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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 …

Simulation Of Multi-Receiver Solar Power Tower By Enhancement Of Solarpilot Software And A Review Of Absorber Coating Materials For The Receivers, Yasser Mirza Baig

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Central receiver concentrating solar power (CSP) towers offer significant potential for cost-effective renewable electricity but face increasing optical losses with larger heliostat fields. This thesis introduces enhancements to NREL’s SolarPILOT software through a Python-based API named CoPylot, which enables comprehensive optimization of heliostat field layouts for multi-receiver systems. The enhanced methodology incorporates per-heliostat ray tracing, receiver orientation optimization (tilt angle β), and an incidence-angle-dependent absorptance (α(θ)) model to evaluate optical performance, thermal losses, and techno-economic metrics within an integrated simulation framework.

A case study for Daggett, California demonstrates that transitioning from a baseline single-receiver system (180 m tower, 5×5 m …

Bat Occurrence And Microclimatic Conditions Of The Sima Del Órgano Cave, Mexico, Luis A. Hernández, Jaime E. Gómez, Cyntia Reyes

International Journal of Speleology

Caves represent an important type of shelter for many species of bats, particularly in karstic regions. In Mexico, about 60 bat species regularly use caves as roosts. The microclimate of a cave is a key component of the overall cave ecosystem. So, an adequate microclimate can minimize the energetic costs of bats associated with thermoregulation, gestation, embryonic development, parental care, lactation and social interaction. Cave environments are among the least known and most threatened on the planet, which is why we aimed to determine the monthly occurrence of bat species in the Sima del Órgano Cave, estimate the population size …

Development And Photophysical Characterization Of Bioinspired Materials, Qaisar Maqbool

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Porphyrins are versatile aromatic macrocycles with unique photophysical properties that make them attractive for applications in light harvesting, photocatalysis, and sustainable energy conversion. Incorporating porphyrins into metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) offers a unique opportunity to modulate their photophysical behavior through spatial confinement and host–guest interactions. This thesis explores how structural modifications influence porphyrin excited-state behavior through a multi-stage investigation. The work begins by comparing the photophysical properties of two cationic porphyrins: tetra(N-methylpyridyl) porphyrin(TMPyP) and tetra(4-N,N,N-trimethylanilinium) porphyrin(4TANP). While TMPyP exhibits significant singlet–charge transfer (S₁–CT) state mixing due to charge delocalization onto peripheral pyridinium groups, 4TANP lacks comparable behavior. The localized nature of …

Unveiling Success: A Qualitative Exploration Of Job Offer Attainment Among International Female Master's Graduates In Technology, Anna Bahvala

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This qualitative study explores the job search experiences of international female graduates from a Master of Science in Business Analytics and Information Systems (MS BAIS) program in the United States. I focus on the job search and preparation strategies that differentiate graduates, earning $100,000 and above from their peers. Using an Appreciative Inquiry framework and attribution theory as a foundation, the research examines the intersection of gender, mindset, risk-taking, negotiation skills, and self-efficacy in job attainment outcomes. Nine participants were interviewed, with data analyzed using Saldaña’s coding techniques to identify common themes and behaviors. Findings indicate that high earners demonstrated …

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 …

Final Genealogical Report, Usf Living Heritage Institute, Evergreen Cemetery, May 30, 2025, Rue Lynn Galbraith

Living Heritage Institute - Related Documents

Reviewed and edited by Antoinette Jackson, PhD.

Archaeological, Pxrf, And Gis Analyses At The Trestle Bridge Site (8ja186), Northwest Florida, Victoria Marie Freitas

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The Trestle Bridge Site (8JA186), located on an eroding riverbank of the upper Apalachicola River in northwest Florida, represents a significant multi-component precontact site with occupations that date from the Early Woodland (~800 B.C.–A.D. 300) and the Fort Walton periods (A.D. 1000-1500). Previous research has broadly classified the site based on ceramic and lithic assemblages, but a detailed investigation into pottery production and environmental changes over time at the site remains unexplored in the understudied Apalachicola valley region. There also appears to be over a thousand-year gap in occupation at the site, as no Middle or Late Woodland ceramic or …

Final Genealogical Report, Usf Living Heritage Institute, Zion Cemetery, May 29, 2025, Rue Lynn Galbraith

Living Heritage Institute - Related Documents

Reviewed and edited by Antoinette Jackson, PhD.

Evaluating The Protective Role Of Epo-R76e In Oxidative Stress-Induced Cell Death In Retinal Pigment Epithelium, Jemima Alam

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Age-Related Macular Degeneration (AMD) causes dysfunction and loss of Retinal pigment epithelium (RPE). The degeneration and death of RPE cells causes irreversible visual impairment. Oxidative stress is a widely accepted triggering factor for RPE dysfunction. A hormone called Erythropoietin (EPO) is responsible to facilitate the erythropoiesis process, prevents progenitor cells from apoptosis and protects photoreceptors downregulating retinal degeneration. In this study, we aim to elucidate the role of EPO in downregulating oxidative stress in RPE. It is hypothesized that EPO will have a positive impact on suppressing oxidative stress and ferroptosis-mediated RPE degeneration due to its vital role in apoptosis …

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.

Motivations To Learn English Among First-Year Undergraduate Chinese Students, Yunyu Chen

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This study investigates the motivations to learn English among first-year Chinese undergraduates enrolled at an American university in the southeastern United States and it is essentially grounded in theories such as Self-Determination Theory and Achievement Goal Theory. It addresses a central research question about how is motivations to learn English shaped by external and internal factors among the first-year undergraduate Chinese students? Recognizing that many Chinese students experience low levels of interest and confidence in English, the study explores internal and external factors that shape motivations, including emotional engagement, cultural and academic expectations, and supportive roles played by teachers and …

“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.

High Specific Capacitance Solid State Supercapacitor And Method Of Manufacture, Turki Sulaiman A. Alamro, Manoj Kumar Ram

USF Patents

A novel electrode and associated method of manufacturing said novel electrode comprising a porous structure having absorbed polystyrene sulfonate (PSS), a self-assembled polypyrole (PPy) layer adjacent to the PSS absorbed porous structure, a self-assembled polyaniline (PANI) layer adjacent to the PPy layer, an electrochemically deposited PANI layer adjacent to the PPy layer and an electrochemically deposited PANI-dichalcogenide layer adjacent to the electrochemically deposited PANI layer. A supercapacitor and associated method of manufacturing a supercapacitor comprising a first novel electrode and a second novel electrode separated by a polyvinyl gel and a porous separator.

Gnsi Decision Brief: Policy Options For Securing U.S. Interests In Afghanistan, Jonathan Schroden

GNSI Decision Briefs

Since the withdrawal of its forces from Afghanistan in August 2021, the U.S. has faced the challenge of formulating policies that safeguard its interests there while navigating the complex security, humanitarian, and diplomatic landscape of the South and Central Asian regions. After the withdrawal, the Biden administration implemented a policy of counterterrorism operations, limited diplomatic engagement with the Taliban, humanitarian assistance delivered indirectly through non-governmental organizations, and the maintenance of targeted economic sanctions against the Taliban government and specific Taliban leaders. With President Donald Trump's return to office in January 2025, these approaches are subject to review and modification in …

The Organizing Role Of Function Knowledge In Scene Schemas, Teresa P. Pham

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Schemata, or schemas, are conceptualized as “building blocks” of cognition that guide human information processing, object recognition, retrieval of memory, and more. Major work on schema theory was done in the 1970s, conceptualizing it as a useful framework for understanding how individuals organize knowledge and apply it to understand the world (e.g., Rumelhart, 1980). Research on schema theory has continued to have implications for reading comprehension, visual processing, and encoding and retrieval of memories. Despite the vast literature, the concept of schema itself remains loosely defined, with little consensus on how schemas are organized. This study explores whether function acts …

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

USF Patents

A system and method to control the Na/K pumps for the treatment of ischemia of the kidney by providing an energy generating synchronization modulation electric field that is effective in synchronizing the Na/K pumps down to individual steps throughout the pumping cycle and in synthesizing one ATP for each pumping cycle. The generated ATP molecule compensates the ATP consumed in extrusion of 3 Na ions and pumping 2 K ions, resulting in a net-consumption of ATP for the Na/K pumps controlled by the system and method of the present invention that is significantly reduced, theoretically to zero, thereby providing an …

Myths, Music, And Misconduct: A Lyrical Analysis Of "Epic: The Musical: And How It Bridges The Gap Between Criminology And A Contemporary Audience, Gabriel Simpson

USF St. Petersburg campus Honors Program Theses (Undergraduate)

This thesis explores the modern interpretation of Homer’s Odyssey through Epic: The Musical, examining its viability as a bridge between Criminological scholars and a contemporary audience. Epic: The Musical, a musical retelling of The Odyssey created by Jorge Rivere-Herrans, begins with Odysseus and his crew at the end of the Trojan War and ends with Odysseus arriving home at Ithaca. The musical consists of 40 songs and 9 Sagas, or albums, each focused on a different part of Odysseus’ journey. The focus of this thesis is in the relationship between Calypso and Odysseus. The two songs, “Love in Paradise” and …

Temperature-Driven Air Circulation In Caves With Blind Passages, Chris Hendy Dr, David J. Merritt, Shannon Corkill, Cross Cross

International Journal of Speleology

Two blind-passage show-caves in the Waitomo district of New Zealand, Ruakuri Cave and Aranui Cave, have been monitored for the impact of visitors on their environment, especially focusing on partial pressures of carbon dioxide because high levels cause speleothem degradation. In Ruakuri Cave, annual cycles of daily mean pCO₂ correspond with annual cycles of visitor numbers, both peaking in summer. The origin of the high pCO₂ had been assumed to be anthropogenic due to respiration from visitors. Prolonged intervals with no visitation during the Covid-19 pandemic saw the daily mean pCO₂ continuing to show the annual cycle, …

A Visual Question Answering-Based Object Detection Framework Using A Team Of Multi-Agent Uavs, Stéphane Lee, Nathan Rayon, Hakki Erhan Sevil

Florida Conference on Recent Advances in Robotics

This paper presents an autonomous multi-agent unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) system designed to perform object detection through Visual Question Answering (VQA) using aerial imagery. The system utilizes an entropy-based distributed behavior model to coordinate UAV movements toward designated waypoints. A VQA model is used to analyze aerial footage for detection of objects of interest. The study investigates the impact of various distributed behavior configurations, including number of UAVs, UAV formations, flight altitude, and separation distance. After analysis, a final optimized configuration for maximizing surface area coverage and VQA model performance were found. These findings contribute to the development of aerial …

Counting Doors By Integrating Pomdp Models And Pid Controllers, Rwaida Alssadi, Sara Zuiran, Jolie Elliott, Phi Duong, Chinedum Ajabor, Alwaleed Alsaleemi, Samuel Boddepalli, Vamshi Gattikoppula, Pavan Manigandla, Akram Alghanmi, Muntaser Syed, Samaher Damanhori, Marius Silaghi

Florida Conference on Recent Advances in Robotics

This paper presents an enhanced hybrid planning architecture that integrates Partially Observable Markov Decision Processes (POMDPs) with Proportional-Integral-Derivative (PID) control for indoor robot navigation under uncertainty. Our approach uses PID controller feedback—proportional, integral, and derivative signals—as observation variables in the POMDP model, exploiting well tested mechanisms of processing sensor data. A case study is conducted using an iCreate3 robot navigating a university corridor to deliver a load to a specified room by identifying door frames. We evaluate three progressively refined models with increasing sensor integration and probabilistic reasoning. Experimental results demonstrate that the multi-sensor fusion model achieves an 85% task …

Evaluating Relative Localization In Gps-Denied Environments Using Starling2 Uavs, Taiwo Hazeez, Cosme Penney, Daniel Guido, Pratik Mukherjee

Florida Conference on Recent Advances in Robotics

This paper presents preliminary results from a study that evaluated vision-based methods for relative localization in GPS-denied environments using Starling 2 drones as test agents. For distributed multi-agent coordination, robot-to-robot localization is critical. In this direction, we evaluate two vision- based detection methods: fiducial-marker based and neural network-based. We use a You Only Look Once (YOLOv8) neural network for drone detection for the on-board localization method. The model was trained from scratch and fine-tuned on a custom dataset. The model performance was 0.94 for [email protected] and 0.63 for [email protected]:0.95. The results demonstrated robust detection under diverse visual conditions. Additionally, we …

The Effect Of Rivet Joints On The Properties Of The Pultruded Glass Fiber Reinforced Plastic (Gfrp) Joined Members, Oren Masory, Alexandre Chevallier, Leif Carlsson

Florida Conference on Recent Advances in Robotics

This study investigates the properties of Pultruded Glass Fiber Reinforced Plastic (GFRP) rails used in low load bearing structures that are joined with rivets. The study focuses on the effect of the rivet connection on the properties of the rails rather than than focusing on joint strength. Samples were taken from commercially available products and tested for maximum stress in tension and compression. The samples were taken from the flange of a U channel to which another member was connected by rivets. After testing the resin was removed and the fibers along the edge of the rivet was examined under …