Digital Commons Network^™

Efficient Smartphone Sensor Analysis For Behavioral Profiling In Transportation Research: A Case Study Of Driver And Passenger Classification, Wilson Lozano, Tempestt Neal

Research Reports

Our study investigates smartphone sensor data for classifying drivers and passengers, aligning with our original proposal to enhance multimodal transportation data collection via the OneBusAway app. We address challenges in balancing data quality with smartphone resource constraints and find that shorter data collection windows significantly improve classification performance. Additionally, feature standardization and selection enhance accuracy, particularly during extended data periods, supporting our goal of refining data quality from open-source platforms. These insights advance our objectives by optimizing data efficiency and supporting the real-world applicability of intelligent models in transportation safety and efficiency.

Implementing Acceptance And Commitment Therapy To Reduce Caregiver Stress And Enhance Procedural Fidelity For Families Affected By Autism Spectrum Disorder, Casey K. Marsh

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The rate of children diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is increasing each year (CDC, 2022). Although the severity of symptoms is specific to individuals, the families of those diagnosed are often also affected in a variety of ways. Caregivers of children with ASD experience higher rates of depression, anxiety, and stress. The purpose of this paper is to examine the effects of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) on caregiver stress and procedural fidelity. Three caregivers of children with ASD were trained using an ACT curriculum and caregiver stress was measured using two self-report scales, before and after six ACT …

Analyzing And Extending Machine Learning Frameworks On High Risk Domains, Chengbin Hu

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Machine learning (ML) has become a transformative force in high-risk domains such as genomics and cybersecurity, where accurate predictions and robust defenses are essential. This dissertation advances ML frameworks in these areas by developing methods to enhance predictive power in health applications and assess vulnerabilities in machine learning systems.

In the genomics field, the work addresses challenges in Non-Invasive Prenatal Testing (NIPT) of monogenic disorders by proposing a deep learning model that reconstructs the fetal genome using maternal plasma cell-free DNA (cfDNA) and parental whole-genome sequencing (WGS) data. This model achieves high accuracy in single nucleotide variation (SNV) prediction, surpassing …

Detecting Changes In Cancer-Related Cognitive Functioning Using Mixed-Effects Modeling And Study Design Simulations, Jonathan D. Clapp

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this dissertation is to utilize and compare two existing approaches for modeling nonlinear change in cognitive functioning in cancer patients over time and to assess alternative study designs to better capture chemotherapy-related cognitive impairment using simulation data. Using data from the Thinking and Living with Cancer study, trend analysis with orthogonal polynomials (OP) and piecewise (PW) regressions approaches used to analyze cognitive functioning trajectories. Simulated datasets tested the impact of study design parameters including measurement test-retest reliability (.6 or .8), sample size (100, 200, or 300), and the number of data collection time points (4 or 5) …

Quality Assurance Of Cast-In-Place Foundation Elements, Tristen Mee

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Construction of cast-in-place concrete deep foundation elements is a common practice, yet performed almost entirely blind, leaving uncertainty in the quality of the as-built, below-ground element. This dissertation focuses on three quality assurance aspects of cast-in-place foundations: an automated concrete tracking system for drilled shafts, an alternate approach to identifying if mass concrete conditions exist in cast-in-place foundations, and as-built auger cast pile grout volume determination.

The volume of concrete in a drilled shaft is relatively easy to track on a truck-by-truck basis, as well as the height of the rising concrete per truck. However, a more detailed volume distribution …

Methods And Compositions For Oxygen Electrocatalysis, John N. Kuhn, Swetha Ramani, Sadik Cogal, Jeffrey Lowe, Venkat R. Bhethanabotla

USF Patents

In one aspect, the disclosure relates to catalysts for electrochemical water splitting, in particular catalysts useful for oxygen evolution at an anode in electrochemical water splitting. The disclosed catalysts compositions comprise a catalyst core component, a shell component, and optionally a catalyst outer component; wherein the catalyst core component comprises a composition having the chemical formula MxPy; where M is a transition metal; wherein x is a number from about 1 to about 20; wherein y is a number from about 1 to about 20; wherein the shell component comprises a conducting polymer; and wherein the catalyst outer component is …

Precursors To Student Burnout Through A Person-Environment Fit Lens, Kenny Le

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Burnout has been shown to be a pressing mental health outcome across populations, and this phenomenon has received more recent attention in young adult and student populations with increasing evidence mirroring what has previously been found in workplace research. However, the current research has not yet developed a theoretical model towards student burnout specifically, and the existing multidimensional theory of burnout does not capture precursors towards the first stages of the syndrome. The current study uses the person-environment (P-E) fit as a framework to identify relevant environmental and individual factors, as research has suggested perceived environmental fit is associated with …

Control Of Multiagent Networks With Misbehaving Nodes, Emre Yildirim

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The overarching objective of this dissertation is to introduce system theoretical frameworks in control of misbehaving multiagent networks subject to limited resources (i.e., limited number of driver nodes), and the presence of disturbances and/or uncertainties (i.e., misbehaving nodes). Below, we briefly summarize each problem studied in this dissertation with their proposed solutions.

Specifically, we first consider multiagent networks subject to misbehaving nodes over fixed undirected graph topologies. To address this problem, we apply proportional-integral control signals to a subset of nodes (i.e., driver nodes) in the network to address the undesired effects arising from misbehaving nodes. Since multiagent networks with …

Examining Emergency Remote Teaching And Undergraduate Academic Outcomes During The Pandemic, Melissa S. Ramge

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The COVID-19 pandemic represented an extraordinary public health emergency, leading to the most profound disruption to education systems in modern history. As higher education institutions expand their post-pandemic online course catalogs, it is necessary first to explore the student outcomes and student perceptions of learning related to the pandemic. This study used an explanatory sequential mixed methods research design to assess the relationship between the COVID-19 pandemic and students’ perceptions of online learning. The purpose of the study was to examine what, if any, trends in undergraduate student course grades and student perceptions of the instruction occurred coincident with the …

Telu Activation Function For Fast And Stable Deep Learning, Alfredo Fernandez

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

We propose the Hyperbolic Tangent Exponential Linear Unit (TeLU), a neural network hidden activation function defined as $TeLU(x)=x \cdot tanh(e^x)$. TeLU’s design is grounded in the core principles of key activation functions, achieving strong convergence by closely approximating the identity function in its active region while effectively mitigating the vanishing gradient problem in its saturating region. Its simple formulation enhances computational efficiency, leading to improvements in scalability and convergence speed. Unlike many modern activation functions, TeLU seamlessly combines the simplicity and effectiveness of ReLU with the smoothness and analytic properties essential for learning stability in deep neural networks. TeLU’s ability …

Exploring Llm Integration And Its Influence On Agent Behavior And Productivity In Insurance Call Centers, Gerardo L. Wibmer Gonzalez

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This study investigates the theoretical impacts of supportive AI tools, specifically Large Language Models (LLMs), on agent behavior and communication dynamics in call centers. While technological advancements have streamlined operations, limited research addresses the indirect ways these tools influence agent behavior. Using frameworks like context switching—the cognitive shift required when external stimuli prompt attention shifts—and the Hawthorne effect, where perceived observation modifies behavior, we examine how LLMs shape communication patterns. In call centers, this context switching occurs indirectly as agents adapt to AI note-taking features, whereas in industries like Architecture, Engineering, and Construction (AEC), automation tools prompt more immediate changes …

The Impact Of Hearing Aid User Speech On Environment Classification And Own Voice Listener Preferences, Robert Andrew Budinsky Iii

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Hearing aids (HA) have improved over the past few decades with advanced signal processing, such as environment classification and background noise reduction, but are still limited by challenges related to when the user is speaking. These challenges include the potential interference a HA user’s voice has on device environment classification and the potential influence a HA has on own voice (OV) sound quality. However, the effects of OV on HA environment classification and signal processing are not well established, nor are the desired HA program settings regarding OV listening preferences. In this study, a combination of electroacoustic and behavioral methods …

The Monsters In Twentieth And Twenty-First Century Illustrated Adaptation Of Beowulf For Children And Young Adults, Johanna Katharine Burton

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

I examine how some authors and illustrators of children’s and young adult literature adapt the old English Beowulf, how critics receive their works, and the functions these adaptations serve. My focus is on how the interplay between the visual and verbal text modifies or amplifies the overall story as well as how theories of translation/adaptation, monster, gender, and post-colonialism provide insight and aid in analysis. My ultimate objective is to demonstrate the significance of children’s and young adult adaptations of Beowulf and how these texts contribute to a rich and varied corpus. I argue that the adapter’s social/cultural context affected …

Communication Resilience In Suicide Prevention (Crisp): An Institutional Ethnography Of Community-Based Suicide Prevention In Florida, Kelli R. Agrawal

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The concept of Communication Resilience in Suicide Prevention (CRISP) offers a conceptual framework for exploring communication strategies in community-based suicide prevention. A constructivist paradigm informs this study and utilizes an approach heavily influenced by Dorothy Smith’s critical feminist sociological work of institutional ethnography (IE). The study intentionally interweaves critical research praxis with a dual etic/emic positionality through constructivist understandings of dialectical sensemaking. It uses the Communication Theory of Resilience (CTR) and Institutional Logics Theory (ILT) as analytic tools of inquiry. The study includes purposive sampling and multiple qualitative methods, including unstructured interviews, text analyses, and observational data. Fifteen unstructured interviews …

Emergent Magnetism And Magneto-Transport Phenomena In Helimagnet-Based Heterostructures For Spin-Based Device Applications, Nivarthana Waruni Yapa Abeyrathna Yapa Mudiyanselage

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The study of magnetoresistance (MR) phenomena in magnetic materials has been pivotal for advancing magnetic sensors and spintronic devices. Helimagnets, characterized by a non-collinear arrangement of magnetic moments that form a helical or spiral configuration, present an intriguing avenue for MR-based device applications. Theoretical predictions suggest that the MR magnitude in the helimagnetic (HM) regime can exceed that in the ferromagnetic (FM) regime by over an order of magnitude. However, in metallic helimagnets like manganese phosphide (MnP), the MR in the HM phase remains modest (< 10%), limiting its applicability in MR devices. This dissertation investigates the emergent magnetism and magneto-transport phenomena in nanostructured MnP helimagnets and their interfaces with ferromagnets (Fe) and ferrimagnets (Fe3O4), aiming to enhance device performance.

In the first part of the dissertation, we present a novel approach to achieve …

Links, Fit, And Sacrifice: How Job Embeddedness Impacts Work Modality And Intention To Stay In Public Accounting, Maryalice C. Trussell

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Historically, the public accounting profession has applied an in-person apprenticeship model to assimilate new professionals into the culture of the firm and client service profession. The COVID-19 pandemic quickly challenged this in-person apprenticeship model in early 2020 by forcing most professionals to work remotely. Initial post-pandemic research with public accountants highlighted issues related to remote work, including a lack of social bonds with coworkers, reduced organizational socialization as well as less commitment to the firm and profession. Notwithstanding the new obstacles with COVID-induced remote work, turnover and talent shortages have been persistent challenges in public accounting.

This study is the …

Sea Surface Temperatures, The Gulf Of Mexico Loop Current, Hurricane Ian, And Their Junction, Alexander K. Nickerson

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

In the first chapter, a climatology was created for the deep Gulf of Mexico, West Florida Shelf, and Tampa Bay. These climatologies were compared to each other and to global temperatures. Seasonal variability is shown to be a product of bathymetry as well as latitude. In Chapter Two, using the self-organizing map neural network, patterns of the Gulf of Mexico Loop Current were analyzed to establish phases with necessary and sufficient conditions for translation from one phase to the next. Two separate patterns of evolution were established from these analyses, and empirical arguments are used to confirm the findings from …

Ai-Enabled Methodological Frameworks To Enhance The Robustness Of Machine Learning Models In Various Domains And Dynamic Environments, Mohammad Noroozi

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation explores novel approaches to address complex challenges in various domains, focusing on ensuring that machine learning (ML) models can reliably detect both the data they are trained on and unseen data. Reliable detection of unfamiliar inputs is critical for deploying models in real-world applications, where performance can degrade when faced with novel or unexpected information. Each domain addressed in this work introduces a set of contributions aimed at enhancing model performance, broadening generalization through diverse training data, and improving robustness against adversarial attacks. Three sets of contributions are presented, each encapsulated in a chapter.

One of the contributions …

Deep Reinforcement Learning For Adaptive Network Slicing In 5g For Intelligent Vehicular Systems And Smart Cities, Almuthanna Nassar, Yasin Yilmaz

USF Patents

Systems and methods for processing a service request within a network environment can include a first cluster of fog nodes that execute service tasks. The cluster can include a primary fog node and nearest neighbor fog nodes. The primary fog node can receive, from the network, a service request, determine service request resource data that includes a first time, quantity of resource blocks required to serve the request, and a hold time required to serve the request locally. An edge controller, connected to the network and the first cluster, can receive, from the primary fog node, the service request resource …

Characterizing The Temporal And Nearshore To Offshore Spatial Scale Of Phytoplankton Assemblages Within The Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary, Sebastian P. Di Geronimo

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This study investigates the spatial and temporal dynamics of phytoplankton communities within the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary (FKNMS) from 2016 to 2021. Phytoplankton biomass and community composition were analyzed across four seasons and from both Nearshore (within 2 km of shore) and Offshore (8 to 10 km from shore) locations along the Florida Keys from Miami to the Western Sambo Ecological Reserve. High-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) quantified chlorophyll-a (tchla) as a proxy for bulk biomass, and other pigments. CHEMTAX, a chemotaxonomic identification method, was employed to estimate phytoplankton community composition. Our results revealed significant seasonal variability in bulk biomass, …

The Mediating Effect Of Self-Efficacy And Symptom Distress In The Relationship Between Symptom Occurrence And Quality Of Life Among Cancer Patients, Kailei Yan

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Cancer symptoms significantly impact the quality of life (QOL) among cancer patients. Self-efficacy plays a key role in managing symptoms and improving QOL. Also, as a suffering from symptom occurrence, symptom distress predicts QOL. However, it is not clear whether self-efficacy and/or symptom distress mediate the effects of symptoms on QOL. This dissertation seeks to explore if and how self-efficacy and symptom distress mediate the relationship between symptom occurrence and QOL among 534 cancer patients. The specific aims were to: 1) test the factor structure and the longitudinal invariance of the Cancer Behavioral Inventory in our sample of cancer patients …

Satellite-Based Mapping Of Seagrass Habitats And Coastal Wetlands In The Us Gulf Of Mexico And Florida: A Remote Sensing Approach For Environmental Conservation And Management, Luis Lizcano-Sandoval

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Coastal wetlands and seagrass meadows provide multiple services to nature and human society, but their spatial and temporal changes are often not well characterized. They are habitats that are threatened by natural and human causes such as changes in water quality, urban development, pollution, and climate change, among others. Coastal ecosystems rely on water quality and sea level variability for survival, and changes in those variables and their potential effects are of concern to many coastal communities. Satellite remote sensing is a powerful tool that has been used for mapping ecosystem distribution on land and in the ocean. Satellite sensors …

Targeting Tumor Microenvironmental Factors In Bladder Cancer To Enhance Responses With Immunotherapy, Sarah Bazargan

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Bladder cancer is the tenth most common cancer in the world and has one of the highest recurrence rates. Despite the local delivery options and mutational status of bladder tumors, responses with immunotherapies have been limited with low durability. The bladder tumor microenvironment is enriched with highly immunosuppressive populations and harsh conditions that restrict anti-tumor immunity and subsequently attenuate immunotherapy response. We predict that targeting two of these immunosuppressive components, namely acidity and myeloid derived suppressor cells (MDSCs), will bolster T cell responses and enhance outcomes with immunotherapy. In Chapter 2, we characterized the effects of acidity on T cell …

A Case Study Of A Large School District’S High School Principals’ Instructional Decision-Making For Students With Disabilities, Laura Meehan

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation is a case study of a large school district and it’s high school principals’ approach to instructional decision making for students with disabilities. This study explores how principals utilize teaching resources and make instructional decisions for students receiving special education services on their campus. Using district-wide quantitative data on special education students in high school, this study offers a comprehensive view of how these students are served. Additionally, five in-depth interviews with high school principals currently serving in the district provide qualitative insights into leadership practices. Findings from this study reveal variation in how students with disabilities are …

Evaluation Of Green Supercapacitor For Low Pass Rc Filter Implementation, Ramakrishna Kanneganti

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The need for use of sustainable and eco-friendly methods and processes in electronics is the need of the hour. The demand for electronics is growing by the day, consequently the use of passive components such as capacitors, resistors, and inductors is ever growing. It is desirable to manufacture and utilize passive components that are easily disposable and are biodegradable. Our research focuses on evaluating PolyMaterials APP’s supercapacitor in RC filter circuits replacing the conventional capacitor. The evaluated supercapacitor is biodegradable and does not use any heavy or contaminating metals. In this work, we have successfully evaluated various green supercapacitor component …

Self-Doubt: Impostor Phenomenon And The Doctoral Seeking School-Based Leader, Rose Apollon-Simon

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This qualitative narrative inquiry explores the experiences of school-based administrators in K-12 public school settings within the state of Florida who navigate the challenges of Impostor Phenomenon while concurrently pursuing a doctoral degree. The research draws on the personal stories of four participants—three women and one man—who are currently or previously employed as principals or assistant principals. The study focused on how participants manage the psychological tensions coming from their experiences with Impostor Phenomenon or the persistent self-doubt and the fear of being exposed as a fraud. While most Impostor Phenomenon research has concentrated on fields like business, medicine, and …

On The Role Of Prediction In Streaming Hierarchical Learning, Ramy Mounir

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

In today's world, AI systems need to make sense of large amounts of data as it unfolds in real-time, whether it's a video from surveillance and monitoring cameras, streams of egocentric footage, or sequences in other domains such as text or audio. The ability to break these continuous data streams into meaningful events, discover nested structures, and predict what might happen next at different levels of abstraction is crucial for applications ranging from passive surveillance systems to sensory-motor autonomous learning. However, most existing models rely heavily on large, annotated datasets with fixed data distributions and offline epoch-based training, which makes …

Zooplankton Abundance, Composition, And Diversity And Associated Environmental Factors Across The Gulf Of Mexico And Along The Northwestern Coast Of Cuba, Shaniqua J. Gladney

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

My research focused on characterizing the zooplankton community of two regions in the Gulf of Mexico (GOM) along two transects, one across the middle of the GOM from Tuxpan, Mexico, to St. Petersburg, FL, and one along the northwestern coast of Cuba. Zooplankton bongo samples and associated environmental and physical processes were examined. These data were collected during two Center for Integrated Modeling and Analysis of Gulf Ecosystems (C-IMAGE) expeditions aboard the R/V Weatherbird II, during September 2015 (GOM) and May 2017 (Cuba). A Zooscan imaging system was used to identify and enumerate zooplankton taxa. Then zooplankton abundance, composition, and …

Enhancing Post Silicon Visibility Using Language Modelling Techniques, Nathaniel Joseph Fender

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The debugging phase is a critical time in the development of a new system on chip product. Specifically, the post-silicon validation phase is one of the most important, as it allows engineers to test the behavior of a device in a real world setting. However, the issue of noisy or incomplete data is a frequent issue when attempting to debug an SoC design during this step. This thesis examines the utility of utilizing machine learning models for the purpose of repairing missing data in a system trace. We trained various models using the transformer architecture to identify missing data in …

Predicting Human Chess Moves With Large Language Models, Benjamin Kreiger

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

As artificial intelligence (AI) surpasses human performance in more tasks, the interest in leveraging and collaborating with this technology for greater productivity continues to grow. However, the black-box nature of current AI can make it difficult to interpret and unsuitable to perform tasks that are more complex and require human intuition. This has led to the pursuit of AI systems that can model individual behavior. Chess offers an ideal environment to explore this task due to its complexity, structure, and the abundance of data containing unique human decision-making examples. Given that a chess game can be fully represented with text, …