Walker, Mark Rains

School of Geosciences Faculty and Staff Publications

Groundwater discharge plays an important role in the hydrologic and ecologic functioning of rivers including sustaining streamflow and related habitat year-round. Simultaneously, groundwater supports the increasing demands of people as the global population continues to grow. Balancing the needs of users becomes increasingly important as climate change introduces greater uncertainty in water resources and fisheries, especially for economically important anadromous species that depend on freshwater resources. We investigated the seasonal and regional variability of groundwater contributions to six non-glacial mainstem salmon-bearing rivers in south-central Alaska. We hypothesized that groundwater contributes more than half of the annual streamflow, and nearly all …

Non-Destructive Characterization Of Variously Colored Gypsum And Aragonite/Calcite Speleothems From The Cigalère Cave (Ariège, France), Martin Vlieghe, Johan Wouters, Gérald Fanuel, Jean-François Drion Du Chapois, Anne Gallez, Stéphane Pire-Stevenne, Gaëtan Rochez, Johan Yans

International Journal of Speleology

The Cigalère Cave is a 21 km-long karstic cave located in the Ariège Department, in the French Pyrenees, and underlies directly the Bentaillou Pb-Zn-Fe sulfide ores. The cave hosts abundant gypsum mineralizations, some of them exhibiting various colorations including blue, yellow, purple, orange and black. Due to strict preservation policies, these colored mineralizations have not been studied much. Here we propose a non-destructive characterization of five distinct gypsum or carbonate speleothem structures from the Cigalère, exhibiting different colorations. To comply with the preservation policies, no sample was taken from the cave, and all speleothems were analyzed in situ using portable …

Hydrothermal Vents In Sulfuric Acid Speleogenesis Karst: Isolated Feeders With Pristine Hypogenic Water Or Interconnected Conduits With Rapid Flow And Recycled Water?, Jakub Mareš, Marek Audy, Serban M. Sarbu, Jan Kukačka, Romeo Eftimi, Jiří Bruthans

International Journal of Speleology

Underwater connectivity and flow paths in the saturated zone of hypogenic sulfuric acid speleogenesis (SAS) karst remain unclear, despite sustained research over the past 30 years. Being regarded as sources of pristine H₂S-charged water, narrow inflow conduits called "feeders" are typically considered primary sources of water and hotspots of speleogenesis. In southeastern Albania, there is a newly discovered active SAS karst system comprising numerous caves and springs. Tracer tests were conducted to investigate the connection of these caves to the surrounding springs and to characterize the flow paths. The results show that water flows from cave lakes to …

Full Issue 19.2

Genocide Studies and Prevention: An International Journal

No abstract provided.

Guiding Principles For Teaching About Genocide And Other Difficult Pasts, Kerry E. Whigham

Genocide Studies and Prevention: An International Journal

This article outlines guiding principles for teaching “difficult pasts”—episodes of large-scale, identity-based violence such as genocide, crimes against humanity, colonialism, and enslavement—in ways that promote peace, human rights, and the prevention of future atrocities. Drawing from the fields of Holocaust and Genocide Education (HGE), Global Citizenship Education (GCED), Peace Education (PE), and Human Rights Education (HRE), it argues that instruction should move beyond the memorization of historical facts toward developing students’ socio-emotional and behavioral capacities to recognize and resist processes of othering, discrimination, and violence. The brief presents three main areas of guidance: curricular content, emphasizing conceptual understanding over rote …

A Cave In Miocene Conglomerate: The Törökpince-Abaliget Cave System, Hungary, Krisztina Sebe, Piroska Pazonyi, Márton Bauer, Bálint Szappanos, Márton Szabó, Zoltán Szentesi, Mihály Gasparik, Ákos Juhász, Luca Pandolfi, Máté Gregorits, József Haász, Ágnes Novothny, Zsófia Ruszkiczay-Rüdiger

International Journal of Speleology

Conglomerate caves are rare, and only a few have been described in the scientific literature. Here, we present a newly discovered and significant cave system in SW Hungary, comprising over 500 m of upper passages and a shorter, lower section of a through-cave developed in Lower–Middle Miocene conglomerates. The formation of these cave passages was controlled chiefly by bedding and fractures. Dissolution has produced typical karstification morphologies, whereas corrasion, granular disintegration, and rock collapse have also played a role in shaping the cave. The cave is dominated by vadose-zone morphologies, but sediment infills indicating upward water flow, along with ceiling …

Measurements Of Water-Film Thickness On Cave Walls And Speleothems, Alexandre Honiat, Salaheddine Skali-Lami, François Bourges, Bruno Lartiges

International Journal of Speleology

The water-film that coats cave walls and speleothems is a key player for the regulation of cave microclimate and the control of speleothem growth. In this paper, we demonstrate the capability of a confocal optical sensor to quantitatively measure on-site the rapid variations of water-film thickness when dripping, active condensation, or dryness occur on walls of various caves. Results obtained from a sample of four prehistoric caves and one stalagmite cave from Southwest France, indicate that the measurable thickness of water-films is generally in the 25-70 µm range for cave walls and reaches 200-300 µm on the horizontal plane of …

Bloom: A Low-Cost, Open-Source, Companion Social Robot, Deekshita Senthil Kumar, Sebastian Ramirez-Vallejo, Xiangfei Kong, Zhao Han

Bellini College REU Symposium (BCREUS)

The rapid growth of the aging population has increased rates of loneliness, depression, and cognitive decline among older adults, particularly those living alone or with Alzheimer's disease and related dementias (ADRD). Socially assistive robots such as Paro have demonstrated therapeutic and emotional benefits; however, existing systems remain costly and inaccessible. This project introduces Bloom, a low-cost, physically interactive social robot designed to provide emotional companionship and cognitive engagement.

Built on a Raspberry Pi 5 platform and inspired by the open-source Blossom robot, Bloom features a durable 3D-printed hard-shell design with motor-driven expressive movements that support tactile interaction. The system integrates …

Analyzing Human–Robot Collaboration Failures In State-Of-Art Generative Visuomotor Models, Grant Henderson, Miguel Mateo Osorio Vela, Vidhi Mudaliar, Amanuel Ergogo, Zhao Han

Bellini College REU Symposium (BCREUS)

As generative visuomotor models become increasingly capable of representing large-scale robotic skills, they are beginning to transition from controlled laboratory environments into shared human-robot workspaces. While these models enable competent manipulation, their opaque, black-box decision-making processes introduce coordination challenges that can negatively impact safety, efficiency, and trust during collaboration. In safety-critical tasks such as medication dispensing, successful teamwork depends not only on physical capability but also on timing, predictability, and mutual awareness.

This project investigates how two state-of-the-art generative visuomotor policies, an Action-Chunking Transformer (ACT) and a Vision-Action Diffusion policy, perform in a real-world collaborative medication-dispensing task. We compare these …

A Predictive Model For Multi- Week Respiratory Risk From Red Tide On Florida’S Gulf Coast., Elmer S. Ochaeta

Computer Science and Engineering Faculty Publications

Florida’s Gulf Coast red tide (Karenia brevis) can put toxins into the air, making people cough, irritating the throat, and worsening asthma or other breathing problems especially when winds blow from the ocean toward the beach. Right now, most public updates don’t really help with the question people actually ask when planning a weekend or vacation: “Will going to or close to the beach be risky in the next few weeks?”.

In this project, I build a weekly early warning system that estimates respiratory risk for specific beaches and predicts that risk 2 to 4 weeks ahead. The study covers …

Integrated Perspectives: Florida Ems Workforce And Agency Synthesis 2025, Michael Lozano

Florida Center for Emergency Medical Services Research Reports

The Florida Center for Emergency Medical Services (FL-CEMS) integrated findings from the 2024 EMT and Paramedic Renewal Survey (49,200 clinicians), the 2025 EMS Provider Survey (260 agencies), and 2024 NREMT Cognitive & Certification exam outcomes to provide a comprehensive picture of Florida’s EMS workforce and training environment.

The Effects Of Grading Equity Professional Development On Student Outcomes, Sarah R. Morris, Sarah Mckenzie, Jonathan Wai, Robert A. Maranto

Journal of Global Education and Research

This study examines the impact of a 6-hour professional development (PD) program on grading equity and student outcomes. The PD aimed to enhance teachers’ grading practices to foster fairness and inclusivity, based on the growing advocacy for reform to address systemic inequities in traditional grading systems. Utilizing a randomized control trial, the study compared student perceptions of grading equity, academic achievement, and psychosocial outcomes between groups whose teachers either received or did not receive the training. Results indicated no significant improvements in student outcomes post-PD, suggesting the duration of the intervention may be insufficient for substantial changes in grading practices. …

A Secret Society Of Readers: College-Age Mentors’ Literacy Experiences With Young Adolescent Mentees, Lindsay Persohn, Dulcey B. Hunter, Chelsea Rivera, Karyn Z. Mendez, Cheryl R. Ellerbrock, Lucy Monette

Journal of Global Education and Research

This study occurred within Year One and Year Two of an ongoing literacy initiative designed to build reader identities among underserved middle school students. Using a near-peer mentoring model, mentees were paired with college-student mentors to interact weekly around books and reading. Reader interests and identities are influenced by affective and relational approaches through mentored reading experiences and a variety of texts. This qualitative case study (n = 11 of 24 Year One and n = 13 of 37 Year Two mentors) aimed to identify the ways mentor/mentee relationships affect reader interests, attitudes, and skills, and to evaluate the …